Excerpts from the report: Agricultural Research Service research on surface bonding began in 1967 and is being continued on a limited basis in cooperation with the Agricultural Engineering Department of the University of Georgia's College of Agriculture at College Station, Athens, Ga. Tests by the National Concrete Masonry Association show that surface bonded walls are strong enough for two-story construction. Commercial buildings with walls 14 feet high have been successfully constructed.

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... ON -- Surface bonding has been thoroughly tested as a construction technique for erecting block walls without mortar joints. However, because of the comparative newness of surface bonding, the requirements, standards, and specifications for its use are still evolving. The materials and procedures recommended in this publication are not necessarily in compliance with all Federal Government specifications on the use of surface bonding in Federally approved housing. This applies to housing financed or approved by the Farmers Home Administration, the Federal Housing Administration, the Veterans Administration, and other government agencies. Prospective applicants for Federal assistance should carefully examine the requirements of the lending agency as they pertain to surface bonding.