Which direction do walls deflect if braced at the top and bottom and loaded with horizontal pressures on the outside face?

Which direction do walls deflect if braced at the top and bottom and loaded with horizontal pressures on the outside face?

• A. Inward
• B. Outward
• C. Upward
• D. Downward

Answer: (A)

When a wall panel is braced at its top and bottom, it behaves like a restrained plate that resists horizontal forces by bending. If horizontal pressure is applied to the outside face, that face is pushed toward the interior. With the ends fixed, the panel cannot translate as a whole, so it curves and the centerline deflects toward the interior. In short, the wall bows inward under lateral load on the outside face. Upward or downward deflection would require vertical loads, which aren’t involved here.

When a wall panel is braced at its top and bottom, it behaves like a restrained plate that resists horizontal forces by bending. If horizontal pressure is applied to the outside face, that face is pushed toward the interior. With the ends fixed, the panel cannot translate as a whole, so it curves and the centerline deflects toward the interior. In short, the wall bows inward under lateral load on the outside face. Upward or downward deflection would require vertical loads, which aren’t involved here.