Why Are Masonry Control Joint Locations Significant?
[vc_row][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]When designing concrete masonry walls, one aspect that needs to be considered is the location of control joints. Control joints are continuous vertical mortar joints where a bond breaker is placed between the mortar and the units on one side. Read more >[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Why Are Masonry Control Joint Locations Significant?
When designing concrete masonry walls, one aspect that needs to be considered is the location of control joints. Control joints are continuous vertical mortar joints where a bond breaker is placed between the mortar and the units on one side. Masonry walls, like concrete walls, will shrink after placement due to moisture content and temperature […]
What is a Bond Beam?
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Bond beams are a very common method to achieve continuity to allow all masonry wall segments to work together as a single unit. This insight will discuss the use and detailing of bond beams in masonry walls. Read more >[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Stack Bond from a Structural Engineer’s Perspective
[vc_row][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]A masonry wall constructed with stack bond can have structural capacity similar to running bond, provided reinforcing requirements are met. The technical definition of stack bond is any wall where the overlap of a masonry unit over the block below is less than one quarter of the length of the block. Read more >[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Reinforcing Existing Masonry for New Lateral Loads Part 2
Masonry shear walls must resist lateral loads due to wind or seismic events based on geographic building location per the applicable building code. Depending on the magnitude of the load, shear walls may or may not require reinforcing to provide adequate lateral resistance. Read more >
Reinforcing Existing Masonry For New Lateral Loads – Part 1
[vc_row][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Masonry walls are quite versatile in building applications and are common industry wide. What happens, though, when a building retrofit or expansion requires an existing masonry wall to now become a shear wall or for an existing shear wall to now resist more load than its current capacity? Read more >[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Masonry Partition Wall
[vc_row][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Most building elements designed by a structural engineer are actually structural—they resist gravity or lateral loads (or both). One item, however, that is not structural is a masonry partition wall. A structural engineer might think that if the wall serves no structural function, then it does not need to be included in their design […]
Masonry Checklist: Reviewing Structural Plans
[vc_row][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]This checklist is intended to serve as a starting point for your design and review efforts as you develop masonry designs and details. Please customize this checklist as required to meet the needs of your specific projects. Read more >[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
How to Properly Specify Masonry Wall Assemblies for f ’m = 2500 psi
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If you want a masonry design strength of 2500 psi on your next project, it is not enough to indicate a minimum value of f’m on the design documents. Read more >[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
