masonry wall problem: Masonry – Steel –

[gjt888]

I’m planning to build an interior wall of CMUs (concrete blocks) in a timber frame house. The primary purpose is thermal mass for heat storage. On one side will be a woodstove (about 18” away). The other side will be a bathroom shower wall. The shower side will definitely be tiled; the stove side probably will eventually be tiled.

The house sits on a concrete pier foundation. The wall is on the first floor and will rest on a steel beam: W10x33 (sized by a mechanical engineer to support the masonry load). The CMUs will be filled with gravel and sand. The wall will be 88” high and 72” wide (11 courses high, 4 ½ blocks wide). I estimate it will weigh about 5000 lb.

One end of the wall is an oak post, 9” square. The other end is exposed. Above the wall is a maple beam, 8” square. The timber frame was erected over 2 years ago and likely has dried close to final size.

Questions:
 Given different thermal expansion rates, how should I bond the base course of CMUs to the steel beam on which they rest? Is regular construction adhesive OK? Mortar doesn’t seem like it would adhere to steel very well.
 What’s the best thing to do between the masonry wall and oak post? Aluminum flashing? Large nails or metal strips nailed to the post and inserted in mortar joints between CMU courses to tie the wall to the post?
 What about the wall top – should it be tied to the beam above?
 Is there any significant risk of the wall falling if it were pushed hard? (New England, no major earthquake risk.)

Thanks much for any ideas.