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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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Sizing a Soakaway From a Percolation Test
9 min 0
  • Paving

Sizing a Soakaway From a Percolation Test

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • July 22, 2026
I remember standing in a sodden trench back in ’94, watching a lad try to…
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The Complete Guide to Surface Water Drainage
9 min 0
  • Guides

The Complete Guide to Surface Water Drainage

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • July 21, 2026
I remember standing on a site in the pouring rain back in ’94, watching a…
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Specifying Hardcore That Compacts
8 min 0
  • Groundwork

Specifying Hardcore That Compacts

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • July 20, 2026
I remember standing on a site in ’94, watching a lad pour a pristine, high-spec…
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Shrinkage Is Inevitable; Uncontrolled Cracking Is Not
8 min 0
  • Concrete

Shrinkage Is Inevitable; Uncontrolled Cracking Is Not

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • July 17, 2026
I remember standing on a driveway in Surrey back in ’94, watching a lad from…
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Trees, Clay Soil and Diagonal Cracks
8 min 0
  • Masonry

Trees, Clay Soil and Diagonal Cracks

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • July 17, 2026
I remember standing on a site in the Midlands back in ’94, watching a lad…
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Channel Drains and Where They Discharge
11 min 0
  • Paving

Channel Drains and Where They Discharge

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • July 14, 2026
I once stood on a driveway in Surrey, watching a young lad try to set…
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Tell-tales and Six Months of Readings
8 min 0
  • Masonry

Tell-tales and Six Months of Readings

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • July 14, 2026
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stood on a driveway, looking at a…
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The Complete Guide to Sub-bases
8 min 0
  • Guides

The Complete Guide to Sub-bases

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • July 12, 2026
I remember standing on a site in ’94, watching a lad pour a pristine, high-spec…
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Wind Causes More Cracking Than Heat
8 min 0
  • Concrete

Wind Causes More Cracking Than Heat

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • July 10, 2026
I remember standing on a driveway in North Yorkshire back in ’98, watching a lad…
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Radon Barriers in Affected Areas
8 min 0
  • Groundwork

Radon Barriers in Affected Areas

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • July 10, 2026
I remember standing on a site in the Midlands about ten years ago, watching a…
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Recent Posts

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