R602.10.10.3

Section R602.10.10.3 is titled 'Redesignation of cripple walls' and covers requirements for wall construction. The allowance to redesignate a cripple wall as a first-story wall (which could provide some construction advantages over the application of cripple wall bracing requirements), provided the cripple wall does not exceed a certain height, where the cripple wall does exceed such height, the requirement to designate it as an additional story, and clarification that when designated as a story, that the stories above shall be counted as the 2nd and 3rd story is established. The purpose of this section is to prevent structural failure.

The model shows a partial wall section with a cripple wall that does not exceed 48", allowing it, but not requiring it to be redesignated as the first-story.