All you need to know about the concrete decking slab

In home building construction, people get confused with different technical terminologies being used by industry professionals to describe different types of the work. Since its not everyone that underwent training in construction engineering, a need therefore arises to explain some of the technical terms we might meet in home construction. This is why we are going to look at the term “decking”, and explain what it's all about.

A decking, which could be described by insiders in the building industry as the suspended slab, is a platform built to hang on top of a building ground floor unit, and therefore forms the floor for the upper unit of a building. Usually, steps are created so that occupants of this upper unit can climb up to a decking, and so enter a higher floor of the same building.

There are many materials that could be used to create a decking platform. Engineers have used metal sheets, aluminum, hard wood, concrete, synthetic fibres and thick plywood boards to create different shapes and sizes of decking for use in different types of buildings.
For the sake of this write up, we are going to be focusing our attention on the concrete decking slab.

The concrete decking slab is made when the objective of the deck is durability and safety. Among other types of decking materials, the concrete is among the most reliable, it could last for very long, even up to hundreds of years. In buildings where fire could be a risk, the concrete deck could be relied upon as compared to wood or plywood. The concrete deck also fits well on buildings especially those started with concrete columns and beams.

The concrete beam is always reinforced with good quality metal bars (iron rods). The specifications of the rods that should work in any decking slab should be detailed by a qualified building professional, specified in the building plans and approved by the state or local authorities to ensure compliance to existing building codes. There are so many types of iron bars for different decking slabs, there is the 25mm, 20mm, 16mm, 12mm, 10mm, 8mm etc. These iron rods are used in the planned combination suited for the project, as stated in the building plans.

Other important uses of the decking is that the electrical or mechanical piping works on a floor can be passed inside the decking. Electrical pipes of between 20mm to 25mm are usually run within the decking slab, providing electrical wiring provisions where wires and cables could be passed from room to room in a building project. Same applied to the water pipes, or even waste pipes.

There are also specifications on the thickness of the slab. The thickness planned for a decking slab has a lot to do with the intended use of the decking slab. There are slabs for residential buildings and there are slabs for commercial buildings like shops and plazas. Since shops and plazas may contain live loads like heave goods and equipment stacked on the floors, its important to plan for theis extra weight, especially during the planning of the building. In concrete decking slabs, the thickness can range from 125mm to even 300mm thick, depending on what it was planned for.

The mixing ratio for the materials that will be used to cast a concrete decking should also be well planned and specified in the building plan documents. Clear specifications should be stated for the mixing ratio of sand and aggregates like granite, gravel and for cement. Care should be taken to ensure a superb mix for the decking slab concrete, a good concrete mixing machine is advised where it is available. A concrete tool which shakes the concrete (poker) is also a very useful tool to ensure the efficiency of the decking process.

The above shown picture is a decking we have completed in the past, we have started and completed more than 130 different decking slabs in different locations, for more questions and inquiry, call Kenn on 08033350750.

How to break down your building construction to stages

They must have given you this bulk sum amount of money on what it will take in total to build the house you plan to build, and it's overwhelming to say the least. Where do you even start from? Relax, drink a glass of cold water and then do these;

What I will advice you to do, as an experienced building professional, is to put a call to your builder, contractor or a quantity surveyor to have a good look at you building plan, then consider where your building will be located and then give you a quotation. Ask them to break the quotation down to smaller, manageable milestones. The location consideration is very important because costs rise or fall in some locations because of different conditions prevalent in the location.

These milestones could be few, for a typical bungalow, ask for 3 stages, for a duplex, ask for 5 stages, and so on. These are just for the construction of the skeleton of the building only. For example we can divide a duplex thus;

1. Foundation and DPC stage
2. Ground floor block wall stage
3. Decking stage
4. First floor block wall stage
5. Parapet and roofing stage

Out of the bulk sum earlier given, let the costs be broken down and allocated to each of the stages, dont forget to add timelines for completion. This will make the work measurable, and thus easier to monitor.

New pictures of International conference centre Enugu.

This work is still not completed, but already looking good. This huge edifice couldn't be completed by 3 past governors in more than 20 years, its almost completed now in the Administration of Peter Mba.

Onitsha high rise residential buildings, redefining property development in Nigeria.

Onitsha is a commercial city in the Eastern part of Nigeria, located beside the River Niger, its a city in Anambra state. Onitsha right from the late 19th century till today has always been a business and commercial powerhouse. Goods and services are traded in high net worth deals per second.

Out of the whole merchandise arriving Nigeria, nearly 70% of them usually head to Onitsha for onward distribution to many other cities and countries surrounding Nigeria. This has created a city where the population can only grow and grow. Onitsha commercial activities has spread into all the neighbouring towns and villages surrounding the city. Towns like Oba, Nkwelle Ezunaka, Obosi, Nkpor, Ogbunike, Ogidi, Ogbaru and even Asaba in Delta state has all become part of the greater Onitsha city.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Onitsha development is the settlement pattern of the people, which is characterized by the type of houses they build for mass habitation. Due to the small nature of the landmass of Onitsha, property investors chose to start building medium high rise structures that can accommodate as many families as possible, while retaining a sense of comfort, privacy and decency.

This gave rise to the multiplicity of 4,5 and even 6 story buildings scattered in and around Onitsha city. These building are usually constructed by single individuals who just wants to stake their money in real estate holdings. It has been a profitable business for decades, and more people are still looking for spaces to build these types of homes.

On our own, we have built many of these structures in Onitsha, contact us if you need home building services in any part of Nigeria for a quotation and possible building contract. 08033350750.

Picture credit: Anambra1stson TV.

 

Ngwo to Olo road, Governor Peter Mba to construct new road to replace the old one.

In an ambitious effort to touch the infrastructure of the rural areas to make it better, Governor Peter Mba of Enugu state has flagged off the reconstruction of this road. The road is the one start from around Ama breweries in Ngwo Enugu state all th4 way past Eke, Oghe and up to Olo. 

This road is very strategic because the Adani rice farms are all on the farthest parts of this straight road. This will aid the transportation of agricultural products to where they are needed in Enugu city, where more residents can buy them. Adani in Uzo Uwani local government has abundance food products like rice, yam, cassava, palm oil, potatoes and vegetables. This new road is very necessary. 

Upgraded Front Of College of Immaculate Conception, CIC, Enugu.

This is the way this great college looks in Enugu now. The school is being well run, as we can see from the outside. The school's Old Boys association are doing a lot to support the school management towards a greater development of the school for today's students. 

Sender Fidelis !

The scenic beauty of the Coal Camp embankment.

12 years after this remarkable project was completed by Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu state, you should see the way this area looks as at today. 

The Coal Camp embankment has been in steady use over the years since it was completed, but it looks like it's only getting more beautiful, the grass growing through the gaps in the stones, when looked at from afar looks refreshing,  green signifies health, beauty and wellness. Watching this place and comparing it with the way it looked before, you can't help but admire the positive changes taking place in the City of Enugu. 

Invest in Enugu state, the returns are wonderful.