beardedDonkey - Concrete Contracting Gold Coast Queensland
Sitemap
Overview > Blog

Blog


  • 2010-07-01 - beardedDonkey Solar Ground Light Developments

In 2009 beardedDonkey began examining a new product that is not yet common in Australia - solar ground lights or "solar bricks". We obtained a sample product from a supplier and tested the unit on the coast line of south east Queensland. The light was constructed from a metal housing (probably an alloy), a stainless steel top plate and glass window.

Concerned with the quality of the stainless steel we decided to place the sample solar brick under the harshest conditions possible. The solar brick was placed at Bilinga, QLD for approximately 1 year - right on the coast line. The sea salt in the air would be the perfect test for the light's material.

After a year, considerable amounts of rusting had appeared on the unit. However, no maintenance at all was given to it in that period. Cleaning was possible with some common household items but some permanent damage could be seen after cleaning.

Due to this, beardedDonkey has decided that stainless steel housings would not be the most desired materials for a solar brick product.

We are now looking into obtaining some sample solar bricks made entirely from polycarbonate (plastic) to continue testing.

Please register your interest in solar ground lights or solar bricks by emailing us via the Contact Us page. We can assist you in your research regarding what products are available and if they will meet your needs.

  • 2010-06-09 - Council Crossover Requirements and Building your House


    If you ever get a house built for you one thing to consider at the very start of the design and preparation stages is the very end of the building stages.

    The driveway of your house is usually the last thing to be done but owners probably do not realize that the council has rather strict regulations for the "crossover" of the drive. (The crossover is the area of driveway from the road to the building side of the foot path. It is sometimes called the Vehicular Crossover, abbreviated as VXO and less frequently called an "invert".)

    Restrictions are made by council with respect to the width of your driveway on council property and at the boundary line, as well as requirements for the height of the crossover and foot path in relation to the road's height and the kerb's height.

    How does this matter when you are building your house? As concreters we find that, usually in areas building takes place on hills, sometimes consideration may not have been given to council's expectations and requirements for the driveway crossover when the house is designed or built. This often leads to driveways that have no choice but to be extremely steep over short distances and generally result in vehicles bottoming out on the driveway and the road when entering and exiting. This is not only bad for your vehicle but leaves a large gouges in your driveway and the road  at the front of your home over time.

    To avoid these problems, ensure that the designers and builders are aware of the height differences and distance between your garage slab and the road as building is carried out. Chances are they will be - but it is an important point to keep in mind as local councils will rarely ever negotiate on the requirements of the crossover and a driveway where your car bottoms out is going to be there for a very... long..... time.......

    Download Vehicular Crossover requirements for:

  • 2010-02-21 - Concrete Facts

Concrete has been used in construction for centuries. The Romans are generally noted as being the first civilization to employ concrete in their building structures and the longevity of their structures are a testament to the strength and durability of concrete.

The concrete industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and around 7.5 cubic kilometres is made each year.

Concrete is one of the most enviromentally efficient building products. Comprised of up to 90% raw materials such as water and aggregate (stone) and only 10-15% portland cement, very little energy is required to produce concrete. There is minimal waste when building with concrete and any excess product can be recycled lowering land fills.

Concrete is more reflective than asphalt which requires less lighting to illuminate roads and it's thermal mass assists buildings to maintain a more constant temperature. Less heat transferal in a building leads to more energy savings usually lost maintaining an ideal building temperature. Concrete is also fire proof and highly resistant to water seepage unlike timber and brick.

So whether it's the middle of the desert, the icy chill of the snow or the tropical heat - concrete is definitely your number one choice when it comes to building.

  • February


    With the new year coming around beardedDonkey hopes everyone had a happy, safe and enjoyable break over the end of the year. If you are considering getting some concrete works done or just looking at pricing a project, feel free to contact us. You can find our contact details by clicking "Contact Us" in the menu on the left side of this page.

 

Page content & design © 2009-10 beardedDonkey < TOP >