Isolated Masonry Piers. 1. You may use hollow core concrete masonry units (concrete blocks) to build isolated masonry piers if the units are at least (â¥) 8 inches thick and not longer than (â¤) 3 times the unit thickness. An isolated masonry pier may not support a fl oor girder or beam. 2. Do not build isolated hollow core masonry piers taller than 4 times the unit thickness. Example: an isolated hollow core masonry pier made from standard 8 by 8 by 16 inch units. should not be taller than 32 inches. 3.
A credit rating agency is a private company whose purpose is to assess the ability of borrowers, either governments or private enterprises, to repay their debt. To do this, these agencies issue credit ratings based on the borrowerâs solvency. The three biggest global rating agencies control 95% of the market. They include Fitch Rating Ltd, Moodyâs and Standard and Poorâs. Since 2011, these independent companies have had to obtain certification from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) in order to operate in Europe.
Bond Rating. Rating agencies grade bonds on a letter scale that indicates credit worthiness and risk. In simplest terms, the lower the letter scale, the lower the quality and the higher risk potential: AAA or triple A rating â indicates the highest-quality bonds that offer the highest protection for principal and interest payments;