The general rule is that all exterior walls, as well as interior walls spaced no greater than the maximum distance set forth in Section R602.10, must be identified as Braced Wall Lines for lateral load resistance. When BWLs have an offset, such as a bay window or a recessed entry, Braced Wall Panels must be located no more than 4 feet in either direction perpendicular to the length of the wall. In addition to locations within the wall the IRC Code requires a minimum percentage of the wall length to be braced depending on various factors such as wind or seismic loading and the number of stories.
As with engineered designs in the IBC Code, IRC Prescriptive Designs often result in sections of walls that are too narrow for Braced Wall Panel requirements to be met, the most common being at garage doors.
For those conditions Hardy Frame® Panels are the solution.
