The HTTH6.5 heavy tension tie (Figure 1) is designed to meet the growing demands of modern construction. This product combines state-of-the-art design with rigorous testing, offering a robust and reliable solution for high-load applications. Its painstaking engineering and precision manufacturing ensure superior performance even in the most demanding conditions.
Category: Residential Construction
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.
The Decks Are NOT Stacked Against Us: How SB721 and SB326 Can Help Californians Reinforce Structures and Save Lives
Learn how a tragic balcony collapse in Berkeley, California, led to the development of Senate Bills 721 and 326, which mandate the inspection of exterior elevated elements (EEEs) in multifamily buildings. These bills aim to improve safety by evaluating EEEs such as balconies, decks, and walkways, particularly those relying on wood-based products for support. Recognize the significance of these inspections and the repairs needed to safeguard residents.
Part II: A New Wood Construction Connectors Catalog for the New Year
We just released our updated Wood Construction Connectors catalog (C-C-2024) which features our product line that has a legacy that started in 1956. This year’s 372-page version begins with a colorful, attention-grabbing cover design and is packed inside with all the technical details that help people build safer, stronger structures. This blog is Part II of a two-part series highlighting this new catalog and the solutions inside it.
30 Years After Northridge: Lessons, Progress, and Community Resilience
Rachel Holland, a Simpson Strong-Tie engineer, reflects on the profound impact of the Northridge earthquake in Southern California on January 17, 1994. Living just 8 miles from the epicenter, the earthquake shaped her perspective on natural disasters and inspired her journey into engineering. In an interview, she shares her vivid memories of the chaos, destruction, and challenges faced during the aftermath. Hear how this seismic event played a pivotal role in shaping Rachel’s career and influencing her commitment to structural engineering.
A New Wood Construction Connectors Catalog for the New Year
Welcome to 2024! I’m Bryan Wert, director for Connector & Lateral Systems. Prior to joining Simpson Strong-Tie 17 years ago, I was a consulting structural engineer primarily focused on single- and multi-family construction and it felt like Christmas morning when the new Simpson Strong-Tie Wood Construction Connecters catalog would appear on my desk. So I do find it exciting that now I get to be the one to start the New Year off announcing our new Wood Construction Connectors catalog (C-C-2024). I hope you enjoy the eye-grabbing cover art as much as I do, but more importantly I hope you’ll take some time to read this blog where I highlight what you’ll find inside the catalog.
Twelfth Day of Trivia — Outdoor Accents
I do wish I had 15 or 16 days to talk about more products. I thought about ending on mass timber products such as spline connections (CMSTC, LDSS, MDSS), tension straps (MDCST, MTWS), concealed beam hangers (CBH, ACBH, SCBH), or the heavy seated knife plate hanger (HSKP). Since I’ve written blog posts for most of those already, I decided to end with our Outdoor Accents® decorative hardware instead.
Eleventh Day of Trivia — Foundation Retrofit Plates
While working as a structural engineer in San Jose, California, I had the great opportunity to design many retrofits of historic (and some not-so historic) buildings. Younger me loved the site visits, crawling around in the dust and dirt to create as-built drawings, and I got tremendous satisfaction from helping to make these buildings safer and stronger. Older me would not enjoy the crawling so much.
Tenth Day of Trivia — Shearwalls
The Simpson Strong-Tie Strong-Wall® shearwall was introduced in 1999. The 1997 Uniform Building Code had incorporated restrictive 2:1 aspect ratio requirements for wood structural panel (WSP) shearwalls in high seismic areas. We conducted extensive cyclic testing of complete wall systems (not just components) to prove that narrow Strong-Wall shearwalls achieved the high performance required for seismic and wind designs.
Ninth Day of Trivia — Strong-Drive® SDS Screws
It’s difficult to talk about connectors without talking about fasteners. Simpson Strong-Tie developed the Strong-Drive® SDS Heavy-Duty Connector screw as a high-capacity alternative to nails or bolts, and the first connector using them was the PHD Predeflected Holdown. We released in both the PHD and the SDS screw in 1997.