BRICK

Bulletin SUMMER 2006

TWOS
COMPANY
Woolf Architects reinterprets Hampsteads
grand houses in twin homes for two brothers

Dig this
Carefully modulated brickwork
enlivens a student village in London

Riveting read
Lewess new library boasts an
eye-catching mix of brick and flint

Steeling beauty
How reinforcement extends the
potential of structural brickwork

Published for the Brick Development Association

 Hero
Hilversum Town Hall, Holland (1934) is an
extraordinary building that is regarded as an
icon of 20th century architecture. Although it
follows the compositional principles of the De
Stijl movement, it was also influenced by the
work of Frank Lloyd Wright, particularly Unity
Temple, Illinois (1906).
Typologically, the building is a 1930s take
on the medieval town hall, with its volumi-
nous hall and monumental tower. But unlike
its medieval forebears, Hilversum has bright
interiors adorned with bands of blue and gold
tiles.
Architect Willem Marinus Dudok (1884-
1974) envisaged a magnificent town hall set in
lush parkland. In place of the modernists
palette of concrete, steel and glass, he pre-
ferred to use an alternative mass-produced
material brick.
Dudok specified nearly 700,000 custom-
made 233 113 43mm bricks which,
according to James Campbell, author of
Brick: A World History, were laid in thick raked
mortar joints in Flemish Garden Wall bond.
He also used dark grey bricks as a visual base
and blue glazed bricks for decoration.

Brick: A World History, by James W P

WILL PRYCE

Campbell and Will Pryce, is published

by Thames & Hudson, 39.95
 Leader
Amazing grace
A revival of interest in the amazing structural
brickwork feats of Uruguayan engineer Eladio The young ones
Dieste seems to be under way, judging by the
success of a BDA lecture held in May. One of our tasks at
More than 90 architects crammed into the
Building Centre in London to hear Dr Remo the BDA is to ensure
Pedreschi, a senior lecturer in engineering at brick remains high on
Edinburgh University school of architecture, give
an illustrated talk on Diestes life and works. architecture and engineering syllabuses. This
Dieste, who died in 2000, is something I am passionate about, having
became world famous for his
pioneering projects, particularly taught in a school of architecture for 23 years.
the breathtaking reinforced brick
structures which, according to
Promoting contemporary brickwork to
Pedreschi, have been found to be professionals is one thing, but the students are
more effective than alternatives
using reinforced concrete.
the professionals of tomorrow who need to
Pedreschis book, Eladio Dieste, is understand and use the basics of technology
published by Thomas Telford, 25.
early in their careers. Otherwise brick will be
forgotten as a material of construction.
Welcome to the club London Metropolitan University takes brick
Several new members have joined the BDA. very seriously. Three architecture students
HG Matthews of Chesham, Buckinghamshire
(www.hgmatthews.com), has been making from the diploma course not only took an
handmade and machine-made bricks using local interest in designing with it but made their
clay since 1923. Chartwell Brickworks
(www.chartwellbrickworks.com), based in own bricks (see news story, left). They sought
Edenbridge, Kent, makes handmade facing bricks
and pavers and is also a supplier of lime mortar.
not only to understand the technology but to
Earlier in the year, the BDA welcomed engage with it.
Colchester-based WH Collier, which has been
producing handmade bricks since 1863
This is what we preach at the BDA and why
(www.whcollier.co.uk); and its only Scottish we encourage students to tour brickworks. To
member, Errol Brick (www.errolbrick.co.uk), which
makes a variety of terracotta and clay products. get a feel for the material from the quarry,
through grinding and shaping, drying and
Fired with enthusiasm firing is an experience many never forget. It
A field trip to Cuba for three diploma course gives a marvellous insight into the nature and
architecture students at London Metropolitan
University has borne unexpected results. potential of this amazing natural product that
The students were inspired after talking to local has formed the backbone of countless
architects and academics and studying the 7000-
year-old brick technology. On their return to the UK civilisations for thousands of years. We hope
Gemma Drake, Rowan Seaford and Matt Phillips
made and fired their own bricks. This included
many more young architects will share the
sourcing the clay and making the moulds. inquisitive spirit of the LMU students.
The project, headed by tutor Rik Nys, was
part of LMUs Prototyping Architecture module, Michael Driver, director
which encourages students to explore and create
full-size details. Brick Development Association

Editor George Demetri Production editor Gail Novelle Design Mark Bergin Concept Cook Design ISSN 0307-9325

03
 News

Not just a pretty facade

Bricks structural contribution when used as
cladding is unacknowledged, despite its
widespread application, BDA principal engineer
Dr Ali Arasteh recently told a brick industry
gathering.
In a typical brick/block cavity wall panel, the
external brick leaf improves the slenderness and
increases the overall loadbearing capacity of the
wall by 50% compared with a 100mm thick
single leaf wall, Arasteh said. For flexural
strength, 70% of the moment of resistance of the
cavity wall is provided by the brickwork.

CRAIG AUCKLAND
Brickwork is not just a pretty facade,
Arasteh said, and when used as so-called
cladding it can make a significant contribution to
the structural performance of most structures.
In the Keyworth Centre at London South
Bank University, designed by BDP (right), brick
performs both a cladding and a structural role.
Recent tests show brickwork also provides
an excellent barrier to flooding compared with BOOK YOUR SEAT
materials such as blockwork. This, together with
the weight of brickwork construction, would The Brick Awards 2006 are already in full
help guard against buoyancy, which can be a swing and this looks like being a bumper year
problem with some lightweight materials. for great entries. Dont miss the Awards Gala
For further details call the BDA on 01344
Night at the Marriott London Grosvenor
885651.
Square Hotel on Wednesday November 8.
Ticket information is available from CreatEvents
on 0870 2419902; or see www.brick.org.uk

Recruiting craftsmen (and women) of the future

The Better Brickwork Alliance (BBA), in which the BDA is a stakeholder, has launched a DVD aimed
at youngsters who are considering a career in bricklaying.
Entitled Imagine a career as a bricklayer, the 16-minute film will be sent to schools and colleges
nationwide. Its aim is to make students aware of the variety, rewards, recognition and job satisfaction
that are part of being a bricklayer.
BBA chairman David Armitage said: Not everyone can go to university and it is important that
those who are thinking of a vocation are made aware of and are encouraged by the possibilities in
bricklaying. Copies of the DVD are available from the BDA, tel 01344 885651.

04

Mass uprising
Proponents of lightweight construction have got it wrong,
says Bill Dunster of eco-practice ZEDfactory. High density
thermal mass is vital to balance energy supply and demand.
Durability is the missing
ingredient in most discussions
about how to build today.
Advocates of lightweight off-site
manufactured building systems
tailor their products to minimal
environmental standards,
without thinking through the
resource shortages, weather
changes and social change that
are guaranteed over the next few
decades.
Climate change will make
passive cooling and affordable
summer coolth as important as
winter heating is today. Rising
energy costs mean minimising
electric demand will become one
of the most important economic
ILLUSTRATION BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS
criteria in deciding whether a
building is worth keeping.
For example, even the
smallest reversible heat pump
providing heating and cooling on
a lightweight, structurally
insulated 60k home will use
about 3MWh a year. This will
need 1.8kW peak output of solar
electric panels and a 2.7m
diameter roof-mounted wind
turbine to meet its annual electric
demand (and that excludes
appliances, lighting and IT).
Without active cooling,
lightweight homes will become
almost uninhabitable, virtually
guaranteeing reliance on a huge
expansion of the nuclear energy
programme. With demand for
fossil fuel exceeding supply,
most of the G8 economies are
turning to a nuclear revival. This
will put pressure on the limited
stocks of uranium, which will
rise in price and undergo the
same supply problems as fossil
fuels (see www.stormsmith.nl).
The fast breeder reactors that
are supposed to reduce uranium
consumption have never worked.
By 2020, nuclear demand will
have outstripped supply and
Prescotts four million homes
built using lightweight MMC
could become the sink estates of
the future. Potential
Viewpoint
delamination of structural insulated panel
systems, concerns over indoor air pollution
with toxic offgassing, and loss of insulation
properties over time will compound public
mistrust in new construction. We will find the
real cost of construction has doubled or
tripled due to rising fuel costs, and we can no
longer afford to replace our social housing
every 35 years as effectively happened in the
20th century.
All this could have been avoided. The
masonry industry could have lobbied English
Partnerships and the government to raise
thermal efficiency and airtightness to zero
heating/zero cooling specification standards
while increasing minimum requirements for
high density internal radiant thermal mass.
This is a direct contrast to the low thermal
mass aerated concrete products now marketed
to volume housebuilders. Investing in
building fabric with 300mm superinsulated
wall cavities, two-part wall ties, durable brick
outer skin, massive ground granulated blast
slag concrete internal block, hollowcore plank
floor slabs, plaster airbarriers, triple glazed
low-E windows, wind-driven passive
ventilation systems with heat recovery and
good daylighting will future-proof almost all
building types for more than 125 years.
If we designed a 3MWh a year renewable
energy system into the roofscape of the new
home or workplace, we could match electrical
demand with building-integrated renewables.
We would not need to fight for fossil fuel or
sink billions into a short-term nuclear revival
that will leave a toxic waste legacy for
thousands of years.
The cost of renewable
Investing in energy energy is falling every
year. The renewable
saving building system described
would cost less than
fabric will future- 10,000 installed in a
three-bed home
proof structures for (including solar
at least 125 years thermal, PV, micro
wind and biomass
boiler district heating),
and is a strategy
suitable for up to 75 homes/ha. This compares
to the cost of a kitchen or a car. A loan for the
additional capital cost can be met from the
savings made from not buying fossil fuel.
At this crossroads in national energy
strategy, a proper debate is crucial. ZEDfactory
does not side with any manufacturer or
industry, we are simply a small architectural
practice trying to do the right thing.
05
LASTING PEACE
Red clay brickwork in Flemish bond is
paired with white marble at Monestiroli
Architetti Associattis extension to the
main cemetery of the Lombardy town of
Voghera in Italy. This simple palette
enhances the solemnity required for such
an environment. The development was
completed in 2003.

MARCO INTROINI
MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

NEW CHAPTER
The former church of San Fernando in the Lavapis district of
Madrid has been converted to a library and reading room by
architect Jos Ignacio Linazasoro Rodriguez. The refurbishment,
which was completed in 2004, features large expanses of
brickwork consisting of both old and new bricks, as well as
reclaimed limestone mouldings.

Mood of
the moment
In skilled hands brickwork can be used to
NORBERT VAN ONNA

evoke any ambience. Paired with marble, it

makes a serene setting for a cemetery in
Italy, while a rainbow coloured facade in the
Netherlands enlivens a college campus.

06
REUSER FRIENDLY
Architect pitsz Studio KFT used
reclaimed bricks to fashion this office
and residential complex in Pcs, In pictures
Hungary. Completed in 2004, the rustic-
style walls have unusually wide mortar
joints and use alternating courses of
different size facing bricks. WINDOW BOX
The dramatic appearance of
this 12,000m2 waterside office
in Middelburg, Holland, is
intensified by the monolithic
unity of the brickwork.
Designed by Taco Tuinhof
and completed in 2004, its
fenestration does not relate
to the internal layout or the
structural grid. The effect is

ATILA POLGAR (2)

of spaces that have been
sculpted out, rather than
spaces around which a
facade has been built.
RUDEN RIEMENS

RAINBOW ALLIANCE
Designed by De Twee Snoeken
Architects, this brightly coloured
glazed brick building uses 11
types of extruded brick to
reflect the variety of courses
and students at a college in
s-Hertogenbosch, Holland.
Prefabricated brickwork and
insulated concrete sandwich
panels were used to reduce the
construction time. The building
was completed in 2004.

07
 Case study

Brick Leaf House

Hampstead
The grand house tradition of Hampstead Garden
Suburb is reinterpreted in mauve brick in this spacious
home for two brothers. By George Demetri.

08
 Architect Woolf Architects
Structural engineer Price & Myers
Services engineer Furness Green Partnership
QS Capita Property Services
Landscape architect Schoenaich Rees Associates
Brickwork Fieldcrown
Main contractor Bluestone

For more details on this project, please ring the

BDA on 01344 885651.

A newcomer has emerged among the large

detached houses of Londons leafy Hamp-
stead. Designed by Woolf Architects, its
pared down, informal minimalism sits rather
well amid the mature trees on the edge of
Hampstead Heath.
The clients for Brick Leaf House, two
brothers, wanted a modern white building in
the style of Luis Barragan. The planners sug-
gested something contemporary in concrete,
but Jonathan Woolf talked them round to
brick. We wanted to work with a material that
would age gracefully in the way that the
mature elements of the plot the trees have
done without the need for maintenance,
Woolf says. Also, brick is the palette of the
area Hampstead Garden Suburb.
Originally conceived as a Palladian villa on
the edge of the city, the double dwelling had
sufficient area to warrant designing in the
grand house tradition, albeit in an abstracted
Garden Suburb sort of way. I wanted to create
an urban feel, the type you get where a brick
building abuts hard up against a stone road,
very much like the hill towns of Italy and
Spain, Woolf says.
Brick Leaf House sits at the top of a steep,
granite-cobbled ramp that rises 9m from street Floors are of composite concrete construction.
level. Its outline is notched to suggest two sep-
We wanted to work with Resisting the temptation to go for a red
arate houses one slightly inclined against the
other an impression reinforced by the two
a material that would age brick, the architect specified a hand-made
mauvish brick with a bucket-handle jointed
separate entrances. But there is really only one gracefully, like the trees mortar in a matching colour. In the rain, the
building. The ambiguity extends to the bound- rich textural effect echoes the wet bark of the
ary of the site, formed not by timber fencing on the site, without the 150-year-old copper beech tree in the garden.
but by green-painted railings that blur the dis- When dry, side lighting picks out a strong, rus-
tinction between public and private space. need for maintenance. tic texture. The contrast between the brick-
The two self-contained but interconnected work and the light grey granite setts is also
homes each have an area of 370m2, with anoth- memorable, all the more so because of the
er 186m2 of shared accommodation that British tradition. They are set close to the face steep incline.
includes an inspirational, cave-like under- of the brickwork, minimising the facades Brick Leaf House is an understated building
ground swimming pool. Woolfs determina- visual depth so as not to distract from the tex- that does not fit easily into any ideological
tion to pursue a contemporary idiom through- tural quality of the bricks and the strong form category, but it announces its purpose with
HLENE BINET (4)

out was achieved by using standardised com- of the building. simplicity and clarity. This extends to the brick-
ponents, rather than by reinventing the wheel. A steel frame permits the large internal work which, treated consistently throughout,
White windows with broad architraves, spans of the public rooms and allowed plays a key role in this new take on the grand
though in powder-coated steel, continue the adjustments to be made during building. house tradition of north London.

09
 Case study

Westfield
Student Village
East London
Carefully modulated brickwork at university digs makes for
a stimulating backdrop to student life. By George Demetri.
FEILDEN CLEGG BRADLEY ARCHITECTS LLP

PETER COOK / VIEW

Client Queen Mary, University of London
Architect Feilden Clegg Bradley
Engineer Adams Kara Taylor
QS Turner & Townsend
Brickwork subcontractor Lesterose
Main contractor Laing ORourke
For more details on this project, please ring the
BDA on 01344 885651.
Odd bricks that would often be rejected
because they are misshapen have been neatly
incorporated into the brickwork of Westfield
Student Village at Queen Mary, University of
London. Architect Feilden Clegg Bradley was
aiming for the sort of irregularity found in a
garden wall, and the result gives an organic
quality to a rectilinear, contemporary and very
urban building.
Opened in 2003, this newest addition to
Queen Marys student accommodation fol-
lows an earlier phase by MacCormac Jamieson
and Prichard, completed in 1993. In contrast
with MJPs postmodernism, Feilden Clegg
Bradley has adopted a rational urbanism.
Two large, copper-clad, multi-storey build-
ings with brick plinths form the northern and
eastern extremities of the development and
are its public frontage. One lies next to railway
lines and the other beside the Grand Union
Canal. To harmonise with the main student
village, the development scales down to four
storeys via a series of four brick buildings
arranged around courtyards. The result
achieves an intimacy in both space and scale
that recalls traditional university quads.
The cellular nature typical of student halls
is expressed by a hierarchy of windows sized
according to the spaces they serve. To provide
a greater sense of depth and mass, doors and
window openings are recessed by 150mm.
As the architect intended, the orthogonal
regularity of the facades is softened by the gar-
den wall quality of the brickwork. All facades
are articulated by a continuous band that
delineates the ground floor in a slightly darker
red multi-brick from the floors above. Con-
trasting mortar profiles accentuate this effect:
on the ground floor, the shadows of a 3mm
recessed joint make the mortar appear darker
than that used with a bucket-handle joint on
the higher storeys, even though it is the same.

10
 Each block was created using the tunnel Corner window detail 102.5 140 180
form system. This fast-track cellular construc- plasterboard
tunnel form reinforced
tion method involves pouring concrete into concrete wall vapour barrier
steel formwork to create the floors and walls. stainless steel brick tie light gauge steel frame
Brickwork clads the tunnel form structure on fixed to RC wall
PU foam
all sides. Closing off the open ends of the con- brick outer leaf
crete tunnels are frameworks of light-gauge, water and
foil faced phenolic airtight seal
150mm deep steel studwork with foil-faced insulating board
phenolic foam insulating board. Steel ties from galvanised fixing with
the brickwork are fixed into stainless steel chan- neoprene isolating washer 24 mastic seal

nels on the face of the insulating board and

then back into the steel studs. Between these
studs is more rock fibre insulation. In contrast, 150
the brickwork cladding the tunnel sides is fixed
conventionally to the concrete by stainless steel 30
stainless steel channel and
ties through full cavity rock fibre insulation. brick tie fixed to LGS frame
Context dictated the use of brick at West- 130
field Student Village, but the carefully handled
facades show that repetition and order need
not be oppressive and can form a stimulating 102.5
backdrop for student life.

11
 Case study
Lewes Library
Lewes, East Sussex
Traditional materials are given a contemporary twist on the
first new-build public library in East Sussex for 15 years.
Our approach is not to mimic the past but
to work with it, using traditional materials and
techniques in a contemporary way, with an
awareness of cost and efficiency. Simon Gate-
houses words may sum up one way to avoid
pastiche, but they also succinctly express
architect McMorran and Gatehouses design
philosophy, as embodied in Lewes Library
the first new-build public library in East
Sussex for 15 years.
Completed in July 2005, the 800m2 build-
ing was the result of a competition win and
cost only 1.5m (excluding landscaping). Its
domestic scale and 5m structural steel grid and
timber floors were designed to ensure it would
be within the capabilities of small local con-
tractors, thus helping East Sussex County
Council get best value for money.
The brief called for a landmark building
with a carefully chosen palette of materials.
The result makes the required impact on the
town and displays a strong contemporary ver-
nacular that reflects Lewess rich history.
12
Seven distinctive, steeply-pitched clay-tiled
gables crown the building, drawn together
by a continuous zinc apron at eaves level.
Just as striking is the combination of brick
and flint, laid in a Flemish bond type arrange-
ment, where three stack-bonded bricks form
the headers.
Brick and flintwork form the 100mm outer
leaf of the cavity wall and concrete blockwork
the inner leaf. With 100mm full-fill cavity
insulation, the construction achieves a U-
value of 0.25W/m2K. The distinctive combina-
tion of brick and flint is eclipsed only by the
coloured glazing on the front elevation.
Although they have a traditional hand-
crafted look, the flint sections are actually
prefabricated blocks comprising whole and
knapped (cut) flints and exposed aggregate,
all set in white concrete. The brick headers
in between the flint blocks are stack-bonded
stretchers made of a 50:30:20 blend of light,
medium and dark reds respectively to give
a hand-made appearance. Together with
the flint blocks, they establish the module
for the library.
The irregularity of the flint blocks would
have made string lining and plumbing almost
impossible. Fortunately, the site agent had a
solution. Simon Gatehouse describes the pro-
cedure: The inner blockwork leaf was raised
by one course above the outer leaf, complete
with wall ties and insulation. The bonded
brick headers were laid in position, thereby
allowing the string lines to be carried around
the building.
Then the flint blocks were lowered into
place between the brick headers and the next
course raised by plumbing the brickwork
diagonally across the Flemish bond pattern. It
proved to be an extremely quick method.
Speed was an important part of the project,
but so was being as sustainable as possible. The
use of brick was an important element in this
strategy, which for the architect is as much
about helping to sustain local communities as
the selection of materials: this is a wise
approach, particularly for a library building.
Client East Sussex County Council
Architect McMorran and Gatehouse
Structural engineer Price & Myers
MCMORRAN & GATEHOUSE

QS Owen Williams
Brickwork S & K Brickwork
Main contractor Cheesmur
Landscaping Anna Hicks

For more details on this project, please ring the

BDA on 01344 885651.

13
 Technical

Uruguayan engineer Eladio

Dieste (1917-2000) did amazing
things with reinforced brickwork,
as Dr Remo Pedreschi, senior lec-
turer in structural engineering at
Reinforced
brickwork
Edinburgh University School of
Architecture, demonstrated dur-
ing a recent talk in London.
The examples shown were
astonishing in concept and detail,
particularly because they were Steel reinforcement can be elegant, economical
mainly for industrial, commercial
and agricultural buildings where and effective and extend the potential of
economy was a big consideration. structural brickwork. By Mike Hammett.
Dieste worked from the first
principles of engineering to devel-
op techniques suitable for use in
Uruguay. He chose brick because
it was an indigenous, inexpensive
material familiar to all builders. It
produced structures that were
lighter and easier to build than
concrete ones of similar form.
This article outlines the princi-
ples involved and illustrates two
projects where reinforced brick-
work provided effective, easily
constructed and economical struc- masonry where tension will occur composite action. This creates an and were traditionally built of
tural solutions. Design data and typically at the bottom of a hori- integral beam that avoids the need very thick masonry that depend-
detailed specification is not cov- zontal beam and at the top of a for a separate lintel. ed on mass to resist overturning.
ered; see BS 5628-2 (2005): Structur- horizontal cantilever. Brickwork panels exposed to Today, reinforced concrete
al use of reinforced and prestressed The simplest form of brick- wind loads can be reinforced to and steel sheet piling are the most
masonry, for guidance on design. work reinforcement is wire weld- span horizontally between col- popular choices for these struc-
ed in a ladder or girder pattern umns or piers. Typically, bed-joint tures, often faced with more
Principles of reinforcement with two parallel steel wires at its reinforcement in every third course attractive materials such as brick.
Brickwork is excellent in compres- edges. It is laid in mortar bed is appropriate. The continuous For many applications up to
sion but, because of limited adhe- joints as the brickwork is con- wires are positioned at the edges so about 5m high, reinforced brick
sion of mortar joints, it is poor in structed. The parallel wires are that, when built in, they are near the masonry is a convenient and cost-
tension. Tension occurs when the active members and there surface of the brickwork and thus in effective alternative.
bending forces act on structural must be continuity of action at the most effective place to resist ten- For minor retaining walls,
elements such as beams and canti- corners and joints. Bed-joint rein- sion created by the bowing action reinforced grouted cavity walls
levers. Steel is excellent in resisting forcement can be used in the lower caused by lateral forces. and Quetta bonded walls can be
tension and can be incorporated joints of brickwork over minor Retaining walls must resist lat- used. However, the reinforcement
into brickwork as reinforcement. openings as long as there are suffi- eral loads. They are usually is located centrally, so half the
The steel must be located in the cient courses above to achieve designed as vertical cantilevers thickness of the brickwork is

14
Cavity reinforced retaining wall
Lateral load on wall
Quetta bond reinforced retaining wall
Lateral load on wall
Pocket reinforced retaining wall
Lateral load on wall
redundant. Reinforcement should
be where the tension is, near the
surface bearing the load. A pock-
et-reinforced retaining wall is con-
figured in this way.
Retaining a car park
The retaining wall shown above is
part of a large car park in High Wy-
combe, Buckinghamshire. It is up
to 3m high, but is only 1 bricks
thick (327mm). At about 900mm
centres, 112mm deep vertical pock-
ets were formed in the rear surface
around pairs of vertical mild steel
reinforcement bars cast into the
concrete foundation.
On completion of the brick-
Reinforced brickwork
proved its worth on a
+ retaining wall for a
line of steel
large car park in High
reinforcement Wycombe (above left
-
and middle), and for
diaphragm walls at the
Avoncroft Museum
visitors centre in
Bromsgrove (above
right).
+ stressed by tightening a nut to a
line of steel
reinforcement
- Pre-stressing
+ ing (because the steel is tensioned
line of steel
reinforcement
- tensioned diaphragm walls for the
work the pockets were cleared of nal walls, external walls were thick
loose material, rough shuttering and external buttresses often used
boards were placed and the pock- as with traditional retaining
ets filled with concrete grout to walls, mass provided the stability.
surround the steel and bond it In modern brickwork, dia-
into the back of the wall. After cur- phragm walls have been devel-
ing, during which the shuttering oped to increase resistance to
was removed and a DPM applied lateral load. These walls are thick
to the rear surface, the wall was but hollow and internal cross ribs
backfilled. Construction allowed brace the outer 102mm thick sur-
great flexibility in dimensions, face leaves. The whole configura-
alignment and pace of work and tion is very stiff.
gave an attractive finish. Compared with a conventional
Lateral loads (wind loads) on cavity wall, a diaphragm wall that
external walls are generally resis- uses only 10% more material is
ted by the buttressing effect of typically eight times more resist-
internal walls and corners. In old ant to lateral load.
traditional masonry with no inter- In old masonry, parapets and
pinnacles were sometimes added
to the top of a wall or buttress to
increase its weight and thus
resistance to the toppling action
of lateral load. To achieve a simi-
lar advantage in a diaphragm wall,
reinforcement steel, anchored in
the foundation and with a thread-
ed end passed through a capping
beam at the top of the wall, can be
prescribed torque.
This stressing pulls the capping
beam down, increasing the verti-
cal stress in the wall. The tech-
nique is known as pre-stressing
(because the steel is stressed
before service) or as post-tension-
after construction is complete).
Arup engineers designed post-
visitors centre at Avoncroft Muse-
um of Historic Buildings, Broms-
grove (above). Its double-storey
hall is roofed by a large oak collar-
trussed structure that was rescued
when the medieval Guesten Hall
in Worcester was demolished.
Because of the design of the
trusses, some spread was anticipat-
ed at the bearings. Reinforcement
in the walls was set off-centre and
post-tensioned to draw their tops
together to compensate for the
outward thrust of the trusses.
The engineers for both these
examples chose reinforced brick-
work because, although it relies on
proficient engineering design, its
construction is straightforward,
robust and well within the capabil-
ities of competent bricklayers.
15
 Detail

The Brick Development Associations member companies

Baggeridge Brick Kingscourt Brick

Tel: 01902 880555 Tel: +353 (0)42 9667317
Email: enquiries@baggeridge.co.uk Email: info@kingscourtbricks.ie
www.baggeridge.co.uk www.laganbrick.com
Michelmersh Brick & Tile Co o
Blockleys Brick 215 x 102.5 x 40mm
Tel: 01794 368506
Tel: 01952 251933 soldier course
Email: sales@michelmersh.co.uk
Email: sales@blockleys.com
www.michelmersh.com
www.michelmersh.com brickwork tied back
Normanton Brick Co to lightweight steel
Bovingdon Brickworks
Tel: 01924 892142/01924 895863 framing system
Tel: 01442 833176
Fax: 01924 223455
Email: info@bovingdonbricks.co.uk 29mm Celotex or similar
www.bovingdonbricks.co.uk Northcot Brick
ventilated cavity first floor
Tel: 01386 700551
Broadmoor Brickworks
Email: info@northcotbrick.co.uk
Tel: 01594 822255 240 x 115 x 40mm
www.northcotbrick.co.uk bonded bricks
Fax: 01594 826782
Ormonde Brick coursing 54.71mm
Email: sales@broadmoor-brickworks.co.uk
Tel: +353 (0)56 44 41323
Bulmer Brick & Tile Co cavity tray
Email: ormondeb@iol.ie
Tel: 01787 269232
www.ormondebrick.ie
Fax: 01787 269040 insulation 50mm Rockwool
Email: bbt@bulmerbrickandtile.co.uk Phoenix Brick Company wall batt or similar
Tel: 01246 233223 215 x 102.5 x 40mm soldier
Carlton Brick course composite lintel
Email: enquries@bricksfromphoenix.co.uk
Tel: 01226 711521
www.bricksfromphoenix.co.uk
Direct sales line: 01226 715000
Email: sales@carltonbrick.co.uk Wm C Reade of Aldeburgh
www.carltonbrick.co.uk Tel: 01728 452982
secondary dpm fixed to
Fax: 01728 454957
Charnwood Forest Brick SFS as work proceeds
Email: reception@msoakesltd.co.uk
Tel: 01509 503203
Email: sales@charnwoodforest.com Swarland Brick Co
www.michelmersh.com Tel: 01665 574229
Fax: 01665 574400
Chartwell Brickworks
Email: chris@swarlandbrick.fsnet.co.uk shopfront zone
Tel: 01732 463712
Email: info@chartwellbrickworks.com Tyrone Brick
www.chartwellbrickworks.com Tel: 02887 723421
Email: sales@tyrone-brick.com
Coleford Brick & Tile
www.tyrone-brick.com
Tel: 01594 822160
Email: sales@colefordbrick.co.uk The York Handmade Brick Co
www.colefordbrick.co.uk Tel: 01347 838881
Email: sales@yorkhandmade.co.uk
Dunton Brothers
www.yorkhandmade.co.uk
Tel: 01494 772111
Email: sales@duntons.com
www.michelmersh.com
W H Collier
Tel: 01206 210301
What we did for the Romans
Email: sales@whcollier.co.uk Paternoster House, designed by Sidell Gibson Architects to the master-
Errol Brick
www.whcollier.co.uk plan of Sir William Whitfield, was completed in 2003 as part of the total
Tel: 01821 642653
Email: info@errolbrick.co.uk Wienerberger redevelopment of Paternoster Square, a sensitive site next to St Pauls
www.errolbrick.co.uk Tel: 0161 491 8200 Cathedral in London.
Email: office@wienerberger.co.uk
Freshfield Lane Brickworks
www.wienerberger.co.uk In acknowledgement of the sites Roman history, the architect specified
Tel: 01825 790350 a Roman size brick (240 x 115 x 40mm), laid in monk bond and a flush
Email: sales@flb.uk.com The Brick Development Association
www.flb.uk.com Tel: 01344 885651 mortar joint. The effect of having two stretchers and one header in the
Email: brick@brick.org.uk same course has created an interesting zig-zag effect.
Hammill Brick
Tel: 01304 617613
www.brick.org.uk Unusually, a one-brick-thick outer wall was used, partly to obviate the
Email: info@hammillbrick.co.uk need for wind posts and partly because it facilitated the laying of monk
www.hammillbrick.co.uk bond. The brickwork was tied back to the inner leaf which consists of a
Hanson Building Products lightweight steel dry-lining system, which in turn was fixed to the floor slab.
Tel: 0870 609 7092 The brick-faced precast concrete lintels were made by laying two courses
Email: info@hansonbp.com of half bricks into moulds before pouring the concrete. The upper brick
www.hansonbrick.com overhangs the lower brick by 15mm in order to produce a slight shadow
HG Matthews line on the elevation.
Tel: 01494 758212 Sidell Gibson project director Martyn Gates says: The brickwork on
Email: hgmbricks@hotmail.co.uk
www.hgmatthews.com
this project was a real challenge. In order to achieve the required effect,
the bricklayer and I dry-laid every course on the scaffold to ensure it
Ibstock Brick
Tel: 01530 261999
worked. The result shows that, with a bit of effort, high quality brickwork
www.ibstock.co.uk takes a lot of beating.

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