Private and social street housing from the Victorian era to just after the Second World War was primarily built using bonded solid brickwork. Over time such brickwork can suffer from a range of defects or failings, including cracking, bowing, failure of arches and lintels over openings, and differential bay window movement, to name but a few.
Such defects are attributable to a range of causes, the most common being thermal/moisture (hygrothermal) movement, foundation subsidence and changes in loading.
The introduction of stress-free, mainly concealed, AWT BED JOINT REINFORCEMENT BEAMING SYSTEM – which incorporates helical stainless steel reinforcement grouted into the bed joints to instigate a composite beam action, combined where necessary with ties and other fixings – provides the necessary restraint to overcome these problems and reinstate structural stability.
Upon instruction, AWT will undertake a building inspection to note visible brickwork defects, and will subsequently prepare a clear, simple report, detailing such defects and the most likely causation. The report will also provide remedial work recommendations and a quotation or budget accordingly.
COMMON DEFECTS - CAUSATIONS AND REMEDIES
- Failing brickwork above window/door opening
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- Cause: Often attributable to inadequate support over windows (i.e. no lintels) and often made worse during window replacement.
- Remedy: The introduction of bed joint reinforcement, lintel repair and general making good.
- Lintel Repair - Case Study
- Bowing brickwork
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- Cause: Often associated with lateral restraint deficiencies.
- Remedy: The introduction of new lateral restraint ties into existing floor and roof.
- Bowed Wall - Case Study
- Cracking in brickwork
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- Cause: Often associated with subsidence and/or hygrothermal movement.
- Remedy: The introduction of bed joint reinforcement to beam over areas affected by the subsidence, sometimes to supplement underpinning, and at other times in conjunction with arboricultural measures. If hygrothermal movement is the cause then the introduction of movement joints would be most appropriate.
- Bay window movement
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- Cause: Often associated with local subsidence and a lack of ties to main building.
- Remedy: Tying back to main structure as a stand alone solution or to supplement underpinning. This method is also used in conjunction with arboricultural measures.
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- Bay window – Generic repair
- Spalling bricks/poor pointing
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- Cause: Frost action and general erosion – but beware of cryto-efflorescence failure!.
- Remedy: Traditional brickwork replacement and re-pointing to match existing.
Our proposed remedial schemes are individually designed to provide a viable repair through the introduction of bed joint reinforcement beaming, fenestration lintel repair, grout tie injection, lateral restraints and resin bonded ties to reinstate the uniformity and stability of walls.
Case studies and generic repairs: