Why do we use chicken mesh in construction?- Specification & installation of chicken mesh.

Let us go through some of the FAQs related to chicken mesh used in civil construction.

 1. What is chicken mesh used in construction?

Chicken mesh is a twisted flexible wire product having honeycomb-shaped openings. The name chicken mesh is due to its common & wide usage to fence the foul or chicken in the poultry industry. 

Due to their flexibility & specific properties, they became the ideal material to reinforce the plasterwork where & when necessary.

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👀.  Different types of chicken mesh for plastering.

2. Why do we use chicken mesh in construction?

The thermal expansion properties of various structural items are different depending upon their density, bond energy, and melting temp. etc. The coefficient of thermal expansion of brick, mortar, concrete, steel, & plastic, etc. differs from each other due to their specific characteristics.

When we build a structure, we encounter several joints or junction points between all these types of construction items at various locations. Due to their varying thermal coefficient, there is a huge chance of forming cracks or fissures at the junction or meeting points of these materials. 

If we install a strip of chicken mesh at the junctions, they act as a reinforcement material for the plastering work. Chicken mesh act as a cushion to nullify the effect of expansion & contraction over the plaster. 

Shortly, we can say that we use chicken mesh to prevent cracks in the plastering work at the junction points of different construction items. Chicken mesh is also used to reinforce the wall & plaster when there is a vibration or impact load acting over the wall.

By providing the chicken mesh, we can enhance the strength & durability of plastering.

Similarly, when we cut a groove at the masonry wall to install plumbing & electrical conduits, we fix the mesh over the groove to avoid cracks. 

Here, again by cutting the grooves, the bond between the masonry wall breaks at the groove cuttings. When we fill the groove with mortar & concrete, we create a junction point on either side of the cutting edge of the wall groove. 

Therefore, we need to fix the chicken mesh in all such areas to avoid the formation of cracks within the plaster.

 

3. What is the specification of chicken mesh used in plastering?

Material type 👉 Galvanized low carbon wire.

Wire gauge  👉  0.5mm to 2mm.

Hexagon or honeycomb openings 👉 12mm. to 50mm.

Roll width 👉 0.9m. to 2.5m.

Roll length 👉 50m. 100m. 200m.

4. What is the cost of chicken wire mesh?

The chicken wire mesh cost depends upon the type of material, wire gauge, honeycomb openings, brand, or quality of the product.

Considering all these factors, chicken wire mesh cost ranges between,

Per kg.   👉 INR 60/- to INR 90/- 

Per sqft. 👉   INR 4/- to INR 9/- 

5. How to install chicken wire mesh before plastering?

The chicken mesh should be fixed symmetrically on either side of the junction or joints. The minimum width of the mesh should be 100mm. & it should run throughout the joints.

Fiberglass or galvanized mesh is fixed by troweling or spraying a thin mortar slurry to hold them over the wall. Nails are used in fixing the metal meshes staggered at 100mm. on either side of the strip.

As you can observe in the above drawing, the width of the chicken mesh should be at least 4" (100mm.) in the case of column, beam & masonry joints. 

But when you fix the mesh over the RCC band, you should cover the band entirely by the extension of 2" (50mm.) on either side. As shown in the above drawing, the given thickness of the RCC band is 4". So, the total width of the mesh should be 8" ( 4" +2" +2").

 To get the answer to more such construction-related FAQs, click here.

Thank you for going through this article❤. Have a good day 😄.

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