FBR General Discussion, page-5749

As a building professional myself David, I couldn't agree with you more. The HX can't incorporate expansion/control joints, for any movement what so ever. It can't provide for weep holes. On the East coast here with our highly reactive soils it is a failure. It will be impossible to incorporate window flashings without a external skin of conventional masonry. Not to mention the importance of cavity construction.
Holders here don't relise what's involved in the building of a masonry home. Precast concrete lintals are ridiculous for the residential market.
Just wait till this thing hits Florida, and they find out the way they build for hurricane building codes. They require proper deformed reo starter bars set deep into the footings with bends, no chemset straight rods into the concrete after the first coarse goes down. It will be impossible for the HX to lower blocks over these rods. Even incorporating hurricane straps in a glued joint is laughable.

It's truly amazing after all these years builder's here couldn't progress with this type of construction. Holders here still think this will be successful.