ACQP TRAINING CENTRE

Sources & course scope

Course scope

Prepared on 30 October 2026. This extended course covers masonry quality, unit identity and storage, setting out, mortar and joints, cavities and insulation, wall ties and restraints, DPCs and trays, openings and lintels, movement, weather and safe sequence, defect investigation, inspection and handover.

This is awareness and knowledge training. It is not a practical competence assessment, structural-design manual or authority to certify construction. Use the actual project requirements, applicable product documentation and appropriately competent decisions. Confirm the jurisdiction, building type and project basis rather than assuming one requirement applies to all UK construction.

Using the technical references

NHBC Standards 2026 applicability and warranty scope were checked through NHBC's official announcement. Current full Chapters 6.1 and 9.1 require registered access and were not reviewed clause by clause. The course does not claim verified 2026 numerical tolerance tables. Obtain the edition and requirements applicable to the project. NHBC warranty guidance is not identical to general building law.

Public BSI scopes and catalogue information were reviewed; paid standards have not been reproduced. Check the applicable standard edition and National Annex. Newer Eurocode publication dates do not by themselves change a project's accepted basis during the coexistence period. The course does not adopt legacy design references from catalogue summaries as current instructions.

The 24 original diagrams explain concepts, not approved construction details. They prescribe no universal mortar recipe, wall tolerance, tie spacing, embedment, lintel bearing, movement-joint interval, weather threshold or structural repair. The 12 module images and landing image are illustrative scenes, not manufacturer evidence or proof of compliance. No lesson image is repeated in another module.

Fictional scenarios and blank records support clear decisions. They do not certify work or replace project inspection arrangements. Product sources illustrate the need to check actual scope; they are not endorsements or instructions to select those products. Original cases, diagrams and practical reflection form the course teaching; linked publications retain their copyright.

Source register

Sources were checked on 30 October 2026. Source bodies do not endorse this course. Check currency and applicability before workplace use. Product guidance is specific to the named product and revision.

S01: Good Site Practice and Workmanship — General Guide (2023)
Agree a maintainable site reference panel; verify deliveries, protect and blend packs; coordinate setting out and workmanship. Full bedding and filled perpends in conventional brickwork; frog orientation generally upwards, subject to individual manufacturer advice. Protect fresh masonry and match sequencing to materials and weather. Clay-brick guidance, not a universal block or proprietary thin-joint specification. Do not transplant its nominal joint, daily lift or temperature values to all masonry. Use short principles only; original course examples must not become a chapter-by-chapter reproduction.
S02: Designing to Brickwork Dimensions — Technical Guide (2023)
Distinguish declared work size, actual unit size, tolerance, range and coordinating size including joints. Coordinate openings, returns and adjacent components with selected brick dimensions. Unit manufacturing tolerance is different from finished-wall workmanship tolerance. Published nominal examples are not universal joint dimensions or project acceptance limits. Do not reproduce dimension tables.
S03: Mortar for Brickwork — Technical Guide (2023)
Designed versus prescribed mortar; compatibility, exposure and appearance affect selection. Joint profile and tooling affect durability; control gauging and admixtures. Brick suction and weather affect bond; excessive wetting and excessive water addition can impair performance. Clay-brick guidance; do not apply one recipe, strength or joint profile to every wall. Its numerical cold-weather advice differs from other sources: teach an agreed project/product weather plan. Do not simplify all water adjustment as either always permitted or always banned.
S04: Designing for Movement in Brickwork — Technical Guide (2023)
Clay brickwork tends towards long-term expansion; aggregate concrete and aircrete masonry tend towards shrinkage. Movement-joint location and width depend on geometry, orientation, restraint, materials and reversible/irreversible movement. Empirical design guidance, not a universal joint-spacing rule or repair design. Do not prescribe joint widths/intervals or insert joints retrospectively without design.
S05: Cleaning of Clay Brickwork — General Guide (April 2023)
Identify deposit and substrate before choosing cleaning; prevention through protection/workmanship. Seek manufacturer/specialist advice; trial treatment in an inconspicuous area and follow chemical safety instructions. A photograph alone cannot establish stain chemistry or underlying moisture cause. Do not turn suggested specialist cleaning processes into universal acid/pressure-washing instructions. Clay bricks and coatings/finishes require product-specific compatibility checks.
S06: A Guide to Selection & Specification — Aggregate Concrete Blocks (October 2017)
Specify block description, dimensions, tolerance category, strength, density and configuration rather than colour or size alone. Solid, cellular and hollow units are distinct; facing expectations vary by block type. 2017 document remains listed in current MPA resources; do not treat every old code reference as current. Tables and legacy general statements about regulations require current design verification. A matching compressive strength does not establish substitution suitability.
S07: Good Site Practice — Aggregate Concrete Blocks (November 2017)
Plan delivery near use, store on sound clean bases and protect unfinished work. Unit configuration changes bedding practice; conventional solid/cellular and hollow block guidance differs. Facing-block sample panels and controlled blending support agreed appearance. Retained current resource, published 2017; product instructions govern actual method. Do not universalise its lift heights, chase limits, temperature thresholds or bond fraction. It advises against pre-wetting aggregate blocks; this does not settle all clay or aircrete situations.
S08: A Guide to Movement Control — Aggregate Concrete Blocks (November 2017)
Drying and carbonation contribute to concrete masonry shrinkage. Panel geometry, openings, moisture condition, mortar and bed-joint reinforcement influence movement control. 2017 empirical guidance retained in MPA directory. Do not present its rule-of-thumb intervals or panel proportions as universal design requirements. Reinforcement does not authorise indiscriminate omission of movement joints.
S09: Data Sheet 23: The Specification of an Appropriate Mortar (Issue 3, October 2023)
Mortar has combined bonding, spacing, sealing, strength, durability and appearance functions. Over-strong mortar can damage weaker units; compatibility matters. Designed mortar specifies achieved properties; prescribed mortar specifies constituent proportions. Reference panels capture interaction of unit, mortar, profile and workmanship. Selection belongs to the specification/design process; the strongest available mortar is not automatically best. Do not equate an M-class directly to one volumetric recipe.
S10: Data Sheet 11: Mortar Testing
Distinguish production, compliance and investigative testing; sample preparation and curing affect results. Chemical analysis for prescribed proportions is not an appropriate proof of designed-mortar strength class. Investigation may need contemporary production records and specialist interpretation. Do not infer wall mortar compressive strength from a screwdriver, a photograph or an improvised test. Do not reproduce specimen or laboratory procedures as an awareness-course test method. The document cautions about insufficient in-situ sample geometry for standard compressive testing.
S11: Data Sheet 07: Factory Produced Mortar for Use at Low and High Temperatures (Issue 7, October 2023)
Hot, dry and windy conditions can reduce water available for bond; cold conditions slow hardening and can cause frost damage. Shade materials and protect new work; obtain manufacturer advice before wetting units. Plan monitoring, stop/restart criteria and protection for forecast conditions. Temperature thresholds are conditional and do not replace product/project instructions. Avoid universal wetting rules; masonry type and suction matter. Do not tell learners to add antifreeze or improvise heated enclosure arrangements.
S12: Data Sheet 08: Efflorescence and Bloom on Masonry
Soluble salts, moisture transport and evaporation explain efflorescence; continuing moisture can sustain deposits. Bloom and other stains can look similar; contamination and material/weather history matter. A visible white deposit is not a complete diagnosis. Do not call every white stain harmless or specify a chemical treatment from appearance alone.
S13: NHBC Standards 2026 — official release and access information
2026 edition applies to new NHBC-registered homes with foundations begun on/after 1 January 2026. NHBC describes its standards as warranty/insurance guidance; some building-control content was removed to clarify this role. Project team should consult applicable Chapter 6.1 External masonry walls and Chapter 9.1 A consistent approach to finishes. Current chapter text is behind registration/login and was not retrieved from NHBC. No numerical 2026 masonry tolerance, viewing distance, bearing, tie or weather claim is verified by this entry. Do not replace current chapters with accessible 2023/2024 PDFs or third-party 2026 mirrors. NHBC warranty scope is not universal UK building law.
S14: BS 8000-3:2020 — Workmanship on Construction Sites: Masonry. Code of Practice
Current standard, published 31 May 2020; recommendations for basic masonry workmanship. BSI offers an inspection checklist for supervisors, inspectors and self-checking; explicitly complements, not replaces, the standard. Full paid clauses were not accessed; no tolerances reproduced. Checklist download is form-gated and was not obtained. Catalogue overview contains legacy BS 5628 design reference; do not repeat that as current design advice. Does not specifically address health and safety.
S15: BS EN 1996-2:2024 — Eurocode 6: Design Considerations, Selection of Materials and Execution
Public catalogue identifies 2024 second-generation execution/material-selection standard. BSI states first- and second-generation Eurocodes coexist; first generation remains applicable in UK until 30 March 2028 unless authority or project specification provides otherwise. Confirm coherent project edition and associated UK National Annex. Do not assume newest publication automatically governs an existing project. Full paid clauses were not accessed; source provides metadata/transition context, not design dimensions. Catalogue status was Current, Under Review at check date.
S16: BS EN 998-2:2016 — Specification for Mortar for Masonry: Masonry Mortar
Scope covers factory-made bedding, jointing and pointing mortars. Fresh and hardened properties include workable life and strength/bond-related performance; factory product conformity does not establish finished-wall quality. Standard designation is 2016 although current catalogue publication date is 30 November 2025; do not rename BS EN 998-2:2025. Scope excludes site-made mortar, while allowing use with application codes/national specifications. Only public scope read; no paid requirements reproduced.
S17: EC6, EN845, PD6697 and BS5268 — Wall Tie Technical Information
Tie selection depends on masonry type, cavity width, building geometry/height, exposure/location and design life. Declared tie capacity and design wind load influence density; types have specific applications and limitations. Do not turn example tie tables into a universal spacing/height prescription. Page contains historic standard references; use actual approved design and current product evidence. Different substrate/frame connections and movement requirements need suitable restraint systems.
S18: Cavity Wall Ties — Installation Guide (PDF 05/26)
Verify tie length/embedment against actual cavity; bed conventional ties into fresh mortar and maintain correct alignment. Keep moisture-drip features effective and clear of debris; specific product designs differ. Plan safe sequencing around projecting ties and maintain aligned bed joints. Current PDF explicitly says Teplo-BF ribbed shank requires no O-ring; older combined PDFs differ. No universal tie length, embedment, density or retainer orientation may be inferred. Manufacturer calls details indicative and requires qualified experienced installation; project-specific design remains necessary.
S19: Steel Lintels Installation Guide
Identify correct lintel and orientation, level bearing and approved loading sequence. Avoid premature or shock loading; coordinate inner/outer masonry, drainage and temporary propping. Consult IG before cutting or modifying its lintels and for unusual point loading. Manufacturer-specific guidance; quoted bearing, overhang, masonry-height and prop-spacing values are not universal. Do not generalise steel-lintel instructions to prestressed concrete, masonry support brackets or bespoke lintels. Temporary works require suitable design and site control.
S20: Storage and Laying of Concrete Blocks
Protect packs and unfinished masonry; verify offloading and packaging arrangements. Manufacturer advises no pre-wetting of its blocks, with appropriate mortar consistency for suction. Traditional and Airtec thin-joint sequencing differ; match product/system instructions. Use only for named manufacturer's products; not a universal aircrete or clay instruction. Do not infer that below 20 kg is safe for repetitive handling; HSE gives the controlling risk-based guidance. Avoid repeating generic cleaning or flooring statements outside masonry course scope.
S21: Cavity Tray Technical Information & Installation Advice
Trays collect water, stopends contain it and weeps discharge it; all functions need continuity. Coordinate lintel and stepped-roof trays, handed components, laps/seals and final roof build-up. Keep trays and discharge routes clear of mortar; inspect before concealment. 2021 hosted guide remains live; obtain current selected-product details. Its differing weep spacings for different arrangements demonstrate why no single universal spacing should be taught. A cavity closer or fire barrier does not automatically perform the tray/DPC function.
S22: Full Fill Cavity Batt — Product Installation Guide and Technical Datasheet v3.03 (August 2026)
Full-fill insulation is a designed system: tightly fitted pieces, clean masonry/ties, secure positioning and protected top edges matter. Product certification has exposure, wall configuration and installation conditions. Use the distinction between an insulation product's reaction-to-fire classification and the performance of a complete wall/barrier arrangement. Specific product, not generic insulation permission or universal cavity-barrier substitute. Datasheet text was v3.03 August 2026 although search snippet said v3.02 October 2025. Consult current certificate and full assembly details before claiming fire, thermal or acoustic performance.
S23: Construction Hazardous Substances: Cement
Wet cement/mortar can cause alkaline burns and dermatitis; avoid skin/eye contact and provide suitable protection/washing. Cement shelf dates matter for the effectiveness of chromate reduction; assess, control and review exposure. Awareness does not replace task COSHH assessment, product SDS or local emergency arrangements. No universal glove choice without suitability assessment.
S24: Construction Dust — Frequently Asked Questions
Reduce cutting by planning and suitable materials/tools; control dust at generation using suitable water or extraction. High-risk silica tasks may also require suitable RPE and face-fit testing. Protect nearby workers and avoid dry sweeping/relying only on a mask. Select controls for actual task/tool/material; do not prescribe one mask or extractor as sufficient for every situation. Wetting the ground before cutting is not effective dust suppression at the source.
S25: Manual Handling — Construction Frequently Asked Questions
No universal safe lifting weight; avoid/mechanise handling where possible and assess repetition, posture, reach, routes and load characteristics. Select lightest units that fulfil design performance. Earlier suggestion of two-person laying of blocks above 20 kg is no longer recommended by HSE. Do not state 20 kg is a legal safe-weight limit or recommend an automatic two-person solution. Changing block type for handling reasons still requires design-performance approval.
S26: Temporary Support of Masonry Walls (Safety Alert, 7 November 2013)
Unrestrained and newly built masonry can fail under wind before final mortar strength develops. Assess construction sequence, height, restraint, DPC interfaces, weather and retarded mortar; design temporary support where needed. Northern Ireland regulator source; physical hazard is transferable but do not conflate legal jurisdictions. No universal daily lift or safe wind-speed threshold; competent temporary works assessment required. Old publication remains live; do not call it a newly issued 2026 alert.
S27: Celcon Blocks: Standard Grade — Product Specification and Evidence Links
Product identity includes grade, strength, thermal conductivity, density, dimensions and laid-condition mass. Separate linked fire, acoustic, structural and application evidence illustrates why block substitution needs more than a size/strength match. Product page values apply to this grade; do not substitute grades solely on similar appearance. Reaction to fire is different from assembly fire resistance; acoustic performance depends on construction and junctions. Current page redirects from old hhcelcon domain; use new verified URL. Linked old design guide contains legacy standards and an inappropriate '20 kg regulation limit' phrase; use HSE S25 instead.
S28: Data Sheet 02: Factory-Produced Ready-to-Use Mortar for Masonry (Issue 6, October 2023)
Factory ready-to-use mortar has a stated working life; follow product literature and correct selected designation. Document distinguishes limited correction of hot-weather stiffening during workable life from trying to reconstitute mortar after initial set. Factory manufacture does not remove designer selection or site workmanship responsibilities. Do not teach either blanket water-addition permission or blanket prohibition across all mortars. Actual manufacturer instructions and timing govern; do not give learners a generic retempering recipe. Prescribed proportion and designed strength class are not interchangeable conformity tests.

Assessment and certificate

Two checks per module. The final assessment selects 24 questions from a bank of 36, two from every module; pass mark 20/24. Allow approximately 3–4 hours including exercises and assessment, and record actual study time for CPD. The three-year certificate period is ACQP policy, not a statutory competence or masonry-inspection interval. NOCN approval relates to the Training Centre; this course is not an NOCN qualification.