Concrete and the slump test

A group of year 10 construction students involved with the SchoolHouse Project spent Monday morning conducting ‘slump tests’ and helping an external team introduce fresh concrete to the site.
Having studied concrete in theory, the group put their knowledge into practice and produced mixes of dry, medium and wet consistencies.

The slump test itself is a British Standard test that measures the workability of fresh concrete. A sample of an individual batch is shovelled into a cone-shaped funnel and then tipped out like a sand castle. Once the mound has been left to slump, its new height is measured and decisions can be made about its suitability for work.

Following the test, the group assisted an external team as they poured concrete into holes scattered across the site, which are to be used to support the attractive post and beam frame currently standing on the field.

Photo update: BDA building site

With the garage demolished to make room for the house, we've now got a fully-fledged building site on the BDA grounds.

Easter Construction Camp

During the Easter break a group of students integral to the SchoolHouse Project attended a four-day workshop, allowing for an extended period of uninterrupted construction.

The group produced a temporary canopy, to protect the building site from the weather, and continued work on the large timber frames. They were encouraged to familiarise themselves with a wide range of hand tools, including chisels, saws and hand-powered drills, to help them transform mortise and tenons into large beams.

At the end of the week, students competed against one another in a race to saw through the beams and to drill the fastest mortise. Well done to Mohamed Hussein and Raeem Leavy, who won the cross-cut race.

In the second week of the holiday, the school garage was demolished to make room for the house. Dame Sally was on hand to drive the digger that destroyed the existing structure.

A long-overdue update

Having completed all wall panels and the vast majority of roof rafters, students are now working on the Douglas fir timber frame. They are using traditional frame-building techniques to cut large scale joints.

During the Easter break many students will be attending a week-long frame-building camp to keep progress ticking over, before the garage is demolished at the start of the summer term to make room for the frame and walls.

See below for images of Hamza at work with an antique drilling rig, and Luke and Ricardo making good use of a large cross cut saw.

Well done team and keep up the good work!

 

A word on our donors: Travis Perkins

Travis Perkins – a prominent supplier of goods to the UK’s building and construction industry for over 200 years – has contributed £15,000 towards the project budget.

The donated funds are being used for general, non-propriety building materials, which can be particularly difficult to get sponsorship for. These include nails, DPC, protective clothing and plasterboard, among other essentials. We are extremely grateful for this generous contribution.

For more information on Travis Perkins, visit their website at http://www.travisperkins.co.uk/

 

Photo update: Monday Construction Club

Former pupil Jay Wilson shares his knowledge and skills with Year 7s at yesterday's afterschool Construction Club.

 

More kind donations: Velfac and Wates

We would like to say a huge thank you to Velfac - an international company specialising in high performances doors and windows - for a very generous donation worth in excess of £9,000.

Needless to say, no house is complete without a top-notch, attractive array of doors and windows; with plenty of coming and going sure to take place, this latest donation is most welcome.

We also wish to express our gratitude to Wates, who are one of the UK’s largest building and construction companies, for an extremely kind donation of £5,000. With a rich history spanning well over a century, Wates is synonymous in the trade with quality service and sustainability.

We really are very fortunate indeed.