Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
(OP)
The attached photo shows a newly constructed cottage that is supported on concrete block piers that appear to have been laid with no mortar in the bed joints. Is that something that anyone has ever seen before? I would not expect that it complies with Code. I think the top block has been filled with mortar but I don't think that the pier is filled with mortar all the way down. The piers must resist vertical load as well as lateral wind load transferred from the cottage structure above.






RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
I find it is almost impossible to tell a layman that they need a structural engineer. When it comes to structural engineering, 99% of laymen are sure that they know more than any structural engineer. After all, they have all hammered a nail into a piece of wood. Really , what more is there to know? Anyway, they can save the engineer's fee by going directly to the contractor.
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
There are approved, prescriptive pier details in the Canadian modular home foundation standard, if you wish to see how they layer mortarless hollow block with plywood.
What is shown in the photo is way beyond my comfort level and needs to be addressed.
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
When they built it mortar-less in the old days, did they build it as high as shown in the photo?
Does the modular home standard allow mortar-less to be built so high?
Any suggestions on how it can be made to work or how to fix it? I know that I have to add piers anyway because the wood beam between piers is over-stressed.
If say there is no tension in the piers under P/A + M/S, can they be considered ok? I have no idea yet if this will be the case...I have to to do calculations still.
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
RE: Your post of 29 Aug 14, 14:50, you said:
“That would be very expensive...have to temporarily support the cottage while pulling out the old beam. I would expose myself to liability because the contractor would sue me for not designing an economical fix that he would have to pay for. Then I would not sleep at night. If the cottage were not all built and completed, then I would agree with you. As a lawyer pointed out to me 30 years ago, when I first prepared to act as an expert witness, repair/remedial measures are not the same as new design. There is a professional and legal obligation to minimize the remedial costs, consistent of course with providing a safe design that can be shown to satisfy the intent of the Code.....”
You should walk away from this if the contractor and cabin owner on not welling to pay you for your effort and time, and if they are not willing to pay to fix their self made mess properly. The owner claimed the contractor was experienced and knew what he was doing, and the owner was advised that he should retain the services of a Structural Engineer, but didn’t think he needed one, so they made their own mess. And, you shouldn’t stick your neck out to do fix it on the cheap for either of them, that’s real liability exposure. Obviously, I don’t mean run up the bill either. But, what the lawyer should have said or meant, is it is never easier to fix a crappy job than it is to do it right in the first place. It invariably looks like a cobbled mess and is almost always more expensive than having it done right in the first place. But again, these are their blunders, not your’s, that you are trying to fix. Get you fees in advance (a retainer) and return what you don’t us to do a proper analysis, design, drawings and specs., etc., when you are done and satisfied with the results. You might also consider a memo. listing the defects, which you are aware of and can see, and general fix approaches, without details, until you are paid. This letter/memo. would go to the contractor, owner and the building officials. I agree with Hokie, and wonder how keep finding these abominations?
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
The greatest trick that bond stress ever pulled was convincing the world it didn't exist.
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
Or maybe it can be a wood stud wall with sheathing each face, that can act as a shear wall. In that case, pour strip footing, then place masonry block to 6" above grade, then build stud shear wall on top of block tight up to underside of built-up beams.
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
The greatest trick that bond stress ever pulled was convincing the world it didn't exist.
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
As an aside...your other thread says the exterior beam is built-up 4 ply but in the picture you posted in this thread looks like it is 2 plies. Might just be my eyes playing tricks.
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints
RE: Concrete masonry piers with no mortar in bed joints