Masonry Magazine August 1966 Page. 31
AIA 10-C
An Information series from National Concrete Masonry Association
NCMA TEK 5
Concrete Masonry Screen Walls
1966, National Concrete Masonry Association
concrete masonry screen walls
The popularity of concrete masonry screen walls knows no limitation-either geographic or artistic. They are used in every part of every country on the globe, on every conceivable style of building, and for a wide variety of purposes. Created originally as a functional building element, the screen wall combines privacy with observation, interior light with shade and solar heat reduction, airy comfort with wind control. Curtain walls, fences, sun screens, decorative veneers, and room dividers are just a few of the limitless applications of the concrete masonry screen wall.
From a design standpoint, screen walls seldom are required to support more load than their own weight and exhibit stability and safety. They can be designed as load bearing, but such construction is not encouraged and is not permitted in some building codes. Extra attention to design of screen walls is warranted because of the relatively high percentage of open area in their face. Open area is created usually by use of special screen units with decorative openings in their face and occasionally by use of intermittent bedding of horizontal mortar joints, that is, opening in the wall in lieu of vertical mortar joint.
Exterior screen walls should be designed to resist wind pressure and other horizontal forces. Stability is provided by: (1) incorporating steel reinforcement in the masonry, joint reinforcement or reinforced bond beams and columns, (2) limiting the clear span of screen walls, (3) a separate support system capable of carrying horizontal stresses into the ground, and (4) adequate anchorage of screen walls to the supporting system.