Common Brickwork Defects

Cracking can occur in brickwork for a number of reasons:

- Ground movement leading to foundation failure

- Rapid change in load leading to disproportionate settlement

- Mobile ground water undermining foundations

- Thermal movement

- Wall rotation due to lateral instability

- Excessive lateral loads on walls

- Accident

Rainwater Harvesting

Where there is no surface water, where groundwater is deep or inaccessible due to hard ground conditions, or where it is too salty, acidic or otherwise unpleasant or unfit to drink, another source must be sought. In areas that have regular rainfall, the most appropriate alternative is the collection of rainwater, called ‘rainwater harvesting’.

Flat slab Post Tension

Flat slab Post Tension

Rusty Rebar—Is It A Problem?

Reinforcing bar and mesh often arrives on site with some rust on it. This is quite normal: hot-rolled bars and coil have a layer of what's called mill-scale on the surface when they leave the mill. This mill-scale provides a protective layer in the right conditions but if stored externally or if the steel has been handled, this mill-scale may be disturbed leading to light rusting.

What is the difference between a beam and a column?

If you keep it horizontally it is called a Beam which carries the loads by bending, simply called flexure.