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Chapter 16 — REFERENCED STANDARDS

Section A402

California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10) · 2019 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

DEFINITIONS

[BS] A402.1 Definitions. Notwithstanding the applicable definitions, symbols and notations in the building code, the following definitions shall apply for the purposes of this chapter:

[BS] ASPECT RATIO. The span-width ratio for horizontal diaphragms and the height-length ratio for shear walls.

[BS] GROUND FLOOR. Any floor whose elevation is immediately accessible from an adjacent grade by vehicles or pedestrians. The ground floor portion of the structure does not include any floor that is completely below adjacent grades.

[BS] NONCONFORMING STRUCTURAL MATERI- ALS. Wall bracing materials other than wood structural panels or diagonal sheathing.

[BS] OPEN-FRONT WALL LINE. An exterior wall line, without vertical elements of the lateral force-resisting system, that requires tributary seismic forces to be resisted by diaphragm rotation or excessive cantilever beyond parallel lines of shear walls. Diaphragms that cantilever more than 25 percent of the distance between lines of lateral force-resisting elements from which the diaphragm cantilevers shall be considered to be excessive. Exterior exit balconies of 6 feet (1829 mm) or less in width shall not be considered excessive cantilevers.

[BS] RETROFIT. An improvement of the lateral forceresisting system by alteration of existing structural elements or addition of new structural elements.

[BS] SOFT WALL LINE. A wall line whose lateral stiffness is less than that required by story drift limitations or deformation compatibility requirements of this chapter. In lieu of analysis, a soft wall line may be defined as a wall line in a story where the story stiffness is less than 70 percent of the story above for the direction under consideration.

[BS] STORY. A story as defined by the building code, including any basement or underfloor space of a building with cripple walls exceeding 4 feet (1219 mm) in height.

[BS] STORY STRENGTH. The total strength of all seismic-resisting elements sharing the same story shear in the direction under consideration.

[BS] WALL LINE. Any length of wall along a principal axis of the building used to provide resistance to lateral loads. Parallel wall lines separated by less than 4 feet (1219 mm) shall be considered to be one wall line for the distribution of loads.

[BS] WEAK WALL LINE. A wall line in a story where the story strength is less than 80 percent of the story above in the direction under consideration.

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▸Contents — California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10)
California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  2. Appendix A — GUIDELINES FOR
  3. Appendix B — SUPPLEMENTARY
  4. Appendix C — GUIDELINES FOR THE
  5. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  6. Chapter 3 — PROVISIONS FOR ALL COMPLIANCE METHODS
  7. Chapter 4 — REPAIRS
  8. Chapter 5 — PRESCRIPTIVE COMPLIANCE METHOD
  9. Chapter 6 — CLASSIFICATION OF WORK
  10. Chapter 7 — ALTERATIONS - LEVEL 1
  11. Chapter 8 — ALTERATIONS - LEVEL 2
  12. Chapter 9 — ALTERATIONS - LEVEL 3
  13. Chapter 10 — CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY
  14. Chapter 11 — ADDITIONS
  15. Chapter 12 — HISTORIC BUILDINGS
  16. Chapter 13 — PERFORMANCE COMPLIANCE METHODS
  17. Chapter 14 — RELOCATED OR MOVED BUILDINGS
  18. Chapter 15 — CONSTRUCTION SAFEGUARDS
  19. ▸Chapter 16 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
    Overview
    1. Section A100
    2. Section A101
    3. Section A102
    4. Section A103
    5. Section A104
    6. Section A105
    7. Section A106
    8. Section A107
    9. Section A108
    10. Section A109
    11. Section A110
    12. Section A111
    13. Section A112
    14. Section A113
    15. Section A114
    16. Section A201
    17. Section A205
    18. Section A202
    19. Section A203
    20. Section A204
    21. Section A206
    22. Section A207
    23. Section A301
    24. Section A302
    25. Section A303
    26. Section A304
    27. Section A401
    28. Section A402
    29. Section A403
    30. Section A404
    31. Section A405
    32. Section A406
    33. Section A407
    34. Section B101
    35. Section B102
    36. Section B103
    37. Section B104
    38. Section C101
    39. Section C102
    40. Section C103
    41. Section C104
    42. Section C201
    43. Section C202

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