- It is likely that in the near future traditional construction solutions with double leaf walls (with new, more thermally efficient bricks and blocks) will be adapted, and there will be increased use of thermal insulation systems for exterior (ETICS), such as use of single leaf walls.
- We call this a brick infill. This type of reconfiguration often happens in concert with interior wall layout changes. For example, if a former layout allowed for doors entering from the exterior to one unit or room of space and now that room and/or associated partitions conflicts with the original door or window layout, an architect or building owner may choose just to remove the door or window and infill the opening with new brick.
This particular example perfectly highlights why Exterior Infill Wall Modification is so captivating.
The macro modeling strategies make use of equivalent diagonal struts to simulate the infill wall's behavior. Since its first formulation (Polyakov, 1956), some modifications were proposed for this model, which can range from one simple single truss (Polyakov, 1956; Zarnic and Tomazevic, 1988; Flanagan et al., 1994) to a multi-truss model (Chrysostomou et al., 2002; El-Dakhakhni et al., 2003; Crisafulli and Carr, 2007; Fiore et al., 2012; Torrisi et al., 2012; Furtado et al., 2016b).
- If you have CMU infill walls on a building, why not eliminate the steel columns and beams and make all the CMU structural? You can use concrete tie-columns and tie-beams when the masonry needs the "help". This is the system I am more familiar with for low rise where CMU exterior walls are desirable.
- When used as an infill wall, burnt clay bricks are typically laid between the exterior walls and the building structure.
- Where the wood frame is used for interior walls in concrete and steel structures as partitions, they provide flexibility of design, including floor layout, fire safety, sound insulation, and renovation. Wood infill partitions are non-structural, lightweight, and are suitable for a range of interior finishes.
