Masonry Magazine June 1993 Page. 27
METRIC UPDATE
What Will Change
and What Will Stay
the Same?
In 1988, federal law mandated the metric system as the preferred system of measurements in the U.S. and required that metric be used in all federal procurement, grants, and business related activities to the extent possible by September 30, 1992.
Federal agencies involved in construction have agreed to institute the use of metric in the design of all federal construction by January 1994. By the mid-1990s, up to $40-billion a year in federal work will be in metric.
Following are some of the things that will change with conversion to metric and some of the the things that will remain the same:
BRICK
What will change:
* Standard brick to 90 x 57 x 190 mm
* Mortar joints from 3/8" and 1/2" to 10 mm
* Brick module from 2' x 2' to 600 x 600 m
What will stay the same:
* Brick and mortar composition
* Of the 100 or so brick sizes currently made, 5 to 10 are within a millimeter of a metric brick so the brick industry will have no trouble supplying metric brick.
CONCRETE BLOCK
What will change:
* Block sizes to 190 x 190 x 390 mm
* Mortar joints from 1/2" to 10 mm
* Block module from 2' x 2' to 600 x 600 mm
What will stay the same:
* Block and mortar composition
* Metric block sizes are distinctly different (5 inch shorter in the long dimension) from current block sizes. The block industry will have to buy new mold components.
PRESERVATION
PLAN ON IT
Write:
National Trust
for Historic Preservation
Department PA
1785 Massachusetts Ave., N.W
Washington, D.C. 20036
FOR ALL YOUR GLASS BLOCK SUPPLIES...
GLASS MASONRY, INC
CALL: Nat'l 800-456-7093 FL 800-940-4527
FAX(058)488-24POBOX 835 PEMBROKE PINES, FLORIDA 33004
COMPLETE INVENTORY
ALL SIZES AND STYLES OF GLASS BLOCKS IN STOCK AND READY FOR IMMEDIATE SHIPMENT ALONG WITH THE FOLLOWING INSTALLATION ACCESSORIES:
CLEAR ADHESIVE
HORIZONTAL JOINT REINFORCING
ALUMINUM
CANS
CO
GLASS
BOTTLES
Use your head.
Smart people recycle aluminum, paper and glass.
ACCUSPEED
WALL TIES
SPACER GUIDES
EXPANSION STRIPS
U CHANNEL
MORTAR BAND PAINT
METAL EDGING
MASONRY-MAY/JUNE, 1993 27