Why Did the 2013 TMS 402 Standard Introduce a Design Check for Web Shear Stresses?
Revised 2023 Historically, the shear stresses in the webs connecting the face shells of a concrete masonry unit were not…
Resources
Are RILEM Tubes an Effective Method of Evaluating the Water Repellent Characteristics of CMU?
Revised 2015 No. The “RILEM” Tube Test was originally developed to provide an indication of the initial absorptive characteristics of…
What Is the Minimum Required Compressive Strength for Masonry Mortars?
Revised 2014 Simply put, there are no minimum compressive strength requirements for field-batched masonry mortar in any current ASTM standard…
What Is the Bullet/Ballistic Resistance of Concrete Masonry?
Revised 2017 The actual resistance of concrete masonry assemblies to high velocity projectiles such as bullets varies considerably depending on…
What Is the Difference Between a “Cinder Block” and a “Concrete Block”?
Revised 2014 Concrete masonry units are colloquially known by many names, most predominately “concrete block”, “cinder block”, “CMU”, or simply…
How is the Fire Resistance of a Concrete Masonry Assembly Calculated When Using Unconventional Aggregates?
Revised 2023 The International Building Code (IBC) outlines multiple options for documenting the fire rating of concrete masonry assemblies, including:…
How Can the Bearing Area of a Concrete Masonry Prism Removed From Existing Construction Be Determined?
Revised 2014 Prisms are saw-cut from existing concrete masonry for a variety of reasons, and correctly determining the compressive strength…
What Happened to the Type I/Type II Unit Designation in ASTM C90?
Revised 2014 Prior to 2000, ASTM C90 included two different type designations for concrete masonry units: Type I units were…
Will Doubling a Wall’s R-Value Double the Energy Efficiency?
Revised 2014 Rarely. Although higher R-Values reduce heat flow through building elements, the R-Values have a diminishing impact on the…
What Options Are Available for Complying With the International Energy Conservation Code?
Revised 2024 The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) [1] provides several different, independent methods of complying with the minimum energy…