Editing Shear wall (section)

{{Short description|A wall intended to withstand the lateral load}}
[[File:TimberShearwall.jpg|thumb|200px|A typical timber shear wall consists of braced panels in the wall line, constructed using structural plywood sheathing, specific nailing at the edges, and supporting framing.]]

A '''shear wall''' is an element of a [[structural engineering| structurally engineered]] system that is designed to resist in-[[Plane (mathematics)|plane]] lateral forces, typically [[wind]] and [[earthquake|seismic]] loads.

A shear wall resists loads parallel to the plane of the wall. Collectors, also known as [[drag (physics)|drag]] members, transfer the [[diaphragm (structural system)|diaphragm]] shear to shear walls and other vertical elements of the seismic-force-resisting system. Shear walls are typically made of light framed or braced [[wood]] sheathed in shear-resisting material such as [[plywood]] or other structurally rigid panels, [[reinforced concrete]], reinforced [[Concrete masonry unit|masonry]], or steel plates.

While plywood is the conventional material used in wood (timber) shear walls, advances in technology and modern building methods have produced prefabricated options such as sheet steel and steel-backed shear panels used for narrow walls bracketing an opening that have proven to provide stronger seismic resistance.

In many jurisdictions, the [[International Building Code]] and International Residential Code govern the design of shear walls.