Search Results for: yield-link

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, … Continue reading “30 Years After Northridge: Lessons, Progress, and Community Resilience”

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 … Continue reading “Tenth Day of Trivia — Shearwalls”

Innovation Redefined: The Future of Structural Testing with Our Million Pound Rig

The future of full-scale structures testing and product development is here – and it is BIG. Our Tyrell Gilb Research Laboratory built a brand-new Million Pound Rig to help in the testing of our new Yield-Link® brace connection (YLBC), along with our many other products. Hear from Mike Wesson, Engineering Manager, Tyrell Gilb Research Laboratory, … Continue reading “Innovation Redefined: The Future of Structural Testing with Our Million Pound Rig”

Connecting Engineers, Innovation, and Fun: Simpson Strong-Tie’s Topgolf Event in Utah

The Simpson Strong-Tie structural steel team held an event earlier this year at Topgolf in Vineyard, Utah, to host 65 engineers. The view from the green range at this new Topgolf location was breathtaking with snowy peaks, and the view inside was not bad either, since you could see our Yield-Link® moment connection.

Reviewing 2021 IBC Changes for Cold-Formed Steel Light-Frame Design

“Change is the only constant in life” and “When you are finished changing, you are finished” are quotes from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus and Benjamin Franklin, respectively. I’m reminded of them as I review the numerous changes to codes and standards during the typical three to five-year development cycles. While code and standard changes … Continue reading “Reviewing 2021 IBC Changes for Cold-Formed Steel Light-Frame Design”

Designing Resilience: NEESWood Capstone a Decade Later

In 2009, Simpson Strong-Tie participated in an unprecedented research event to highlight the importance of earthquake-resistant wood construction. The event, the world’s largest earthquake test, was a collaborative Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation project. It teamed academics, engineers, and industry researchers from around the world to subject a structure to what engineers refer to as … Continue reading “Designing Resilience: NEESWood Capstone a Decade Later”

NASCC 2018: Debuting Our Newest Yield Link Connection

This year the NASCC (North American Steel Construction Conference) will be in Baltimore, Maryland. The conference is the annual educational and networking event for the structural steel industry, which attracts attendees and exhibitors from all over the world. With more than 130 sessions this year, the conference will provide attendees the opportunity to learn the … Continue reading “NASCC 2018: Debuting Our Newest Yield Link Connection”

Seismic Safety Regulations and Solutions

I have a special place in my heart for old buildings. Every college design course I took was related to new design. Concrete, steel, or wood design, the design problem was invariably part of a new building. I thought structural engineers designed new buildings. When I showed up for my first day of work wearing … Continue reading “Seismic Safety Regulations and Solutions”

Applying new FEMA P-807 Weak Story Tool to Soft-Story Retrofit

We have written about San Francisco’s Soft-Story Retrofit Ordinance and Soft-Story Retrofits before on the blog. I wanted to discuss in more detail the issues with soft story buildings and FEMA’s new tool for addressing them. Under the San Francisco Ordinance, wood-framed residential structures that have two or more stories over a “soft” or “weak” … Continue reading “Applying new FEMA P-807 Weak Story Tool to Soft-Story Retrofit”