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Brikmat systems: Case Studies

Project: All Saints Community College

Brikmat Case Study: Surgo Construction: All Saints Community College, West Denton

Surgo Construction, one of the largest independent construction companies in the North East of England, is undertaking a construction project worth £7.8 million at All Saints Community College, West Denton. The project, being carried out on behalf of Newcastle City Council, includes the construction of new school buildings, extensive refurbishment of existing premises, and a major upgrading of services. The project is not without its complexities, not least the construction of a sports hall facility that was designed in very specific detail.

Incorporating feature walls, the architects' design for the fitness gym and sports hall specified a combination of heavy Forticrete hollow blocks, together with blue engineering bricks, to create a particular aesthetic appeal. However, while the design held all the promise of an eye catching finish, it presented something of a challenge for brick contractor Just Brickwork Ltd.

The Challenge
 
The design of the All Saints College sports hall presented a two-fold problem for the bricklworkers. Firstly, the sheer weight and physical size of the hollow blocks would compress the mortar joints in the brickwork and extrude mortar from the lower courses: this would result in a loss of gauge. Secondly, even if the mortar did remain consistent, the non-porous composition of the blue engineering bricks would prevent adequate absorption of moisture from the mortar. Bricks would literally 'slide' around on top of one another, forcing the brickworkers to wait for the mortar to set between laying courses, minimising the number of courses that could be built in any one day. This would present serious repercussions in terms of extending the build schedule.

The Solution

As an experienced brickworker of 25 years, Peter Grieveson, Director Owner of Just Brickwork Ltd, recognised that the job required an effective tool that could help stabilise brickwork to prevent dipping and floating, assure consistency of gauge, and prevent mortar courses from being compressed under the heavy blocks. "This wasn't a typical project so we had to make a decision on how best to deliver and Brikmat was the right decision: it does exactly what it says on the tin!"

Developed, tested and proven by building professionals, Brikmat is an effective installation aid that helps to create a uniform depth of horizontal mortar joints when constructing brick and blockwork. As a BBA approved spacer systm, Brikmat allows brickwork to be constructed rapidly and to a consistent course height, without the need to check gauge and level at every course. In the instance of the All Saints project, Brikmat provided positive contact between the courses allowing the mortar to set between the bricks while the bricklayers continued to build.

Peter Grieveson continues:

"By preventing the blocks from dipping during construction, Brikmat allowed the team to build successive courses without the mortar leaking under the weight of the heavier hollow blocks. This dramatically improved productivity and maintained a robust working atmosphere on site. By my estimations, it would have taken up to three times longer to complete the job without Brikmat, and thats using skilled labor."

Surgo Site Manager Harry Twizzell agrees, stating:

"From the early stages it was clear that it was a difficult job and had the potential to present a logistical nightmare! We're extremely pleased with the results that have been delivered using Brikmat, and would highly recommend it as a tool for even the most exerienced bricklayers. It helped to facilitate a level of productivity and continuity, bringing us significant time (and cost) savings. This minimised the level of on-site disruption, which is especially significant when working on a school or college campus."

Scheme Details:

Contractor: Surgo Construction
Architects: Newcastle City Design
Brickwork: Just Brickwork Ltd