After last week’s hiatus through celebrating the achievements of those nominated for awards and winners at The ABC Awards 2023, it’s back to our featured practical competences for the modern bricklayer and this week we’re focussing on installing brick soffit systems.
This area of modern masonry not only carries on our YouTube video series, but it is directly related to other competences covered by The ABC Assessment Centre’s comprehensive short duration training programme. For instance, as part of this series, we’ve already touched upon the correct installation of masonry support angle systems, which is a pre-requisite of any ‘hanging brickwork’ soffit system.
What Are Brick Soffit Systems?
For those readers who are unsure as to what the purpose and location of soffits are, let’s look at their definition (above and beyond simply referring to them as “hanging brickwork”). Soffits are described as “the underside of an architectural structure such as an arch, a balcony, or overhanging eaves”.
In the context of a new build, this might mean areas where deep reveals are being used with set-back openings (e.g. windows or entranceways), therefore needing the underside of said feature to be covered by brickwork. This then gives the effect of a continuous facade wrapping round the entirety of a building when you look up at it – and not just exposed concrete – with modern solutions taking away the complexity of achieving the same aesthetic via traditional methods or heavy pre-cast solutions.
Installing Brick Soffit Systems in 2023
Latest innovations in soffit solutions for brickwork facades in high-rise construction feature brick slips mechanically fixed to a metal carrier unit, which is then bolted up to the masonry support angle above via a fixing channel (see photo).
These units are pre-fabricated under factory conditions in a similar way to brick slip systems for facades, with the bricks pre-selected and matched to the rest of the facade, so they can be incorporated seamlessly into the overall facade aesthetic when delivered to site and installed to manufacturer’s specifications.
Importantly, this type of soffit system is compliant with building regulations governing performance in terms of structural integrity and non-combustability, and must carry a BBA Certificate to accredit its third party testing and suitability for use in construction projects. It goes without saying that any system without these things cannot be used for high-risk buildings.
Installing Brick Soffit Systems Training Through The ABC Assessment Centre
As we mentioned in the brick slip systems blog, brickwork sub-contractors shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking, since the component products are premanufactured under factory conditions and sent to site, set-out drawings provided for their exact location and the correct fixings supplied, then their labour requires less training to install it.
I cannot stress how off-base this is, especially for a product effectively hanging in place overhead potentially tens of metres off the ground!
Are you using the correct fixings specified by the manufacturer? What are the limits of adjustment? Are you using the correct number of fixings per component? Have you tightened the fixings to the correct torque settings? Is the masonry support angle set out and installed correctly and even capable of restraining the soffit?
All of these questions are crucial when coming to a decision regarding your workforce’s competence in installing brick soffit systems. And not only that, but can you demonstrate robust and accredited training against a UKAS accredited standard, if not a diploma qualification?
After all, main contractors are tightening the net on untrained operatives on their sites to mitigate against liability arising from building safety legislation, so installing brick soffit systems is yet another area where bricklayers or brickwork technicians need to seek the relevant accreditations.
…And guess what? With exactly this in mind, The ABC Assessment Centre developed and wrote a short course standard for Brick Soffit Systems in partnership with CITB which is grant claimable and can be used to accredit approved installers.
Check out the full course description as well as a list of the topics covered in the Course Details tab by clicking on the button below:
Next In YouTube Channel Video Series
One thing we’ve done in recent times to add to our programme of 16 short courses is to create “How To” install videos for each of the practical skills. This way, we can supplement our excellent face-to-face training with top quality video content available 24/7 from any mobile device, tablet or computer.
To give Specialist Brickwork Contractors, Further Education Colleges, Main Contractors, Designers, Specifiers, Manufacturers and Suppliers a glimpse into how the launch of our YouTube channel could be valuable to their business and individuals’ professional development, we’ve created teaser videos to accompany the long-format install guides.
Filmed on our patented training frames and featuring our very own Centre Manager Simon Livett and Brickwork Trainer/NVQ Assessor Ian Mitchell, click below to play our installing brick soffit systems video…
If you like what you see, why not like the video and subscribe to the channel for all future content! Simply click the button below to go to our YouTube channel:
How Do I Get Access To The ABC Assessment Centre YouTube Channel?
The channel will have 2 types of subscription – basic and paid. Basic subscription will give you access to the promotional “How To” install videos as well as other content we’ll upload intermittently, while the paid subscription will be based on an annual fee to receive all the long-format videos and exclusive content we add over the course of the year.
