Can i build a 6ft brick wall on top of a concrete direway?

Question

I want to build a 6ft high brick wall on top of my concrete driveway to fence of the side of the house. I think the concrete is between 100 - 150mm thick. Can i do this or should do i have to cut the concrete and replace it with a footing for the wall?

heres a diagram (of sorts)

house wall

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] drive

] my new wall

][___][____][____][____][____]-gate---...

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] drive

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Or can drill support steel rods into the driveway and build the wall that way?

Thanks for you help.

Answer 1

Oh there are several issues involved and you cannot ignore any of them.  

Bricks are about 5 pounds each (some variation depending on size), and you can't build a 6' high wall, single wythed, and depending on the size of the brick you can estimate the quantity you'll need

There is more involved than just the weight of the wall, but also leverage !   You know a globular weight sitting beside a rock will just sit there, but something the same weight that is long and leaning at the top could move that same rock.  Your wall is a lever against the adjacent ground, not just a weight.

Since that new brick wall is connected with your house wall, you must get a building permit from your local municipal government.  

In any case, you will need to conform to your local building-code regulations, which are created to ensure the safety of people and property (like your car parked beside that new wall).  

In northern climates, you must dig down to below the frost-line, and pour a substantial footing, and build a concrete wall up to at least 6 inches above grade, then you can build your brick wall on top of that.  

You cannot just build a 6 foot high wall on top of your driveway, and you cannot make it just a thin single wythe wall.

IF you are in an area that has frost or freezing and thawing some parts of the year, and IF the bricks are regular not special high-density clay or dolomite bricks, then you must also put a coping or cap on top of that brick wall, with at least 1 1/2 inches overhang on both sides.

You can see specific engineering explanations on the brick industry associations website, non-commercial and very informative, at   www.bia.org

You are wise to ask before you started.  Just make sure you do things right, follow the right advice, and go through proper chanels, avoid physical catastrophies and law suits if things were done wrong, you'd have no defence.  

Take care.

Answer 2

day.builder,

I personally would be leary about setting 6 ft of brick on just 150 mm (aprx 4- 5 inches) of concrete. The rule normally is that the footing is as deep as the wall is thick and width equals twice the wall thickness.  Also, when pouring a footing next to an existing slab, it's normal practice to maintain a small space in between to separate the two.  Part of the reason being that the weight placed on the existing "thin" slab is enough to break off that portion of the existing slab subjected to the additional weight.  

That would be my biggest concern.  If you put a wall on top of the edge of your slab, that portion of the slab will in a probablility break or crumble.

If you're proposing to use the steel rods vertically, you would still have the weight problem.  I personally would cut out an area of the existing slab and pour a footing according to the depth/width necessary for a 6 foot wall.  That way you know for sure you're not going to have problems later.

JMO

good luck

Answer 3

dig and pour a seperate footer...a single wythe brick wall will not hold up well either...use a double wythe wall (8in.) or veneer a 4 in. block wall with brick...lay 8 in. block up to ground level and then start your brick...

Answer 4

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  place support 4steel rods 6ft high at * place1ft in ground will enough with re inforce concrete post will do

Answer 5

I'd probably go block, with brick over, but that's just my choice. I'd probably do as you say, using re-bar to help support.

   Most important to you however, might be any regulations, codes, zoning, planning commission issues related to a wall and it's height, or the manner of construction. Part of that notion might be what a usual footer is for a wall, or what is dictated.

   I'm not ignorant, but I am a bit confused in the great example you managed. Is the wall to divide a driveway into two driveways? Not span the width of a drive?

   1 Foot = 304.8 Millimeters

   Sounds like/ looks like you'll have to re-think any weight you load onto a driveway at approx. 6 inches thick. A Footer for a block/brick wall, might better be at a depth of 18 to 24 inches, and a width of the same. Obviously a driveway often supports a vehicle weighing two tons, but not at all knowing any code/zoning issues you may encounter, I suspect that should be worked out first.