'Tie Bars' for Old Brick Building Renovation

RG88 · May 31, 2003

I am looking for some information and advice on using 'tie bars' for a building renovation. Several of the buildings in the vicinity of the one that I am working on have been upfit with 'tie bars' that run cross wise through the building to hold the outer URM walls from rotating/buckling. The bars have a star shaped washer at each end, which can be seen from the exterior. I understand the principle behind their use, but I am trying to obtain some information on the installation for specification writing and plan preparation. I try to utilize construction convention before developing my own system...in this case it would be 3/4"-1" diameter bars with a turnbuckle in the middle and plate washers on the exterior. Manufacturers, if any, and technical info on applications available via the web is prefered. Any experiences that the readers may have, good and bad, are certainly welcome as I am still in the process of deciding whether to utilize this type of renovation measure.

In this day and age there is a supplier and specification for everything, so I would like to spec something known before just calling out a bar with fasteners...maybe I am overengineering this point and it is just a simple bar!

Just for clarity, the building is a 100 year old two story (15' each story) with 12" thick URM exterior walls. The building is 120' long x 34' wide. A rough cut lumber floor and roof system spans the short dimension with a central girder-column line. The floor joists are built into wall pockets along the long walls.

dicksewerrat · May 31, 2003

I think those 'tie bars' were put in during initial construction. I have seen them in many old flour mills in Minnesota. Look in old books on beam and post construction. The star shapes you see on the outside of the building are decorative 'nuts' on the end of the ' tie bars'. there may be another nut and washer just inside of the decorative one. You could probably get a small casting plant to make some to match what is already there.

RG88 · May 31, 2003

This building has four of these bars at the rear, that, according to local history, were installed back in the 1950s during a minor renovation. The original Town hall, that is across the street from this building, was renovated back in the 1980s with the same system, but I cannot locate the contractor or building permit information. The bars are really just a way to hold the walls 'tight'to the floor and roof systems.

With this building renovation, I am looking for a way to better secure the wall from lateral movement. Due to some questionable brick in this wall, I am going with a steel frame inside of the building to take the loading of off the wall, but it is going to be impossible to construct a system that can brace the wall without a little help from the floor system. That is why I am considering these bars in addition to the internal frame.

The building is also on the historic register, so we can't reinforce the outside. Amazingly enough, they don't have a lot of techncial information on renovation measures...mainly just a lot of rules on what the exterior can look like once renovations are complete.

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'Tie Bars' for Old Brick Building Renovation

RG88

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