Masonry Magazine April 1997 Page. 48
MACS is now busy with the task of discussing masonry design, construction, and specification issues that will either be incorporated directly into the IBC or that will be presented at the consensus standards committees. MACS is represented at the sponsoring organizations listed above. MACS representatives also attend all the IBC subcommittee meetings. There are five subcommittees charged with writing the provisions of the IBC: General, Occupancies, Fire Safety, Means of Egress, and Structural. It is this last committee where MACS so far has been the most active to date. The masonry provisions that will be found in Chapter 21 of the IBC have been discussed, debated, written, presented, and revised by representatives of the Alliance. See Figure are E.
Structural Provisions of Chapter 21
The masonry structural design and construction provisions of the IBC will be located in Chapter 21 of the document. There are three proposed design methods for masonry. These alternative design methods are:
1 Allowable Stress Design:
This method includes both reinforced and unreinforced masonry. The IBC will adopt by reference the ACI 530/ASCE 5/TMS 402 for design provisions.
2 Strength Design:
This method considers a strength based criteria and will incorporated directly in the IBC. The strength design provision of the 1997 Uniform Building Code is the technical basis for this method.
3 Empirical Design:
This method is based in historical performance of masonry structures. The application of this design method is restricted in moderate and high wind and in seismic regions. This method will be incorporated directly into the IBC, but is transcribed from the provisions in chapter 9 of the ACI 530/ASCE 5/TMS 402. Additionally, there are sections dealing with specific masonry types of construction. They include:
Glass Unit Masonry
This method is prescriptive for non-loadbearing glass unit masonry panels. This method will incorporated directly into the IBC, but is transcribed from the provisions in Chapter 11 of the ACI 530/ASCE 5/TMS 402.
Fireplaces and Chimney Flues:
This section covers the design, installation, maintenance, and repair, of fireplaces and chimneys. The provisions were assembled from a review of the three model building codes and the OTFDC.
Prestressed Masonry:
These are post-tensioning provisions currently under review by the Masonry Standards Joint Committee. If these provisions are approved through the consensus process they will likely become part of the ACI 530/ASCE 5/TMS 402. Then IBC will adopt them by reference.
Chapter 21 of the IBC will also have sections on material standards, construction, and quality assurance. Requirements for material standards are contained in ASTM specifications which will be adopted by reference. The construction requirements of the ACI 530/ASCE 5/TMS 402 and the ACI 530.1/ASCE 6/TMS 602 are the basis of many of the provisions in the IBC. Providing these requirements directly into the IBC will provide the users, including the contractors and building inspectors, with direct access to the construction provisions without having to consult a reference document.
The quality assurance provisions will be based on the Building Code Requirements and Specifications for Masonry Structures. Additionally, it has been proposed to include the new inspection provisions that are currently under review by the Masonry Standards Joint Committee. Presently, the Specification requires