Rebar congestion solutions

Code changes within the American Concrete Institute’s concrete and masonry codes require longer lap lengths in masonry construction. This code change means more congestion in the masonry cells and more difficulty in construction. To alleviate this problem, builders can either use open-cell blocks, which are quite expensive, or use mechanical rebar couplers to eliminate the lap.

ERICO—a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of precision-engineered specialty metal products—offers the LENTON taper-threaded splice, one of the most widely used mechanical splicing systems in the world today, to quickly and easily connect two pieces of rebar. This cost-effective connector uses the time-tested, field-proven taper thread for assurance of strength, consistency, and reliability while simplifying installation.

LENTON splices are designed for use on worldwide standard grades of rebar and meet ACI-318, BS 8110, and DIN 1045 full-tension splice requirements and many other international standards. No "special" high-strength, enlarged thread section or increased rebar size is necessary, thus allowing the supply of rebar from multiple sources for maximum cost savings.

ERICO
Request more information

Energy efficiency 

When it comes to choosing the most energy-efficient masonry blocks for construction projects, builders and remodelers should follow some advice—you can’t tell a block by its cover. Now a patented product called Omni Block has combined the strength, utility, versatility, and ease of maintenance of concrete with innovative insulation inserts that create considerable energy savings and a host of other helpful benefits.

This patented, insulated concrete block is used in residential, civic, and commercial building and guarantees to lower utility bills by at least 30 percent while increasing the structural integrity of the building. With its mortar-laid insulated block, the Omni Block system creates a sealed external wall system. As with other masonry products, Omni Block provides enhanced durability and structural stability, minimizing expensive maintenance and repairs. But unlike other conventional concrete block wall systems, the Omni Block system does not require any sheathing, vapor wrap, siding, furring strips, additional insulation, or drywall. Additionally, Omni Block buildings are built with environmentally friendly, "green" building materials that are fire, mold, pest, wind, and noise resistant. These wall systems increase the interior comfort level of the building while providing an overall healthier and safer indoor environment.

Omni Block
Request more information

Editor’s addition: IBC changes analyzed

Analysis of Revisions to the 2006 IBC Structural Provisions, by S. K. Ghosh, Susan Dowty, and P. Dasgupta, is a 254-page publication that provides an analysis of the changes to the 2006 International Building Code (IBC) structural provisions (Chapters 16-23), which were approved by the ICC membership at the annual conferences in 2004 and 2005. The 2006 IBC is most different from the 2003 IBC in that referenced standards have been updated to reflect the most current standards, and there is an almost exclusive reliance on the 2005 edition of the ASCE 7 Standard Minimum Design Load for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7-05) for prescribing structural loading requirements. This publication provides explanations and guidance on how to use the ASCE 7-05 standard in conjunction with the 2006 IBC, as well as thorough discussion of the changes in the updated material standards referenced (e.g. ACI 318-05, 2005 edition of MSJC code, AISC 360-05, AISC 341-05, and AF&PA NDS-05). In this Analysis of Revisions, there is an added feature: the cross-reference tables. The first part, the 2003 IBC to 2006 IBC tables, assists code users in locating new 2006 IBC sections numbers for similar provisions found in the 2003 IBC. The second part, the 2006 IBC to 2003 IBC tables, assists code users in locating source sections of the 2003 IBC for similar provisions found in the 2006 IBC. Price: $40+S/H

S. K. Ghosh Associates Inc. 
Request more information