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Cumulative Overturning Design for Site-built

and Prefabricated Shear Walls
By Bryan D. Wert, M.S., P.E.
Published in the October 2007 issue of Structural Engineer magazine
We all know that structures are subject to lateral forces. Weve seen the awesome power of
Mother Nature at work and learned valuable lessons from natural events, such as the Great San
Francisco Earthquake of 1906; the Northridge, California, earthquake in 1994; and the
destructive forces of wind during Hurricane Katrina
in 2005. In wood-frame construction, building codes
throughout the country either require structural
engineers to calculate and design for wind or seismic
forces or require contractors to build by a
prescriptive method of resisting lateral forces.

Wood has become one of the most prolific building

materials in the construction industry because of its
versatility, availability, load capacity and
economical value. As such, a variety of design
methods have been developed to resist lateral loads
on wood structures. Within the past half century, the
use of site-built, wood-framed shear walls has grown
in leaps and bounds as a means of resisting lateral
forces. A relatively new design method also has arrived in the past decadeprefabricated shear
walls, built out of wood and/or steel.
Wood structures today are one to six stories tall and include some new design features, such as
higher floor-to-floor heights, taller doors and larger window openings, typically along the front
and rear exterior walls. Consequently, finding available wall space to meet the minimum load
demands and wall lengths prescribed by the code is far more challenging when using site-built
shear walls. The invention of the prefabricated shear wall was created out of the necessity to
provide narrow shear wall solutions. These walls are designed to meet the high load and extreme
aspect ratio demands. They also are being used in stacked configurations in multi-story
structures, introducing cumulative overturning into the designers calculations. Because of this,
designers need to revisit the general mechanics of shear wall design as it applies to both site-built
and prefabricated shear walls.

Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc.

5956 W. Las Positas Boulevard

Pleasanton, CA 94588

Phone: 925.560.9000

Fax: 925.847.1605

www.strongtie.com

Fundamentals of Shear Wall Design

When lateral (wind or seismic) forces engage the diaphragm of a structure, its easy to visualize
the force pushing horizontally on the top of the shear wall. Sheathing then transfers the shear
from the top of the wall to the bottom of the wall while holding the wall together to resist
racking. If the bottom plate of the wall is anchored to the foundation to resist sliding; the far end
of the wall will press down (compression force) and the near side of the wall will lift up (tension
force) this is overturning.

The members at each end of a shear wall (typically wood studs or posts) are designed so that the
capacity of these members will withstand the compression demand caused by overturning and
gravity forces. The International Building Code (IBC), Section 2305.3.7 states where the dead
load stabilizing momentis not sufficient to prevent uplift due to overturning moments on the
wall, an anchoring device shall be provided. Anchoring devices shall maintain a continuous load
path to the foundation. These components of the shear wall required to resist overturning are
fundamental to the walls design, and proper calculation of the demand forces are important in
single-story buildings and absolutely essential in multi-story structures where forces are
amplified and cumulative.

Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc.

5956 W. Las Positas Boulevard

Pleasanton, CA 94588

Phone: 925.560.9000

Fax: 925.847.1605

www.strongtie.com

Errors To Avoid
While the fundamental mechanics and code requirements for properly designing a shear wall are
generally understood, a few unintentional errors may often spoil an otherwise good design. A
very common error is incorrectly calculating the overturning and resisting moments by using
inaccurate moment arm lengths. The use of the overall shear wall length as the resisting moment
arm underestimates the actual overturning forces as it uses a lengthened moment arm dimension.
To derive the correct tension and compression force, the resisting moment arm should be
measured from the center of the compression force resistance to the center of the tension force
resistance. This measurement can vary depending on the type of shear wall specified.

With a traditional site-built shear wall with a post/anchoring device (holdown), the resisting
moment arm is measured from the center of the post or stud-pack to the center of the anchor bolt
in the holdown device.

Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc.

5956 W. Las Positas Boulevard

Pleasanton, CA 94588

Phone: 925.560.9000

Fax: 925.847.1605

www.strongtie.com

The resisting moment arm for a prefabricated wood shear wall

may be very similar to a site-built wall of the same dimension,
but can vary depending on its construction. Similarly,
prefabricated steel shear walls may not have an easily identifiable
resisting moment arm. Instead it is dependent on how the wall is
fabricated. Therefore, its important to seek information from the
prefabricated shear wall manufacturer to find the correct moment
arm for overturning resistance when specifying these products.
(Typically this information is provided in the manufacturers
catalog and on their website.)

A different resisting moment arm exists for a hybrid rod/bearing plate system. In this system, the
compression members are typically symmetrical about the rod on each end of the shear wall, and
therefore the resisting moment arm measures from the center of the rod to the center of the rod at
each end.

Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc.

5956 W. Las Positas Boulevard

Pleasanton, CA 94588

Phone: 925.560.9000

Fax: 925.847.1605

www.strongtie.com

Factoring in Cumulative Overturning

When designing multi-story structures, an extremely critical factor in shear wall calculation is
cumulative overturning. In a multi-story application, the overturning forces are magnified. If
site-built shear walls are utilized, the resisting moment arm may shrink at each lower level as
more compression studs are potentially required to resist the collective load demand. In addition,
the overturning moment calculation must now incorporate the floor depth(s), increasing the
moment arm length.
High aspect ratio prefabricated shear walls are often installed in a stacked configuration.
Simpson Strong-Tie recommends designers limit the stacking of prefabricated shear walls to two
stories due to the high cumulative overturning forces inherent in this installation. Shear and the
associated overturning forces due to seismic/wind requirements must be carried down to the
foundation by the buildings lateral force resisting system. These forces are cumulative over the
height of the building, and shear forces applied at the second and higher levels of a structure will
generate much larger base overturning moments than the same shears applied at the first story.

Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc.

5956 W. Las Positas Boulevard

Pleasanton, CA 94588

Phone: 925.560.9000

Fax: 925.847.1605

www.strongtie.com

Shear only vs. Shear and Cumulative Overturning Analysis

The graphic illustration below compares how the total allowable shear load is
impacted when the effects of cumulative overturning are included in the analysis.
As a point of reference (Figure A), a one-story, 9-foot tall shear wall with a 5,000-lb
lateral load capacity is used. The reference wall has a resulting base overturning
moment capacity of 45,000 foot-lbs and an overturning

Figure AONE-STORY WALL

Reference
2nd Story
Shear Load

force of 22,500 lbs. assuming a 2 ft. moment arm. As illustrated, if the

same base shear is applied over two stories, the overturning at the base of the wall
exceeds the one-story application by 60% (Figure B). When proper consideration
of cumulative overturning is included in the design, the total allowable shear load
on a stacked wall is reduced (Figure C).

Figure BTWO-STORY WALL



Shear Only

Figure CTWO-STORY WALL



Shear and Cumulative Overturning

3000 LBS.

1875 LBS.

2000 LBS.

1250 LBS.

9 Feet

1st Story
Shear Load

5000 LBS.

9 Feet

Total Base
Shear Reaction

Overturning
Moment

Overturning Force
(Assumes 2 ft.
Moment Arm)

5000 LBS.

5000 LBS.

3125 LBS.

Maximum
Shear Capacity

Adequate Design
for Shear

Adequate Design
for Shear

45,000 FT-LBS.

72,000 FT-LBS.

45,000 FT-LBS.

Maximum
Moment Capacity

Exceeds
Moment by 60%*

Adequate Design
for Moment

22,500 LBS.

36,000 LBS.

22,500 LBS.

Maximum
Overturning Force

Exceeds
Overturning Force by 60%*

Adequate Design
for Overturning Force

*Example calculations:
(2nd Story Shear Load x Total Story Height) + (1st Floor Shear Load x 1st Story Height) = Overturning Moment > Baseline Limit of the Lowest Panel
(3000 lbs. x 18') + (2000 lbs. x 9') = 72,000 ft-lbs. > 45,000 ft-lbs.
(Overturning Moment) (Moment Arm) = Overturning Force > Baseline Limit of the Lowest Panel (72,000 ft-lbs.) (2 ft.) = 36,000 lbs. > 22,500 lbs.
NOTE: Loads shown are for illustrative purposes only. Redistribution of earthquake loads per building code requirements will
compound the effects of cumulative overturning.

Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc.

Some reference texts have indicated that the overturning force is directly proportional to the unit
shear and the plate height of the wall. Furthermore, when designing for cumulative overturning,
these references imply that its okay to simply use the summation of this unit shear method in
multi-story applications to find the tension/compression forces at the lowest level. Although this
method provides a fairly accurate preliminary estimate of the overturning force for a one-story
building, it will significantly understate the actual forces on a multi-story structure.
Calculating Cumulative Overturning
To correctly calculate cumulative overturning forces at the bottom of a given floor requires the
use of statics. To find the overturning moment, multiply the applied diaphragm shear force at
each story above the current level you are designing by the overturning moment arm. The
overturning moment arm extends from the base of the level you are designing to each diaphragm
level above. Add these moments together and then divide this moment by the respective
resisting-moment-arm length of the shear wall on the level in design. This provides the
overturning tension and compressive forces. If cumulative overturning is not calculated properly
using statics, the actual demand may be several times greater than the capacity of the lower shear
wall, anchor bolts and foundation. This can lead to possible premature failures within the lateral
force resisting system.
Its a Matter of Life Safety
The main concern for a structural engineer always has been to design structures that provide life
safety. Life safety is critical in multi-story structures when designing the lateral force resisting
systems to withstand the maximum code-prescribed wind and seismic forces. With the recent
surge of two-story, single-family production homes and the high demand for new mid- to highrise buildings, theres a greater need to ensure that the overturning forces in these structures are
properly calculated. Using over-simplified shear wall design assumptions or a statically incorrect
method to calculate cumulative overturning forces may subject the public to life-safety concerns
that can be avoided. It also potentially subjects designers to liabilities beyond their insurance
limitations. By understanding the underlying elements of cumulative overturning design and how
it applies to the different lateral resisting systems in wood-frame construction, we can provide
safe and economical solutions for multi-story structures in which we all can live, work and play.
About the Author:
Bryan D. Wert, M.S., P.E., is a branch engineer for Simpson Strong-Tie. He works in McKinney,
Texas, and services the southeast region. He can be reached at bwert@strongtie.com.

Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc.

5956 W. Las Positas Boulevard

Pleasanton, CA 94588

Phone: 925.560.9000

Fax: 925.847.1605

www.strongtie.com