Wall ties, sometimes called ‘brick ties’, are used in buildings with cavity walls. They are used to join the two leaves of a cavity wall together, allowing the two parts to act as a homogeneous unit. Hidden from view after construction, wall ties play a vital role in ensuring the stability of a building.

How often should wall ties be used?

Here the vertical spacing is reduced to a maximum of 300mm and ties should not be more than 225mm from the edge of the opening. This often means there is a wall tie every course of blocks within 225mm of the opening. Spacing at vertical movement joints may be relaxed where the joint has a debonded tie spanning it.

What is the purpose of a cavity tie?

In brick veneer construction, ties are used to pass all the lateral out-of-plane loads and forces (such as from wind) to the structural backing. In cavity brick construction ties either pass the lateral out-of-plane loads and forces to the stronger leaf or share them between the leaves.