About the author  ⁄ David Low, P.E.

David Low, P.E., a professional engineer from Virginia, is one of the principal authors of FEMA 550. He has 25 years engineering experience, has been a contributing author of numerous FEMA publications and has been a member of several post-event assessment teams. David can be reached at dlow2003@verizon.net.

Wood studs designed to resist wind loads in either loadbearing or non-loadbearing tall wall applications are good examples of resilient design. Tall walls can be defined as those exceeding the International Residential Code (IRC) prescriptive limit of 10 feet for loadbearing walls. Proper design of wood structures to resist such wind loads also requires correct use of wind load provisions. Minimum design loads must be in accordance with the governing building code or, where applicable, other recognized minimum design load standards such as American Society of Civil Engineers’ ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures.

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