Five Story Brick Veneer with Wood Walls
Five Story Brick Veneer with Wood Walls
(OP)
We are currently designing a 5-story wood apartment building in Tampa, FL. The owner wants to use a 4" brick veneer against a wood wall backing at the exterior. We have never done 5-stories of full size brick against a wood wall, and what literature we have found pertains to 3-stories or less only. Can this be done? Can the brick be supported directly by the wood wall (using steel support angles) or should an independent steel frame be used? Hearing from someone who has experience with brick would be very helpful (not much brickwork is done down this way). Thank you!






RE: Five Story Brick Veneer with Wood Walls
Looks like you will need either a steel platform or steel supports at the perimeter to carry the gravity. You could also back up the veneer with CMU, where there is no height restriction. I know that this creates problems in the FBC for masonry detailing which can be cumbersome.
RE: Five Story Brick Veneer with Wood Walls
Per the IBC, you can only go 30 feet above a non-combustible foundation with wood stud backup walls.
RE: Five Story Brick Veneer with Wood Walls
The Brick Institute or your local International Masonry Institute office can provide guidance.
Dick
RE: Five Story Brick Veneer with Wood Walls
Our standard practice is to provide shelf angles at regular vertical intervals (say 20') to allow for brick movement. We typically do CMU construction down here so the angles are just bolted to grouted CMU. Pretty straightforward. Can we do the same with wood construction and bolt the shelf angle to the wood frame? It does not appear to be forbidden by FBC but the differential movement between the brick expansion and the wood shrinkage makes us nervous. Or, do the self-angles need to be supported by a steel frame that goes down to foundation?
RE: Five Story Brick Veneer with Wood Walls
RE: Five Story Brick Veneer with Wood Walls