Pima County Development Services
Building Safety & Sustainability Division

Examples:

One story with 4 foot panels

One story with braced panels Less than 4 feet wide but at least 2 feet 8 inches wide

 

IRC Section 602.10.6 Alternate braced wall panels

Any braced wall panel required by IRC Section 602.10.3 maybe replaced by an alternate braced wall panel constructed in accordance with the following: 

• In one-story buildings, each panel shall have a length of not less than 2 feet 8 Inches (813 mm) and a height of not more than 10 feet (3048 mm). Each panel shall be sheathed on one face with 3/8-Inch-minimuin-thickness (19.5mm) plywood sheathing nailed with 8d common or galvanized box nails in accordance with IRC Table 602.10.3(1) and blocked at all plywood edges. Two anchor bolts installed in accordance with IRC Section 403.1.6, shall be provided in each panel. Anchor bolts shall be placed at panel quarter points. Each panel end stud shall have a tie-down device fastened to the foundation capable of providing an approved uplift capacity of not less than the values in IRC Table 602.10.6. The tie-down device shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. The panels shall be supported directly on a foundation or on floor framing supported directly on a foundation, which is continuous across the entire length of the braced wall line. This foundation shall be reinforced with not less than one No. 4 bar top and bottom.
• In the first story of two-story buildings, each braced wall panel shall be in accordance with IRC Section 602.10.6.1, Item 1, except that the plywood sheathing shall be provided on both faces, three anchor bolts shall be placed at one-fifth points, and tie-down device uplift capacity shall not be less than the values in IRC Table 602.10.6.

The braced wall panel provisions for conventional construction have, in previous code editions, required a minimum 4-foot panel length. However, recent construction practices for braced wall panels adjacent to garage doors or other large openings have used lengths considerably less than 4 feet. Therefore, the code now permits braced wall panels to be a minimum 2 feet 8 inches in length, if certain construction methods as outlined in this section, are used.