Skip to content

cementby.com

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.
  • Home
  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • Page 8
The Complete Guide to Masonry Cracking
8 min 0
  • Guides

The Complete Guide to Masonry Cracking

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • May 12, 2026
I spent thirty years watching blokes buy the most expensive, high-spec mortar mixes on the…
Read More
Weep Holes and Free Draining Fill
8 min 0
  • Masonry

Weep Holes and Free Draining Fill

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • May 11, 2026
I remember standing on a site in Gloucestershire back in ’94, watching a lad pour…
Read More
Honeycombing Is a Compaction Failure
8 min 0
  • Concrete

Honeycombing Is a Compaction Failure

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • May 10, 2026
I remember standing on a site in the pouring rain back in ’94, watching a…
Read More
A Driveway Slab That Takes a Delivery Lorry
11 min 0
  • Paving

A Driveway Slab That Takes a Delivery Lorry

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • May 8, 2026
I once stood on a job site in 1994, watching a lad try to smooth…
Read More
Getting Invert Levels Right First Time
8 min 0
  • Groundwork

Getting Invert Levels Right First Time

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • May 7, 2026
I remember standing on a site in ’94, watching a lad try to use a…
Read More
Resin Jointing in the Right Conditions
8 min 0
  • Paving

Resin Jointing in the Right Conditions

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • May 6, 2026
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stood on a driveway, looking at a…
Read More
The Complete Guide to Lintels and Openings
8 min 0
  • Guides

The Complete Guide to Lintels and Openings

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • May 6, 2026
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stood on a site, looking at a…
Read More
Poker Vibration Without Over-vibrating
11 min 0
  • Concrete

Poker Vibration Without Over-vibrating

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • May 5, 2026
I was standing on a site in Essex back in ’98, watching a lad try…
Read More
Retaining Walls Fail From Water, Not Load
11 min 0
  • Masonry

Retaining Walls Fail From Water, Not Load

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • May 3, 2026
I remember standing on a site in ’98, watching a lad try to stack expensive…
Read More
Striking a Cable Is Survivable Once, Sometimes
8 min 0
  • Groundwork

Striking a Cable Is Survivable Once, Sometimes

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • April 30, 2026
I remember standing on a site in ’94, watching a lad with a brand-new mini-digger…
Read More

Posts pagination

Previous 1 … 7 8 9 … 17 Next

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

Recent Comments

No comments to show.
Copyright © 2026 cementby.com Theme: Glowing Blog By Adore Themes.