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SPECIFICATIONS
Scope:
Sound absorptive concrete masonry units shall be used to construct
exterior walls or partitions as shown on the plans and/or indicated
in the Schedule of Finishes.
Material:
All sound absorptive masonry units shall be SOUNDBLOX made on standard
block machines using molds furnished or approved by The Proudfoot
Company, Inc., Monroe, Connecticut. They shall be made of carefully
prepared aggregate and shall meet the current ASTM C-90 or ASTM
C-129 requirements as appropriate. Carefully controlled use of the
SOUNDBLOX molds shall be employed so all units have one end of the
cavities tightly closed. Slots and edges shall be straight and clean.
Where Types Q, RSC, RSC/RF or RSR SOUNDBLOX units are called for,
filler elements as supplied by The Proudfoot Company Inc., shall
be installed in the cavities of the blocks at the block plant. The
fillers shall be of specially fabricated incombustible fibrous material,
cut accurately to size and installed as recommended. The fillers
shall have metal septa laminated to one side of the fibrous material
and shall be installed with the septa facing away from the slots.
Where 8" Type Q units are called for, they shall have a bare
(without fibrous material) metal septum as furnished by The Proudfoot
Company, Inc., installed in each cavity in the recommended manner
at the block plant.
Sizes and Types:
SOUNDBLOX units shall be 8" x 16" nominal face size. They
shall be of the thickness (4", 6", 8" 10" or
12") and Type (A-1, RSR, RSC, RSC/RF or Q) as shown on the
plans and/or indicated in the Schedule of Finishes.
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Installation:
SOUNDBLOX units shall be installed by the General Contractor (or
Masonry Contractor) using only mechanics skilled in the laying of
masonry blocks. All necessary cutting on the job site shall be performed
with power tools in such a manner as to provide straight and true
edges. No chipped or broken blocks shall be used. SOUNDBLOX units
shall be laid in running bond (or stack bond) with the open ends
of the cavities facing downward. The slots shall be exposed to the
area where the sound absorption is desired as indicated on the plans.
Care shall be taken to ensure that the slots are kept free of mortar
or debris above the mortar joints. Lines shall be straight and true
and the SOUNDBLOX workmanship shall otherwise conform to all requirements
of the General Specifications for masonry work.
Painting:
SOUNDBLOX units may be painted without significant reduction of
sound absorption from the values shown which were determined after
the faces has already been painted. Lightweight SOUNDBLOX units
have substantially more sound absorption when unpainted but - except
for split-rib units - few units are ever left unpainted. Walls of
SOUNDBLOX units made of lightweight, porous aggregates must be heavily
painted with cement base or other sealing type paint on the unslotted
side to prevent porous sound transmission where maximum sound transmission
loss is desired. Such painting is also required on ordinary hollow
concrete masonry units of lightweight, porous aggregates to prevent
porous sound transmission.
Fire Endurance:
Fire testing in accordance with ASTM E-119 requirements show fire
endurance ratings of up to 3 hours plus for load-bearing walls built
of SOUNDBLOX units. Specific details are available upon request.
Code Acceptance:
SOUNDBLOX units are approved for use in reinforced masonry construction
wherever ordinary hollow concrete masonry units are permitted. This
applies to seismic zones as defined under the Uniform Building Code,
with 90% of the shear value of ordinary hollow concrete masonry
units allowed for the SOUNDBLOX units. (See City of Los Angeles
Dept. of Building and Safety Research Report No. RR23609).
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