Welded wire fabric lath with backing must provide metallic reinforcement for plaster:

Welded wire fabric lath with backing must provide metallic reinforcement for plaster:

• A. Continuously
• B. Intermittently
• C. Only at joints
• D. Not at all

Answer: (A)

Continuous metallic reinforcement is essential for plaster on welded wire fabric lath with backing. The plaster layer relies on a continuous metal skeleton to carry tensile stresses and to distribute movement from shrinkage, temperature changes, and structural loads across the entire surface. If the reinforcement were only at joints or intermittently, stress would concentrate in the unreinforced areas, leading to cracking, hairline fractures, or plaster failure. A continuous welded wire fabric with backing provides a uniform, interconnected network that the plaster bonds to, improving crack resistance and keeping the plaster integral over the whole area.

Continuous metallic reinforcement is essential for plaster on welded wire fabric lath with backing. The plaster layer relies on a continuous metal skeleton to carry tensile stresses and to distribute movement from shrinkage, temperature changes, and structural loads across the entire surface. If the reinforcement were only at joints or intermittently, stress would concentrate in the unreinforced areas, leading to cracking, hairline fractures, or plaster failure. A continuous welded wire fabric with backing provides a uniform, interconnected network that the plaster bonds to, improving crack resistance and keeping the plaster integral over the whole area.