idk if it is because we have 100+ little earthquakes a year in Arkansas, or if my Dad was just an anal accountant/DIY'r
, but we built block walls with rebar going vertically and horizontally and it was wire-tied together in some spots like corners and by openings. I have wondered if there was a need for so much rebar...but we did have a wall in the basement move 10" during one series of quakes. It was a poured slab wall with no rebar.