For buildings assigned to Seismic Design Category D in California, what is the maximum building height permitted for ordinary reinforced concrete shear wall systems according to the CBC?
Correct Answer
D) 160 feet
CBC Table 12.2-1 limits ordinary reinforced concrete shear wall systems to 160 feet in Seismic Design Category D. This California seismic provision reflects the state's high seismic risk and requires more restrictive height limits than lower seismic categories to ensure structural performance during earthquakes.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
CBC Table 12.2-1 limits ordinary reinforced concrete shear wall systems to a maximum height of 160 feet in Seismic Design Category D. Ordinary RC shear walls lack the ductile detailing (confinement reinforcement, special lap splices, etc.) required by intermediate or special systems and therefore carry lower height limits in high-seismic zones to manage collapse risk during earthquakes.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: 240 feet
240 feet is the height limit for SPECIAL reinforced concrete shear walls in SDC D and SDC E — not ordinary systems. Ordinary shear walls are capped lower because of their reduced ductility.
Option B: 120 feet
120 feet applies to ordinary RC shear walls in SDC C, not SDC D. Moving from SDC C to SDC D increases the seismic demand and might be expected to lower the limit, but the code actually allows 160 ft in SDC D for this system — still more restrictive than special systems.
Option C: 100 feet
100 feet is not a standard CBC table value for ordinary RC shear walls in any SDC. This is a fabricated-looking number designed to test whether candidates have memorized actual code values versus plausible-sounding numbers.
Memory Technique
SDC D + Ordinary RC Shear Wall = 160 ft. Use: 'D comes after C, and 160 comes after 120.' SDC C = 120 ft, SDC D = 160 ft for ordinary RC shear walls. The number goes up (120 → 160) as the letter goes up (C → D).
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