Part 2: Applications

Part 1 of this article (STRUCTURE, September 2018) addressed code considerations and detailing related to wood-frame shaft walls in multi-family and commercial buildings that are also wood-frame. Building on those fundamentals, this article examines fire design requirements, construction constraints, and other potential differences associated with applications such as stairs, elevators, and MEP shafts. With a greater understanding of the nuances, the goal is to better equip engineers to realize the cost, schedule, and other benefits of this increasingly common approach to shaft wall design. …

Part 1: Codes and Detailing

It is relatively common for light wood-frame commercial and multi-family buildings to include shaft walls made from other materials. However, with an increase in wood construction nationwide, many designers and contractors have come to realize that wood-frame shaft walls are a code-compliant means of reducing costs and shortening construction schedules. …

The scope of the American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 7-16 (ASCE 7) is to provide minimum loads, hazard levels, associated criteria, and intended performance goals for structures. One of the performance goals of ASCE 7 is to provide General Structural Integrity (GSI). The GSI requirement for anchorage of structural walls is specified in Section 1.4.4.; “The anchorage shall provide a direct connection between the walls and the roof or floor construction.” There are additional requirements for seismic out-of-plane wall anchorage in Section 12.11. …