Bearing Steel Beam on Old Brick Wall

[marinaman]

I've got a client who wants to add a folding partition to his restaurant. We're going to need to support the partition via a steel beam that I have designed.

This beam is going to have to sit on top of an old brick load bearing wall. The wall is 8" thick.

Do you guys use a better detail than this to secure the beam to the unreinforced brick wall.......I've been thinking of having the GC knock out a pocket, oversize the pocket much bigger than the beam, make a concrete or grout bed beneath the beam that's about 1'-4" wide and 8" tall and 8" thick, that can be poured into the wall to interlock with the wall (this grout or concrete bed would have two anchorbolts to secure the beam), then set the beam on the cured concrete bed, then fill-in around the beam via brick and mortar to finish it off.

Is there a better way?

 

[ishvaaag]

If the loads are small it may work. To ascertain if it is up to standard it will be necessary to look at the code. But there are zillions of steel beams just bearing on even void brick masonry, a risky but working detail of past ages.

 

[marinaman]

I've checked the loads on the wall. The loads are very small. The wall is a continuous brick wall that supports old wood trusses that are spaced about 12' on center. The wall on one end of the steel beam is 8" brick, and on the other end, the wall is 12" brick.

I want the load to be concentric on the wall. I'm going to have the GC take the beam all the way thru the wall to try and get the center of bearing as close to the center of wall as I can.

I hate for the big chunk of wall to be removed in order to install this concrete beam shelf, but I can not think of a good way around it. I've attached the beginnings of the detail. Any comments are welcome.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

You could put a shim under the beam to "move" the load exactly where you want it. But, IMHO, most brcik walls suck!!