California Health and Safety Code

§ 18944.40

HSC § 18944.40 Effective Apr 26, 2002Div. 13 · Part 2.5 · Ch. 4.5 · Art. 3

Statute text

(a)Straw-bale walls, when covered with plaster, drywall, or stucco, shall be deemed to have the equivalent fire resistive rating as wood-frame construction with the same wall-finishing system.

(b)Minimum bale wall thickness shall be 13 inches.

(c)Buildings with loadbearing bale walls shall not exceed one story in height without substantiating calculations and design by a civil engineer or architect licensed by the state, and the bale portion of the loadbearing walls shall not exceed a height-to-width ratio of 5.6:1 (for example, the maximum height for a wall that is 23 inches thick would be 10 feet 8 inches).

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 31, Sec. 5. Effective April 26, 2002. Inoperative on date prescribed in Section 18944.41.