Masonry wall failure
Masonry wall failure
(OP)
I am offering a repair to an existing CMU wall... about 50 years old. It's a foundation wall to a residential one story and roof supported wall.
Ceiling height is 7'-6" and grade is above at almost 8'-6". The soil in the area is known to have clay and the soil slopes towards the wall.
The walls are deflecting about 1.5" at mid-span.
Another wall, built at a later date as an addition, is deflecting the same with large horizontal cracks at the mid-span mortar joints and a large displaced crack horizontal near the S.O.G.
I am thinking about grouting the walls solid and using carbon fiber strips.
Was wondering what other types of repairs you guys have provided for this type of situation?
Regards,
Ceiling height is 7'-6" and grade is above at almost 8'-6". The soil in the area is known to have clay and the soil slopes towards the wall.
The walls are deflecting about 1.5" at mid-span.
Another wall, built at a later date as an addition, is deflecting the same with large horizontal cracks at the mid-span mortar joints and a large displaced crack horizontal near the S.O.G.
I am thinking about grouting the walls solid and using carbon fiber strips.
Was wondering what other types of repairs you guys have provided for this type of situation?
Regards,






RE: Masonry wall failure
RE: Masonry wall failure
The grout and carbon fiber won't get the bow out of the wall, but it will strenghten the out of plane strength of the wall, and have the smallest projection off the interior face of the wall.
If a projection off the interior face of the wall is not a problem, then perhaps bolting a steel plate or angle to the wall at every 4' or so after the wall has been grouted, may be a cheaper option than the carbon fiber. The simple steel members are more readily available and more familiar to the everyday contractor than trying to find somebody to install crp.
RE: Masonry wall failure
RE: Masonry wall failure
Do you want to pull the wall back in line... use some deadmen in the yard with 1'' rod tie backs and pull the walls back.
Don't forget to excavate about 1' to 2' of soil away from the wall first and install drainage tiles, maybe a sump pump and rock backfill.
This is the simple version.
RE: Masonry wall failure
RE: Masonry wall failure
It sounds like you are looking for a repair and not a correction of the problem causing the old failure.
Usually, with the normal horizontal crack at or near the midpoint of the wall, the obvious method to to excavate and drain to get the soil pressure down to a realistic level and then straighten/plumb the wall and either place reinforcement and grout in the cores or to attempt a surface repair method.
The wall has already failed because of the soil pressure.
Often, the original design assumptions can lead to some strange designs.
dick
RE: Masonry wall failure