Masonry Magazine December 1995 Page. 13
Hot Weather Procedures
Code Requirements:
Ambient air temperature exceeds:
100 F, or
90 F with wind velocity greater 8 mph
Mortar bed less than 4 feet ahead of unit bedment,
Set units within one minute after laying bed.
Hot weather temperature included in Project Specification
Master Plan for hot weather masonry construction:
Rescheduling workday hours.
Schedule masonry to working face orientation, i.e., N,S, E, W,
Mortar production in weather protected enclosure.
Provisions made for cooling sand, water, and mixer.
Provisions made for maintaining masonry moist:
Relative humidity initiating action,
Vapor barrier covering of wall,
Moist spray at end of work day for "x" days, including non-work days.
sonry mortar ingredients and masonry units. These documents and their approved submittal reduce testing for compliance of mortar to the property specifications requirements of ASTM C 270', when required to submit same. Additionally, the materials supplier/manufacturer should be consulted regarding the weather protection that will be provided from plant to project site. Shrink-wrapped units and weather resistive packages will ease on-site protection.
The purchaser should be aware that some recommendations regarding all weather conditions may not result in a uniform aesthetic appearance for the completed structure. It is frequently recommended that the use of alternate Type III portland cement for the conventional Type I portland cement will provide some protection.
search was limited to ASTM C 672 IRA tests; the effect of prolonged (greater than one minute) contact of brick with water was not established.
Code Provisions
The current Specifications for Masonry Structures (ACI 530-92/ASCE 6-92/TMS 402-92) requires submittal of cold weather and hot weather construction procedures for meeting the requirements of the Project Specification. Additionally the Execution portion of the Specification mandates that, when specific conditions are experienced during construction, specific implementation procedures be followed.
Temperatures triggering the implementation procedures are 40°F (ambient and unit) and 100°F or 90°F (wind 8 mph) for cold and hot weather masonry construction, respectively.
Recommended Practices
(All Weather)
The incremental procedures toward masonry construction include the following:
Purchase of materials
Materials receipt and storage
Production of masonry mortar
Scaffolding-access to working face
Masonry construction
Protection of completed masonry
Purchase of Materials
During the purchase of materials, a manufacturer's Certification of Compliance should be received for all ma-
Night and Day Contrast
ELABORATELY ornate St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox church and community center In Troy, Michigan, a series of masonry bearing buildings connected by glass block links, presents different facades by day and night. Architectural lighting dramatically emphasizes different structural details at night than by natural daylight. For further details on this winning project, see page 6.