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can chord bracing be removed if going over joist with 3/4" plywood?

Plywood could certianly take the place of rat runs/bracing. Whether or not that's a good idea depends on a lot of missing information.
 
seth333 said:
care to elaborate?
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You can't create a floor in an attic space without first figuring out if the structure will support the floor. When I said "missing information" I didn't mean to imply that given enough information I would say yes or no. Beyond that is the fact that my opinion is just another internetizen spouting off.
 
seth333 said:
and how would one go about that? or do I need to find a structural engineer? thanks for the help.
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If this were my nut to crack I would make a decision, but then I trust me. I don't know you or what you might be capable of. While I hate to recommend hiring an engineer, that might be your best option.

There's millions of attics that are crammed with stuff. I don't recall any failures but once you create a floor, people tend to get carried away with it. The saving grace is that what goes in the attic usually has to be carried up a ladder and that is a limiting factor.

What's the plan for getting sheets of plywood into the attic? When you say "rat runs/bracing" I immediately think trusses. Trusses is probably a non-starter for attic storage beyond Christmas tree ornaments and parking meters.
 
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While the sheathing will help to brace the top chord of a truss there is a need to brace to top chord for the loads applied before the sheathing is fully nailed off. This can include weight of multiple pieces of plywood and workers installing the sheathing. Until the top chord bracing is installed these trusses can easily buckle resulting in failure of the truss.

f you do not want to have the bracing called for, you should get the signoff of the engineer who designed the trusses. I predict that the answer will be NO.
 
Mark K said:
If you do not want to have the bracing called for, you should get the signoff of the engineer who designed the trusses. I predict that the answer will be NO.
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What he is saying is that an engineer would be a waste of time and money. I wholeheartedly agree.
 
I just noticed that your plan calls for 3/4" plywood. That's a load all by itself.
 
@ ~ @ ~ @

seth333, ...so that you have definitive answer, it is recommended for
a structural engineer to be hired to evaluate the conditions in the
applicable attic space.........The homeowner should be the one to pay
for the engineering analysis.

Also, the structural engineer; ...not an architect, ...not a civil engineer,
or mechanical engineer, should be able to make engineered
recommendations to support proposed loads.

@ ~ @ ~ @
 
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