Design Example of a Cantilever Wood Diaphragm

Complex building shapes and footprints are driving design procedures and code requirements to evolve for all lateral force-resisting systems and materials. As buildings get taller and more complex, there is a greater need to understand the relative stiffness of diaphragms and shear walls, and multi-story shear wall effects. Architecturally demanding exterior wall lines in modern structures do not always provide opportunities to use traditional design approaches. 

The goal of this paper is to provide an example of how to analyze a single-story structure with a double cantilever diaphragm and help engineers better understand the code and standards issues associated with these types of structures.