Before starting construction, the required wall thickness must be determined, the type of masonry and material selected. The solution to these issues can be confusing for any novice builder, given the huge selection of materials and the presence of various masonry methods.
The most important point when choosing wall thickness is the economic background. In order to accurately calculate the sufficient parameters of the wall thickness, it is necessary to determine the parameters of the future structure, the heated area, the estimated life, the mode of residence, the type and effectiveness of the heating system.
Highlights when choosing masonry
When determining the nature of future masonry, it is recommended to pay attention to the following factors:
- Estimated wall load. It depends primarily on the number of storeys of the building.
- Climatic conditions. Along with the necessary strength of the walls, thermal insulation requirements must be met.
- Aesthetic component. Walls of insignificant thickness look more attractive in comparison with the same masonry in two or one and a half bricks.
The economic background of choosing wall thickness
It is absolutely inexpedient to build when the wall thickness is over 38 cm. In order to maintain heat in this case, all kinds of insulation methods using insulation materials are used.
Often in low-rise construction , lightweight masonry is used. This method involves placing several walls in two rows at a distance from each other approximately half a brick. The creation of an air gap in this case plays the role of an effective heat insulator. If necessary, the cavity formed can be filled with any suitable insulating material.
Load-bearing brick walls
With the competent implementation of calculations that lead to an even distribution of loads, walls with a thickness of one brick have the highest load-bearing capacity. The thickening of the walls due to increased thermal insulation properties leads to the need for laying a more solid foundation, which affects the increase in planned costs.
The aesthetically attractive thickness of a brick wall can be maintained through the use of felt insulators. In the case of their installation, the heat conservation indicators increase by about 30%. When using foam as a heater, it is possible to increase the efficiency of thermal insulation by 2-3 times.
The use of other less expensive insulators allows to increase the thermal insulation properties of load-bearing walls at the level of about 10-15%:
- sawdust;
- tuff;
- perplite;
- a solution based on slag or fine aggregate.
When creating a continuous masonry, it is advisable to mount the insulation from the inside or outside. In this case, the minimum thickness of the brick wall is maintained.
As for the thickness indicators of the bearing walls of the most modern, innovative types of bricks, then it can be almost any. Moreover, in this case, maintaining a heat balance is practically independent of the presence of insulation.
The thickness of the internal brick walls
For laying internal walls, predominantly solid brick is used. A sufficient thickness of the internal walls of such a material is not more than 25 cm. In cases where an increased load is exerted on the walls, the use of reinforcing structures is allowed.
If we talk about internal partitions of a minimum length of one and a half meters, laying in a half brick is sufficient. In this case, the thickness of the partition will be 12 cm. An alternative is laying a quarter of a brick - 6.5 cm.
In cases where partitions have a length of more than 1.5 m, it is advisable to use reinforcement to increase the bearing qualities. For this, steel reinforcement with a diameter of 2 to 5 mm is used. Reinforcing material is placed approximately every 3 rows of bricks.
Brick thickness
Currently, the following types of bricks are distinguished:
- single;
- one and a half;
- double.
The parameters of a single brick are: 250 x 12 x 65 mm. The material was introduced into widespread use at the beginning of the last century. Later, one and a half and double bricks became actively used as an alternative. Such decisions were more cost-effective in the construction of capital facilities.
Calculate what the minimum wall thickness should be, using an example. When laying 2.5 bricks, the best option is to use double bricks for the construction of walls and facing bricks when laying the remaining 0.5 cm of the wall. The use of a single brick for the implementation of a similar plan increases the consumption of material at about 25 to 35%.
Another important factor on which the thickness of a brick depends is the indicator of its thermal conductivity. According to this characteristic, a wall of one and a half brick loses to many building materials of smaller thickness, for example, wood.
The thermal conductivity of a solid standard brick is about 0.7 W / m about C. Somewhat lower the indicator can be due to the use of hollow bricks. However, along with a decrease in thermal conductivity, an obvious drawback here is a decrease in structural strength.
Possible causes of thickened brick walls
The reason for the thickening of masonry is the need to improve the insulation and thermal properties of the building. This may be due to the features of the location of the structure. For example, with its construction near the airport, noisy transport interchanges, construction in regions with a specific climate.
Fairly high thermal conductivity of the brick dictates the need to use various options to improve the thermal insulation of structures. To create a comfortable environment in a residential building in our climatic conditions, a sufficient wall thickness should be about 20 cm. At the same time, the use of heavy brick entails an additional load on the foundation and increases the construction budget.
Options for improving the thermal insulation of brick walls
- The increase in wall thickness due to the implementation of masonry in 2 bricks.
- Creation of ventilated facades by laying lumber, special insulation panels, siding, facing bricks.
- Standard insulation of facades due to their plastering.
- Equipping brick walls with insulation on the inside. A vapor barrier layer must be superimposed on the insulation layer, after which the interior decoration is performed.
Wall thickness in prefabricated houses
The standard wall thickness in panel-type buildings is 14 and 18 cm. Some construction organizations use panels up to 22 cm thick, starting from the first to the fifth floor, which helps to increase the load-bearing qualities of the structure. At the same time, regardless of the thickness of the panel wall, reinforcing reinforcement is mandatory.
As for the bearing internal partitions in buildings of this type, here they are from 8 cm thick. Sometimes gas silicate materials are used to create internal partitions. The thickness of the gas-silicate wall in prefabricated houses is identical to the above value. As in the case of the construction of concrete walls, rebar partitions are also used here.
In some panel houses, thickened external walls are mounted up to 38 cm, which helps to increase the thermal insulation properties of the floors. Sometimes such walls are made in the form of a concrete or expanded clay concrete sandwich with an inner layer of foam.
Block wall thickness
In the case of using foam blocks as the main building material, the thickness of the bearing walls does not depend on the number of storeys of the future structure. The determining parameter, on which the thickness of the walls depends, is the thermal conductivity. This value depends on the brand of material used and the design features of the wall.
The thickness of the bearing walls of foam blocks with brick cladding:
- Material grade 600 - layer thickness 450 mm.
- Material grade 800 - layer thickness 680 mm.
- Material grade 1000 - layer thickness 940 mm.
Masonry with external plaster:
- Material grade 600 - layer thickness 480 mm.
- Material grade 800 - layer thickness 720 mm.
- Material grade 1000 - layer thickness 1000 mm.
The technology for masonry foam blocks is similar to brick. At its core, the foam block is the same brick, but only with some difference in parameters. When installing walls, foam blocks are fastened with cement mortar.
Laying the material in several rows is not economically feasible, since the foam block, due to the porous internal structure, in itself has excellent heat-insulating properties.
The obvious background for the construction of walls of foam blocks is the low weight of the material, despite some cumbersomeness. In general, the unique qualities of foam blocks make it possible not only to save on reducing wall thickness, but also to save money when laying the foundation.