APA - The Engineered Wood Association

WallBracing.org

APA Makes Wall Bracing Easy

APA provides detailed wall bracing informationUnderstanding the code requirements for wall bracing can be a challenge, but following them is of critical importance to the structural integrity of a home. WallBracing.org, brought to you by the wall bracing experts at APA – The Engineered Wood Association, helps you easily understand, design, build and enforce wall bracing systems.

APA and ICC Reach Agreement to Publish 2012 IRC Lateral Bracing Guide

2009 IRC Wood Wall Bracing Provisions GuideAt the request of the International Code Council (ICC), APA has agreed to write a third edition of the Guide to the IRC Wood Wall Bracing Provisions. The heavily illustrated guide will provide an explanation of the lateral bracing provisions of the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC). Like previous editions in this series, the book will detail correct application of bracing provisions, explore the history and theory behind bracing codes, and provide specific design examples. The Wood Wall Bracing Provisions guide will be published jointly by APA and ICC and is expected to be released in summer 2012.

The current edition of the series, A Guide to the 2009 IRC Wood Wall Bracing Provisions, is now available from the ICC store (Product #7102S09) for $41.00 ($33.00 for ICC members).

APA and ICC Team to Offer 2009 IRC Wood Wall Bracing Seminar

The International Code Council (ICC) and APA - The Engineered Wood Association have reached an agreement to jointly present a 2009 IRC Wood Wall Bracing seminar as part of the ICC professional code education program. The seminar covers the fundamentals of lateral loads, the technical basis for the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) wood frame wall bracing provisions, as well as the bracing provisions themselves.

Code official, design professional and home builder groups and associations can contract for the seminar directly with the ICC. Course registration and information is available at the ICC website or by calling 1-888-ICC-SAFE (422-7233), ext. 33818. Attendees of the one-day seminar will earn 0.6 ICC CEU (continuing education unit) credits. Customized training options are also available. Read more.

Sheathing for Profits

Three new APA publications describe economical systems that help builders achieve higher performance with plywood or OSB wall sheathing. These brochures are available as free downloadable PDFs from the APA Publications Library:

Sheathing for Profits
  • Build Profit with Wood Walls, Form J435, provides tips and resources on how to meet design, production, code, safety, energy and green building challenges while building residential construction profitably by fully sheathing with wood structural panels.
  • Brace Walls with Wood, Form G440, provides guidance on how builders can use wood structural panels to meet code and maximize design flexibility.
  • Build Energy Efficient Walls, Form J440, provides the five basic steps to constructing energy-saving wood wall systems that meet code, endure nature’s forces and save homeowners money.

Why Bracing?

Wall Bracing

The load from gravity is easy to understand and constant on every house. Lateral loads are just as constant, but they vary in force and are not as recognized. The most common and universal lateral load is wind, with design velocities that vary from 85 to 150 miles per hour across the United States. The strongest wind loads, tornados, are not predictable and randomly occur in every part of the country. While it is not affordable or reasonable to design structures to withstand the strongest tornados, experience has taught us how structures can resist wind speeds of up to 150 mph and protect not only the inhabitants but also the integrity of the structure.

Similar experiences with seismic activity have helped building codes develop methods that enable structures to survive earthquakes that used to cause damage beyond repair.

Get Started

What do you need to know about wall bracing? Architects need to know how to achieve maximum design flexibility while maintaining the structural integrity of the home. Builders need to know how to build quality, cost-effective bracing solutions. Code Officials need to know how to recognize properly braced segments. Engineers need to know how to incorporate prescriptive bracing segments into an engineered design. Homeowners need to know why bracing is important for the security of the family.

Select your profession from the links at left, or choose Bracing Basics for an overview on what wall bracing is and why it's so important or APA Testing and Research for technical background information.