Shear Wall straps 1

[I-beam]

Hi
I'm designing a 4-story wood framed building using RISA software. For the shear walls, the program offers various tension straps to transfer chord forces where required. I'm curious how a tension strap would get installed on an interior shear wall since the plywood floor deck would conflict with the strap.
I would think the strap would have to be installed prior to the floor deck, or a slit cut in the deck after, to pass the strap thru, both seem cumbersome …. maybe it would just be easier to use a small holdown above an below the floor deck and drill a hole for a tie rod ---- any advise … tank you

 

[jayrod12]

I've only seen a hold down with a threaded rod, never a strap. On interior at least.

 

[I-beam]

And just to clarify, this tension tie is between elevated floors, from studs below to studs above.

 

[jayrod12]

Yep, my answer still stands.

 

[dold]

Yea just use two simpson hold downs (HDU, etc), one above the sill plate, one below the double top plate (upside down).

 

[r13]

I think you need to figure out what is a "strap" meant by RISA. Could the metal piece below called a strap (looks like one)?

 

[dold]

Retired13,
Straps are straps and hold downs are hold downs in RISA. RISA selects hold downs at the base/lowest level of the walls, and selects an appropriate strap where a shearwall is located above another shearwall.

OP,
You can just select a hold down with equivalent strength as the strap from RISA. Just make sure your chord has the proper member size for the nails/screws/bolts.

 

[dold]

Because typically you would use a strap if it is an exterior wall. There is no distinction made in the software between interior and exterior walls. All it does is compare the uplift value to a database of simpson straps and/or hold downs. Not a preference of terminology as there is a distinct difference between a strap and a hold down. It's up to the engineer to say "oh, well this would be hard to install, lets use a hold down instead". Realistically you can still use a strap.

 

[r13]

It makes sense. Thanks. So all the responses refer to "hold down" answers OP's question.

 

[I-beam]

Yes - thank you all - holdowns above and below make sense. I will contact RISA to see
what they were thinking - most likely only applies at exterior shear walls where the strap can be placed on the outside of the wall

 

[8thStreet]

To install the straps on the interior wall - just have the contractor cut a small slit in the plywood and feed the strap through. We do this all the time and haven't heard any complaints.