The wall is constructed of regular eight-inch masonry sash units with an integrated sash groove used as a tactile/visual organizing device

A continuous ring of construction adhesive/sealant is placed recessed within the reveal, sealing the assembly for grouting and temporarily fixing the units in place

The project is sited on a hill near the Building Research and Demonstration Facility, a complex built in the early 1990's for students and faculty to test building assemblies and one that had, over time, succumbed to disuse and abandoned projects

Accurate layout was especially critical for the project, as tolerances were demanding

The wall rests on a poured concrete foundation, 10" thick by 30" wide, bearing approximately 30" below grade

2" x 4" lumber fastened to the footing form work provided the fixturing required to layout the #5 vertical reinforcing dowels in every other stack, along with the steel embed plates used to weld the steel for the first course to the foundation

Steel tubes provide the means to locate the horizontal steel straps tying the stacks together, doubling as storey poles for the masonry courses

Prior to placement, the units are notched according to shop drawings made for each stack using a jig and a table saw modified for cutting block

Critical to the construction technique is that the strap within the wall is always straight, even within the curve, and as a consequence, keeping the notches aligned during placement is paramount to all other variables

The stacks are tied together horizontally at every course by a piece of 3/16" x 2-1/2" HR steel strap, with every fifth course (three total) using stainless steel

The units are initially placed on shims for leveling, with a target reveal of 3/16" between them; the shims are removed after grouting

The wall consists of 107 stacks, each 16 courses tall for a total of 1,712 units, the first placed 21 August 2011, the final placed 6 July, 2012