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Particular attention has been paid to the labour-intensive aspect of stoneworking, and here the BESTO® technique is certainly one of the best responses. |
A survey was carried out on 12 professional stoneworkers between 25 and 54 years old, none of whom suffered from chronic lumbar pain or cardio-respiratory illnesses by the cardio-respiratory physiology research unit at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Each man was well acquainted with the use of terracotta blocks, and had received specific training in the use of BESTO® blocks and accessory equipment.
Each stoneworker built two walls covering 6 m2, in random order over a period of 7 days, one with BESTO® blocks and the other with terracotta blocks. A strict working protocol was drawn up for the position of the blocks, the mortar, and the first course. |
8 variables measuring the stoneworker’s fatigue were recorded at the start of each construction, during construction, and after : |
- Wall construction time
- Effort metabolism
- Heart rate
- Particle inhaled
- Prehension force
- Muscular flexibility
- Assessment of body movements
- Subjective assessment of stress and pain felt during work
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Conclusion : |
The stress experienced by the stoneworkers prior to building was identical.
However, the fatigue experienced during building was different: fatigue experienced by those building terracotta walls was greater than the fatigue experienced by those using BESTO® blocks. The stoneworkers claimed that the overall work load was greater with the terracotta blocks.
The morphology of the BESTO® blocks (weight, shape) and easy handling of the mortar are considerable advantages, which reduce the pain experienced by stoneworkers on site. The survey shows the following figures for the BESTO® technique with respect to others:
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