Two teens killed in Swanston Street (30)

Mar 31, 2013 12:25 AM CST Two teens killed in Swanston Street
Obscuritan
ObscuritanObscuritanMelbourne, Victoria Australia37 Threads 3 Polls 1,284 Posts
conduit: Extremely sad for families,friends of the the 2 poor kids. My heart goes out to them. I would not be able to cope if it happened to my kids. Us Melbourneians would have walked there many a time. I always believed in bricks and mortar to be the safest structure. Just a freaky accident.


Yes, very sad. Brick walls give the impression of being very strong and solid, but they're not really, unless they are properly tied into cross walls or braced by timber framing.
Mar 31, 2013 12:48 AM CST Two teens killed in Swanston Street
conduit
conduitconduitmelbourne, Victoria Australia2 Threads 236 Posts
Obscuritan: Yes, very sad. Brick walls give the impression of being very strong and solid, but they're not really, unless they are properly tied into cross walls or braced by timber framing.




Thanks Obscuritan, How terrible, it can happen anywhere if the brick layers/ builders, took short cuts or ran out of materials / weak foundations etc.

blues
Mar 31, 2013 2:44 AM CST Two teens killed in Swanston Street
wash2u
wash2uwash2uMelbourne, Victoria Australia79 Threads 1 Polls 3,768 Posts
conduit: Thanks Obscuritan, How terrible, it can happen anywhere if the brick layers/ builders, took short cuts or ran out of materials / weak foundations etc.


More a case of the demolition crew leaving something unsafe - probably told to leave this "solid" wall intact by the builders. G.... has a lot to answer for here.

Bricklaying has a lot of tie-ins to keep a structure in place. This is more that someone assumed that a brick wall was solid without the key pieces keeping it rigid.
Mar 31, 2013 4:24 AM CST Two teens killed in Swanston Street
conduit
conduitconduitmelbourne, Victoria Australia2 Threads 236 Posts
wash2u: More a case of the demolition crew leaving something unsafe - probably told to leave this "solid" wall intact by the builders. G.... has a lot to answer for here.

Bricklaying has a lot of tie-ins to keep a structure in place. This is more that someone assumed that a brick wall was solid without the key pieces keeping it rigid.




Thanks wash2u, this relieves my mind.
Mar 31, 2013 4:36 AM CST Two teens killed in Swanston Street
curly28
curly28curly28Perth, Western Australia Australia53 Threads 5,450 Posts
wash2u: More a case of the demolition crew leaving something unsafe - probably told to leave this "solid" wall intact by the builders. G.... has a lot to answer for here.

Bricklaying has a lot of tie-ins to keep a structure in place. This is more that someone assumed that a brick wall was solid without the key pieces keeping it rigid.


It's a scary thought these days with trades people just how experienced are they these days ? I have always found it hard to keep staff because of my work too hard for most today and it really annoyed me after training them for 6 months then they can't hack it. I have a friend who's a bricki he has had all sorts of drama's keeping offsiders young inexperience ones too. watching them at work 24/7 is impossible to get work done yourself then shody work can happen frustrated frustrating lack of good trades people are becoming a thing of the past. sigh
Mar 31, 2013 10:20 PM CST Two teens killed in Swanston Street
conduit
conduitconduitmelbourne, Victoria Australia2 Threads 236 Posts
Obscuritan: Yes, very sad. Brick walls give the impression of being very strong and solid, but they're not really, unless they are properly tied into cross walls or braced by timber framing.




Sorry Obscuritan, misunderstood you explanation, Wash explained it also and much later I understood......."the penny dropped".
Mar 31, 2013 10:28 PM CST Two teens killed in Swanston Street
conduit
conduitconduitmelbourne, Victoria Australia2 Threads 236 Posts
curly28: It's a scary thought these days with trades people just how experienced are they these days ? I have always found it hard to keep staff because of my work too hard for most today and it really annoyed me after training them for 6 months then they can't hack it. I have a friend who's a bricki he has had all sorts of drama's keeping offsiders young inexperience ones too. watching them at work 24/7 is impossible to get work done yourself then shody work can happen frustrating lack of good trades people are becoming a thing of the past.



I agree with you curly28, but we must give the young ones a go. Otherwise how is everything going to continue. "Practice makes perfect".Also building codes of the past are quite different to present. I believe that the codes have improved and much better than past. Especially with the new Health and Safety rules affecting all work in all fields.
Apr 1, 2013 12:13 AM CST Two teens killed in Swanston Street
jem1964
jem1964jem1964Foothills of Dandenongs, Victoria Australia30 Threads 1 Polls 2,441 Posts
wash2u: More a case of the demolition crew leaving something unsafe - probably told to leave this "solid" wall intact by the builders. G.... has a lot to answer for here.

Bricklaying has a lot of tie-ins to keep a structure in place. This is more that someone assumed that a brick wall was solid without the key pieces keeping it rigid.


the solid hoarding that was placed with the wall may have something to do with it as well. I cant remember where I saw the photos but they showed the wall in the past with just a wire fence in front of it, when the wall blew over it had a solid high hoarding against it. Dont know if the hoarding was tied to the wall but it certainly would offer much more wind resistance.

Lets hope the enquirys, both Coroners and Worksafe will investigate fully.

bouquet RIP
Apr 1, 2013 1:43 AM CST Two teens killed in Swanston Street
Merriweather
MerriweatherMerriweatherAdelaide, South Australia Australia51 Threads 11,403 Posts
northernlady01: My heart goes out to the families of the teens unpredictable and sad loss



Hi northernlady...wave


Welcome to the forum threads.. sadly you have popped in on a sad thread..

But a great welcome to you...cswelcome
Apr 1, 2013 1:48 AM CST Two teens killed in Swanston Street
curly28
curly28curly28Perth, Western Australia Australia53 Threads 5,450 Posts
conduit: I agree with you curly28, but we must give the young ones a go. Otherwise how is everything going to continue. "Practice makes perfect".Also building codes of the past are quite different to present. I believe that the codes have improved and much better than past. Especially with the new Health and Safety rules affecting all work in all fields.


I agree give the young ones a go but from what I've heard especially in the bricki trade staight from the horses mouth you aren't allowed to work on your own any more re- work safe and union rules therefor a fully experienced bricki has to have an off sider otherwise he cannot work and then the night mare begins trying to keep an offsider is so hard these days and when he is gone start training all over again. I know because I know a bricki who has all sorts of drama's regarding this I asume this would apply all across Australia.

Now there are a lot of young tradies out there that are good too but a hell of a lot that aren't why!! because they don't bother staying in any one trade any more. Bit of a worry when you have new house built like I did uh oh gotta wonder about inspection when buildings are completed too confused dunno
sigh
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