G. REBAR PLACEMENT

Rebar is placed in SmartBlockPlus walls for reinforcement of the entire concrete structure. Rebar is placed horizontally every 121.92 cm. (or more often, as may be required), above and below every window opening, and at the top of the wall in the rebar cradles incorporated in the crossties. Rebar is placed vertically at specific intervals, depending on the structural design of the wall, and on the sides of all window and door openings.

Additional rebar is often required in the lintels over door and window openings, and may include supplemental stirrups to reinforce the concrete beam formed in these lintels.
The SmartBlockPlus Installation Manual and the Prescriptive Method both contain design tables for a variety of applications and can generally be used for projects within the scope of these tables without further design engineering.

All codes require that rebar be restrained from movement during the placement of concrete to ensure that it is cast in the proper location in the wall to achieve the desired structural objective. Tying rebar together with pre-looped wire or nylon zip ties is one method of achieving this objective. The rebar cradles molded into the crossties of the SmartBlockPlus Forms are ideal for the placement of horizontal rebar. It is also possible to secure horizontal rebar in place by utilizing a steel “saddle”. Staggering the placement of the horizontal rebar at each level creates a vertical box, which can capture the vertical rebar placed from the top of the wall and hold it in place during the concrete pour.

You may secure the bottom of the vertical rebar within a 1-1/2” tall “ring” of 1-1/2” diameter or larger, if required, PVC pipe collared over the dowel protruding from the footing or slab. If there is no dowel that corresponds to the vertical rebar being installed, create an impression in the concrete (with a funnel or piece or rebar) at the time it is poured, or drill a hole in the poured concrete which will allow the vertical bar to rest securely in place. When the top of the vertical rebar is tied to the horizontal rebar and the bottom is secured as suggested above, you have met the code requirements of the rebar and the labor traditionally used to tie all of the rebar together is eliminated.

For doors and windows, the minimum rebar required is a #4 bar (http://www.sizes.com/materls/rebar.htm ) within 30 cm. of all sides of an opening. Depending on the load being carried by the opening, additional rebar is often required and should be placed in accordance with the proper design.
A continuous, or galloping, stirrup is also available through your SmartBlockPlus Distributor to replace the time, expense, and aggravations of tying multiple stirrups in lintels requiring this additional reinforcement.

If the walls will be continuing up beyond the level of the concrete pour, be sure to extend the vertical rebar sufficiently enough to provide for the required overlap (40 times the diameter of the rebar being used) or be sure to have sufficient rebar on hand to place overlapping dowels into the wet concrete at the time of the pour.