Media release

Following an approach by peak bricklaying industry advisory body Think Brick, TAFE NSW Granville students and staff last week built 20 brick walls at the campus in a bid to test mortar quality and find the “magic formula” for optimum effectiveness.

Mortar is a paste-like building material made of cement, fine sands, water and lime, used most often to build brick or block walls.

TAFE NSW Granville Head Teacher of Bricklaying Greg Ible said the event provided a “win-win”, helping the industry find the ideal mortar mix and exposing students to a real-world problem-solving lesson.

“There have been ongoing concerns from industry about mortar quality; many think it’s too strong and sticky, and can stain brickwork,” Mr Ible said.

“The fact Think Brick approached us to run these test panels shows how trusted TAFE NSW is by industry. We as a team have a long history with the bricklaying trade so it only makes sense we would be at the forefront of this type of testing.”

As part of the testing panel, TAFE NSW Granville bricklaying apprentices built a series of brick walls, experimenting with different lime additives in the mortar. Engineers from Think Brick were on hand for the event, and the testing will be undertaken by Mahaffey and Associates laboratory and provided back to the industry to help improve mortar quality.

Think Brick CEO Cathy Inglis said her organisation had been fielding regular calls from members concerned about the effect of lime substitutes currently being used in mortar mixes.

She said utilising the facilities at TAFE NSW Granville – and the expertise of teachers – was a powerful way to drive innovation in the industry.

“It’s great to have the support of TAFE NSW and it will help apprentices gain a deeper understanding of the best mortar compositions into the future,” Ms Inglis said.

Ms Inglis said six different mortar mixes were used during last week’s testing panels, and their adhesion and durability will be analysed after seven days and again after 28 days and finally the brickcleaning qualities will be assessed. It marks the second time Think Brick has run a brick testing panels at TAFE NSW Granville.

Ms Inglis said Australia was facing a significant shortage of skilled bricklayers, with industry groups reporting acute shortages that are impacting housing and infrastructure projects, and potentially hindering the country's ability to meet its housing targets.

According to employment website Seek, the average bricklayer in Australia earns between $70,000 and $80,000 annually.

Media contact: Dan Johns, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 02 7920 5000

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