CMDC Announces new Specification Series highlighting common issues

CMDC is proud to announce a new series of posts dedicated to providing insight on some common issues resulting from how specifications are worded

Errors in construction specifications lead to lost time and money for all parties involved. Errors can occur due to references to outdated standards, contradictory or conflicting requirements throughout a specification, general omissions of important information, or a misunderstanding of what is present in masonry standards.

As part of CMDC’s goal to provide designers and our members with the tools and resources to design masonry structures, this new initiative is meant to provide a resource to anyone involved in a project where masonry work is being specified. The main specification page is now available under Resources, linked here: www.canadamasonrydesigncentre.com/resources/specifications

The following are examples of some of the typical issues that CMDC engineering staff have encountered over years of experience in the industry. The purpose of this initiative is to provide a general resource to help inform mason contractors, specification writers, architects, engineers, and masonry designers in general on what types of specifications might lead to issues on a masonry job.

The specification examples available today are:

1. Tying Veneer to a Structural Backing
2. Specifying Mortar for Nonloadbearing Masonry
3. Specifying Mortar for Loadbearing Masonry
4. Bond Beams in Partition Walls
5. Workmanship and Tolerances for Walls
6. Workmanship and Unit Appearance
7. Workmanship and Mortar Joints
8. Vertical Movement Joints
9. Acoustic Block in Reinforced Masonry
10. Masonry Grout

CMDC is available to answer any design or construction questions for designers or our contractor members. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking at a specification that is raising some questions or you are looking to specify something in your design and want to ensure that the way it is written in a way that is clear and reflects the codes and standards that are being used for your next project.