In IRC2018 the Definitions section indicates that maximum Story Height is 11′ 7″; anything past that requires an engineered solution. R602.10, Braced Walls, clearly comprehends exterior load bearing wall heights of 12′.
Does Chapter 6, in general, trump the Defintions section because of this sentence:
“Individual walls or wall studs shall be permitted to exceed these limits as permitted by Chapter 6 provisions, provided that story heights are not exceeded.”
Thanks for your wisdom.
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“Individual walls or wall studs shall be permitted to exceed these limits as permitted by Chapter 6 provisions, provided that story heights are not exceeded.”
I am going to apply a little of how I understand english.
"provided that" means "as long as" .
A separate sentence would have been clearer if it read something like, Chapter 6 provisions do not provide justification to exceed story height without an engineer endorsement of the application
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Apparently IRC 2021 inserted an exception in R301.3 to make the R600 bracing rules trump the 11' 7" rule.