Masonry Magazine December 1963 Page. 9
The Contemporary Bearing Wall
construction techniques
During 1964 a major effort of the Structural Clay Products Institute and its regional offices will be the promotion of masonry bearing wall construction. The effort is based upon extensive research by the SCPI Engineering and Technology Department, and given impetus by the contemporary desire of designers for fresh and exciting architectural forms. Masonry bearing wall construction appeals especially to those decision-makers in the building field who want to combine the beautiful and the practical. The following series of articles have been prepared by SCPI and do not necessarily represent the editorial viewpoint of this publication.
PREFACE
This series of articles is not intended to be a complete all-inclusive "manual" of wall-bearing construction techniques for the mason contractor. It is merely an introductory discussion of some of the important items we both the mason contractor and general contractor must consider in planning and scheduling the construction of wall-bearing buildings -particularly multi-story structures- if the economies inherent in such systems are to be realized. The re-emergence of clay masonry as an engineered structural building material will, no doubt, require certain changes in the general operations of the mason contractor and the general contractor alike. We hope, therefore, that the discussions that follow will stimulate the interest of both groups in seeking better and more efficient methods of building structures in which the structural properties of clay masonry are utilized to the best advantage.
PART II
SCAFFOLDING
Scaffolding practices vary with different building conditions and areas of the country. Most load-bearing work, both low-rise and high-rise, will be laid up only to story height. Then the floor is placed and masonry work continues story by story and floor by floor. In most areas this type of schedule allows the mason contractor to build the walls from tubular scaffolding placed on each floor and having the masons lay up the walls overhand. Certain areas have restrictions that will not allow the mason to lay up the facing material overhand. In this case, it would be necessary, for exterior walls, to scaffold the entire perimeter of the building to the height of the completed walls. Either the tower type adjustable scaffold or tubular scaffolding of some type would be used for this work. When the exterior is scaffolded with tubular frames, adjustable brackets would help increase the efficiency of the masons' work.
Scaffolding for winter work involves a different line of reasoning, particularly in areas of severe cold. Cold weather work will be discussed in another section.
The normal scaffold procedure is to use 5 by 5 ft. tubular scaffold frames (Fig. 6). For maximum efficiency the frames should be set about 2 ft. away from the wall so that the mason can initially work from the floor and have his materials stocked at a convenient level until the height of the work reaches approximately 4 ft. Then brackets are attached and the mason will be again working at a convenient height with his materials stocked on the top of the scaffold frame. When topping out the wall at story height, the mason bracket can be set at the top of the scaffold frame. When working at this level, the masonry units and mortar boards should be raised about 2 ft. above the top of the scaffold frame. This is normally done by using mortar board stands with 2 by 10 in. planks for the storage area.
A speciality item which is rapidly gaining favor with mason contractors is the "hic-a-ma-jig." This unique piece of equipment can be used in many ways.
When repetitive interior cross bearing walls are involved in the building design, the use of locking wheels under the tubular scaffold should be considered. These swivel wheels allow the scaffold to be moved quickly and easily to its next location.
When using tubular scaffold with mason brackets it is particularly important to avoid overturning of the scaffold when the material shelf is empty or nearly so. This problem is particularly acute when the scaffold is only one frame high. Various methods of counterbalancing can be used to stablize the scaffold. One method is to plank the side of the scaffold away from the wall on the bottom rung. This plank can be used as a foot scaffold by the laborer when stocking mortar and materials on top of the scaffold as the wall is being topped out. Brick can be placed on this plank at each frame to provide the counterbalance required. Cross bracing, under these conditions, is placed on the wall side of the scaffold (Fig. 7).
In Fig. 8 is shown a type of scaffold developed especially for one-story brick veneer work and which seems to have a logical application in story height masonry work of the type we are discussing. Each frame provides both a mason and material platform and is free standing with no cross (Continued on page 10)