Wythe
A wythe is a continuous vertical layer of masonry one masonry unit thick.[1] Adjacent wythes may be designed to resist loads individually or connected so that they act together as one structural member.[2] A facing wythe of brick or other masonry whose strength is not counted as part of the supporting wall is a masonry veneer.[3]
A multiple-wythe wall may use the same masonry material for both wythes, or combine different materials, such as clay brick facing with concrete masonry backing.[4] In a veneer wall, the backing provides structural support while the facing provides the architectural finish.[2]
The term leaf is used in Eurocode 6. In its 2005 edition, a single-leaf wall has neither a cavity nor a continuous vertical joint within the plane of the wall.[5] A double-leaf wall has two parallel leaves connected by wall ties and a mortar-filled longitudinal joint, allowing them to act together under load.[6] The same edition also describes veneer walls in which one leaf does not contribute to the strength or stiffness of the other.[7]
See also
[edit]- Course (architecture) – Architecture term for a layer of the same unit running horizontally in a wall
References
[edit]Sources
[edit]- European Committee for Standardization (November 2005). Eurocode 6: Design of masonry structures – Part 1-1: General rules for reinforced and unreinforced masonry structures (PDF). EN 1996-1-1:2005 (Incorporating July 2009 corrigendum ed.). Brussels: European Committee for Standardization.
- National Concrete Masonry Association (2003). Annotated Design and Construction Details for Concrete Masonry (PDF). Herndon, Virginia: National Concrete Masonry Association. ISBN 1-881384-17-9. Publication TR 90B.
