In Wall Sections 2, 3 and 4, the regular method for shear resistance has been removed from the assembly (traditionally wood sheathing over the exterior of the building). Due to this, alternative methods for providing shear resistance must be incorporated into the design.

A common approach is to install exterior structural wood sheathing at the corners and at regular intervals as needed to provide for the lateral load resistance requirements for the location (wind and seismic).

Installing the structural wood sheathing to exterior interferes with the installation of the insulating sheathing. This can create problems with drainage plane continuity and thermal bridging (due to the reduction in insulation thickness)

The recommendation is to use systems and techniques that can be installed flush with the exterior face of the wood studs. This way the insulation can be installed in a continuous uniform thickness over the entire exterior wall area. Some of the methods to achieve this are through the use of metal cross bracing or inset shear panels.

With metal cross bracing the thickness of the metal braces are insignificant and do not interfere with the installation of the insulating sheathing. The capacity of the metal cross bracing, however, may not be adequate for areas with high wind loads and/or seismic activity. In these locations, a more robust form of lateral load resistance may be needed.

Inset shear panels can provide for high levels of lateral load resistance and can be used in all wind and seismic zones. Inset shear panels are wood framed panels that fit within the stud spacing of the wall assembly. In this way, the exterior face of the panel is flush with the exterior face of the wood studs.

Depending on the area of the country different requirements for wind and seismic resistance are required. The method chosen will depend on the individual code requirements for the area.