Putting Engineering into Action: Interning at a Simpson Strong-Tie R&D Test Lab

Meet Tristan St. John, a mechanical engineering student from Colorado State University who joined Simpson Strong-Tie this summer as an intern at the Karen Colonias Research Lab in Pleasanton, California. His work involved assembling designs, selecting wood, and conducting tests using hydraulic presses. Tristan gained insights into the complexities of lab work and the importance of the various testing we do in our labs. The internship provided him with practical experience and exposure to a professional engineering environment, complementing his academic studies. 

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Learning Beyond the Classroom: The Simpson Fellowship Experience

Steinar Goheen, a fourth-year architecture student at Washington State University, is passionate about historical preservation and aims to work in that field. Recently, they (Steinar) participated in the week-long Strong-Tie Undergraduate Fellowship trip, which comprises educational visits to various Simpson Strong-Tie branches in California, witnessing product manufacturing, and exploring San Francisco, including a visit to Alcatraz. Join Steinar as they recount their educational journey and share memorable moments from the trip. 

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Concrete Results: The Titen Turbo™ Dust Channel Delivers Dependable Installations

Discover the innovation driving our Titen Turbo concrete screw anchors. In the following post, Ken Cho, Senior Product Engineer at Simpson Strong-Tie, explains how the patented dust channel design simplifies installations, eliminates frustrations and enhances overall efficiency. Revolutionize your concrete fastening projects with our latest offering now also available in black! 

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Learning on the Job — Insights from a Mechanical Engineering Intern at Simpson Strong-Tie

Aaron Lim, a recent graduate from UC Irvine, recounts his summer internship at Simpson Strong-Tie in Riverside, CA, where he gained practical experience in manufacturing engineering and learned about lean engineering principles. Under the mentorship of Shoen Davis, Aaron contributed to continuous improvement projects and appreciated the company’s commitment to community and other core values. His internship gave him valuable insights into the field and solidified his career interests in manufacturing. 

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From Research to Real-World Application: Pioneering Mass Timber Innovation

Brian DeMeza’s journey from pursuing his Master of Science degree at Oregon State University (OSU) to his current role as a Senior Field Engineer at Simpson Strong-Tie has brought him full circle with his recent involvement in the six-story NHERI TallWood project. His hands-on experience in this project played a pivotal role in shaping his passion and focus on mass timber as a potential career path.

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Meet Our 2023 Excellence in Engineering Award Winners

Hien Nguyen and Brandon Winter were our winners this last year for their amazing contributions to the department and company. They both exemplify the Engineering department’s mission of providing world-class innovation, testing and customer support and embody Barc Simpson’s Nine Principles of Business. 

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Which Anchoring Adhesive Installation Method Is Faster: A Comparison of Core Drilling vs. Carbide Drilling into URM

Have you ever specified an adhesive for an unreinforced masonry (URM) retrofit? If so, you may have wondered about the difficulty of drilling holes at 22.5° from horizontal in order to properly install an anchor to take tension loads.

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Deck-Drive DSV: Not Just A Deck Screw

Don’t let the name fool you; the Deck-Drive™ DSV Wood screw is more than just a deck screw. It’s not only great for preservative-treated decking, but can also be used for general framing and construction as well. The variety of sizes makes this a multipurpose screw that can accomplish many of your wood-to-wood fastening needs. 

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The Birth of a Professional Engineer: Forging a Career at Simpson Strong-Tie

Simpson Strong-Tie branch engineer, Dante Khachadourian discusses his journey from student to engineer. From his childhood days of playing with wooden blocks to earning a degree in civil engineering and obtaining his P.E. license, Dante’s path led him to Simpson Strong-Tie, where he found fulfillment in a diverse range of responsibilities as a branch engineer. Today, Dante navigates his day-to-day duties with enthusiasm, supporting designers, builders, and collegues alike to accomplish our mission of helping people build safer, stronger structures. 

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Allowable Load Tables at Your Service — A Look at the Technical Engineering Bulletin (TEB) for Anchors

One interesting part of being a field engineer for Simpson Strong-Tie is having the opportunity to see how different structural engineers may take different approaches to similar designs. We at Simpson Strong-Tie have come to appreciate these different approaches and embrace this phenomenon by providing multiple resources to aid in the completion of a design. This is very apparent when it comes to the design of post-installed anchors

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