CMU up to underside of beam 1

[trekkie]

More than once now I've gotten complaints from contractors on the use of PTA's attached to the bottom flange of a steel beam. Their argument is that once the masonry gets up to the beam its not possible to grout the bond beam course immediately below the beam due to it being blocked by the flange.

Has anyone else run into this problem and what solutions have you come up with. Thanks in advance.

 

[wilkowep]

The PTA can be field installed and located in the head joint of the CMU to avoid the need for grouting the top course. If there is another structural reason for the bond beam you can drop it down one course.

Edward Wilkowski, PE, SE
Principal
Micucci Engineering, P.C.

http://www.micucciengineering.com

 

[bookowski]

Yes I've had the same problem - but haven't come up with any solution. I just noticed the other day a large proportion of these omitted and the reason given was that they're a pain to install. I haven't found any solution - there are other anchors but I think for this condition they all require at least a little thought and extra effort to install.

 

[JAE]

Do the PTA manufacturers have any data on how much shear these can actually take? I didn't see any online.



Check out Eng-Tips Forum's Policies here:
faq731-376

 

[Archie264]

Likewise, are the manufacturers aware that they are offering a product that's causing such installation difficulties? Surely it's in their interest to offer some guidance.

 

[bookowski]

If you contact H&B they will send you a signed and sealed calc that provides the lateral capacity. It's a one page hand calc, not much to it.

 

[XR250]

I have a similar problem when retrofitting a new foundation wall under a house. I tell them to bust out the face of the CMU and hand grout with a really stiff mix.

 

[darthsoilsguy2]

only seen these things once on a job. design/contractor agreed to move the 8" bond beam to the course below and grout the top solid with stiff grout. The masons would cut the center web and a slot in the end shell to make a big sideways "U" and work the block around the rebar/dowel into position then pack it with stiff grout.

 

[SLTA]

For those of us who are rotten with acronyms - what on earth is a PTA?

Please remember: we're not all guys!

 

[Ingenuity]

For those of us who are rotten with acronyms - what on earth is a PTA?

"PTA" - Partition Top Anchors. Link

Acronyms can be a PITA

 

[BAretired]

Thanks for that, Ingenuity. I wondered too but was afraid to ask. For some reason, I had no problem with PITA.

BA

 

[dhengr]

I’m having trouble reading half of what’s written these days, for all the acronyms. But it makes the writer sound (or think he is) twice as knowledgeable or important, so I just don’t read for any real meaning any longer, just let the OP’er prattle on, and maybe two thirds of the way through the thread you actually gather what they are talking about. I just tend not to waste my time if they can’t define their problem in plane language. Thanks for the enlightenment.

 

[msquared48]

Do these anchors allow for vertical movement of the beam above?

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[Ingenuity]

They come with an option of an exterior plastic sleeve with compressible bottom material inside the sleeve, to allow for steel beam vertical displacement:

 

[OldBldgGuy]

I'm reassured to read these posts from SLTA, BAretired, and dhengr; in large part because they post frequently and intelligently. I would have written dhengr's post myself, if I'd had the nerve.
Aside from that, whatever became of doing your own details? Simpson makes a fortune from lazy and uneducated people (I'm saying that's 2 different groups) and in my opinion in most cases they don't do connections very well, only very expensively.

 

[Tomfh]

PTAs huh. Glad I'm not the only one confused by it.

Regarding acronyms, I was in a meeting once and was listening to the architect and mechanical guy arguing over whether "AC" should go on the roof.

I could tell one was talking about Air Conditioning units, and the other was talking about Asphaltic Concrete, but they didn't know that, they thoght they were discussing the same thing.

"No! We can't have any AC on the roof"

"But where else can we put it?"

Eventually they figured it out. haha

 

[trekkie]

Thanks for some of the responses everyone. Being that I was in a structural engineering forum I admit I didn't anticipate PTA's being so controversial...lol (that's laughing out loud for the acronym averse)

 

[hokie66]

Parent Teacher Association, I thought.

The problem with abbreviations and acronyms, if you want intelligent answers, is that at least half of us won't know what you mean.