Wood construction codes

The wood construction codes supported by Touchstone.

Note: Touchstone applies non-engineered building damage distributions to the following construction classes: 101, 102, 103, 104, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 173, 174, 178, 179, 261. This action occurs regardless of occupancy class, including the industrial facility (400-series) occupancy classes. This note applies to the Verisk Earthquake Model for Japan, to the Verisk Earthquake Model for Canada, and to the Verisk Typhoon Model for South Korea.

In Touchstone 2025, we added support for codes 102-104 to the Verisk Typhoon Model for South Korea. For information about supported codes and limitations for specific models, refer to the model documentation that is available on the Client Portal.

For information about supported codes and limitations for specific models, refer to the model documentation that is available on the Client Portal.


Construction code	Category	Description
101	Wood Frame (Modern)	Wood frame (modern) structures tend to be mostly low rise (one to three stories, occasionally four). Stud walls are typically constructed of 2x4 or 2x6 inch wood members vertically set 16 or 24 inches apart. These walls are braced by plywood or by diagonals made of wood or steel. Many detached single and low-rise multiple family residences in the United States are of stud wall wood frame construction.
102	Light Wood Frame	Light wood frame structures are typically not built in the United States but would be found in other countries, such as Japan. In Hawaii, this classification would include single wall (studless) construction framed with light timber trusses.
103	Masonry Veneer	A wood-framed structure faced with a single width of non-load-bearing concrete, stone, or clay brick attached to the stud wall.
104	Heavy Timber	Heavy Timber structures typically have masonry walls with heavy wood column supports, and floor and roof decks are 2-3 inch tongue-and-groove planks.
107	Lightweight Cladding	Non-structural cladding and linings (e.g., fiber cement, plywood) used in lightweight construction that uses timber or light gauge steel framing as the structural support system. Currently supported only for locations in Australia and New Zealand.
108	Hale Construction	Indigenous Hawaiian construction. Supported only for the Verisk Earthquake Model for Hawaii and the Verisk Tropical Cyclone Model for Hawaii.