Masonry Tie Bar Calculator
Tie bar count, weight, holes and resin from wall and spacing.
Quick answer
With the default inputs: Wall height 3 · Vertical spacing 500 · Bars per course 2 pcs etc.Total tie bars 12 bars
Edit the inputs below to recalculate.Inputs
Result
Total tie bars
12bars
| Courses | 6courses |
| Bars per course | 2bars |
| Length per bar | 1000mm |
| Total length | 12.0m |
| Unit weight | 0.222kg/m |
| Total weight | 2.67kg |
| Drilled holes | 12pcs |
| Resin volume | 180ml |
Bars must extend at least one fifth of the wall length and not less than 700 mm, and run continuous in seismic areas. Embedment is typically 15d and pull-out testing is mandatory, at least three bars per inspection lot.
Reverse: known result, work out one input
Enter a target result; the other inputs stay fixed and this one is worked out.
Formula
| Courses | n = floor(height ÷ spacing), at least 2 |
| Total bars | N = courses × bars per course |
| Total length | L = N × length into wall |
| Weight | W = L × 0.00617 × d² |
| Resin | V = N × resin per hole |
A 3 m wall at 500 mm spacing with 2 Φ6 bars per course extending 1000 mm: 6 courses, 12 bars, 12 m total, 2.66 kg, 12 holes and about 180 ml of resin.
How to work it out
- Courses n = ⌊wall height ÷ vertical spacing⌋, minimum two. Spacing is normally 500 mm and must line up with the brick courses.
- Total bars N = courses × bars per course, usually two for a 240 wall and three for 370.
- Total length L = N × embedment length. Embedment by seismic intensity: at least 700 mm and a fifth of the wall length at 6 and 7; at least 1,000 mm and a fifth at 8 and 9.
- Weight = L × 0.00617 × d².
- Resin = N × resin per hole, typically 10-15 ml for an 80 mm deep Φ6 hole.
Where it goes wrong
- Using 1,000 mm everywhere — 6 and 7 need only 700, so a blanket 1,000 wastes 40%; the code minimum still applies.
- Rounding the course count up — it rounds down, since extra courses exceed the wall height and a partial last course takes none.
- Forgetting the end hook — ties usually finish with a 90° hook into the masonry, adding about 6.25d.
Material and cost
Ties are most of the steel in masonry work, at about 0.9 per metre for Φ6. Resin costs 25-40 per 300 ml cartridge, or 3-5 per hole. Ties and resin on 1,000 m² of wall come to roughly 8,000-12,000.
On site
- Where a continuous tie is required (seismic walls), measure it as full length rather than 1,000 mm per course.
- Blow and brush the drilled hole; dust left inside halves the anchorage capacity.
- Bed the tie in the mortar joint, not laid on the brick face — on the face it does nothing.
Basis
- GB 50003-2011 Code for design of masonry structures, Section 6.3 (wall-to-column connection)
- GB 50011-2010 Code for seismic design of buildings, Section 13.3 (non-structural elements)
- GB 50203-2011 Code for acceptance of masonry construction, Chapter 5
FAQ
Must tie bars be resin-anchored?
Depends on the structure. Columns can be cast-in or drilled-in, shear walls usually have starter bars or resin anchors, and infill-to-tie-column joints are normally cast in. Cast-in is most reliable but easily misplaced; resin anchoring is flexible but needs drilling, cleaning, injection, curing and pull-out tests. Bars missed during the frame stage are the commonest source of rework.
Why at least two courses per storey?
With only one tie the infill can rotate about it like a door, cracking and spalling away from the beam soffit. Two or more courses restrain the panel in the frame plane. Seismic areas also require continuous bars tied into the tie columns to make the panel act as a unit.
How is pull-out testing done?
Sample at least three bars per inspection lot, load to 1.2 times the design value, hold two minutes, and pass if there is no slip or cracking. A failure means doubling the sample; a second failure invalidates the lot, requiring extra bars or a different connection. Keep the records — they are checked at handover.
Cite this page
Use this format in reports, method statements or coursework. The link is permanent.
Building Calculator. Masonry Tie Bar Calculator. 2026-10-25. https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/tie-bar
Results are estimating aids only and are not a design basis. Construction and final accounts must follow the drawings, the applicable standards and an approved method statement. Anything affecting structural safety, shoring or falsework must be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.