In structural engineering

Structural engineering

Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....

, a shear wall is a wall composed of braced panels (also known as shear panels) to counter the effects of lateral load acting on a structure. Wind

Wind

Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...

 and earthquake loads are the most common loads braced wall lines are designed to counteract. Under several building code

Building code

A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. The main purpose of building codes are to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the...

s, including the International Building Code

International Building Code

The International Building Code is a model building code developed by the International Code Council . It has been adopted throughout most of the United States.-History:...

 (where it is called a braced wall line) and Uniform Building Code

Uniform Building Code

The Uniform Building Code was a building code used primarily in the western United States.- History :The UBC was first published in 1927 by the International Council of Building Officials...

, all exterior wall lines in wood or steel frame construction must be braced.