Fasteners and wall assemblies

An in situ rigid wall assembly comprising an upper track, a lower track, wall frame elements extending between the tracks and being fixed to the tracks, the wall assembly being secured to concrete surfaces, the upper track having axially spaced and axially extending slots of predetermined length and being spaced from an adjacent said concrete surface and being in axial slidable engagement with spaced fasteners passing through each of the slots, each fastener having a deflection guide slideway passing through the track and a stop setting a gap of predetermined width between the track and the adjacent said concrete surface determined by the position of the stop, a filler or spacer arrangement employed in the gap and wall cladding secured to the wall frame elements and to the tracks, the slot length and gap width being selected to accommodate movement of the adjacent said concrete surface, the fasteners being chosen such that shear load testing of the stud track and fastener combination demonstrates a stud track and fastener combination demonstrates a stud to track failure at 6 mm-10 mm deflection and ranging from applied loads of 2.5 kN to 7 kN with no effect on the fasteners.

A method to secure a wall track to an underside of a surface comprising:

• preparing a wall frame track with axially spaced guideways through which respective deflection guide slideways can pass for predetermined movement in concert with the surface and within the guideways;
• providing fasteners, each having a hold section, a head and a deflection guide slideway;
• securing the track using the hold section of the fasteners with the deflection guide slideway of each fastener being able to move in its respective guideway to account for surface deflection, the fastener automatically setting track spacing from the surface, the fasteners being chosen such that shear load testing of the stud track and fastener combination demonstrates a stud track and fastener combination demonstrates a stud to track failure at 6 mm-10 mm deflection and ranging from applied loads of 2.5 kN to 7 kN with no effect on the fasteners.

A wall frame comprising top and bottom tracks secured to top and bottom surfaces, spaced studs extending between the top and bottom tracks in fixed spaced relation to form with the top and bottom tracks a rigid frame, spaced fasteners used to secure the tracks to the surfaces and to account for surface deflection each fastener comprising a hold section, a head and a deflection guide slideway in axial slidable engagement with the top track to account for surface deflection, the fastener having a stop adapted to set the distance of the head from the top surface and thereby set the track distance from the top surface, the studs being rigid with the tracks to inhibit relative movement between the studs and the tracks while permitting relative movement between the top track and the fasteners due to said surface deflection of the said top surfaces;

• wherein at least one stud has a side wall edge extending across the top track, the side wall edge having an end gap to accommodate a head of a said fastener.