huangyhg

two story shearwall plywood not on the same side
contractor have asked me, if possible to place the plywood for the first floor on the inside of the wall up to the bottom of the floor joist, and the plywood on the second floor on the outside of the wall but extend it to the top plate. the shear walls are over each other and have the same width. has anyone had any experience like this or have any comments? thanks everyone.
i don't see why it would be a problem. the only structural issue at hand is to make sure you properly anchor the 2nd floor shearwall to the 1st floor shearwall, based on the uplift force from the overturning moment on the shearwall due to lateral load on the 2nd floor. basically, i don't think anything changes when you change the side the plywood is on.
if its an exterior wall i would prefer to see the sheathing on one side. the strapping and plates would allow for a continous shear plane and direct axial load path. additionally the exteriod drainage path is better established.
cheers
we encounter this occasionally. if there is a hold down strap at the second floor to first floor shearwall, it nails to a double stud anyway and isn't affected by which side the plywood is on.
the important thing is to get the shear thru the double top plate of the first floor wall (plywood on exterior from that level upward, and on interior at first floor level).
thank you all, my concern is that hold down strap from the second floor or the first floor will not be nailed to the same surface ( upper on plywood, lower on the stud or 4x4), the other concern is the shear flow would have to cross the double top plate from one side of wall to the other side of wall.
i might be more concern than what i should be, but it is good to know the answer so if i face it again, i do not have tobe concern of. thanks for all the inputs

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