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With the advent of modern building technologies such as the skeletal steel frame system, bearing walls have given way to curtain walls, and thick stone walls are often replaced by thin stone structural veneer cladding panels while retaining the masonry appearance of the structure. Damage and deterioration of the stone veneer cladding panels due to environmental weathering (physical, chemical and biological) and improper design can lead to expensive restoration work as well as serious risks from falling debris [1]. Numerous incidents of façade/cladding failure due to deterioration of the stone cladding panels and collapse/corrosion of the supporting steel/aluminium anchorage system have been reported around the world [1-5]. With the recent fire safety concerns regarding aluminium sandwich panels cladding on tall buildings around the world, it is expected that a renewed interest will emerge in the use of thin granite veneer cladding as an alternative safe façade solution on existing and new highrise buildings.

The veneer cladding system installed on a steel or concrete frame structure is usually a non-loadbearing system. Attention to detailing, anchor design and panel size selection is required to eliminate possible secondary stresses resulting from coupling between the primary structure and the cladding system. Two type of metal anchoring systems are usually utilised to attach thin granite veneers panels to the frame. These are; kerf anchors and rear fixed pin anchors. Kerf anchor requires attachment of a metal bracket to a slot cut into the edge of the granite panel. An inclined stainless steel pin is usually attached to the rear face of the panel …