Patent ID: 8689508

Claim:
A wall assembly comprising: a plurality of sheet metal studs mounted vertically at laterally and uniformly spaced intervals and between confronting footer and header tracks, each of the plurality of sheet metal studs having an outer flange surface coplanar with the outer flange surfaces of the other studs, and wherein the outer flange surface of each of the plurality of studs is notch free; and an elongated C-shaped sheet-metal backing stud having a plurality of receiving notches positioned at laterally spaced apart intervals, wherein the backing stud is configured to support a wall mounted fixture and horizontally engaged with the plurality of vertical notch free studs such that the outer coplanar flange surfaces of the plurality of notch free studs abut an inner facing planar web portion of the backing stud, with the web portion being flanked along its opposing horizontal edges by confronting and inwardly directed backing stud flanges, and with each backing stud flange being perpendicular to the web portion and having outer returns parallel to the web portion and confronting each other thereby defining a generally C-shaped cross-section profile; a plurality of fasteners positioned along the elongated backing stud transverse from the plurality of studs; and wherein the wall assembly defines an inner wall cavity positioned laterally adjacent to the backing stud, and wherein the inner wall cavity is dimensioned to accommodate standard plumbing and piping without any contact occurring between the backing stud and the standard plumbing and piping.