Building a brick pillar - strengthening?

[dwtowner]

Hi all,

I want to build some brick pillars to support railings, so that it looks ra ther like:

The railings will be 1100mm high. I don't want to make the pillars any bigg er than 2 bricks per course if I can help it, but will that be strong enoug h? I am using bricks from a range which has double-height sizes too, so I c ould change the pattern if that would make it stronger, rather than single- height courses with 2 bricks per course.

thanks,

dan.

[dennis]

If the brick have hole in them you can put rebar down them to make it a lot stronger.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , "dennis@home" writes

Yes. The last *frost proof* bricks I used had 3 equally spaced large holes which might line up nicely in that configuration.

[Andrew Mawson]

Without some sort of reinforcing they won't be anything like strong enough, I'm sure it would be easy just to push it over however strong the mortar. Mind you I do tend to over engineer things - the last pillar I built was something like twelve bricks to a course, surrounded a 10x6 RSJ that was bedded into the 3' footings, and was filled with concrete ! It does hinge a

12 foot gate though and the hinges are welded onto the RSJ as is the automation pivot.

AWEM

[harryagain]

I want to build some brick pillars to support railings, so that it looks rather like:

The railings will be 1100mm high. I don't want to make the pillars any bigger than 2 bricks per course if I can help it, but will that be strong enough? I am using bricks from a range which has double-height sizes too, so I could change the pattern if that would make it stronger, rather than single-height courses with 2 bricks per course.

thanks,

dan.

The piers as shown have very little strength. The weak point is at ground level. Any reinforcing will have to go from the footing into the brickwork. Holes in bricks don't line up you will find and are too small anyway I recommend you make the pier half a brick bigger and put a thick rebar up the centre from a point well into the footing. Ideally with a hook on the bottom so it can't pullout of the concrete.

[Dave Liquorice]

Agreed.

Well that ought to keep the elephants out. B-)

If the bricks don't have holes a single bit of 1/2" rebar down the middle will be enough. It does need to be driven into the ground or foundations maybe a foot > 18" but that would also apply to holy bricks as well.

[Andrew Gabriel]

The rebar should be set into the foundations. Otherwise you will just push the pier off the foundations with the leverage you have. Remember that the foundation is for the wall, not just a brick pier; do bare that in mind when sizing the foundations.