Traditional Brick Masonry Detailing Meets Modern Cavity Wall Construction –A Difficult Marriage

摘要

Often architects and designers look to the past for historic precedents andrninspiration on current projects, particularly that involving masonry construction.rnAlthough this practice can offer an improved aesthetic and a greater variety ofrninterest in otherwise bland exteriors, they add construction complexity and do notrnalways perform well. Traditional masonry wall systems were generally designed andrnconstructed as mass walls, with little or no thought to water penetration, lateral loadrndistribution, or other factors that impact the performance of modern cavity wallrnconstruction. Drainage provisions have taken the place of collar joints, steel structurernhas taken the place of thickened walls, flexural stresses control more thanrncompressive stresses, and modern ties have replaced true headers. Lighter, thinner,rntaller…better? Maybe, but most definitely these changes have lead to increasedrnconsideration of performance and greater design complexity.rnWith this transition to modern masonry wall construction, the integration ofrntraditional details sometimes conflict with the realities of modern cavity wallrnconstruction. Architectural elements such as steep sloped roofs, roof base flashing,rnparapets, flat arches, conventional arches, dentils, water tables, and cornices do notrnalways coordinate with flashing requirements, supporting structure, and expansionrncontrol requirements.rnThis paper attempts to identify some critical considerations when traditionalrnaesthetics are applied to modern cavity wall construction. Through exploration ofrnthese challenges and their eventual solutions, it is hoped that designers will considerrnthe constructability of desired masonry detailing to help avoid serviceability problemsrnin the future.