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Townhouse firewall foundation

I've never even seen that required in an IBC firewall situation...And I believe firewall continuity only states "from the foundation.....up"...
 
If the foundation walls are removed below the first floor and it is completely open like a crawl space like the picture depicts will drywall need to be applied to the underside of the floor assuming it is wood framed?
 
This appears to be slab construction, and grade beams would most likely be needed if bearing walls are in play. Maybe the design has all the bearing points from back to front and not using the party walls?
 
Pcinspector1 said:
This appears to be slab construction, and grade beams would most likely be needed if bearing walls are in play. Maybe the design has all the bearing points from back to front and not using the party walls?
Click to expand...

You are correct! He wanted to pour a 4" slab with NO grade beams under 3 story bearing walls in between each unit, carrying a gable truss with some roof load. I said no way. So he came in to amend his plans to a 2-hour non-bearing common wall. Still no grade beams, but according to ICC it is not required, because exception 1 under structural independence applies to this common wall.

Not sure I completely agree, but that's how it goes some times.
 
The few i built when i was still wearing my tools they had thickened grade beams because they were also shear walls with tie downs and sheathing which would require the foundation, don't know if this would help in your situation.
 
The townhouses I have going now are also GWB braced wall.....Good call Mike!....That would be another path to a "foundation" under it through something like 602.10.....?
 
R602.11 Wall Anchorage, requires braced walls to be anchored and refers you back to R403.1.6 & R602.11.1 which in hand requires continous footing and anchor bolts.

IMO Shear/Brace Walls are interior load bear walls, the load is not always directly from the top, thus the need for the brace walls but they still are supporting side loads.
 
Braced walls, whether interior or exterior, are intended to resist lateral forces from wind and seismic.
They are best described as 'prescriptive alternatives to an engineered shear wall'.
 
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