Performance of Corrugated Metal Ties for Brick Veneer Wall Systems

An experimental study is reported to evaluate corrugated metal ties for attaching brick veneer walls to wood framing, subjected to lateral loads in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions. Typical residential and light commercial brick veneer construction in the central and southeastern U.S. was characterized, and subassemblies comprising two bricks, a wood stud, and a corrugated metal wall tie were tested to capture the local performance of overall wall systems rather than of just the tie itself. Test parameters included tie thickness, initial offset displacement, attaching method of ties to wood studs, and type of loading (including cyclic). Reduced eccentricity (with sheathing), as well as embedment length, were also evaluated. Typical failure modes included nail pullout from the wood stud, tie pullout from the mortar joint, and tie buckling. Tie thickness and eccentricity affected tension stiffness, whereas embedment length affected tension strength. Experiments on full-scale wall systems over wood framing on a shake table are underway.