Portland Cement Assoc Concrete Masonry Handbook 19510001

CONCRETE
MASONRY
Handbook
(or
* Architects
* Engineers
* Builders
PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION

Digitized by:
INTERNATIONAL
The Association for Preservation Technology, Int.
From the collection of:
Floyd Mansberger
Fever River Research
www.lllinoisArchaeoloqv.com
concrete for permanence
CONCRETE MASONRY
HANDBOOK
for
•Architects
• Engineers
• Builders

33 West Grand Avenue Chicago 10, Illinois
The activities of the Portland Cement Association, a national organization, are limited to scientific research, the development of new or improved products and methods,
technical service, promotion and educational effort {including safety work), and are primarily designed to improve and extend the uses of potiland cement and concrete. The
manifold program of the Association and its varied services to cement users are made possible by the financial support of over 65 member companies in the United States
and Canada, engaged in the manufacture and sale of a very large proportion of all portland cement used in these two countries. A current list of member companies will
be furnished on request.
Copyright, 1951 , Portland Cement Association
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
SECTION I Heavyweight and Lightweight Units 5
Solid and Hollow Units . . 5
CHARACTERISTICS OF Sizes and Shapes 5
CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS Specifications and Codes. . , 5
Color and Surface Texture 3
SECTION 2 Strength and Structural Stability 9

Insulation Value of Concrete Masonry 11
PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE
Controlling Condensation on Walls . 11
MASONRY WALLS Fire Resistance of Concrete Masonry 12
How Fire Tests are Made 12
Sound Absorbing Value of Concrete Masonry 13
Sound Transmission Through Concrete Masonry Walls 14
SECTION 3 Designing Walls to Avoid Cutting Units on Job 17

Dimensioning Concrete Masonry Walls . 18
DESIGNING CONCRETE American Standard Building Code Requirements for Masonry 18
MASONRY WALLS General Requirements 18
Allowable Height and Minimum Wall Thickness 18
Lateral Supports 19
SECTION 4 Modular Planning Recommended 23

Dry Units Essential . . 23
BUILDING CONCRETE Footings 23
MASONRY WALLS Subsurface Drainage 24
Laying Concrete Masonry . . . . 24
Mortars for Concrete Masonry Walls. 25
Recommended Mortar Mixes 26
Desirable Properties of Mortar 26
Retempering of Mortars 26
Antifreeze Materials 26
Repair and Tuckpointing 27
Building Weathertight Walls 27
Basement Walls 27
Supporting Floor and Roof Loads 28
Attaching Plates 29
Bonding of Meeting and Intersecting Walls 29
Anchoring the Walls 30
Pilasters and Buttresses 31
Setting Door and Window Frames , 31
and Lintels.
Sills 31
Cavity Wall Construction 33
Construction of Concrete Masonry for Unusual Stress Conditions 34
Concrete Masonry as a Backup Material 36
Control Joints. 37
2
Page
SECTION 5 39
39
CONCRETE MASONRY
43
WALL FINISHES 45
REFERENCE LIST ON
..46
CONCRETE MASONRY
SUGGESTED DETAILS OF 49
CONCRETE MASONRY 64
CONSTRUCTION
List of Tables
Table • Page
1 Summary of Physical Requirements for Various Types of Concrete Masonry Units. — 7
2 Coefficients of Heat Transmission (U) for Various Walls. . 10
3 Typical FHA Heat Transmission Coefficient Limitations for Walls for One or Two Living Units 12
4 Standard for Concrete Masonry Units of Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc 13
5 Reduction Factors in Sound Transmission Through Walls of Hollow Concrete Masonry. 16
6 Relation Between Sound Transmission Loss Through a Wall and Hearing Conditions on Quiet Side.... 16
7 Nominal Length of Concrete Masonry Walls by Stretchers 18
8 Nominal Height of Concrete Masonry Walls by Courses 18
9 Modular Concrete Masonry Openings for Wood Window Frames 20
10 Weights and Quantities of Materials for Concrete Masonry Walls 20
1 1 Allowable Height and Minimum Nominal Thickness for Concrete Masonry Bearing Walls 21
12 Quantities of Materials Per Cubic Foot of Mortar 21
13 Number of Concrete Block, Brick and Mortar Required for 100 Sq. Ft. of Faced Wall 22
14 Aggregate for Masonry Mortar 26
1 5 Recommended Mortar Mixes . 26
16 Lintels With Wall Load Only 32
17 Split Lintels With Wall Load Only 32
18 Lintels With Wall and Floor Loads 32
3
FOREWORD
BHHHKL . ,
This handbook is dedicated to those architects, engineers, en-

gineering colleges, research organizations, financing agencies,
builders, concrete products manufacturers, masons and other crafts-
men whose energy, cooperation and foresight have made possible

the remarkable development of the concrete masonry industry. Con-
crete masonry has become increasingly important as a construction
material. The annual use exceeds the combined wall volume of all
other types of unit masonry construction according to information
4
from the July 1949 issue of 'Construction and Construction Mate-

—
rials Industry Report/* published by the U.S. Department of
Commerce.
Along with the rapid increase in use of concrete masonry there
have been important technological developments in the manufac-
ture and utilization of the units. This handbook sets forth concisely
and graphically the latest recommended practices in concrete
masonry construction. Technical information developed in the field
and in the research laboratory is included.
These data are presented to assist architects, engineers and
builders in designing or constructing concrete masonry buildings
that meet modern requirements which will vary with the purpose
of the building. In all buildings, firesafety, durability and economy
are of supreme importance. Additional requirements may be beauty,
comfort, utility, quietness and good acoustics whether the structure
be a residence, school, church, commercial or industrial building.
Concrete masonry walls properly designed and constructed will
satisfy these varied requirements.
The drawings in this and should not be used as working drawings. They are intended to be helpful
publication are typical designs
in be adapted to local conditions and should conform with legal requirements. Working
the preparation of complete plans which should
drawings should be prepared and approved by a qualified engineer or architect.
:
SECTION I
CHARACTERISTICS OF CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS
/J oncrete masonry units

are designed and made for use Solid and Hollow Units
1/ in all types of masonry construction. Some of the A solid concrete block is defined in the American
uses are: Society for Testing Materials specifications as a unit in
• Exterior load-bearing walls (below and above which the core area is not more than 25 per cent of the
grade) gross cross-sectional area. Concrete brick are generally
• Interior load-bearing walls solid and are sometimes available with a recessed pocket
• Fire walls, party walls, curtain walls often called a "frog."
• Partition and panel walls A hollow concrete block is a unit having a core area
• Backing for brick, stone, stucco and other facings greater than 25 per cent of its gross cross-sectional area.
• Fireproofing over steel structural members Generally, the core area of hollow units will be from 40
• Firesafe walls around stair wells, elevators and to 50 per cent of the gross area.
other enclosures
• columns
Piers, pilasters, Sizes and Shapes
• Retaining walls and garden walls Concrete building units arc made in sizes and shapes
• Chimneys and fireplaces (indoor and outdoor) to fit different construction needs. They include stretcher,
• Concrete floor units corner, double corner or pier, jamb, header, bull nose,
Concrete masonry building units are designated as partition, and concrete floor units. All are made in both
1. Hollow load-bearing concrete block full- and half-length units. Various sizes and shapes are
2. Solid load-bearing concrete block illustrated in Fig. 1.
3. Hollow non-load-bearing concrete block Concrete unit sizes are usually referred to by their
4. Concrete building tile nominal dimensions. Thus, a unit measuring 1% in.
5. Concrete brick wide, 1% in. high, and 15^8 in- long is known as an
8x8xl6-in. unit. When it is laid in a wall with %-m.
Heavyweight and Lightweight Units mortar occupy a space exactly 16
joints, this unit will
The five types of units listed above are regularly made in. long and 8 in. is in accordance with the
high. This
with either heavyweight or lightweight aggregates and modular coordination of design based on a 4-in. module.
are known as heavyweight and lightweight units In addition, there is a wide variety of non-modular size
respectively. A
hollow load-bearing concrete block of units.
8x8xl6-in. nominal size will weigh from approximately Manufacturers will supply a schedule of the sizes and
40 to 50 lb. when made with heavyweight aggregate, shapes which they have available. Architects are urged to
and from 25 to 35 lb. when made with lightweight aggre- determine in advance the sixes of units which are available for
gate. Heavyweight units are made with such aggregates the proposed construction.
as sand, gravel, crushed stone and air-cooled slag. Light-
weight units are made with coal cinders, expanded shale, Specifications and Codes
clay or slag, and natural lightweight materials such as Concrete masonry units are made to comply with the
volcanic cinders, pumice and scoria. Heavyweight and requirements of local building codes, Federal Specifica-
lightweight units are used for all types of masonry con- tions, or the applicable specifications of the American
struction. Whether the designer or builder chooses Society for Testing Materials or other specifying agen-
heavyweight or lightweight units generally depends on cies. A summary of some of these specifications covering
their availability and the requirements of the structure requirements such as compressive strength, absorption
under consideration. and moisture content is given in Table 1.
5
Typical Shapes and Sizes of Concrete Masonry Units
H
Dimensions shown are actuat unit sizes, k 7q? x x I5% unit is commonly
known as an 6" x 6"x 1&" concrete block.
Half length units are usually available for most of the units shown below. See
concrete products manufacturer for shapes and sizes of units locally available.
Full Cut Header Half Cut Header Solid Top Stretcher 4"or 6" Partition BeamorLintel
C Z core)
(In some areas the above units are available in 4" nominal heights)
Stretcher Jamb Corner Trough Partition
Stretcher Corner Channel Stretcher Corner Channel Stretcher

(Modular)
Figure 1.
TABLE I—Summary of Physical Requirements for Various Types of Concrete Masonry Units
Compressive strength,
minimum, psi, Water absorption, Moisture content,
Specification, serial Minimum face- average gross area maximum, lb. per maximum, per cent of
a^sigriCfTiOii/ una iqtc&t rkpll thick r\f**< of concrete,
cu.ft. total absorption,
revised date in. Average Individual average of 5 units average of 5 units
of 5 units unit
1 A
}
or over:
Hollow load-bearing Grade A a c » 1000 800 15 40
masonry
concrete units Grade B b c .
700 600 40
ASTM C90,1952 Under VA and over A
3 1000 800 15 40
Hollow non-load-bearing
concrete masonry units Not less than V? 350 300 40
ASTM CI 29, 1952
Solid load -bearing

concrete masonry units
ASTM €145, 1952 d
Grade A 1800 1600 15 40
Grade B 1200 1000 15 40
Concrete units, masonry,

hollow
Federal SS-C-621, 1935
Average of 3 units Average of 3 unifs
Load-bearing units 1 Va or more 700 600 16 40

3
/4 to VA 1000 800 16 40
Non-load-bearing units Not less than % 350 40
Compressive strength, Modulus of rupture, Moisture

minimum, psi, minimum, psi, content,
average gross area (brick flatwise) Water absorption, maximum,
(brick flatwise) maximum per cent
of total
Average of Average of absorption
5 brick Individual 5 brick Individual
Concrete building brick

ASTM C55, 1952
Grade A e 2500 2000 15 lb. per cu. ft. 40
Grade B f 1500 1250 40
Average of
Brick; concrete 5 brick Individual
Federal SS-B-663, 1932
H— Hard 600+ 400 7 oz. 9.5 oz. 30
M— Medium 450-600 300 8 or. 10 oz. 30
S-Soft 300-450 200 no limit no limit 30
below grade and for unprotected exterior walls above grade that may be exposed to frost action.
a For use in exterior wails
b For general use above grade in walls not subjected to frost action or where protected from the weather with two coats of portland cement paint or
other satisfactory waterproofing treatment approved by the purchaser.
c RegardIess of the grade of unit used, protective coatings such as portland cement paint may be desirable on exterior walls for waterproofing purposes.
In this connection purchasers should be guided by local experience and the manufacturer's recommendations.
d Units with 75 per cent or more net area. The classification is based on strength.
e Brick intended for use where exposed to temperature below freezing in the presence of moisture.
f
Brick intended for use as back-up or interior masonry.
Compressive strength requirements provide a measure walls. Hence, it is important that architects and builders
of concrete masonry's capacity to carry loads and with- insist that the units used be dried down to at least the
stand structural stresses with an adequate factor of safety . moisture content limitations of applicable specifications.
The absorption requirements provide a measure of the Where concrete masonry walls will be exposed to low
density of the concrete. The moisture content require- relative humidities, such as may be found in interiors cf
ments are intended to indicate whether the unit is suffi- heated buildings or in areas of the country having excep-
ciently dry for use in wall construction. In common with tionally dry climates, it is desirable that the block, at
a number of building materials, concrete shrinks slightly the time of laying, be dried down to approximately the
with the loss of moisture down to an air-dry condition. average air-dry condition to which the finished walls
When moist units are placed in a wall and this natural will be exposed in service.
shrinkage is restrained, as it often is, tensile and shearing An inexpensive and efficient device for drying block
stresses are developed which may cause cracks in the consists of a combination oil or gas burning heater and
7
Fig. 2 — A suggested method for drying concrete block. It can be used indoors or outdoors at plant or job site.
blower (see Fig. 2). Block are stacked on their sides in Concrete masonry units stored on the job site should
front of the heater and blower to permit air to be blown be protected against wetting by rain or snow.
through the cores. Block courses are separated vertically
with lx2-in. wood strips and are spaced 1 in. apart hori-
zontally to aid free circulation of air around each unit.
Color and Surface Texture
Experience will show how large a stack of block can be Some variation in color and texture is often desirable
dried at one time. As a trial setup, it is suggested the for appearance. However, concrete masonry units used
stack be 4 block wide, 6 courses high and 16 ft. long. A in constructing exposed walls should be free from stains
light tarpaulin-covered framework 6 in. higher, 12 in. and discoloration, blemishes or defects which would de-
wider, and as long as the stack of block plus the length tract from the desired appearance of the finished wall.
of the blower unit provides satisfactory housing for the Variation in texture is obtained by controlling the grada-
drying device. This method of drying works equally tion of aggregate and other operations in the manufac-
well indoors or outdoors and can readily be used in the ture of the units. Hence, surface textures can be made
plant or at the job site. fine, medium coarse or coarse according to requirements.
8
.
SECTION 2
PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE MASONRY WALLS
j^ uilding codes and specifications govern the maxi- safetywhen using concrete masonry units complying
fj mum allowable compressive working stress on all with the compressive strength requirements of specifica-
types of masonry construction. Maximum allowable com- tions shown in Table 1.
pressiveworking stresses in walls constructed of hollow Comprehensive tests conducted by the University of
concrete masonry units, as specified in the American Illinois* and by the Portland Cement Association** have
Standard Building Code Requirements for Masonry ap- established the relationship between the compressive
proved by the American Standards Association, and in strength of hollow concrete masonry units and the walls
the National Building Code recommended by the National in which they are laid. These tests disclosed that the
Board of Fire Underwriters, are 70 psi for walls laid up compressive strength of axially loaded walls in pounds
with the mortars shown in Table 15, page 26, for ordinary
service and 85 psi for the mortars shown for walls sub- ""'Strength and Stability of Concrete Masonry Walls, " by F. E. Richart,
R. B. B. Moorman and P. M. Wood worth, University of Illinois,
ject to extremely heavy loads, etc.
Engineering Experiment Station Bulletin No. 251
Strength and Structural Stability and Stability of Walls of Concrete Masonry

* "Tests of the Fire Resistance
Units," by Carl A. Menzel, Proceedings , American Society for Testing
The allowable wall stresses provide an ample factor of Materials, Vol. 31, part 2, p. 607.
Materials Testing Laboratory of University of Illinois tests Concrete masonry wall being tested for flexural strength
compressive strength of concrete masonry walls. at University of Illinois,
TABLE 2—Coefficients of Heat Transmission (U) for Various Wails
Interior finish
'/a-in. plaster on:

Cask wall construction* Plain
%-in. furring with:
wall no Wall
plaster direct %-in. plaster- Va-in. rigid
board insulation
8-in. sand and gravel or limestone 0.53 0.49 0.31 0.22
Concrete 8-in. cinder 0.37 0.35 0.25 0.19

masonry expanded
8-in. slag, clay or shale 0.33 0.32 0.23 0.18
(cores
not 12-in. sand and gravel or limestone 0.49 0.45 0.30 0.22
filled)
12-in. cinder 0.35 0.33 0.24 0.18
12-in. expanded slag, clay or shale 0.32 0.31 0.23 0.18
8-in. sand and gravel or limestone 0.39 0.37 0.26 0.19

Concrete 8-in. cinder 0.20 0.19 0.16 0.13
masonry
(cores 8-in. expanded slag, clay or shale 0.17 0.17 0.14 0.12
filled
with 12-in. sand and gravel or limestone 0.34 0.32 0.24 0.18
insulation)**
12-in. cinder 0.20 0.19 0.15 0.13
12-in. expanded slag, clay or shale 0.15 0.14 0.12 0.11
10-in. wall of two 4-in. sand and gravel or limestone units fl 1A 0.33 0.24 0.18
10-in. wall of two 4-in. cinder, expanded slag, clay or

shale units 0.24 0,19 0.15
Cavity 10-in. wall of 4-in. face brick and 4-in. sand and gravel
walls or limestone units U.JO 0.36 0.25 0.19
(with
2-in. or 10-in. wall of 4-in. face brick and 4-in. cinder, expanded
larger slag, clay or shale unit U.J J 0.31 0.23 0.18
cavity.
Cavity 14-in. wall of 4-in. face brick and 8-in. sand and gravel
not or limestone units 0.33 0.31 0.23 0.18
filled
14-in. wall of 4-in, face brick and 8-in. cinder, expanded
with
slag, clay or shale unit 0.26 0.25 0.19 0.16
insulation)
14-in. wall of 4-in. and 8-in. sand and gravel or lime-
stone units 0.28 0.21 0.17
14-in. wall of 4-in. and 8-in. cinder, expanded slag, clay

or shale units 0.22 0.21 0.17 0.14
4-in. sand and gravel or limestone unit 0.53 0.49 0.31 0.23
4-in. cinder, expanded slag, clay or shale unit 0.44 0.42 0.28 0.21
4-in. common brick 0.50 0.46 0.30 0.22

4-in.
face 8-in. sand and gravel or limestone unit ft AA
KM.**** 0.41 0.28 0.21
brick
plus: 8-in. cinder, expanded slag, clay or shale unit 0.31 0.30 0.22 0.17
8-in. common brick 0.36 0.34 0.24 0.19
1-in. wood sheathing, paper, 2x4 studs, wood lath and

plaster — 0.27 0.27 0.20
4-in. sand and gravel or limestone unit 0.45 0.42 0.28 0.21
4-in. cinder, expanded slag, clay or shale unit 0.38 0.36 0.26 0.19
4-in.
8- in. sand and gravel or limestone unit 0.37 0.35 0.25 0.19
common
brick 8-in. cinder, expanded slag, clay or shale unit 0.28 0.27 0.2D 0.16
plus:
8-in. common brick 0.31 0.30 0.22 0.17
1-in. wood sheathing, paper, 2x4 studs, wood lath and

plaster 0.25 0.25 0.19
Wood wood siding, 1-in. wood sheathing, 2x4 studs, wood lath
frame and plaster 0.25 0.24 0.19
*AII concretemasonry shown in this table are hollow units All concrete masonry wall surfaces exposed to the weather have two coats of portland
cement base paint. Surfaces of all walls exposed to the weather subject to a wind velocity of 15 miles per hour.
**Values based on dry insulation. The use of vapor barriers or other precautions must be considered to keep insulation dry.
10
Full mortar bedding Face-shell mortar bedding
Fig, —
3 Examples of full bedding and face-shell mortar
bedding.
was approximately 42 per cent of the com-

per square inch
when laid with face-shell
pressive strength of the unit
mortar bedding and 53 per cent when laid with full-
mortar bedding. See Fig. 3 for examples of full bedding
and face-shell mortar bedding.
Thus, a wall constructed of hollow concrete masonry
units having a minimum compressive strength of 700 psi
and laid up with face-shell mortar bedding with the wall
loaded axially will have a compressive wall strength of
0.42 X 700, or 294 psi. Using an allowable compressive
working stress of 70 psi, a wall having a strength of 294
psi will have a factor of safety of 4.2. Similarly, a wall
constructed with 1000 psi block will have a factor of
safety of 6. Both exceed the factor of safety of 4 generally
considered ample for masonry wall construction. Beads of wafer on the outside of this tumbler of ice water are
caused by condensation of water vapor in the air as it comes
in contact with the cold surface.
Insulation Value of Concrete Masonry
The insulation value of concrete masonry has been
definitely determinedby tests conducted at the University temperature of the air and the amount of water vapor in
of Minnesota. * Based on these tests, Table 2 shows the the For example, with a room temperature of 70 deg.
air.
insulation values (heat transmission If) for various types F. and humidity of 60 per cent, the dew point
a relative
of concrete masonry walls as well as for other types of is 55-6 deg. F. To prevent condensation under these con-
common wall construction. The overall coefficient of ditions, wall surface temperatures must be kept above
heat transmission U represents the amount of heat trans- 55.6 deg. F.
mitted in British thermal units (Btu) per hour, per square Information on calculating heat losses and wall tem-
foot of wall, for each degree difference in temperature peratures for many other types of wall construction is
(Fahrenheit) between the air on the warm and cool sides contained in the Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning
of the wall. A study of the table will show how the in- Guide published by the American Society of Heating and
sulating value of concrete masonry walls is affected by Ventilating Engineers. Similar information as it applies
type of construction, type of aggregate used, kind of wall to concrete masonry walls is given in the paper "Thermal
finish, insulating fill in cores and by air spaces, etc. Insulation of Concrete Homes,"** and in How to Calculate
Heat Transmission Coefficients and Vapor Condensation Tem-
Controlling Condensation on Walls peratures of Concrete Masonry Walls published by the Port-
Wall insulation helps prevent condensation on the land Cement Association. Table 3 gives typical maximum
interior surfaces of outside walls. Just as a pitcher of U values specified by the Federal Housing Administration
cold water will sweat on a humid day, so may conden-
sation occur in any type of construction —brick, wood, * "Thermal Properties
metal, stone or concrete — if sufficient insulation is not
of Concrete Construction," by F. B. Rowley,
A. B. Algren and C. C. Carlson, Heating, Piping and Air Conditioning,
provided. Sweating occurs when the surface temperature January 1936. "Thermal Properties of Concrete Construction (Part 2),"
by F. B. Rowley, A. B. Algren and Robert Lander, Heating, Piping and
of a wall below the dew point of the air. The dew
falls Air Conditioning, November 1936.
point at which condensation takes place varies with the **Journal, American Concrete Institute, Vol. 19, No. 9, p. 849.
11
TABLE 3—Typical FHA Heat Transmission
Coefficient Limitations for Walls for
One or Two Living Units
Overall coefficient of heat
FHA Insuring office
transmission (CI factor)*
Arizona vrnoenix/ 0.50
Florida (Jacksonville) 0.33
Illinois (Chicago) 0.27
Montana (Helena) 0.13
New York (New York) 0.30
Oregon (Portland) 0.25
Minnesota (Minneapolis) 0.19
Texas (Dallas) 0.35
*From section 40 2- A of FHA Minimum Property Requirements for Properties

of One or Two Living Units for various insuring offices, July 1 948.
Fire hose stream test being applied to incandescent face of

for walls of houses in a number of cities representative of concrete masonry wall immediately after it is removed from
the varied climatic conditions in the United States. furnace.
Fire Resistance of Concrete Masonry

low concrete masonry units have been based on numerous
The fire resistance ratings specified by building codes
fire tests made at the Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.,
formasonry walls will vary with the type of building, its
National Bureau of Standards, and at the Portland Ce-
occupancy and the fire zone in which the structure is
ment Association.
located.
The fire resistance ratings of walls constructed of hoi- The requirements of the Underwriters' Laboratories,
Inc., for fire retardant classifications of concrete masonry
units regarding minimum face shell and web thicknesses
are shown in Table 4. This table is taken from Standard
for Concrete Masonry Units of Underwriters' Laboratories,
Inc.,(December 1953) which contains additional re-
quirements such as the design and dimensions of the
units, type of aggregates, cement-aggregate proportions,
curing methods and strength.
How Fire Tests are Made

Fire tests are made on walls approximately10 ft. wide
and 11 ft. high with the Methods of Fire
in accordance
Tests of Building Construction and Materials (ASTM El 19).
Each test wall is exposed on one face to a furnace having
a fire of controlled extent and severity. The furnace tem-
perature rises rapidly to 1700 deg. F. in one hour, and
then more gradually to 2000 deg. F. in the case of a four-
A concrete masonry wall undergoing a fire test. A gas-fired

furnace is on the opposite side of the wall. Hydraulic jacks
under the wall impose a load of 80 psi on the wall during
fire test. Every phase of the test is closely observed and re-
TABLE 4—Standard for Concrete Masonry Units of Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.
Minimum face shell and web thicknesses *

Type of
Class D-2 retardants** Class C-3 retardants** Class B-4 retardants**
aggregate
Face shell Web Face shell Web Face shell Web
minimum minimum minimum minimum minimum minimum
in. In. in. In. in. in.
Natural, by-product,
and processed, except
[those listed below 1% 1 VA I m
Burned cfay or shale VA 1 1% 1
Expanded slag IVs 1 l

3
/s 1 i% 1
Pumice VA 1
*The minimum face shell for the largest core hole at the thinnest point. This may be the average of the two face shells in the same core. The end and
internal webs in each core hole at the thinnest point.
**Class D-2 includes units classified as at least 2-hour, but less than 3-hour retardants. Class C-3 includes units classified as at least 3-hour, but less than
4-hour retardants. Class B-4 includes units classified as at least 4-hour, but less than 8-hour retardants.
hour test. Bearing walls undergoing a fire test also carry Sound Absorbing Value of Concrete Masonry
a working load of 80 psi on the gross cross-sectional area
Architects and builders are devoting more attention
of the wall.
to the reduction of noises in buildings to increase the
With concrete masonry walls and partitions the critical
efficiency and comfort of the occupants. Because of this
feature in determining the fire resistance rating under the
trend, investigations have been made to determine the
fire test is usually its resistance to heat transmission
sound absorbing values of various materials. Results
measured by the rise in temperature on the unexposed
have indicated that concrete masonry units having open
surface. However, with some constructions, the critical
surface textures will absorb sound readily.
feature may
be the load-carrying ability under fire ex-
posure or the ability to withstand the impact, eroding Sound waves upon striking a surface are partly re-
and cooling action of a fire hose stream applied to the flected, absorbed and transmitted in varying amounts
hot face of the wall at the conclusion of the fire exposure. depending upon the character of the surface. A smooth
Below —
Walls of this high school gymnasium and assembly room are
faced with sound-absorbing concrete masonry. Right Quietness and —
beauty are achieved in this church with walls of concrete masonry.
I
Lightweight Aggregates Heavyweight Aggregates
Coefficient 0.68 Coefficient 0.60
Coefficient 0. 1 8 Coefficient 0.2
Fig. 4 —Concrete masonry units made with either lightweight or heavyweight aggregates can have similar sound absorption
coefficients. A coefficient of 0.68, for example, means that 68 per cent of the incident sound will be absorbed at each reflection.
dense surface, such as hard plaster or glass, will absorb Fig. 5 shows how paint applied to concrete masonry
only about 3 per cent of the sound that strikes it, Ex- tends to close the surface pores and thus reduce its value
posed concrete masonry walls built with the ordinary forsound control. Spray painting has less effect in closing
commercial run of block will absorb between 18 and 68 pores of masonry than brush painting. Oil paints generally
per cent of the sound. Any material that will absorb 15 will reduce sound absorptivity more than cement base
per cent or more is considered useful for sound control. paints.
Concrete masonry made from almost any type of aggre-
gate can have practically any kind of surface texture by Sound Transmission Through
careful control of the aggregate gradation, the mix, the Concrete Masonry Walls
amount of water used in the mixture and the degree of The demand for quiet rooms in hotels, apartment build-
compaction at the time of molding. Fig. 4 shows that ings, hospitals, schools and office buildings where noises
concrete masonry units made with lightweight or heavy- from the street or from adjacent rooms would be objection-
weight aggregates can have similar surface textures with able has led to the use of construction materials that re-
corresponding similar ranges in sound absorption values. sist the transmission of sound.
14
Unpointed One coat of portland cement point
vw - # wU *7x%. f
Coefficient 0,39 Coefficient 0.22
Two coats of portland cement paint
Fig. 5 — Application of paint tends to close the surface

pores of concrete masonry thereby reducing the sound
absorption coefficient value of the masonry surface.
Coefficient 0.19
Concrete masonry walls provide sound absorption and resistance to sound transmission — qualities sought in modern schools.
Walls of this attractive office
are constructed of exposed,
sound-absorbing concrete
block laid in a stacked pattern.
In Table 5 are data showing reduction in sound trans- room whereby loud speech in an adjoining
condition in a
mission through walls of hollow concrete masonry. room cannot be understood although it can be heard
Table 6 shows relation between sound transmission loss faintly. Table 6 indicates that a wall having a sound
through a wall and the hearing conditions on the quiet reduction factor of 40 to 45 decibels will be required.
side. The following example shows how these data can Table 5 indicates that several types of walls have these or
be used. Assume that it is necessary to provide a hearing higher reduction factors.
—
TABLE 5 Reduction Factors in Sound
Transmission Through Wails of Hollow TABLE 6 —Relation Between Sound
Concrete Masonry Transmission Loss Through a Wall and
Weight Average
per sq.ft. reduction
Hearing Conditions on Quiet Side*
Walls of hollow concrete masonry
of wall factor,
area, lb. decibels
Transmission loss
3" Cinder,
4
ff
W plasteron both sides 3
Cinder, Vz" plaster on both sides 8
32.2
35.8
45.1
45.6
In decibels
Hearing condition Rating
4" Cinder, V
platter* 32.3 47.0 30 or less Normal speech can be un- Poor
8 * Expanded slag, 1 " plaster 11 56.0 52.6 derstood quite easily and
4" Celocrete, W
plaster on both sides 6
8" Celocrete, un plastered 6
30.0
28.6
42.6
43.7
distinctly through the wall.
8" Celocrete, W
plaster on both sides c
Cavity wall, two 4" Celocrete, V%" plaster on
40.0 52.9 30 to 35 Loud speech can be under-
stood fairly well. Normal
Fair
one inner face c 45.0 57.1 speech can be heard but

3" Haydite, un plastered 6 36.0 not easily understood.
3" Haydite, 1* plaster 6 42.0
4" Haydite, unplastered* 37.0 35 to 40 Loud speech can be heard, Good
4" Haydite, V
plaster 6 43.0 but is not easily intelligible.
6" Haydite, unplastered 6 44.8 Normal speech can be
6 Haydite, V
plaster 6 48.5 heard only faintly, if at all.
8* Haydite, unplastered 6 47.8
Haydite, 1* plaster 6 50.5 40 to 45 Loud speech can be faintly Very good, recom-
12* Haydite, unplastered 6 52.0 heard but not understood. mended for divid-
12" Haydite, 1* plaster 6 54.0 Normal speech is inaudible. ing walls between
4" Pumice, Vi" plaster on both sides d 25.3 37.4 apartments.
4" Pumice, Vi " plaster on one side only*1 20.4 34.6
4" Waylite, Vi" plaster on both sides 6 31.0 50.0 45 or more Very loud sounds, such as Excellent, recom-
8"
3"
Waylite, W
plaster on both sides 6
Waylite, 2 coats cement paint each side 6
47.0
16.75
53.0
44.1
loud singing, brass musical
instruments, or a radio at
mended
rooms, music
for band
4" Waylite, unpainted* 16.5 33.2 full volume can be heard practice rooms,
4" Waylite, 2 coats cement paint each side 6 16.5 46.7 only faintly or not at all. radio and sound
6 Waylite, unpainted 6 21.0 39.7 studios.
6" Waylite, 2 coats cement paint each side 6 21.0 52.2
Cavity wall, two 3" Waylite, %" plaster on
*This table is based on the assumption that a noise corresponding to 30
one unexposed face 6 17.0 56.1
decibels continuously present on the listening side and that noises pass
is
"National Bureau of Standards Report BMS17 ing through the wall are audible despite this noise level. A decibel is
b Data reported in Acoustics and Architecture by Paul E. Sabine roughly equivalent to the smallest change in sound energy that the
e Tests conducted at Riverbank Laboratories average ear can detect and 30 decibels corresponds approximately to
'National Bureau of Standards Supplement to Report BMS17 the average background noise in a quiet apartment.
16
SECTION 3
DESIGNING CONCRETE MASONRY WALLS
^vesign and construction of concrete masonry build- should be designed to be in multiples of 8 in. In those
JLJ ings must conform to applicable local building sections of the country where units nominally 8 in. wide,
codes. In areas having no building codes the designer can 4 high and 16 in. long are used, the horizontal di-
in.
be guided by the provisions of the American Standard mensions should be planned to be in multiples of 8 in.
Building Code Requirements for Masonry, A41. 1-1944, (half-length units) and the vertical dimensions in multi-
prepared by the American Standards Association. A ples of 4 in. Where the thickness of the wall is greater or
summary of the principal requirements of this code as less than the length of a half unit, a special length unit is
they apply to concrete masonry is given on pages 18 to 19. required at each corner in each course (see drawings on
page 59). It is recommended that the designer obtain
Designing Walls to Avoid Cutting schedules of the sizes of concrete masonry units locally
Units on Job available
To achieve economy in construction, concrete masonry
walls should be laid out to make maximum use of full- Wrgng Right
and half-length This minimizes cutting and
of units on the job
units.
—operations which slow up construc-
fitting 1
vhdm. i
1 1
V. 1 1
1
tion. All dimensions such as overall length and height of § I
wall, width and height of door and window openings i: i 1
and wall areas between doors, windows and corners )

* 1
r-
1
1 1 1,1 1,1
should be planned to use full- and half-sized units which 1
!
are commonly carried in stock (see Fig. 6). Full ad- I I I 1
vantage of modular design for concrete masonry requires Elevation Elevation

Shaded portion indicates cut masonry All masonry full or half sire units
(Based on
that window and door frames be of modular dimensions &'x8"x 16" block)
which fit modular full- and half-size units. All horizontal

pa i 1
dimensions will then be in multiples of nominal half- 2-9" 4'-0 rt
length units, and all vertical dimensions will be multiples Plan Plan
of nominal full-height units. Thus, with the nominal Fig, 6 —
Examples of wrong and right planning of concrete
8x8xl6-in. block, both horizontal and vertical dimensions masonry wall openings.
An example of faulty planning.

Had the door frame been moved
about 4 in. to the right all cut-
ting ofmasonry around door
and lintel would have been
eliminated
17
1
TABLE 7 — Nominal Length of Concrete TABLE 8 —Nominal Height of Concrete

Masonry Walls by Stretchers Masonry Walls by Courses
Actual length of wall is measured from outside edge to outside edge of units For concrete masonry units 7 SA" and 3 s/s" in height laid with % AW mortar \oints.
and is equal to the nominal length minus 3/s " (one mortar joint.) Height is measured from center to center of mortar joints.
Nominal length of concrete masonry walls Nominal height of concrete masonry walls
No. of
stretchers
Units \5Vz" long and
half units 7 5/s " long
Units 1 W long and
half units 5 5/s" long
No. of
courses
M.U. tT5/
uniTs "78
" ktnh Hn«l
mgn ana
thick bed joint
3/."
/& llnS*c o /a nign
units
thick bed joint
— — J 3/,"
kink ana /%
Willi 3/Q
with /r" thick
11 V IV
I 1 head
II vUU with
Willi 3/O
/h" Tthick
II llilk head
IICIIU
joints. [oints. 1
8" A"
2 l' A"
W
1 r 4" 1'0 3 2' 0" 1'0"
VA l'
6"
2 2B" 2' 0'' 4 2' 8" 1' 4'
5 3 4 1 o
VA 3' 4" 2' 6" 6 4'0" 2' 0"
3 4' 0" 3' 0"
3V2 4' 8" 3' 6" 7 4' 8 V 2' 4"
8 5' 4" 2' I*
A 5' 4" 4' 0" 9 6' 0* 3'0"

4V2 6'0" 4' 6''
5 6' 8" 5' 0" 10 6' 8" 3' 4"

15 10' 0" 5'0"
5V2 7' A" 5' 6" 20 13' 4" 6' 8"
6 8' 0" 6'0"

6'/2 8' 8" 6' 6" 25 16' 8" 8' 4"
30 20' 0" 10' 0"
7 9' 4" 7' 0" 35 23' 4" 11' •'
71/2 10' 0" 7' 6"
8 10' 8* 8' 0" 40 26' 8" 13' 4"
45 30' 0" 15' 0"
4* 8' 6" 33' 4" 16' 8"
8V2 11' 50
9 12' 0" 9' 0"
91/2 12' 8" 9' 6"
10' 0"
10 13' A"
commodate various sizes of wood window frames. With
ioy2 14' 0" 10' 6"
IT 14' 8" 110" metal sash it may be necessary to provide metal surrounds
to fit them into modular concrete masonry openings.
15' A" 11' 6"
12 16' 0" 12' 0"
16' 8"
ff
T2V2 12' 6
Summary of American Standard Building Code
13 17' 4" 13' 0"
13!/2 18' 0" 13' 6" Requirements for Masonry, A4I.I-I944*
14 18' 8" 14' 0"
General Requirements
14' 6"
'
141/2 19' 4
0'' 15'0" 1. The thickness of any wall must be sufficient at all points to
15 20'
20 26' 8* 20' 0" keep the combined stresses due to live, dead and other loads for
which the building is designed, within the prescribed limits.
2. When code requirements allow for a change in wall thick-

ness at a height which happens to come between floor levels, the
In modular planning the dimensions used on working greater thickness is carried up to the higher floor level.
drawings are nominal and are from center to center of
mortar joints. With concrete masonry units all mortar
Allowable Height and Minimum Wall Thickness
The height of a masonry wall
joints are designed to be %
in. thick. Fig. 7 shows how
to the top of the wall, including
is defined as the vertical distance
its parapet, measured from the
a concrete masonry wall is dimensioned on drawings
foundation wall, girder, or other intermediate support.
while the enlarged details at the corner and jamb show (a) Bearing Walls, The allowable height and minimum wall
how the wall is actually constructed. These enlarged thickness for different types of concrete masonry bearing walls
details usually are not shown on plans. based on the ASA code are shown in Table 1 1 Faced walls (hollow ,
or solid concrete masonry units faced and bonded with at least
Dimensioning Concrete Masonry Walls 2 Va -in. thickness of masonry material, such as concrete brick, clay
brick, sand-lime brick, stone, terra cotta or structural clay tile)
Tables 7 and 8 show the number of full- and half- have the same allowable heights and thickness as shown for all
length masonry units required to obtain given dimensions. noncavity walls.
Dimensions are in accordance with modular planning. (b) Nonhealing Walls, Allowable height and minimum wall
The location width and height of openings
as well as the thickness for nonbearing walls are the same as for walls shown in
should fit these dimensions. Table 9 shows dimensions

*For sale by Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
of modular openings in concrete masonry walls to ac- Office, Washington 25, D.C.— Price 15 cents.
18
-1
b -Modul e li nes - 1 jse 8" TO dules with bio %
.'•'•V
m
1 /
;.L
f -t
1
=1
MM
3^ V" 5 3
- ?nio" —
P - A
Fig. 7 —
Showing how concrete masonry walls are dimensioned on drawings for modular planning using nominal
dimensions. Enlarged details at corner and jamb (usually not shown on drawings) show how block are actually laid
in the wall.
Table 1 1 except that the wall thickness may be 4 in. less. Minimum (d) Parapet Wails. Allowable height Is limited to four times the
thickness isnominally 8 in., except that 6-in. walls may be used for thickness unless laterally supported. In residences and in buildings
one-story single-family dwellings and one-story private garages in which 8-in. walls are permitted, parapets are not less than 8 in.
when not more than 9 ft. in height, with an allowance of 6 ft. addi- thick; in all other buildings parapets are not less than 12 in, thick.
tional for gable.
(c) Nonbearing Partitions, Allowable height depends on thick- Lateral Supports
ness as indicated below. Partitions must be built solidly against
Concrete masonry walls must be provided with horizontal or
floor and ceiling construction.
vertical lateral supports at right angles to the face of the wall.
Unplastered Maximum Lateral support may be obtained by cross walls, pilasters or but-
thickness height tresses, when the limiting distance is measured horizontally or by
in. ft.
floors and roofs when the limiting distance is measured vertically.
2 9* The limiting distance is as follows:
3 12 (a) Walls of solid block or brick units — 20 times the nominal wall
4 15 thickness.
6
8
20
25
(b) Walls of hollow concrete masonry units — 1 8 times the nomi-
nal wall thickness.
*Not over 6 ft. in length (c) Cavity walls — 14 times the nominal wall thickness.
19
TABLE 9 —Modular Concrete Masonry Openings for Wood Window Frames
Masonry openings are dimensioned from iamb to iamb and from bottom of lintel to bottom of precast concrete sill. Openings of sizes other than those shown may be
used by keeping the dimensions in multiples of 8 in. Glass sizes shown are for one light but any division of the sash may be used.
Types of Masonry Glass Masonry Glass Masonry Glass

windows openings size openings size openings size
2'0"x3'4" 16"xl2" 2'8"x3'4" 24"xl2" 3'4"x3'4" 32"xl2"

4'0" 16" 4'0" 16" 4'0" 16"
4'8" 20" 4'8" 20" 4'8" 20"
5'4" 24" 5'4" 24" 5'4" 24"
60" 28" 6'0" 28" 6'0" 28"
Double 6'8" 32" 6'8" 32" 6'8" 32"
4'0"x4'0" 40"xT6" 4'8"x4'0" 48"xl6" 5'4"x4'0" 56"xl6"

4'8' 20" 4'8" 20" 4'8" 20"
5'4" 24" 5'4" 24" 5'4" 24"
6'0" 28" 6'0" 28" 6'0" 28"
6'8" 32" 6'8" 32" 6'8" 32"
7'4" 36" 7'4" 36" 7'4" 36"
l'4"x3'4" 8"x25" 2'0"x3'4" 16"x25" 2'8"x3'4" 24"x25"

4'0" 33" 40" 33" 4'0" 33"
Casement 4'8" 41" 4'8" 41" 4'8" 41"
5'4" 49" 5'4* 49" 5'4" 49"
6'0" 57" 60" 57" 60" 57"
6'8" 65" 6'8" 65" 68" 65"
Two light sash Three light sash

2'0"x2'0" 8"xl2" 2'8"x2'0" 8"xl2"
Basement 2'8" 20" 2'8" 20"
2'8"x2'0" 12"xl2"
2'8" 20"
Note: Modular masonry openings shown above should also be used for metal window frames. It may be necessary, however, to provide metal surrounds to
fit the metal frames into the modular openings.
TABLE 10 —Weights and Quantities of Materials for Concrete Masonry Walls

For 100 concrete
For 1 00 sq.ft. of wall units
Nominal Average weight of

Actual unit sizes wall finished wall
(width x height x length) thickness Number Mortar*** Mortar***
in. in. of Heavyweight Lightweight cu.ft. cu.ft.
units aggregate aggregate
lb.* lb.**
5 5 5
3 /8x3 /8 xl5 /8 4 225 3050 2150 4.3 1.9
5 5/8 x3y8 xl5y8 6 225 4550 3050 4.3 1.9
5 5 5
7 /8x3 /8Xl5 /8 8 225 5700 3700 4.3 1.9
3 3
3 /4 x5xll /4 4 221 3000 2150 3.7 1.7
5 3/4X5xll 3/4 6 221 4500 3050 3.7 1.7
3 3
7 /4 x5xll /4 8 221 5650 3700 3.7 1.7
5
3 5 5
/8 x7 /8 xT5 /8 4 112.5 2850 2050 2.6 2.3
5 5/8 x7 5/8 xl5 5/8 6 112.5 4350 2950 2.6 2.3
7 /8 x7y8 xl5 /8
5 5
8 112.5 5500 3600 2.6 2.3
5
ll /8x7yaxl5 5/8 12 112.5 7950 4900 2.6 2.3
Table based on H-in. mortar joints.
* Actual weight within ±7% of average weight.

**Actual weight within + 17% of average weight.
***With face-shell mortar bedding. Mortar quantities include 10% allowance for waste.
Actual weight of 100 sq.ft. of wall can be computed by formula W(N) + 150(M) where:
W = actual weight of a single unit
N = number of units for 100 sq.ft. of wall
M = cu.ft. of mortar for 100 sq.ft. of wall
20
TABLE 11 —Allowable Height and Minimum Nominal Thickness for Concrete Masonry
Bearing Walls*
For buildings up to three stories in height with walls of hollow or solid concrete masonry units. For buildings over three stories, see ASA Code. (Thickness in incftes)
Residential Nonresidential Cavity residential Cavity nonresidential
Wall
one- two- three- one- two- three- one- two- three- one- two- three-
story story story story story story story story story story story story
12 12
3rd story 8
8*
to
10 f
12 12
2nd story 8 8 12 10 10 10*
12
8 12 12 12 12
T st story 8 8 12 10 10 12 129
6a 8d 16 c or 10e 10 f
Basement or 12 12, 10 or 8
h 12 or 10
12 or 8 b 12 or 8 b 12
foundation or 16 (not cavity) (not cavity)
*Based on the American Standard Building Code Requirements for Masonry (ASA A41.1-1944).
'May be 6 in. for one-story single-family dwellings and one-story private garages when not more than 9 ft. in height, with an allowance of 6 ft*
additional for any gable.

b When foundation wall does not extend more than 4 ft. into the ground the wall may be 8 in. thick. With special approval of the building official
thisdepth may be extended to 7 ft. where soil conditions warrant such an extension. In no case shall the total height of 8-in. or 1 0-in. concrete
masonry walls, including the foundation wall, exceed 35 ft.
c Must be at least 16 in. if the total height of the first, second and third stories above the foundation wall, or from a girder or other intermediate
supports, is more than 35 ft.
d Top story may be 8 in. when not more than 1 2 ft. in height and roof beams are horizontal and total height of masonry wall is not more than 35 ft.
e ln exceed 25
no case shall total height of a 10-in. cavity wall above the foundation wall ft.
'Top story may be 10 in. when not more than 12 ft. in height and roof beams are horizontal and total height of wall is not more than 35 ft.
9 In no case shall total height of a cavity wall exceed 35 ft. above the foundation wall, regardless of thickness.
h May be 8 in. for 1 Vi- story single-family dwellings having a maximum height, including the gable, of not over 20 ft. and having nominal 10-in.
cavity walls. Such 8-in. foundation walls shall be corbelled to provide a bearing the full thickness of the wall above. Total projection not to exceed
2 in. with top course a full header course not higher than the bottom of the floor joists. Individual projections in corbelling shall not be more than
one-third the height of the unit.
TABLE 12— Quantities of Materials Per Cubic Foot of Mortar
Mortar mixes Quantities Mortar

produced
Hydrated lime Masonry Portland Hydrated lime per one sack
"
Cement or lime putty Sand* 1
cement cement or lime putty Sand** of cement
sack* cu.ft. cu.ft. sack sack cu.ft. cu.ft. cu.ft.
1 Masonry cement 3 0.33 0.99 3.0
1 Portland cement 1 6 0.16 0.16 0.97 6.2
1 Masonry cement
plus 6 0.16 0.16 0.97 6.1
1 Portland cement
1 Portland cement Va 3 0.29 0.07 0.86 3.5
* 1 sack masonry cement or portland cement = 1 cu.ft.
**Sand in damp, loose condition.
21
TABLE 13 —Number of Concrete Block, Brick and Mortar Required
for 100 sq.ft. of Faced Wall
Number of block
of Mortar* Type of bond
brick cu.ft.
Stretchers Headers
97 772 12.2 8-in. wall 7th course

(4x8x16") bonding

(8x8x16") bonding
57 57 788 13.6 12-in. wall 6th course

(8x8x16") (8x8x16") bonding

(4x5x12") bonding
*Mortar quantities based on H-in. mortar joints with face-shell bedding for the block. Ten per cent included for mortar waste.
22
SECTION 4
BUILDING CONCRETE MASONRY WALLS
technique of concrete masonry construction is

rHE Footings
known to masons, builders and architects. Rec-
well Footings for masonry walls should be of ample width
ommendations given in these pages conform to established and thickness to carry the expected loads in accordance
modern design and construction practices. with local building code requirements. Inadequate foot-
Modular Planning Recommended ings are to be avoided since they may result in uneven
settlement which may cause cracking in the walls. Foot-
In concrete masonry as in other masonry construction
ings should be placed on firm, undisturbed soil of adequate
it is desirable to design walls to conform to modular di-
mensions (see page 17). Then full advantage can be taken ,_W-Wall thi ckness
of full- and half-length units. A minimum of cutting and

by the mason means speedier construction
fitting of units
—4
and neater appearance in the finished walls.
Dry Units Essential Fig. 8 — Recommended footing

dimensions for small buildings.
When delivered to the job, concrete masonry units qpq
:
'0 V 9*:
should be dry enough to comply with the specified limi- d*.
tation for moisture content. They should be maintained

in this dry condition by stock piling them on planks or 2W
other supports free from contact with the ground and by
covering them with roofing paper or tarpaulin for pro- load-bearing capacity and below frost penetration. In
tection against wetting. Moreover, at the stoppage of areas where there are no applicable local building codes,
work at any time the top of the wall should be covered it is general practice to make footings for small buildings
with tarpaulins or boards to prevent rain or snow from twice as wide as the thickness of the walls which will
entering the cores of the block. Concrete masonry units bear on them. The thickness of such footings is made
should never be wetted immediately before and during laying in equal to one-half their width (Fig. 8).
customary with some masonry mate-
the wall, a practice
rials.These precautions to lay only dry units will mini-
Masonry saws are used for fast, neat cutting of units to fit
mize shrinkage in the finished wall.
special job conditions. Units must be cut dry so as not to raise
In some cases it may be advisable to dry block below their moisture content.
the moisture content given in most specifications. This
applies particularly where exposed concrete masonry
walls are to be used in buildings where relatively high
temperatures and low humidities are likely to occur over
extended periods of time, as during the winter heating
season. Experience has shown that damp concrete
masonry units can be artificially dried to the air-dry con-
dition which they will attain in service. This can be done
by blowing heated air through the cores and the spaces
between the units which are stacked to facilitate drying.
Generally, this drying will not require more than 48
hours with the equipment and method described on page
8. With drying equipment having larger capacity the
time can be shortened.
23
along the outer side of footings is recom-
line of drain tile
mended. The tile line should have a fall of at least Yi in.
in 12 ft. and should drain to a suitable outlet. Pieces of
roofing felt placed over the joints prevent sediment from
entering the tile during backfilling. The tile line should
be covered to a depth of 12 in. with a permeable fill of
coarse gravel or crushed stone ranging from 1 to lH in.
in size after which the balance of the trench can be filled
with earth from the excavation after the first floor is in

place.
Laying Concrete Masonry

Two types of mortar bedding are common with con-
crete masonry — full mortar bedding and face-shell bed-
ding. In the full mortar bedding the webs as well as the
face shells are covered and bedded in mortar. It is used in

laying the first or starting course of block on a footing or
foundation wall. It is also commonly used in building
concrete masonry columns, piers and pilasters which are
intended to carry heavy loads. For all other concrete

masonry work it is usual practice to use face-shell bedding.
In vertical joints mortar is applied only on the face
A line of drain tile is placed around footing to help shells of the units. Some masons apply the mortar to the
keep basement dry. vertical edges of the unit previously placed. Others set
the units on end and apply mortar to the vertical edges
before placing them in the wall. Some masons butter both
A good quality of concrete should be used for footings the unit laid in the wall and the unit to be set. Whatever
with not more than 7 gal. of mixing water per bag of method of buttering thevertical edges is used, each unit
cement, including any free moisture in the aggregate. as placed shoved against the block previously laid to
is
produce well-compacted vertical mortar joints.

Subsurface Drainage Mortar should not be spread so far ahead of actual
Unless the groundwater level in wet seasons is well laying of units that it will tend to stiffen and lose its
below the footing or the basement floor, the placing of a plasticity, thereby resulting in poor bond. For most work
Concrete masonry is usually laid with face-shell mortar In making vertical joints some masons apply mortar to the
bedding. block previously laid in the wall.
Some masons stand the block on ond and apply mortar for Block are laid to line and grade by following a mason's line,
vertical joints before layingthem on the wall. (Some butter They are shoved tightly against previously laid masonry to
both the unit already laid and the one to be set.) insure well-compacted mortar joints.
the joints, both horizontal and vertical, should be Y% in. excess mortar is trimmed off with the trowel.
thick. Except in extruded joint construction as described
on page 42 the mortar squeezed from the joints is struck Mortars for Concrete Masonry Walls
off flush with the wall surface as each unit is laid. When The cementitious materials used in mortars for con-
the mortar has stiffened somewhat, it is firmly compacted crete masonry walls should comply with current require-
with a jointing tool. This compaction is important since ments of the following applicable specifications:
mortar, when hardening, has a tendency to shrink slightly Masonry Cement, Federal Specifications SS-C-181b,
and thus may pull away from the edges of the block.
Type II.
Pressing the mortar against the units with a jointing tool
after the mortar has stiffened restores intimate contact
Portland Cement, ASTM C150.
between the mortar and the masonry unit and helps to Air-Entraining Portland Cement, ASTM C175.
make a weathertight joint. It may be necessary to add Hydraulic Hydra ted Lime for Structural Purposes,
mortar, particularly to the vertical joints, to insure that ASTM C141.
they are well filled. After the joints have been tooled any Quicklime for Structural Purposes, ASTM C6.
Excess mortar squeezed out of joints is trimmed off with trowel. Tooling of joints is important for weathertight construction.
Sand for mortar should conform to the requirements of possess high absorption. Loss of moisture due to poor
the Specifications for Aggregate for Masonry Mortar, water retention results in rapid loss of plasticity and
ASTM C144 (see Table 14). Sands deficient in fines sizes — may seriously reduce the effectiveness of the bond. Water
—
passing the 50 and 100 mesh sieves generally produce retention requirements of the current Specifications for
Mortar for Unit Masonry, ASTM C270, specifies that
harsh mortars. These are difficult to handle, particularly
in producing weathertight joints. On the other hand, mortar of the materials and proportions to be used in the
sands finer than those permitted by the above specifica- construction shall have a flow after suction of not less
tions require a high mixing water content resulting in than 70 per cent. As concrete masonry units should be
weak mortars. Addition of more cementing materials to kept dry until they are built into the wall, they should
compensate for loss in strength results in a mortar having never be wetted to control suction prior to the applica-
excessive shrinkage. tion of mortar. It may be necessary, therefore, to use
Water used in mixing mortar should be clean and fit mortars having water retentivities of more than 70 per
to drink. cent when used with dry concrete masonry units.
(2) Strength and Durability The strength and durability

TABLE 14 —Aggregate for Masonry requirements of a mortar depend upon the type of service
Mortar* the wall is to give. Walls subjected to severe stresses or
to severe weathering naturally need to be laid up in more
Sieve size Percentages passing
number durable, stronger mortars than walls for ordinary service.
each sieve
The mortar mixes listed in Table 15 provide adequate
4 100
8 95 to 100
mortar strength and durability for the conditions
16 60 to 100 indicated.
30 35 to 70
50 15 to 35
100 to 15
TABLE 15 —Recommended Mortar Mixes
*ASTM CI 44-44. Proportions by Volume
Recommended Mortar Mixes Hydrated Mortar sand

lime or in damp,
The volumetric proportions shown in Table 15 can be Type of service Cement lime loose
putty condition
converted to weight proportions by multiplying the unit
1— masonry cement* 2 to 3
volumes by the weight per cubic foot of the materials, For ordinary
or
service
which may be assumed to be as follows: 1
— portland cement 1 tO 1 1/4 4 to 6
Masonry cement .Weight printed on bag Subject to ex- 1 — masonry cement* 4 to 6

tremely heavy plus 1— portland
Portland cement. . 94 lb.
loads, violent cement
Hydrated lime 40 lb. winds, earth-
quakes or severe or
Mortar sand, damp and loose 85 lb. (approximately) frost action. Iso- 1
— portland cement Oto Va 2 to 3
lated piers.
Each mortar sand has its own characteristics, and it is

*Federal Specifications SS-C-181b # Type II.
difficult to specify the exact amount to be used in pre-
paring mortars. The volumes of sand shown in Table 15
for the various mixes are generally satisfactory. How- (3) Bond Bond is the property of a hardened mortar
ever, when particularly well-graded sands are used a that knits the masonry units together. The strength of
somewhat larger proportion of sand will be satisfactory. bond is affected by a number of factors such as kind and
quantity of cementitious material, the workability of the
mortar, the surface texture of the mortar bedding areas,
Desirable Properties of Mortar
the rate of suction of the masonry units and the quality
(1) Workability and Water Retentivity An important re- of workmanship in making the joints.
quirement of a mortar is that it be workable for the job
at hand. Workability should be obtained through the
Retempering of Mortars
proper grading of the sand, through the use of mortar
with good water retentivity and through thorough mix- After a mortar has been mixed to the required consist-
ing rather than through the use of excessive amounts ency and then not used for some time, it will naturally
of cementitious material. tend to stiffen. If the workability of such mortar cannot
Water retentivity is the property of a mortar which be restored by thorough re-mixing without the addition
resists rapid loss of water to masonry units which may of water, the mortar should be discarded.
26
Antifreeze Materials made helps to produce a weathertight, neat, durable
The use of an admixture to lower the freezing point of concrete masonry wall.
mortars during winter construction should be avoided. made by the U.S. Bureau of Standards as described
Tests
The quantity of such materials necessary to lower the in BMS 95* as well as other tests** show that
Report
freezing point of mortar to any appreciable degree would concrete masonry walls can be made weathertight by the
be so large that the mortar strength and other desirable application of two coats of portland cement base paint.
properties would be seriously impaired. Portland cement paint bonds well to concrete masonry
Calcium chloride sometimes added to a mortar mix
is and effectively seals the surface of the block as well as
to accelerate hardening. This shortens the time required the mortar joints.
for a mortar to attain sufficient strength to resist freezing The application of portland cement stucco also pro-
action. Generally not more than 2 per cent of calcium vides a weathertight finish for concrete masonry walls.
chloride by weight of the portland cement should be used
for this purpose. It is a safe precaution to make up small
trialmixes varying the amounts of calcium chloride up
to 2 per cent of the weight of the cement to determine
what percentage will give the rate of hardening desired.
Repair and Tuckpointing

The mortar mixes shown in Table 15 can be used in
repairing and tuckpointing old masonry walls. After the
mortar has partially stiffened the joints should be thor-
oughly compacted by tooling.
Concave joint V-joint

Building Weathertight Walls Fig. 9 —Tooled mortar joints recommended for weather-
tight concrete masonry.
Wcathertight concrete masonry walls are obtained by
a combination of proper planning, the use of good ma-
terials and good workmanship. Basement Walls
In planning the wall, proper flashing should be pro-
Special care should be taken in building basement walls
vided where water, snow or ice may accumulate. Flashing
to follow the recommendations outlined under the head-
is necessary at vertical joints in copings and caps, at the
ing, "Building Weathertight Walls." As a further assur-
jointsbetween roofs and walls and below cornices and
ance of dry walls, the earth side of concrete masonry
other members projecting beyond the face of the wall.
basement walls should always be given two l^-in. thick
See drawing Z-220, page 55, for some flashing details.
coats of plaster. Either portland cement plaster (1-2%
In addition, drips should be provided for chimney caps, mix by volume) or the mortar used in laying up the block
sillsand other projecting ledges to shed water away from should be used for this purpose (see Fig. 10). In hot, dry
the wall surface. Drains and gutters must be large enough
weather, wall surface should be very lightly dampened
to keep water from overflowing and running down over
with water prior to application of first
a fog spray of
masonry surfaces. is roughened after it has partly
coat. First coat of plaster
Good workmanship is always an important factor in hardened to provide bond for second coat. It is allowed
building weathertight walls. Each masonry unit should to harden at least 24 hours before the second coat is ap-
be laid plumb and true, being sure that both horizontal plied. The first coat is lightly dampened just before the
and vertical joints are well filled and compacted by tool- second coat is put on. The second coat is kept slightly
ing when the mortar has partly stiffened. damp for at least 48 hours after application.
Concave and V-shaped mortar joints (Fig. 9) are recom-
mended for walls of exterior concrete masonry in prefer- *Tests of Cement-Water Paints and Other Waterproofing* for Unit-Masonry
Walls, by Cyrus C. Fishburn and Douglas E. Parsons, issued March
ence to struck or raked joints that form small ledges 15, 1943. Copies are for sale by the Superintendent of Documents.
which may hold water. With modular-size masonry units —

Washington, D.C. Price 15 cents.
mortar joints will be approximately %-in. thick. Experi- **Tests of the Resistance to Rain Penetration of Walls Built of Masonry and
Concrete, by R. E. Copcland and C. C. Carlson, American Concrete
ence has shown that this thickness of joint where properly Institute, Proceedings, Vol. 36, p. 169.
27
.
Beveled siding well

Two 4' coals of oiled or soaped -Hot bituminous
Portland cement coating
plaster \W *O -Two V coa+s of
Portland cement
plaster
Bituminous joint
Method of making joint
Bituminous joint
Membrane waterproofing
N5
Compacted earth
Concrete base
J— Compacted earth
Full mortar bed
Full mortar bed
Ordinary soil Very wet soil
Fig. 10 — Recommended construction for dry basements.
In very wet soils the plastered surfaces below grade are

often given two continuous coatings of bituminous
material brushed on over a suitable priming coat.* The
second coat is applied with brush strokes at right angles
to those of the first coat. The plaster must be dry when
primer is applied to it and the primer coat must be dry
when the bituminous material is applied.
*Coal-Tar Pitch ASTM D450-41 Type B and Creosote Primer ASTM

D43-41 ; or Asphalt ASTM D449-47 Type B and Asphalt Primer D41-41
Core Filled Block Solid Top Block
Fig. 11 —Methods of constructing courses sup-

porting floors.
No filling against concrete masonry basement walls

should be permitted until first floor is in place.**
Supporting Floor and Roof Loads
Masonry courses which support floor beams or floor

slabs should be of solid masonry. This helps to distribute
the loads over the wall and provides a barrier against
termites. Such courses can be constructed by filling the
cores of hollow block with concrete or mortar (Fig. 11)
I
or by using solid masonry units without cores. For filling
cores a 1:2^:2^2 concrete mix with all coarse aggregate
passing a J/£-in. screen is recommended. When local regu-
lations permit, the cores may be filled with mortar like
**For more detailed information on basement construction see Recom-

mended Practices for Building Waterproof Basements of Concrete, published
by the Portland Cement Association.
In constructing dry basements it is recommended practice to

apply two coats of portland cement plaster to all wall surfaces
which will come in contact with the earth. Hot bituminous
material is sometimes applied over plaster as added pre-
caution for watertightness in very wet soils.
that used in laying the wall. Strips of expanded metal
lath, laid in the bed joint below, support the concrete
or mortar filling in the cores. Cores should be completely
filled. Some regulations require at least 4 in. of solid
masonry for courses supporting floors or roofs. Solid top
block (Fig. 1) with the top 4
such requirements.
in. solid are made to meet
OUjQ
Attaching Plates
Plates are fastened to the wall by anchor bolts about
18 in. long, % in. in diameter and spaced not more than Fig. —
13 Bonding of intersecting bearing walls that are laid
4 ft. apart. The bolts are placed in the cores of the top up together.
two courses (Fig. 12). The cores are then filled with con-
crete or mortar; pieces of metal lath having been placed
at the base of the cores to support the concrete mixture.
ing courses of the second wall are built into these
After the concrete has hardened around the anchor bolts
pockets. In addition, metal anchors at least 2 ft. long
the plates are attached.
(having a minimum section of 34 in. by l}/2 in. with
ends bent up at least 2 in.) are placed at vertical
intervals of not more than 4 ft. in the mortar joints
of interlocking courses. The hooked ends of these
Metal lath
Fig. 12 —Method of fastening wood

plate to top of wall.
Bonding of Meeting and Intersecting Walls

Care should be taken to securely bond or tie all walls
where they meet or intersect. Following are typical re-
quirements for such bonding:
Bearing Walls
(a) When two bearing walls meet or intersect and the
courses are laid up at the same time, a true masonry
bond between at least 50 per cent of the units at the
intersection is necessary (see Fig. 13).
(b) When such intersecting bearing walls arc laid up

separately, pockets with 8-in. maximum vertical
spacing are left in the first wall laid. The correspond-
Mason lays course of solid top block to support floors and

joists. Such block are made with top 4 in. solid.
29
anchors must engage the masonry to provide good
anchorage (see Fig. 14).
Nonhealing Walls
Meeting or intersecting nonbearing walls should be
bonded in a manner approved by the architect. Either of
the two methods recommended for bearing walls may
be used.
Anchoring the Walls

Lateral support for concrete masonry walls is com-
monly obtained by the floors and roof. Cast-in-place con-
crete floor or roof slabs bearing on masonry walls are
considered as providing sufficient anchorage.
When wood joists or wood beams bear on masonry
walls, the ends of the joists or beams are securely an-
chored to the walls at maximum intervals of 6 ft. in one-
and two-family dwellings and a maximum of 4 ft. in
other buildings. Metal anchors at least 16 in. long hav-
ing a minimum cross section of }/£ in. by lM in. are fas-
tened securely to the ends of the joists or beams and are

provided with split and upset ends or other approved
means for building into masonry (see drawing Z-125,
page 52).
When masonry walls are parallel to wood joists or
wood beams the walls must be anchored to the floor or

One method of bonding intersecting nonbearing walls using roof joists with metal anchors spaced at maximum inter-
strips of galvanized hardware cloth in alternate courses.
vals of g ft, in one- and two-family dwellings and 6 ft.
in other buildings. Such anchors shall engage at least

three joists or beams and be provided with upset or T- should be protected against possible breakage or staining
ends which develop the full strength of the anchor strap. during construction. Joints under sills should be com-
pletely filled with mortar and tightly tooled. Joints at
ends of sillsshould be filled with mortar or with an
Pilasters and Buttresses elastic calking compound.
Lintels over door and window openings carry either
For typical details of pilasters or buttresses required to
the wall load or both the wall and floor loads as the de-
carry concentrated roof or floor loads or to give lateral
sign of the structure may require. Reinforced concrete
support to the wall, see pages 59 and 60.
lintels, one-piece or two-piece, are suitable for use. They
may be precast in a products plant or can be cast-in-place.
Setting Door and Window Frames
jamb block (Fig. 1) are commonly used in laying up
the sides of window and door openings. The offset design
of these block and of precast concrete lintels permit
window or door frames to be inserted after the walls
have been laid up (Fig. 15). This method is preferred
over the method of setting and bracing the frames in
position on the wall and then building the walls up
around them.
For Wood Sash
Sills and Lintels
Most concrete sills are precast. However, concrete sills

may be cast-in-place. Fig. 16 shows sills for use with
either wood or metal window frames The sills are sloped
.
to drain water away quickly. A drip ledge causes the

water to fall free and not run down the face and stain
the wall.
For Metal Sash
Precast sills are usually installed after the masonry
walls are laid. When installed as the wall is laid up they Fig. 16 — Precast concrete sills.
31
—
TABLE 16—Lintels With Wall Load Only TABLE 1 7—Split Lintels With Wall Load Only
Size of lintel Bottom reinforcement Size of lintel Bottom reinforcement

Clear span Clear span
of lintel of lintel
Height Width Height Width
ft. No. bars Size of bars ft. No. bars Size of bars
in. in. in. In.
5 3/4 7% Up to 7 2 3
/s-in. round deformed 53/4 3y8 Up to 7 3/8-in, round deformed
5V4 7Va 7 to 8 2 Vs-in. round deformed 53/4 3 5/8 7 to 8 Vs-in. round deformed
7% 7 5A Up to 8 2 %-in. round deformed 7 /85
3 5/8 Up to 8 Vs-in. round deformed
7Vb 7Vb 8 to 9 2 Vi-in. round deformed 75/8 3 5/8 8 to 9 Vi-'m. round deformed
7 V* 7Vb 9 to 10 2 5
/s-in. round deformed 7V8 35/8 9 to 10 5
/s-in. round deformed
\- hxTerior
Exterior face 1 Exterior face -
Fig. 17 shows one-piece and split lintels (two-piece)

•^0 b» with accompanying Design Tables 16 and 17 for support-
in
°„ a
ing wall loads only. Fig. 18 and Table 18 are for lintels
-O
Mir
5j?
Si p- supporting both wall and floor loads. Designs for lintels
shown in Tables 16, 17 and 18 are based on concrete hav-
3%'
ing a strength of 2000 psi. Split lintels should never be
2T~3%"
used to support combined wall and floor loads because it
Fig, 17 —One-piece lintel (see Table 16) and split lintel (see
is difficult to design the inner section to
deflection as the outer sectionwhich carries wall load
have the same
Table 17).
two sections would
only. Differences in deflection of the
Exterior face Stirrups probably result in cracks in the masonry wall. Split
lintels are light in weight and easy to handle. The air
space between the sections provides some insulation.
Reinforced concrete lintels should have a minimum

5
5 /6" J 2" bearing of at least 8 in. at each end. Larger bearing areas
2" 6" No minal bearing Actual masonru opening are required for lintels having long spans or carrying
2" I
3" I
3"
heavy loads. All but short simple lintels act as reinforced
Fig. 1 8 —One-piece lintel with stirrups (see Table 1 8). concrete beams and should be designed by an engineer.
Êxterior face Where it is desired to have lintels with a surface tex-

ture matching that of the concrete masonry wall, special
cast-in-place or precast lintels are made as follows: Lin-
tel block with depressed webs or without webs (see Fig.

1) are laid end to end forming a channel. Reinforcing
rods are placed in the channel after which with
it is filled
concrete. If the lintel is built in place, it must be firmly

supported during construction. Another method is to
Fig. 19 — Lintel block and steel angle lintels. use steel angles to support block over openings (Fig. 19).
TABLE 18— Lintels With Wall and Floor Loads

Floor load assumed to be 85 lb. per sq.ft. with 20-ft. span
Size of lintel Reinforcement

Web reinforcement No. 6 gage wire
Clear span
Spacings from end of
stirrups.
Height Width of lintel
Top Bottom lintel—both ends the same
ft.
in. in.
7% 7Vb 3 None 2 — Vi-in. round No stirrups required

7Yb 7*/b 4 None 2 3
/4-in. round 3 stirrups, Sp.: 2, 3, 3 in.
7Vb 7Vb 5 2— %-in. round 2— 7A-ln. round 5 stirrups, Sp.: 2, 3, 3, 3, 3 in.
7Vb 7¥b 6 2— !^t-in. round 2— %-in. round 6 stirrups, Sp.: 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 in.
7Vb 7Vb 7 2— -in. round
1 2 — l-in. round 9 stirrups, Sp.: 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 in.
32
:
board is raised, cleaned and laid

level for placing ties the
on the ties placed at this level.
The practice of providing special flashing and weep
holes in masonry cavity walls primarily presumes that
water will enter the wall from the outside. If concrete
masonry walls are properly designed and built with well-
compacted mortar joints and are painted or stuccoed as
outlined on pages 43 to 45, the walls should be weather-
tight. Thus, in the great majority of cases, there should
be no need for special flashing and weep holes.
However, in limited areas subjected to severe driving
rains, or where experience has shown that sufficient water
collects in the wall to make flashing and weep holes
necessary, this practice is followed
The heads of windows, doors and other wall open-
ings, and the bottom course of masonry immediately
above any solid belt course or foundation, are flashed
so that any moisture entering the wall cavity will be
Concrete
masonry units directed toward the outside walls. Only rust-resisting
metal or approved materials treated with asphalt or
pitch preparations should be used for flashing,
Weepholes are placed every 2 or 3 units apart in the
vertical joints of thebottom course of the outside wall
immediately above any solid belt course or foundation.
In no case should the weepholes be located below
Fig. 20 — 10-in. cavity wall. grade. Weepholes can be formed by placing well-oiled
rubber tubing in the mortar joint and then extracting
it after the mortar has become hard. The tubing should
Cavity Wall Construction extend up into the cavity for several inches to provide
A cavity wall consists of two walls separated by a con- a drainage channel through any mortar droppings that
tinuous air space (Fig. 20) and securely tied together might have accumulated.
with non-corroding metal ties of adequate strength. For
each 3 sq.ft. of wall surface a rectangular tie of No. 6
gage wire can be used. The ties are embedded in the hori-
zontal joints of both walls. Additional ties are necessary
A cavity wall consists of an inner wall and an outer wall
separated by an air space.
at all openings, with ties spaced about 3 ft. apart around
the perimeter and within 12 in. of the opening.
Typical codes require that 10-in. cavity walls should
not exceed 25 ft. in height. In residential construction the
overall thicknesses of concrete masonry cavity walls are
nominally 10 in. or 12 in.
Neither the inner nor the outer walls should be less
than 4 in. thick (nominal dimension) and the space be-

tween them should not be less than 2 in. nor more than
3 in. wide. Usually the outer wall is nominally 4 in.
thick and the remaining wall thickness made up by the

air space and the inner wall. For example, a modular
concrete masonry cavity wall nominally 12 in. thick is
composed of a 4-in. outer wall, an air space of 2 in. and

a 6-in. inner wall. For further details see pages 57 and 58.
A simple method of preventing the accumulation of
mortar droppings between walls and maintaining a
clear cavity is to lay a lx2-in. board across a level of ties
to catch the droppings. As the masonry reaches the next
33
Left — A continuous reinforced concrete bond beam under construction using beam block. Right — A type of beam block for con-
structing deep bond beams.
Mortar used for cavity wall construction should be For example, in earthquake regions it is necessary to
composed of one of the mixes shown in Table 15 accord- provide more than ordinary stability for all types of
ing to the type of service anticipated. masonry walls. This is also true in regions where severe
wind storms occur or in areas where foundation soils are
Construction of Concrete Masonry
unstable. Moreover, in almost any locality there are
for Unusual Stress Conditions walls which are subject to excessive vibration or to very
Frequently architects and builders are confronted with heavy loads. Often, too, there are buildings with long
local problems and requirements which need special con- masonry walls which are subject to contraction and other
struction techniques. stresses.
Left —
Wall construction using deep bond beam block in third course from top of wall. The bond beam is tied into the cast-in-
—
place reinforced concrete corner column. Right Cast-in-place type of reinforced concrete bond beam.
Any of these examples of unusual stress conditions by reinforced concrete studs at corners and at wall open-
require special attention by the architect and engineer ings and at regular intervals between wall openings. The
and are often covered by local codes. Thus, in earthquake concrete studs are tied in with the bond beams. Size and
and hurricane regions the walls may be reinforced hori- spacing of all reinforcement is usually covered by local
zontally by continuous reinforced concrete bond beam at codes.
each story height. They also may be reinforced vertically Bond beams are often constructed with special trough-
-Column
Cracking may occur here

•
Notching of units in order to preserve masonry

pattern across face of column may result in
cracks,as indicated, due to column restraints
WRONG
Dove-tail anchors-
Control joint' / "^Control joint

"~2"Concrete masonry
Stresses in walls due to column restraints are
minimized by control joints
RIGHT
Fig. 23 —
Wrong and right methods of constructing concrete
masonry walls around columns.
are not to be furred and plastered saw cuts should be on

both sides of the wall and directly opposite each other.
Control joint opening carefully tilled with a knife grade
A masonry saw is used for this purpose. is
elastic calking compound.
Regardless of how the joint opening is constructed it
should be filled with a knife grade elastic calking com-
pound. coat before calking. This will extend the life of the calk-
It may be advisable to paint the joint with a prime ing compound by preventing the porous masonry surfaces
from absorbing the oils from the compound.
The calking compound manufacturer's rec-
ommendations for joint primer should be
followed.
Various methods of constructing control
joints are detailed on pages 59 and 60.
When portland cement base paints are
applied over freshly calked control joints
the oils in the calking compound have a
tendency to "bleed* through the paint.
*
To prevent this, cover with a coat of shellac

before applying the cement paint.
in sawed type of control joint,

vertical groove is produced by
cutting with a masonry saw. A
board nailed to the wall serves
as a straightedge to guide the
saw.
SECTION 5
CONCRETE MASONRY WALL FINISHES
M wide variety of wall finishes are available with con- Wall Patterns and Surface Treatments
crete masonry construction. The finish to use in
Architects have worked out many interesting varia-
any particular case will be governed by the type of tions in treatment of course heights and joints. Several
structure in which the walls will be used, the climatic
popular wall patterns are illustrated on pages 40 and 41.
conditions to which the walls will be exposed, and the The may
units be laid in regular courses of the same
architectural effects desired. Several popular finishes are
height, or in courses of two or more different heights, or
described in this section. may
several sizes of units be laid up in a prearranged
ashlar pattern.*
Sample Panels
In some wall treatments all the joints are accentuated
Regardless of which finish is selected, it is recom-
by deep tooling; in others only the horizontal joints are
mended that sample panel walls be constructed on all
accentuated. In the latter treatment the vertical joints
important jobs as a means of conveying to block pro- after tooling are refilled with mortar and then rubbed
ducers, masons and building contractors the grade of flush after the mortar has partially hardened to give it a
materials, quality of workmanship and precise appear-
texture similar to that of the concrete masonry units. In
ance desired in the finished walls. Such panels are much this treatment the tooled horizontal joints stand out in
more effective than written words or photographs in de-
fining and specifying the quality of work required. *Masonry walls may also be laid with units stacked in a vertical or
horizontal position or in a basket weave pattern. Although tests have
Panels should be about 40 in. long and at least four
not been made to ascertain the strength, stability and weathertightness
courses high and constructed of block of the same type, of walls built of stacked block, approval has been given by the Wiscon-
sin Industrial Commission to the use of stacked bond concrete masonry
size, and surface texture as will be used in the finished
in that state provided certain construction practices are followed. Notes
wall. The same pattern
units also should be laid in the covering the requirements and suggested reinforcement details for con-
crete masonry walls of stacked bond construction applying in the state
with the same kind of joints as will be required in the
of Wisconsin, are available on request from the Portland Cement
finished work. If finished walls are to be painted, panels Association.
should also be painted.

Panels should be kept for
reference until the construc-
tion is completed in a satis-
factory manner.
A flush vertical joint is finished

by rubbing with a piece of
masonry or block of wood.
39
40
strong relief. It is well suited to buildings where it is
desired to emphasize strong horizontal lines. Where an

especially massive effect is sought, every second or third
horizontal joint may be tooled, with all other joints,
both horizontal and vertical, rubbed flush after tooling
and refilling with mortar.
Another variation in finish is obtained by extruded
joints. An excess of mortar is used. Some of the mortar
is squeezed out or extruded as the block are set and
pressed into place. This mortar is not trimmed off but is

left to harden in its extruded form. This treatment is
best suited to dry climates since the extruded joints may

not be entirely weathertight.
Slump block are used to achieve special and unusual
Slump block are made with a con-
architectural effects.
mixture of such consistency that they sag or slump
crete
when removed from the molds, with the result that the
irregularly faced units vary considerably in height, sur-
face texture and general appearance.
Split-block afford another variation in wall finish. They
In extruded mortar joint construction, mortar

squeezed out as block are laid is not trimmed
off but is left to harden in its extruded form.
Slump block laid

in ashlar pattern.
42
Tooling mortar joints of concrete split-block masonry. The fractured block produce walls of rugged
appearance.
are used for facing fireplaces, chimneys or the entire in- Specification for Paint, Serial Designation: TT-P-21, Type
terior and exterior walls of the building. Split-block are II, Class A or Class B. Class A paint is used where the
made by splitting a hardened concrete unit lengthwise. surface texture of the masonry wall is to be preserved.
The units are laid in the wall with the fractured faces Class B paint contains a filler which gives the paint more
exposed. Many interesting variations can be obtained by body and is used to fill open porous surfaces.
introducing mineral colors and by using aggregates of Tests* conducted on various types of paints on masonry
different gradings and colors in the concrete mixture. walls have found that portland cement base paints are
Split-block can be laid in simple broken joint patterns or highly effective as weatherproofing and that they have a
in any of the other patterns used in concrete masonry high durability rating.
construction. The fractured faces of the units produce a The normal exterior concrete masonry wall treatment
wall of rugged appearance. consists of two coats of portland cement paint. Where
All block intended for use in exterior walls and which walls are constructed of dense block with weathertight
will not be painted should have low absorption, with joints, and paint is used only for its color, one coat of
joints carefully tooled for weathertightness. paint ordinarily will be sufficient.
One coat of portland cement paint is usually adequate
Painted Concrete Masonry Walls for interior walls where weathertightness is not a factor.
The growing popularity of concrete masonry and the Surface texture as well as sound absorption values are
demand for white, or light-colored exterior surfaces has better preserved when one instead of two coats of paint
resulted in the increased use of portland cement base is used.
paints. Portland cement paint when properly applied to Portland cement paint should be applied to surfaces
concrete masonry walls serves two practical purposes:
*BMS 95, Tests of Cement-Water Paints and Other Waterproofing for Unit-
(1) provides attractive finishes and (2) helps to
it make Masonry Walls by Cyrus C. Fishburn and Douglas E. Parsons, issued
y
masonry surfaces weathertight. March 15, 1943; and BMS 110, Paints for Exterior Masonry Walls by ,
Clara Sentel, issued November 15, 1947. Copies for sale by Superinten-
Portland cement paint is sold in powdered form in a —
dent of Documents, Washington 25, D.C. Price 15 cents. "Tests of the
variety of colors and is mixed with water before apply- Resistance to Rain Penetration of Walls Built of Masonry and Con-
crete," by R. E. Copeland and C. C. Carlson, American Concrete In-
ing. It should meet the requirements of the Federal stitute, Proceedings, Vol. 36, p. 169.
43
which are clean and free from oil, oil paint, dirt, or any
substance which will prevent proper adhesion. Cracks or
other wall imperfections should be cleaned of loose par-
ticles, dampened and filled with a stiff portland cement
grout, and should be allowed to cure before painting.
The surface should be lightly dampened but not soaked
with water before painting is begun so that the wall will
not absorb mixing water needed for proper hardening of
the cement paint. A garden pressure-sprayer with a fine
fog spray nozzle is recommended for this purpose. The
surface should be uniformly damp but not wet when
painted. All flashing, hangers, fasteners, trim and other
fixed supports should be in place before painting is started.
Portland cement base paint should be prepared by mix-
ing with water in the manner and to the consistency
recommended in the instructions furnished by the manu-
facturer. Frequent stirring
is necessary to keep the paint
powder in suspension. A
shallow pan 4 to 6 in. deep and
12 in. or more wide provides a good container. In such a
pan the paint can be stirred easily and quickly. When the
pan is filled to a depth of only 2 or 3 in. the paint can be
stirred by the painter as he refills his brush.
Brushes with not over 2 in. long, such
stiff fiber bristles
as scrub and fender brushes, should be used to scrub the

paint into surface pores. Brushes should be designed to
keep the hands from unnecessary contact with the paint,
as tender or sensitive skin may become irritated by pro-
longed contact with cement paint. The use of rubber
gloves is advisable in some instances.
Surface of concrete masonry wall is uniformly dampened
with water fog spray just prior to application of portland
The first coat, when scrubbed into the surface, will
cement base paints. A garden pressure sprayer with a fine eliminate any small pinholes through which water other-
fog noxzle is recommended for this purpose. wise might enter the wall. Mortar joints around each
block should be painted first.
Typical brushes used in applying

portland cement paint:
1, Ordinary scrub brush
2. Window brush
3, Brush with handle
4. Fender brush
When the first coat has hardened sufficiently, usually
not sooner than 12 hours, the second coat should be
applied after first dampening the surface. After the paint-
ing has been started it should be continued to some natural
stopping point such as corners, doors, belt courses, etc.
Frequent stirring of the paint is essential.
Paint should not be applied to frosty surfaces nor
should painting be attempted if the temperature is likely
to bebelow 40 deg. F. during the following 12 hours.
Properly applied and cured, portland cement paint
bonds to and becomes a part of the concrete masonry
wall, sealing the mortar joints and block surfaces.
High winds, excessive heat and strong sunshine will
dry cement paint quickly and render it ineffective as a
weather tight coating unless it is properly moist cured.
Improperly cured portland cement base paints may chalk
or dus t . The firs t coat should, therefore, be kept in a slightly
damp condition for at least 12 hours and the finish coat
for 48 hours. Keeping the paint moist with a fine fog
spray should start as soon as the paint is hard enough to
resist damage.
Two-tone effects can be produced by applying first and
second coats of different but harmonizing colors as for —
example, a first coat of light brown and a second coat of
cream. In this treatment the second coat is usually painted
lightly over the touching only the high spots and
first,
being careful not to brush paint into the depressions.

Another variation of this method is to rub off part of the
second coat producing a mottled variety of other
effect. A Recommended practice is to paint joints first.
color combinations can be used depending on the skill of

the painter and the decorative effect desired.
painting sample wall panels. This is important because
Only light pastel shades of portland cement base paint
the color of a painted wall will vary somewhat depend-
are recommended for painting exterior concrete masonry
ing upon the kind of aggregate in the concrete block, the
walls.
rate and amount of absorption, the method of curing the
On where a particular color effect is desired it is
jobs
paint and other factors. Sample walls should be con-
recommended that paint selection be determined by
structed as described in Sample Panels, page 39. The
paint should be applied and cured in the same manner as
will be used on the walls of the building. As an alterna-
tive for the sample panels, the paint can be applied to
sections of the building wall.
Concrete masonry is an excellent surface for the appli-
cation of other types of paints. Manufacturer's instruc-
tions for applying these paints should be followed.
Stuccoed or Plastered Walls

Concrete masonry walls provide good bond for port-
land cement stucco and plaster finishes. For details on
the application of portland cement stucco and portland
cement plaster to walls of concrete masonry, see the
specifications of the American Standards Association*
and the Plasterer's Manual.**
Fig. 24 —Application of portland cement stucco to concrete

* Standard Specifications
Plastering
forPortland Cement Stucco and Portland Cement
(A42.2 and A42.3), published by the American Standards
masonry walls. Similar construction is used for portland ce- Association.
ment plaster. ** Plasterer s Manual, published by the Portland Cement Association.
45
Reference List on Concrete Masonry
American Standard Building Code Requirements for Masonry, Miscellaneous Publications M-174, U.S. Depart-
ment of Commerce, Washington, D.C. *
ASTM Specifications for Concrete Masonry Units: t

Hollow Load-Bearing Concrete Masonry Units (C90-52).
Hollow Non-Load-Bearing Concrete Masonry Units (C 129- 5 2).
Solid Load-Bearing Concrete Masonry Units (C145-52).
Concrete Masonry Units for Construction of Catch-Basins and Manholes (C139-39).
Concrete Building Brick (C55-52).
Standard Methods of Sampling and Testing Concrete Masonry Units (C140-52).
Federal Specifications for Concrete-Units: Masonry, Hollow (SS-C-621).* Federal Specifications' Board,
Washington, D.C.
Standard for Concrete Masonry Units, Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.**
Simplified Practice Recommendation R 32-38: Concrete Building Units. U.S. Department of Commerce,
Washington, D.C*
Project A-62 for Coordination of Dimensions of Building Materials and Equipment. American Standards
Association, 29 West 39th Street, New York, N.Y.
"Strength and Stability of Concrete Masonry Walls," by F. E. Ricbart, R. B. B. Moorman and P. M. Wood-
worth. Bulletin No. 251, Engineering Experiment Station, University of Illinois.**
Mortar Strength and Strength of Unit on the Strength of Concrete Masonry Walls," by R. E.
"Effect of
Copeland and A. G. Timms. Proceedings, American Concrete Institute, Vol. 28, p. 551, 1932.
"Tests of the Stability of Concrete Masonry Walls," by F. E. Ricbart, P. M. Woodworth and R. B. B. Moor-
man. Proceedings, American Society for Testing Materials, Vol. 31, Part II, p. 687.
"The Structural Performance of Concrete Masonry Walls," by F. E. Ricbart. Proceedings, American Con-
crete Institute, Vol. 28, p. 363, 1932.
"Tests of the Fire Resistance and Stability of Walls of Concrete Masonry Units," by C A. Menzel.
Proceedings, American Society for Testing Materials, Vol. 31, Part II, p. 607.
"The Strength of Concrete Masonry Walls After Standard Fire Exposure," by C. A. Menzel Proceedings,
American Concrete Institute, Vol. 29, p. 113, 1933.
"Tests on Concrete Masonry Units Using Tamping and Vibration Molding Methods," by K. F. Wend/
and P. M. Woodworth.** Proceedings, American Concrete Institute, Vol. 36, p. 121, 1940.
"Strength of Concrete Block Pilasters Under Varied Eccentric Loading," by J. R. Shank and H. D. Foster.
Bulletin No. 60; Engineering Experiment Station, Ohio State University.
Tests of the Fire Resistance and Strength of Walls of Concrete Masonry Units, by C. A. Menzel. Portland
Cement Association, Chicago, 111.
Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning Guide, American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers, New
York, N.Y.
"Thermal Insulation of Concrete Homes," by Arthur Stone. Proceedings, American Concrete Institute, Vol. 44,
p. 849, 1948.
"Thermal Properties of Concrete Construction," by F. B. Rowley, A. B. Algren and C. C. Carlson.

Heating, Piping and Air Conditioning, January 1936.
"Thermal Properties of Concrete Construction (Part 2) "by P.B. Rowley, A. B. Algren and Robert Lander,
Heating, Piping and Air Conditioning, November 1936.
Acoustics and Architecture, by Paul E. Sabine. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York and London,
1932.
"Sound -Absorbing Value of Portland Cement Concrete," by P. R. Watson and K. C. MorricaL Proceedings,
American Concrete Institute, Vol. 32, p. 659, 1936.
"The Nature of Portland Cement Paints and Proposed Recommended Practice for Their Application
to Concrete Surfaces," Proceedings, American Concrete Institute, Vol. 38, p. 485, 1942.
Standard for Recommended Practice for the Application of Portland Cement Paint to Concrete Surfaces
(ACI 6 16-49)* American Concrete Institute.
"Comparative Tests of Clay, Sand-Lime and Concrete Brick Masonry," by A. H. Beyer and W. J. Krejeld.
Bulletin No. 2, Department of Civil Engineering, Columbia University.
"Concrete Masonry," by Amund Korsmo. Reprinted from HHFA Technical Bulletin No. 9 (March 1949).*
"Tests of the Resistance to Rain Penetration of Walls Built of Masonry and Concrete," by R. E.
Copeland and G C. Carlson. Proceedings, American Concrete Institute, vol. 36, p. 169, 1940.**
"Good Practice in Concrete Masonry Wall Construction," by Kenneth G Tippy. Proceedings , American
Concrete Institute, vol, 38, p. 317, 1942.
Bureau of Standards publications, U.S. Department of Commerce*

Building and Housing Bulletins
No. 6 —Recommended Minimum Requirements for Masonry Wall Construction.

No. 14 —Recommended Minimum Requirements for Fire Resistance in Buildings.
No. 18 —Recommended Minimum Requirements for Small Dwelling Construction.
Building Materials and Structural Reports
BMS —Structural Properties of Six Masonry Wall Constructions.

5
BMS 7 —Water Permeability of Masonry Walls.
BMS 17 — Sound Insulation of Wall and Floor Constructions and Supplement.
BMS 2 — Structural Properties of a Concrete- Block Cavity- Wall Construction.
1
BMS 22 —Structural Properties of "Dun-Ti-Stone" Wall Construction.

BMS 32 — Structural Properties of Two Brick-Concrete-Block Wall Constructions and a Concrete-
Block Wall Construction.
BMS —Effects of Wetting and Drying on the Permeability of Masonry Walls.
55
BMS 82 —Water Permeability of Walls Built of Masonry Units.
BMS 88 —Recommended Building Code Requirements for New Dwelling Construction.
BMS 92 —Fire Resistance Classifications of Building Construction.
BMS 95 —Tests of Cement- Water Paints and Other Waterproofings for Unit-Masonry Walls.
BMS 110— Paints for Exterior Masonry Walls.
Suggested Specifications**
Portland Cement Stucco on Concrete Masonry Walls.
Application of Portland Cement Paint on Exposed Concrete Masonry Walls.
Concrete Footings and Concrete Masonry Walls.
Interior Wall and Ceiling Finishes.
Concrete Masonry Chimneys and Fireplaces.
Concrete Footings and Reinforced Concrete Masonry Walls.
*Copics available from Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
c
*Single copies available free in the United States and Canada on request to Portland Cement Association, 33 West Grand Ave.,
Chicago 10, III.
t Copies available from American Society for Testing Materials, 1916 Race Street. Philadelphia, Pa,
SUGGESTED DETAILS OF
CI I
CONCRETE MASONRY CONSTRUCTION
On the following pages are assembled a number of drawings illustrating various recom
mended details for concrete masonry design and construction.
The construction details shown on pages 49 to 61 have been prepared in accordance with
modular coordination of design. The grid lines shown on the drawings are module lines
based on a 4-in. module. All drawings with grid lines are to a scale of 1 in; =1 ft.
On pages 62 and 63 are shown some of the patterns used in concrete masonry construction.
These may suggest other patterns to the designer.
These are typical designs and should not be used as working

drawings. They are intended to be helpful in the preparation of
complete plans which should be adapted to local conditions and
should conform with legal requirements. Working drawings should
be prepared and approved by a qualified engineer or architect.
48
: « ' y .
<!•
Bevele d sidir g well
Twoi' °.-o. oiled c >r soar )ed
C
coats of
1
Portland
cement
plaster
r c
f
Jl-
1 '
A•
•
'
• *
'-
ft
Me thod P
Grave! or
stone fill — mak ng jo nt
rH
;
Bituminous joint
'Cr
\ o r 9 Concrete floi
a
0; .0; |
°a
\ Concr ete
drain tile -7.
9
I 0*
<7<0 p 1
o-
k.'ox •
Comp' gcted f
'
. «n(J-
0'; earth
'©..-.
. ; C
'
*
!
.'0 .
Footing
F OOTIr- 4G 6" Basement Wall
semen tWali- (very wet soil ) —
l! I L
Z-29
% •
0."
& .0
•
•
c-
< <:
H_
:•'
V b.
A; ;
,c
r '0.
; c
Concr 'ete
floor-
?y
n r r <~
-Brtun 111 luub juini
Concr •ete f loor-y P'
H C"
Cone rrete f loor—

6: X .<£;• .0
(
d
!
° & 'to-'-;
°0'O:
£ :
:^c •
r b * .
.0°
Go
p0*
-
—; e D *
.'
•'.*,<? 0'
.
PW
.
*
/}V//
; .
' *
"1
).
<?'
* ompac ted
/ -Com pactec earth
IT? arth-
V <7 ;
F<DOTIh IG F OOTIN G
5" Intel-iorBa semen- Nor »- beari
Bearing Wall Udseineni Kdr n ion 1
1 1 1
I I
49
Z-86
Z-U6
z-iia
8" Precast
concrete joist-
Masonry bridgini
I
|
Alternate Framing of Wall

and 6" Precast
Concrete Joist Floor
(Joists Built into Wall)
I I I L
Z.-I
2-120 Z-I2I
51
Z-175
53
t/ 1
^T "7T
c
^J 0.
-Furri ng
,0*
. V i
c -Plaster .'0
O;'.
Preca 5t .y.
•a
'
9
J— —
:
coner ete P'

lintel c: '*<\
j
• 0.
C\ Furr ng
1 •.C-;0 •55.'
L
K—
1
1 5?
'
a
-Plast er
Calkir
Detail <
-
D.
\ — c
Pt aster Re jturn Precast

concrete -t
'•'
lintel
Hi
Calki ^— Ur 3R
ij
He :AD FC >R _
Double H UNG-
ARCh1ITEC1"URAL WoodWi*JDOW
*OJEC :ted\A /lNDC >W
1
Z-206
2-212
55
Electrical Outlet Box
with Furred and Plastered Wall
ZT30T
Z-305
57
: -
r .
if
o.\ r
61.
Q'l
o j i
°: .
'
°*
•
-Outside face of wall % Length blocK
Metal ties- i i
Fmi si- floor line

it"
ST
."
;.
Wood joist
*/< j
Joist ancho s / ?i -
»*•]
?
* .
L
.
K Solid x>ncr€ te bloc
p; .
5
0'* c
O'J "
•
• Framing c f C avity Wall Corner Construction
and Wood Joist Floor Cavity Wall
:
a1
«4
ft* •
;
Lai,.,
Z-337
1
r
I
|
Fl ashing over lintels
Metal ties
Metal clip
M
6
Noncorroding wire ties
No.6Ga.l6'b.c.vert.
24"o.c.horiz.
Metal ties
Metal clip
Metal clip
Metal ties
Cavity Wall with

Metal Window
Z-338
12x16" r-^xie' 12V 16*
DDODDQ
=Cf] g pODDQODt
a -Alternate
—
a
courses -34- 12V 12"
-Alternate
—
a
a
courses
a -U-L,
11
i
,
r
a
1 1
8"High block 4"High block 8"High block 4"High block
Corner Construction for Corner Construction for

8x8x16" and 8U"xI6"Block I2x8xI6"andI2"x4xI6"Block
4"xl2'7 ^8"xl2" -8V10'
m M"x8" ^"xS" ^-4"xl6" fflSBB a

o r~l -6Vio" -8x12"
fi
-Alternate
courses — -Alternate
courses —
a
a
I
o
B
0. ?=rW
HEW I Q TOW a 1
1 : i : i : i
a
8" High block 4"High block 8" High block 4" High block
Corner Construction for Corner Construction for

4x8"xI6"and 4x4x16" Block 8x8'kl2" and 8V4VI2" Block
r8Vl6" 8VI6"
ffio
CZ3
en 4x4"or2
-Alternate
courses
bricks
w
a
CZI
-4 n x4"or 2 bricks
Two types of
pilaster block
1
,1, 1
~r~r
>
M
8 High block 4" High block
Corner Construction for Pilaster Block

!2a8WandI2UxI6
,,
Block For control joint with Control Joints

details see Pwg.Z-383
Z-375
-9
/ -
On exposed face of wall rake out mortar to

Vand ith
fill v(\" c alking compoun Calking only on
Âlterna te courses -7 \exposed face
Calking
D DO
^Control joint unit — mortar on
"Calking or
Method A unexposed face
Mortar- r- Alterna te courses^
Unexposed face of wall
raiulnn
LaiKing-, f 0n exposed face of wall rake out mortar to
'
"No 6 wires qreased and laid in every other course
3
i /4 and ff|1 wjth ca k )rjjq compound^
.,
Method B
Jamb blocks Âlterna te coursesy
Mortar
Calking-
^tio.6 wires qreased and laid in every other course
Method C
Details of Control Joints

For control joint
Control Joints details see Dwg.Z-383
Methods A, Band C
Z -383
Metal ties every other course
— £- Alternate courses—^
r na ^* e QUrs —
1
",^^ i M !.
5
\
Q
Solid masonry Rabbetted to
fit column
Method D Method A
;No.6 wire bent in
^form of U.greased and
\laid in every other course
j— Alternate courses
Âlternat e courses^^
"2Bar bend end down

intocore and fill core Method B
with concrete
Method E Pilasters with Control Joints
ControlJoints For control joint
details see Dwg.Z-383 METHODS PanD E details see Dwg.Z-383
Methods AandB
Z-382 Z-378
cours es—^
Alternate courses - ^-Alternate
o
Of
Q
No.6 wires greased
and laid in every
other course
Method C
n Method E
ESS
mm Alternate
No.6 wires greased

and laid in every
other course
Method D
courses^
a
o CM
Alternate courses
F
I
A.
JUijLJLJlJy
Pilasters with Control Joints

Pilasters with Control Joints
For control joint For control joint Methods EandF
details see Dwg.Z-383 Methods C and D details see Dwg.Z-383
Z-379 Z-360
60
)
mrm
1
i 2 .
I
3 I. I \2:;vV---
8x5" Flue 8"xl6"F!ue 2-8"x8" Flues 2-8x8"Flues 8x8"6-8VI2"Flues
?3» I;
l •2. I
l2Yl2"Flue 2-8"x)2"Flues I2xl2"&8\l2" Flues 3-8"xl2" Flues
Concrete Masonry Chimneys

Block Layouts
Z-420
r-3 5/s"
l'-5"
M
4x8x12' 4"x8 x16'
Id BlocK Block
S3*
No.l No.2
1-10"
u
4"x8"xl2' 4 x8"x8"
Plain Keyed Thimble BlocK BlocK
"ltd No.l No.3
Modular Size Chimney Block

One-Piece Chimney Units (For use with Gay Flue Lining
2-425
Z.-423 Z-424
61
MmM. I i
I 1
m^mmm
* -v -..I
mmmm
•
1 :
:
1111 hi •
. :
-1 ! 1 1
:
^^^^ •mm
§111 mMmm
'
ii i
" ii ii
.... KUNNINO
M
DONU =Runn+ng Bond
8 x 16" Units =^;4"xl6" Units.
J
^500
• •
mm
• •
MM1 - ^î II : , v0|^>

mm
I
•
v| •
-I
'
!
•
mm :^v^;t.,v:/.;:^:l-V::.V--:v::
If
:VV:V.:-l:-::.>-::-.:--l,:i
w
Ill it "1
1::-
Coursed Ashlar^z
A ID Ol IvJ O A J<Q "^"^ 4"* Wand 8"x 16" Unite
Z-502 Z-503
I-'.".-. :
= =
Cou rs ed Ashlar 3
,,
Coursed Ashlar*4
4"xl6 and8 ,,
x16"Units . *+ X t v a 1 in o a i c unu:>
tm
2-504 2-505
62
, i
........
11 II
RTIC/ "ACKII^6 Horizon tal Stacking

n
8"x l6"Uni "xi6 units
i
•
. I:
• v 1
Z-506 07
)QUAF BASKE:T WEA\'E

n
:
8" *8" Units 8% 16" Units

! • -II II 1 1
-
•
i t
^
II
II.
Pattfr NFD A^HI AO ^Coursed PatternedAshlar
Z-510
j:-; 8"*8"and 8"x l6"Urlits
DC
2-511
,,
4 x8;4
and 8"x
•i — ,, ,
xl^ ;4x^& ;8
16"
,
Units
w
xl2
,,
63
SUGGESTED DETAILS OF CONCRETE MASONRY CONSTRUCTION
List of Drawings
Number Description Page Number Description Page
Z-25 Footing —Basement Wall
8-in. 49 Z-330 Cavity Wall at Roof Plate 57
Z-26 Footing— 8-in. Basement Wall (Very Wet Soil) 49 Z-331 Framing of Cavity Wall and Precast Concrete
Z-28 Footing— 10-in. Basement Wall 49 Joist Roof. 57
Z-29 Footing— 12-in. Basement Wall 49 Z-332 Framing of Cavity Wall and Precast Concrete
Z-30 Footing —
8-in. Interior Basement Bearing Wall. 49 Joist Roof with Parapet 57
Z-33 Footing —
Nonbearing Basement Partition .... . 49 Z-333 Framing of Cavity Wall and Precast Concrete
Z-85 Bonding Intersecting Bearing Walls (Showing Joist Floor. 57
Alternate Courses) 50 Z-334 Framing of Cavity Wall and Floor on Founda-
Z-86 Intersection of Bearing and Nonbearing Walls. 50 tion Wall 57
Z-l 15 Framing of Wall and Concrete Slab Floor. ... 50 Z-33 5 Alternate Framing of Cavity Wall and Precast
Z-116 Alternate Framing of Wall and Concrete Slab Concrete Joist Floor 57
Floor 50 Z-336 Framing of Cavity Wall and Wood Joist Floor 58
Z-l 17 Framing of Wall and 8-in. Precast Concrete Z-337 Corner Construction Cavity Wall 58
Joist Floor (Joists Built into Wall) 51 Z-338 Cavity Wall with Double Hung Wood Window 58
Z-l 18 Framing of Wall and 8-in. Precast Concrete Z-339 Cavity Wall with Metal Window 58
Joist Floor (Joists Parallel to Wall) 51 Z-87 Corner Construction for 8x8x16- in. and8x4xl6-
Z-l 19 Alternate Framing of Wall and 8-in. Precast in. Block 59
Concrete Joist Floor (Joists Built into Wall) ... 51 Z-88 Corner Construction for 4x8x1 6-in. and 4x4x1 6-
Z-l 20 Framing of Wall and 10-in. Precast Concrete in. Block 59
Joist Floor (Joists Built into Wall) 51 Z-89 Corner Construction for 1 2x8x1 6-in. and 1 2x
Z-l 21 Framing of Wall and 10-in. Precast Concrete 4x1 6-in. Block ; 59
Joist Floor (Joists Parallel to Wall) 51 Z-90 Corner Construction for 12x8x1 6-in. and 1 2x
Z-l 22 Alternate Framing of Wall and 10-in. Precast 4x1 6-in. Block 59
Concrete Joist Floor (Joists Built into Wall) ... 51 Z-91 Corner Construction for 8x8x1 2 -in. and 8x4x1 2-
Z-l 23 Framing of Wall and Concrete Block Joist Floor 52 in. Block. 59
Z-124 Framing of Wall and Soffit Block Joist Floor. . . 52 Z-375 Pilaster Block with Control Joints. 59
Z-l 25 Framing of Wall and Wood Joist Floor (Joists Z-376 Control Joints Methods A, B and C. . 60
Built into Wall) 52 Z-378 Pilasters with Control Joints Methods A and B. 60
Z-l 75 Basement Wood Door 52 Z-379 Pilasters with Control Joints Methods C and D . 60
Z-200 Basement Metal Window 52 Z-380 Pilasters with Control Joints Methods E and F. 60
Z-l 76 Head Wood Door
for 53 Z-382 Control Joints Methods D and E 60
Z-l 77 Jamb Wood Door
for 53 Z-383 Details of Control Joints 60
Z-l 78 Sill for Wood Door 53 Z-420 Concrete Masonry Chimney Block Layouts. ... 61
Z-201 Basement Wood Window 53 Z-421 Modular Size Chimney Block (For use with clay
Z-202 Metal Window with Molded Metal Surround . . 53 flue lining) 61
Z-203 Head for Double Hung Wood Window 54 Z-423 Chimney Footing on Exterior Wall 61
Z-204 Jamb for Double Hung Wood Window 54 Z-424 Chimney Footing on Interior Wall 61
Z-205 Sill for Double Hung Wood Window 54 Z-425 One-Piece Chimney Units 61
Z-206 Head for Architectural Projected Window. ... 54 Z-500 Running Bond —
8x1 6-in. Units 62
Z-207 Jamb for Architectural Projected Window. ... 54 Z-501 Running Bond —
4x1 6-in. Units 62
Z-208 Sill for Architectural Projected Window. 54 Z-502 Coursed Ashlar No. 1 —
4x1 6-in. and 8x1 6-in.
Z-210 Head for Metal Casement Window with Metal Units.. 62
Surround 55 Z-503 Coursed Ashlar No. 2— 4x1 6-in. and 8x1 6-in.
Z-21 1 Jamb for Metal Casement Window with Metal Units 62
Z-21 2
Surround
Sill for Metal Casement Window
55
55
Z-504 Coursed Ashlar No. 3 —4x1 6-in. and 8x1 6-in.
Units 62
Coursed Ashlar No. 4 — 4x1
Z-220 Coping and Parapet Construction 55 Z-505 6-in. and 8x1 6-in.
Z-275 Method of Anchoring Plate to Concrete Masonry Units 62
Wall 55
Z-506 Vertical Stacking— 8x1 6-in. Units 63
Z-300 Electrical Outlet Box in Unplastered Wall 56
Z-301 Electrical Outlet Box with Furred and Plastered
Z-507 Horizontal Stacking —8x1 6-in. Units 63
Wall 56 Z-508 Square Stacking— 8x8-in. Units 63
Z-302 Duct in Plastered Partition 56 Z-509 Basket Weave —8x1 6-in. Units 63
Z-303 Duct in Unplastered Wall 56 Z-510 Patterned Ashlar —
8x8-in. and 8x1 6-in. Units. 63
Z-304 Duct in 8-in. Wall with Plaster Over Duct 56 Z-511 Coursed Patterned Ashlar —
4x8-in., 4x1 2-in.,
Z-305 Duct in 12-in. Wall with Plaster Over Duct . . . 56 4x1 6-in., 8x1 2-in., and 8x1 6-in. Units.... 63
Printed in U.S.A. P27—Third Edition— 50M— 1-54
64

Portland Cement Assoc Concrete Masonry Handbook 19510001

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CONCRETE

PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION

The Association for Preservation Technology, Int.

From the collection of:

PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION

SECTION 2 Strength and Structural Stability 9

SECTION 3 Designing Walls to Avoid Cutting Units on Job 17

SECTION 4 Modular Planning Recommended 23

1 Summary of Physical Requirements for Various Types of Concrete Masonry Units. — 7

2 Coefficients of Heat Transmission (U) for Various Walls. . 10

4 Standard for Concrete Masonry Units of Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc 13

5 Reduction Factors in Sound Transmission Through Walls of Hollow Concrete Masonry. 16

7 Nominal Length of Concrete Masonry Walls by Stretchers 18

8 Nominal Height of Concrete Masonry Walls by Courses 18

9 Modular Concrete Masonry Openings for Wood Window Frames 20

10 Weights and Quantities of Materials for Concrete Masonry Walls 20

12 Quantities of Materials Per Cubic Foot of Mortar 21

14 Aggregate for Masonry Mortar 26

1 5 Recommended Mortar Mixes . 26

16 Lintels With Wall Load Only 32

17 Split Lintels With Wall Load Only 32

18 Lintels With Wall and Floor Loads 32

This handbook is dedicated to those architects, engineers, en-

men whose energy, cooperation and foresight have made possible

from the July 1949 issue of 'Construction and Construction Mate-

PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION

CHARACTERISTICS OF CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS

/J oncrete masonry units

Stretcher Jamb Corner Trough Partition

Stretcher Corner Channel Stretcher Corner Channel Stretcher

Solid load -bearing

Concrete units, masonry,

Load-bearing units 1 Va or more 700 600 16 40

Compressive strength, Modulus of rupture, Moisture

Concrete building brick

PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE MASONRY WALLS

Strength and Structural Stability and Stability of Walls of Concrete Masonry

'/a-in. plaster on:

Concrete 8-in. cinder 0.37 0.35 0.25 0.19

12-in. expanded slag, clay or shale 0.32 0.31 0.23 0.18

8-in. sand and gravel or limestone 0.39 0.37 0.26 0.19

12-in. expanded slag, clay or shale 0.15 0.14 0.12 0.11

10-in. wall of two 4-in. cinder, expanded slag, clay or

14-in. wall of 4-in. and 8-in. cinder, expanded slag, clay

4-in. common brick 0.50 0.46 0.30 0.22

8-in. common brick 0.36 0.34 0.24 0.19

1-in. wood sheathing, paper, 2x4 studs, wood lath and

1-in. wood sheathing, paper, 2x4 studs, wood lath and

was approximately 42 per cent of the com-

Arizona vrnoenix/ 0.50

Florida (Jacksonville) 0.33

Illinois (Chicago) 0.27

Montana (Helena) 0.13

New York (New York) 0.30

Oregon (Portland) 0.25

Minnesota (Minneapolis) 0.19

Texas (Dallas) 0.35

*From section 40 2- A of FHA Minimum Property Requirements for Properties

Fire hose stream test being applied to incandescent face of