Blockaid – Improving construction

It is vital to the structural integrity of a core-filled reinforced masonry block wall that the location of the horizontal and vertical reinforcing steel complies with the engineer’s design specification. Current construction best practice frequently fails to meet this critical requirement.

Blockaid is an easy to use alignment bracket that locates and secures both the horizontal and vertical reinforcing steel bars in the masonry block wall to guarantee the placement of the reinforcing steel meets the engineer’s specification. Blockaid also correctly aligns Control Joint dowels to ensure they are placed parallel with the wall.

Blockaid is intuitive to use and a time and motion study carried out by Newcastle Innovation, the Research and Innovation department of the University of Newcastle, has proven that Blockaid can save construction time of a reinforced block wall by up to 20% over current construction methods where the steel is required to be tied in place.

Blockaid is designed to be placed at each intersection of reinforcing steel in the construction which equates to seven Blockaids per Square Metre. The time saved in construction more than justifies the cost of using Blockaid in all reinforced masonry walls.

Blockaid also eliminates the risk of failing inspection because the steel is not correctly located. Verification of the correct location of reinforcing steel by the certifying engineer is further improved with the use of Blockaid as the bright yellow Blockaids are easily seen to be securing the steel in place.