Shear Behavior of Corrugated Tie Connections in Anchored Brick Veneer–Wood Frame Wall Systems

Abstract

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the shear behavior of corrugated metal ties anchoring brick veneer walls to light wood frame backing. Connection subassemblies were tested under monotonic and cyclic shear, simulating in-plane loading of veneer wall systems, and statistical analyses were conducted to identify and quantify the parameters influencing their behavior. Force-displacement curves obtained under monotonic loading can be considered an upper bound for the hysteresis loop envelopes. Fastener slippage during cyclic loading enabled by the localized damage of the surrounding wood fibers diminished the energy dissipation capacity of the connection and caused pronounced pinching in the hystereses. When corrugated ties with minimum thickness permitted by the Masonry Standards Joint Committee (MSJC) Code were considered under in-plane loading, tie design and bend eccentricity were found to be the most important factors, while tie location in the bed joint, fastener type, and fastener quantity were influential to a lesser degree.