How tall can Brick veneer span? 5

[crozroz0000]

We have 50 feet of standard brick. Supported laterally by studs/ ties. Only used as veneer. We have checked stress due to dead load... it is fine.

Is there anything else I should worry about?

 

[csd72]

You may need support ledges to break up the height of the wall. This is to allow for the vertical expansion of the brick.

Check your building code for maximum spacing.

csd

 

[JKStruct]

50 feet of brick cannot be stacked without relieving it with a shelf angle tied back to the structure at a floor line.

Depending on the building code your governed by, 30' is usually the allowable limit, and that's the highest I've ever gone.

 

[JedClampett]

Take a look at Chapter 14 of the IBC and ACI 530, Chapter 6. It's not clear if its 50 ft. tall or wide from your post, but it seems a bit much if it's the vertical dimension.

 

[WillisV]

30' max up to first level of support from foundation. ACI 530-02 - Table 6.2.2.3.1.

 

[JKW05]

I agree 100% that horizontal relief joints should be included in frame buildings. However with masonry bearing wall buildings, I am not sure I agree that relief joints are always appropriate (for example a tall bearing wall of a gymnasium). It seems to me that if the detail at the top of the veneer allows for the expected vertical brick expansion, and that the veneer ties allow for the vertical movement, then there isn’t much benefit to adding a relief angle.

In 1979, BIA Technical Note 28B said “In order to alleviate the many problems associated with the use of shelf or relief angles at each floor, it is suggested that the brick veneer may be designed to support its own dead weight on the foundations, unless heights [in excess of 100 ft.] or number and location of openings in the veneer make it mandatory that the walls be supported by the frame.”

The 1993 BOCA Code gave an exception to the 30-foot maximum “…where an engineering analysis is prepared by a registered design professional and approved.”

Both of these sections have since been eliminated. And while I’ve never been a fan of anchoring shelf angles to masonry back-up, given the current code requirements, I guess that is a detail I’ll have to go with in those cases.