hollow block wall

huangyhg

hollow block wall
currently working on cmu hollow block wall. construction is 190mm thick hollow blocks with vertical stiffeners and horizontal reinforced bond beams.
we have been asked to carry out integrity and porosity tests.
for an integrity test i think the requirement is a horizontal load. has anyone got any idea on the load required and how to apply it? i expect i can use a jack with a steel plate to spread the load.
as for porosity what is the watertight requirement of a cmu wall?
any assistance appreciated.

are you referring to a partially reinforced (old term) wall with some vertical cores grouted and with a bond beams (possibly intermediate)?
what is your structural standard that the wall must meet?
what is the purpose and application of the wall?
is the wall coated?
if you are talking about flexure, i have used an air bag test, but this is a destructive test usually done in a laboratory. any on-site testing would be be affected by fixity and wall tickness/width/height ratios. also, there would be the effects of the vertical loads on the wall at the time.
there is no standard for the "porosity" of a normal masonry wall. there are no common standards for the "porosity" of the the units (astm c90 would apply). the mortar selection is dependant on the specifier (astm 270). there are water column tests that have been used to test the effectiveness of coatings. one of the factors in the performance of an in place wall is the workmanship.
you could use some sort of a test (usually laboratory) to determine the performance of someting like wind driven rain.
dick
i soldered up a frame with some misting nozzles and added a flow meter to a garden hose hookup so an engr. could hang this in front of windows and check their watertightness at a certain flow.  must be something like that for block.  but the coating would have to be cheaper than the test unless it's a big wall.
i don't think a plate test is what is required.  a small scale loading would not tell much.
window testing is normally a ;aboratory product test.
there are accepted laboratory test procedures for windows. they require close monitorings of flow rates and the pressure to test the window. this is usually a certification or a product acceptance test.
there are also field test methods for the installed performance of a window that really involve a short term drenching the window and partial wall assembly. these are designed to test the installed properties of a window in place.
you could run a similar short term test for a masonry wall, but you may not determine much without specific criteria. to properly test a wall assembly for water penetration you will need duration and a pressure differential. water penetration of a wall assembly is a combination of the materials (masonry units), mortar, construction procedure, performance of coatings and internal waterproofing methods (if any).
are you just after the "porosity" of a wall or the "integrity" of a wall without a standard to meet?
it sounds like you have been commissioned to cary out a verification without any guidelines or criteria to meet.
dick
zambo,
concretemasonry is right, some more information is required.
i also have some questions for you.
1. has the wall already been built?
2. what type of masonry wall is it....freeway sound barrier wall, shear-bearing wall in building...?
3. do you know the purpose of the tests...evaluation of out of plane load capacity, sound trasnmission etc? the list of tests required to evaluate stuctural integrity can be quite numerous, therefore, it is prudent to narrow the scope to deal with what you are attempting to evaluate.
4. are the tests meant to be insitu, lab, or both?
5. what codes and standards govern....european, american..?
thank you to all for the responses.
the walls (several and a large area) have been built and now the consultant would like to prove they are not acceptable. as the walls are acceptable and properly carried out i have little other option than to prove the integrity both for strength and porosity.
i have previously carried out an integrity test on a parapet where we calculated the required horizontal load capacity and then applied the force with a jack. if i knew a standard (british standard would be applicable) that gave me a horizontal force then i would apply it.
for the porosity test i gather that applying a coating may be easier than the test. who can recommend a coating (preferably clear that can be applied on the existing paint) that would protect the wall against driven rain?
you have to be a little more specific if you can. it is difficult to give an answer without a feeling for the problem. knowing what the problem or points of concern are would help give some direction to your efforts. is it just a leaky wall?
doesn't the consultant have to show in what way they are not acceptable?
words like integrity, strength and posity are too general. so far, i have assumed you are looking at the existing structure since the products and assemblies chosen by the designer are apparently carried out properly. this apparently would involve on site testing or documentation.
what type of strength are you concerned with? - wall compressive, flexural, or shear strength? with a masonry wall you have to deal with an assembly. what is the specific composition of the wall and the materials used/specified? what is the purpose of the wall - structural?, privacy?, fire barrier?, sound barrier? liquid constainement? blast barrier?
regarding the "porosity", what is the problem and when does it occur? are there any openings and where are the horizontal bond beams? what are the interior and exterior finishes? was any water proofing coating applied? was any effort made to provide flashing internally or at other locations for moisture control?
you mention british standards. is this built using traditional british materials and practices or would other standards be applicable?
some information is required to make a recommendation.
concretemasonary
the consultant is asking us to prove the integrity. i don't believe asking him to clarify will provide any more details. let's assume he will be satisfied if i prove the shear strength, the wall is connected to the floor slab with dowels at every vertical stiffener (4m centres) and fexural strength. the walls are not load bearing and therefore i do not think we need to prove the compressive strength. i believe i can prove both of these by applying a horizontal force but i do not have a specification for that force.
the purpose of the walls are internal partitions and external walls. the construction of both is the same. the walls are 6m high with vertical stiffener infills and horizontal bond beam infills.
no coating is applied except for exterior quality paint.
no efforts have been made with flashings for moisture control. the external blockwork walls stand on the edge of the concrete slab.
the walls have been constructed in thailand but british or australian standards can be used.
maybe the question should be:
what part of the contract documents does the wall construction contravene?  is the testing in accordance with the contract documents?  who is responsible for quality assurance/control?
what tests were undertaken?
dik
so british or australian standards can be used...
i believe these documents contain design provisions and standard specs: british---bs 5628 australian---as ca47
henri2
thanks for your post. i would be plesed to buy the british or australian standards but i'm worried that i buy then when delivered in say 14 days time they don't give an answer.
although there have been a few suggestions i think my only way forward is as follows:
1. to prove the integrity apply a horizontal force to prove shear and flexural strength. to do this i need a value for this force. can anyone give me the name of a publication which proposes such a force?
2. instead of proving the resistance against driven rain i think i have to apply a coating. this coating may be a silane type. it should be clear and possible to apply on top of the existing exterior paint. does anyone know of such a coating?