Masons Laying Omni Block
The mason at right is on a residential project in Prescott, Arizona.
This mason builds “speed corners” without “speed leads”. Notice the ladder wire is put in place first before the mortar is spread on the block. He handles the block with one hand and butters the block before he sets into place.
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This project was this masonry crew’s first Omni Block job. “It took us a few block to learn how handle the block, but it is block so we figured it out and just started laying it.” A quote from Jobani, the lead mason.
This video captures a mason that was literally just hired a few minutes before he hopped onto the wall to lay Omni Block. He had never seen Omni Block let alone receive any instruction other than to install the inserts after each course.
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The mason efficiently installs 7 inserts in 23 seconds. If a masonry contractor bids a job for $0.50 more per insert, what does that do to his bottomline? Let’s say that there are 2000 inserts to be installed, the bid increases by $1000.00 (2000 inserts x $0.50). This video proves that an insert can be installed in 3 to 4 seconds, but let’s say that it takes him a full minute to install each insert (20 times what the video shows). The time to install would be 33 hours at a minute per insert, the masonry contractor breaks even at $30 per hour for the mason.
However, if the mason averages 30 seconds an insert (still 10 times the time demonstrated), he would require 16.5 hours x $30 or $500. Now the masonry contractor just added $500 to his bottomline profit. Masonry contractors make more money laying Omni Block.
A first time mason in McAllen, Texas is seen in this two minute video laying Omni Block. He methodically lays two Omni Block stretcher units in a first course application during the video. Not that we are suggesting a mason should bid a job at this production rate, but rather compare how much longer did this mason take laying the Omni Block stretcher than a conventional standard CMU?
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The mason is seen spreading a mortar bed, buttering the end of the stretcher, and one-handedly picking the block up before laying it with two hands. He also cross-levels the block as he lays the block to a line.
The second block is handled the same way, but he must raise the block over the vertical rebar before he sets the block in place. He repeats the cross-leveling process and cleans excess mortar away from the block.
Everything captured in this video indicates that Omni Block is laid the same as conventional block.
When each member of a masonry crew has his duties and expectations defined, then work can be completed with greater efficiency and optimization.
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The lead mason continues with the building of a “speed corner”, while a hod carrier is mixing additional mortar, while a helper is inserting the insulation and a second mason is laying to a line on another wall section.
Notice that the insulation slides into the cavities easily and only requires fingertip pressure to complete the installation.
This mason elects to reach through the Omni Block stretcher block and hold it with a single hand as he butters the appropriate block edges before he sets the block (stack bond) onto the wall.