Weakness and Remedies
The candidates were generally weak in:
- stating the preliminary site operations;
- explaining the terms building line and set back in relation to setting out;
- explaining the difference between English bond and Flemish bond in wall
construction;
- sketching the elevation of a block wall in five courses high;
- sketching a section through an independent scaffold;
- stating the function of cleat, head tree and prop in relation to formwork
construction;
- listing stages involved in applying pebble dash finish to a sandcrete blockwork.
To overcome these weaknesses:
- students should be given opportunity to visit a construction site at least once in a
month;
- school workshop should be well equipped not only with tools but also with
special materials that are not common such as facing bricks, fire bricks, etc for teaching purposes;
- students should review their past questions and also by giving them assignments
in the areas they have weaknesses.