Racking

Racking is the term used for when buildings tilt as their structural components are forced out of plumb. This is most commonly caused by wind forces exerting horizontal pressure, but it can also be caused by seismic stress, thermal expansion or contraction, and so on.

A building’s resistance to racking is dependent on the general construction of the building as well as its size, shape and orientation to the prevailing winds.

To be able to resist the forces of high winds and safeguard against racking, a continuous load path is a construction method that secures a building from the roof to the foundation. This involves shear walls, fasteners (i.e. nails and screws), metal connectors, and framing materials. This method helps to redistribute the wind pressure from the exterior of the building to the frame and then down to the foundation.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Biaxial bending.
• Braced frame structures.
• Hurricane design considerations.
• Shear force.
• Shear wall.
• The design of temporary structures and wind adjacent to tall buildings.
• Torsion.
• Types of structural load.
• Uplift force.
• Vibrations.