8" Brick Masonry Vertical Rebar

[XR250]

I have an interior two-wythe brick masonry wall. It is being used as an architectural feature as well as a shearwall. There are some areas that are not braced by the floor system (such as 1/2 wall locations). The numbers actually jive for it to be un-reinforced, however, I would have a higher level of comfort with some rebar helping out. Is it reasonable to have the mason cut the brick to 2" thickness in the rebar locations so I end up with a periodic 4"x8" grout space? The customer does not want to go with a 12" wall.

Thanks!

 

[phamENG]

Sounds expensive. If they're going to pay for a top notch mason, I'd rely on brick's 400 year performance history in this part of the world and not bother if the numbers are ok. (Yes, I know the materials have changed and a wall built of modern materials isn't going to act like one built in the 1700s. Though if you want to go for that and your client has the cash, check out Old Carolina Brick company in Salisbury, NC. They make hand made bricks for historical recreations. I've spec'ed their products before and they're good.)

If you really want to do it, try Thru-Wall brick from Belden. I believe Atlas and Interstate make a similar product. The issue is size - the "bricks" are a larger format that most are used to working with and may not work visually.

 

[bones206]

That does seem like an unreasonable amount of work. If the aesthetic and functional constraints allow for it, you might consider reinforced brick pilasters to stiffen up the wall. With masonry I give more consideration to geometry and aspect ratios than steel reinforcement.

 

[BridgeSmith]

Let me preface this by saying I know next to nothing about masonry construction. That said, it seems to me that if you're concerned about its performance as a shear wall, wouldn't reinforcing in both directions be needed to get substantial improvement? If that assumption is correct, would a layer of wire mesh between the wythes be an option?

Rod Smith, P.E., The artist formerly known as HotRod10

 

[XR250]

Thanks y'all. Other than some ladder wire, I think I will go un-reinforced.