2105A.4 Masonry Core Testing

Not less than two cores shall be taken from each building for each 5,000 square feet (465 m²) of the masonry wall area or fraction thereof. The approved agency shall perform or observe the coring of the masonry walls and sample locations shall be subject to approval of the registered design professional.

Core samples shall comply with the following:

1. Cored no sooner than 7 days after grouting of the selected area;
2. Be a minimum of 3³/₄" in nominal diameter; and
3. Sampled in such a manner as to exclude any masonry unit webs, mortar joint, or reinforcing steel. If all cells contain reinforcement, alternate core locations or means to detect void or delamination shall be selected by the registered design professional and approved by the building official.

Visual examination of all cores shall be made by an approved agency and the condition of the cores reported as required by the California Administrative Code. Shear test both joints between the grout core and the outside wythes or face shell of the masonry 28 days after grouting of the sample area using a shear test apparatus acceptable to the enforcement agency. Core samples shall not be soaked before testing. Core samples to be tested shall be stored in sealed plastic bags or non-absorbent containers immediately after coring and for at least 5 days prior to testing. The average unit shear value for each pair of cores (4 shear tests) from each 5,000 square feet of wall area (or less) on the cross section of core shall not be less than 2.5 √f '_m psi.

All cores shall be submitted to an approved agency for examination, even where the core specimens failed during the cutting operation. The approved agency shall report the location where each core was taken, the findings of their visual examination of each core, identify which cores were selected for shear testing, and the results of the shear tests.

Exceptions:

1. Core sampling and testing is not required for non-bearing non-shear masonry walls, not exceeding total wall height of 12 feet above wall base, built with single-wythe hollow unit concrete masonry that attaches opposite face shells using webs cast as single unit, when designed using an f'_m not exceeding 2,000 psi (13.79 MPa).
2. An infrared thermographic survey or other nondestructive test procedures, shall be permitted to be approved as an alternative system to detect voids or delamination in grouted masonry in-lieu of core sampling and testing.