Page 49 - Design of Reinforced Masonry Structures

2.2 CHAPTER TWO

of wall and floor surfaces, an advantage not offered by other construction materials such as
concrete and steel. Some of the common uses of masonry units are [2.1, 2.2]:
1. Exterior load-bearing walls (below and above grade)
2. Interior load-bearing and nonload-bearing walls
3. Firewalls, party walls, curtain walls
4. Partitions, panel walls, solar screens
5. Piers, pilasters, columns
6. Bond beams, lintels, sills
7. Chimneys and fireplaces (indoors and outdoors)
8. Retaining walls, slope protection, ornamental garden walls, and highway sound barriers
9. Backing for screens
10. Backing for brick, stone, stucco, and exterior insulation and finishing systems
11. Veneer or nonstructural facing for steel, wood, concrete, or masonry
12. Fire protection for steel structural members
13. Fire-safe enclosures of stairwells, elevator shafts, storage vaults, or fire-hazardous
areas
14. Catch basins, manholes, and valve vaults
15. Paving for walkways and landscaping
While brick and CMU are the most commonly used construction materials for struc-
tural and nonstructural purposes, there are others (e.g., glass units) that are less common.
Recent research and advances in building materials technology have led to the devel-
opment of prefabricated brick panels, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks, and
mortarless blocks. These are also briefly described in this chapter.

2.3 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF MASONRY UNITS

Masonry units are manufactured in the United States to conform to the requirements of
the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), which publishes the most widely
accepted standards on all kinds of materials. These standards are voluntary consensus stan-
dards, which have gone through a review process by various segments of construction
industry—producers, users, and general interest members. Specifications for various kinds
of masonry units—clay or shale, concrete, glass block, etc., are provided by various ASTM
Standards, which are also referenced in most model building codes and specifications, such

as the Masonry Standards Joint Committee (MSJC) Code [2.3], MSJC Specification [2.4],
and the International Building Code (IBC) [2.5]. A compilation of ASTM Standards perti-
nent to concrete masonry can be found in Ref. [2.6]. Various reference standards applicable
to masonry construction can be found in Refs. [2.6, 2.7].
Considerable information about both clay units and CMU is available in the literature.
Two important and exhaustive references for brick and concrete masonry, respectively, are
the Brick Institute of America’s (BIC) Technical Notes on Brick Construction [2.8] and
National Concrete Masonry Association’s (NCMA) TEK Manual for Concrete Masonry
Design and Construction [2.9]. They contain valuable information, updated periodically, on
various aspects of masonry design and construction. These include production and manu-
facturing of masonry units and their uses, design considerations, and industry practices in
masonry construction. Both have been referenced throughout this book in various chapters.