Research Report on a Study of Non-Modular Masonry Construction

Abstract

In 1947, the Small Homes Council made a detailed study and comparison of construction methods used in residential building. Included in this study was an analysis of three houses in wich modular brick were used in the exterior cavity-type masonry wall. No comparison has been available between the data so obtained and the time required to construct the same wall using non-modular materials. To obtain such data, the Small Homes Council, under the sponsorship of the Structural Clay Products Institute, this summer built an exact duplicate of one of the houses constructed in the 1947 study, but used a non-modular brick instead of modular. An analysis of the time-study data taken during the construction period indicat es that the masons' time can be reduced approximately 10 per cent through the use of modular materials. Furthermore, an examination of the brick-work indicates that an improvement in workmanship is possible through the use of modular materials. This improvement in workship is obtained through the regularity achieved by the use of modular materials.Structural Clay Products Institut