Masonry 1

[damo74]

I am designing a cavity masonry wall that is supported on two separate 5m span lintels. The inner leaf lintel is also connected to steel posts and is acting as a wind portal. I am worried about the horizontal movement between the two leaves of blockwork and the effect it will have on the strength of the wall ties. Does anybody have any experience on the subject? Am I allowed to have two leaves moving relative to one another laterally?

 

[SperlingPE]

How much deflection are you expecting in your portal frame?
wind or seismic?
How much lateral deflection is allowed by your masonry ties?
Can you tie the outer beam to the portal frame so both beams will be moving somewhat equally?

 

[damo74]

The lateral deflection will be very small. I will limit it to about 2 or 3mm. The load is due to wind only. I'm not sure how much lateral movement the ties can accomodate. Could the manufacturer give me this information? I could tie the two beams together but would rather not have to.

 

[SperlingPE]

Deflection is very small at 2-3mm. Look into using seismic rated ties. Yes, the manufacturercan tell you how much lateral movement is allowable for a praticular tie.
Consider one beam with a wide plate to support the masonry wall. Of course, I don't know the particulars on whether this is possible. This would, however, help alleviate your problem. Consider your beam's vertical dead load deflection and connection welding procedure (if welded moment connection).