Top 14 Safety Tips in Moving, Storing and Piling Stock Bricks

BLUES BRICKS AND PAVING - MASOWE 2,LIKOTSI ROAD

1.       Sweep or rake clean the area intended for stock piling.  Remove any debris where the bricks will be stored

2.       Stack the bricks close together to prevent them from toppling

3.       When stacking concrete bricks, reverse the directions of blocks every other course to prevent them from falling over.

4.       Do not stack concrete blocks too high.  As a general rule, blocks are not to be stocked higher than 2 meters

5.       Do not mix different sizes of concrete blocks on the same stack

6.       Never stack cracked blocks on a stock pile as they may break when picked up and fall on your feet

7.       Do not wear buggy clothing or short pants when stocking or moving bricks

8.       Keep your hands on top of concrete blocks when setting them down on the stockpile to prevent hurting your fingers.

9.       Be careful of others around you when handling concrete blocks

10.   Most injuries from working with concrete blocks are a result of poor judgement, plan first lift second

11.   Use a wheelbarrow when moving heavy materials instead of lifting and carrying them

12.   When lifting with another person, it is always a good practice to count to three and lift on three. 1-2-lift! Yes, this helps both of you to lift at the same time, dividing the weight between you, without putting too much strain on one person.

13.   Before setting blocks down, make sure you have something solid to rest it on, keep your finger out from underneath blocks to prevent getting them mashed.

14.   In the event that you are injured on the job, report the injury to the supervisor immediately.  This is necessary to help with workers compensation claims

Safety is a Frame of Mind, Get the Picture.

We at Blues Bricks and Paving know that safety is a full time job not a part time practice.....happy safe building.

Construction of Block Pavements

Block pavements, also called brick paving are a form of paving whereby individual building units are used. The main benefit of this type of paving is that bricks can easily be lifted and replaced. Block paving is typically used in ton centres, driveways and backyards.

1.     Planning and preparation

Typically, you need to prepare any form of work before starting and consulting an expert in a field will do you just that. An architect or civil engineer can mark out the area that is to be worked on and provide a working drawing as such saving you the time as a bill of quantities will also be provided. Anyhow, if you are working on your own little DIY project, like a new driveway, that might not be necessary. Do remember to inspect the area you wish to pave for any electric cables or pipes that might be buried.

2.     Excavation

This simply involve the digging and disposal of soil to level the ground and make way for a sub-base. The excavation depth of an average driveway is 200-250 mm below the paving level. The digging can be done with traditional tools such as a pickaxe and a shovel or a mini-digger can be hired to do the task.

3.     Filling the sub-base, base course and Edging

Sub-base is a layer of aggregate (normally a cement mixture) that holds together and evenly spreads out all the materials that will be used to make the pavement. A strong sub-base is of grave importance as it means your driveway can outlive the surface blocks should they sustain damage. The base course is the layer directly under the pavement, it is made of certain industrial aggregates to hold the paving blocks together. Edging simply involves the outlining of the pavement.

4.     Brick laying and Alignment

This step involves the laying of the pavement blocks in the desired pattern. Alignment can be checked with the use of a string or an alignment bar. The finishing touch is to cut in any bricks to fit in the missing spaces.

Types of Bricks

The units of masonry we call bricks

A brick is a building material mostly used for construction of walls and pavements. Traditionally the term brick specifically referred to clay bricks but with the rise of mortar (a mixture of sand, water and cement) blocks, the term has grown to refer to any block that is used in construction. There are thousands of types of bricks when classified by size, shape material and different methods of manufacture. Using the mentioned criteria, bricks can be classified as;

1.        Mud Bricks: Mud bricks are simple bricks made of a mixture of water, mud, sand and sometimes loam using straw as a binding material. Mud bricks are normally hand molded and air-dried. Mud bricks are relatively weaker in terms of lifespan and comprehensive strength. This type of bricks are the oldest and perhaps the very first made, they are still of widespread use in rural parts of the globe.

2.        Fired Bricks: this type of bricks are by far the most diverse as they have various methods of manufacture, material composition, size and method of shaping. The key ingredients of fired bricks are sand, alumina (clay) and lime, The materials used vary according to the intended use. Fired bricks are industrially produced so hand molding is not the most economic method of shaping, they are normally machine molded or extruded (forced through an opening in order to shape). Fired bricks get their name from how they are dried, after shaping bricks are dried in a kiln (an oven) but with advancements in technology, bricks can be pressure dried. Fired bricks can be customized for paving, fencing, traditional wall building or even decorative building.

3.        Concrete Bricks: otherwise referred to mortar (any kind of paste used as aggregate when building) bricks. This type of bricks vary in accordance to the composition of the mortar, the size and the shape. The basic materials in mortar include Cement as a binding agent, sand, water and sometimes lime. Concrete bricks are machine molded and air-dried. This type of bricks are normally used for construction of interior of walls and fences. Customized concrete blocks are also used for paving.

Visit the home of Blues Bricks and Paving at Masowe 2 to find Concrete blocks at different shapes and sizes including much much more.

But where do they come from?

But,where do they come from.

Behold, concrete blocks, but where do they come from? Concrete has been used in the craft of masonry (method of building using smaller units) from as early as 200 BC in ancient Rome. Concrete blocks were not used for sometime after the fall of the Roman Empire but were later introduced by English Stonemasons. Their popularity grew with socio-economic events which include the industrial revolution in the early 1900s. The manufacture of concrete blocks today is typically done at an industrial scale but DIY enthusiasts still do make their own bricks, the process basically encompasses these steps; 

1.      Mixing: a basic concrete mix consists of sand, cement, gravel and water. The very first step to manufacturing concrete blocks is mixing these materials, In industries mixers are used. Dry materials are blended in a mixer for a few minutes then water added to make a concrete mix.

2.      Moulding: this is where the concrete bricks are shaped into desired shapes and sizes. Proceeding right after the mixing of concrete is moulding, the mix is then forced down atop a Block machine which moulds the mix. When the moulds are full compaction (pressing down or compressing of the moulds) follows which is the result of upper layers of moulds or hydraulic pressure cylinders. At the bottom of the block machine, the compacted layer is then pushed out of the machine. At this time the bricks are shaped.

3.      Curing: is a process meant to make concrete reach optimal strength and hardness through hydration. This process can be carried out by laying blocks out on open air and manually continuously using hoses to spray water on the blocks and allowing to be air dried, this process typically takes  a few days.

4.      Storage: concrete blocks are stored by stacking in cubic vertical stacks allowing proper ventilation. It is best to have bricks which have just been cured stored near the worksite to avoid danger of damage owing to transporting of bricks. The symmetric stacking of bricks is aimed to minimise defacement and breakage of bricks. Bricks are put on wood or steel pallets right after moulding for ready fork lifting.

To see the listed steps in action, you can always visit the home of Blue’s Bricks and Paving in Masowe, You can also find our wide array of products ranging from paving blocks to custom masonry units.