APA – The Engineered Wood Association has updated its Wall Bracing Calculator. The tool, designed to simplify the design of residential structures, has been amended to include the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) wall bracing requirements along with the 2009, 2012 and 2015 requirements.

The Wall Bracing Calculator allows designers to:

• Create a project and identify its pertinent details
• Pictorially identify and calculate the bracing requirements of each braced wall line
• Pictorially identify, qualify and locate each bracing segment on a given wall line
• Export the results to a printable document for review and approval with code officials

The calculator is free to use and comes with a quick start guide for easy reference.

“Architects, engineers and designers tell us that this tool simplifies their work and provides significant time savings,” said Tom Kositzky, Director of Field Services for APA. “The end report—which sets this calculator apart from others—is professional and easy for code officials to understand and approve.”

The calculator is available on APA’s website at www.apawood.org/calculator