Masonry Partition Walls 1

[LUGuy]

How are masonry paritition walls generally considered on structural drawings? Should they be completely designed including rebar, anchorages top and bottom, etc.?

Other types of light/flexible partitions are generally not shown, and this is my first case for masonry. Due to the rigidity and weight, I am concerned about how the wall will affect behavior of the flexible diaphragm roof and the building system as a whole.

Thanks in advance,
MiscMetals

 

[whymrg]

You need to specify bottom and top detailes as well as typical reinforcement. At he bottom you may use thickened floor slab (check bearing pressure). Usually it will be 12 inches deep and 8 to 12 inches each side of wall (bottom) with 45 degree slope to meet thickness of floor slab. Two or three #5 bars along the wall. Specify dowels to match vertical bars.

At the top it is better to have a bond beam. Connection at the top might be two bent plates (one on each face of wall) attached to diaphragm above to transfer out of plane load on the wall (1607.13 IBC 2000 or seismic). These plates may be 8 inches long at 4 feet on center. Place an insullation above the wall so diaphragm may deflect and no load in wall plane will be transfered.

Good luck.

 

[LUGuy]

Thanks whymrg,

And then walls will have some form of unreinforced flexible joint, i.e. backer rod and sealant, where they butt into structural walls?

The loads seem too high at the clip angles. This case has partition walls parallel with bar joists, and the roof deck is only 22ga so I suppose the wall will need to be braced with struts into and beyond the joists.