Case Study: Gruening Middle School’s Seismic Damage Repair Solution

It can be a challenge to repair an earthquake-damaged structure.

During the 7.1-magnitude 2018 Anchorage earthquake, Gruening Middle School in Eagle River sustained more damage than any other school in the Anchorage School District. Review of the school showed the existing masonry walls suffered damage and separation from the roof. During the retrofit design, the Reid Middleton structural engineering team (Anchorage) determined the masonry walls weren’t adequately reinforced to meet current code requirements. They were seeking an easy-to-install strengthening solution that wouldn’t add significant weight to the building.

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Q&A About Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix

On February 14, we hosted the third interactive webinar in the Simpson Strong-Tie Composite Strengthening Systems™ Best Practices Series: “Introducing Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM).”

Simpson Strong-Tie engineering manager Brad Erickson, S.E., P.E., and Simpson Strong-Tie senior product manager Mark Kennedy, PMP, conducted an informative discussion of this new product solution. You can view the webinar in our Training Center and take a course to earn one hour of CEUs, PDHs and AIA LU/HSW credits. The course and webinar discuss installation steps, identify projects where FRCM would be ideal, and cite testing and industry standards associated with FRCM.
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New CSS Product Launch — FRCM Strengthening Products

The new FRCM Composite Strengthening Systems™ repair and reinforcement solution from Simpson Strong-Tie combines high-performance sprayable mortar with a carbon-fiber grid that creates a thin structural layer that repairs and strengthens without significantly increasing the structure’s weight or volume. FRCM stands for fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix. Its advantages are similar to those of FRP (that is, strength, low weight and ease of application), but it may also be used to repair, resurface, strengthen and protect in one application, along with providing greater resistance to heat and better long-term durability.
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