Design and Detailing of Perforated Screen Walls

Architects are using brick in unique ways as a material of choice and have experimented with incorporating voids in the cladding. Brick screen walls have been used in residential applications for decades to screen undesirable elements such as trash and HVAC equipment. In fact, perforated walls were common in Persia dating back centuries. Now, architects are using screen walls for the entire façade of a structure. With this increased usage is an increased desire to have rules on how to design these elements. Brian E. Trimble, Director, Industry Development and Technical Services of the International Masonry Institute explores the various ways that perforations can be incorporated within a wall cladding. General rules of thumb will be shown on whether these walls can be used for certain projects. Some information on structural design will be provided, but that information is currently lacking due to lack of research. Examples of how perforated walls were designed on projects around the world will be showcased leading to ways to design these walls.