Follow the manufacturer's instructions. Concrete Block Wall Grout Filling in the radius. Apply the Grout. Although not a code requirement, it is considered good practice (for all lifts except the final) to stop the level of the grout being placed approximately 1 in. CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS AND REINFORCING BARS. Break the stones along a specific line. The wall is built to scaffold height or to a bond beam course, to a maximum of 5 ft (1,520 mm). See Bracing Concrete Masonry Walls During Construction, TEK 3-4C (ref. If there is a substantial dowel alignment problem, the project engineer must be notified. Less reinforcement is used for splices and the location of the reinforcement can be easily checked by the inspector prior to grouting. Length - in. If each block has two voids then multiply the number of blocks by 2 to get the number of voids in the wall. Another use for grout is to add mass to a block wall to reduce sound transmission or improve the thermal mass of the wall. The grout spaces should be checked by the inspector for cleanliness and reinforcement position before the cleanouts are closed. Contractors elect to fill the hollow openings or voids in concrete blocks (sometimes referred to as grouting) after they are stacked or laid to achieve a stronger wall, one with properties nearly identical to a poured concrete wall. A common way to improve the thermal performance of those walls … After laying masonry units, mortar droppings and projections larger than ½ in. ; Allow the mortar to cure and settle into the glass block for 24 to 48 hours. Press the first block, a corner block, into the mortar. Investigation of Alternative Grouting Procedures in Concrete Masonry Construction Through Physical Evaluation and Quality Assessment, MR 25. He wrote news, sports and feature stories for the "Omaha World-Herald" and other publications and has continued on in direct marketing and general advertising. The 2005 Specification for Masonry Structures (ref. (3,860 mm) under the following conditions: Through the use of a grout demonstration panel, lift heights in excess of the 12 ft-8 in. Tip 2 – Know what joint size you’ll need for your tile shower or glass block walls– Most tile shower walls and glass blocks will use joints greater than or equal to 1/8”. Bracing Concrete Masonry Walls During Construction. Therefore, grouted masonry requires protection for longer periods than ungrouted masonry to allow the water to dissipate. Cleanouts must be located at the bottom of all cores containing dowels or vertical reinforcement and at a maximum of 32 in. Matt Smolsky has been writing for more than 25 years. Reported by the Masonry Standards Joint Committee, 2002. (305 mm) or less. Readily available materials can fix some cracking in a block wall without having to tear it down and add new concrete. If a dowel interferes with the placement of the units, it may be bent a maximum of 1 in. Be careful to create a 3/8-inch mortar joint on its underside. Home | Online Tools | Block Wall (Grout) Calculator. Consolidation eliminates voids, helping to ensure complete grout fill and good bond in the masonry system. Open-ended units allow the units to be placed around reinforcing bars. Except in markets with seismic or high wind activity, building codes allow structural CMU walls for single-family, single-level homes to be left partially or completely unfilled with grout. Bracing may be required during construction. When all cores, with or without reinforcement, are grouted, the wall is considered solidly grouted. the masonry has cured for at least 4 hours, grout slump is maintained between 10 and 11 in. Repeat the above steps until you’ve completed the wall. If vertical reinforcement is spaced close together and/or there are a significant number of bond beams within the wall, it may be faster and more economical to solidly grout the wall. Add an anti-freezing agent if the frame is being used in an exterior opening. Grouted masonry requires special consideration because of the higher water content and potential disruptive expansion that can occur if that water freezes. How to Fix Corner Bead That's Separating From Drywall, How Get Self-Stick Vinyl Tile to Stick to Walls, How to Make Cutouts Through a Concrete Wall, YouTube: Kirk Giordano Plastering, How to Skim Coat Over Cinder Block Walls, ConcreteNework.com: Tools for Applying Cement-Based Overlays, How to Make Perfect Corners for Sheetrock Walls. 14) contains a relationship between masonry bed joint shear strength measured in situ to the overall strength of a masonry shear wall. All-Weather Concrete Masonry Construction. © 2020 NATIONAL CONCRETE MASONRY ASSOCIATION. (203 to 279 mm) (refs. Pilaster and column units are used to accommodate a wall- column or wall-pilaster interface, allowing space for vertical reinforcement and ties, if necessary, in the hollow center. These advances permit more efficient installation and construction options for grouted concrete masonry walls (see Figure 4). Use a similar motion on inside corners. It is also used to fill bond beams and occasionally to fill the collar joint of a multi-wythe wall. National Concrete Masonry Association, 2004. The skills involved in actually applying the cement can be practiced on scrap plywood, if desired. Written approval is also required. Mortar that projects more than ½ in. (25 mm) below the top bed joint to help provide some mechanical keying action and water penetration resistance. Use the flat side of the trowel to smooth the cement. Some concrete block walls are built without rebar and without grout (grout is the concrete you pour into the cells of the concrete block after the wall is built). (76 mm). Smear the grout diagonally across the tile to force it deep into the … Specification for Masonry Structures, ACI 530.1-05/ ASCE 6-05/TMS 602-05. Guidelines for the Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings (ref. Fill the trowel about halfway with cement. 6). Small amounts of grout can be placed by hand with buckets. Care should be taken to prevent excess mortar from extruding into the grout space. 2, 3) at the time of placement. Height - in. The industry is experiencing fast-paced advances in grouting procedures and materials as building codes allow new opportunities to explore means and methods for constructing grouted masonry walls. 3) contains a provision for “alternate grout placement” procedures when means and methods other than those prescribed in the document are proposed. For example, if your cinder blocks are 8x8 in (20x20 cm) and you want to use 2 blocks to make up the wall's width, your total wall width would be 16 in (40 cm). For example, Specification for Masonry Structures (ref. Grout installation without cleanouts is sometimes called low-lift grouting. Height - ft. Reconsolidation acts to remove these small voids and should generally be done between 3 and 10 minutes after grout placement. Reported by the Masonry Standards Joint Committee, 2005. To prevent bridging, grout slump is required to be between 8 and 11 in. Looking for advice on how to re-grout an interior existing brick wall. Standard two-core concrete masonry units can be effectively reinforced when lap splices are not long, since the mason must lift the units over any vertical reinforcing bars that extend above the previously installed masonry. Fill in the following fields and submit and we'll get right on it. Grout demonstration panels have been used to allow placement of a significant amount of a relatively new product called self-consolidating grout to be used in many parts of the country with outstanding results. Research has demonstrated comparable or superior performance when compared with consolidated and reconsolidated conventional grout in regard to reduction of voids, compressive strength and bond to masonry face shells. A pour may be composed of one lift or a number of successively placed grout lifts, as illustrated in Figure 4. Remove excess cement with the edge of the trowel, using a scraping motion. By filling the cracks and the surrounding voids inside the wall, the wall strength is restored and the adjacent mortar has not been disturbed. Hollow block prisms, 11/2 blocks wide by 4 courses high, were grouted from the sides using hand pump. The process involves applying a layer of cement over the concrete block wall to cover grout lines or stains and give the surface a smooth appearance. 3) offers an additional option: to increase the grout lift height to 12 ft-8 in. He now writes for the web as well. Care should be taken to minimize grout splatter on reinforcement, on finished masonry unit faces or into cores not immediately being grouted. Then after cleaning the cell, the unit is mortared in which allowed enough time to gain enough strength to prevent blowout prior to placing the grout. Spread the cement on the wall in in upward motion, then finish with a circular motion over the same area. To determine the width of your future wall, decide how many cinder blocks you want to use for the wall width, then calculate the width using the block's measurements. When reinforcement is placed after wall erection, reinforcing steel positioners or other adequate devices to hold the reinforcement in place are commonly used, but not required. If conditions permit and grout pours are so timed, consolidation of a lift and reconsolidation of the lift below may be done at the same time by extending the vibrator through the top lift and into the one below. The most common of these include increases in lift height, reduced or increased grout slumps, minimization of reconsolidation, puddling and innovative consolidation techniques. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. to 1 in. The pilasters could be tied to the existing block wall by knocking holes in the existing block and grouting in anchor bolts, or by tying reinforcing rods to the reinforcement in the new pilaster. 3). When walls will be solidly grouted, saw cutting or chipping away a portion of the web to better accommodate the dowel may also be acceptable. Approval should be obtained before adjusting the slump outside the requirements. … Figure 1 shows the basic components of a typical reinforced concrete masonry wall. A second advantage is that high-lift grouting can permit constructing masonry to the full story height before placing vertical reinforcement and grout. SPEC MIX Core Fill Grout is produced under strict manufacturing standards, and complete quality control measures are implemented with each batch. Length - ft. Different mixes of fine grout were tried using different admixtures. Those locations are to be clearly marked on the drawing. Shop drawings may be required before installation can begin. Reinforcement can be spliced by either contact or noncontact splices. Typically called high-lift grouting within the industry, grouting with cleanouts permits the wall to be laid up to story height or to the maximum pour height shown in Table 1 prior to the installation of reinforcement and grout. Use a hammer drill with a 10-millimeter masonry bit to clean up the gap in the wall so the lintel can be smoothly inserted. strong grout which can be easilly pumped into an existing wall. For more detailed information on cold, hot, and wet weather protection, see All-Weather Concrete Masonry Construction, TEK 3-1C (ref. Block Wall Thickness. My foundation stem wall for a raised-floor house is four courses high, made of 8x8x16 concrete blocks with #4 vertical rebars every 4 feet and a #5 rebar in the bond beam top course. Using the grout demonstration panel option in Specification for Masonry Structures (ref. A lift is the amount of grout placed in a single continuous operation. The consistency should be a thick paste. 3) is an excellent way to demonstrate the acceptability of an alternate grout slump. Light rust, mill scale or a combination of both need not be removed from the reinforcement. Applied 1/8 inch thick minimum to both sides, surface bonding cements have strengths that are superior to conventionally mortared block walls and they look a lot better too without any grout lines. Grout must be consolidated either by vibration or puddling immediately after placement to help ensure complete filling of the grout space. At the footing, mortar bedding under the first course of block to be grouted should permit grout to come into direct contact with the foundation or bearing surface. aesthetically satisfactory repair of such cracks can be accomplished by the injection of fine grout into the wall at the vicinity of the cracks. A mechanical vibrator is normally used for consolidation and reconsolidation—generally low velocity with a ¾ in. Specifications for grout, sampling and testing procedures, and information on admixtures are covered in NCMA TEK 9-4A, Grout for Concrete Masonry (ref. 5), a third option became available – grout demonstration panels. Grout may also be used to stabilize screen walls and other landscape elements. Skim coating takes time and attention to detail, but isn't inherently difficult. Follow the instructions below and take care of this damage before it can cause problems The top lift is reconsolidated after the required waiting period and then filled with grout to replace any void left by settlement. Start at the top of the wall, near a corner. Using a plugging chisel and sledge, chip the cinder block into pieces. use a jointer to recess the joints. Grout may also be added to increase the wall’s fire rating, acoustic effectiveness termite resistance, blast resistance, heat capacity or anchorage capabilities. How to Repair Cracked Mortar On an Exterior Brick Wall. You can also call … You will need sanded grout, a plastic bucket to mix it in, a stir stick, rubber or latex gloves, a masonry sponge, water and an offset spatula or grout trowel. The vibrator should be withdrawn slowly enough while on to allow the grout to close up the space that was occupied by the vibrator. Total Cubic Yards. This provision accommodates construction interference during installation as well as misplaced dowels. When walls will be grouted, concrete masonry units must be laid up so that vertical cores are aligned to form an unobstructed, continuous series of vertical spaces within the wall. As the masonry is installed around the frame, pour or trowel a small amount of grout into the frame. When the cleanout opening is to be exposed in the finished wall, it may be desirable to remove the entire face shell of the unit, so that it may be replaced in whole to better conceal the opening. 3). Many times it is advantageous to build the masonry wall to full height before grouting rather than building it in 5 ft (1,520 mm) increments as described above. Reinforcing bars must be of the specified diameter, type and grade to assure compliance with the contract documents. Larger quantities should be placed by grout pumps, grout buckets equipped with chutes or other mechanical means designed to move large volumes of grout without segregation. Skim coating can freshen up old concrete blocks and give your home or a wall on your property a new look. Grouted concrete masonry construction offers design flexibility through the use of partially or fully grouted walls, whether plain or reinforced. (13 mm) into the grout space must be removed (ref. Mud, oil, heavy rust and other materials which adversely affect bond must be removed however. Cover landscaping, grass or flooring with plastic drop cloths. Historically, only two grout placement procedures have been in general use: (l) where the wall is constructed to pour heights up to 5 ft (1,520 mm) without cleanouts—generally termed “low lift grouting;” and (2) where the wall is constructed to a maximum pour height of 24 ft (7,320 mm) with required cleanouts and lifts are placed in increments of 5 ft (1,520 mm)—generally termed “high lift grouting.” With the advent of the 2002 Specification for Masonry Structures (ref. Cut stones to fit a specific area, using a hammer and chisel. The design of reinforced concrete masonry pilasters is discussed in NCMA-TEK 125. Although not addressed by the code, recent research (ref. Grout is used to give added strength to both reinforced and unreinforced concrete masonry walls by grouting either some or all of the cores. (305 to 406 mm) apart. (203 mm) per Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures (ref. This “pencil head” vibrator is activated for a few seconds in each grouted cell. In partially grouted walls, grout is placed only in wall spaces containing steel reinforcement. I've installed grout stop over the unreinforced vertical cells. The process involves applying a layer of cement over the concrete block wall to cover grout lines or stains and give the surface a smooth appearance. Face shells are removed either by cutting or use of special scored units which permit easy removal of part of the face shell for cleanout openings (see Figure 5). When double open- end units are used, one cell is considered to be formed by the two open ends placed together. Steel reinforcing bars and other embedded items are then placed in the designated locations and the cells are grouted. The timing depends on the water absorption rate, which varies with such factors as temperature, absorptive properties of the masonry units and the presence of water repellent admixtures in the units. Apply 1/8 to 1/2 inch of cement, or enough to cover the grout. This is because large protrusions can restrict the flow of grout, which will tend to bridge at these locations potentially causing incomplete filling of the grout space. Scrape the wall with a drywall knife to remove loose cement or grout. Would you like a quote? The primary structural reinforcement used in concrete masonry is deformed steel bars. When using the increased grout lift height provided for in Article 3.5 D of Specification for Masonry Structures (ref 3), the masonry is required to cure for a minimum of 4 hours prior to grouting for this reason. As the water from the grout mixture is absorbed into the masonry, small voids may form and the grout column may settle. Further, this is needed only when a cold joint is formed between the lifts and only in areas that will be receiving additional grout. Cleanout openings may be sealed by mortaring the original face shell or section of face shell, or by blocking the openings to allow grouting to the finish plane of the wall. 3) requires a minimum opening dimension of 3 in. 4). Glass block is a popular choice for bathrooms, and it’s easy to see why. In certain instances, full head joint mortaring should also be considered when solid grouting since it is unlikely that grout will fill the space between head joints that are only mortared the width of the face shell, i.e., when penetration resistance is a concern such as storm shelters and prison walls. Steel Reinforcement for Concrete Masonry. If reinforcement is placed prior to laying block, the use of open-end A or H- shaped units will allow the units to be easily placed around the reinforcing steel (see Figure 3). Grind down parts of the concrete blocks if necessary, and then use a hammer and chisel to knock away anything remaining. (813 mm) on center (horizontal measurement) for solidly grouted walls. If you have questions about specific products or services we provide, please don’t hesitate to contact us. What Is the Minimum Thickness of Cement Board When Tiling Walls? If foundation dowels are present, they should align with the cores of the masonry units. Reported by the Masonry Standards Joint Committee, 2005.