Building a ma-hoo-sive wall?

[astro_al]

Hi guys, yet another subject I know diddley-squat about. (Spot the recurring theme!).

I need to build a wall. A big wall.

My workshop is in a big-ish barn, but I only rent half the space. I need to build a wall down the middle to sub-divide it and so I can sort the howling winds / poo-ing birds etc, and make it generally more civilised and more secure.

The width is nigh on 20m, the height at the sides is about 3.5m and the centre height is about 7m.

I'm looking at around a grands with of concrete blocks, but presumably you can't just build a thin panel of blocks over such an area and expect it to stay up? So can anyone tell me how to do this - block pillars, steel pillars, anchoring the wall into the floor, where to start?!

Here is an old pic, pre-concrete, of the space.

Thanks for any pointers. Al.

 

[rtbcomp]

I'd dig a foundation filled with concrete and use concrete hollows (18" x 9" x 9") filled with concrete and rebar down the holes.

 

[paul_f]

Can you just use steels with the wavy cladding on them? A mate has this to divide his barn

 

[tigler]

Yeah , steel studs with cladding will be much quicker , easier and possible cheaper.

 

[astro_al]

I know, my landlord wants to do this, but I want blockwork. I want the place to be more secure, and my potential 'neighbour' sounds a bit dodgy.

Ta, Al.

 

[tigler]

How about part block , upto the existing building walls , then stud and clad the roof part ? Would be a bit of a give away if your neighbour tried to force entry through that !!

 

[Shox Dr]

I know, my landlord wants to do this, but I want blockwork. I want the place to be more secure, and my potential 'neighbour' sounds a bit dodgy.

Ta, Al.

It doesn't matter what you build it from, if they want to be in they will be.

Also why are you having to do it, the landlord should be paying


sorry just reread that, still make sure he understands that if you get broken into, via the partition you'll be looking towards him for compo

 

[morph]

precast concrete panels supported by a couple of RSJs to 2 meters then clad the top with plywood. Very strong, secure and probably cheaper than blocks. A 6m x 1m panel will be about £160-£180+ delivery.

 

[Welderpaul]

The normal way would be to split the length up into roughly 4/5m lengths with vertical columns, sitting on pad foundations, plus one at each end if there isnt something decent to tie the blockwork into. Orientate the columns to the webs face along the line of the wall. Install strip foundations to support the blockwork, then build the blockwork inbetween the columns and into the webs. Slip ties with debonding sleeves should be tek screwed into the web of the steel every two courses. This allows the wall to move along its length with temperature change, but prevents side to side movement. Expensive mind.

 

[MarkMG]

Chain link fence sheeted with tarpaulin would be cheapest and secure.

 

[Mikey D]

i think id go with morphs , suggestion i.e. steel columns with the precast panels . go up to 2 or 3 metres with them then steel box cladding up to the roof .
or if you reaaly want concrete blocks ,3 steel colums and infil betwwen with the blocks (into the web) . saves having the pillars sticking out no real need to use rebar or fill the hollow blocks then , unless you really want to go to town of cource

cheers mike

 

[Bobtail4x4]

Why not rent the whole building and sublet the other half to someone you trust?

a white line on the floor is far cheaper.

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Building such a big wall will need some carefull thought for if you get a big blow on through open doors the wall could collapse .
You may need building control advice /inspection as well .

If you build the wall in castellations /zigzag... say 2 mtrs long by 1mtr deep over its length , perhaps building from the centre out for the greatest strength and use of working space . You will have a very strong wall as well as alcoves to make into bays for secure storage and lots of wall space to stand machinery by when a power supply is run along the whole wall . One of the sheds I have worked in was such and after three metres high it went to steel angle frame with chain link and with light weight poly tarps hanging free on our side . It stopped the casual looker jumping up and peeking over at our plant equipment etc.
The poly sheets also helped retain the heat from the space heaters.

 

[MrFluffy]

Id just go for the cheapest noisiest quickest method (tin sheet both sides on a frame? pack the void between with something fire resistant but messy?) as a mate had a hollow concrete block walled unit with good security, steel roller shutters etc, and one night the thieves came and parked next doors forklift forks through the wall, so blockwork's security may be overrated when large tools are to hand.

 

[astro_al]

Thanks for your thoughts.

Yes I agree that if someone really wants in, then they can't really be stopped (planning some little prezzies inside to deal with that). But at least a block wall will stop general drifting in - tin sheet / chain link is a bit like not having a wall at all! I'm trying to stop foot traffic wandering off with pick-uppable expensive boxes of tricks.

I think I'll probably go with the blockwork up to 2m and then posts/cladding & insulation beyond that. From my investigations, I think blockwork is the cheapest way to get a solid wall(?).

I know my landlord should be paying, but I'm juggling with politics here too...

Now where can I get some super cheap insulation panels?

Al.

 

[MrFluffy]

Last time I seen something similar go up, they dug a decent foundation trench out first and layed in some structural rebar. Then every 5M or so they tied rebar sticking up out of the foundations and when constructing the wall used the hollow blocks with the big round hole inside one end in to form pillar blocks with half the alternate blocks sticking into the room to form a square pillar bond. At a height of 3m or so, they layed a layer of the concrete U form lintel blocks and poured it full of reinforced concrete and rebar tying all the pillar elements together and forming a single solid reinforced lintel over any doorways etc then sat the next course of blocks ontop of the layer. They repeated this for 3 layers to a final height of about 8m or so then tied it into everything they possibly could. Ive been involved in demolishing similar constructed stuff, and its rather robust to put it mildly. Itll be the way I go when I block up my open sided barn next year.

Even if you go blockwork to 2m then a lighter structure above your still going to have to tie it to the floor somehow. Maybe drilling a few big loose holes and letting in some ties etc or large rawls if the slabs up to it and your not going to be allowed to cut holes in it to tie the wall in. You'd have to drill the slab to see how thick it is etc as a sample hole anyway or you might be anchoring to a thin crust laid ontop of a load of hardcore or something.

 

[eil]

Commercial coldroom/freezer panels especially B grade normally can get them a lot cheaper they are tongue and grooved you lay a channel down and just slot these into each other thats how they build the big freezer rooms in abattoirs and such, easy and quick to put up, if theres a supplier near to you that is.

 

[cazl1994]

put i beams up to the roof and fix at top and dig a trench at the bottom about every 15ft and that will support theblocks like pillars and block up to say about 4-5 meters and either leave the top open or sheet up wit roffing sheets its basically one side of a steel frame shed in the middle. what are you going to do about the door?

 

[astro_al]

Finally got it done (or will be by tomorrow).

Nicely insulated to help the woodburner keep me toasty this christmas.

Hoping to avoid a repeat of last year:
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16350


Al.

 

[M@tt]

that's a seriously good effort!!!