Anchoring Exterior Metal Artwall for Residential

[Givemeamoment]

I am anchoring this 40' long x 8' tall metal artwall on a wood framed residential home. The metal artwall is made of 1"×1"x1/4" tubing and perforated metal with mounting plates at odd intervals, which makes it challenging to tie in at every stud. It also cantilevers 6 inches from the wall to allow room for different lighting. The wall is 7/8" stucco over 5/8" plywood then woods studs. I don't have much experience mounting anything over stucco but I don't think it makes sense anchoring to it. I'm not so sure that anchoring through to the plywood would suffice either, So my questions are:
1) Are there any type of toggle bolts (although typically used for drywall) that could be used in a similar way for plywood?
2) If anchoring to a stud is an option, are Z values for lag bolts and wood screws calculated the same way per NDS Table 12F?

 

[Harbringer]

1) Absolutely not.

2) Table 12F is for bolted connections in double shear. Lags are covered in 12J and wood screws are covered in 12L.

AWC's connection calculator is great for checking all of the failure modes:

https://www.awc.org/codes-standards/calculators-software/connectioncalc

However, you should definitely go through the help file and NDS as a minimum as calcing connections is pretty basic wood design. I'd suggest you pick up a wood design textbook like "Design of Wood Structures" by Breyer & Cobeen.

 

[XR250]

That sounds like a super challenging project. Wind suction is also a concern in addition to the gravity loads.
I would consider adding a few horizontal 2x10 purlins that you could attach to every stud and then attach the structure to them.

 

[r13]

8' tall is almost a floor height, is it going to be suspended off ground, or standing on the ground? Can you show a section view the relationship of the building wall and the art display?

 

[NorthCivil]

Fix the thing direct to studs, not to plywood sheet, not over plaster, no question about it. direct fix to a stud.

are you sure the stucco is not over a cavity? this will mean the structural supports need bridge the cavity.

 

[r13]

It also cantilevers 6 inches from the wall to allow room for different lighting.

I think you need to design a 6" thick box frame, which is to be supported by the wall, then hang the art display on it. Depending on your support scheme, you may need to double up, or add more wall studs behind the support of the box frame, as you don't expect they will match up nicely.

 

[Givemeamoment]

r13, this will be sitting on ground, but not anchored to it because of architectural stone pavers the client doesn't want to Pentwater. I'm sorry I don't have a section of the existing condition and with minimal demolition, I'm just going off of what my boss and the client thinks it is. I like the idea of a box frame, I'll see if this is a possibility, thanks for the suggestion!

NorthCivil, good point and thank you for the comment about the cavity. I'm not sure but I'll see what the Contractor can find out.

 

[dik]

What does it weigh? I'd likely design an HSS frame to attach to the wall and hang it...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[Givemeamoment]

dik, I'm estimating about 750 lbs for the whole thing (tube framing and perforated metal panels).

 

[dik]

Load is light... and a matter of a few small dia lag screws to secure the metal frame to the wall. It may be possible to secure the frame, leaving the stucco in place is the material is sound, else it's a matter of removing small areas of the stucco to secure directly to the plywood and studs... studs have to be located to attach to. You need a metal frame strong enough to support the artwork and with tubing at the right locations to support the artwork. In addition, you need little 8" long stubs, or so to hold the frame off the wall. The stubs can have little 1/4" x 1" x 2" straps to secure the stubs to the wall. These have to be located at stud locations in the wall. Designing the frame may be a bit of a trial and error and it should be fabricated in maybe half a dozen segments. Each segment can be HDG or powder coated or a good coating. The backing frame doesn't need to be 40' long. Coating/colour can be selected to be inobtrusive since it's artwork. I would have it independent of the ground.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik