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TEK 05-03A

CONCRETE MASONRY FOUNDATION

WALL DETAILS

INTRODUCTION

Concrete masonry is used to construct various foundation wall types,

including full basement walls, crawlspace walls, stem walls and piers.
Concrete masonry is well suited for below grade applications, because of
its strength, durability, economy, and resistance to fire, insects and noise.
The modular nature of concrete masonry allows floor plan and wall height
changes to be easily accommodated as well. Concrete masonry can be used
to provide a strong, durable, energy efficient and insect resistant
foundation for all building types.

This TEK contains details for various types of concrete masonry

foundation walls, with accompanying text as appropriate. The reader is
referred to TEK 3-11, Concrete Masonry Basement Wall Construction, TEK
19-3B, Preventing Water Penetration in Below-Grade Concrete Masonry
Walls and NCMA’s Basement Manual for more detailed design and
construction information (refs. 2, 3, 4, respectively).

Footings

Footings lie under the basement, crawlspace or stem wall and transfer
structural loads from the building to the supporting soil. Footings are
typically cast-in-place concrete, placed beneath the frost depth to prevent
damage resulting from heaving caused by freezing of water in the soil.

Footings should be placed on undisturbed native soil, unless this soil is

unsuitable, weak or soft. In this case, the soil should be removed and
replaced with compacted soil, gravel or concrete. Similarly, tree roots,
construction debris and ice should be removed prior to placing footings.

Unless otherwise required, footings should be carefully aligned so that the

concrete masonry wall will be near the center line of the footing. Although
the top surface of poured concrete footings should be relatively level, it
should generally not be troweled smooth, as a slightly roughened surface
enhances the bond between the mortar and concrete. Concrete footing
design is governed by Building Code Requirements for Structural
Concrete, ACI 318 (ref. 5), and concrete foundations are constructed with
tolerances conforming to the requirements of Standard Specifications for
Tolerances for Concrete Construction and Materials, ACI 117 (ref. 9).

BASEMENT WALLS

Basements are typically built as conditioned space so that they can be used
for storage, work or living space. Because of this, water penetration
resistance is of paramount importance to basement wall design and
construction.

Following recommended backfill procedures will help prevent basement

wall cracking during this operation. Walls should always be properly
braced to resist backfill soil loads or have the first floor diaphragm in place
prior to backfilling. Otherwise, a wall designed to be supported at the top
may crack or even fail from overstressing the wall. Similarly, heavy
equipment, such as bulldozers or cranes, should not be operated over the
backfill during construction unless the basement walls are appropriately
designed for the higher resulting loads.

The top 4 to 8 in. (102 to 203 mm) of backfill should be low permeability
soil so rain water absorption into the backfill is minimized. Finished grade
should be sloped away from the building.

Control joints are not typically used in foundation walls due to concerns
with waterproofing the joint and the fact that shrinkage is less significant
in below grade walls due to relatively constant temperature and moisture
conditions. If warranted, horizontal joint reinforcement can be installed as
a crack control measure.

The foundation drain shown in Figures 1 and 2 can also be located on the
interior side of the footing, or on both sides if necessary. The drain should
be placed below the top of the footing. The optional footing drain shown,
such as 2 in. (51 mm) PVC pipe at 8 ft (2400 mm) on center, allows water on
the interior to reach the foundation drain. Footing drains can either be cast
into the footing or constructed using plastic pipes through the bottom of
the first course of masonry, directly on top of the footing.

For reinforced construction (Figure 2), reinforcing bars must be properly

located to be fully functional. In most cases, vertical reinforcement is
positioned towards the interior face of below grade walls to provide the
greatest resistance to soil pressures.

A solid top course on the below grade concrete masonry wall spreads loads
from the building above and also improves soil gas and termite resistance.
Where only the top course is to be grouted, wire mesh or another
equivalent grout stop material can be used to contain the grout to the top
course.

Note that local codes may restrict the use of foam plastic insulation below
grade in areas where the hazard of termite damage is high.

 Figure 1—Plain Basement Wall

  Figure 2—Reinforced Basement Wall

STEMWALLS FOR CRAWLSPACES

Unlike basements, crawlspaces are typically designed as unconditioned

spaces, either vented or unvented. Several alternate crawlspace
constructions are shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Although most building codes require operable louvered vents near each
corner of a crawl space to reduce moisture buildup, research has shown
that the use of a moisture retardant ground cover eliminates the need for
vents in many locations (ref. 6). If the crawlspace is vented, the floor,
exposed pipes and ducts are typically insulated. If unvented, either the
walls or the floor above can be insulated. Unvented crawlspaces must have
a floor covering to minimize moisture and, where applicable, soil gas
entry. A vapor retarder (typically 6-mil (0.15 mm) polyethylene, PVC or
equivalent) is good practice to minimize water migration and soil gas
infiltration. A 2 ½ in. (64 mm) concrete mud slab is generally used when a
more durable surface is desired for access to utilities. A thicker concrete
slab may be desirable, particularly if the crawlspace will be used for
storage. A dampproof coating on the exterior crawlspace wall will also help
prevent water entry into the crawlspace.

 Figure 3—Crawlspace Stemwall with Masonry Above Grade

  Figure 4—Crawlspace Stemwalls with Wood Frame Above
Grade

STEMWALLS FOR SLAB ON GRADE

A stemwall with slab on gradesupports the wall above and often also
provides a brick ledge to support an exterior masonry veneer. Figures 5 and
6 show concrete masonry stemwalls with masonry and with frame above
grade walls, respectively.

Because the wall is exposed to soil on both sides, waterproofing or

dampproofing coatings are generally not required. Stemwalls are typically
insulated on the exterior of the masonry. If insulated on the interior, it is
important to place insulation in the joint between the slab edge and the
foundation wall to avoid thermal bridging.

A stemwall with brick ledge is shown in Figure 6. For this case, note that
masonry design codes typically require a minimum 1 in. (25 mm) clear air
space between the masonry and backup to ensure an open drainage cavity.
A 1 in. (25 mm) air space is considered appropriate if special precautions
are taken to keep the air space clean (such as by beveling the mortar bed
away from the cavity or by drawing a piece of wood up the cavity to collect
mortar droppings). Otherwise, a 2 in. (51 mm) air space is preferred.

 Figure 5—Slab on Grade Stemwalls with Masonry Above

Grade

 Figure 6—Slab on Grade Stemwall with Wood Frame Above

Grade

FOUNDATION PIERS

Foundation piers (see Figure 7) are isolated structural elements used to

support the building above. Structural design ensures the piers are sized
and spaced to carry the necessary building loads. Piers typically are in
enclosed crawlspaces, so recommendations for moisture and soil gas
resistance for crawlspaces should be followed for piers as well. Building
Code Requirements for Masonry Structures (ref. 7) requires a foundation
pier to have a minimum nominal thickness of 8 in. (203 mm), with a
nominal height not exceeding four times its nominal thickness and a
nominal length not exceeding three times its nominal thickness. Note that
the International Building Code, (ref. 8) allows foundation piers to have a
nominal height up to ten times the nominal thickness if the pier is solidly
grouted, or four times the nominal thickness if it is not solidly grouted.

 Figure 7—Concrete Masonry Foundation Pier

References

1. Annotated Design and Construction Details for Concrete Masonry, TR 90A.

National Concrete Masonry Association, 2002.

2. Concrete Masonry Basement Wall Construction, TEK 3-11. National Concrete

Masonry Association, 2001.

3. Preventing Water Penetration in Below-Grade Concrete Masonry Walls, TEK

19-3B. National Concrete Masonry Association, 2012.

4. Basement Manual, Design and Construction Using Concrete Masonry, TR 149.

National Concrete Masonry Association, 2001.

5. Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, ACI 318-02. American

Concrete Institute, 2002.
 6. 2001 ASHRAE Handbook, Fundamentals. American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., 2001.

7. Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures, ACI 530-02/ASCE

5-02/TMS 402-02. Reported by the Masonry Standards Joint Committee, 2002.

8. International Building Code. International Code Council, 2000.

9. Standard Specifications for Tolerances for Concrete Construction and

Materials, ACI 117-90. American Concrete Institute, 1990.

NCMA TEK 5-3A, Revised 2003.

NCMA and the companies disseminating this technical information

disclaim any and all responsibility and liability for the accuracy and
the application of the information contained in this publication.

Keywords

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