Brick Fireplace with 4-sides open

[Ron247]

I have a friend who wants a 25' tall brick fireplace with 4 sides open on the lower 4'. The corners have 8x8 masonry columns about 4' tall. Other than that, the remainder of a 6'-6" x 4'-8" plan view all-brick fireplace is open for the 4' height. Above the 4', it is all brick. I have never done one of these but was curious if anyone has ever done one. All the 4-sided open fireplaces I have ever seen were metal inserts wrapped in brick, not all brick. I am trying to steer them in the right direction if I decide not to tackle this myself.

 

[phamENG]

I think it'll be really important to provide bracing. Though not common on these in non-seismic regions, you won't have much in the way of flexural strength right where you need it most. Seems your best bet is to resolve that into shear loads elsewhere and let your 'weak story' just support gravity loads.

 

[jayrod12]

All interior? Or exterior? What's a potential section to the top of the chimney look like? Where in the building is it placed?

 

[dhengr]

Ron247:
You need a very large flue for a fireplace like that, with that much open face, to get anything near a decent draft in the chimney, or you will have a continuously smoky system. I would try to lighten the masonry as much as possible particularly in EQ country. There are some really good double walled metal, and insulated, flue systems available now, rather than a vitreous clay tile flue liner.

I would try to do something like this..., As PhamENG mentioned, let the four legs mostly carry the gravity loads, with the following exceptions; have significant lateral load distributing systems at floor, ceiling and roof diaphragm levels. Then, maybe have the four legs be steel running from the foundation to the 1st fl. ceiling level, at least, with horiz. stl. framing, all around, at the ceiling, at the 1st fl. level, and at the top of the fire opening. At the top of the fire opening, the stl. would be a large stl. angle which also acted as a lintel beam to carry the brick veneer. There would also be some light framing above the lintel angle to support the brick veneer.

 

[1.392DL]

You're going to need 4 bars tied in hoops to get any kind of column/frame action out of each of those corners, which doesn't really work in 8" masonry, I'd probably push for 16" corners to also add some heat protection.