scope:

CATS Abstract:

Concrete masonry products are used in virtually all aspects of building construction, including foundations, loadbearing walls, infill walls, interior partitions, as well as exterior landscaping applications such as retaining walls and paving. This manual presents masonry details commonly used in construction and provides additional corollary information for each set of details where applicable. Each section covers a specific concrete masonry application, and includes details with side-by-side commentary. Where appropriate, the user is referred to other sections of the manual, or other references, for more complete information. The commentary information is intended to provide a brief overview of the design and/or construction considerations that apply to a particular type of construction. The commentary is not intended to include a complete discussion of each item. A companion to this manual is the accompanying CD ROM, which includes all of the details shown herein. These details may be imported into new or existing drawings using CAD programs, allowing easy editing for specific projects. The details and information presented represent common masonry construction practice, but may need to be modified to meet local conditions or requirements. It is the designer's responsibility to ensure local code requirements are met for the project under consideration. The governing code provisions should always take precedence over details shown in this manual.