Masonry Wall Design Calculator

Multi-code single-leaf loadbearing masonry wall design — SANS 10164-1, BS 5628-1 and Eurocode 6 (EN 1996-1-1). Unit strength and mortar to characteristic compressive strength f_k, a slenderness + capacity-reduction-factor vertical check, and a bending-moment-coefficient out-of-plane wind flexural check, with a printable clause-by-clause calc sheet.

Verified against the BS 5628 / EN 1996 worked example; every strength user-input with cited SA defaults — confirm before sign-off

Inputs

Wall

Name / mark

Design code

Geometry

Wall construction sets t_ef basis

Thickness t = t_ef

Clear height h

Effective-height factor ρ

Enhanced (0.75) needs demonstrable restraint; default conservatively to 1.0 if in doubt. cl 28.3 / EN 5.5.1.2

Storeys above for SR≤20 rule

Unit & mortar → f_k

Normalised unit strength f_b = δ·f_u

MPa

Unit height for δ helper

Unit width least horiz. dim.

Unit tested strength f_u

MPa

Optional helper: f_b = δ·f_u from the EN 772-1 Table A.1 shape factor δ (bilinear-interpolated on unit height/width), written into f_b above when height, width or f_u change — f_b stays directly editable afterward.

Mortar strength f_m

MPa

SANS mortar class sets f_m default

Mortar-class f_m defaults are indicative — confirm against SANS 2001-CM1.

Masonry constant K (EN Table 3.3)

Mortar bed exponents a, b

Vertical action (ULS)

Applied axial N_Ed per m

kN/m

Load eccentricity e_x (≥ 0.05t)

Eccentricity from slab bearing (e.g. resultant at t/6 or t/3) is a user input. β closed form valid only for e_x ≤ 0.4t; beyond → cracked-section analysis (blocked).

Material factor γ_m

Include self-weight mid-height, factored

Unit weight γ_unit

kN/m³

Self-weight above mid-height = 1.2·γ_unit·t·(h/2), added to N_Ed when on. 1.2 is a conservative permanent-action factor — override N_Ed directly if you already include self-weight there.

EC6 slenderness — creep (Φ_m path)

Creep factor φ∞ (0 disables)

Adds e_k = 0.002·φ∞·(h_ef/t_ef)·√(t·e_mk) into the EN 1996 mid-height eccentricity (Annex G) once SR > 27 — no effect below that slenderness.

Lateral (out-of-plane wind)

Panel length L

Wind pressure W_k

kPa

Load factor γ_f

SA practice = SANS 10160-1 (γ_f,wind≈1.3); the BS worked example uses 1.4. This scales M_Ed directly.

Support case Table 9 helper

Bending coefficient α (BS 5628 Table 9)

α is the largest uncertainty. Values are representative (±0.005) — read your exact (case, μ, h/L) off the full BS 5628 Table 9; do not extrapolate outside the tabulated grid.

Flexural ∥ bed f_kx,par (weak)

MPa

Flexural ⊥ bed f_kx,perp (strong)

MPa

BS 5628 Table 3 f_kx vary with unit strength/thickness (concrete) or water-absorption band (clay). 0.25 / 0.60 are conservative concrete defaults.

Flexural γ_m defaults to γ_m above

Add precompression g_d on ∥ dir.

Design dead stress g_d (min favourable)

MPa

Wall — vertical load

Lateral panel — out-of-plane wind

Design result

—

enter actions

f_k compressive	—
h_ef / SR	—
e_a / e_m	—
β reduction	—
N_Rd resistance	—
N_Ed applied	—
Vertical utilisation	—

Z per m	—
M_⊥ applied	—
M_R,⊥	—
M_∥ applied	—
M_R,∥	—
Lateral utilisation	—
EN 1996 alt. N_Rd	—

Design checks

Step-by-step calculation

Combined wall summary — all walls

Every wall in the project, aggregated. Use “Add wall” above to build the schedule, then Download PDF (print → Save as PDF). Vertical N_Rd per the selected code’s method (β for SANS/BS, Φ_m for EN 1996); lateral shows the governing out-of-plane flexural utilisation.

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This isn’t a toy calculator

It runs alongside STATIX — a full structural suite validated against 221 closed-form and code benchmarks across analysis, design and connections — with the full 3D modeller and native CBFEM coming soon. Model the whole building, not just one wall.

Get early access →