Concrete Masonry Provides Comfortable and Attractive Senior Living Environments Builders are creating warm and welcoming dwellings at every price-point that are safe, quiet, and attractive thanks to concrete masonry. The sound resistance, fire resistance, and energy efficiency of concrete masonry units (CMU) make them the perfect building material for multi-unit residential buildings.

Allowable Stress Design of Concrete Masonry Concrete masonry elements can be designed by using one of several methods in accordance with Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures: empirical design, strength design, or allowable stress design. This TEK provides a basic overview of design criteria and requirements for concrete masonry assemblies designed using the allowable stress design provisions contained in Chapter 2 of the Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures.

Concrete Masonry Provides Safe Living Environments According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the overwhelming majority of residential fires are caused in the kitchen or by heating equipment—multi-unit structures are therefore more prone to fires since they contain multiple fire-prone areas and appliances. While industry-standard fire testing deems materials such as gypsum drywall to be fire resistant, the fact is that they cannot offer the fire protection of masonry products such as concrete block.

Detail Of The Month: IBC Calculated Fire Resistance Ratings and UL Fire Ratings Compared The International Building Code (IBC) requires that the fire rating of wall assemblies be evaluated using the procedures of ASTM E119, Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials. Recognizing the impracticality of performing this costly test on every possible wall permutation, the code also provides alternative methods of compliance.

Technical Resources Discover manuals, software and design guides for creating commercial and residential concrete buildings and structures that withstand the test of time, all available from the NCMA online bookstore.