Design Information For Architectural Concrete Masonry Walls Nature of Product Architectural Concrete Masonry Units are principally used on the exterior and interior of buildings where they are exposed to a particular design program. They are designed to give structures a single load bearing wall system or a veneer wall system. These are primarily products of nature varying in size, shape, texture and particle color. Although quality color consistency is a manufacturer's goal, some variations in color, texture and uniformity may be anticipated in the final product. Lighter shades generally exhibit less color variation than do the darker deeper colors.
Darker colors seem to accentuate color variations with results appearing more pronounced.
CMU's will exhibit more variations in reflectivity than split face or other fractured units. This is due to the rich cement content and the cement paste that is brought to the surface by the vibration during the manufacturing process. The surface can be lightly sandblasted or cleaned with detergent cleaners to reduce the paste sheen. Therefore, the occasion of efflorescence might be anticipated. The producers of Architectural Units in the Carolinas use specific care to select aggregates and other ingredients that will not contribute to the development of efflorescence.