Bracing For Shear Wall Construction

Abstract

A shear wall construction panel having a pair of load bearing vertical posts arrayed between upper and lower horizontal tracks or structural members is improved by the addition of a pair of bracing brackets for each diagonal bracing member. Shear wall bracing boot brackets at each end of the diagonal bracing members are securely affixed to the four interior corners of the shear wall panel system and the bracing members are located in the interior volume of a framed panel. The bracing members and bracing boot brackets are connected with a hillside washer configuration. A typical shear wall panel of the present invention will additionally contain several interior non-load bearing steel framing studs having an array of punch-out holes to facilitate the passage of the bracing members.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A reinforcing boot bracket assembly for diagonal shear bracing of a building, said boot bracket assembly comprising: 
 a structural tee comprised of a horizontal surface for securely affixing said boot bracket assembly to a structural member of said building and a vertical leg having a hole therein for passage of a diagonal bracing member,    a diagonal bracing member passing through said vertical leg, and    means for adjusting the angle of said diagonal bracing member and securely fastening said bracing member to said structural tee.    
     
     
         2 . The boot bracket assembly of  claim 1  wherein said diagonal bracing member is a rod with a threaded end passing through said vertical leg of said structural tee and securely fastened thereto with a nut and hillside washer effective for adjusting and fastening said bracing member at any required diagonal angle.  
     
     
         3 . The boot bracket assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one reinforcing plate securely affixed to an edge of said vertical and horizontal legs of said structural tee.  
     
     
         4 . The boot bracket assembly of  claim 1  wherein said structural member of a building is selected from the group consisting of a foundation member, an adjoining reinforcing boot bracket assembly, a ceiling structural member or a roofing structural member.  
     
     
         5 . A shear wall bracing panel assembly comprising: 
 a pair of load bearing vertical posts arrayed between upper and lower horizontal tracks defining a framed panel,    reinforcing boot bracket subassemblies securely affixed to each interior corner area of said framed panel,    a pair of bracing members arrayed diagonally from opposite boot bracket subassemblies,    means for adjusting the angle of said diagonal bracing members and securely fastening said bracing members to said boot bracket subassembly.    
     
     
         6 . The shear wall bracing panel assembly of  claim 5  wherein said boot bracket subassembly is comprised of a structural tee having a horizontal surface effective for securely affixing said boot bracket assembly to a structural member of said building and a vertical leg having a hole therein for passage of said diagonal bracing member.  
     
     
         7 . The shear wall bracing panel assembly of  claim 6 , further comprising at least one reinforcing plate securely affixed to an edge of said vertical and horizontal legs of said structural tee.  
     
     
         8 . The shear wall bracing panel assembly of  claim 5  wherein said diagonal bracing member is a rod with a threaded end passing through said vertical leg of said structural tee and securely affixed thereto with a nut and hillside washer effective for securing and adjusting said bracing member at any angle required for installation of said shear wall bracing panel in a building construction.  
     
     
         9 . The shear wall bracing panel assembly of  claim 5  wherein said structural member of a building is selected from the group consisting of a foundation member, an adjoining reinforcing boot bracket assembly, a ceiling structural member or a roofing structural member.  
     
     
         10 . The shear wall bracing panel assembly of  claim 5  wherein said upper and lower tracks are secured to structural members selected from the group consisting of foundation, ceiling or roofing members.  
     
     
         11 . A method of bracing a building against shear forces comprising the steps of: 
 installing at each story of said building a plurality of shear wall bracing panel assemblies, each of said panel assemblies comprising:    a pair of load bearing vertical posts arrayed between upper and lower horizontal tracks defining a framed panel,    a reinforcing boot bracket subassembly securely affixed to each interior corner area of each said framed panel,    a pair of bracing members arrayed diagonally from each opposite boot bracket subassemblies, and    adjusting the angle of said diagonal bracing members and securing said bracing members to said boot bracket subassemblies.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of securely affixing said boot bracket subassembly to a structural member of said building  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said boot bracket subassembly is comprised of a structural tee having a vertical leg having a hole therein for passage of said diagonal bracing member.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein, further comprising reinforcing each said boot bracket subassembly with a plate securely affixed to said vertical and horizontal legs of said structural tee.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of bracing said panel assembly with a rod having a threaded end passing through said vertical leg of said structural tee, 
 adjusting said bracing rod and securely affixed thereto with a nut and hillside washer effective for securing and adjusting said bracing rod at any angle required for installation of said shear wall bracing panel in a building construction.  
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said structural member of a building is selected from the group consisting of a foundation member, an adjoining reinforcing boot bracket subassembly, a ceiling structural member or a roofing structural member.