Movement joints in masonry don’t need to be aligned across the wythes. In fact, it’s simpler to offset the joints, and it makes a better wall. I’ll explain.
Brick expansion joints are governed by one set of requirements based on the movement characteristics of clay brick, i.e. expansion. Conversely, control joints in CMU are governed by an entirely separate set of requirements based on the movement characteristics of block, i.e. shrinkage. Movement joint spacing requirements for brick vary than those from block.
Recall that the term “movement joint” is a general term that may refer to expansion joints in brick and/or control joints in block.
By not aligning the brick expansion joints with the CMU control joints, water has a less direct path to travel and possibly migrate into the building.
Union bricklayers are familiar with these concepts, but the building code tells us that the responsibility to design and locate movement joints still rests with the design professional. Show us where you want them!
#Masonry #MovementControl #ExpansionJoint #ControlJoint
28 сен 2024
