₦airaland Forum

Pouring the Chateau - Curing the Slab

It's already 4 hours since the Chateau was poured and we need to cure the slab. WHY?

It is important to keep freshly poured concrete from drying out too quickly during the 'curing' period This is necessary in order to achieve full bond between all of the ingredients (Sand, Cement and Granite) and to also prevent crack. This is achieved by spraying the slab with water everyday for 2 days or more to ensure the slab stay wet.

Here is another method been employed on the slab to achieve full bonding of all ingredients. It is known as ponding. All we need to do is to put sand around the edge of the slab and then flood the slab with water. That way the slab stay wet!!!

Hope you'll like this new method.

The concrete pour took around 5 hours (9:40am - 2:45pm), although it should have been completed in 4 hours 30 minutes. The main delay was caused by the iron bender who is notorious for these sorts of slides.

We poured 73 cubic meters, the slab was 6in thick over an approximate area of 348 square meters. Now we need to cure the slab with water. However, I've got a workaround to the 3 days spraying with water. Read next post...

Pouring the Chateau: Attention to details

Special attention has been taken to ensure that all hollow spaces of the block are filled with concrete during the pour.

Pouring the Chateau: Teams and Designation

The Second Team "Screeds" (Level) the Concrete. Screeding the floor is used to achieve a set level for the slab.

Placing the concrete

Pouring the Chateau: Teams and Designation

The first team mix, pack and places the concrete. In fact, they were moving like ants carrying sugar or bread crumb. Before you bat an eyelid, another set is coming. Here are the team members at work

Stage 3 Completed!!! Stage 4 (Upper Block Work) and Stage 5 (Crafting and Pouring of the Parapet) commences immediately.

The carpenter and the iron benders will be working on the forms and reinforcement for the parapet while we form the upper floor.

The big day has finally arrived and we've completed our first slab pour without any glitches. The excitement was palpable at the site.

Breaks for the guys are on a rotation basis because the concrete has to keep flowing.

First floor slab finished. Pouring the staircase and few beams around the void section.

I need to go and arrange the concrete guys pay as the work is nearing completion. Did I just say 'completion'? Wait for picture updates in the next 150 minutes!

Amazing speed by the concrete guys. Everything is running like a well oiled machine. We are pouring section by section.

There won't be any need for a generator today.

Game on!

Quick Meeting

We are having a very quick meeting to establish designated tasks, delegate responsibilities and give warning to all the guys to make sure to be careful with the exposed plumbing pipes and electrical conduit and the referee blows the whistle.

Finally, the BIG day has arrived!!! Let's pour the Chateau.

Today we are going to pour the first floor slab of The Chateau! Even though there are a couple of disturbing clouds in the distance the weather forecast announces a fair weather.

The pouring however, is a substantially bigger. In fact, it is the biggest job in this project so we would require more men. There is no benefit in running your team ragged, putting them in a position where they have to battle all day against the race of finishing the job.

In this regards, I've scouted around and found Alex and Alex Concreters (30 Ghanian Concrete Men) to handle this stage of the project.

Starting as early as possible is key here and everyone (the NextHome team, Alex and Alex concreters, the mixer and all other materials) were on the site and ready at 7:00 AM.

Let the game begin.

The Chateau as seen on Google Map

The Chateau as spotted from afar.

This is more like it!

What's this? What do they think we're doing here? 60l concrete mixer!!!

Final preparations - Building the Mallam Stair

Interesting views

Please feel free to post a comment if you have any questions about the photos below and I'll be happy to elaborate on them:

The final preparations for the concrete pour are under way. We've completed the distribution of steel reinforcement bars along the beams, tie beams and ribs to reinforce the slab.

We've also completed coordination with the electrical contractor and the plumbing contractor to set up the necessary sleeves that will allow them to pull their wires / pipes through the slab after the concrete pour.

Progress pictures, as well as some detail work below:

diordaves: Spyder880 well done. You are really doing good. Your decking cost profile is really decent. Keep with the good work.

Going forward with God's blessing for your next decking job; instead of buying planks and wood and employing the services of a carpenter to install and bring down the formwork; it could be advantageous to explore the services of those hiring out panels for decking. They are normally responsible for installing and dismantling ALL formwork which includes carpentry labour all for about 400K. If you had adopted this option; you MAY have saved close on for 200K. I normally use this option.

For the foundation; you could not have done any better. When I saw the height of the foundation I knew immediately you were in "trouble" with backfilling cost. One could spend well over 500k just to sand-fill such foundation. Yes the soil structure took you by surprise but I must say you adjusted well.

Lesson to be learnt: always give your cost estimate subject to soil condition. It's well.

But again; for the options you adopted; your cost profile is envious. Keep at being the man you are. God Bless.

A cheaper alternative would be to invest in marine plywood. That's what I'm doing now.

mufutau55: Oga Brabus.. I have seen some of this lights around here too.. Do they real last?
I could bring some home for my use if they are really good.. Thanks.

Good Tiles from Home Depot. I am watching the developments here. Thanks.

Hajji Mufutau

Of course they do. I have some bulb in the house that I've been using since 2010

more pics

Picture updates

Ok sorry! How do I pick it up?

Send your account details to my email address in my signature below. I'll arrange pick-up. I'm in Ajah

Where's your location? I need one

Introduction to Structural Loads Calculation

Before you build that house, make adjustment to the existing structure or introduce those new features, please read this!

Clients find it difficult to understand the concept of loads although it is a very simple concept. Here's a post on “Load Calculations” which will help you understand different types of loads that are to be considered for structural designing and also how to calculate them.
You must have heard of this keywords "Live loads" and "Dead Loads". Dead loads as the name implies are non-living objects. It could be the weight of the materials, equipments or any other components in the structure that will remain permanent throughout the life of the structure. Any addition to your structure after the foundation should be communicated to your structural engineer before your project makes a headline of collapsed structure in the dailies or Nairaland.

For the calculations of dead loads, we could consider the following:

1. Columns
2. Beams
3. Footings
4. Lintels
5. Furniture
6. Machinery and other equipment
7. Walls
8. Floors
9. Roofs
10. Ceilings
11. Stairways
12. Built-in partitions
13. Finishes (POP – Plaster of Paris)
14. Cladding (Use of various materials which increase the self weight of the structure) etc.
15. All the permanent loads in your structure

A friends house collapsed sometimes in May last year. The foundation was built for a single level house but he thought it was substantial enough to carry another floor and added to the load on the structure. The rest is story now.

Just because you like that parapet and you just collected bonus from your office, you thought it fit to include in your project without due consultation. You should be prepared for impending danger in the future. Or you felt you want to reduce your cost and decided to introduce a tank slab on that section of the house without checking the structural integrity of the house. Be prepared.

Speak to the experts and be guided accordingly. More info on this subject later on this thread.

I was asked this question by a silent follower and I've decided to provide an answer on this thread for everyone else to see.

Question

Hi Brabus,

I'm a silent follower of your posts on Nairaland and I do keep a note of your lectures. I just finished my project in Ikorodu (4 bedroom bungalow) and would love to build an overhead tank for the house. Please what size of tank should it be and how much of water will be required for a family of 5 (3 teenagers, my wife and I). We have 2 cars and have a small garden in the front yard.

Thank you.

Answer

Water required per person per day (Bath, Toilet, Cooking and others) = 150 litres

Drinking water = 4litres per person per day

My simple calculation for an overhead water tank for a small bungalow project assuming the average family size is 5 persons

Water required for daily chores per person per day is (150l x 5 persons) = 750 litres

Drinking water required per person per day (4l x 5 persons) = 20 litres

Total quantity of water required = 750+20 = 770 litres

Volume of water = 770/1000 = 0.77 cubic metres

Minimum Tank Size - 1,000 litres

Recommended Tank Size - 1,500 litres


* Water required for washing 1 car, small front yard garden and other things per day - 100 litres

Note: You'll require larger volume of tank if don't want to pump water everyday.