From wall type to what to buy
A block wall is not one number. The wall type schedule sets the block size and finishes, the structural masonry schedule sets the bars and grout by floor, and the details set bond beams, jamb bars and lintels. We read all three and derive, for every wall:
- Standard and bond-beam block by size (6, 8, 10, 12 in).
- Mortar: cement, lime and sand.
- Grout, for fully grouted walls or the cells the schedule calls for.
- Vertical bars by size and spacing, bond-beam bars, jamb bars at openings and L-bars at slabs, with laps.
- Joint reinforcement by wall thickness.
- Lintels by opening width and wall thickness.
Openings are cut out of the wall before anything is counted. When the drawings disagree (a shaft wall drawn 12 in on the plans and 10 in in the structural schedule, say), the line is withheld and the question comes back to you.
Check your mason's number
Because every block count splits by wall type and floor, you can put it next to your mason's bid line by line. See our guide, how to check a mason's block count.
See it built
Every masonry type opens as an exploded build-up in 3D: block, grout and bars, furring and board, in build order. Examples: a CMU shaft wall, brick veneer on 12 in CMU, stucco on 10 in CMU.
Questions
Do you count bond-beam units separately?
Yes. Bond-beam block is counted separately from standard units, by wall size, from the bond beams the drawings call for.
Is rebar included?
Yes: vertical, bond-beam, jamb and L-bars, by size and spacing from the structural masonry schedule, with laps.