Shearwall structure and method of making the same

Abstract

A shearwall structure, enhancement product and method of making a shearwall structure in which the shearwall includes a stud wall structure, a sheathing panel and corner brackets applied to the corners and edges of the sheathing panel.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Art

[0002] The present invention relates generally to shearwall structures and methods of making a shearwall structure and more specifically to a shearwall enhancement product and method of using the same to construct a shearwall structure.

[0003] 2. The Prior Art

[0004] Shearwalls or shearwall structures are essentially walls that have been reinforced and tied down to a foundation or other base structure for the purpose of resisting lateral forces. Shearwall structures are prevalent in high risk seismic and wind zones such as those in California and the southeastern coastal areas and in other geographical areas where there is a probability of earthquakes and/or high winds. Shearwalls are intended to absorb or resist lateral forces applied to a wall panel or section of the wall structure. The ability of a wall panel or section to resist a lateral force is directly related to the dimensions of such wall panel or section. Specifically, increasing the height and decreasing the width of a wall panel or section will reduce the lateral force resistance. Likewise, reducing the height and increasing the width of the wall panel or section will increase the lateral force resistance. In evaluating the ability of a wall panel or section to resist lateral forces, the ratio of its height to its width is determined. This ratio is referred to as the “aspect” ratio. Thus, the “aspect” ratio for a wall section which is 4 feet wide and 8 feet high would be 2:1, while the aspect ratios for wall sections which are 2 feet wide and 8 feet high or 3 feet wide and 8 feet high would be ratios of 4:1 and 8:3, respectively. The lower the aspect ratio for a given wall section, the greater its ability to resist lateral forces.

[0005] Two basic types of shearwalls currently exist to resist lateral forces in wall sections. One is a “site built” shearwall in which a wood based sheathing panel is connected to a stud wall section via nails or screws with all of the work done at the building site. The ability of this sheathing panel and its associated stud wall construction to resist lateral forces is a function of the thickness and grade of the sheathing panel, the nail size, pattern and density connecting the wood based panel to the stud structure and the aspect ratio of the wall section. Sheathing panels commonly comprise sheets of plywood, oriented strand board, chipboard and the like.

[0006] A second type of shearwall is a prefabricated or factory built shearwall in which the entire wall section is prebuilt at the factory to meet certain lateral force resistance specifications. It is estimated that a prefabricated or factory built shearwall can run as much as ten times or more the cost per lineal foot of construction as a “site built” shearwall. Examples of prefabricated shearwall structures disclosed in the prior art are the shearwall structures shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,706,626; 5,729,950 and 6,067,769 in which the structures are formed of metal. Another prefabricated shearwall structure comprises a conventional wood structure in which the edges of a wooden sheathing panel are reinforced by metal strips or channels.

[0007] Regulations and building codes currently exist for certain seismic zones which prohibit the building of “site built” shearwalls with an aspect ratio greater than a certain value (such as 2:1). Thus, to comply with these regulations and codes, the builder is required to install prefabricated, factory built shearwall panels for wall sections greater than such aspect ratio. While some effort has been made to enhance factory built shearwalls to meet the requirements of the various building codes and regulations which exist, little if anything has been done to enhance “site built” shearwalls other than increasing the sheathing panel thickness, increasing or altering the nail pattern and/or density, etc.

[0008] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a shearwall enhancement product for “on site” shearwalls and for a shearwall enhancement product by which the lateral force resistance of a wall section or panel can be improved at the construction site, by the builder, without increasing the thickness of the sheathing panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In contrast to the prior art, the present invention provides a shearwall enhancement product by which the lateral force resistance of a wall section or panel can be significantly increased “on site” by the builder without changing or increasing the thickness of the sheathing panel.

[0010] Specifically, the shearwall enhancement product of the present invention includes a plurality of edge sections designed for connection to the peripheral edges of a conventional sheathing panel and a plurality of corner brackets which are designed for connection to the corners of a conventional sheathing panel.

[0011] More specifically, each of the edge sections comprises a generally channel shaped configuration defined by inner and outer legs. The outer leg of the channel includes a plurality of nailing holes for receiving fasteners such as nails, screws or the like, with such fasteners extending through both channel legs, through the sheathing panel and into the wooden stud of the wall structure. Each of the corner brackets includes a pair of channel shaped edge sections and a web portion extending between and interconnecting such edge sections. Each corner edge section is provided with a plurality of fastener holes to receive corresponding fasteners which are designed to extend through both legs of such edge sections, through the sheathing panel and into the stud of the wall section.

[0012] The method of constructing a shearwall in accordance with the present invention includes providing a stud wall structure having a sole plate, a top plate and a plurality of studs extending between the sole plate and the top plate. The method further includes providing a sheathing panel having a plurality of peripheral edge sections and corners at the intersections of adjacent peripheral edge sections and applying a corner bracket to one or more of the corners and a peripheral edge bracket section to one or more of the peripheral edges. Finally, such method includes attaching the sheathing panel, with the corner brackets and edge brackets applied, to the stud wall structure with nails, screws or other fasteners or connecting means.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the shearwall enhancement product of the present invention, the edge brackets and/or the corner brackets are provided with means for retaining the edge and/or corner brackets on the sheathing panel before it is connected with the stud wall structure. In the preferred embodiment, this means may include any means that is capable of performing this retaining function such as, but not limited to, inwardly extending protrusions such as dimples or tabs along at least one of the channel legs.

[0014] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shearwall enhancement product.

[0015] A further object of the present invention is to provide a shearwall enhancement product which can be installed “on site” by the builder.

[0016] A further object of the present invention is to provide a shearwall enhancement product by which the lateral force resistance and stiffness of a wall section can be significantly increased without increasing the thickness of the sheathing panel.

[0017] A still further object of the present invention is to provide a shearwall structure including such shearwall enhancement product.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for constructing a shearwall on the building site.

[0019] These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the drawings, the description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a shearwall structure comprising a pair of enhanced shearwall panels connected with a stud wall structure in accordance with the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 2 is an elevational front view of the stud wall structure of the shearwall structure of FIG. 1 with the sheathing panels removed.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a view, partially in section as viewed along the section line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a further shearwall structure embodying the shearwall enhancement product of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 5 is an elevational view from the inside of the shearwall structure shown in FIG. 4, but without holdown hardware.

[0025] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an enhanced sheathing panel in accordance with the present invention prior to installation on the stud wall structure of FIG. 4.

[0026] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a corner bracket.

[0027] FIG. 8 is an elevational plan view of the material blank from which the corner bracket of FIG. 7 is made.

[0028] FIG. 9 is a view, partially in section, of an edge portion of the corner bracket as viewed along the section line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

[0029] FIG. 10 is a view, partially in section, of a portion of the web section of the corner bracket as viewed along the section line 10-10 of FIG. 7.

[0030] FIG. 11 is an isometric, fragmentary view of the edge bracket in accordance with the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 12 is an elevational plan view of the metal blank from which the edge bracket of FIG. 1I is constructed.

[0032] FIG. 13 is a view, partially in section, of the edge bracket as viewed along the section line 13,13 of FIG. 11.

[0033] FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view showing one embodiment of a retaining means in the form of a dimple.

[0034] FIG. 15 is an isometric view of a further embodiment of a retaining means.

[0035] FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing the retaining means of FIG. 15.

[0036] FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing a further retaining means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0037] Reference is first made to FIG. 1 showing an assembled shearwall or shearwall structure 10 and to FIG. 2 showing the stud wall structure of the shearwall 10 prior to application of the sheathing panel. In the structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stud wall structure includes an outer face and comprises a sole plate 11, a top plate 12, a pair of end posts 14,14, a center stud 15 and a plurality of intermediate studs 16. The end posts 14 and the studs 15 and 16 are parallel to one another and extend between the sole plate 11 and top plate 12 and are interconnected with such plates in a conventional manner. In the specific embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the end posts 14,14 are nominally 4 inches thick (actual 3½ inches), the center stud 15 is nominally 3 inches thick (actual 2½ inches) and the studs 16 are nominally 2 inches thick (actual 1½ inches). The sole plate 11 is nominally 3 inches thick (actual 2½ inches), while the top plate is a 2 ply of nominally 2 inch thick lumber (actual 1½ inches). It is understood that the various posts, studs and plates can be of various dimensions and what are shown and referred to as posts or end posts, could be referred to and considered as studs. As shown in FIG. 2, the end posts 14 are provided with holdown anchor assemblies 18 to tie the posts 14 into the concrete foundation or other substrate 20, while the sole plate 11 is provided with a plurality of anchor bolts 19 which extend through the sole plate 11 in conventional manner and are anchored into the concrete foundation or other substrate 20.

[0038] The shearwall structure of FIG. 1 includes the stud wall structure of FIG. 2 and the shearwall enhanced sheathing panels in accordance with the present invention. Specifically, the shearwall structure of FIG. 1 includes a pair of generally rectangular-shaped sheathing panels 21 and 22. Each of the sheathing panels includes a pair of parallel vertical side edges, parallel top and bottom edges and inner and outer parallel faces. Each of the inner side edges of the panels 21 and 22 is provided with an edge bracket section 24, and each of the outer side edges of the panels 21 and 22 is provided with a further edge bracket section 25. Each of the top and bottom edges of the panels 21 and 22 is provided with an edge bracket section 26 and each of the peripheral or outside corners of the panels 21 and 22 is provided with a corner bracket 28. As will be discussed below, the edge bracket sections 24, 25 and 26 and the corner brackets 28 and the sheathing panels 21 and 22 are connected with the stud wall structure of FIG. 2 via nails or screws.

[0039] FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a further embodiment of a shearwall structure. As shown best in FIG. 5, the stud wall structure of this further embodiment includes a sole plate 29, a top plate 30, a pair of end posts or studs 31,31 and a pair of intermediate studs 32,32. The enhanced sheathing panel is shown best in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6. FIG. 4 shows the enhanced sheathing panel connected to the stud wall structure, while FIG. 6 shows the inside of the sheathing panel with the edge and corner brackets attached. The enhanced sheathing panel of this further embodiment includes a conventional sheathing panel 34 with a pair of parallel side edges, parallel top and bottom edges and inner and outer parallel faces. A pair of edge bracket sections 35,35 are connected with the side edges of the panel 34 and a pair of edge bracket sections 36,36 are applied to the top and bottom edges of the panel 34. Each corner of the panel 34 is provided with a corner bracket 28. Like the enhanced sheathing panels of FIG. 1, the enhanced sheathing panel of FIG. 4 is connected with the stud wall section by a plurality of nails, screws or other similar connecting means.

[0040] Reference is next made to FIGS. 7, 8, 9 illustrating the details of the corner bracket 28. Each corner bracket 28 includes a pair of corner edge sections 39 and 40 and a web section 41. The web 41 is integrally formed with each of the edge sections 39 and 40 and spans the area between such edge sections 39 an 40. Thus, the web 41 interconnects the edge sections 39 and 40. An open corner area 42 is provided at the extended intersection of the edge sections 39 and 40. In the preferred embodiment, the edge sections 39 and 40 lie in a common plane and are positioned at 90° relative to one another. It is contemplated that the edge sections 39 and 40 could be interconnected by a structure other than the web 41.

[0041] As shown best in FIGS. 7 and 9, each of the peripheral edge sections 39 and 40 comprises a channel or U-shaped configuration having an open channel area or panel receiving cavity 44 defined by first and second or outer and inner generally parallel legs 45 and 48 and a base or base leg 46 extending between the legs 45 and 48. The leg 45 is integrally joined along its base edge with the base leg 46 and includes a free edge 47 which extends outwardly at right angles from the base leg 46. The leg 48 is also integrally connected along its base edge with the base 46 and extends outwardly at right angles from the base 46 and is integrally formed with the web 41. Although FIG. 9 is a cross-section of a portion of the corner edge section 39, the edge section 40 is preferably of the same cross-sectional configuration and structure.

[0042] The corner edge sections 39 and 40 each include an outer end 49 and 50 and an inner end 51 and 52, respectively. As shown, the inner ends 51 and 52 are adjacent to the open corner area 42. Each of the legs 45 of the edge sections 39 and 40 is provided with a plurality of nailing openings 54. The nailing openings 54 in the preferred embodiment are longitudinally spaced along the length of the sections 39 and 40. Alternate nailing patterns can, however, be provided. The leg section 48 is free of nailing holes, although such holes could be provided if desired.

[0043] The web 41 is generally planar and is integrally joined along each of its sides with the legs 48 of the edge sections 39 and 40. Thus, the web 41 is essentially an extension of the legs 48,48 and spans the area between them. The web 41 includes an inner or corner edge 43 defining a portion of the open area 42 and a free edge 55 extending between the ends 48 and 50 of the edge sections 39 and 40. As shown best in FIGS. 7, 8 and 10, the web 41 is provided with a plurality of embossed stiffening ribs 56 to provide structural rigidity and strength to the web 41. The ribs 56 are of various lengths depending on their position on the web and extend at a right angle to the free edge 55 and at approximately a 45 degree angle relative to the edge sections 39 and 40. The web 41 is provided with a plurality of nail holes 58 to retain the corner bracket 28 relative to the sheathing panel. If desired, other retaining means such as those shown in FIGS. 11-17 may also be provided to one of the corner edge sections.

[0044] FIG. 8 illustrates the material blank from which the corner bracket 28 is constructed. Preferably, the corner bracket is constructed of galvanized steel such as 20 gauge Galv ASTM A365. However, it can be made from other materials and from other thicknesses and types of steel provided those other materials provide the desired strength to the corner bracket when formed. The corner bracket can be of various sizes and configurations although the preferred embodiment provides a bracket in which each of the edge sections 39 and 40 are about the same length. Advantages of the present invention could, however, be achieved with a structure in which the sections 39 and 40 are of different lengths. The common use of a corner bracket to enhance a shearwall in accordance with the present invention will usually be a structure in which the sections 39 and 40 are positioned at right angles to one another. However, advantages of the present invention will still be achieved with a structure in which the sections 39 and 40 are at other angles relative to one another.

[0045] Preferably, the length of the edge sections 39 and 40 should be from about 5 to 20 inches, more preferably from about 10 to 20 inches and most preferably from about 12 to 16 inches. The distance between the legs 45 and 48, and thus the width of the base leg 46, should approximate the thickness of the sheathing panel being used. This permits the corners of the sheathing panel to be received by the panel receiving cavity 44 when assembled. To assist in retaining the bracket in the panel corners, the cavity width may be slightly smaller than the panel thickness. The height of the leg 45 may vary, but preferably is at least about one-half inch and more preferably from one-half to 1½ inches or more.

[0046] Reference is next made to FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 showing various views of the edge bracket 33 from which the various edge bracket sections are cut. As illustrated best in FIGS. 11 and 13, the edge bracket 33 is a generally elongated U-shaped or channel member having a pair of laterally spaced legs 60 and 61 and a base leg 62. The leg 60 is the outer leg of the edge bracket 33 and includes a base edge 64 and a free edge 65. The leg 60 is joined to the base leg 62 along the base edge 64 and extends outwardly from the base leg 62 at substantially right angles and terminates at the free edge 65. The leg 60 is provided with a plurality of nailing holes 66 which are spaced longitudinally along the leg 60. A variety of nailing patterns may be utilized.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the leg 60 is also provided with an edge bracket retaining means in the form of a plurality of edge bracket retaining members such as the protrusions 68. As shown in FIGS. 11-14, the leg 60 is provided with a plurality of inwardly extending protrusions or dimples 66. As will be described in greater detail below, these protrusions 68 function to assist in retaining the edge bracket 33 to the edge of the sheathing panel prior to connection of the reinforced sheathing panel to the stud wall section. A variety of other retaining means can also be utilized. One alternate structure is shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. This includes an inwardly extending tab 69 which is cut from the leg 60 and is bent inwardly as shown. A further structural embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 17. This embodiment is similar to that of FIGS. 15 and 16 except that the cutout member 70 is bent outwardly at the point 73 and then inwardly at its distal end to provide an inwardly extending prong 71. The prong 71 may be driven into the sheathing panel after positioning of the bracket 33.

[0048] The leg 61 is parallel to and spaced from the leg 60 to form the panel receiving cavity 37. The leg 61 is integrally connected with the base leg 62 along its base edge 72 and extends outwardly from the base leg 62 at right angles and terminates at the free edge 74.

[0049] FIG. 12 illustrates the material blank from which the edge bracket 33 is constructed. Like the corner bracket 28, the edge bracket 33 is preferably constructed of a galvanized steel material such as 20 gauge Galv ASTM A653. Other materials and other thicknesses and types of steel, however, can be used if desired. In the preferred embodiment, the legs 60 and 61 are at least about one-half inch in height and preferably at least one-half to 2½ inches or more in height. Most preferably, the height of the legs 60 and 61 is about 1¼ to 2-1½ inches. The width of the panel receiving cavity preferably approximates the thickness of the sheathing panel to be used.

[0050] Having described the details of the shear wall enhancement product and the resulting shear wall structure, the method of making or constructing a shearwall structure in accordance with the present invention is as follows. First, a stud wall structure is constructed. This can take any desired form, but is typically a stud wall structure such as that shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5. Next, a sheathing panel is cut to the proper size so that it will cover the outer face of the stud wall structure and its associated elements when installed. A corner bracket 28 is then applied to each of the corners of the sheathing panel by inserting its adjacent edges into the channels or panel receiving cavities 44 formed by the leg sections 45 and 48 of each edge section 39 and 40. In this application, the web 41 is positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the panel. If desired or needed, the corner brackets 28 can be retained to the sheathing panel by fasteners through the holes 58 of the web 41.

[0051] Edge bracket sections are then applied or cut and applied to each exposed edge of the sheathing panel by inserting the sheathing panel edge into the channel or panel receiving cavity 37 formed by the legs 60 and 61. When inserted, the inwardly protruding dimples 66 or other retaining means engage the outer surface of the panel and assist in retaining the edge bracket section to the panel. Because of the varying lengths of edge bracket sections that may be required, a length of edge bracket stock 33 may need to be cut to the correct length before application to the sheathing panel. Preferably the edge bracket sections should be applied to the entirety of the exposed panel edge between adjacent corner brackets 28.

[0052] Although certain benefits will be achieved in accordance with the present invention without having corner brackets at each corner and without having an edge bracket section applied to each exposed edge, it is preferable for at least one corner and at least one edge of the sheathing panel to be provided with a respective corner bracket and edge bracket section. More preferably, at least two corners and at least two of the exposed edges should be provided with corner brackets and edge bracket sections and most preferably all four corners and all four exposed edges of the sheathing panel should be provided with corner brackets and edge bracket sections. This is the preferred structure shown in the drawings.

[0053] Certain shear wall enhancement properties can also be obtained by applying a corner bracket to each corner of a sheathing panel, without using the edge bracket sections or by applying edge bracket sections to less than all of the exposed sheathing panel edges. This is particularly true as the length of the corner bracket edge sections 39 and 40 increases or as the width of the sheathing panel decreases. For example, a sheathing panel which is 32 inches wide and 8 feet high would preferably have a corner bracket 28 at each corner, but an edge bracket section only on its two long exposed edges.

[0054] After the corner brackets and edge bracket sections have been applied to the sheathing panel, the enhanced sheathing panel is positioned onto the outer face of the stud wall structure and connected to such structure by nails or screws or other fasteners through the holes 54 in the corner brackets and the holes 66 in the edge bracket sections. These fasteners extend through the outer legs or leg sections of the corner or edge brackets, through the sheathing panel, through the other legs or leg sections of the corner or edge brackets and then into the corresponding stud wall structure element. For the top edge of the sheathing panel this would be the top plate of the stud wall structure, for the bottom edge of the sheathing panel this would be the sole plate and for the side edges of the sheathing panel, this would be the end posts or other studs. To the extent there are intermediate studs between the side edges of the sheathing panel, nails or screws are driven through the panel and into such intermediate studs.

[0055] Although the preferred application of the present invention is to apply a sheathing panel with the shearwall enhanced hardware (the edge and/or corner brackets) to only one side of the stud wall structure, the present invention also contemplates applying a sheathing panel with such shearwall enhancement hardware to both sides of the stud and framing.

[0056] Further, although some regulations may restrict certain types of shearwall structures with certain “aspect” ratios in certain locations, nothing precludes the application of the present invention to all shearwall structures, regardless of their “aspect” ratio.

[0057] Although the description of the preferred embodiment has been quite specific, it is contemplated that various modifications could be made without deviating from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the present invention be dictated by the appended claims rather than by the description of the preferred embodiment.

Claims

1. A shearwall structure comprising:

a stud wall structure having an outer face;

a sheathing panel having inner and outer parallel faces, a plurality of panel peripheral edges and a panel corner at the intersection of adjacent panel peripheral edges;

a corner bracket applied to at least one of said panel corners, said corner bracket including first and second corner edge sections for engagement with corresponding adjacent panel peripheral edges of said at least one panel corner, said first and second corner edge sections being interconnected with one another and each of said first and second corner edge sections having a panel receiving channel receiving said corresponding adjacent panel peripheral edge; and

said sheathing panel being connected to said stud wall structure with said inner face of said sheathing panel adjacent to said outer face of said stud wall structure.

2. The shearwall structure of claim 1 wherein said stud wall structure includes:

a sole plate;

a top plate and

a plurality of studs extending between said sole plate and said top plate, each of said sole plate, top plate and studs having an outer face to define the outer face of said stud wall structure.

3. The shearwall structure of claim 1 including a plurality of said corner panels applied to a corresponding plurality of said panel corners.

4. The shearwall structure of claim 1 wherein said first and second corner edge sections are interconnected by a web extending between said first and second corner edge sections.

5. The shearwall structure of claim 4 wherein said web is adjacent to said inner face of said sheathing panel.

6. The shearwall structure of claim 5 wherein said panel receiving channel includes a pair of spaced legs joined with a base leg.

7. The shearwall structure of claim 6 wherein said web is joined with one of said spaced legs.

8. The shearwall structure of claim 1 including an edge bracket applied to a portion of at least one of said panel peripheral edges, said edge bracket including a panel receiving channel receiving said at least one panel peripheral edge portion.

9. The shearwall structure of claim 8 including a corner bracket located at each of said panel corners and an edge bracket located along a portion of each of said panel peripheral edges.

10. A corner bracket for selective connection to a panel corner of a sheathing panel of the type having front and back parallel faces, a plurality of panel peripheral edges, and a plurality of panel corners at the intersection of adjacent panel peripheral edges, said corner bracket comprising:

first and second corner edge sections oriented at 90° relative to one another, each of said first and second corner edge sections including a pair of legs and a base defining a panel receiving channel; and

a web joining said first and second corner edge sections.

11. The corner bracket of claim 10 wherein said pair of legs includes an inner leg and an outer leg.

12. The corner bracket of claim 11 wherein said inner leg is joined to said web.

13. The corner bracket of claim 12 wherein said outer leg is provided with a plurality of nailing holes.

14. The corner bracket of claim 13 wherein said web is provided with at least one stiffening rib.

15. A shearwall enhancement product for connection to the panel corners and panel peripheral edges of a sheathing panel comprising the combination of the corner bracket of claim 10 and an edge bracket, said edge bracket comprising:

a panel receiving channel defined by an outer leg, an inner leg and a base leg, said outer leg including a plurality of nailing holes.

16. An edge bracket for selective connection to a panel peripheral edge of a sheathing panel of the type having front and back parallel faces, a plurality of panel peripheral edges, and a plurality of panel corners at the intersection of adjacent panel peripheral edges, said edge bracket comprising:

a channel member having a panel receiving channel to receive a panel peripheral edge, said receiving channel defined by an outer leg and an inner leg;

a base leg joining said outer and inner legs;

a plurality of nailing openings in said outer leg; and

at least one retention member located in at least one of said inner and outer legs.

17. The edge bracket of claim 16 wherein said at least one retention member includes a plurality of said protrusions extending toward the other of said inner and outer legs.

18. A method of constructing a shearwall comprising:

providing a stud wall structure having an outer face;

providing a sheathing panel having inner and outer parallel faces, a plurality of panel peripheral edges and a panel corner at the intersection of adjacent panel peripheral edges;

applying a corner bracket to at least one of said panel corners, each of said corner brackets comprising first and second interconnected channel members to receive the adjacent panel peripheral edges of said at least one panel corner; and

attaching said sheathing panel with applied corner bracket to said wall structure so that the inner face of said sheathing panel is adjacent to the outer face of said stud wall structure.

19. The method of claim 18 including applying an edge bracket to at least one of said panel peripheral edges, each of said edge brackets comprising a channel member to receive said at least one panel peripheral edge.

20. The method of claim 19 including applying a corner bracket to a plurality of said panel corners and applying an edge bracket to a plurality of said peripheral edge sections.