Introduction |  CSI CMU Specifications |  Available CMU colors |  Regular & Smooth Face CMU |  Specialty CMU |  Bullnose CMU |  Scored CMU |  Ground Face CMU |  Split Face CMU |  Beveled CMU |  Concrete Brick Introduction to Concrete Masonry Units (CMUs) Concrete masonry has been established over the decades as one of the most popular building systems available. Today, it continues to be the choice among owners and designers who demand an economical, versatile, and durable material for all types of construction. As the art of concrete block manufacturing has become more and more sophisticated, designers have begun to embrace the unlimited creative possibilities that now exist with concrete masonry. To satisfy increased design requirements, Betco Supreme offers a wide variety of colors, textures, shapes, configurations and finishes for all applications, from residential veneer projects to load-bearing single-wythe commercial and institutional structures. All Betco Supreme units are manufactured with the highest quality raw materials and produced on the most modern, computerized block making machinery. Light weight and normal weight aggregates are carefully blended to produce units of consistent texture with extremely high compressive strengths and excellent insulative, fire resistant, and sound absorbing properties. In order to continue producing units of uncompromising quality, Betco Supreme continuously updates plant machinery and maintains one of the industry's most capable production staffs. As the concrete masonry industry continues to evolve, Betco Supreme is constantly evaluating new products and configurations to meet the ever-changing needs of design professionals. The following information contains the most readily available units. Proprietary unit configurations and finishes are not included. Should you identify an additional decorative or functional requirement, please check with a Betco Supreme representative for availability. This directory is intended to provide guidance in the early stages of project development. Typical unit configurations are provided. Core areas are shown to help designers determine appropriate reinforcement steel placement, insulation strategies, or other design requirements. Design professionals are encouraged to contact Betco Supreme as early in the design process as possible. Concrete Masonry Units All Betco Supreme concrete masonry units (CMU) are manufactured in compliance with the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard specifications as follows: ASTM 90 - Standard Specification for Load bearing Concrete Masonry Units ASTM 129 - Standard Specification for Non-Load bearing Concrete Masonry Units. Dimensions The overall dimensions of CMUs are accurate to plus or minus one-eighth inch. Width, height, and length are provided as nominal dimensions of units. Actual dimensions are typically three-eighths inch less than nominal. Dimensional Specifications CMUs are specified as width x height x length (w x h x l). This introduction provides a coding system by which concrete masonry units may be specified. The code is provided above each drawing in the shapes and sizes sections. The coding system has been adopted to avoid colloquialisms to describe similar units. Betco Supreme CMU Coding System The Betco Supreme CMU coding system utilizes three letters and six numbers and the descriptor in the following format, YYYWWHHLL Descriptor. The first three letters, YYY, indicate the type of finish on a unit, for example, SPF for Split-Face CMU, GRF for Ground Face CMU, etc. The six digits, WWHHLL, indicate the overall nominal dimensions of the unit. The overall nominal dimensions are provided as width, WW, by height, HH, by length, LL. The descriptor is an abbreviated description of the unit. Finish Descriptor (YYY) The designations for regular, smooth face, and architectural concrete masonry units are: REG - Regular concrete masonry unit with no architectural finish or integral color SMF - Smooth face concrete masonry unit with integral color BN1 - Bullnose unit with one inch radius bullnose GRF - Ground face unit SPF - Split face unit Note: Color must be specified for all units except REG. Unit Configurations Solid CMUs are defined by the net cross-sectional area measured in every plane parallel to the bedding surface equal to or more than 75% of the gross cross-sectional area measured in the same plane. Thus, solid units may be cored as much as 25%. Units cored in excess of 25% are hollow units. The definition of a hollow unit is any unit having a net cross-sectional area measured in any plane parallel to the bedding surface less than 75% of the gross cross-sectional area measured in the same plane. Color The colors of concrete masonry units, concrete brick and concrete pavers are dependent upon the colors and amounts of cement, aggregate, additives and pigment used; curing method and time; and manufacturing processes, such as splitting, grinding, or polishing. Exposed aggregates, which occur in ground face and split-face units, provide unique color variations. Integrally Pigmented Concrete Masonry Units The most common colors are achieved when the proportion of pigment to cement is between two and three percent. Deeper colors occur when the pigment to cement ratio is increased. The most economical colors are earth tones. Blues and greens may not be economical for entire projects but are excellent for bands and accents. The final appearance may be altered with additives, coatings, or stains. Coatings and stains tend to "deepen" the original color. Metallic oxide pigments produce colors that are permanent. These pigments conform to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C979 - Standard Specification for Pigments for Integrally Colored Concrete. Slight color variations in aggregate from the quarry, cement mixtures from the manufacturer, and manufacturing processes may alter colors. Due to these multiple variations, color samples represent the standard colors and may not exactly match the color of the final product. Stains and Coatings Stains and clear coatings may be used to alter the color of the concrete masonry. Stains and coatings tend to "deepen" color. Opaque coatings such as paint, are also common for concrete masonry construction. Stains and coatings are usually employed when a minimal variation in color is required. Stains and coatings may also be selected to provide increased water penetration resistance. Effects of Architectural Features When CMUs are exposed, the architectural features of the units may be used to influence the overall appearance of the structure. Features of the masonry units and mortar joint profiles may be used to create various shadow lines. Split-face, smooth face, and fluted units all have different effects on the overall structure's appearance. The mortar joint profile is also an important consideration. Different shadow lines are provided with flush, concave, vee struck, weathered and raked mortar joint profiles. Effects of Mortar Color Mortar is a significant portion of most concrete masonry construction. For masonry construction with units having a nominal 8-inch height and 16-inch length, mortar joints are about seven percent of the wall surface area. For half height units (nominal 4-inch height and 16-inch length), mortar joints are about eleven percent of the wall area. When a masonry wall is constructed using standard modular brick (actual 2-1/4-inch height and 7-5/8-inch length), the mortar joints are approximately twenty percent of the wall surface area. Mortar color may have a significant impact on the overall appearance of the concrete masonry structure. Lighter mortar colors will lighten the wall and darker mortar colors will darken it. The mortar can also be pigmented to match the color of the concrete masonry units. The variety of color options adds to the versatility of concrete masonry construction, increasing the potential for concrete masonry and paver systems to satisfy the aesthetic requirements of virtually any project.