Masonry Magazine October 2005 Page. 16
COLD WEATHER WORK
40
Cold Weather
Masonry
Construction
Images from left to rig
Two options provided for contractors under the code are protect the mortar mixing area and heating mortar ingredie
Keeping materials off of the ground and covered is required as shown in this picture of the staging and delivery process for corporate headquarters built by McGough Construction Compa Inc. of St. Paul, M
Under extreme conditions, using either heated partial or comp enclosures may be the answer to assuring qua
By Olene Bigelow
International Masonry Institute
IN THE WINTERTIME, THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 40 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND FEW PLACES IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S. ESCAPE EXPERIENCING IT. According to the Masonry Standards Joint Committee (MSJC) Code and Specification Quality Assurance section and the International Building Code 2003 Chapter 21, when temperatures fall below this magic number at which time hydration of cement slows or even stops-it signals the point to implement a cold weather masonry construction plan.
This temperature is also the point when good mason contractors implement their best quality control efforts. While modern technology has extended the building season to nearly year-round in most places, the magic number hasn't changed, largely because the basic properties of mortar materials and masonry units remain relatively constant.
Code options are designed to address the varying job site conditions and extremes experienced.
14
Masonry
October 2005
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