Is it valid to use an existing ASTM standard for clay or concrete brick or pavers when CalStar masonry is neither clay nor concrete?
Yes. New products are usually tested to the performance criteria of existing products of similar use. To test to lower or different standards would be inappropriate and would provide misleading information to design professionals. The performance requirements for clay and concrete bricks are remarkably similar (see ASTM C216- 07a Standard Specification for Facing Brick (Solid Masonry Units Made from Clay or Shale), and C1634 – 09 Standard Specification for Concrete Facing Brick), as are the performance requirements for clay and concrete pavers (see ASTM C902 – 09 Standard Specification for Pedestrian and Light Traffic Paving Brick and C936/C936M – 09 Standard Specification for Solid Concrete Interlocking Paving Units). Facing brick performance requirements typically include a minimum strength (3000 to 3500 psi), water absorption properties, and freeze/thaw durability (passing a certain number of cycles of an accelerated freeze/thaw test). Likewise, paver standards have requirements for
