Bed Joint Reinforcement Products
Bed joint reinforcement products increase the rigidity of masonry panels by introducing steel into the bed joints.
The extent to which a masonry wall is likely to crack due to movement depends on a variety of factors, including:
- The length of the wall / the length to height ratio of the wall panel.
- The position and size of openings in the wall.
When bricks are stacked together to create a bigger and heavier structure, their strength begins to decrease. Increasing the rigidity of masonry walls by introducing bed joint reinforcement products can help increase its strength.
Bed joint reinforcement are particularly useful in accommodating stresses in certain critical locations, e.g. under window openings.
At Vista we offer seven options to accommodate for various factors such as load requirement and brick size. Our range includes the V44 Coil Mesh, VW3 Vista Weld 3, VW Vista Weld, VW5 Vista Weld 5, VTS Vista Tie Span, DVW Double Vista Weld, and the Window Reveal Plate.
A stainless (up to 225mm width) or galvanised (up to 305mm width) steel expanded mesh. The V44 Coil Mesh is suitable for incorporation into masonry for crack control (rather than as a structural product). This is particularly useful to protect against areas of weakness such as windows and doors, where cracking is more likely to occur. Vista Engineering suggest using galvanised steel for inner leaf applications, and stainless steel for outer leaf applications.
Ladder Reinforcement (Single-leaf)
A welded ladder type bed joint reinforcement supplied in stainless or galvanised steel, with 3, 3.5 or 5mm outer wires. The Vista Weld range of bed joint reinforcement ladders are designed to provide additional strength to single leaf masonry in areas of need including long walls spans, beam supports, deflecting floor decks, stack bonded masonry, lintels and openings. Generally used as a structural product, but also can be used for crack control. All Vista welded ladder type bed joint reinforcement products conform to BS 5628 : Part 2 2000.
The Vista Weld 3 (VW3) is manufactured with 3mm outer wires and is suitable for all applications listed above. The Vista Weld (VW) is the same as the Vista weld 3, but with 3.5mm outer wires. The larger outer wires allow for a greater load capacity, meaning this product is more suitable when spanning over a longer masonry panel or when using heavy brick or blockwork. The Vista Weld 5 (VW5) is manufactured with 5mm flattened outer wires. The flattened outer wires allow for better embedment and positioning within a standard bed joint compared to the traditional wires.
Ladder Reinforcement (Double-leaf collar joint)
The VTS Vista Tie Span product is designed for use in double-leaf collar joint walls and can reduce problems such as cracking within heavy blocks by tying two together. By tying two masonry leaves together, the wall may be designed as if it were a solid construction. Also manufactured from stainless or galvanised steel with 3.5 or 4mm main longitudinal wires with 20mm flat cross ties.
Ladder Reinforcement (Double-leaf)
The DVW Double Vista Weld product is a welded structural ladder type masonry reinforcement used to reinforce both leaves of a cavity wall. Manufactured with 3.5mm main longitudinal wires and 3.6mm cross wires (with a drip). Each length is 2700mm long and is available in numerous widths to suit individual design requirements.
Supports the first few bricks in a full brick (215mm deep) window reveal during construction. Design supports long leg of plate to be built into the external leaf bed joint, providing a stable bearing for the reveal brick.
If you are unsure about which of our bed joint reinforcement products you need then please call the office on 01663 736700 or email marketing@vistaeng.co.uk and we’ll reply to any enquires you may have.
For further information about which wall tie to use for non, bed joint reinforcement, specific issues please read our recent blog post, “Which Wall Ties should I use?” or contact the office on 01663 736 700.