Wall Bracing and the IRC
Wall bracing is one of the critical elements of a wood-framed structure, providing resistance to forces that act along the wall plane. In storm-prone coastal areas especially, braced walls help the whole house resist lateral wind forces.
The higher those lateral wind loads are, the stronger the structure must be. That's why in the zones closest to the coast, where design wind speeds exceed 100 or 110 mph, building codes require new homes to have an engineered design. The design process involves calculating the anticipated wind loads based on the given building's location, exposure, and dimensions, and then specifying appropriate assemblies to resist those loads. For wood-framed houses, the resulting design ordinarily includes shear walls built using closely nailed structural panel sheathing and rugged hold-downs.
But for typical buildings where expected winds loads are more modest, builders can use prescriptive wall-bracing rules contained within the International Residential Code. The IRC's Section R602.10 calls for "braced wall lines" composed of "braced wall panels." The location, width, and construction details of these braced wall panels, as well as the materials that can be used to build them, are spelled out in the code's text, tables, and illustrations. Understanding the rules in Section R602.10 is critical for builders seeking to streamline their profit margins by optimizing the framing package.
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