Which of the following conditions would require a wall to be designed as a load-bearing wall in a retail store?
- AThe wall is located in a corner of the building.
- The wall is non-load-bearing but adjacent to a load-bearing wall.
- CThe wall is non-load-bearing and located in the middle of the building.
- DThe wall is non-load-bearing and does not support any vertical loads.
Exam tip
Remember that adjacency to a load-bearing wall can make a non-load-bearing wall load-bearing.
Why B is correct
According to Section 602.3 of the 2021 International Building Code, a wall is considered load-bearing if it is adjacent to a load-bearing wall. Options A, C, and D are incorrect as they do not meet the criteria for a load-bearing wall.