Hold-down
A hold-down is an anchor connection between a wall frame and the slab or footing below. Position is engineer-specified and cast into the slab before pour.
Ask Chalkline about this →A hold-down is a mechanical connection that anchors the base of a wall frame stud or post to the slab or footing below, resisting uplift and overturning forces. In residential framing (both timber and LGS), hold-downs are typically cast-in anchor bolts specified by the structural engineer and positioned in the slab before the concrete pour.
Hold-down positions are set by the engineer’s details, not by site convention. In LGS systems, the frame supplier designs panels around the anchor layout, so the bolt positions must be accurate before the slab is poured. Bolts out of position by more than the manufacturer’s tolerance (typically a few millimetres) require remediation before the frame can seat. Hold-downs are distinct from the general slab-to-bottom-track screw fixings: hold-downs are at specific high-load locations (frame ends, bracing wall ends, stud posts at large openings) where the structural engineer has calculated uplift demand. See also tie-down, which describes the broader system connecting roof framing down through the wall frame to the slab.
Also known as: hold-down anchor, tie-down anchor, anchor bolt (in context)
Category: Framing, structure, connections
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Last updated: 2026-05-10. Verified: 2026-05-10. Quarterly review for currency.