Module 6 - Masonry Wall Types

Types of Masonry Walls

• Masonry cavity walls

• Masonry loadbearing walls

• Reinforced masonry walls

• Posttensioned masonry walls

• Composite masonry walls

  • Traditional

  • Contemporary

What is this?

Composite Masonry Walls

What are Composite Masonry Walls?

• Use different masonry materials in different parts of the wall

• Exterior face of stone, brick, or other masonry material

• Inner wythes of less expensive CMU or clay units

• Solid (no internal cavity)

• Wythes are bonded with:

  • Header units (in traditional construction)

  • Metal ties or reinforcing (in contemporary construction)

What is this?

Masonry Cavity Walls

What are Masonry Cavity Walls

• Multi-wythe (wythe = vertical stacked bricks)

• A continuous air space between wythes acts as an internal drainage plane

• Water that penetrates the outer wythe runs down the cavity and is drained back to the exterior through weep holes

• Cavity: Minimum recommended width is 2 inches to allow space for masons to keep the cavity clear of mortar droppings during construction

• Flashing: Continuous waterproof membrane that intercepts water in the cavity and directs it to the exterior through weepholes

• Weep holes: Allow water to drain from wall cavity

What is this?

Masonry Cavity Wall - Stone

What is a Masonry Cavity Wall (Stone)?

• Stones support their own weight

• Most commonly set in mortar, like brick or CMU

• Right: Stone blocks carry their own weight. CMU backup wall with anchors provides lateral support.

What is this?

Masonry Cavity Wall (Stone cladding or Curtain Wall)

What is Masonry Cavity Wall (Stone cladding or Curtain Wall)

• Stone / Concrete panels mechanically attached to building frame

• Attachment system carries the weight of the panels

What is this?

Loadbearing Masonry Walls

What are Loadbearing Masonry Walls?

Carry gravity loads from floors and roofs

May be composite, cavity, or single-wythe

In loadbearing cavity walls, the inner wythe is usually loadbearing and the outer wythe or veneer is nonstructural

What is this?

Reinforced CMU Masonry Walls

What are Reinforced CMU Masonry Walls?

Vertical reinforcing bars in grouted cells

Horizontal joint reinforcing

Reinforcing provides: Greater strength, Improved resistance to lateral forces, Thinner walls when compared to unreinforced masonry

What is this?

Reinforced Brick Masonry Walls

What is added to Reinforced Brick Masonry Walls to increase its strength?

Steel reinforcing and Gout

What is Low Lift Gouting?

• Wall is constructed no more than four feet in height

• Vertical reinforcing is installed and left extended 30 bar diameters above wall

• Cavity is filled with grout

What is High Lift Gouting?

• Wall is grouted a story at a time

• Some bricks on lowest course are temporarily omitted to create cleanout holes

• Cavity is flushed periodically to remove debris

What is this?

Posttensioned Masonry Walls

What are Posttensioned Masonry Walls?

• Steel plates placed at top of CMU wall

• High strength threaded steel rods or cables anchored to foundation

What is the process of Posttensioned Masonry Walls?

• After mortar has cured, steel rods are placed in tension

• Places wall in compression and strengthens wall against tensile forces

• Why? Allows the use of thinner walls with fewer grouted cores