Mortar is a essential for successful brickwork. Mortar is a durable gap filling adhesive made from sand and cement. The main function of mortar in brick walls is to bond the elements together, to spread the vertical load evenly over the entire surface of the joints and to ensure continuity of the performance characteristics. As well as this, the mortar forms a resistance to rain penetration, allows adjustment of the position of each brick line, level and plumb as its being laid.The mortar shouldn’t be too strong and is comprised of Portland cement and sand. For over 100 years the typical ratio used to be 3:1 (cement to sand) but this is too strong for most applications. If the mortar is too strong it can cause the masonry to become brittle and crack with movement. To create weaker mortar, Portland cement is used in combination with other materials, such as hydrated lime, or plasticisers.
Dormer windows are roofed structures, usually containing a window which projects beyond the plane of a pitched roof. Dormer windows help add more light into an existing space and they look as if a window has been bitten by the fourth dimension bug. They are useful as part of loft conversions and come in a variety of styles, though the most common seen these days in house building is timber formed and the occasional grp which comes with the inside cheeks pre-insulated and drainage channels. The word dormer is derived from the French word ‘dormeor’ meaning sleeping room. One of the earliest uses of dormer windows was to provide ventilation to the spires of English Gothic churches and cathedrals, and have been used in domestic architecture in Britain since the 16th century. It was French architect Francois Mansart, who used dormers extensively in mansard roofs he designed in 17th Century Paris.
Working from heights, handling heavy loads, operating dangerous machinery and working around potentially hazardous materials; there are plenty of risks on site which can lead to injury and even death. Construction site are one of the most dangerous workplaces in the UK, with around 40 deaths occurring in site accidents during 2020. Over half of these deaths are due to falling from heights, with being trapped, something collapsing or being struck by a moving object/vehicle making up a majority of the rest. One of the things I find when I visit building sites is that manager say they want the results of making health and safety a priority without putting in a concerted effort to do so. Working across a range of building sites I see a range of quality, but it all starts with the small things. If a site isn’t clean and there are unsafe practices occurring, this usually reflects on the site management and if the place is a mess the work is usually just as poor.
The Marina Bay Sands hosts Singapore’s first ever casino and with a sky park & infinity pool, all part of the unique urban design purposed to reinvent the image of Singapore. It’s an amazing architectural accomplishment, unique amongst Singapore’s skyline, projecting excitement and opulence amongst the ten million sqaure feet of glass and concrete. This high density, mixed use resort comprises of a 2560 room hotel, convention centre, art and science museum, two theatres, six restaurants and a casino. It’s located in the Marina South, across from Singapore’s central Business District. Safdie Architects designed an urban structure that weaves together the components of a complex program into a dynamic urban crossroads and public meeting place” (Msg Architecture). Singapore still has some of the strictest laws of any country in the world with chewing gum banned, littering leading to community service and leaving the toilet unflushed can land you a hefty fine. Building design like this helps to slot the traditional, conservative values neatly into the worlds prosperous future.
Timber frame construction uses timber studs and rails, together with a structural sheathing board to form a structural frame that transmits all vertical and horizontal loads to the foundations. Platform frame is the most commonly used method in the UK, with each storey being framed with floor to ceiling height panels, with the floor deck on one floor becoming the erection platform for the next. When inspecting timber frame it’s mostly BBA approved products that will be accepted. The BBA should go through the thermal, fixing and finishing requirements. The important concerns would be the sole plate which should be sitting on DPC, which has to be 150mm from ground level. Cavity barriers are required around windows, doors, eaves, gas meter boxes, and pipe penetrations. Service pipes penetrating the external walls are usually wrapped in fire collars, as are internal pipes in between separate units. Shrinkage gaps are required around windows, doors, lifts and at the junction between the soffit and brickwork. Wall ties should be stainless steel, and nailed through boards into studs. Usually the breather membrane has stud locaters on the outside so you know where the studs are so the ties can be accurately installed. The VCL should be lapped with the DPC, DPM and cavity tray. Lintels usually come with restraint clips which must be screwed or nail fixed to the timber frame to allow for differential movement.
The picture shows a typical continuous cavity tray detail in a traditionally built block of flats, this block is under 18m and therefore not subject to the Building regulation changes which came after the Grenfell tower tragedy. Cavity trays are an essential internal component of an external wall for controlling damp. They capture the excess water from within the cavity and expel it through the weep holes set in the external wall. With most damp ingress occurring around either window/door openings or roof abutments, it is important that cavity trays are installed correctly, requiring; minimum 150mm rise, sloped towards external leaf with stop ends created approx 75mm coinciding with nearest drainage perpend. The top part of the tray should be built in to the inner leaf and the cavity tray should extend 25mm beyond the vertical cavity closer. With the complete ban of combustible materials used within external walls, Regulation 7 (Building Regs) has stipulated that cavity trays must also form part of the ban as they are made from a sheet of polyethylene which is a plastic based combustible material. However, cavity trays used in external walls constructed of two leaves of masonry are currently exempt, as you’ll find high rise buildings, especially those over 18m usually have a framed inner leaf as opposed to masonry. We have seen stainless steel cavity trays become the natural replacement of the traditional polyethylene tray, however it does come with some longevity and design constraints. Steel trays are difficult when detailing curved walls and corners however I have seen that a company called ACS have designed a fully compliant A1 rated cavity tray, which can be made bespoke to each site with detailing of convex and concave corners. There should be more products like these on the markets over the next few years as steel frame buildings will take a hit if the rules on combustible items with the cavities is tightened.
Brick, block or stone cladding on framed structures is normally supported by stainless steel support systems. The standard to strive is BS EN 1090-1 – Execution of steel structures and aluminium structures. Masonry support systems are used to reinforce the external leaf of masonry wall clad buildings with a bracket angle support.
They are designed to provide a horizontal ledge to take the weight of the masonry wall panels above. The steel angles are fixed back to the building frame using masonry restraints. These masonry support systems provide a solution to issues such as stress fracturing and cracking to brickwork. Fracturing can occur as a result of excessive loading and expansion.
Soil pipes running through a home take the waste from appliances and direct it towards the sewer system. When waste water flows inside a soil pipe, as when a WC is flushed, negative pressure builds up inside the pipe causing a siphoning effect. Water always flows form an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. The force of the water being exerted from a pipe is proportionate to the height of water pushing down. When a siphon is introduced, there is nowhere for air to get into the siphon as it’s full of water and a vacuum is created inside the pipe due to the difference in pressure between the internal and external environment. If this pressure is left unchecked, water would be siphoned out of the traps in the bath or sink which would allow drain odours to enter the bathroom or kitchen. What we see in the picture is the traditional way of preventing this from happening, which is to have a vent pipe connected to the drain that is open to the atmosphere. As the siphoning pressure builds up inside the soil pipe, air is drawn in through the open vent pipe to balance the negative pressure.
Approved document H – Drainage and waste disposal requires that the foot of the discharge sack should have as large a radius as possible. Ventilating pipes should be finished at least 900mm above any opening within 3m and should be finished with a wire cage or perforated cover.
A fascia board is installed to protect the roof and interior of the home from the elements. As you can see from the above photo, pre formed trusses have been installed at 400/600 centres, with the rafters overhanging the exterior wall. The fascia provides support for the guttering as well as covering up the rafters. UPVC soffit should be fixed at 600 centres for white, and usually 400 centres for wood grain. Soffits should be joined using soffit joint trims, with a 10mm expansion gap between joints. The soffit joint strip comes in metre lengths and should be cut to suit the width of the soffit. In the picture the soffit has been attached to the truss rafters. Fascias are fixed at the usual 600 centres, and 400mm for foiled fascia with 10mm expansion gap between joints. Proprietary fascia corners can be used to finish a corner a corner profile. Consider ventilation also, as the timber roof rafters will need a certain amount of air flow to stop the build up of mould. It can also be seen from the photo that full fill mineral wool insulation has been used, which is now preferable to rigid board due to its colossal failings where there has been a fire.
Whilst vaulted ceilings can be a great aesthetic detail for a room offering opportunity for exposed beams and a cavernous sense of perspective, if not accurately executed these ceiling designs can provide issues whilst living in. As well as sometimes coming off as vast and impersonal, the vaulted spaces often have trouble, such as; effectively heating the space, noise transference and cleaning the unreachable spaces. All of these issues can be factored in at the design stage of the build to minimise costs and time spent on rectification. Mezzanine’s offer an unexpected practical solution, maximising space and giving a home added character. The following factors need to be considered before starting;
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