10 questions.......

1. is the parapet worth the hype?
2. Is pre cast better than the full cast?
3. Is the costs worth the aestethic value it can place on the building?
4. Can I add this to my private home or to a block of flats for rents?
5. What are the positives?
6. Shebi everything that has an advantage also has a disadvantage?
7. Can it prevent burglaries?
8. Can it prevent rodents and bats from hiding in my ceiling?
9. Does it limit indoor ventilation?
10. Can I do this parapet if my roof has been roofed before?

The precast parapet is made by mixing a strong cement-sand ratio and pouring on a flat surface arranged on the ground. Allowing it to dry and manually lifting the dried segments to be joined in bits on the topmost blocks on top of the house. This will create a long hollow on top of the top blocks to be cast as the roof beam. Note that the precast parapet is always smoother when finished, because care was taken to smoothen it at the point of casting/pouring on the ground.

Take a look at the last picture, now this picture here is the top view, showing the hollow which will be filled with concrete to make the parapet, link rods of 6-8mm will still be used to connect both sides of the cast parapet to hold them together at the top.

I walked around a bit, and found other pre-cast parapet works still under construction, different designs of the same method........

Now take a closer look at this picture, this house has been finished and painted, but the pre cast parapet is still showing at the point where it was joined (circled)
For some people like me with discerning eyes I always notice this little bump whenever I look at some badly finished pre cast parapet. Is this one of the disadvantages? Well

more pre cast..... and the joints. This one has not been painted yet.

One strong argument supporting the pre cast fascia is that is looks very smooth, but what I like about it that it allows you to create many designs as your imaginations can allow. Look at the numerous curves on this last picture, very difficult to achieve on the normal parapet.

Now, this is a normal fully cast parapet, after it has been plastered.

usually this is how its made.....

place some horizontal boards beside the top blocks.....place curves on top of the boards....

work the woods...

cover with plywood......

bombard the wood work with rod works.......

creating a basket effect......

then cast with moist concrete.......

Damn! Thanks for all this informative class.. Now I have been able to digest the constructions of pre-cast and concrete parapet.

1. The way I see it, it seems that the concrete parapet holds very firmly to the building itself.

2. Does the pre-cast also hold as firmly as the concrete parapet to the building?

I love them both and my future house will surely have one of the concrete parapet or the pre-cast parapet.

Thank you very much Oga Spyder for the education..


Hajji M.

Spyder, my only concern about concrete parapet is the additional load it creates on the building because the iron rods and concrete are quite weighty. Prof Spyder, is that concern relevant at all?

is is possible to pass the roof drain through the parapet so that the water drains through a pipe...

esoorita: Spyder, my only concern about concrete parapet is the additional load it creates on the building because the iron rods and concrete are quite weighty. Prof Spyder, is that concern relevant at all?

Thank you for this very valid concern, the parapet is very very heavy and an added load to the house. But I believe architects and structural engineers should be able to design the house in such a way that the additional load is taken into consideration and fortifications made from the start of the building.

tlops: is is possible to pass the roof drain through the parapet so that the water drains through a pipe...

It is very possible. If planned from the onset of the parapet, provisions could be made internally for plumbing the drains and creating a space for the water to drain from. There are other types of roof where the roof is enclosed inside a concrete form, not the normal parapet of these days.

We are on question number what Is the precast better than wall casted parapet?

lawali: We are on question number what Is the precast better than wall casted parapet?

Bros, its like asking

"Is Toyota better than Honda?"

The answers will be so varied you will be surprised all of us will answer according to our experiences with the two brands of cars, same with the parapets. Such things have no clear answer, what I am trying to do here is provide information and methods of the construction so we all can make up our minds, armed with better information. I cannot say this or that is better.

What about me SpyderKenn, that completed my house without building a parapet on the duplex? What about we on the "popular side" who could not afford the extra cost? But we dey live inside our house with happiness

To GOD be all the glory!!!
Good morning my people.

spyder880:
What about me SpyderKenn, that completed my house without building a parapet on the duplex? What about we on the "popular side" who could not afford the extra cost? But we dey live inside our house with happiness
To GOD be all the glory!!!
Good morning my people.

God go provide for next building, with or without parapet, we go sleep and wake up happy, house na house.
We go cut our coat according to our size.. Yes oh, To GOD be all the glory!!!

Hajji M.

spyder880: in case you like this style

Nice roof wing. Well done

brabus:

Nice roof wing. Well done

Thank you my brother, I can see your roof skeletal works coming out really lovely. Neat work bro.

The casting of a parapet with concrete..........

watch the way the concrete is flowing like water, parapets are cast in very water mixtures so it can enter every nook and crannies of the beam, block holes. Another reason we mix parapet concrete watery is for it to be smooth after the plywood is removed. Did you even know there is a special size of chipping stone for the casting of parapets?

I would answer the original question from the perspective of a potential Client (assuming limited technical knowledge) witha couple of question of my own:

1. Comparative cost Pre-cast vs in-situ casting?
2. Are the "joints" following installation of the precast parapets likely weak points in the structural integrity of the building? I'm thinking where future subsidence or building movements could result in stresses between the roof parapet sections. Any examples of such failures?

I am quite a novice in buildings and the technologies behind it. But I have one observation - these parapets definitely add aesthetic value to the buildings but must they be made of concrete which increases cost and adds more weight to the structure? Why I ask is that here in the US they have similar things on buildings (including the one I reside in) but they are made of wood or cheap light-weight synthetic stuff.These materials have the benefit of cost and are even more maleable to artistic designs. Are those materials not suitable in the Nigerian environment or are they just not available?

Polystyrene cornice...installations is simple...attach to roof beam rebar before casting the roof beam...@ Haji...I'd update as soon as I get the company details...

adegbitetunji: Polystyrene cornice...installations is simple...attach to roof beam rebar before casting the roof beam...@ Haji...I'd update as soon as I get the company details...

Thank you..Uncle Tunji. Please repost that picture of Polystyrene cornice here too.. This will be very informative..

Hajji Mufutau

adegbitetunji: Polystyrene cornice...installations is simple...attach to roof beam rebar before casting the roof beam...@ Haji...I'd update as soon as I get the company details...

i have used it before and it is good.
the company that produces this in abuja is citec and you can check their website for more info. www.citecestates.com/eps-technology/
i hope it helps

segzy14:
i have used it before and it is good.
the company that produces this in abuja is citec and you can check their website for more info. www.citecestates.com/eps-technology/
i hope it helps

Sure it helps, any idea on price of completing a mid sized duplex with it?