Masonry Magazine January 1970 Page. 42
Oakcrest Towers, Prince Georges County, Maryland.
During each of the winters of 1965, 1966 and 1967, an 8-story loadbearing building was added to the Oakerest Towers complex (Fig. 3). The buildings were built with a minimum of difficulty. The only protection provided consisted of covering the completed walls during very cold or wet weather. Sand and water were heated to obtain warm mortar for construction, and accelerators were used to obtain an early set. On windy days, windbreaks were provided to protect the masons and the freshly laid masonry. For the comfort of other trades, some of the building's areas were enclosed immediately below where the masons wre working with plastic sheets in the door and window opening.
ENCLOSED CONSTRUCTION
Several masonry contractors have enclosed parts or all of a bearing wall building with little additional construction cost. Enclosures are most often necessary in northern portions of the country; however, they may be desirable and economically advisable in areas where masonry work could be conducted in the open air. Some of the advantages of enclosures include:
1. Protection of masonry for early curing and strength
2. Ease of obtaining and maintaining a highly skilled masonry crew
3. Higher mason productivity
4. Reduction of total construction time and, therefore, redaction of interim financing.
Also, some contractors and owners report that higher quality construction is obtained during the wintertime under enclosures than that obtained during the summer.
Scaffolding. Several of the scaffold manufacturers make accessories to be used with their scaffolds to provide enclosures to facilitate winter construction. One type is the Morgan Tower scaffold with special adapters for winter enclosure. This enclosure and space heaters provide a controlled atmosphere for the workmen, materials and the wall under construction.
A second type of enclosure for use with tubular frame scaffolds is shown in Fig. 4. Special canted purlins are provided to prevent snow and water accumulation on the roof of the enclosure. In this way, the immediate working area can be heated and protected from the elements.
Area Enclosures. Many bearing wall buildings have layouts in which there is a series of repeating bearing walls. In some of these cases, contractors have found that an area enclosure which can be lifted by a crane and moved from place to place is a desirable and economical solution. Coonrad, Volmer and Waltz, Inc., builders of the Jay-