Masonry block wall system and method

Claim 1

A wall structure comprising: (a) a concrete footer having an anchoring means therein; (b) a plurality of post-tensioning rods connected to said anchoring means and extending vertically from said footer; (c) a plurality of stacked masonry building blocks arranged in courses with mortar therebetween and having voids therein; (d) a plate positioned on the top course of said blocks; (e) said rods extending through said voids in non-contacting relationship to said blocks, grouting or other masonry products and through said plate; (f) tensioning means mounted on said plate and secured to said post-tensioning rods for maintaining a predetermined tension in said rods; (g) said masonry building blocks each having opposing parallel faces interconnected by a single web member; (h) means defining thermal insulation material in said voids to increase the thermal resistance of said wall structure to provide a wall structure having an R value greater than 10; and (i) a steel lintel member extending over an opening provided in said wall structure, said lintel including a plurality of vertically extending rods connected thereto, each of said rods extending through voids in said blocks positioned above said lintel.