Cast in Channel and Ties

Cast-In Channel and Ties

Cast-in channels are masonry support systems that get embedded into structural concrete during the casting process. Once the concrete cures, the channel provides an anchored fixing point for connecting masonry cladding back to the concrete frame — no post-fix drilling, no chemical anchors, no risk of disturbing the structural concrete.

Cast-in systems are the preferred specification for new-build concrete-frame buildings where the masonry support details can be planned at the structural design stage.

Browse the Range

• Ancon 21/18 Channel and Ties — the 21mm-wide, 18mm-deep channel system from Ancon. Compatible with Ancon SP21 ties for masonry-to-frame connections in standard cavity wall buildups. Stainless steel construction.

Spechunter also stocks the related Ancon 25/14 channel system — a different channel geometry (25mm × 14mm) with its own family of compatible ties. Choose between 21/18 and 25/14 based on the structural designer's specification and the masonry tie loads required.

How Cast-In Channel Systems Work

The channel is fixed in position on the formwork before the concrete pour. End caps prevent concrete entering the slot during casting. Once the concrete is cured and the formwork struck, the channel sits flush with the concrete face, ready to receive ties.

Ties are inserted from the masonry side and engage with the channel's locking mechanism. The slot accepts ties anywhere along its length, so the bricklayer can position ties at the exact bed-joint heights needed without packing or modification — particularly useful where the masonry coursing doesn't align with predetermined fixing points.

When to Specify Cast-In

• New-build concrete-frame construction where the structural drawings allow channel positions to be planned at design stage
• Heavy-duty applications where the alternative (post-fix concrete screws) won't develop sufficient pull-out resistance
• High-rise buildings where the engineer wants the masonry support load path to be embedded in the concrete rather than added post-cast
• Projects where the masonry coursing and concrete-frame storey heights don't align — the slotted channel allows ties to position freely

For retrofit applications and post-cast situations, surface-fixed channels (using Ancon CFS-series concrete screws) or chemical-anchor wall ties are the alternatives. Browse our wall ties range for non-cast-in alternatives.

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