Does anyone know of any testing that has been done on shear panels using screws instead of nails? I often hear that sheetrock screws are too brittle for the purpose, but given the shape of the heads of sheetrock screws and the fact that most nail failure in shear panels involves pull-through, I...
I'm interested in opinions about how much excavating around a residential strip foundation can be done without compromising support, assuming non-problematic fairly stiff clay soil and no danger of frost. The consensus in the residential construction industry seems to be that a 45 degree...
