×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Mortar & Stone foundation wall

Mortar & Stone foundation wall

Mortar & Stone foundation wall

(OP)
I am looking at an existing foundation wall for a home.  The house is estimated at 100+ years old.  The foundation walls for the basement are stone and mortar (probably sandstone).  Finished basement floor to top of wall is 6'-8".  The wall is 12" thick (minimum).  The wall looks to be held at the top by the first floor construction.  The basement slab is poured concrete.  The house is located in the midwest (KS/NE border).  I am assuming a soil lateral load of 65 psf/ft.
Am I correct in assuming that friction/gravity is resisting shear?  And the mortar on the inside face is in tension resisting bending forces?  Where can I find allowable tension for mortar and friction values?

RE: Mortar & Stone foundation wall

Sperling -

There was a recent thread about tensile strength for unreinforced masonry, try a search.   65 pcf sounds somewhat high-  do you have a water table issue?

Regards.

RE: Mortar & Stone foundation wall

With the axial load on the wall from the weight of the building and the self-weight of the wall, you may not necessarily develop tension on the inside face...just need to check it.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources