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ICC Masonry Inspector S2 study materials
ICC Masonry Inspector S2 study resources

ICC Masonry Inspector S2: Masonry Materials and Construction Practices

ICC Masonry Inspector S2 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Masonry Materials and Construction Practices

What this domain tests

It tests whether what arrives at the site matches the code and the approved documents: unit standards, mortar and grout classification, and the placement rules of TMS 602 that the IBC adopts by reference through Chapter 21.

Units, mortar, grout

  • Loadbearing concrete masonry units are specified under ASTM C90, nonloadbearing under ASTM C129, and evaluated on net-area compressive strength (ASTM C140) plus absorption and dimensional tolerance.
  • Mortar under ASTM C270 is classed M (2500 psi lab cube), S (1800), N (750), O (350). M is the strongest; S gives the highest tensile bond and dominates seismic and high-wind work; N is the general-purpose above-grade mortar; O serves interior nonloadbearing work.
  • Grout under ASTM C476 is coarse or fine, placed at 8 to 11 in. slump (ASTM C143) and mechanically consolidated. It is not flowable fill.

Placement rules worth memorizing

  • Bed and head joints are nominally 3/8 in. and must be filled; face-shell bedding is permitted only where TMS 402/602 allows it.
  • Low-lift grout pours are limited to about 5 ft; high-lift pours may reach 12 ft 8 in. but require cleanouts and continuous observation.
  • Cover: 5/8 in. where masonry is not exposed to weather or earth, 1-1/2 in. exposed to weather, 2 in. exposed to earth.
  • Mortar may be retempered only within 1-1/2 hours of mixing and must be discarded at 2-1/2 hours.

Worked example

The drawings call for Type S mortar and f'm = 1,800 psi. At the wall you find 7/8 in. bed joints, grout at 5 in. slump, and mortar being retempered two hours after mixing. Each item fails: the joint is over thickness, the grout is below slump, and the mortar is past its working life. You document, notify the contractor and the AHJ, and require removal of the affected mortar and correction of the grout.

Traps

Assuming a higher mortar type is always better (M raises strength but can reduce bond and increase shrinkage cracking); confusing unit strength with prism strength; accepting grout that has been watered up on the board.