Provide a continuous shear-wall line at every floor and roof level
HUD RSDG §6.4.2Description
Lateral loads (wind, seismic) are resisted by shear walls. Provide at least one continuous shear-wall line on each principal axis at every floor and roof level — interior shear walls can be omitted if exterior walls have adequate capacity, but typical residential homes need at least two parallel exterior shear walls per axis with a clear bracing path from foundation to roof.
Why this exists
A missing shear-wall line at any story is a torsional discontinuity — under lateral load, that story will rack disproportionately. The continuous-line requirement is what makes box-style residential construction inherently stiff.
Categories
Source
Solver enforcement
Browsable only — the solver does not currently enforce this directive (no spec-level data to check against). This entry exists so the architect personas can cite it in conversation and the user can read what the rule says.
Related directives
- Continuous load path from roof to foundation · HUD RSDG §2.4
- Residential structural reliability targets 1-in-100 to 1-in-1000 annual probability of failure · HUD RSDG §2.5
- Residential floor live load: 40 psf minimum (30 psf sleeping rooms) · HUD RSDG §3.4
- Wind load design uses ASCE 7 basic wind speed for the locality · HUD RSDG §3.6
- Ground snow load for Virginia: 25 psf eastern, up to 40 psf western mountains · HUD RSDG §3.7
Last reviewed 2026-05-14.