David Huerta, Senior Lab Manager at the Simpson Strong-Tie home office in Pleasanton, California, was present during the renaming of the Karen Colonias Research Laboratory. The lab was renamed in honor of our former CEO, Karen Colonias, who was instrumental in driving our company forward during her 38 years with the company, including 11 as our CEO. David shares his perspective on the lab’s functions and operations, as well as its importance to our company’s legacy.
Tag: engineering
Empowering Future Engineers: Cal Poly Students’ Journey in the Timber-Strong Design Build Competition
The Timber-Strong Design Build℠ (TSDB℠) Competition is an annual event sponsored by the the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in partnership with the American Wood Council (AWC), APA (the Engineered Wood Association), and Simpson Strong-Tie in which student teams design and build an artistically creative two-story wood light-framed buildings that are sustainable, aesthetically pleasing, and structurally durable. The competition enables students to gain experience in common structural engineering design as well as the business management and building practices used in construction environments. The authors of this article are graduating civil engineering students in the Civil Engineering program at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Understanding Post Cap Lateral Capacities
Why do our light-duty BC post caps have published allowable lateral loads while our strong, heavy-gauge CCQ column caps do not?
Because with great power comes great responsibility. Or, in the world of post caps: With great capacity comes more responsibility.
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.
Bringing Excellence to Engineering: Meet Our 2022 Excellence in Engineering Award Winners
This year, the Simpson Strong-Tie Engineering department held their 2023 Engineering Summit and awarded four engineers the 2022 Excellence in Engineering Award. This award recognizes the incredible contributions from our Engineering department, who continually exceed expectations in their mission to create the best solutions we can for our customers and our company.
A Passion to Create and to Preserve — One Engineering Student’s Journey
Starting a career can be daunting. Luckily, Anthony Hagiu’s current role as a Simpson Strong-Tie Technical Support Representative is helping him create a knowledge base that he can use toward his ambition to become an engineer. Learn more about what inspired him to study engineering and what he hopes to do once he finishes school.
Top Five Simpson Strong-Tie® Tools for Engineers This Year
The beginning of a new year is a great time to work towards resolutions, such as “Work Smarter, Not Harder.” So what better time to check out tools and resources that can help you design structures and specify products more efficiently? Working more efficiently means gaining more time, something we can all use a little more of.
Top Structural and Wood-Related Changes in the 2021 IRC, Part 1
The ICC code change cycle for the 2024 International Codes is near completion, with only the certification by the Validation Committee and confirmation by the ICC Board of Group B results outstanding. However, many jurisdictions may just now be adopting the 2021 International Codes. This is the first of three posts that will discuss the primary structural and wood-related changes in the 2021 International Residential Code and International Building Code. This post covers changes to IRC chapters 3 and 4, organized by subject. Continue Reading
Mechanical Anchors: Screw vs. Expansion: — Which Is Right for Me?
Not all post-installed mechanical anchors are created equal. There are key differences between screw and expansion anchor types — differences that include how they gain their holding strength, installation requirements, and overall anchor performance. In the following post, field engineers Todd Hamilton, Chris Johnson and Derek Gilbert compare the two anchor types.