TYPES OF WALLS

In terms of their function, all walls are either load bearing or non load bearing walls. A load bearing wall
is part of the structure of the building - it holds the building up. A non-load bearing wall is only a
partition that divides the various rooms of a building. You can demolish a wall if it is a non-load bearing
wall; you cannot move or demolish a load bearing wall.

It is not easy for a layman to determine whether a wall is load bearing or not. You must rely on the
advice of an experienced, licensed structural engineer.

Most modern multi-storey buildings are constructed with structural frames and non-load bearing walls.
Most residential buildings in the US, and nearly all wood framed buildings are constructed with load
bearing walls of the platform frame or ballon frame types.

non-load-bearing wall
A wall capable only of supporting its own weight and (if it is an exterior wall) capable of resisting the forc
e of the windblowing against it; it cannot support an imposed load. Compare with load-bearing
wall; also called a nonbearing wall.

NON LOAD BEARING WALL

 known as interior wall (doesn’t carry other load than its own load)
 Types of non load bearing wall
a) Hollow Concrete Block
b) Façade Bricks
c) Hollow Bricks
d) Brick Wall (115mm, 225mm)

Fig: Brick Wall (Non Load Bearing Wall)

 Fig: Semi Hollow Brick (Non Load Bearing Wall)

Fig: Façade Brick Wall (Non Load Bearing Wall)

Fig: Hollow Concrete Block Wall (Non Load Bearing Wall)

BRICK’S BONDING
 Stretcher Bond
 English Bond
 Flemish Bond
 Raking Bond
 English Garden Wall Bond
 Common / American Bond
 Flemish Garden Wall Bond
 Running Bond
 Herringbone Bond

Fig: Header: A brick which is laid in a way that only the short end is visible in the wall

Fig: Stretcher: A brick which is laid in a way that allows only the longer side of the brick to be exposed.

Fig: Flemish Bond

Alternate bricks are placed as header and stretcher in every course. Each header is placed centrally
between the stretchers immediately above and below. This is not as strong as the English bond at 1
brick thick . Can be successfully applied in cavity wall.

Fig: English Bond

Alternative courses of headers and stretchers; one header placed centrally above each stretcher. This is
a very strong bond when the wall is 1 brick thick (or thicker). One of the strongest brickwork bond
patterns.

Fig: Stretcher Bond

Easiest bond to lay & minimizes the amount of cutting required. Originally used for single brick walls,
now called 1/2 brick walls it became the obvious choice for cavity walls as less cutting was required.

Fig: Raking Bond

Herringbone and diagonal bonds can be effective within an exposed framed construction, or contained
within restraining brick courses.
 Fig: English Garden Wall Bond
An alternative version of English bond with header courses being inserted at every fourth or sixth
course. This is a correspondingly weaker bond. Suitable for free standing wall.

Fig: Common / American Bond

A brickwork pattern in which all rows are stretchers, except an eighth row of headers

Fig: Flemish Garden Wall Bond

In this variant of Flemish bond, one header is placed at every third stretcher

Fig: Running Bond

 Consist of all stretchers. No header used in this bond so metal ties are used. Cavity wall construction &
veneered walls of brick.

Fig: Herringbone Bond

It is a purely decorative bond. It is used in floor and wall panels.
CAVITY WALL
 “A wall constructed in 2 leaves / skins with a
space / cavity between them”
 “A type of building wall construction
consisting of an outer wall fastened to inner
wall separated by an air space”
FUNCTION
To prevent the penetration of rain to the internal surface of the wall

SHEAR WALL
 A framed wall designed to resist lateral wall. It is a vertical elements of the horizontal
force resisting system
 It is used to resist wind and earthquake loading on a building.
 It is typically a wood frame stud walls covered with a structural sheathing material
like plywood.
WALL FAILURE
Vertical bowing and horizontal bending or collapse of wall is usually caused by the wall not resisting
vertical pressures from foundation or upper floors & roofs or horizontal pressures from strong winds
and retained earth.
Usual cause for failure of wall are as follows:
– Overloading the wall, deflection of beam above the wall will affect the wall below.
– Foundation failure
– Earthquake
– Timber pest damage weakened the timber wall
– Poor workmanship (improper brickwork)

Fig: Brick Wall Crack

Fig: Brick Wall Failure At The Roof Level

Fig: Cracked Wall

Fig: Failure In Brick Wall