Masonry Magazine October 1996 Page. 11
Does Code
Conformance
Equal Quality
Construction?
Hardly a week goes by without someone seeking my professional advice to determine if newly constructed masonry is within acceptable industry standards. The contractor, the architect, and the owner all have a different perspective of what level of quality is acceptable for masonry construction.
The construction quality should be divided into two categories, structural and aesthetic. When the masonry is constructed to meet the structural requirements, masonry will perform under the various loading conditions taken into consideration during the design process. The finish quality of the project is the sugar that shows; the building that the owner will brag about to friends, or make excuses for to clients, for years. Unhappy users of masonry are not beneficial to the industry.
It is important for the mason contractor to understand and practice certain quality guidelines contained in the code. When there is a complaint about the work or workmanship, quite often, the contractor's response is that they have been doing it that way for thirty years. Is it not possible that they have been doing it wrong for thirty years?
The good news we find is that most mason contractors are more than willing to construct quality masonry that complies with the Code, but the challenge is the dynamic nature of the Code. The Masonry Standards Joint Committe recently published the 1995 version of ACI 530, and some of the required construction practices are outlined as follows. Section 3, titled Execution, of ACI 530.1-95/ASCE 6-95/TMS 602-95, Specifications for Masonry Structures (ACI 530.1) is intended to establish the minimum acceptable levels of construction and quality. This article presents a few of the common issues that are the subject of conversation when an architect or owner believes that the construction quality is below the minimum industry acceptable standards. The numerical references indicate the ACI 530.1 Code section.
Accepting the Footing
3.1 Before the mason contractor begins work, the Code states that the contractor should verify the tolerances conform to ACI 117. Standard Tolerances for Concrete Construction and Materials (ACI 117). Section 2.1.6.4, Footings to receive masonry construction allows for dimension tolerances of only + 1/4 inch in 10 feet and + 1/2 inch for entire length, noted at 50 feet. This applies for alignment (plan view), as well as level (elevation view).
John Chrysler, P.E.
Executive Director
Masonry Institute of America