What are Masonary Walls and how do they work in Garage construction?

The design of masonry foundation walls, including concrete stem walls and traditional wood-framing is obviously the beginning of a successful construction project. In certain building projects, floor systems and exterior walls must have reinforcement, utilizing support piers and girders. What does the term masonry walls mean? Masonry is the art of utilizing concrete, block and brick veneers for construction projects. The foundation of a garage, shell home, accessory building or light commercial storage facility is the “make or break” of the project as a whole. Veneers cannot bear any weight other than itself and must be reinforced laterally and horizontally using steel rods. And the reinforcement may also include the construction of piers, masonry walls and girders. And the reinforcement needed is dictated by the amount of weight suspended and distributed throughout the garage, shell home or accessory structure.

In building garages, piers may be required due to slope or the expanse of the footprint of the construction project, either from beneath or laterally for stabilization. In building a garage with intense slope, concrete masonry units (CMU) are used to create a level structure from an otherwise compromised area. Using steel reinforcement rods for masonry walls exceeding 4’ must have steel reinforcement. In some circumstances, especially when building a home or larger accessory structures, the weight of the foundation materials like concrete dictates the need for reinforcement, whether in the foundation, slab or concrete stem walls.

In building a garage that has an uneven amount of masonry units, meaning 9 rows in one corner graduating to 4 rows along the sides, or when the size of the slab is significant, such as a 28×36, not only does the weight of the concrete, the block and brick become a significant consideration, the weight and expanse of the back-fill materials is also a key factor. The weight and expanse of the back-fill can comprise the masonry walls and concrete slab. This is when piers or girders are applicable. In building a large garage, sometimes exterior block piers are created to keep the foundation from blowing out. All earth shifts and moves and any foundation must be able to accommodate that shift without compromising the integrity of the new construction foundation.

These reinforcement applications are unseen when the construction of your garage or other structure is finished and largely are unknown details of the project that a homeowner never knows about. In some instances, block piers and girders are applicable solutions. Structures that have basements are usually reinforced in a number of ways. Call H.W. Enterprises, Inc. for your next building project. We have over 59 years experience and can correctly build any construction project that will last a lifetime. Visit us at: www.hwenterprisesinc.com or call us at 757-595-4562 or 757-696-1927 to schedule a free consultation for your next garage, shell home or light commercial storage facility.