Pryda Australia introduces a new range of narrow wall bracing units developed in response to the modern trend of having an increased number of wall openings in contemporary homes.
Older home designs featured lengthy unbroken walls that provided plenty of opportunity for supporting economical bracing structures. However, contemporary lifestyles have seen the ongoing introduction of more doors and windows and larger connected living areas with adjoining alfresco areas, resulting in the disappearance of traditional lengths of both internal and external walls, thus creating a need to utilise more of the short wall lengths to meet the bracing demand.
Demand is even greater for two storeyed structures as all upper level loads need to be transferred through the walls underneath into the ground. Using a steel portal frame or steel truss concealed in the wall requires specialised expertise, and may also mean both accuracy and project delay concerns.
Designed to give greater flexibility and increased load capacities than previously available, Pryda’s narrow wall bracing units can be fitted into both external and internal walls and sized to suit all contemporary plans with varying height and width requirements. The Pryda narrow wall bracing units are very economical for smaller loads, using various configurations and numbers of runs of Pryda strap brace in conjunction with standard timber framing.
Pryda wall truss braces are utilised where the load demand is greater than can be resisted. Used individually, these give far greater load carrying capacity because of their increased rigidity. The Pryda design allows these units to be rigidly fixed down to the foundations.
Where the load demand is very high, a pair of Pryda wall truss braces on either side of an opening could be used in combination with the timber lintel to resist racking forces by portal action. Simple timber to timber connections give excellent shear and moment fixity; such configurations are more efficient and effective than a number of individual narrow bracing units.
Designers and builders are advised to consult Pryda’s latest Design Guide on narrow wall bracing units for more details.
