Author
JEFF HOWELL South Bank University, London

Abstract
Problems with cavity wall construction are often blamed on poor quality workmanship, but solid brickwork equally requires care for the production of quality work, and there are signs that the skills required to build solid walls are also being lost. Several factors obstruct successful cavity construction: the design itself has become very complicated, conditions of employment no longer permit or encourage the necessary degree of care and attention on the part of the bricklayer and some of the problems of poor performance of modem cavity walls may be related to the changed nature of the masonry materials used.