Design for Producing Vertical Non-Loadbearing Masonry: Scope Analysis

Abstract

The design for producing non-loadbearing masonry offers high potential for improving the design process in building construction. However, one of the problems worth mentioning is the lack of accurate definition of the scope, causing doubts about what, when and how it should be prepared, developed and delivered by the designers. The main purpose of this article is to investigate and analyse the application of the scopes of the designs of vertical non-loadbearing masonry (DPVM) in building construction using case studies in the cities of Recife and Sao Paulo in Brazil. The results obtained have shown that conformity (meeting the specifications) the reference scope adopted -the Brazilian Association of Design Managers and Coordinators (AGESC) handbook -averaged 61% (construction companies) and 57% (designers), while the agreement (personal opinion on the appropriateness of the specification) with the scope averaged 45% (construction companies) and 56% (designers). A wider difference was found between conformity and agreement among the construction companies compared to the DPVM designers. Lastly, it gives guidelines on the scope of how to use the AGESC handbook on DPVM, describing potential uses and stressing the contributions to greater integration between expectations and resulting products, to more rationally facilitate the design and execution of non-loadbearing masonry in building construction.