Bring visionary brickwork to life with Keyslip

Making the exceptional not just achievable but affordable has consistently presented challenges in the construction sector. With Keyslip, that doesn’t have to be the case. Brick soffits, deep reveals and flying beams are now within reach, enabling specifiers to create truly unique façades under budget whilst at the same time keeping projects on track.

Offering performance benefits similar to those of brick, prefabricated brick solutions can help the industry in a myriad of ways including providing a practical product solution in response to the issue we have within the industry regarding a shortage of skilled bricklayers. To overcome this issue, prefabricated solutions have been tipped as a potential answer, as they negate the need for a high number of skilled craftspeople onsite and enable complex brickwork detail to be carried out in a factory-controlled environment.

Offsite visions

In order to achieve the most imaginative and innovative architectural brick designs, Keystone offers a technically advanced, offsite solution for an extensive range of brick slip installations, from flat gauge voussoirs to radius arch lintels, with varying degrees of brick return soffit to conceal any steelwork.

Supported by an industry leading design service and technical support, Keystone’s innovative Keyslip products include fully structural steel backed Brick Feature Lintels and non-structural, cement fibre board backed Lightweight Brick Headers and Sills.

The fully structural Brick Slip Feature Lintels are manufactured bespoke to order using a specifically designed assortment of steel sheets which undertake a folding and welding manufacturing process, creating a bespoke lintel to the aesthetic requirements of a project. This modern offsite construction means that genuine character can be added without significant cost or time increases. For the specifier, the possibilities are endless, as Keyslip lintels can accommodate a large range of bond patterns in order to create everything from segmental and flat gauge arches, to gothic and parabolic arches, as well as apex and bullseye arches.

Manufacturing these solutions offsite negates the need for brick cutting or mechanical handling onsite, whilst allowing a contractor to utilise their bricklayer for other productive tasks. Bricks are collected from site to ensure that the product blends with traditionally laid brickwork. Bricks are then cut into slips by Keystone Lintels and bonded onto the backing steel lintel using a high-performance BBA-approved adhesive. The finished Brick Slip Feature lintel is then delivered to site ready for installation and final pointing, fitting in seamlessly with the rest of the build.

Brickwork unlocked

Testimony to the superior aesthetics, offsite craftsmanship and precision of Keystone Lintels’ pioneering Keyslip system can be seen within the façade of a luxury apartment complex in Buckinghamshire which is in keeping with its exemplary architectural design.

Nestled on a sought-after Beaconsfield road, Wellington Court is an exclusive development of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Developer Halamar’s architectural vision for this property required a gable-ended façade and main entrance featuring prominent and distinctive brickwork arches in the Arts and Craft style. To meet their requirements, Keystone’s technical team designed Keyslip corbelled and full arch lintels which were manufactured in a factory-controlled environment, negating the need for complex brick cutting on-site.

Fabricated off-site with exemplary craftmanship, Keystone’s technical team ensured each bespoke lintel was manufactured to the size, shape and aesthetic requirements within the project build schedule.

The one-piece lintel design solution required exacting dimensions to avoid any conflict with the proposed stone sitting at the end of each arch bearing. Structural spans of 3593mm for the upper coursing and 3143mm for the lower coursing were essential for the seamless installation of the prominent entrance.

To optimise material usage and reduce brick waste, a consignment of light textured Parham Red bricks were collected from site by Keystone. Double Cant bricks were precisely cut and bonded onto an extra heavy duty corbelled arch lintel using a BBA-approved construction adhesive in a factory-controlled environment.

Keystone’s patented perforated lintel design allows the adhesive to squeeze through the perforations and form a ‘mushroom’ on the inside, providing a mechanical lock between the steel lintel and the bricks.

To enable greater cost control during the build programme, integral key prefabricated lintel components were all manufactured concurrently as opposed to sequentially. Delays associated with bad weather onsite were also avoided which allowed for high quality and consistency to be achieved when replicating the four large full arch lintel designs. The impressive 4300mm span with 2150mm rise arches were delivered to site ready for final pointing, with all the arch lintels including lifting hooks for an easier and safer installation.

Keystone is one of the largest suppliers of steel lintels in the UK and Ireland. For bespoke applications, architects, housebuilders and contractors can specify brick feature requirements by utilising Keystone’s free Keyslip Feature Lintel design service.

With this exceptional development in leafy Beaconsfield now complete, Keystone Keyslip lintels offer builders a unique way to enhance the quality of their brickwork detailing in a highly labour efficient way.