Shear reinforcement structure for light-frame construction

Abstract

A light-frame shear wall for resisting lateral forces includes a frame wall, shear reinforcement structure, and sheathing. The frame wall includes a top plate, a sill, a first stud interconnecting the top plate and the sill and a second stud interconnecting the top plate and the sill. The frame wall has a cavity bounded by the top plate, the sill, the first stud, and the second stud. The shear reinforcement structure resists lateral forces experienced by the frame wall. The shear reinforcement structure is disposed in the cavity of the frame wall. The shear reinforcement structure is attached to the first stud and the second stud. The shear reinforcement structure includes a shear member arranged to resist the lateral forces experienced by the frame wall. Sheathing is connected to the frame wall and the shear reinforcement member for supporting the shear wall against shear loads.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A light-frame shear wall for resisting lateral forces, the light-frame shear wall comprising:
 a frame wall including a top plate, a sill, a first stud interconnecting the top plate and the sill and a second stud interconnecting the top plate and the sill, the frame wall having a cavity bounded by the top plate, the sill, the first stud, and the second stud;   a shear reinforcement structure for resisting lateral forces experienced by the frame wall, the shear reinforcement structure being disposed in the cavity of the frame wall, the shear reinforcement structure being attached to the first stud and the second stud, the shear reinforcement structure including a shear member arranged to resist the lateral forces experienced by the frame wall; and   sheathing connected to the frame wall and the shear reinforcement member for supporting the shear wall against shear loads.   
     
     
         2 . The light-frame shear wall of  claim 1 , further comprising fasteners extending through the sheathing an into the shear reinforcement structure. 
     
     
         3 . The light-frame shear wall of  claim 1 , wherein the top plate comprises one or more wooden members and the sill comprises one or more wooden members. 
     
     
         4 . The light-frame shear wall of  claim 1 , wherein the shear reinforcement structure has an upper surface in face-to-face engagement with a lower surface of the top plate and a lower surface in face-to-face engagement with an upper surface of the sill. 
     
     
         5 . The light-frame shear wall of  claim 4 , wherein the face-to-face engagement of the upper surface of the shear reinforcement structure with the lower surface of the top plate extends from the first stud to the second stud, and wherein the face-to-face engagement of the lower surface of the shear reinforcement structure with the upper surface of the top plate extends from the first stud to the second stud. 
     
     
         6 . The light-frame shear wall of  claim 1 , wherein the shear reinforcement structure is attached to the first stud and to the second stud by fasteners extending through the shear reinforcement structure into the first stud and by fasteners extending through the shear reinforcement structure into the second stud. 
     
     
         7 . The light-frame shear wall of  claim 1 , further comprising clips mounted on the sill of the frame wall on opposite sides of an opening in the sill. 
     
     
         8 . The light-frame shear wall of  claim 1 , further comprising a first tie rod extending through the top plate and through a first tie rod opening of the shear reinforcement structure for attaching the shear reinforcement structure to the top plate and a second tie rod extending through the sill and through a second tie rod opening of the shear reinforcement structure for attaching the shear reinforcement structure to the sill. 
     
     
         9 . The light-frame shear wall of  claim 8 , further comprising a cinch nut securing the second tie rod to the shear reinforcement structure. 
     
     
         10 . A light-frame shear wall assembly for resisting lateral forces, the light-frame shear wall assembly comprising:
 a first wall frame including a first top plate, a first sill, and a first plurality of studs extending between the first top plate and the first sill, the first wall frame having a height;   a second wall frame disposed above the first wall frame, the second wall frame including a second top plate, a second sill, and a second plurality of studs extending between the second top plate and the second sill;   a first shear reinforcement structure for resisting lateral forces experienced by the first frame wall, the first shear reinforcement structure being disposed in a cavity of the first frame wall, the first shear reinforcement structure being attached to the first top plate and being attached to the first sill;   a second shear reinforcement structure for resisting lateral forces experienced by the second frame wall, the second shear reinforcement structure being disposed in a cavity of the second frame wall, the second shear reinforcement structure being attached to the second top plate and being attached to the second sill;   a tie rod connecting the first and second shear reinforcement structures to one another, the tie rod extending through the first top plate and the second sill, the tie rod having a length less than the height of the first wall frame;   a cinch nut attaching the tie rod to the second wall frame.   
     
     
         11 . The light-frame shear wall assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the second sill of the second wall frame has an opening, the tie rod being received through the opening, wherein the opening flare outwardly toward the bottom of the second seal to facilitate guiding the tie rod. 
     
     
         12 . The light-frame shear wall assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a nut threadably engaged with the tie rod and seated against a lower surface of the first sill of the first frame wall. 
     
     
         13 . The light-frame shear wall assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising sheathing attached to one side of the first frame wall. 
     
     
         14 . The light-frame shear wall assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the sheathing is directly connected to the first shear reinforcement structure. 
     
     
         15 . The light-frame shear wall assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a holder engaging the cinch nut for holding the cinch nut in place on the second frame wall. 
     
     
         16 . The light-frame shear wall assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the holder comprises a first clip and a second clip spaced apart from the first clip, the first and second clips engaging portions of the cinch nut. 
     
     
         17 . The light-frame shear wall assembly of  claim 16 , wherein each clip includes a resilient locking tab extending down from the clip and engaging the portions of the cinch nut. 
     
     
         18 . The light-frame shear wall assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a third shear reinforcement structure located in a cavity of the first wall frame adjacent to the cavity receiving the first shear reinforcement structure. 
     
     
         19 . The light-frame shear wall assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the second wall frame has a second cavity adjacent the cavity receiving the second shear reinforcement member, the second cavity being free of any shear reinforcement member. 
     
     
         20 . The light-frame shear wall assembly of  claim 18 , further comprising a fourth shear reinforcement structure located in a cavity of the second wall frame adjacent to the cavity receiving the second shear reinforcement structure.