The Ontario Building Code | Anchorage of Building Frames
9.23.6.1. Anchorage of building Frames
(1) Building frames shall be anchored to the foundation unless a structural analysis of wind and earth pressures shows anchorage is not required.
(2) Except as provided in Article 9.23.6.3., anchorage shall be provided by embedding the ends of the first floor joists in concrete, or fastening the sill plate to the foundation with not less than 12.7 mm diam anchor bolts spaced not more than 2.4 m o.c.
(3) Anchor bolts referred to in Sentence (2) shall be fastened to the sill plate with nuts and washers and shall be embedded not less than 100 mm in the foundation and so designed that they may be tightened without withdrawing them from the foundation.
In Plain Language
Building frames must be anchored as set out in this article, tying the wood structure down to the foundation to resist wind and other lateral or uplift forces.
This is a plain-language summary of the 2012/2017 Ontario Building Code text above, for general understanding only and not a substitute for the Code. Always confirm current requirements against the 2024 edition (O.Reg. 163/24) or a qualified professional before construction.