Australian Bricklaying

Notice how much mortar is laid, without any dropping
on the floor. The bed-joint is continuous and uninterrupted, and there is enough for about 3 bricks

All from one trowel!

Visit to Trent

This exhibition was an excellent introduction to Architecture and the Built Environment

Photo taken 3rd Feb '11

Photo taken 3rd Feb '11

Photo taken 3rd Feb '11

Photo taken 3rd Feb '11

Photo taken 3rd Feb '11

But our visit was spoilt by the actions of several students

The consequence of this behaviour means that any further trips, including The Self Build Show are now unlikely to happen

NVQ2 in Brickwork

For information about the NVQ including the Site Assessment Criteria, click QUA 813

Be Aware:
the font size is quite small...
and the Print Dialog box pop-ups

Queen Closer Size

Drawn by Anne Jan '11

As can be seen, two Headers, plus their 10mm joint is the same as one Stretcher

The length of a Stretcher = 215mm
So the size of a Header = 102½

215 minus 10mm = 205
205 divided by 2 = 102½

Double-check:
102½ + 10 + 102½ = 215

Similarly, two Queen Closers, plus their 10mm joint is exactly the same as one Header


So the size of a Queen Closer = 46¼

102½ minus 10mm = 92½
92½ divided by 2 = 46¼

Double-Check:
46¼ + 10 + 46¼ = 92½

It is quite difficult to find ¼ of 1mm,
so the size of a Queen Closer is 46mm

For an example of corbelling, using these numbers,
click on Jake under Student's Work

Image from: Google Search

The header face of a brick is 102½mm. Splitting this in two, with a hammer and bolster would give a 51mm Queen Closer which is slightly bigger than required, so the perp-joints on either side need to be tight, or about 8mm to compensate

Image from: Google Search

When using the Clipper-Saw, the thickness of the blade is about 10mm, so these Queen Closer are 46mm. This is because the Clipper-Saw grinds the cut into dust

The Structure of DNA

Image from: Trolleys in the Sky

During the Christmas holiday, I went to Newcastle and happened to see this sculpture

According to the artist:

"Shopping trolleys are everywhere, and have become a real symbol of modern society and today's consumer culture. So much so that one could say that consumerism is inextricably linked to our genetic makeup"

For more information click BBC Newcastle

The structure of DNA is a Double Helix
and How Genes Work gives more details

Image from: Genetics Home Reference

It might be possible to build a 3-dimensional model of DNA in brickwork. But size would soon become a problem and lintels or slabs are required to bridge the openings

This panel shows a diagram of DNA. The brickwork is Dutch Bond and would be over 3 metres high

Brickwork designed by Anne Jan 11

Click image to enlarge

The Double Helix of DNA has been built from stone...

Image from: Canadian Dry Stone Wall Association

The vertical walls of this helix twist around each other, held together only by large stone rungs placed every 16 inches up the structure. This Rubble Helix rotated to over 140 degrees

Image from Double Helix

...and Lego...

Image from Moc pages

Simple spirals are easily built from bricks

Image from Herb Spiral

Complicated Spiral staircases have been built from bricks

Image from Maldon Hall

Bricks can be used to build spiral columns

Brickwork drawn by
Anne Jan 11

The drawing shows a 440mm pillar, with each course rotated by 5°

Image from: Loft Masters

This small photo shows a chimney which starts with a 2½ brick pillar and finishes with some corbelling
to produce a 3½ brick pillar

The angle of rotation is bigger, so the column twists round quicker

Image from: Wikipedia

As can be seen, DNA is an open ladder, not a solid pillar

It is difficult to get bricks to go across an opening,
without using lintels or reinforcement rods

Here's the first attempt

Full-bricks are canti-levered across the opening

Photo taken 4th Jan '11

It is dry-bonded and looks similar to the Stone version
But it is not yet a ribbon of DNA...

2nd Attempt

Photo taken 5th Jan '11

The spiral shape is now working better, but the structure itself is very unstable and nearly collasped

Photo taken 5th Jan '11

3rd Attempt

Photo taken 6th Jan '11

The pillars have been reduced in size. A queen closer was inserted, to produce the corbelling, which supports the single brick that bridges the opening

We will start building it tomorrow ... and here it is!

Photo taken 7th Jan '11

For more pictures, see DNA Ladder under Students' Work

Drawn by Anne Jan 11
Click image to enlarge

This drawing shows what it might look like...

But it was really hard to work out on the computer

Help!

I need someone to find a simple program, so that we can easily draw out bricks and blocks in 3D

The following animation shows how each course
is constructed

Created by Anne June '11

Homework - Design

In the Christmas Holidays...

Use the Grids, from your Course Folder,
to design a piece of brickwork

Inserting a direct link to your Course Folder
does not seem to work

Homework - Written

Image from Daily Kos

In the Christmas holidays...

Have a look at your work
and write a commentary

Imagine you were teaching someone that task. How would you explain it?

What was easy, and why?

Which parts were difficult?

You might want to think about the following:

  Standards and Tolerances in Brickwork
  Face Plane Deviation
  Efficiency of Working Practices

Your words will be posted up next to your pictures, so correct spelling, grammar and punctuation is required

Have fun...