Shear Walls & Sheathing Quick-Card Based on the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC)

This 6-page card quickly covers the construction essentials you need in loads and shear walls based on the new 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) for loads, shear walls & sheathing. Special sections focus on specific essentials for each area of framing.

Loads & Shear Walls

• Loads
• Weight of Materials
• Wind Design Criteria
• Vertical Loads
• Lateral Loads
• Seismic Provisions
• Story Height
• Shear Walls
• Typical Shear Wall
• Shear Panel
• Minimum Uniformly Distributed Live Loads
• Snow Loads

Shear Walls - General

• Shear Wall Principles
• Shear Wall - Internal Strength
• Wind Force - Shear Wall Diagram
• Shear Wall Forces
• Shear Wall Failures

Sheathing Materials - Plywood & Oriented Strand Board (OSB)

• Plywood & OSB Panels
• Plywood vs. OSB
• Plywood - Pros. & Cons.
• Oriented Strand Board (OSB) - Pros. & Cons.

Floor & Roof Sheathing

• Floor - Lumber Sheathing
• Floor - End Joints
• Floor - Wood Structural Panel Sheathing
• Floor - Particleboard
• Roof - Lumber Sheathing
• Allowable Spans and Loads for Wood Structural Panels for Roof & Subfloor Sheathing & Combination Subfloor Underlayment
• Floor Sheathing
• Roof Sheathing
• Minimum Thickness of Lumber Floor Sheathing
• Minimum Thickness of Lumber Roof Sheathing
• Allowable Spans for Sanded Plywood Combination Subfloor Underlayment

Framing & Wall Bracing

• Wall Components
• Fastening Schedule
• Wood Wall Framing
• Wall Bracing
• Requirements for Wood Structural Panel Wall Sheathing Used to Resist Wind Pressures
• Allowable Spans for Particleboard Wall Sheathing
• Braced Wall Line Spacing

Braced Wall Panels & Sheathing

• Bracing Methods
• Braced Wall Panels (IRC R602.10.2)
• Continuous Sheathing Methods
• Minimum Length of Braced Wall Panels
• Required Length of Bracing
• Minimum Length of Braced Wall Panel
• Typical Braced Wall Line Plan
• Location of Braced Wall Panels

Braced Wall Panel Connections

• Braced Wall Panel Connection When Parallel to Floor/Ceiling Framing
• Braced Wall Panel Connection When Perpendicular to Floor/Ceiling Framing
• Braced Wall Panel Connection to Perpendicular Rafters
• Ends of Braced Wall Lines with Continuous Sheathing
• Braced Wall Panel Connections
• Connections to Roof Framing
• End Conditions for Braced Wall Lines with Continuous Sheathing