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Grouting bond beams at top of wall below existing slab above

5K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  Fishindude 
#1 ·
I'm looking at a high-rise with almost entirely concrete structure, but a large number of block walls in the building.

The job has specified a bond beam at the top of all walls, which are all just below an existing slab, since all masonry is installed after the structure is complete. Detail drawings are very clear that the bond beam must be the top course - we can't fill the second-from-top course and close the space above with a non-grouted course.

Is there a trick to grouting the top course once installed? I feel like I must be missing something, because we have to do this with a good 11,000 linear feet of block wall.
 
#2 ·
Is your bond beam made from lintel block or bond beam block? Lintel block you might be able to cut notches or core drill holes every few feet and get a looser mix to flow into via a hose. (Bond beam blocks you can try the same but its a little tougher). You could also core drill through slab above with an engineer's approval, but the risk there is hitting rebar. The downside is the sheer number of holes to drill, and not being able to see how well the voids are filled. When we encountered this exact problem on a project, the engineer redesigned the detail, so that the block stopped a course short of the slab, then our rebar extended up from the block to a poured in place bond beam. That's a solution that would have to come from the architect or engineer though.
 
#3 ·
I don’t do the kind of work you do, but I run into the same situation on residential foundation replacements.

Seems like a goofy detail.

You can drill from the top, and use a grout mix with a super plasticizer, if they are OK a with you drilling the slab.

You can see if the engineer can design a different detail.

Submit an RFI.

You can try to form and pout the last course in lieu of block, but pumping that full, even with holes drilled in the side, is gonna be a *****.
 
#5 ·
Unfortunately not. Each of the floor slabs is being poured in relatively quick succession, meaning that the floor above will be getting poured. It's likely that the first 5-10 levels above ground will be poured by about the same time we're first allowed to start the lowermost parkade walls.
 
#7 ·
This sounds like something that is critically important so it's critically important that the exact procedure is very clear to make sure the end result is what is required, definitely time for a RFI, there should be a working how to detail supplied by the Architect/Engineer.
 
#16 ·
[B]jsprplc2006[/B] most likely you'll just run your mesh then bond-beam block, 5-6 at a time, leaving an end open so you can run your rebar through and a grout pump hose. The last block or two in the bond beam you'll need to core drill a hole for your hose. Then again it may be easier to just drill every3rd block and inject the grout. It's typically a 1" hole. They also make an open-ended "H" bond beam block (or speed block) that might help you get around rebar since you won't be able to drop the CMUs in place. I've seen old parking garages around my neck of the woods getting retrofitted with infill CMU walls so not as uncommon a situation as you may think.
 
#17 ·
I'm not aware except from going top down.

On residential houses i do the bond beam 2 down and run vertical steel 2" below sill plate and pour the bond beam. You should have already poured the cells. I then make a g block but only cut halfway down and just trowel in the stuff. Next day is just fling it in there.

Not as good as if it were new, but what can ya do.
 
#18 ·
This is one of those cases where the architect / engineer was pretty friggin stupid. Better have a sit down with them and talk about it.
If the bond beam is just to stiffen the wall laterally at the top, good chance you could install it second to last course, then use standard block on top course? Of course, that will require the designer to eat a little crow and realize they designed a relatively unbuildable detail.
 
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