| It appears to me that the characteristics of a PC block are substantially different from those of a conventional brick or that of a conventional cement block. For instance, a conventional cement block or a conventional brick cracks apart when subjected to excessive compressive load. In contrast, a PC block does not crack apart, it rather loses its depth ie, it compresses in size and can regain the compression substantially when the compressive forces are removed. A Conventional brick or cement block has very little insulation properties.A PO block can have significant insulation properties. To me it appears that the ASTM tests for bricks and cement blocks are not fully relavent to PC blocks. In the building code we should ensure that standards that are laid down for PC blocks reflect their unique properties also in addition to what conventional builders look for. Regards Ashok |
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