Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) Construction

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Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) Construction

1. General: Concrete block, concrete brick. As specified in ASTM C90. 2. Virtues (advantages) of CMU buildings:
a. Durable - These buildings will endure the test of time. b. Self contained - CMU building materials can act as the structure, walls, foundation and other components of the building. c. Fire resistant - Suitable for the most stringent fire ratings. d. Local Labor - Practically any contractor is capable of building with CMU. e. Attractive - Huge variety of available textures, patterns, etc. f. Low maintenance - Build it and forget about it.

3. Possible disadvantages of CMU buildings:

a. Expensive labor - CMU construction is labor-intensive. Depending on localities, labor CAN be very expensive. b. Heavy - Masonry buildings weigh more than comparable steel-framed and wood-framed buildings. c. Absorbent - CMU, like any other cementitious material is absorbent to water penetration and must be weatherproofed. d. Modular - Typical CMU has modular 8" x 8" x 16" nominal dimensions, and is a bit difficult to have walls that have odd dimensions or smooth curves. e. Difficult to insulate - Block has a very low "R" value and generally, walls must be insulated by adding width to them - decreasing available floor square footage.

4. Types (shapes) of CMU Block:

a. b. c. d. e. Stretcher block Header block Corner block Control joint block Bond beam block

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f. Split-face block g. Split-ribbed block h. Many, many more

5. Grades of CMU Block:

a. Grade "N" - Suitable for use above or below ground and exposed to weather. b. Grade "S" - Only for above ground, not exposed to weather.

6. CMU Block Modular Sizes:

a. HEIGHT - Nominal 8" high (actual = 7 5/8") b. LENGTH - Nominal 16" long (actual = 15 5/8") c. WIDTH - Nominal 4", 6", 8", 10", 12" (actual = nominal - 3/8") The nominal 8" wide CMU block is most common.

7. CMU Block Terminology:

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a. Block course - Horizontal "layer" of blocks. 3 blocks stacked on top of each other = 3 couses. b. Wythe - Vertical "layer" of masonry. A 2 whythe wall may consist of an 8" CMU block wall tied to a wall of face brick. c. Block (and brick) positions:

d. Typical types of block (or brick) bonds:

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a. e. Typical mortar joint types:

8. Mortar and Grout:

a) Mortar - used to bond masonry products together. Composed of portland cement, sand, lime and water. Conforms to ASTM C270. Types M and S are used for exterior use, Types S or N used for interior load-bearing walls. Type O used for non-load-bearing interior walls. b) Grout - similar to mortar, except used as a filler, especially for vertically-reinforced walls. Specified as either fine-grained or coarse-grained. Conforms to ASTM C476.

9. Expansion & Control Joints:

a. Purpose - to allow movement in masonry walls due to thermal stresses, soil settlement, external (wind or seismic) forces, moisture absorption, etc. b. Expansion Joint - Used within straight lengths of the same wall. Examples:

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c. Control Joint - Used to isolate one major building component with another (example - new building abutting an existing building). Examples:

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d. Joint construction examples: 1. Sash block with compressible preformed gasket 2. Control joint block with preformed gasket & sealer

10. CMU Unit Ties:

a. Purpose - Tie the masonry back to the building structure and to tie multi-whythe walls together. Ties usually sit in horizontal mortar joint. b. Typical types of unit ties: i. ii. iii. iv. Corrugated metal flat tie Adjustable channel slot with dove-tail anchors (tying to structural steel) Flat strap anchor Weld-on "Z" anchor clip

11. Horizontal (Joint) CMU Wall Reinforcement:

a.

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i. Purposes:To strengthen the wall against "bowing" in due to lateral pressure (earth, wind, seismic) ii. To make the wall more ductile (i.e., less brittle) and hold it together in extreme events such as earthquake or hurricane. b. Horizontal joint reinforcement consists of heavy wire welded together to take the shape of a ladder (or truss), and is usually selected as follows: i. ii. iii. iv. 10 Gage wire - for light duty interior or exterior applications 9 Gage wire - standard duty 8 Gage - heavy duty for use in seismic or other high-stress applications 3/16" diameter wire - extra heavy duty for extreme conditions

c. Horizontal joint reinforcement placed in horizontal mortar joints as follows: i. Placed in every CMU course if used for foundation wall ii. Placed every 2 or 3 courses for above-ground walls (or more if necessary)

12. Vertical CMU Wall Reinforcement:

a. Purpose - Greatly strengthen the wall to accommodate larger vertical loads as well as resist lateral loads. b. Vertical CMU wall reinforcement consists of inserting steel rebar (usually #4 or #5 rebar) into open cores of the wall, then filling those cores solid with a concrete-like grout.

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Last updated: December 2, 2008

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