Earlier this year, we hosted our first Virtual Training Summit, featuring 16 industry-related webinars covering a range of topics. Customers could register for up to four events and earn professional credits for each session. One session, “Designing Mass Timber Connections,” focused on mass timber and was led by Simpson Strong-Tie Senior Field Engineer Brian DeMeza and Senior Branch Engineer Kelly Sias. In the following post, they respond to some of the questions that they fielded regarding mass timber applications, advantages, and more following their presentation.
Category: CLT & Mass Timber
Testing Teases Out Hidden Capacities of Reclusive Connector — New Data Available on the Simpson Strong-Tie® CBH Concealed Beam Hanger for Mass Timber
In North America, CLT and mass timber construction have garnered considerable press over the last few years, both inside the building industry and beyond. The burgeoning development has inspired new research centers and at least one annual conference — now in its eighth year and attracting scores of presenters and exhibitors and hundreds of attendees from around the world. Numerous observers are even heralding mass timber, or tall timber, as the necessary future of the fast-growing built environment.
NHERI TallWood Project: Q & A with Steve Pryor, P.E., S.E., Senior Manager, Testing and Research Operations, Engineering, Simpson Strong-Tie
As a research partner in the National Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) TallWood project, Simpson Strong-Tie participated in a series of earthquake shake table tests conducted at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
What’s New with Mass Timber?
Simpson Strong-Tie’s Greg Bundy, Senior Branch Engineer in Columbus, Ohio, recently led a training webinar on mass timber advancements. The workshop covered topics like the NHERI TallWood Project and a new guide for cross-laminated timber diaphragm design. The hands-on session featured installation of innovative products for structural engineers.
Up to the Test: Introducing the Heavy Seated Knife Plate Beam Hanger for Mass Timber
In response to the increasing demand for mass timber construction, Simpson Strong-Tie has created mass timber solutions for these builds. These product addition, include our Heavy Seated Knife Plate (HSKP), ACBH concealed beam hanger, and CBH concealed beam hanger. Gain insights into the design, testing, and efficiency of the HSKP in achieving high loads with fewer fasteners. The blog underscores the structural mechanics and the ongoing process of pushing connector limits in mass timber construction.
Developing High-Capacity Tension Straps for Mass Timber Engineering
Mass timber buildings use cross-laminated timber (CLT) or mass plywood panels to create horizontal diaphragms to transfer wind and seismic forces into the vertical elements of the lateral-force-resisting system. Spline connections resist shear forces at the panel joints, which I discussed in this blog post. I wanted to discuss several options for tension straps used for chord splices and collector forces. This blog will not discuss methods for calculating design forces. Instead, I am going to focus on several strap products and how we developed their allowable loads.
Mass Timber Diaphragm Options with Four Different Connection Types — How Our LDSS48 Light Diaphragm Spline Strap Evolved
Floors and roofs on mass timber buildings are constructed from large panels of engineered wood, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) or mass plywood. Designers join these prefabricated panels together on site to create a structural horizontal diaphragm to transfer wind and seismic loads to the vertical elements of the lateral force resisting system. Shear forces between panels must be transferred through these panel-to-panel connections. Conventional wood structural panel sheathed diaphragms have shear capacities and fastener spacing tabulated in Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (AWC SDPWS). Mass timber diaphragms, on the other hand, require some more design work by the designer.
Simpson Strong-Tie Engineer to Talk on Mass Timber Construction and Design
Simpson Strong-Tie is proud to announce that one of our product engineers, Bonnie Yang, Ph.D., P.E., CFS, has been invited to give a public lecture on mass timber connections. The date of her lecture will be March 3 at 11 a.m. PST. Yang’s lecture will be part of a Mass Timber mini-lecture series hosted by the School of Architecture at Mississippi State University in partnership with the Mississippi Forestry Association.
Mass Timber Floor Panel Systems for Mid-Rise ATS 2022
Mass timber floor panel systems for mid-rise light-frame wood construction are becoming more popular. Hybrid wood-framed systems have many advantages over conventional lumber floor systems such as 2×10/2×12 floor joist or I-joist systems.
Mass Timber Case Study: University of Washington’s Founders Hall
The University of Washington’s Foster School of Business is adding a mass timber building to its campus. Founders Hall is made of glulam columns and beams that support five-ply cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels.Continue Reading