Fasten to brick face or grout?

[ReverenceEng]

Normally when I detail attaching to CMU, per most ICC reports, we stay clear of the joints.

True with brick also? I have a client asking to only fasten to the grout, and I don't know why. Traditionally I would steer clear of the joints. ICC reports are scarce for brick fasteners, but there are plenty of "manufacturer load tables" to use - i'm just looking for comments on the actual application: face of brick or grout?

Thoughts?

 

[wannabeSE]

See page 7 of the Brick Industry Association's technical note on anchor bolts for brick masonry

http://www.gobrick.com/Portals/25/docs/Technical Notes/TN44.pdf.

 

[hokie66]

Do you mean grout, or rather the mortar in the bed joints? Are your bricks extruded, with holes?

 

[Ron]

What are you anchoring? Does it have any substantial mass? Will the fastening configuration create a moment on the brick? How well is the brick anchored to the substrate? What is the distance between shelf angles? All will affect your decision.

I prefer to isolate the brick and fasten back to a structural substrate.

Remember, you are the engineer....unless the client is also an engineer willing to take the design responsibility, do what's right and stick to it.

 

[ReverenceEng]

Thanks for the resource - and yes, I did mean the mortar.

Ron, thanks for your comments - I've gotten all that taken care of. This this is super small - ridiculously small - more like an exercise by the city plan checker. Normally I agree with the fastening to the main structure - I don't like tying into brick that usually is not structural - which is what I was going to do if the response was "don't hit the mortar".