Residential Concrete Wall Thickness

Increasing the strength of the concrete mix or the thickness of the wall increases the wall s capacity.

Residential concrete wall thickness. Exterior wall thickness depends on siding material. Where a concrete foundation wall is reduced in thickness to provide a shelf. Concrete foundation walls with corbels brackets or other projections built into the wall for support of masonry veneer or other purposes are not within the scope of the tables in this section. For plain concrete walls which are walls without or with little reinforcement 7 1 2 inch thickness is adequate.

Standard 2 by 4 studs are 3 1 2 inches wide and drywall is 1 2 inch thick so interior walls are usually 4 1 2 inches thick. The appropriate depth of the wall depends on several factors and there is no single standard for every home. As soon as you go higher or have greater depths of soil pushing against the wall you need to increase the thickness to 10 inches. Poured concrete foundation walls that are less than 8 feet tall and have soil outside that is 6 or 7 feet deep against the wall can often be 8 inches thick and function quite well.

The thickness of interior walls is dictated by stud width and wall covering. Concrete foundation walls support the home standing above so any weakness can undermine the stability of the house. Table 4a is based directly on the aci method but for table 4b the author has applied a reduced strength reduction factor a factor of safety. The recommended maximum is 12 inches.

The wall should not experience lateral loads and its height should not exceed 3 65m 12 ft otherwise such thickness cannot be considered. The thickness of concrete foundation walls shall be equal to or greater than the thickness of the wall in the story above. The 4 100 mm form cannot be used below grade as a foundation wall. The thickness or depth of concrete basement walls plays an integral role in their long term strength and durability.

Exterior wall thickness varies depending on the exterior finish siding and brick facing. The 4 100 mm form may be used for above grade walls up to a maximum of 10 3 0 m. 2 by 6 studs are typically used in walls that contain plumbing making those walls 6 5 inches. In some regions an 8 200 mm concrete core is the minimum allowed thickness for below grade walls.

The typical interior wall thickness in newer construction using 2 by 4 studs and half inch drywall is 4 5 inches. Below grade walls must have a minimum 6 150 mm concrete core.