Top bed joint - bricks

[col5555]

Hi.
My engineers have caled for 2L6 galv wire to be placed in "top bed joints".
How many courses does this equate to ?

[autogenous]

That appears a rather open statement requirement on their behalf.

Can you be a little more specific?

Do you have a section detail?

Top course seems odd. I would think 2 or 3 courses down would be better as one course doesn't have the strength to constrain the rod to prevent failure.

ie: I think all the bricks on the top course will pop off as soon as the rods load under tension?

[col5555]

Yes! Hence my confusion.
This is what is written on the report.
4.1 place 2l6 wires in top bed joint continuous throughtout all internal b/work
There is a drawing thats states "top 3c to be 86mm high bricks (typical)
Is that my answer.

[autogenous]

Yes! Hence my confusion.
This is what is written on the report.
4.1 place 2l6 wires in top bed joint continuous throughtout all internal b/work
There is a drawing thats states "top 3c to be 86mm high bricks (typical)
Is that my answer.

Are you in clay or similar soils?

It should be ok. They want continuous 6mm rods through walls at 1 course below plate.

Ok, your in Perth so you would have 3 courses of longreach around the whole job. ( 90mm walls )
That is a good thing, well worth the money.
Normally this would be windows up.(above 25 courses)

Good insurance. Its where its needed. Very much a weak point in many Perth houses.

[col5555]

Yes I am on a slightly reactive clay site although now that the site has been filled I am 1350mm from clay.
The specs hace also called for wire above all openings/under sills,cross walls and corners.
The corners and cross walls use L6 ties 500x500.
All of that is sitting on a slab with 300x300mm thickeners 4m from an outside wall and at 5m crs in a continuous grid pattern.

[autogenous]

Yep this is clay or potential earth quake zone

wire above cross walls and corners.

This Im unsure of. You already have rods to all walls do you not?

The specs hace also called for wire above all openings/under sills,cross walls and corners.

The mesh above openings is pretty standard. Bricktor is the brand name. You buy it in rolls. Thats if it is the wire they are refering to.

They may also refer to wire as well as wire ties to tie the walls at adjoining sections?

If I was to build my own new house. I personally would have 3 courses of Longreach around the entire internal cavity perimeter of the house no matter what soil it is.
I would a combination of wall indents middle and top with wire ties every 2 courses up adjoining walls to the cavity.

You have a 1300 sand pad? Its above the clay? Interesting.
They sound like they are terribly worried about reactive soils.
They maybe already worried about settlement in a sand pad of that depth.
You have done incremental compaction at 600mm increments?

[col5555]

The wire that they are refering to is 6mm galv solid rod.

The soil survey hit clay an 1050mm. It is all sand above that. I have filled a further 300mm and my total distance to clay is now 1350mm
The base was raked with a excavator and compacted,then the 300mm of fill brought in which was then also compacted. The pentrometer test has been carried out and compaction is above the minimum requirements for sandy soil.