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R609.6 Assemblies and Beams Spanning Openings
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Unreinforced masonry units above an opening and 8-inch (203 mm) high bond beams above an opening shall be supported by an assembly.
Preengineered assemblies shall be selected from a manufacturer's approved schedule or other approved tables for the load capacities based on the appropriate minimum gravity load carrying capacities established in Tables R609.6.1.2(1), R609.6.1.2(2), and R609.6.1.2(3).
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ROOF SPAN (FT) | UPLIFT (plf) | |||
GRAVITY (plf) | Vasd as determined in accordance with Section R301.2.1.3 | |||
100 mph | 120 mph | 140 mph | ||
42 | 150 | 85 | 112 | 165 |
12 | 330 | 152 | 204 | 305 |
24 | 600 | 262 | 351 | 525 |
36 | 870 | 374 | 502 | 745 |
44 | 1,050 | 451 | 605 | 900 |
52 | 1,230 | 530 | 710 | 1,055 |
60 | 1,410 | 609 | 816 | 1,215 |
- All loads are superimposed at the top of the wall and do not include dead loads of the bond beam or masonry above the assembly. Add 100 percent of additional dead loads to the gravity loads and subtract 85 percent of these loads from the uplift loads.
- Use 4-foot (1220 mm) roof span for assemblies in endwalls.
- For total roof dead loads over 10 psf, increase gravity loads by the following amount: (Roof Dead Load - 10 psf) × (Roof Span + 2 ft)/2.
- Uplift rating is required only if a pre-engineered assembly is used to directly support a roof. See Section R609.6.1.3 for cases where uplift need not be considered.
FLOOR SPAN1 (FT) | MINIMUM RATED GRAVITY LOAD ASSEMBLY (plf) | |||||
ASSEMBLY CLEAR SPAN (FT) | ||||||
4 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | |
42 | 210 | 260 | 310 | 410 | 510 | 610 |
12 | 430 | 480 | 530 | 630 | 730 | 830 |
24 | 760 | 810 | 860 | 960 | 1,060 | 1,160 |
36 | 1,090 | 1,140 | 1,190 | 1,290 | 1,390 | 1,490 |
44 | 1,310 | 1,360 | 1,410 | 1,510 | 1,610 | 1,710 |
52 | 1,530 | 1,580 | 1,630 | 1,730 | 1,830 | 1,930 |
60 | 1,750 | 1,800 | 1,850 | 1,950 | 2,050 | 2,150 |
- For a wall supporting floors on both sides, enter table with the sum of the 2 full spans.
NOTE: Tabular values are for half the load of the full span shown. - Use 4-foot (1220 mm) building width for assemblies in walls not supporting floors (normally endwalls and interior masonry walls and shearwalls).
- The values in this table may be interpolated.
- These loads take into account the dead load of any masonry in the wall above the assembly and live and dead loads of the roof and floor supported. Dead load of the assembly is not included in the table and if not included in the preengineered concrete design must be added to the loads in the table.
- This table is applicable for all roof dead loads.
FLOOR SPAN1 (FT) | MINIMUM RATED GRAVITY LOAD ASSEMBLY (plf) | |||||
ASSEMBLY CLEAR SPAN (FT) | ||||||
4 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | |
42 | 290 | 340 | 390 | 490 | 590 | 690 |
12 | 670 | 720 | 770 | 870 | 970 | 1,070 |
24 | 1,240 | 1,290 | 1,340 | 1,440 | 1,540 | 1,640 |
36 | 1,810 | 1,860 | 1,910 | 2,010 | 2,110 | 2,210 |
44 | 2,190 | 2,240 | 2,290 | 2,390 | 2,490 | 2,590 |
52 | 2,570 | 2,620 | 2,670 | 2,770 | 2,870 | 2,970 |
60 | 2,950 | 3,000 | 3,050 | 3,150 | 3,250 | 3,350 |
- For a wall supporting floors on both sides, enter table with the sum of the 2 full spans.
NOTE: Tabular values are for half the load of the full span shown. - Use 4-foot (1220 mm) building width for assemblies in nonfloor bearing walls (normally endwalls and interior masonry walls and shearwalls).
- The values in this table may be interpolated.
- These loads take into account the dead load of any masonry in the wall above the assembly and live and dead loads of the roof and floor supported. Dead load of the assembly is not included in the table and if not included in the preengineered concrete assembly design must be added to the loads in the table.
- This table is applicable for all roof dead loads.
Preengineered assemblies may function as a bond beam over an opening provided that:
- The bond beam reinforcement is continuous through the assembly.
- The assembly has an uplift rating that equals or exceeds the appropriate value stipulated in Table R609.6.1.2(1) if the lintel directly supports a roof.
Exception:
If the reinforcement in the top of the assembly is equal to or greater than the reinforcement required in the bottom of the assembly by the manufacturer, uplift need not be considered.
Preengineered assemblies spanning openings shall extend a minimum of 4 inches (102 mm) nominal past each side of the opening.
Under the provisions of this section, bond beams shall:
Notes:
Notes:
Notes:

- Be 16 inches (406 mm) high nominal over openings, except cast-in-place concrete bond beams, which may be 12 inches (305 mm) high nominal.
- Have top reinforcement continuous over the wall and opening.
- Have bottom reinforcement extending past each side of the opening a minimum of 24 inches (610 mm) for concrete walls and 4 inches (102 mm) for masonry walls.
- Meet the provisions of Tables R609.6.2.1(1), R609.6.2.1(2) and R609.6.2.1(3) as appropriate.
ROOF SPAN (FT) | MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE CLEAR SPAN (FT-IN)5 | |||||||||||
BOND BEAM 6" THICK WALL1, 2, 4 | BOND BEAM 8" THICK WALL1, 2, 4 | |||||||||||
16-1 | 16-2 | C12-1 | C12-2 | C16-1 | C16-2 | 16-1 | 16-2 | C12-1 | C12-2 | C16-1 | C16-2 | |
43 | 16-0 | 17-4 | 16-0 | 20-8 | 18-0 | 24-8 | 16-0 | 18-8 | 15-4 | 20-8 | 17-4 | 23-4 |
12 | 12-0 | 13-4 | 12-0 | 15-4 | 14-0 | 18-8 | 12-8 | 14-0 | 11-4 | 16-0 | 13-4 | 18-0 |
24 | 8-8 | 8-8 | 9-4 | 10-8 | 10-8 | 14-8 | 10-0 | 11-4 | 8-8 | 12-8 | 10-8 | 14-8 |
36 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 8-0 | 8-0 | 9-4 | 11-4 | 8-8 | 8-8 | 7-4 | 10-0 | 8-8 | 12-0 |
44 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 7-4 | 7-4 | 8-0 | 10-0 | 7-4 | 7-4 | 6-8 | 8-8 | 8-0 | 11-4 |
52 | 5-4 | 5-4 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 8-0 | 8-8 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 8-0 | 7-4 | 10-8 |
60 | 4-8 | 4-8 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 7-4 | 8-0 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 7-4 | 7-4 | 10-0 |
Notes:
- Designation of bond beam types over openings:
- Letter C designates a concrete bond beam. All other bond beams are masonry.
- The first number denotes the nominal height of the bond beam in inches.
- The second number denotes the number of No. 5 reinforcing bars in the top and the bottom of the beam. A single (1) No. 7 bar may be used in lieu of two No. 5 bars. The bottom reinforcing steel shall be located no more than 23/4-inches (70 mm) clear distance from the bottom of masonry bond beams and 11/2 inches (38 mm) for concrete bond beams.
- All bond beams have reinforcement in the top as required by Tables R609.2.2A-1 through 609.2.2A-4 and Tables R609.2.2B-1 through R609.2.2B-8 as appropriate. If two No.5 are required in this table and only one No.5 is required by Tables R609.2.2A-1 through R609.2.2A-4 and Tables R609.2.2B-1 through R609.2.2B-8 as appropriate, the additional bar shall be placed in the top of the bond beam over the opening and shall extend past the opening a minimum of 24 inches (610 mm).
- Use 4-foot (1219 mm) roof span for lintels in endwalls.
- The bottom reinforcement in precast lintels may be used to satisfy the continuous bond beam bottom reinforcement requirement.
- For roof dead loads more than 10 psf:
- For 20 psf roof dead load, multiply allowable clear spans by 0.85.
- For 30 psf roof dead load, multiply allowable clear spans by 0.75.
- Values for other roof dead loads may be interpolated.
BUILDING WIDTH (FT) | BOND BEAM 8" THICK WALL1, 2, 4 | ||||||
16-1 | 16-2 | C12-1 | C12-2 | C16-1 | C16-2 | C16-3 | |
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE CLEAR SPAN (FT-IN)5 | |||||||
43 | 11-4 | 13-4 | 10-8 | 14-0 | 12-0 | 15-4 | 18-0 |
12 | 10-0 | 11-4 | 9-4 | 12-0 | 10-8 | 14-0 | 16-0 |
24 | 8-8 | 8-8 | 8-0 | 10-0 | 8-8 | 12-0 | 12-8 |
36 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 8-0 | 8-0 | 10-8 | 10-8 |
44 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 7-4 | 7-4 | 9-4 | 9-4 |
52 | 5-4 | 5-4 | 6-0 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 8-8 | 8-8 |
60 | 4-8 | 4-8 | 5-4 | 6-0 | 6-8 | 8-0 | 8-0 |
Notes:
- Designation of bond beam over openings:
- Letter C designates a concrete bond beam. All other bond beams are masonry.
- The first number denotes the nominal height of the bond beam in inches.
- The second number denotes the number of No. 5 reinforcing bars in the top and the bottom of the beam. One No. 7 may be used in lieu of two No. 5. The bottom reinforcing steel shall be located no more than 23/4-inches (70 mm) clear distance from the bottom of masonry bond beams and 11/2 inches (38 mm) for concrete bond beams.
- All bond beams shall have reinforcement in the top in accordance with Section R609.6.2.
- Use 4-foot (1219 mm) floor span for lintels in walls parallel to hollowcore.
- The bottom reinforcement in precast lintels may be used to satisfy the continuous bond beam bottom reinforcement requirement.
- This table is applicable for all roof dead loads.
BUILDING WIDTH (FT) | BOND BEAM 8" THICK WALL1, 2, 4 | ||||||
16-1 | 16-2 | C12-1 | C12-2 | C16-1 | C16-2 | C16-3 | |
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE CLEAR SPAN (FT-IN)5 | |||||||
43 | 10-8 | 12-0 | 10-0 | 13-4 | 11-4 | 14-8 | 17-4 |
12 | 8-8 | 9-4 | 8-0 | 10-8 | 9-4 | 12-0 | 13-4 |
24 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 7-4 | 7-4 | 10-0 | 10-0 |
36 | 4-8 | 4-8 | 5-4 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 8-0 | 8-0 |
44 | 4-0 | 4-0 | 4-8 | 5-4 | 6-0 | 7-4 | 7-4 |
52 | 4-0 | 4-0 | 4-8 | 4-8 | 5-4 | 6-8 | 6-8 |
60 | 3-4 | 3-4 | 4-0 | 4-0 | 5-4 | 6-0 | 6-0 |
Notes:
- Designation of bond beam over openings:
- Letter C designates a concrete bond beam. All other bond beams are masonry.
- The first number denotes the nominal height of the bond beam in inches.
- The second number denotes the number of No. 5 reinforcing bars in the top and the bottom of the beam. One No. 7 may be used in lieu of two No. 5. The bottom reinforcing steel shall be located no more than 23/4-inches (70 mm) clear distance from the bottom of masonry bond beams and 11/2 inches (38 mm) for concrete bond beams.
- All bond beams shall have reinforcement in the top in accordance with Section R609.6.2.
- Use 4-foot (1219 mm) floor span for lintels in walls parallel to hollowcore.
- The bottom reinforcement in precast lintels may be used to satisfy the continuous bond beam bottom reinforcement requirement.
- This table is applicable for all roof dead loads.
Top reinforcement required over the opening which is in addition to that required over the wall shall extend past the opening a minimum of 24 inches (610 mm).
The provisions of this section shall apply when the lintel, the wall area between the lintel and the bond beam, and the bond beam itself are solid grouted masonry units or cast together as one unit.
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