What does CMU mean in masonry?

concrete masonry unit
Characteristics of Concrete Block Concrete block is made from Portland Cement, aggregates and water. It is also known as a concrete masonry unit (CMU).

What is a concrete masonry unit used for?

2 Performance of concrete masonry units. CMUs are precast products made of plain concrete. CMUs are used for construction of load-bearing walls. CMUs represent a low environmental impact construction system and provide superior performance than cast in situ concrete (El-Hassan et al., 2014).

What is a CMU foundation?

A masonry foundation is a structural foundation made from masonry. Historically, bricks or dressed stone were often used to create this type of foundation. Today, concrete masonry units (CMUs) are a common choice of building material for a new masonry foundation or a retrofitted foundation.

Is CMU the same as cinder block?

Concrete masonry units are colloquially known by many names, most predominately “concrete block”, “cinder block”, “CMU”, or simply “block”. The reality, however, is that these masonry units are essentially the same product produced with the same three basic constituent materials: water, cement, and aggregate.

How much does a CMU wall cost?

The national average materials cost to install a cmu block wall is $2.49 per square foot, with a range between $1.98 to $2.99. The total price for labor and materials per square foot is $14.44, coming in between $12.76 to $16.11. A typical 300 square foot project costs $4,330.83, with a range of $3,827.82 to $4,833.84.

How thick is a CMU block?

Typically, concrete masonry units have nominal face dimensions of 8 in. (203 mm) by 16 in. (406 mm), available in nominal thicknesses of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 in. (102, 152, 203, 254, 305, 356, and 406 mm).

What is CMU infill?

Masonry infill refers to masonry used to fill the opening in a structural frame, known as the bounding frame. When properly designed, masonry infills provide an additional strong, ductile system for resisting lateral loads, in-plane and out-of-plane.

What is a CMU wall in construction?

A concrete masonry unit (CMU) is a standard-size rectangular block used in building construction. CMUs are some of the most versatile building products available because of the wide variety of appearances that can be achieved using them.

How thick is a CMU wall?

What is the actual size of a concrete block?

In the US, CMU blocks are nominally 16 in (410 mm) long and 8 in (200 mm) wide. Their actual dimensions are 3⁄8 inch (9.5 mm) less than the nominal dimensions (to allow for 3⁄8-inch mortar joints between blocks in any orientation).