![]() ![]() “Was used” is the operative phrase because using this material in new construction residential buildings was stopped, in the Chicago area, in late 2009. Split faced block was commonly used as the exterior wall cladding on the sides and rear of 3, 6 and 8 unit condominium buildings, with the front of the buildings, usually, being covered with brick or stone. During manufacture, a complete block is “split” to form two pieces, each with a rough face. The finished product resemblesrock-faced masonry in Richardsonian Romanesque houses popular in the mid-1880s. But, as we shall see, prioritizing form over function can lead to long-term problems when building houses. The material is manufactured using aggregate, Portland cement and course sand. This material looked like an 8″ thick cinder block, but had a rough face, making it look like stone. ![]() WHAT IS SPLIT FACED BLOCK AND WHY WAS IT USED?ĭuring the building boom of the mid 1990’s to mid 2000’s, there were many new single family homes and condominium buildings constructed in the Chicago area. Many of these condominium buildings utilized a newer exterior masonry product that is commonly called split faced block. The following excerpts, from an article from Willian Decker, explain in some detail the history, issues and solutions of split faced block in Chicago construction. While the city imposed some restrictions on the use of split faced block in 2009, I was interested in the pros and cons of the material and how existing buildings may be affected as they age. ![]() There has been little split faced block used in new residential construction in the past few years in Chicago however, I have recently seen a number of new three flats being constructed utilizing this cement based block. ![]()
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