The county permit folks say we need a brace wall, since our intended house is over 35 feet long. (I, um, modified the plans.) The floor plan is pretty much open. There is a 9 foot long wall about 20 feet from the north end that can be the brace wall. I understand the concept, but how do I illustrate it for them?
We're in NW Oregon, have to be ready for possible earthquakes.
Any links for drawing your own house plans? ( I have some books, but they don't have everything, apparently.)
thanks.
Mia We just put BWP adjacent to the wall in question . Or IBWP (interior Brace wall pnl . Then put on the plan if it's a BWP #1 , or #2, etc , And detail/ footnote of what that means . Like ( BWP #1: 1/2 OSB , or CDX ply , 16 " OC nailed every 4 " on all edges , 6" OC in the field , with 8d common nails . ) Your county building dept should be able to give you a chart of what "type " pnls they will want / require .
Big open interior spaces like your talking will require , (some where around 26 or 28 feet they want IBWP , ) more than likely , some Interior Brace walls, solid blocking at all SR edges screwed / nailed to a higher nail partern . Again a note adjacent to the wall and a footnote as to what that type BWP / IBWP requirements are .
Good luck , HTBH ;)PEG
Here is some additional information to add to PEG. There are two types of braced wall panels. To show them on the plans use the following notation: (mark these on the floorplan)
BWP - a 4' long section of wall with standard structural sheathing. Just mark this on the outside of a wall section at least 4' wide. (see nailing etc above).
ABWP - Alternative Braced wall panel. A 2'-8" section of wall with extra blocking and hold downs.
If you don't have room for a BWP use a ABWP and have them give you the detail for building it. These can also be supplied by Simpson.
For simple (prescriptive or non-engineered) bracing you probably need one of the above starting within 8' of each corner and every 25' thereafter.