Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Block Building Task Identifies Distinct Groups of Left/Right-hand Choice Patterns After Unilateral Peripheral Nerve Injury
Published on: March 21, 2025
Working height, block mass and one- vs. two-handed block handling: the contribution to low back and shoulder loading
G S Faber1, I Kingma, P P F M Kuijer
1Research Institute MOVE, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
The goal of this study was to compare the effects of the task variables block mass, working height and one- vs. two-handed block handling on low back and shoulder loading during masonry work. In a mock-up of a masonry work site, nine masonry workers performed one- and two-handed block-lifting and block-placing tasks at varying heights (ranging from floor to shoulder level) with blocks of varying mass (ranging from 6 to 16 kg). Kinematics and ground reaction forces were measured and used in a 3-D linked segment model to calculate low back and shoulder loading. Increasing lifting height appeared to be the most effective way to reduce low back loading. However, working at shoulder level resulted in relatively high shoulder loading. Therefore, it was recommended to organise masonry work in such a way that blocks are handled with the hands at about iliac crest height as much as possible.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Masonry Loadbearing Walls
Laying Concrete Masonry
Mortar application focuses on the face shells of the blocks, the sides that face outward, and...
Manufacture of Concrete Masonry Units
These wet blocks are then transported for curing, which can occur in one of two environments: a...
Masonry
The process of building with masonry is hands-on and can be executed with basic tools. A...
Stone Masonry
Design Example: Dimensioning of Concrete Masonry Construction
The site engineer has laid out a plan for the storeroom with external dimensions of twelve feet in length and eight feet...

