Q&A About Advanced FRP Strengthening Design Principles

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Harvey and this disaster in Texas. To help with relief efforts we are donating $50,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Employees at our Houston warehouse are safe and the employees from our McKinney branch will be doing as much as they can to help with relief efforts.

On July 25, 2017, Simpson Strong-Tie hosted the second interactive webinar in the Simpson Strong-Tie FRP Best Practices Series, “Advanced FRP Design Principles,” in which Kevin Davenport, P.E. – one of our Field Engineering Managers – and I discussed the best practices for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening design. The webinar examines the latest industry standards, proper use of material properties, and key governing limits when designing with FRP and discusses the assistance and support Simpson Strong-Tie Engineering Services offers from initial project assessment to installation. Watch the on-demand webinar and earn PDH and CEU credits here.Continue Reading

Not Just A Connector Company

I write a lot about testing on this blog, from my first post about testing to the series I did on how we test different products (hangers, holdowns, fasteners). This week I’d like to highlight some unique testing we’ve been doing to support one of our new product lines. Simpson Strong-Tie® recently introduced our Repair, Protection and Strengthening Systems for Concrete and Masonry. The new product line is the result of our acquisition of Fox Industries, Inc. in 2011.

In the past, I’ve shared some of the more fun tests we’ve run, like the bowling ball test or 40 kip hangers. This week we’ll take a sneak peek at testing of the FX-70® Structural Repair and Protection System. FX-70 uses high-strength fiberglass jackets and high-strength water-insensitive grouting materials to repair and protect wood, steel, and concrete structural members. The system is primarily used on piles in marine environments.

Fx-70 installation on wood piles.
Fx-70 installation on wood piles. Image credit: Simpson Strong-Tie.

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