The following table gives capacities for "continuous tie-downs". This type of tie-down is generally used for multi-story wood-frame construction, but has clear advantages for single-story buildings as well (see Appendix A of the Shear Wall Construction Guide). The Building Code of Australia (BCA) gives sizes for threaded rods to use as continuous tie-downs in its prescriptive shear wall requirements. This is the first code we are aware of to do this, hence the term "Aussie" tie-downs.

All-Thread Diameter (inches)	Allowable Force (pounds)	Plate Washer Size (inches)			Post Area (square inches)
		Width	Length	Thickness
3/8	2,700	3	1-1/2	1/4	7
1/2	4,900	3	2-3/4	3/8	12.25
5/8	8,100	3	4-1/2	5/8	20
3/4	11,700	5	4	5/8	29
7/8	16,000	5	5-1/4	3/4	40
1	20,900	5	6-3/4	1	51.7
1-1/8	26,500	5	8-1/2	1-1/8	65.5

The above table is based on the following:

• ASTM A36 steel rod, with an allowable stress increase of 33 percent for earthquake loading.
• Plate washer size is determined based on side-grain crushing of the wall top plate with an allowable stress (F_Cperp) of 625 psi (Douglas Fir)
• Plate washer thickness is based on ASTM A36 steel with an allowable stress increase of 33 percent
• Post Area is determined based on side-grain crushing of the foundation sill (mudsill) with an allowable bearing stress of 405 psi (Hem-Fir)