Residential Concrete Wall Thickness

The thickness of interior walls is dictated by stud width and wall covering.

Residential concrete wall thickness.

The wall should not experience lateral loads and its height should not exceed 3 65m 12 ft otherwise such thickness cannot be considered. For plain concrete walls which are walls without or with little reinforcement 7 1 2 inch thickness is adequate. The 4 100 mm form cannot be used below grade as a foundation wall. Exterior wall thickness varies depending on the exterior finish siding and brick facing.

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. Concrete foundation walls support the home standing above so any weakness can undermine the stability of the house. The 4 100 mm form may be used for above grade walls up to a maximum of 10 3 0 m. The minimum thickness is also determined by wall height soil classification and the height of unbalanced backfill or backfill on only one side of the wall.

The recommended maximum is 12 inches. The thickness of bearing masonry wall of in residential building with maximum three storeys can be assumed to be 203 2mm 8 inch. The thickness or depth of concrete basement walls plays an integral role in their long term strength and durability. The thickness of concrete foundation walls shall be equal to or greater than the thickness of the wall in the story above.

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. 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. Exterior wall thickness depends on siding material. 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.

So taller walls in heavier soils should be made thicker or with stronger concrete. 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. 2 by 6 studs are typically used in walls that contain plumbing making those walls 6 5 inches.

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