Advantages of using straight bond in a masonry wall? 1

[StructureMan44]

Not so much in clay masonry but more so in CMU I see walls laid in straight bond. Are there any advantages (other than maybe cost?) of using straight bond over running or some other interlocking bond? It seems ACI 530 is full of penalties for using straight bond.

 

[concretemasonry]

Structuralman -

"Straight bond" is not mentioned in 530.

You will see more of the odd bonds in CMUs for a number of reasons. CMUs can be made in different lengths because of the different corner details for cavity walls and some of the corner details for the odd (not 8")wall thicknesses.

Architects often want some different pattern for bonding and walls, especially with scored or split faces.

The ACI/TMS code clearly defines the difference between "stack bond" and "other than stack bond" to allow 1/4 and 1/3 bonds for both core/reinforcement and architectural purposes. Also the concrete masonry industry can make specialty units for structural and local "quirks" preferred in bonding and construction. Some designers are not aware what can be made.

Dick

Engineer and international traveler interested in construction techniques, problems and proper design.

 

[StructureMan44]

Thanks Dick, I should have called it stack bond. Are there any "structural" advantages of using stack bond in a tall and long walk as compared to running bond?

 

[hokie66]

No, there are no structural advantages in using stack bond.

 

[msquared48]

Years ago, my original structural engineering mentor told me never to use stack bond. He stated that it was not as strong, although I never saw justification of that. Perhaps there is something in Amrhein.

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[mike20793]

Sometimes curved walls or architectural walls need to be designed as "other than running bond" because they cannot meet the criteria to be defined as running bond. Other than that, there is no advantage to using stack bond. The effective flange width of the wall terminates at the head joint in "other than running bond" so you basically limit your strength to one block width.

 

[darthsoilsguy2]

i wouldn't think stacked bond would be cheaper, maybe same $/SF, but not cheaper. i would think a mason would prefer running bond because the breaks in the vertical joints are more forgiving than trying to set blocks with true horizontal and vertical lines.

 

[DaveAtkins]

As mike20793 mentioned, there is not a structural advantage to stack bond, but rather a structural DISADVANTAGE. Unless you use bond beams (at 4'-0" oc vertically, as I recall).

DaveAtkins