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This study identifies that bricklaying trade has not benefited much from off-site production, and bricklaying has been highlighted as a trade significantly affected by the documented skills shortage in Scotland with 66% of small and medium enterprises reporting difficulties in recruiting bricklayers.

This study used an interpretivistic philosophy adopting the phenomenological qualitative research approach using purposeful sampling technique and semi-structured interviews to allow for emergent themes to develop. The theory of proximal similarity that connects the study’s characteristics and the characteristics of the group under study was adopted.

Findings from the emergent themes identified issues grouped into key themes such as inconsistency of income, lack of care and self-employed workforce. The sub-themes included the Scottish climate, risk and profit, physical strain and government expectations and the cost of innovation. These were considered in relation to their existing and future implications for the industry.

A wider and more diverse group of industry participants from different parts of Scotland would have made the study more representative.

It is imperative that the Scottish construction industry supports, develops and trains future bricklayers capable of maintaining existing housing stock and to deliver on future construction projects in Scotland.

This study explores the shortage of skilled bricklayers within the Scottish construction sector.

IN today's battle for greater productivity management is cast in a cardinal role. Like a military commander, it has first to recognize the nature and purpose of the opponent and then formulate the best strategy to encompass his defeat. One element in that is to know the strength and quality of the available resources, ways in which to improve both, and then deploy them to the best advantage.

Exoskeletons are moving into industries with the potential to reduce muscle strains and prevent occupational injuries. Although exoskeletons have been designed and tested in laboratory settings, rare empirical studies of their application in construction have been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study is on in a real-life setting testing the applicability of adopting exoskeletons in the construction industry.

A feasibility study of exoskeletons in construction is conducted by testing a passive exoskeleton, designed for shoulder support. Five bricklayers tested in a two-month period the exoskeleton, each wearing it for a three-day period while carrying out normal work activities. Test data in terms of interviews were collected and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

The application of exoskeletons in construction revealed several limitations, where the two primary ones are the exoskeleton is not designed while considering the tasks of a bricklayer causing several challenges and the exoskeleton only supports a single upward motion while limiting other movements and even counteracted when a downward movement was necessary.

The identified challenges could easily have been revealed by coupling the design and testing of exoskeletons to actual application. Thus, the design approach needs to be reversed. Instead of designing an exoskeleton to support a specific body part or motion and then identifying where it is applicable, it should target specific industries and focus on the actual work and movements and the necessary support. As part of the change, the design metrics should be reevaluated to reflect the work to support.

An effective way to promote a continuous flow of ideas for improvement in production systems is to challenge people with “stretch targets”. This should generate a creative tension between a desired situation and the present situation. In the UK, the potential of this approach has been recognised by the Construction Task Force in their report, Rethinking Construction, which recommended that construction companies should establish challenging targets for improving the quality and efficiency of their processes. Investigates to what extent construction companies are currently using targets for driving continuous improvement in their production processes. The analysis is based on the empirical evidence collected on six Brazilian and UK construction sites. The analysis shows that most construction managers in the case studies did not use “stretch targets” as a strategy for driving continuous improvement in construction processes. “Stretch targets” were generally contingent to project constraints and were not supported by other fundamental complementary practices.

Discusses the effectiveness of construction practices on standardisation based on six case studies developed both in Brazil and in the UK, focusing on the “bricklaying” process. The case studies showed a paradox: construction companies developing written standards but failing to implement and maintaining standard practices. Written standards were extremely ineffective in the case studies due to the lack of teamwork and problem solving activities. It became clear that the abstract meaning of standardisation has far larger possibilities than simply developing descriptions of practice in written documents. Information on standards could be displayed in the packing system or equipment, for instance. Most importantly, information on standard procedures should be available when and where the construction worker needs it, despite the great need for workstation mobility. Hence, concludes that there is an urgent need for promoting a more widespread use of “visual management” approaches in order to enable effective dissemination and use of standard practices within the construction environment.

Second part of a perspective of the development of the English brick and its use since the 15th century. Evaluates the many varying external influences such as trade links, architectural fashions, industrial developments and social factors that were invariably under‐pinning the styles and practices of the brickmaker and bricklayer down the centuries. Analyses this history in a series of chronological periods, i.e. 1485‐1603; 1603‐1830 and 1830‐1914. The pattern of study remaining consistent within each period, that being – what was the significant socio‐economic and political movement in relation to construction, and what, if any, part did it play in influencing change in the making and use of bricks. Looks at how and why brick manufacture and brickwork were responding, and when within these periods, considering who were the important figures in these changes and developments. Concludes that the brickwork, which marks each period, is the result not only of developments in the brickmaking process and the craft skills of the bricklayers, but also of foreign influences, social and economic changes in the country, and the inevitable gradual influence of building control, through legislation, necessary to ensure safe and sanitary housing in the urban environment of a major industrial country.

Increase the workforce involvement in continuous improvement activities is one of the main recommendations of the recent report Rethinking Construction, developed by the UK Construction Task Force. In Brazil, this is also a major issue in most government and industry initiatives for the sector, particularly after the opening of the economy in the mid‐1980s. In this context, this research attempts to contribute to policy making by assessing the degree of workforce involvement in continuous improvement in English and Brazilian construction sites. The results show a generalised poor level of workforce involvement in comparison to the reported practices of other industrial sectors. Hence, the results suggest that current strategies for promoting continuous improvement in the construction sector are failing to bring real change at the operational level due to the lack of leadership and appropriate win‐win relationships.

March 21 and 22, 1973 Building — Labour‐only sub‐contract — “The Lump” — Duties of care by contractor to sub‐contractor — Negligence — Plaintiff sub‐contractor injured by dangerous nip in cement mixer property of contractor — Whether contractor under any contractual duty or other duty to provide safe plant and equipment or to warn of defects — Relevance of sub‐contractor's breach of statutory duty — Construction (General Provisions) Regulations, 1961 (S.I. 1961 No. 1580), regs. 3,42.

This paper presents a methodological contribution to benchmarking studies of production practices. It presents some of the main findings gathered from a benchmarking study developed between UK and Brazilian construction sites. The study was carried out within six case studies and focused on the use of visual controls in construction sites. The “cross‐case study analysis” approach used a process called “pattern matching” where the researcher looked for direct replications of theoretical propositions. In this pattern‐matching approach, empirical evidence is considered to be a “literal replication” if the observed results match the theoretical predictions. In contrast, when the case study produced contrasting results but for predictable reasons, it is called a “theoretical replication”. The results show that pattern‐matching is a highly useful approach for developing benchmarking studies in production management because it allows direct transfer of results from practice to theory.

Outlines the development of English brickwork from 1485 to 1914, highlighting the many external influences that were underpinning the styles and practices of the various periods, such as developments in materials, craft skills and practices, and the change in architecture.