Borehole Compressor

Jackhammer / chipper work

Guy chipping away at floor that was casted to high.

Scarifying of floor

Here is a guy scarifying, scraping of a floor that's to high, before we do the topping / screed.

Topping

Hi

Please see attached images of a topping /screed.

1. In progress

2. Completed

Concrete

Hi All

As I've mentioned in some of my previous post Concrete is made up of mainly three essential parts , Stone , sand and Cement.

Some of the uses of Concrete-

Foundation footings
Floor slabs
Beams
Concrete lintols

Depending on the end usage of the concrete and specification of you engineer the concrete strengths will be adapted.
Concrete strengths ate measured in Mpa, the lower the Mpa the weaker the mpa the lower the strength.

Mpa strengths most commonly used is 15mpa , 20 mpa and 25mpa the more strain the concrete will take the higher the Mpa.

Most concrete would also require some form of steel reinforcement which will be specified by your engineer.

Concrete are also mixed in two primary ways

Firstly by hand or small concrete mixer on site.

Or by what is commonly known as Ready mix which is delivered to site in a truck.

Depending on your needs , budget and time availability you'll make your choice.

It is till a point that is being argued that hand mix is cheaper than concrete although more labour intensive, and for obvious reasons the latter will take more time.



Hope this gives you some more insight on the make-up and usage of concrete.

Please see attached image of a concrete mixer on site.

Regards

Aggregate Stone

Hi All

So in this post we'll be having a look at aggregate stone,

Stone are mainly used on site for concrete and around drainage pipes.

Contractors mainly use 13mm and 19mm for concrete mixing purposes.

As said in some of my previous post stone are you used in conjunction with Cement and Sand to formulate concrete.

Stone are measured in m3(cubic metres) and can be bought accordingly - Sand and Stone companies will normally deliver 10m3 or 6m3 trucks depending your requirements, you can also buy 1m3 or single bags from your local hardware for smaller jobs.

In some of my later posts I'll post some tables on concrete types , mixing types and strengths and how to achieve this.

Please see the attached image.

Regards

ROK Clay Bricks

In The attached image is what is typically referred to as ROK Bricks.

ROK Brick Dimensions
L 225mm X W110mm X 75mm

Another brick that is commonly used is a Cement brick (also known as a Maxi Brick) which is a bit cheaper , and not to be confused with a building block, I will do a post on both of these at later stage.

Back to the ROK brick

The ROK brick is especially popular in the building of more expensive homes, because it is a stronger brick.

Due to the fact that it is a solid brick (without) holes one also eliminates the problem one has when drilling holes for anchoring screws to hang items like curtain tracks , mirrors .

Hope you find this information useful.

Regards

New week

Hi all

So we stand in the beginning of a new week , hopefully with lots of challenges , challenges that give us all the opportunity to learn.

Please be reminded to keep those questions coming in.

Be on the look out for the newest edition to my posts on building material.

Ciao

Advice Invitation

Hi All

Are you thinking of building a new house , adding a room, tiling a floor or maybe just hanging a mirror and you don't know where to start.

Here is your invitation to sent me your dilemma , and I'll advise you accordingly , and the best is it is absolutely free.

No problem too big or too small.

What you waiting for.

Ciao Guys

Materials - Sand

Hi All here is the 2nd edition of my posts on building materials

Sand

As with cement, sand plays an important role in the building industry.

Herewith some of the uses of sand on site

- In Concrete ( together with Cement and stone)

- In mortar ( together with Cement)

Please note there is mainly 2 types of sand

1) The commonly known Malmesbury Mix

- used in concrete
- used in mortar - for plastering and building purposes

2) Filling sand

- used for filling around drainage pipes
- used for the filling slabs

The attached image is a picture taken the Malmesbury mix.

Keep well and keep informed

Randall Hendricks

Building Material- Cement

Hi Guys as promised in my earlier Posts , I will be posting images and information of some building materials used commonly on site.

I've decided to start with commonly known one.

Cement

Cement has several uses and is used in a wide range of trades and mixes used on site, herewith some of the most common uses.

- In concrete , together with sand and stone
- In mortar ( for the adhesion of bricks to each other) together with sand
- Mortar for plastering purposes( I will alter expand on plastering)
- Tile adhesives
- Bricks
- waterproofing
- and Even in some Paints

I'm sure most of what I've mentioned above you already know.

Please see attached image.

Keep well

Randall Hendricks

frustrating day on site

Hi All


I really didn't have a great dayy on site, actually pretty boring, my workers were stripping the scaffolding and boards, after the casting of concrete. Keeping control of then today was a nightmare, as soon as I turned my back they, leaning a gagainst stuff, and having conversations all the time, which pretty much forced me to swear.

Hope tomorrow goes better

Upcoming Post

So in my upcoming post I will, provide you with materials used on a building site, with pictures, and some extra
Info.

I will start from the bottom and work my way upwards.


Ciao

Introduction

Hi all,

 I've decided to create this blog spot to share my knowledge and experience in the South African Building Industry with you on a regular, and answer all your Questions as best possible

To give you some background on myself  I've Been in the industry for ten years, staring from the bottom, I completed a Building Contract certificate and construction management through certificate Cape Peninsula University, 

But believe you me there is nothing like experiencing the rigours of this industry on site.


So I hope you will enjoy.