Multi-wythe brick wall opening

[Jport]

The owner of a 100+ year old building wants doors and windows added to perimeter multi-wythe brick wall. The brick wall is about 32" wide at the lowest level and loses a wythe at each floor above. In the past on multi-wythe walls of 12-16", I would cut in an angle on both side of the wall and then remove the brick below. I'm thinking of doing the same thing here, but welding a 1/4" plate between the angles once the brick is removed below - see attached.
The large space between angles makes me wonder if there's a better way to do this? Any thoughts?
Thanks.

 

[JAE]

You've drawn the cross-section as a running bond pattern, which I don't think was typically used in older multi-wythe construction.
Instead, they used stacked wythes with an occasional cross block (stretcher) that attempted to tie the wythes together.

You could try your idea with the two angles - the concern is that your multi-wythe wall may or may not have adequate stretchers between the wythes, holding them together.
Might get some slippage of a wythe, or portion of a wythe, in the interior portions of the wall depending on those stretchers or natural bond between the wythes via mortar.

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[Jport]

You are correct about the layup. Stretchers (header course?) are at every 3rd or 4th course.

 

[JAE]

The other way to approach this is to use a series of needle beams through the wall over the opening.
Upon removal of masonry for each opening you'd have some units falling out. A new full width concrete, steel, etc. lintel could then be installed and the dislocated masonry replaced above the lintel.
Then remove the needle beams and infill the through-holes with masonry.

This is an expensive, cumbersome method but works. It also leaves scars on the wall that may not be acceptable.

Another method:
1. Install steel channels on each side of the wall over the top of the opening.
2. Through bolt the channels to each other.
3. Install vertical steel channel jambs on each side of the wall, directly under the lintel channels.
4. Through bolt the jamb channels through the wall.
5. Progressively remove vertical slots of masonry under the channel headers (perhaps 2 ft. width at a time).
6. Add a bottom connecting plate (similar to your plate shown above) between the channel lintels.
7. Move on to the next 2 ft. slot and repeat.

This leaves you with a steel channel frame around each opening on each side of the wall and a steel plate over the top of the opening.
It could be left as is (in non-aesthetic situations) or covered with some type of finish material.

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