English garden bond wall Penarth (PIC 1)

An english garden bond wall with piers and a plinth course constructed in penarth for C view landscapes. A number of trades were working on the job including my self another brick layer, two banker stonemasons carving the capps and copings, one bricklayers mate and a masons mate. An engineer was also permanantly on site as there was a new buils occuring on site. The wall was constructed in engineering brick and laid in black mortar. It was finshed with bathstone capps and copings. The wall consisted of 7 brick pillars and one bathsone. This meant that five panels were tied into the pilars and one opening made. the wall was 215mm thick in the panels and 440mm thick pillars and a 327.5 mm plinth course. The final three courses of the wall were curved to suit the profiled copings. The footing for the wall were already pre poured and an engineer had set out the lines beforhand. The wall was acid cleaned and jet washed once cured. The pavement was then reinstated. all waste was disposed of in accordance with the companies health and safety policy in the correct skips. The site was secured by heras fencing and a lockable container was on site for tools and materials.  A petrol disc cutter was used to cut the bricks where necessary. the bricks were stacked out using a brick grab. the grab was used in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and using the correct manual handling techniques in accordance with the regulations. PPE used for task was, high vis vest, impact goggles, glasses, reinforced boots, hard hat and gloves.
To ensure a high standard of work there was constant communication with my employer and the client.

Block on flat retaining wall (PIC 2)

215mm reatining wall with 440mm returns. The wall was built to retain ground to create a hard stand. it was built using standard dense concrete blocks  with 5:1 sand and cement mix with feb additive. it was tied into the existing structures using fir fix rails. It was built in stretcher bond with 440mm returns either end and had a return of 900mm in the centre of the wall as the client requested the wall was to be built technically in two halves. It had holes cut at ground level every 1340mm to allow for drainage and was backfilled with 10mm stone around the weep holes. work conditions were intially hazardous due to poor access and ground conditions. These were reported to the forman and risk assessments and method statements were ammended accordingly.Security also was an unforseen issue however heras fencing and lockable boxes were provided. The footings for this project needed to be dug by hand and mixed on site using a belle petrol mixer. All footings were poured and leveled by hand, and the setting out of the blockwork was done by mself onsite in accordance with the method statement. Work areas were protected by sheeting and temporary exclusion zones set up to minimise entering unecessary areas of site. All waste was disposed of in accordance with the companies policies in suitable skips.

Stretcher bond extension. (PIC 3)

A new build extension to a warehouse in gloucester. the build was in imperial brick using a lime mortar (hydraulic nhl 2:5). It was build using a stretcher bond. the extension had no openings and was a straight run using expansion joints. It had 100mm cavity and used 50mm kingspan insulation board tied into a metsec framework. The expansion joints were filled with a brown coloured silicone. It was damproofed using 100m DPC. The work was protected using damp hessian to protect from element damage. all joints and beds were finished with a flush and srippled joint. The wall was acid cleaned once completed and the mortar had cured. it was built in accordance with technical drawing and in line with the method satements and risk asessments. The materials were stored in a copound area on site and delivered to the scaffolding via forklift. The materials were then taken up the scaffold using a mechanical hoist. Training was provided to all staff on the uses of the hoists. All work areas were cleaned thouroughly at the end of every working day and on completion of the task. All waste was recycled in the relevant site skips. Safety notices were clearly displayed on site to warn all persons of possible dangers relating to the given task.
in accordance with site rules PPE has to be constantly worn including hi vis clothing, safety glasses, high impact goggles (where applicable), gloves, hard hat, reinforced boots, respirator and ear deffenders (where applicable) A full 4 hour site induction was given laying down all site rules and emrgency procedures. whilst on site you had to visibly show a security identity card, this card was also used to acess the site via the electronic turnstyles. the site had security guards 24 hrs per day 7 days a week who made sure people used the turnsytles correctly with the correct identity card and required a signed permit to remove any plant from site.

cavity walling. (PIC 4)

A new extension to an existing building using imperial bricks and lime mortar. The extension was built internally using dense concrete blocks. As I was using imperial brick I used a screw in wall tie to accomodate the larger type of brick being used in conjunction with 440x215x100mm dense block. The bond of the face brickwork was a full english bond, incorporating colums, arches, dental and corbeling courses with a 100mm cavity and 50mm insulation board.

Re build of an old one and a half bricks thick. (imperial) (PIC 5)

Re-build of a one and half brick thick arch in Gloucester. The arch was re-built using imperial brick and hydraulic lime mortar (nhl 2:5). I first had to remove the old arch four to five bricks at a time with a kangoo and rebuild in situ as not to compromise the structural integraty of the building. Precautions had to be taken to protect the surrounding areas as there was a possibility of broken bricks falling through the scaffold. hazard signs were put up and an exclusion zone set up to restrict immediate acess. the area below was also sheeted to minimize damage and to keep the area clean. I covered the bricks with plastic sheeting whilst on the scaffold to protect them from rain and frost. All tools required for the job were signed out from a secure site container and returned a resighned back in at the end of the day. The arch former was made on site to suit the old arch and supported using acro props. It was made from ply board and cut using a battery operated jigsaw.
 The joints within the new work was also packed with slate for extra strength. All existing joints in the area were raked out with a 110v 115mm grinder, pressure washed to remove excess dust and repointed using a flush tuck pointing style in lime mortar. Any additional failing bricks were also replaced in an english bond including the springers, reveals and brickwork directly over the arch.
The work was completed in accordance with the technical drawings and method statement provided the risk assessment was also adhered too. additional PPE was required to complete the task including ear deffenders, high impact goggles and a dust respirator as wella sthe standard hard hat, high vis vest, steel toe capped boots and gloves. Ther was also a requirment to cover the arch and any areas of pointing with damp hessian so the lime was able to cure.
All waste was skipped daily in the relevant skips and the work area thouroughly cleaned after each day and on completion of the task.
On completion of the craft the walls were acid cleaned.
The timescale for the job was 3 days (1 week before removing arch former) and was completed on time.

Three bay rebuild. (PIC 6)

Re-building of three bays on an old warehouse in Gloucester. The rebuilds were an exception to the rest of the unit as it had a cavity wall, insulation and cavity trays. the brickwork was in imperial bricks laid in a hydraulic(nhl 2:5) lime mortar. The bays were built in an english bond incorparating colum work, arches, dental courses and corbeling.