Unreinforced Masonry Walls Are A Thing Of the Past

Unreinforced masonry walls are a thing of the past. Or are they? They would be if we (at AtlantisFiber™) had any influence on building codes.

In 2016, the Seattle Times ran a story, “Buildings that kill: The earthquake danger lawmakers have ignored for decades”. The story describes how it is well-known that concrete and masonry do not hold up well under a stress-load without some reinforcement and we need to immediately do something about it.

“Seismic Neglect: Seattle officials have been counting earthquake-vulnerable buildings since the early 1990s, but no law requires the structures to be strengthened.” ~ Daniel Gilbert and Sandi Doughton | Seattle Times staff reporters

Brick and stone structures are common around the world… and they are at risk!

Cement has been effectively used for centuries, and in low sheer-stress regions, it stands the test of time. However, in the Pacific Northwest, where we are predominantly a high sheer-stress region, Washington State lawmakers were warned about the risks years ago. This is a problem up & down the west coast of North and South America — where there are many populous areas — as well as in other parts of the world where tectonic plates come together.

So why all this rambling regarding unreinforced masonry walls?

While fiber additives have been around for a while, there is now a proven solution backed by data and case studies.

Let’s, however, be clear, when we are saying that unreinforced masonry walls can now be reinforced by adding polymer fibers (read more about Polymer Scrap Tire Fiber or PSTF), we mean that when you add AtlantisFiber™to any concrete or mortar mix, research and case studies have shown significant cost benefits, better longevity & performance, improved environmental impact due in part to the requirement of considerably less cement all while achieving superior results. The cost-benefit cannot be overstated as this form of seismic retrofit has been highly underutilized in the past due to its exorbitant price point. AtlantisFiber has changed this and made it a thing of the past with our highly cost-effective approach to this extremely efficient form of seismic retrofit. As such, if you are also adding other reinforcements, you can design, implement and use less of the other types of reinforcement and your weight and cost are drastically reduced without loss of integrity and strength.

This is crucial to the future of building with cement all over the world, in all types of climates, and in all types of conditions. The fact is, in the Pacific Northwest, we are in an era of waiting for the next impending visit from Mother Nature in the form of an extreme earthquake, we must take note of how unprepared we are up to this point — but that can change.

“Magnitude 9.0 earthquakes strike the Northwest about every five centuries. But some were only 200 years apart – and it’s been 316 years since the last one. The Big One will shake the entire Pacific Northwest for four to five minutes, longer than the five biggest quakes in Washington’s recorded history combined.” ~ Seismic Neglect: A Seattle Times Special Report

We’re ready to deliver today

AtlantisFiber™has proven this technology and is currently looking for contractors that want to save money and use our AtlantisFiber™ add-mix. Be part of the leading edge of better concrete technology at very aggressive pricing. If you are a contractor — big or small — call us today to talk about special pricing at up to 90% off (depending on volume) of typical add-mix pricing. Call us today at +1 (778) 908-6877 | 1-888-502-3523