Spotlight: Vertical Rebar Positioners

By Mike Ripley

Vertical rebar positioners have been part of the masonry accessory package for many years. They add no structural value to the wall, but aid the mason contractor in centering the bars in the core of the block and also help to simplify the lapping process.

The most popular and economical positioners for vertical applications are the Figure 8 or S type and the O ring. They are installed perpendicular to the plane of the block crossing the core with the wire loops centered. Positioners are set in the mortar of the bed joint for stability and vertical spacing is about every four feet.

Placement tolerances for single rebar applications are listed in Specification for Masonry Structures (TMS 602-08/ACI 530.1-08/ASCE 6-08) under Part 3 – Execution 3.4 B.8. Working from the center point of the core you are allowed + ½ inch in the width or thickness of the wall and 2 inches along the length of the wall. This leaves you a space in the core center of 1 inch wide by 4 inches long to be code compliant for vertical applications.

Some masons install bars manually (by sight) and others with the aid of positioners but all with the risk of not meeting code. While the use of rebar positioners greatly narrows the margin of error, they also move during installation due to sitting on top of the shelf of the CMU and moving when mortar or the next course is applied.

A new trend in vertical rebar positioners has emerged to solve the movement issue during installation. Core inserted positioners, which are designed to fit 1½-inch deep, cross the core diagonally and fit tightly in the corners of the core. The core positioners perfectly position the bars in the code compliance zone and allow no movement during installation. They also have an extended tail section (safety bend) so if installed incorrectly (out of plane), the tail will extend outside the wall alerting the mason to turn it in the opposite position.

Double vertical core positioners are also available but with a different design, spacing the loops or guides closer to the face shell of the CMU. To complete the family there is a bond beam positioner that positions bars in the lower one-third of the unit and ½-inch off the inside face shell.

Take the guesswork out of rebar placement by using the core inserted positioners.

Mike Ripley is national sales manager for Wire-Bond.

Webcast on Construction Recovery May 3

Chief economists from Reed Construction Data, the Associated General Contractors of America and the American Institute of Architects are joining forces once again to host the upcoming economic webcast: A Construction Recovery At Last—But How Long and How Strong?

The webcast will feature economic experts Bernard Markstein, Ken Simonson and Kermit Baker in a detailed analysis of likely future activity within the various construction sectors. The construction industry is finally showing signs of sustained growth in multiple regions and market segments, but the recovery remains fragmentary and tentative. Join this webcast to hear views for the 2012 season:

• Will the current recovery gain strength or will it simply stall?
• Can the strength extend to additional geographic areas?
• Which segments and regions are still vulnerable?
• What global or domestic economic developments could derail the recovery?
• What will happen with materials costs?

The webcast will broadcast live starting at 2 p.m. EDT, May 3, 2012, and will be archived for later viewing. The speakers will accept questions from the online audience in the last half hour.

Brought to you by Maxwell Systems Complete Construction Software Solutions, this complimentary webcast is open to everyone. Pre-registration is required prior to the event. Registrants who are AIA members and who attend the live broadcast are eligible to receive 1.5 AIA CEU credits.

Speakers

Ken Simonson
Chief Economist, AGC of America
Ken Simonson has more than 35 years of experience analyzing, advocating and communicating about economic and tax issues. He is interviewed and quoted almost daily by local and national media, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and CNBC. Ken has a BA in economics from the University of Chicago and an MA in economics from Northwestern University.




Kermit Baker
Chief Economist, AIA
Kermit Baker is the Chief Economist for the American Institute of Architects in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, he analyzes business and construction trends in the U.S. economy and examines their impact on AIA members and the architectural profession. Kermit originated the AIA Architecture Billings Index, as well as the AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel. He received his Master's degree in Urban Planning from Harvard University and holds a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the same field. In 2002, Kermit was named honorary member of the AIA.


Bernard Markstein
Chief Economist, Reed Construction Data
Bernard M. Markstein is Chief Economist for Reed Construction Data. Dr. Markstein has extensive experience analyzing, interpreting and forecasting commercial construction, housing, real estate, financial markets and regional markets. Dr. Markstein received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Brown University and a Doctorate in Economics from Yale University.

Register here:
https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=451071&sessionid=1&key=803C7D4F302560B135067C449D2E824E&sourcepage=register

MVMA Announces Winners of Third-Annual Design Awards Competition

Thirty-six projects in nine categories were announced as winners in the third-annual Masonry Veneer Manufacturers Association (MVMA) Design Awards Contest at the annual MVMA Winter Meeting. The event was held in February during the International Builders Show in Orlando. The winners were chosen by five judges from the American Institute of Building Design. The MVMA Design Awards were created to recognize the work of industry professionals who are setting trends by featuring adhered concrete masonry veneer in their projects.  

2012 MVMA Design Awards Winners

Best in Show: Platinum – Van Winkle Residence, Paradise Valley, Ariz., Coronado Stone Products

New Construction – Residential – Interior: Platinum – Randy Cups, Celebrity Homes, Sunset Stone

New Construction – Residential – Exterior: Platinum – Derrick Johnson, Van Winkle Residence, Coronado

New Construction – Nonresidential – Interior: Platinum – Randy Cups, Sundial House, Sunset Stone           

New Construction – Nonresidential – Exterior: Platinum - Derrick Johnson, Greek Orthodox Church, Coronado 

Remodel – Residential – Interior: Platinum – Jim Doane, White Residence, Boral 

Remodel – Residential – Exterior: Platinum – Vic Breedlove, Home, Boral

Remodel – Nonresidential – Interior: Platinum – Cathy Burris, Hershey Medical Center Café, Quality Stone Veneer 

Remodel – Nonresidential – Exterior: Platinum – Cathy Burris, The Backdoor Café, Quality Stone Veneer 

Hardscape: Platinum – Lake Road Project, Boral

Best in Show: Platinum Award – Derrick Johnson, Van Winkle Residence, Paradise Valley, Ariz., Coronado Stone Products

Staff Innovation Award: Tom Calaccino, Clovis Tower, Veneerstone

Architect Scholarships for 'Designing With Natural Stone'

The fourteenth edition of “Designing with Natural Stone” will run from Sept. 24-30, 2012,  in Verona and Milan, Italy, in conjunction with MARMOMACC, a trade show for stone and design. More than 220 architects from all over the United States have participated in previous editions of the course. Scholarship applications for this year’s course will be accepted until July 15.

Veronafiere offers this course to help architects learn advanced techniques in the use of marble, granite and other stone materials. It is an ideal way for members of the stone trade to educate architects they work with about stone design. 

The program is a unique combination of classroom lectures, guided architectural tours, and field trips to local quarries, as well as to natural stone processing facilities. This comprehensive approach enables architects to better understand stone’s full life-cycle, including how marble is quarried, cut, processed, finished, selected for specific jobs and installed, all using the latest technologies and products. 

The 2012 edition will include visits to a nearby Rosso Verona quarry and stone processing plant, as well as case studies on stone use in the Canadian Museum of Human Right and the first certified “passivaus” building for a railway company. 

In addition, to celebrate its 75th anniversary, MAPEI will host the group in Milan for two full days. The Milan program will include visits of MAPEI’s plant in Mediglia, its R&D labs in Milan, and the City Life project, a residential and business district currently under construction in Milan. City Life was designed by architects Arata Isozaki, Daniel Libeskind, Zaha Hadid, and Pier Paolo Maggiora and has been recognized for the redevelopment of the historic area originally occupied by Fiera Milano. MAPEI’s involvement has included specifying and supplying various construction products that have contributed to the sustainability of this project and assistance with specifications for the stone installation.

Sustainable design (SD) became a principal focus of the course in 2008. Five AIA SD credits will be offered, including case studies of sustainable projects in stone. In addition, the course provides time to explore MARMOMACC, with its more than 1,500 exhibitors of stone and stone-related products from around the world.

Participants earn more than 20 AIA/CES learning-unit hours. Most classes also count as HSW credits and five as SD credits. The class is limited to 30 architects, 16 from the United States, the others from Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, and Singapore.

Scholarships – covering tuition, hotels and meals – are awarded on a competitive basis, based on a candidate’s demonstrated interest in the field, responsibilities within their firm, and experience with stone.  Participants are responsible for their own transportation to Verona as well as a $490 registration fee. Send applications to Wafa Ghnaim, The Consultants International Group: 1616 H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, fax: (202) 393-4655, email: info@cig-dc.com.

Simpson Strong-Tie Reaches $1.5 Million in Donations to Habitat for Humanity

The connection between Simpson Strong-Tie and Habitat for Humanity is growing stronger. Simpson Strong-Tie is renewing its partnership with Habitat for the sixth straight year bringing the company’s overall donation to $1.5 million.

Sharing Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, Simpson Strong-Tie began its partnership with Habitat for Humanity International in 2007, annually providing $250,000 in cash and product donations, including the structural framing hardware (connectors and fasteners) and reinforced shear walls for new home construction.

Simpson Strong-Tie has built homes with Habitat in the United States and abroad, supported Habitat’s Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Projects, and responded to communities affected by natural disasters including along the U.S. Gulf Coast Region and Haiti. The partnership extends beyond financial and product donations as Simpson Strong-Tie employees volunteer their time, labor and technical skills on construction sites, training volunteers in proper connector installation and the use of tools.