×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Staggered stud acoustical shear wall

Staggered stud acoustical shear wall

Staggered stud acoustical shear wall

(OP)
A client of ours would like to use a staggered stud wall as an acoustical wall between apartment-style living spaces. This is the type of wood wall that uses staggered 2x4's, for instance, in a 2x6 width wall. The only structural issue is that essentially all of these types of walls in the structure are shear walls. Depending on the location in the country, they are sheathed on either one or both sides. I've looked almost completely through the IBC, NDS, and the NDS lateral literature and I can't find anywhere where they prohibit the use of a staggered stud wall for a shear wall, so I'm thinking it is OK to use it if the engineering works out.

All of these walls are interior walls so the only lateral loads will be the 5 psf nominal interior pressure. Also, all of our end posts in these walls will by full 2x6's so that they are latearlly braced on both sides. The walls are not load-bearing except for maybe a foot or two of tributary floor load and their own self-weight (three stories high). If needed, we can place 2x2 blocking at the mid-height of wall to at least somewhat brace the studs. Also, the plywood sheathing will be set vertically so that no blocking is needed at the top panel eldges.

Can anyone think of a reason or know of a code provision that would prohibit the use of these types of walls as shear walls?

Thanks.

RE: Staggered stud acoustical shear wall

I don't have an NDS handy, but there is a maximum stud spacing for a shearwalls. You would need studs at every 8" to 12" to meet that requirement.

RE: Staggered stud acoustical shear wall

(OP)
Correct, we would have the studs staggered at 8" o.c. for an effective spacing of 16". I believe the max spacing is 24".

RE: Staggered stud acoustical shear wall

5 psf is almost nothing. While toothpicks might not work almost anything larger would...

RE: Staggered stud acoustical shear wall

I have used this type of wall as a shearwall for many multi-family applications - go for it.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

RE: Staggered stud acoustical shear wall

(OP)
Great, thanks guys.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources