Versaloc® Basement in Designer Home

Overview

Adbri Masonry’s new Versaloc® Walling System is the most advanced dry stacked walling system in the Australian market. Versaloc® improves upon previous dry stack systems and offers unrivalled benefits for installers and builders alike. With the extensive development and N.A.T.A. accredited testing processes completed, it was just a matter of time before the first Queensland project was secured. After discussions with Adbri Masonry’s in house commercial and engineering teams, the Director of M Developments in Brisbane confirmed his intention to use the Versaloc® Walling System for the basement of a million dollar home in the Brisbane riverside suburb of Indooroopilly.

This designer home used over 2500 Versaloc® units getting out of the ground with the basement. The two stories of the house were then constructed using lightweight Adbri Masonry Twin Bricks. These load bearing concrete bricks are manufactured using a percentage of recycled ash as a cement replacement and are consistent in size, weight and shape. This construction presented a number of challenges for the installers, Templeton Bricklaying with regular returns, angled corners and short runs all requiring attention during installation.

“It’s easy to see how using the Versaloc®. Walling System can significantly reduce construction time on long runs of straight walls but I wanted to see how the system compared on my project which had short runs and many returns and I was impressed with the results. On this intricate site, one of my guys was laying 380 units a day on scaffolding.” Explains Greg Templeton, Director of Templeton Bricklaying.

After the first course of Versaloc®. units were placed level in cement, a process of using a string line to level each course was to be used. After two hours, the installation team changed processes having one man place the units and another following behind to level each unit as it was laid. This was only possible due to the fact that no mortar was needed for the Versaloc®. system making it an easy two hand lift and enabling the installation team to construct the wall at a rapid place. Window openings, 45 degree corners and . units were all required with the design and some forward thinking by the installers ensured the impact on construction pace was minimal. The installers cut the units at the desired size and created a simple wedge design to fit into a groove made from cement on site.

A line pump was used in the concrete pour with a 7mm aggregate identified as being the best for use in this project and the pour results impressed all on site. “The corefill was effortless, the mixture flowed easily through the wall and in the end, we ordered another cement truck to keep up with the rate of our pour. Our team and the pump operator alike were impressed with how well the cement filled the walls and we were equally pleased that there were no blowouts or seepages of any kind” said Mr Templeton. The ease of installation was also a welcome benefit for the Templeton Bricklaying team who quickly adapted to the use of this new system. “My apprentice was so comfortable using the system that he claimed he could build Versaloc®. walls without any guidance. I encouraged his efforts so set a challenge and sure enough, he was able to do a good job completing the work without any assistance. Given my apprentice could easily build these walls, I could have more time to focus on other elements of the project and for that reason alone, I will definitely use this system again.”

The basement was originally designed to be painted but due to the workmanship from Templeton Bricklaying and the fact that the dry stacked system is clean and creates feature lines, the basement was left as facework. The builder and client are both pleased with the finished home.

Other projects in Queensland

• • 100,000m² of 100mm Brickpave pavers at Port of Brisbane.
• • 250m² of Euro™ Honed Pavers at Queen Street Mall, Brisbane.
• • 2,800m² Vertica Segmental Retaining Walls at Coomera Lakes, Gold Coast.

Other projects using The Versaloc® Walling System

• • Lygon Street Multi Story Apartments.
• • KR Castlemaine Factory in Victoria.
• • Designer home in Narrabeen, Manly.