Bond Beam

A bond beam is a poured in place concrete trough, re-enforced with rebar, which helps hold the shape of the wall. It is a band of steel and concrete placed around the top of the wall to resist point source forces. At the junction with a wood roof, anchor bolts are tied into the bond beam to then bolt down the wooden sill plate.

	One option is to use thinset mortar to glue slabs of AAC together to form the bond beam trough. Concrete and rebar are then placed in the trough.
	Another approach is to use pre-made AAC "U-block." This is a faster approach, however, they often break during shipping.
	A third approach is to use standard CMU U-blocks. You should check with your engineer regarding expansion issues.

Content under development. March 2008.