Due to the potentially corrosive nature of the steel stud backup, moisture control is an important issue. The airspace must be at least two inches and industry standard flashing procedures should be followed to establish a water management system. The CMU veneer is anchored to the steel stud backup using adjustable veneer anchors(not corrugated anchors). These anchors should be screwed though the sheathing into the studs behind at one anchor per 2.67 ft2 of wall. Due to natural shinkage of the CMU, joint reinforcement should be placed in the bed joints @ 16Ó o.c. vertically. Steel studs should be designed for a maximum deflection of L/600 to L/720.

Like any other cavity wall system (click here for more information on cavity wall designs) flashing details and weep holes are critical.