ᐅ Is the shell construction satisfactory or defective? Experiences?

You can definitely overdo it. First, the pictures don’t show nearly enough detail, and second, the circles you drew are located around the window lintels, where completely different bricks were used. It’s possible that 17.5cm (7 inch) bricks were laid in a staggered pattern that you cannot see because it’s on the inside.

This is all just speculation. And here, despite professional and good workmanship, people are already talking about dismantling.

Then you wonder why the tradespeople become difficult. One should really keep things in perspective. I can understand why some tradespeople don’t want to work for certain engineers or teachers anymore.

Knowing nothing but complaining about everything. And then failing completely on really fundamental matters because, as mentioned, there’s no understanding.

I have built exactly the same way myself. Where the lintels are, on both the inside and outside, a 12cm (5 inch) brick was used and filled in the middle with mortar to regain the height. There’s no need for any staggering there.

Thank you all for your opinions and comments. The critical remarks are quite unsettling. However, besides Buchsbaum066, I have also received other feedback (both online and offline) regarding what was shown, where the brickwork was either considered unproblematic or "not assessable in this way." I wonder if this type of masonry is actually acceptable in certain areas and possibly more common than expected. I also question whether a different company from the region would really perform better.

The photo was originally taken for a different reason, which unfortunately explains the necessary desaturation and lack of alternative views. No conclusions about the building owners or companies involved are intended.

@Buchsbaum066: You are still only referring to the smaller circles at the top. The others clearly consist of two rows of plan bricks each, and the overlap between them is too small. Obviously, the photos are poor, but for me, it would be enough not to choose that builder—if I had a choice—or if there is no choice due to price or availability, to counteract this with increased monitoring by an expert.

@tom_tom: None of us here are experts in the professional or technical sense for this trade.

Maybe you should try to have a direct conversation and express your concerns to the company. Many issues can probably be clarified this way, and from their response, you might be able to tell if this is the right company for you.

I would say this: not many houses have actually collapsed because of this, but once you’ve seen something like that and feel uncertain, it’s hard to ignore. So I would recommend addressing it openly.

In our case, there were two workers during the shell construction phase, and some of the experiences were really off (drunkenness, etc.). Maybe a different team from this company works more carefully or differently?

@Arauki11 Thanks for your ideas. I also find it hard to imagine that it would collapse. However, it does seem that the likelihood of cracking is increased. Too many cracks would be undesirable and surely require continuous repairs. Does anyone generally know any tips for finding a really good company for the shell construction? I don’t want to save money here but rather focus on quality.

tom_tom schrieb:

Does anyone have general tips for finding a really good company for the structural shell work?

We visited a lightweight expanded clay aggregate block manufacturer and later spoke with their sales team. When we asked for recommendations for a reliable general contractor (GC) using their system, they said they weren’t allowed to provide that information.

However, with a wink, they shared a small, helpful list.

That’s how we ended up with our GC. We planned everything with Oktameter, the software generated the complete list of blocks, and the factory custom-prepared and delivered everything for our construction site.