Shear Wall Panels Pre-manufactured modular products that are cost effective and easy to design, specify, install, and inspect  In areas prone to earthquakes and high winds, codes for shear wall design now require builders to use let-in bracing or costly plywood site-built assemblies. Two manufacturers are now helping to streamline construction of shear walls by providing pre-manufactured modular products that are cost effective and easy to design, specify, install, and inspect.
Simpson Strong Tie produces a wood panel called the Strong-Wall Shearwall, made with ½" Oriented Strand Board (OSB) sheathing and 3" glue-lam studs. Metal strips and connecting hardware secure the panel to the building's structural framing, creating a continuously secured rigid unit in areas where shear walls are specified. Frames are available in various common heights and widths, with a 4' wide, 8' high sheathed panel weighing around 130 lbs. An all-steel system called Hardy Frame is manufactured by Simplified Structural Systems in Ventura CA. Their design uses perimeter and diagonal bracing of 14 gauge galvanized high-tensile steel with 20-gauge studs 16" on center and 3-1/2" thick. Connections are welded. Frames are available in widths from 18" to 80", according to seismic zone or wind load. A typical unsheathed 4' x 8' frame weighs 107 pounds. 
Panels are available in a variety of commonly used sizes. Custom dimensions will require longer lead time for production, plus delivery from the west coast.
Shear wall panels cost from $130 to over $300, depending on size. Installation and inspection should be faster than for site-built shear walls, thus saving labor costs.
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The systems are listed by ICBO for wood or steel house-frame construction, by the state of California, and by the City of Los Angeles. Knowledge of these products is increasing in other areas with stringent seismic and wind-load shear wall requirements. Check for acceptance by local code jurisdictions.
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When framing homes or other structures, builders leave openings required for the shear wall panels. The panels are then inserted into the openings and attached. For the wood system, hold-downs are attached, and each frame comes with an anchor bolting template. For the steel system, sheathing and finishes are affixed with self-tapping screws. Each frame comes with a sized template for sole plate or foundation anchor bolting. Additional structural coordination will be required between foundation and wall framing. For the steel frame, thermal bridging may contribute to heating and cooling losses.
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Shear wall panels cost from $130 to over $300, depending on size. Installation and inspection should be faster than for site-built shear walls, thus saving labor costs. According to the manufacturers, these systems are stronger than standard shear walls. | 
