Often during the renovation process it is necessary to install partitions, and aerated concrete (gas silicate) is increasingly used for this. It is lightweight - it weighs several times less than brick, and the walls fold quickly. Therefore, aerated concrete partitions are installed in apartments and houses, regardless of what they are made of load-bearing walls.

Thickness of aerated concrete partitions

For the construction of partitions indoors, special gas silicate blocks are produced that have a smaller thickness. Standard thickness partition blocks 100-150 mm. You can find non-standard ones in 75 mm and 175 mm. The width and height remain standard:

width 600 mm and 625 mm;
height 200 mm, 250 mm, 300 mm.

The grade of aerated concrete blocks must be at least D 400. This is the minimum density that can be used for the construction of partitions up to 3 meters high. Optimal - D500. You can also take denser ones - brand D 600, but their cost will be higher, but they have better bearing capacity: It will be possible to hang objects on the wall using special anchors.

Without experience, it is almost impossible to determine the brand of aerated concrete. You can “eyeball” the difference between thermal insulation blocks density. D300 and wall D600, but between 500 and 600 it’s difficult to catch.

The lower the density, the larger the “bubbles”

The only one affordable way control - weighing. Data on the dimensions, volume and weight of partition blocks made of aerated concrete are given in the table.

The thickness of aerated concrete partitions is selected based on several factors. The first is whether it is a load-bearing wall or not. If the wall is load-bearing, in an amicable way, a load-bearing capacity calculation is required. In reality, they are made the same width as the external load-bearing walls. Basically - from wall blocks 200 mm wide with reinforcement in 3-4 rows, like external walls. If the partition is not load-bearing, use the second parameter: height.

For a height of up to 3 meters, blocks 100 mm wide are used;
from 3 m to 5 m - the block thickness is already taken to be 200 mm.

You can more accurately select the thickness of the block using the table. It takes into account such factors as the presence of a connection with the upper floor and the length of the partition.

Device and features

If aerated concrete partitions are installed during renovation of houses, markings must first be applied. The line is upholstered around the entire perimeter: on the floor, ceiling, walls. The easiest way to do this is with a laser plane builder. If it doesn't exist, it's better to start with a stream:

Mark a line on the ceiling (two points on opposite walls). A painting cord, painted with blue or some other dry dye, is pulled between them. With its help they beat off the line.
The lines on the ceiling are transferred with a plumb line to the floor.
Then the lines on the floor and ceiling are connected by drawing vertical lines along the walls. If everything is done correctly, they should be strictly vertical.

The next step in constructing aerated concrete partitions is waterproofing the base. The floor is cleaned of debris and dust, a waterproofing layer is laid roll material(any: film, roofing felt, waterproofing, etc.) or coated with bitumen mastics.

Vibration dampening strips

To reduce the possibility of mother-in-law formation and increase sound insulation characteristics, a vibration-damping strip is laid on top. These are materials with many small air bubbles:

hard mineral wool - mineral wool cardboard;
expanded polystyrene high density, but of small thickness;
soft fiberboard.

On short spans - up to 3 meters - no reinforcement is done at all. On longer ones, a reinforcing polymer mesh, a perforated metal strip, as in the photo, etc. are laid.

Connecting to a wall

To ensure connection with adjacent walls at the masonry stage, flexible connections are placed in the seams - these are thin metal perforated plates or T-shaped anchors. They are installed in every 3rd row.

If a gas silicate partition is installed in a building where such connections are not provided, they can be fixed to the wall by bending them in the shape of the letter “L”, inserting one part into the seam.

When using anchors, the connection with the wall is rigid, which in this case is not very good: a rigid rod due to vibrations (wind, for example) can destroy the adjacent adhesive and the body of the block. As a result, the abutment strength will be zero. When using flexible connections, all these phenomena will not affect the blocks so much. As a result, the bond strength will be higher.

To prevent the formation of cracks in the corners, between the wall and the partition, a damper joint is made. This can be thin polystyrene foam, mineral wool, a special damper tape that is used when laying heated floors, and other materials. To prevent moisture from escaping through these seams, they are treated with steam after laying. Not permeable sealant.

Openings in gas silicate partitions

Since the partitions are not load-bearing, the load will not be transferred to them. Therefore, there is no need to lay standard reinforced concrete beams over the doors or make a full-fledged lintel, as in load-bearing walls. For a standard doorway of 60-80 cm, you can lay two corners that will serve as a support for the overlying blocks. Another thing is that the corner should protrude 30-50 cm beyond the opening. If the opening is wider, a channel may be required.

In the photo to strengthen the opening standard door two were used metal corner(on the right), a channel is walled up in the opening on the left, for which grooves are selected in the blocks.

If the opening is not wide, and only two blocks are joined in it, it is advisable to select them so that the seam is almost in the middle of the opening. This will give you a more stable opening. Although, when laying on corners or channels, this is not the table: the load-bearing capacity is more than enough.

To prevent the metal from bending while the glue dries, the openings are reinforced. In narrow openings, it is enough to nail boards; in wide openings, a supporting structure resting on the floor may be required (put a column of blocks under the middle of the opening).

Another option on how to strengthen a doorway in aerated concrete partitions is to make reinforced tape from reinforcement and glue/mortar. A flat board is stuffed strictly horizontally into the opening, nailing it to the walls. Sidewalls are nailed/screwed to the sides to hold the solution.

The mortar is placed on top of the board, and three bars of reinforcement are placed in it. class A-III diameter 12 mm. Partition blocks are placed on top, as usual, making sure that the seams move. The formwork is removed after 3-4 days, when the cement “sets.”

Last row - adjacent to the ceiling

Since floor slabs can bend under load, the height of the partition is calculated so that it does not reach the floor by 20 mm. If necessary, the blocks of the upper row are sawn. The resulting compensation gap can be sealed with damping material: the same mineral wool cardboard, for example. With this option, sounds from the upper floor will be heard less. More easy option— moisten the seam with water and fill it with polyurethane foam.

Soundproofing of aerated concrete

Although sellers of gas silicate blocks talk about high sound insulation performance, they greatly exaggerate. Even a standard block 200 mm thick conducts sounds and noise well, and thinner partition blocks even more so.

According to standards, the sound resistance of partitions should not be lower than 43 dB, and it is better if it is higher than 50 dB. This will provide you with silence.

To get an idea of how “noisy” gas silicate blocks are, we present a table with standard indicators of sound resistance of blocks of different densities and different thicknesses.

As you can see with the block, at 100mm thick it falls slightly short of the lowest requirement. Therefore, at , you can increase the thickness of the finishing layer in order to “reach” the standard. If normal sound insulation is required, the walls are additionally sheathed mineral wool. This material is not soundproofing, but it reduces noise by approximately 50%. As a result, sounds are almost inaudible. Best performance have specialized soundproofing materials, but when choosing them, you need to look at the vapor permeability characteristics so as not to trap moisture inside the gas silicate.

If you need absolutely “quiet” walls, experts advise installing two thin partitions with a distance of 60–90 mm, which should be filled with sound-absorbing material.

The walls of private houses, cottages and other low-rise buildings are usually made of two or three layers with an insulating layer. The insulation layer is located on the load-bearing part of the wall made of bricks or small-format blocks. Developers often ask questions:
“Is it possible to save on wall thickness?”
“Isn’t it possible to make the load-bearing part of the wall of the house thinner than the neighbor’s or than provided for by the project?

On construction sites and in projects see a load-bearing brick wall with a thickness of 250 mm., and from blocks - even 200 mm. has become commonplace.

The wall turned out to be too thin for this house.

Loads and impacts on the walls of the house

Design standards (SNiP II-22-81 “Stone and reinforced masonry structures”), regardless of the calculation results, limit the minimum thickness of load-bearing structures stone walls for masonry in the range from 1/20 to 1/25 of the floor height.

Thus, with a floor height of 2.5 ... 3 m. The wall thickness in any case should be more than 120 - 150 mm.

A vertical compressive load acts on a load-bearing wall on the weight of the wall itself and the overlying structures (walls, ceilings, roof, snow, operational load). Design resistance The compression strength of brick and block masonry depends on the brand of brick or class of blocks in terms of compressive strength and the brand of mortar.

For low-rise buildings, as calculations show, the compressive strength of a wall with a thickness of 200-250 mm made of brick is provided with a large margin. For a wall made of blocks, with the appropriate choice of block class, there are usually no problems either.

In addition to vertical loads, horizontal loads act on the wall (section of the wall), caused, for example, by wind pressure or transmission of thrust from rafter system roofs.

Besides, torques act on the wall, who seek to rotate a section of the wall. These points are due to the fact that the load on the wall, for example, from floor slabs or from a layer of insulation and facade cladding, is not applied in the center of the wall, but is shifted to the side faces. The walls themselves have deviations from the vertical and straightness of the masonry, which also leads to additional stresses in the wall material.

Horizontal loads and torques create bending load in the material on each section of the load-bearing wall.

How to make walls strong and stable

Strength, stability of walls with a thickness of 200-250 mm and less, it does not have a large margin for bending loads. Therefore, the stability of walls of the specified thickness for a particular building must be confirmed by calculation.

To build a house with walls of this thickness, it is necessary to choose a ready-made project with the appropriate wall thickness and material. We always entrust the adjustment of the project with other parameters to the selected thickness and material of the walls to specialists.

The practice of designing and building low-rise residential buildings has shown that load-bearing walls made of bricks or blocks with a thickness of more than 350 - 400 mm. have a good margin of strength and resistance to both compressive and bending loads, in the vast majority designs building.

The walls of the house, external and internal, resting on the foundation, together with the foundation and ceiling, form a single spatial structure (framework), which jointly resists loads and influences.

Creating a strong and economical building frame - engineering problem, requiring high qualifications, pedantry and culture from construction participants.

A house with thin walls is more sensitive to deviations from the design, from standards and construction rules.

The developer needs to understand that the strength and stability of walls is reduced if:

wall thickness decreases;
the height of the wall increases;
the area of openings in the wall increases;
the width of the wall between the openings decreases;
the length of the free section of the wall, which has no support and interface with the transverse wall, increases;
channels or niches are installed in the wall;

The strength and stability of walls changes in one direction or another if:

change the wall material;
change the type of overlap;
change the type and size of the foundation;

Defects that reduce the strength and stability of walls

Violations and deviations from project requirements, construction norms and rules, which builders allow (in the absence of proper control on the part of the developer), reducing the strength and stability of walls:

are used wall material(bricks, blocks, mortar) with reduced strength compared to the project requirements.
anchoring is not performed metal bonds floors (slabs, beams) with walls according to the design;
deviations of the masonry from the vertical, displacement of the wall axis exceed the established technological standards;
deviations in the straightness of the masonry surface exceed established technological standards;
The masonry joints are not filled completely enough with mortar. The thickness of the seams exceeds the established standards.
excessive amounts of brick halves and chipped blocks are used in the masonry;
insufficient dressing of masonry interior walls with external ones;
omissions of mesh reinforcement of masonry;

In all of the above cases of changes in the dimensions or materials of walls and ceilings, the developer must contact professional designers to make changes to project documentation. Changes to the project must be certified by their signature.

Your foreman’s “let’s make it simpler” suggestions must be agreed upon with a professional designer. Control the quality construction work that are made by contractors. When performing work on our own Avoid the above construction defects.

The norms of the rules for the production and acceptance of work (SNiP 3.03.01-87) allow: deviations of the walls according to the displacement of the axes (10 mm), by deviation of one floor from the vertical (10 mm), according to the displacement of the floor slab supports in plan (6...8 mm) etc.

The thinner the walls, the more they are loaded, the less safety margin they have. The load on the wall multiplied by the “mistakes” of designers and builders may turn out to be excessive (pictured).

The processes of wall destruction do not always appear immediately, but sometimes years after the completion of construction.

House made of blocks with wall thickness 180 mm.

Principles of designing a house with minimum thickness the walls are clearly visible in the following photos. In house designs with thin walls, elements made of monolithic reinforced concrete are widely used.

Simple architectural form houses allows you to use commonly available materials for construction and helps optimize construction costs.

The house has 114 m 2 usable area and is designed for a family of 4-5 people. In the attic there are three bedrooms and a bathroom.

On the ground floor along the southern facade with large windows there is a spacious living room combined with a dining room and kitchen. In the other part there is an office, a bathroom and a technical room.

Silicate blocks were used to lay the outer walls of the house. Wall thickness 180 mm. Thin walls increase usable area Houses.

The house is designed so that it has no internal load-bearing walls. Inside the house there is a load-bearing beam, which is supported by two columns inside and two columns built into the masonry of the external walls. The beam itself and the columns are made of monolithic reinforced concrete. This solution allows for a free layout of the premises on the floor.

To increase the resistance of the walls to loads, there is a monolithic reinforced concrete belt at the floor level of the first floor. A section of wall with wide, high windows and narrow walls on the southern facade are also made of monolithic reinforced concrete.

The roof of the house rests on a monolithic reinforced concrete belt on top of the attic walls. In the attic walls of the attic, on which the roof mauerlat rests, there are reinforced concrete columns. The need for columns in the outer walls is due to the fact that these walls do not have cross connections inside the attic. The absence of transverse walls allows for a free layout of the attic rooms.

Formwork for installing a monolithic column in external wall Houses. The column serves as a support for load-bearing beam inside the house.

Installation of formwork for monolithic columns along the edges of wide window openings.

In the background you can see the formwork for the columns inside the house. The two columns inside are located on the same axis with the columns built into the outer walls.

The floors in the house are prefabricated monolithic, often ribbed, on the same level as the monolithic reinforced concrete wall belt.

Monolithic ceiling, made integral with monolithic belt walls, together with the walls, create a single and durable spatial structure - the skeleton of the house.

Attic walls of the attic with a height of 1.3 m., on which the roof mauerlat rests, are reinforced with monolithic columns built into the masonry.

Formwork for the construction of monolithic columns and attic wall belts.
Southern facade of the house with openings for tall large windows. Visible inside monolithic beam, which rests on two columns inside and two columns built into the masonry of the outer walls.

The rafters of each roof slope at the top rest on a truss, the ends of which, in turn, lie on the opposite gable walls of the attic. This solution made it possible to abandon the intermediate posts of the ridge beam. As a result, the space inside the attic is free for planning. The angle of inclination of the roof slopes is 42 degrees.

House foundation— monolithic reinforced concrete slab thickness 250 mm. The foundation slab lies on a layer of insulation. Non-removable formwork made of insulation. Insulation slabs are laid along the perimeter of the foundation, under the blind area. This solution prevents freezing of the soil under the foundation.

Wall thickness 200-250 mm made of bricks or blocks is certainly advisable to choose for one storey building or for the top floor of a multi-story building.

A house of two or three floors with a wall thickness of 200-250 mm. build if you have it at your disposal finished project, tied to the ground conditions of the construction site, qualified builders, and independent technical supervision of construction.

In other conditions, for the lower floors of two- or three-story houses, walls with a thickness of at least 350 are more reliable. mm.

To ensure the strength and stability of a private house with a minimum wall thickness, the installation of a monolithic reinforced concrete belt has become standard. The belt is placed on top of the external and internal load-bearing walls on each floor of the house. Beams and floor slabs, roof slabs must be connected (anchored) with metal ties to a reinforced concrete belt on the walls of the house.

How to make load-bearing walls with a thickness of only 190 mm.,

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Construction own home- responsible step. At the design stage, many nuances are thought through and the material for each part of the building is selected. The thickness of walls made of gas silicate blocks directly depends on the region and type of room being constructed. To preserve heat inside, additional plastering is allowed. taken into account specifications and the requirements that are put forward to future design. The thickness of the gas silicate blocks must be sufficient. Only in this case will it be possible to create conditions for living or storing things indoors, saving on heating bills.

Load-bearing wall thickness

At repair work take into account thermal engineering and strength indicators. Self-conducting calculations are made according to a special scheme. However, even in this case it is difficult to be sure that the obtained values are correct. Additionally, the purpose of the building is taken into account.

Gas silicate, with its small thickness, has sufficient energy efficiency. For example, 44 cm of material is enough to create necessary conditions. They will be equal to those achieved with a brick wall thickness of 51-64 cm. For expanded clay concrete this figure is 90 cm, for wood - 53 cm.

With such a thickness, the walls provide the necessary level of protection against heat loss. The indicator is averaged and formed on the basis of a number of statistical data. If a person plans to carry out calculations on his own, it is recommended to rely on the experience of developers who have been working in the region for a long time.

If you plan to build one-story building, garage or summer kitchen, then the thickness of the gas silicate is at least 200 mm. However, quite often there are buildings in which the indicator is increased to 300 mm. Heat will not be able to pass through the wall. It is quite dense and non-porous.

Gas silicate walls have an absolute advantage - the thickness of the walls. It is smaller than usual, but provides the necessary level of protection against power loss. An indicator of 300 mm is recommended for residents of a temperate continental climate. It is suitable in the process of building walls on ground floors and in basements. The width of the block, according to the standards, ranges from 300 to 400 mm. When planning an industrial or individual construction, it is possible to reduce this figure to 200 mm.

Thickness of partition walls

Interior partitions should also be given due attention. They must have a certain degree of sound insulation. Their thickness should be in the range from 200 to 300 mm. Thanks to this, it will be possible to achieve the optimal performance. It can be lowered to 100 mm. It is recommended to use a grade from D500 to D600. It is also possible to use gas silicate blocks D300. They will provide the necessary level of sound insulation. The material is durable and will last for a long period of time. It is used for the construction of various options utility rooms. When determining the final value of the wall thickness, the load on the foundation and the required strength should be taken into account.

Wall thickness for regions

IN Russian Federation several climatic zones. They differ in air temperatures, frequency of wind and precipitation. Calculation of thickness is carried out in each region individually. Gas silicate block used in any climatic conditions.

The thickness of walls made of gas silicate blocks in Siberia is increasing, because the region is characterized by low temperatures environment V winter time. Experts are convinced that the partition reaches at least 40 cm. However, in this case, an additional layer of insulation will have to be used. If this is not possible, then the indicator should be increased to 50 cm.

Belarus has warmer climatic conditions. The factor must be taken into account without fail. The thickness of walls made of gas silicate blocks in Belarus should be in the range from 200 to 300 mm. It is best to opt for the second option. Thanks to this, it will be possible to create comfortable indoor conditions at any time of the year. 200 mm is a thickness suitable for creating utility rooms different types.

Builder reviews

Choice building material very important for walls. The service life of the object and the comfortable stay inside will depend on it in the future. It is recommended to rely on the experience of specialists. Gas silicate receives positive reviews.

Antom, 35 years old.

I used gas silicate blocks when building a summer house four years ago. Before that, I gave preference exclusively to brick. Gas silicate was much cheaper. It also allowed the premises to be used throughout the year. The material has many advantages: it is easy to install and transport, several rows can be laid at once. I used special glue and made the wall thickness 300 mm. We are happy with the room temperature even in winter. Additionally, it should be noted that we do not experience frosts below -22 degrees. We save significantly on heating. Another brick extension requires more intensive operation of the heating device.

Nikolai, 42 years old.

I built a house from gas silicate blocks. I did everything with my own hands with 4 more helpers. The result was a house with an area of 120 km2. m. My team spent 14 days on the foundation and its finishing. I use the material based on its reasonable price. The block is easy to use and makes it possible to form clear corners. You don't need to spend a lot of time on the process. The house has an acceptable appearance even without exterior finishing. We made a wall 400 mm thick without additional insulation. Problems arose only with interior design. The block is smooth on all sides, so the putty cannot adhere to it. To improve adhesion, I had to additionally use a painting mesh.

Let's sum it up

According to GOST in central region In our country, it is possible to build houses from gas silicate in one layer. In Siberia and other cold regions to create comfortable conditions It is recommended to carry out work in two or three layers. The thickness of the material is selected based on the properties of the future room and the climate zone. Before purchasing gas silicate blocks, it is recommended to carefully read the advantages and disadvantages of this material. Thanks to this, you will be able to correctly assess your capabilities and predict the progress of repair work.

The thickness is selected based on the location of the room. The wall can be load-bearing or used as a partition. That is why the indicator varies from 100 to 400 mm. When installing additional insulation, the value can be reduced. The material should be combined with mineral wool, because it does not interfere with the process of evaporation from the surface.

According to its characteristics, aerated concrete is suitable for both the laying of load-bearing structures and the construction of insulating partitions. When choosing a specific brand and size of a product, it is based on the purpose and operating conditions of the construction site. The thickness of the walls separating different temperature zones is determined by thermal engineering calculations. But the main requirement is to ensure appropriate load-bearing capacity, namely withstanding weight and mechanical loads. The standards depending on the type of partition or ceiling are the minimum acceptable and cannot be reduced.

Depending on the format and type of surface, there are conventional rectangular options with smooth walls, similar to gripping or tongue-and-groove systems, T-shaped for installing ceilings, U-shaped for laying armored belts, door or window openings. The strength characteristics of aerated concrete are determined by its density and porosity, as well as thermal insulation properties. The following brands are distinguished:

1. From D350 to D500 - thermal insulation, optimal for the construction or internal insulating layer. They are distinguished by high porosity and have the lowest thermal conductivity coefficient of all varieties.

2. D500-D900 – structural and thermal insulation, in demand in private construction, including for laying external walls and load-bearing partitions. In practice, aerated blocks from M400 are used for light buildings, but only if they are subjected to high-quality autoclave processing and reliable protection from external moisture.

3. D900-D1200 – structural, with increased strength.

Typical for a load-bearing wall: 600 mm in length (for some manufacturers - 625), within 200-300 in height, and from 75 to 500 in width. These values are given for straight and tongue-and-groove products; those exceeding 300 mm in width are usually classified as wall products; the rest are classified as partition products, although there are exceptions. The most popular are 600×300×200 and 625×300×250 mm, weight varies between 17-40 kg, one piece replaces at least 17 bricks.

Selection of aerated blocks for laying load-bearing walls

Design purpose, additional conditions	Optimal brand of gas blocks	Thickness of aerated concrete wall, mm
Load-bearing external walls and internal partitions in private homes	D600	300
Non-residential premises: outbuildings, garages, summer kitchens	D400 and D500	200
Load-bearing external ones in houses without external insulation	D500	360
Ground floors and basements, subject to mandatory and high-quality waterproofing	D600	300-400 (less for internal basement curtain walls)
Apartment partitions	D500 and D600	200-300
Insulating layers	D300	From 300
Internal non-load-bearing partitions erected for the purpose of separating residential areas and sound insulation	D300	100-150

The required class (and, accordingly, brand) of aerated concrete also depends on the number of floors. The permissible minimum for one-story light buildings is B2.0, within 3 floors - B2.5, B3.5. The higher the building, the stricter the standards for the strength of the blocks; when building a private house higher than two, reinforcement (laying a monolithic tape along the entire perimeter) in the upper part of the aerated concrete wall is mandatory. Self-supporting partitions are allowed to be built from B2.0. In order to save money, they are usually laid out in a thickness of 100-150 mm. An increase in the width of the partition is possible in two cases: with increased requirements for noise protection and when planning placement on them suspended structures: shelves, furniture, bays or heavy equipment. The permissible minimum limit is 200 mm.

Additional factors to consider when choosing the thickness of aerated concrete walls

The indicated dimensions are valid only when using autoclaved material manufactured in a factory. Their quality can and should be checked visually and by touch: correct products have smooth walls without chips or external defects, they are in no way painted. Blocks that have not been steamed under pressure are inferior in strength and will not provide the required load-bearing capacity. They are also used by default when building houses in middle lane, for structures operated under normal humidity. If it is necessary to build in swimming pools, baths, saunas, basements, enhanced waterproofing measures are used.

To eliminate errors at the design stage, a strength and thermal calculation of the dimensions of load-bearing structures should be carried out, taking into account their expected load and climatic conditions. The thermal conductivity coefficient of aerated concrete depends on the brand: from 0.072 W/m °C for D300 blocks, to 0.12 and higher for D600.

The relationship is obvious: the denser and stronger the products, the worse their insulating abilities. At the same average ambient temperature in winter, the difference between the required minimum wall thickness that can provide the required resistance to heat loss, for brands with a difference in specific gravity from 100 kg/m 3 reaches 1/3.

Requirements to load-bearing structures increase during the construction of houses in window openings with a large area, exploitable roofs, high number of storeys. In this case, several options are possible: the use of structural blocks with increased strength (more expensive, which is not always profitable) or vertical reinforcement. The use of a monolithic reinforced concrete frame with the laying of less durable but well-retaining heat elements is considered a reasonable alternative. But such projects require the involvement of specialists; they are more difficult to implement.

One of the main issues that is decided when building a private house is what wall thickness to choose. Everyone wants to save money, so the thickness indicated in the project, for example, is 370 mm brickwork“look erroneous,” because “the neighbor built 190mm walls and nothing.” Indeed, in Lately Often, when building private houses, the walls are not made wide - from 250 mm brick, but from heavy concrete blocks and 200 mm. The same values are sometimes set by projects of low-rise buildings. Is this wall thickness always suitable?

What determines the thickness of the wall of a house, what thickness of the wall of a house to prefer, and what to look for when choosing this option for your own home.....

What loads act on the wall of the house?

The external load-bearing walls of the house are subject to a vertical compressive load formed by the weight of the masonry itself and the above floors, roof, snow, constant and variable operating loads...
A simple calculation shows that a wall with a thickness of 190 - 250 mm made of brick or heavy concrete blocks laid on a normal cement mortar, has a large margin of compressive strength. Such a wall can withstand significantly greater compressive loads.
The walls are subject to loads directed horizontally, planes that tend to overturn them. Horizontal loads can be caused by wind pressure, so all houses are designed for wind loads. Also, a significant lateral load on the wall can arise due to thrust from the roof truss system. The wall must be resistant to certain values of lateral loads. The thrust from the roof elements must be compensated in the roof structure itself, for example, you can read,
The wall is subject to various bending and torsional moments. The nature of their occurrence may be different, for example, due to subsidence of the foundation, due to greater pressure from floors or facade finishing on the edges of the wall, due to uneven masonry and the resulting slope of the wall, etc. Bending and torsion forces in various directions can be higher than the strength of thin walls. Load-bearing walls made of bricks and concrete blocks with a thickness of 190 - 250 mm do not have a large margin of safety against bending loads. This wall thickness according to this factor must be confirmed by calculation for each specific house structure. At the same time, according to practical experience a wall with a thickness of 350 mm or more has a significant margin of safety in the most various options building structures.

Those. big influence The choice of wall thickness is influenced by the specific design of the house. Let's take a closer look at the factors that significantly influence the choice of wall thickness.

How does the design affect the strength of the choice of thickness?

The stability and strength of a building wall is mainly influenced by its design. The most significant factors are:

Wall thickness. As the thickness decreases, the probability of wall failure increases significantly, primarily due to bending loads.
Wall height. The higher the wall, the significantly greater the loads on it, the less stable it is.
The area of openings in the wall. Openings significantly weaken the wall. The larger the opening, the less stable the wall.
Number of openings (wall width between openings). The larger the total area of all openings, the narrower the wall spaces between the openings, the lower the stability and safety margin of the wall.
Availability of support from the adjacent load-bearing wall. The larger the span of the wall without lateral support of the perpendicular (adjacent) wall, the less stability of this section. Interlocking walls (with interlocking masonry) increase the stability of a particular section of the wall.
Availability of reinforcing belts. To increase stability, reinforcing belts and various masonry reinforcements are laid in the wall, which significantly increase the stability of walls made of piece materials.
The presence of grooves, internal channels, niches, etc. in the wall. Depth and length various violations wall continuity are determined by the project and confirmed by calculation.

In addition to design factors, the stability of the wall is influenced by construction factors or the “human factor”. So, the strength of any wall will change if you change the brand, class of brick, blocks or mortar... Changes in materials and structures of junctions, roofing or even foundations are possible. All this will affect the stability of the walls of the house.

What violations significantly reduce stability?

Blocks and bricks with a lower strength class than provided for in the project are used. Used masonry mortar, the composition of which differs from the designed one.
Curvatures of the masonry greater than the norm are allowed. A large vertical slope of the wall is allowed. The horizontal straightness of the masonry is not maintained.
The seams between the blocks are not completely filled with mortar.
The thickness of the seams has been increased. The number of seams has been increased and the size of the piece material has been reduced; pieces of bricks and blocks have been used.
The joining of the floors (floor beams) to the walls using anchors has not been completed, their number has been reduced, and their locations have been changed.
The dressing of load-bearing walls was performed incorrectly, the density of the dressing was reduced.
The walls were not reinforced according to the design, the number of rows was reduced, the grade of material was changed, etc.
The structure of the foundation, roof, and other adjacent structures has been damaged, resulting in significantly greater bending and overturning forces...

During the construction process, situations arise when there is no required amount material with the necessary qualities. Also often construction crews they want to simplify the work and design and propose to “make it simpler and more reliable.” The owner needs to monitor the construction process and compliance of the execution with the requirements of the documentation. Do not allow deviations from the project, norms and rules. All changes to the design of walls and ceilings must be agreed with the designer. Changes made must be certified by the signatures and seals of responsible persons and organizations.

This is especially important for thin walls, which have a small margin of safety. Errors and shortcomings during the construction process sharply reduce the already low stability of a thin wall, and its destruction becomes possible.

What is the thickness of the walls in most cases?

We have gained extensive experience in the construction of low-rise private houses from high-density piece materials. If you use heavy brick or concrete with cement-sand mortar, then you can say that load-bearing walls of the following thickness will have satisfactory stability.

For a one-story house, walls with a thickness of 200 - 250 mm are applicable. The same wall thickness can be found on the top floor of a multi-story building.
For a two-story house, the wall thickness of 200 - 250 mm must be confirmed by calculations certified by the design organization. Also, the project should be based on soil studies of the development site. Such a project must be carried out by qualified specialist builders. Qualified technical supervision of construction must be carried out.
For two and three storey buildings, load-bearing walls of the lower floors with a thickness of 350 mm or more will have a sufficient margin of stability to compensate for the influence of some unfavorable factors.