What Is A Parapet Wall In Construction?
What Is A Parapet Wall In Construction?
A parapet wall is a wall that stands on the edge of any roof or balcony. It’s used to protect people from falling off the edge of a roof or balcony and give them something to hold onto while walking around the perimeter of their home.
Parapet walls are often made of stone, brick, and concrete but can also be constructed out of wood or metal if you have a smaller building that doesn’t require such heavy material.
Some modern designs use glass panels instead of traditional bricks because they allow more light into your living space while protecting you from falling off your balcony!
The height of these protective barriers varies depending upon where they are located; most residential buildings have them between three feet (1 m) up until five feet (.5 m).
Commercial structures may need taller ones due to higher traffic areas like hallways between offices where employees might want more room for movement during breaks between shifts.”
What Are The Types Of Parapets?
Types of Parapet Walls:
- Embattled parapet walls
Embattled parapet walls are a type of wall that has battlements. Battlements are a series of project platforms used to defend the wall from attackers. Archers could fire from these platforms, and defenders could stand on them to defend the wall.
- Plain parapet walls.
Plain parapet walls protect the top of a wall from falling objects. They can be plain, or they can have some ornamentation; examples include cornices, decorative moldings, and brackets.
The material used for the parapet wall depends on the style in which it’s being built (e.g., stone vs. brick) and its location (e.g., coastal areas may require stronger materials).
- Perforated parapet walls
Perforated parapet walls are used to create additional openings in the wall, providing ventilation and light. They are usually made of stone but can also be constructed from brick or other materials that can be easily pierced.
Perforated parapets were originally used as decorative elements in medieval castles, providing light to interior rooms through narrow slits or windows cut into them.
Today they are often used as ventilators for modern buildings with large glass facades (as opposed to traditional curtain walls).
- Paneled parapet walls
Paneled parapet walls are a type of wall used to add visual interest and create the impression of a larger structure. A panel is a small section of a wall, often made up of stone, brick, or concrete. Panels can also be made of wood if you’re looking for something more eco-friendly.
Panels are often used in decorative architecture because they allow designers to create interesting patterns on their buildings’ facades without using too much material or laborious techniques like carving each piece by hand.
What Is The Importance Of Parapets To A Building?
Parapets were initially used to defend buildings from military attacks. They were also a way to protect people from falling off the edge of a building or prevent fires that could start on roofs.
A parapet can be made of brick, stone, or concrete, depending on what kind of building you’re working on and what materials are readily available in your area.
Today, parapets are primarily used as guard rails to conceal rooftop equipment, reduce wind loads on the roof, and prevent the spread of fires. However, in older buildings, they were often used for more decorative purposes, such as displaying artwork or creating symmetry with other architectural features.
Parapets are typically made of stone or brick but can also be constructed from wood or metal. They may be straight-walled or curved depending on their purpose (i.e., reducing wind loads).
Parapets are used to protect the top of a wall. They can be straight, curved, or have a decorative design. Parapets are required to be at least 6 feet high and may extend above that height if necessary. They’re often made of concrete or brick (or stone).
Parapets are required to meet OSHA and building codes. Exterior walls over 6 feet high must have a parapet to meet OSHA and building codes. The following are the requirements for parapets:
– They must be at least 5 feet tall.
– They must be located no more than 10 feet from the roof’s edge.
– They must be made of noncombustible material, such as concrete or stone; metal is acceptable for specific applications without fire or weathering (for example, metal grates).
– The design should resist wind loads up to 100 mph; however, this varies depending on what part of the country you’re in, so check with your local building inspector before proceeding with construction!