REINFORCEDMASONRYEXAMPLES

2013byInternationalMasonryInstitute
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Thisprogramisintendedasapreliminarydesigntoolfordesignprofessionalswhoareexperiencedandcompetent
inmasonrydesign.Thisprogramisnotintendedtoreplacesoundengineeringknowledge,experience,and
judgment.Usersofthisprogrammustdeterminethevalidityoftheresults.TheInternationalMasonryInstitute
assumesnoresponsibilityfortheuseorapplicationofthisprogram.

EXAMPLEA:
Given:
8inchmediumweighthollowCMU
TypeSmasonrycementmortar
12ftverticalspan(simplesupport)
Minimumdesignloadis5psfoutofplane
SDS=0.5;SeismicDesignCategoryC
Usethe2012IBC

Required:Determinerequiredreinforcement.

Solution:
Reinforcedmasonrydesignrequiresthatagrout/reinforcementspacingbeassumed.Thegroutspacing
affectsthewallweight,whichinturnaffectstheseismicload.
Assumeagroutspacingof48in.o.c.
CheckLoadCombinationG(0.6D+0.7E).Wallweightis44psf,andR=2.5forreinforcedmasonry.
Theseismicloadis wE

1.2 S DS W p
Rp

I
p

1.20.544 psf
10.6 psf
2 .5

1 .0

Since0.7(10.6psf)=7.4psf,seismicwillcontrol.
Themaximummomentwilloccuratmidheightofthewall.

0.7 wE h 2 0.710.6 psf 12 ft 2

M

133 ft lb / ft
8
8

Theaxialforceis:

P 0.6 0.70.2 S DS wwall

h
12 ft
0.6 0.70.2 0.544 psf
140.0lb / ft
2
2

Followthedesignprocedureinthebackgrounddocument.

1. Determinetheallowablestresses.Fs=32,000psi;Fb=0.45fm=0.45(1500psi)=675psi
2. Determinekforbalancedcondition,kb.

E s 29,000,000 psi

21.5
9001500 psi
Em

kb

Fb
Fb

Fs
n

675 psi
0.312
32000 psi
675 psi
21.5

3. Determinekfortheappliedloadingconditionsasfollows.Thisassumesthatcompression
controls.

2
3 d
d
212 M

k
d 2
2
3Fb b

3
3.8125in.
212in / ft 133 ft lb / ft
3.8125in.

0.0274

3.8125in.
2
2
3675 psi 12in / ft

4. Ifkkbcompressioncontrols.Nottrue,sotensioncontrols.
5. Since(k=0.0274)<(kb=0.312)tensioncontrols.Theareaofsteelisdeterminedthroughan
iterativeprocess.
a. Setk=0.0274
b. CalculateM.

t kd
7.625in 0.02743.8125in. 1 ft

M P
140lb / ft

3
2 3
2
12in.
44.1 ft lb / ft

c. CalculateAs.
As

12M M 12in. / ft 133 ft lb / ft 44.1 ft lb / ft

0.009in 2 / ft
k
0.0274
32000 psi 3.8125in 1
Fs d 1

3
3

d. Calculate.

P As Fs n
Fs b

140lb / ft 0.009in

/ ft 32000 psi 21.5

0.0236in.
32000 psi 12in / ft

e. Calculateanewk.
k 2

2 2 d

0.0236in.2 20.0236in.3.8125in. 0.0236in.

3.8125in.

0.105
f.

Checkconvergence:

k2 k
k

0.105 0.027
0.027

2.84 Usek=0.105asnewguess.Theiterationsare

summarizedinthefollowingtable.
k
0.0274
0.1053
0.1066

M
44.1
42.9
42.9

As
0.009
0.009
0.009

0.0236
0.0243
0.0243

6. Findrequiredbarareaas 0.009in 2 / ft 48in.1 ft / 12in. 0.04in 2

7. Usea#3barat48in.o.c.Theareaofsteelprovidedis0.11in2.
8. Calculatethedevelopment/laplength.

k2
0.1053
0.1066
0.1067

|k2k|/k
2.84
0.0128
0.0007

 t-d

7.625in.-0.375in.

K minmasonry cover, 9d b min b , 9d b min

, 90.375in.
2

min3.625in., 3.375in. 3.375in.

l de

0.13d b2 f y
K

f m

0.130.375in. 60000 psi 1.0

2

3.375in. 1500 psi

8.4in.

wheredbisthebardiameter,fyistheyieldstrength(60,000psi),fmisthespecifiedcompressive
strength,=1.0for#3,#4,and#5bars,and=1.3for#6and#7bars,andKisdeterminedas
theminimumof{masonrycover,9db}.
Theminimumdevelopment/laplengthis12in.
UsingtheIBClaplengthequations,therequiredlaplengthwouldbe96db,which=96(0.375in.)
=36inches.
Use12inchlaplength.

PartitionwallsinSDCCarerequiredtohaveprescriptiveseismicreinforcementineitherthehorizontal
ORverticaldirectioninaccordancewiththefollowing:
(a)HorizontalreinforcementTwolongitudinalwiresofW1.7(9gage)bedjointreinforcement
spacednotmorethan16in.oncenter,orNo.4barsspacednotmorethan48in.oncenter.Horizontal
reinforcementneedstobeprovidedwithin16in.ofthetopandbottomofthewall.
(b)VerticalreinforcementNo.4barsspacednotmorethan120in.oncenter.Vertical
reinforcementneedstobeprovidedwithin16in.oftheendsofthewall.
TheNo.3barsat48in.o.c.provide0.0275in2/ft.Theverticalprescriptivereinforcementisequivalent
to0.02in2/ft.Thus,webelievetheverticalreinforcementmeetstheintentofthecode.However,itis
recommendedthatW1.7(9gage)bedjointreinforcementat16in.(everyothercourse)alsobe
provided.Thissatisfiesthehorizontalreinforcementrequirements,whichinturnsatisfiesthe
prescriptiverequirements(coderequireseitherthehorizontalORtheverticalrequirementsbemet,but
bothdonothavetobemet).Thebedjointreinforcementalsohelpswithcrackcontrol.

Duetothepermittedonethirdstressincreaseinthe2009IBC(2008MSJC),thedesignwouldbethe
sameusingthe2009IBC.

Thereactionatthetopofwall,RB,is:

R B 0 .7 w E

h
12 ft
0.710.6 psf
44.5lb / ft
2
2

Sufficientanchorsneedtobeprovidedatthetopofwalltocarrythisforce.

Ifthispartitionwallwerepartofanegressstairway,theimportancefactorwouldbe1.5,which
increasestheseismicload,wE,to15.9psf,themomentto200ftlb/ft,andtherequiredareaofsteelto
0.016in2/ft.ANo.3barat48in.o.c.stillworks.

EXAMPLEB:
Given:
8inchmediumweighthollowCMU
TypeSmasonrycementmortar
16ftverticalspan(simplesupport)
Minimumdesignloadis5psfoutofplane
BuildinglocatedinSaltLakeCity,Utah.
SoilSiteClassD(stiffsoil)
Usethe2012IBC

Required:Determinerequiredreinforcement.

Solution:
TheU.S.SeismicDesignMapsWebApplication,
http://geohazards.usgs.gov/designmaps/us/application.php,isusedtodetermineSDS=1.02and
SD1=0.56.TheSeismicDesignCategoryisCategoryD.

Reinforcedmasonrydesignrequiresthatagrout/reinforcementspacingbeassumed.Thegroutspacing
affectsthewallweight,whichinturnaffectstheseismicload.
Assumeagroutspacingof48in.o.c.

CheckLoadCombinationG(0.6D+0.7E).Wallweightis44psf,andR=2.5forreinforcedmasonry.
Theseismicloadis wE

1.2 S DS W p
Rp

I
p

1.21.0244 psf
21.5 psf
2 .5

1.0

Since0.7(21.5psf)=15.1psf,seismicwillcontrol.
Themaximummomentwilloccuratmidheightofthewall.

0.7 wE h 2 0.721.5 psf 20 ft 2

754 ft lb / ft
8
8

Theaxialforceis:

P 0.6 0.70.2 S DS wwall

h
20 ft
0.6 0.70.2 0.544 psf
201lb / ft
2
2

Followthedesignprocedureinthebackgrounddocument;seeExampleAfordetails.
Afterthreeiterations,k=0.240andAs=0.0743in2/ft.
Therequiredbarareaofsteelis0.0743in2/ft(4ft)=0.297in2.
Usea#5barat48in.o.c.

PartitionwallsinSDCDarerequiredtohaveprescriptiveseismicreinforcementineitherthehorizontal
ORverticaldirectioninaccordancewiththefollowing:
(a)HorizontalreinforcementTwolongitudinalwiresofW1.7(9gage)bedjointreinforcement
spacednotmorethan16in.oncenter,orNo.4barsspacednotmorethan48in.oncenter.Horizontal
reinforcementneedstobeprovidedwithin16in.ofthetopandbottomofthewall.

(b)VerticalreinforcementNo.4barsspacednotmorethan48in.oncenter.Vertical
reinforcementneedstobeprovidedwithin16in.oftheendsofthewall.
TheNo.5barsat48in.o.c.satisfytheminimumprescriptiverequirements.Althoughnotrequired,itis
recommendedthatW1.7(9gage)bedjointreinforcementat16in.(everyothercourse)alsobe
provided.

Ifthispartitionwallwerepartofanegressstairway,theimportancefactorwouldbe1.5,which
increasestheseismicload,wE,to32.2psf.Therequiredareaofsteelis0.467in2,whichwouldrequirea
#7barat48in.o.c.Manydesignerswouldprefertouseasmallerbar;onereasonwouldbetodecrease
therequiredlaplength.Asthespacingofthebardecreases,thewallweightincreases.Thetablebelow
showstheresultsofvariousbarspacings.

Barspacing
Requiredreinforcement
48in.
#7@48in.
40in.
#6@40in.
32in.
#6@32in.
24in.
#5@24in.
16in.
#5@16in.
16in.(fullgrout)
Asis121%ofmaximumfor#7Redesign
8in.
#6@8in.

Oftenwallsthatrequirereinforcementat16in.(oreven24in.)arefullygrouted,asitismore
economicaltofullygroutthewallthangrouteveryothercell.Thefullgroutaddstotheweightofthe
wall,andhencetheseismicforce.Forthisparticularwall,theallowablecompressionstresscontrolsfor
fullgroutingwithbarsat16in.o.c.Reinforcementisnotusedefficientlywhentheallowablemasonry
compressionstresscontrols,whichiswhythelargeamountofreinforcementisrequired.

Thisexampleshowsthateconomicalreinforcedmasonrypartitionwallscanbedesignedforlargespans
(inthiscase20ft),inhighseismicareas,andforcriticallocations(egressstairways).