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Author: Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak

Concrete does not fail because of the concrete. It fails because the ground underneath was wrong, the weather was wrong, or somebody added water on site to make life easier. I write about the sub-base, the curing and the joints — the three things nobody photographs and everybody skips. Forty-three years of pours taught me that the pour itself is the easy part and the hour before it decides everything.
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  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
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Screeding a Laying Course Accurately
12 min 0
  • Paving

Screeding a Laying Course Accurately

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • February 17, 2026
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve walked past a “professional” driveway only to…
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Strip Footings and Their Limits
8 min 0
  • Groundwork

Strip Footings and Their Limits

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • February 15, 2026
I remember standing on a site in ’94, watching a young lad try to explain…
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The Complete Guide to Cold Weather Concreting
8 min 0
  • Guides

The Complete Guide to Cold Weather Concreting

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • February 14, 2026
I remember standing on a site in North Yorkshire back in ’94, watching a lad…
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Slump Testing on a Wet Morning
8 min 0
  • Concrete

Slump Testing on a Wet Morning

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • February 13, 2026
I remember standing on a site in ’94, watching a young lad with a clipboard…
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The Cavity Is a Drainage Gap
8 min 0
  • Masonry

The Cavity Is a Drainage Gap

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • February 12, 2026
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stood in a damp living room, listening…
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Cement Pointing on a Solid Wall Traps Water
7 min 0
  • Masonry

Cement Pointing on a Solid Wall Traps Water

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • February 11, 2026
I remember standing in front of a beautiful 18th-century cottage last summer, watching a lad…
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Specifying for the Environment, Not the Load
8 min 0
  • Concrete

Specifying for the Environment, Not the Load

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • February 10, 2026
I remember standing on a site in the Midlands back in ’98, watching a lad…
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Separation Fabric Between Soil and Stone
8 min 0
  • Paving

Separation Fabric Between Soil and Stone

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • February 10, 2026
I remember standing on a site in the Midlands back in ’98, watching a lad…
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The Complete Guide to Formwork
8 min 0
  • Guides

The Complete Guide to Formwork

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • February 8, 2026
I’ve spent forty-three years watching lads spend a fortune on fancy proprietary systems and high-end…
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Why Foundations Go Deeper Than Frost
9 min 0
  • Groundwork

Why Foundations Go Deeper Than Frost

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • February 7, 2026
I was standing on a site in Essex back in ’98, watching a lad try…
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Recent Posts

  • The Complete Guide to Foundations
  • Ewi Detailing Around Openings
  • Laps, Spacers and Getting Cover Right
  • Gabions Where Drainage Matters More Than Looks
  • Weeds Grow in the Joints, Not Through the Base

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