Strong-Wall® High-Strength Wood Shearwalls: Back-to-Back Installations on Concrete Foundations

The Strong-Wall high-strength wood shearwall may be installed in a back-to-back orientation in residential, multi-family and light-commercial applications for cases where maximum allowable loads are required and a special moment frame might otherwise be specified. The allowable ASD shear loads for back-to-back installations may be taken as twice those listed for standard applications. Double 2x8 top plates are required for standard applications and a minimum 7" x 11." header is required for single or double-portal applications depending upon loading and span requirements. Back-to-back anchorage solutions for spread footings and reinforced grade beam foundations are provided in detail sheets WSWH1.2 and WSWH1.3.

Codes: ICC-ES ESR-2652, City of LA Building Code Supplement and State of Florida FL5113

See product data and naming scheme.

Installation

• Portal-frame connection kit is required for portal frame applications (one WSWH-PK kit required for both panels; straps installed on outside panel faces only).
• Allowable out-of-plane loads for single-story walls on concrete foundations shall apply and may not be increased.
• See garage header rough opening height table.
• All panels may be field trimmed to a minimum of 74 1/2". Trim height from top of panel only, do not trim from sides or bottom. Drilling holes in the Strong-Wall high-strength wood shearwalls is not permitted except as shown in detail 10/WSWH2.
• Anchor bolt nuts should be finger tight plus 1/2 turn.
• Maximum shim thickness between the shearwall and top plates or header is 7/8". For additional thicknesses, see detail 9/WSWH2.
• Top connection installs with a combination of 1/4" x 6" SDS Heavy-Duty Connector screws and SWS16150 Strong-Wall screws. See details 7/WSWH2 and 3/WSWH4 for standard and portal applications, respectively.