Noesis Engineering Services
Residential Tall Walls
To promote safer and more cost-effective construction, the IRC code prescribes design standards for typical home members. Specialized engineering is only required for elements that go beyond the typical conditions assumed by the IRC. In such cases, the engineer designs those elements while assuming the rest of the home is built per the IRC. This allows for a lower cost of home building.
One of the most common residential element not covered under the IRC prescriptive are tall walls.
Typically, wood walls with studs taller than 10ft require engineering beyond the prescriptive code. However, certain exceptions exist, such as connecting to the side of the studs with a roof, floor, or other diaphragm within 10ft of the bottom of the stud. Additionally, small snow and wind loading conditions may also qualify as an exception. If you’re unsure whether your case meets an exception, the final decision rests with the city or county building official. Noesis can offer our opinion on whether engineering is necessary for your new home walls.
If you do require tall wall engineering, Noesis has developed a cost-effective and efficient process for completing it.
