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Building trades

Bricklayer

Macon

Builds walls, structural elements, slabs, and masonry works with bricks, blocks, mortar, and reinforced concrete components.

Advantages

  • The job creates the visible structure of a building.
  • It is a key trade on almost every construction site.
  • The work is practical and easy to understand on site.
  • A bricklayer can work on houses, extensions, walls, and public buildings.
  • The trade teaches strong basics for many other building jobs.

Disadvantages

  • Materials are heavy and repetitive lifting is common.
  • Outdoor weather has a strong effect on working conditions.
  • The job is physically demanding for arms, shoulders, and back.
  • Setting out errors can affect the whole structure.
  • Cement, dust, and noise are part of the everyday environment.

Tools

Main tools used in this job

Each card shows the English term, the French term, and one visual reference to help students recognize the item more easily.

Trowel

Brick trowel

Truelle de macon

Spreads mortar and helps place bricks accurately in each course.

Level

Spirit level

Niveau a bulle

Checks whether walls and blockwork stay level and vertical.

Line

Mason line

Cordeau de macon

Guides each line of blocks or bricks to keep it straight.

Mallet

Rubber mallet

Maillet en caoutchouc

Adjusts blocks gently without breaking edges.

Chisel

Bolster chisel

Burin de macon

Splits bricks or blocks to the right size.

Mixer

Concrete mixer

Betonniere

Mixes mortar or concrete for masonry tasks.

Photo: Shixart1985 ยท CC BY 2.0

Shovel

Shovel

Pelle

Moves sand, gravel, cement, and mortar around the site.

Plumb bob

Plumb bob

Fil a plomb

Checks true vertical alignment on tall walls or corners.

Materials

Main materials used in this job

Materials are shown with the same bilingual format so the learner can connect the right object, name, and usage.

Brick

Clay brick

Brique en terre cuite

Traditional masonry unit used for facades, partitions, and walls.

Concrete block

Concrete block

Parpaing

Large masonry block used for structural and partition walls.

AAC block

Aerated concrete block

Bloc de beton cellulaire

Lightweight insulating block used for partitions and some structural walls.

Mortar

Mortar

Mortier

Mix of cement, sand, and water used to bond masonry units.

Cement

Cement

Ciment

Binder used in mortar, screed, and concrete mixes.

Sand

Sand

Sable

Fine aggregate used to prepare mortar and concrete.

Gravel

Gravel

Gravier

Coarse aggregate used in concrete preparation.

Rebar

Reinforcing steel

Ferraillage / acier d armature

Steel bars or mesh used to strengthen concrete elements.

Lintel

Lintel

Linteau

Prefabricated element placed above openings such as doors and windows.

Membrane

Damp-proof membrane

Membrane anti-remontee d humidite

Barrier used to limit rising damp and water penetration.