Design, Detail, and Attachment of Shelf Angles to Concrete and Masonry

Shelf angles are attached to the structural system and are designed and detailed properly to provide support for veneer walls. They are secured to concrete or masonry structural systems through anchor bolts. In some applications, shelf angles are bolted or welded to steel structures. Shelf angle design requires proper detailing and sizing the angle and connecting anchors (in concrete and masonry attachment) and bolts or weld (in steel system attachment). In masonry and concrete attachments, spacing between anchors is determined by examining the veneer wall’s ability to span itself between the two adjacent anchors or to act as a cantilever over the edge beyond the last anchor. Design of anchors requires following the procedures outlined by the American Concrete Institute and is achieved by selecting a proper diameter and embedment length with considerations for several modes of failure in tension and shear. This paper presents an overview of the procedure used for shelf angle design and detailing as well as attachment to concrete and masonry. This is then supplemented with three example problems. Example 1 illustrates the method for sizing an angle to support a veneer wall, while Examples 2 and 3 demonstrate anchor design for shelf angle attachment to concrete and masonry, respectively.