Reinforced concrete masonry unit design

[mrock93]

Are there any free design guides for determining the thickness of reinforced hollow block masonry avaialable on the internet?
I need to check a wall design very quickly without going back to first principals.
Alternatively, can anyone tell me if a 6" wall of a house of clear vertical span 10 feet between slab and roof will be sufficient in a huriicane region?

 

[oldrunner]

You should review Table A-21-C-1 of the 1997 UBC. You need to know what you exposure category is and what the reinforcing in the block is. If the building is on the ocean shoreline, it appears that an 8" wall for a ten foot height with winds at 110 mph is recommended. If this is a existing wall, quite a bit of information is needed. If you are not an engineer, I suggest that you obtain one.

If your wall fits the criteria of this Table, you can pretty much select your design.

 

[jheidt2543]

Call the local block supplier and ask for copies of his masonry unit test reports. It is likely, but not for certain, that that is where the block came from. It will give you the tested physical properties of the block.

As far as the existing wall is concerned, you need to know more about the actual construction. Is the wall braced top and bottom by the structure?, is there a bond beam a the top?, is there vertical reinforcing in grouted cores? Some poking around in the wall will answer these questions, then you can work out the wall strength. My gut feeling is 6" is too small if it isn't reinforced, it should be an 8" minimum.