Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
(OP)
I have come across an existing exterior masonry wall that appears to be constructed out of 6" concrete block and 4" brick. The building is a 60 years old warehouse building. There is no indication of any bonding between the two masonry members (wythe) and the wall is about 16 ft high. There are some stepping cracks on the brick (exterior) around overhead doors but not many visible cracks on the interior side (blocks).
1) Is there anyway that we can verify if the two wythe are actually bonding? As mentioned I don't see any running bond between the two neither from inside nor from outside of the building.
2) In absence of any existing bonding between the two wythe, is there any suggestion how to bond the existing brick and block without tearing down the whole wall?
Any comments or suggestion is very much appreciated.
1) Is there anyway that we can verify if the two wythe are actually bonding? As mentioned I don't see any running bond between the two neither from inside nor from outside of the building.
2) In absence of any existing bonding between the two wythe, is there any suggestion how to bond the existing brick and block without tearing down the whole wall?
Any comments or suggestion is very much appreciated.






RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
2) I haven't personally used these, but heliflex might be a good retrofit option in this case. These would at least allow you to share surface pressure loads. Whether they allow you to consider the separate wythes to act compositely is another question.
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
It may be a matter of doing some some exploratory work.
Careful, for a 10" wall you are near the max for an h/t=20 (common codes at the time).
Dik
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
A metal detector might be effective to locate it.
Other than that, I agree with the others that selective demo might be needed.
I've never used Heliflex anchors (retrofit ties) but I like them in concept and they do seem like a good product.
I'd be interested to see your results if you do end up using them.
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
Dik
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
We injected dollops of the foam, trying to make each one about 1/2 sf, spaced 18 to 24 inches apart in a grid. We did an injection pressure experiment in the lab to make sure we didn't blow the brick off the wall!
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
Dik
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall
RE: Bonding between rows (wythe) of existing masonry wall