SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 December 2022
STP164020210072

Impact of Wall Ties on the Steady-State Thermal Performance of Wall Systems

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Wall ties or masonry veneer anchors are a common part of brick veneer wall assembly construction. They serve to anchor the brick veneer to the backup wall, whether that is a wood-stud, steel-stud, or concrete block wall. They provide structural support and keep the brick veneer from moving. However, since wall ties are made from steel, they have a significantly higher thermal conductivity than the surrounding materials in the building envelope, and this difference may cause thermal bridging. The overall impacts of several common types of wall ties in residential and commercial construction were tested using a small-scale hot box apparatus under steady-state conditions. Each test panel was first tested without any wall ties and then subsequently tested with wall ties present. This procedure allowed for direct measurement of the impact of the wall tie while holding all other factors constant. In the case of a typical residential wall without continuous insulation, both types of wall ties tested were found to have no measurable impact on the overall thermal performance. In the commercial walls that contained continuous insulation, the walls ties were found to have a minor impact on the overall thermal performance. Wall systems with significant thermal mass, such as brick veneer, have better performance under dynamic thermal loading, which is not reflected in steady-state measurements. This paper focused on steady-state worst-case results, and future work will address dynamic performance.

Author Information

Huygen, Nathaniel
National Brick Research Center, Anderson, SC, US
Sanders, John
National Brick Research Center, Anderson, SC, US
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Details
Pages: 199–211
DOI: 10.1520/STP164020210072
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7728-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7727-7