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Structuralaka: load-bearing wallaka: structural wall

Bearing Wall

In Plain English

A wall that supports the weight of the building above it and cannot be removed without structural work.

Definition

A wall that carries vertical loads from the structure above and transfers them to the foundation. Bearing walls are structural elements and cannot be removed without providing an alternative load path. They differ from partition walls, which only divide space.

Example

Before opening a new doorway in a bearing wall, the contractor installed a properly sized header to carry the load around the new opening.

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