Thursday, May 24, 2012
Keeping Water Out with Single-Wythe Walls
Single-wythe concrete block construction takes advantage of the structural and aesthetic qualities of modern concrete block while saving money. Single-wythe construction is now commonly used in retail “big box” construction, institutional facilities, warehouse and light industrial construction in the Rocky Mountain region.
In order to confirm that a single-wythe concrete block wall built with common local materials could provide acceptable weather resistance the Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute (RMMI) conducted a series of ASTM E-514 tests to evaluate performance of a lightweight concrete block system. The test represented the types of materials and construction methods that would commonly be used for applications in Colorado.
The study indicated that concrete block, even block with relatively porous lightweight aggregate, can be effective in resisting moisture penetration if used with both integral water repellant and appropriate spray-applied water repellant. The use of integral water repellant in the masonry and surface-applied penetrating water repellant made the lightweight block very moisture resistant, even under the very severe E514 test conditions.
The ASTM E514 test involves the wetting of a 4 foot by 3 foot area of a single-wythe wall while pressurizing the outside surface using a chamber to simulate wind pressure. The block aggregate selected for the text was specifically chosen as a worst case scenario for moisture penetration – the block mix included expanded shale, scoria, and pumice lightweight aggregate. Both the block and mortar contained an integral water repellant (IWR). The E514test is very severe. It simulates a 62.5 mph wind and sheeting rain (3.4 gal/ft2/h) for at least four hours. This test is generally understood to provide a benchmark for performance under more severe conditions than an installed assembly is ever likely to experience.
The panel was tested three times:
• The first test was conducted approximately 28 days after the block was laid, prior to cleaning of the wall.
• The second test was done after the wall had been cleaned using aggressive power washing with a high pressure nozzle with the tip within 1 foot of the masonry surface.
• The final test was performed after the application of an RTV silicone penetrating water repellant.
The water resistance of the wall assembly during all three tests was excellent. During all three tests, the amount of water collected from the block cells and the amount of water collected from the interior wall face were not enough to measure.
The Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute recommends using integral water repellant in both the block and in the mortar. The repellant in the mortar should be compatible with the repellant in the block. After construction, apply breathable spray-applied water repellant that works with the chemistry of the block. Additionally, pay attention to proper detailing with control joints, flashing, backer rod and sealant, and install the mortar using double-buttered head joints.
The testing was sponsored by Basalite Concrete Products, LLC., Boral Best Block, JVS Masonry, Inc., and Texas Industries, Inc. (TXI). The white paper on the test is available for download at www.rmmi.org
Monday, April 5, 2010
April is Injury Prevention Month
April is Injury Prevention Month, a good time to remind your workers of the critical role they play in the prevention of workplace injuries. Because they do the job every day, they know better than anyone else what could potentially result in a workplace injury or illness. Remind employees that they know best:
The machinery and equipment that they work with. They know if guards are missing or if extra guarding should be added. They also know if a machine is performing as safely as it should be.
If the floor in their area gets slippery and about common trip hazards in their area.
Which items in their area are heavy and should be lifted only with material-handling aids.
If safe work practices developed for their job are actually effective in preventing accidents or if they need to be improved.
About the near misses and minor first-aid injuries that employees in their work area suffer.
If the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided for their job provides adequate protection.
If the safety equipment (fire extinguishers, eyewash station) in their area is accessible and in good condition.
The tricks that make their job easier and safer.
To prevent injuries, you must tap into this vast source of worker workplace knowledge. Encourage your workers to:
Submit safety suggestions for their work areas, operations, and equipment. Instruct them in the suggestion process and where, how, and to whom to submit their ideas.
Serve on the safety committee. Let them know the goals and activities of the committee and how they can help.
Participate in safety training meetings. Urge them to pay attention, ask questions, and share insights on the training topic.
Perform daily and assigned inspections. Instruct them to inspect PPE, equipment, and their work areas before every job and every shift. They should also perform other inspections at their regularly scheduled times.
Practice good safety habits. Encourage them to follow safe operating procedures, never take short cuts, and always be thorough and conscientious in their work.
Report near misses and first-aid incidents. Remind them that knowledge is power, so sharing close calls and events that required first aid can help prevent first-time or repeat accidents.
Injury prevention requires constant diligence on the part of both management and employees. Let employees know that they have valuable input and encourage them to give it regularly and freely.
Why It Matters
Each year more than 6,000 Americans are killed on the job.
About 3.6 million suffer disabling injuries.
Employees are key players in preventing these injuries and fatalities.
The machinery and equipment that they work with. They know if guards are missing or if extra guarding should be added. They also know if a machine is performing as safely as it should be.
If the floor in their area gets slippery and about common trip hazards in their area.
Which items in their area are heavy and should be lifted only with material-handling aids.
If safe work practices developed for their job are actually effective in preventing accidents or if they need to be improved.
About the near misses and minor first-aid injuries that employees in their work area suffer.
If the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided for their job provides adequate protection.
If the safety equipment (fire extinguishers, eyewash station) in their area is accessible and in good condition.
The tricks that make their job easier and safer.
To prevent injuries, you must tap into this vast source of worker workplace knowledge. Encourage your workers to:
Submit safety suggestions for their work areas, operations, and equipment. Instruct them in the suggestion process and where, how, and to whom to submit their ideas.
Serve on the safety committee. Let them know the goals and activities of the committee and how they can help.
Participate in safety training meetings. Urge them to pay attention, ask questions, and share insights on the training topic.
Perform daily and assigned inspections. Instruct them to inspect PPE, equipment, and their work areas before every job and every shift. They should also perform other inspections at their regularly scheduled times.
Practice good safety habits. Encourage them to follow safe operating procedures, never take short cuts, and always be thorough and conscientious in their work.
Report near misses and first-aid incidents. Remind them that knowledge is power, so sharing close calls and events that required first aid can help prevent first-time or repeat accidents.
Injury prevention requires constant diligence on the part of both management and employees. Let employees know that they have valuable input and encourage them to give it regularly and freely.
Why It Matters
Each year more than 6,000 Americans are killed on the job.
About 3.6 million suffer disabling injuries.
Employees are key players in preventing these injuries and fatalities.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
2010 Masterworks in Masonry
Entry forms for Masterworks in Masonry will be available for download on the RMMI website www.rmmi.org beginning Thursday, April 1. Entries will be accepted April 1 to June 11. Any member of the design or construction team can enter a project - the mason, GC, architect, project owner... and entry is free. Categories will include Load-Bearing Masonry, Commercial Masonry and Institutional Masonry. Judging Criteria will include design quality, innovation, craftsmanship, and overall excellence. Eligible projects must be located in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana or Idaho and have been completed, or will be 90% complete, between Sept. 1 2009 and Aug. 31, 2010.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Free Sandstone Available
The London House Condo Association, 1233 Ogden Street, is looking for someone to salvage and re-use a sandstone retaining wall. The length of these stones range from 1 ft to a couple that are 4 ft long. They are about a thickness of 9 x10 inches. These are the top or "cap" stones. Additionally the flat stones beneath them of the same material are about 3 inches thick.
The total wall is about 340 feet long, in three sections. At this point they are only going to replace the South end of the wall that runs from the alley to the outside club room entrance. The rest will be replaced in the next couple of years. Contact Nancy at RMMI for more information 303-893-3838 or nancy@rmmi.org.
The total wall is about 340 feet long, in three sections. At this point they are only going to replace the South end of the wall that runs from the alley to the outside club room entrance. The rest will be replaced in the next couple of years. Contact Nancy at RMMI for more information 303-893-3838 or nancy@rmmi.org.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Masterworks in Masonry
The Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute’s Masterworks in Masonry awards honor the best in masonry design and construction in the Rocky Mountain region. Our Masterworks awards originated as the Steve Dach awards in the 1990s and have evolved over time. The 2009 Masterworks awards recognize Commercial, Load Bearing, and Institutional masonry projects completed in the past year. This is the first year that RMMI has fully partnered with McGraw Hill’s Gold Hard Hat program, and the judging was done by the same team that judged the Gold Hard Hats with the noted exception that our Technical Staff - Diane Travis and Shahnaz Jaffari recused themselves from judging the masonry projects.
Commercial Masonry
Third Place: NorthCreek Phase III
Submitted by: J.C. Slocum at The Gallegos Corporation
Owner: Western Development Group
General Contractor: The Weitz Company
Project Design Firm: Humphries Poli Architects
NorthCreek Phase III is a mixed use commercial project in Cherry Creek. The $20 million project broke ground in November 2007 and was completed n March 2009. Multiple masonry materials used include granite cladding, sandstone cladding, ashlar sandstone veneer, CMU and granite paving. These materials came from a variety of sources in China, Canada, Texas and Minnesota and Lyons, Colorado.
Second Place: Johnstown Town Hall
Submitted by: Josh Cronholm at Ammex Masonry
Owner: Town of Johnstown
General Contractor: Mark Young Construction Inc.
Project Design Firm: Andrews & Anderson Architects
Johnstown Town Hall is nearly 18,000 square feet and is designed to serve Johnstown’s projected population growth and town staff for at least two decades. The $3.5 million project was completed in January 2009. The exterior of the building consists of modular brick veneer, precast concrete bands, coping window sills and headers, and sandstone panels. The interior entry features a full height Lyons red sandstone fireplace.
First Place: Arrabelle at Vail Square
Submitted by: David Little at The Gallegos Corporation
Owner: Vail Resorts
General Contractor: Shaw Construction
Project Design Firm: 42/40 Architecture
Arrabelle at Vail Square is a luxury hotel designed to evoke the authentic character of European Alpine destinations. The hotel features 62 lavish guest rooms and suites as well as 25 private residences. This $180 million project broke ground in January 2005 and was completed in September 2008.
The masonry portion of this project involved more than 10,500 cast stone pieces, including window and door surrounds, balcony fascias and balustrades. Pieces weighed up to 3,000 pounds, requiring special handling techniques. The Gallegos Corporation installed 125,000 square feet of interlocking concrete pavers, 30,000 square feet of Rubble Limestone veneers and 25,000 square feet of CMU in this project. In addition, they installed numerous fireplace surrounds and limestone columns in the elegant Centre V Restaurant.
Institutional Masonry
Second Place: South Adams County Fire District Station No. 7
Submitted by: Peter Hynes at Urbitecture
Owner: South Adams County Fire Department
General Contractor: Anderson Construction Company
Project Design Firm: Urbitecture
The South Adams County Fire Station #7 is a 4,824 square foot structure anchored by two back-in style apparatus bays that open toward sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains. The $818,500 project broke ground in September 2008 and was completed in April 2009. The station tower and apparatus bays are load-bearing brick on block masonry construction and the center dorms are brick veneer on wood frame construction. The project includes tumbled brick, precast stone accent quoins, concrete paving, and classic brick arches.
First Place: Arvada West High School Phase II
Submitted by Tim Habben at LOA Architects
Owner: Jefferson County Public Schools
General Contractor: JHL Constructors
Project Design Firm: LOA Architects, P.C.
The Phase II design and construction was an addition to the Phase I west wing structure of Arvada West High School, which was completed in 2003. Exterior materials include two colors of brick masonry and corrugated metal panels. The atrium floor material is porcelain tile. This $25.5 million project broke ground in August 2006 and was completed in December 2008.
The initial concept for Phase I and Phase II was for the school to have an office building image which features large punched exterior windows and a two-story atrium. Contiguous to the atrium space are two levels of classrooms, which have borrowed light windows that capture the light of the atrium. In 2003, the daylighting concept was not yet popular, but has since come into vogue. Phase II features classrooms that have both exterior windows and interior “borrowed light” windows.
Load-Bearing Masonry
Perriman-Brown Residence
Submitted by Kevin Shaffer at KWS Design, LLC
Owner: Janet Perriman & Greg Brown
General Contractor: Janet Perriman & Greg Brown
Project Design Firm: KWS Design, LLC
The Perriman-Brown residence is a Santa Fe-style home nestled in a Golden, Colorado, residential community. This load-bearing masonry home is a design-build project which was value engineered with recycled concrete masonry units. All of the CMU’s were leftovers from other complete projects. This $350,000 project broke ground in September 2007 and was completed in June 2009.
This home includes an enhanced courtyard gateway with hand-carved wood doors, two kivas integral with the courtyard walls and custom spa, a full outdoor kitchen, a solid roof structure featuring steel beams clad with hand hewn wood to match the architecture, shade structure, and water feature with waterfalls and pool. The courtyard wall presented particular challenges due to its multi-curving length and integral kivas, window punches, gates and gateways, and utilities.
Commercial Masonry
Third Place: NorthCreek Phase III
Submitted by: J.C. Slocum at The Gallegos Corporation
Owner: Western Development Group
General Contractor: The Weitz Company
Project Design Firm: Humphries Poli Architects
NorthCreek Phase III is a mixed use commercial project in Cherry Creek. The $20 million project broke ground in November 2007 and was completed n March 2009. Multiple masonry materials used include granite cladding, sandstone cladding, ashlar sandstone veneer, CMU and granite paving. These materials came from a variety of sources in China, Canada, Texas and Minnesota and Lyons, Colorado.
Second Place: Johnstown Town Hall
Submitted by: Josh Cronholm at Ammex Masonry
Owner: Town of Johnstown
General Contractor: Mark Young Construction Inc.
Project Design Firm: Andrews & Anderson Architects
Johnstown Town Hall is nearly 18,000 square feet and is designed to serve Johnstown’s projected population growth and town staff for at least two decades. The $3.5 million project was completed in January 2009. The exterior of the building consists of modular brick veneer, precast concrete bands, coping window sills and headers, and sandstone panels. The interior entry features a full height Lyons red sandstone fireplace.
First Place: Arrabelle at Vail Square
Submitted by: David Little at The Gallegos Corporation
Owner: Vail Resorts
General Contractor: Shaw Construction
Project Design Firm: 42/40 Architecture
Arrabelle at Vail Square is a luxury hotel designed to evoke the authentic character of European Alpine destinations. The hotel features 62 lavish guest rooms and suites as well as 25 private residences. This $180 million project broke ground in January 2005 and was completed in September 2008.
The masonry portion of this project involved more than 10,500 cast stone pieces, including window and door surrounds, balcony fascias and balustrades. Pieces weighed up to 3,000 pounds, requiring special handling techniques. The Gallegos Corporation installed 125,000 square feet of interlocking concrete pavers, 30,000 square feet of Rubble Limestone veneers and 25,000 square feet of CMU in this project. In addition, they installed numerous fireplace surrounds and limestone columns in the elegant Centre V Restaurant.
Institutional Masonry
Second Place: South Adams County Fire District Station No. 7
Submitted by: Peter Hynes at Urbitecture
Owner: South Adams County Fire Department
General Contractor: Anderson Construction Company
Project Design Firm: Urbitecture
The South Adams County Fire Station #7 is a 4,824 square foot structure anchored by two back-in style apparatus bays that open toward sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains. The $818,500 project broke ground in September 2008 and was completed in April 2009. The station tower and apparatus bays are load-bearing brick on block masonry construction and the center dorms are brick veneer on wood frame construction. The project includes tumbled brick, precast stone accent quoins, concrete paving, and classic brick arches.
First Place: Arvada West High School Phase II
Submitted by Tim Habben at LOA Architects
Owner: Jefferson County Public Schools
General Contractor: JHL Constructors
Project Design Firm: LOA Architects, P.C.
The Phase II design and construction was an addition to the Phase I west wing structure of Arvada West High School, which was completed in 2003. Exterior materials include two colors of brick masonry and corrugated metal panels. The atrium floor material is porcelain tile. This $25.5 million project broke ground in August 2006 and was completed in December 2008.
The initial concept for Phase I and Phase II was for the school to have an office building image which features large punched exterior windows and a two-story atrium. Contiguous to the atrium space are two levels of classrooms, which have borrowed light windows that capture the light of the atrium. In 2003, the daylighting concept was not yet popular, but has since come into vogue. Phase II features classrooms that have both exterior windows and interior “borrowed light” windows.
Load-Bearing Masonry
Perriman-Brown Residence
Submitted by Kevin Shaffer at KWS Design, LLC
Owner: Janet Perriman & Greg Brown
General Contractor: Janet Perriman & Greg Brown
Project Design Firm: KWS Design, LLC
The Perriman-Brown residence is a Santa Fe-style home nestled in a Golden, Colorado, residential community. This load-bearing masonry home is a design-build project which was value engineered with recycled concrete masonry units. All of the CMU’s were leftovers from other complete projects. This $350,000 project broke ground in September 2007 and was completed in June 2009.
This home includes an enhanced courtyard gateway with hand-carved wood doors, two kivas integral with the courtyard walls and custom spa, a full outdoor kitchen, a solid roof structure featuring steel beams clad with hand hewn wood to match the architecture, shade structure, and water feature with waterfalls and pool. The courtyard wall presented particular challenges due to its multi-curving length and integral kivas, window punches, gates and gateways, and utilities.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Mud Will Fly
Colorado Construction Career Days is next week. That means for two days, Oct 6 & 7, volunteers from Creative Hardscapes, Berich Masonry, A.P. Eberlein, Grosvenor Masonry and more will be teaching about 1,600 high school students how to lay brick using materials donated by United Rentals, Eatherton Masonry, A.P. Eberlein, and Grosvenor Masonry, among others. If you’ve got a mason or hoddie to spare for the day, let us know and we’ll put them to work. It takes a village to keep high schoolers from getting into mortar fights. Call 303-893-3838 or email nancy@rmmi.org
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Value of LEED
LEED Buildings are showing their worth in Denver. Businesses are seeing value in the energy efficient construction. Great article about it in today's Denver Post. http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13288722
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