Existing Masonry Wall Construction
Existing Masonry Wall Construction
(OP)
My first post...looking forward to hear your opinion and experience with any similar masonry walls.
I have a client who is looking to add 1-storey to a 2-storey masonry walls and wood floor office building. The first floor exterior masonry bearing walls are not exposed for us to view at the moment. The second floor exterior masonry walls were exposed and the attached are the pictures.
I've never come across a masonry load bearing wall with horizontal wood shims at every other joint. The shims extend approx. half way through the thickness of the wall. This looks scary to me and I'm tempted to recommend pulling out the wood shims and re-pointing the joints. The client really wants to leave as is.
Anybody come across this condition before?
Thanks for your help!
I have a client who is looking to add 1-storey to a 2-storey masonry walls and wood floor office building. The first floor exterior masonry bearing walls are not exposed for us to view at the moment. The second floor exterior masonry walls were exposed and the attached are the pictures.
I've never come across a masonry load bearing wall with horizontal wood shims at every other joint. The shims extend approx. half way through the thickness of the wall. This looks scary to me and I'm tempted to recommend pulling out the wood shims and re-pointing the joints. The client really wants to leave as is.
Anybody come across this condition before?
Thanks for your help!
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
I also noticed the lack of air space at the joist to brick/CMU contact locations. Bad too...
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
Off the top, I'd remove them and re-point as suggested. They do little to improve the strength of the wall and are likely a detriment, and I'm not sure what the purpose is... maybe some kind of 'nailer'.
If doing any renovations, it's best to remove them.
Dik
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
Just a guess though.
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
I think a portion of the mystery be might solved by looking at the exterior of the walls to determine what is directly opposite the brick bands. Perhaps the wood strip is only an anchor for the small wood blocks at the window/door opening on the left of the photo.
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
The wood shims are loose and can be pulled out by hand so any bearing load has to be transferred through the outside face of the block. Also, for wind loading on the wall there is no mortar bond between the block courses on the interior face. The wood shims are creating a horizontal joint in the wall.
Not sure how to analyze this to get it to work structurally???
Any thoughts???
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
Dik
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
Don't analyze it at anything more than 0.0 tension, and 50% compression strength (compression strength is the wood, after a crush distance of 1/32 or so (which will vary) due to the existing gaps between between the higher row of block and the board and the lower row of blocks.)
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
I'd guess that it was intended as a nailer, but poorly executed. My 100 yr old masonry house has bits of wood wedged into the brick to which the vertical furring is nailed.
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction
RE: Existing Masonry Wall Construction