Category: Construction

New Timber Drive™ makes lighter work of heavy-duty structural screw fastening

Working hard is one thing. Working smart is another. With the new Timber Drive structural screw fastening system from Simpson Strong-Tie, field and manufacturing floor personnel have a more ergonomic and efficient way to perform repetitive fastening jobs with heavy-duty structural screws. It’s also faster. Timber Drive makes it possible to drive structural screws up to twice the speed of hand driving.  

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Quiet Strength of the Strong-Drive® SDPW DEFLECTOR Screw for Partition Wall Connections

The Strong-Drive® SDPW Deflector screw from Simpson Strong-Tie fastens non-load-bearing, full-height partition walls to trusses and joints in roof and floor systems. Easy to install, the SDPW is designed to compensate for vertical deflection in the joist or truss due to live load or to seasonal material contraction and expansion. With tested lateral-load ratings that meet building code requirements, the SDPW is value engineered for strength, installation speed and jobsite safety.

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New Yield-Link® Brace Connection Adds Resiliency to Structural Steel

Simpson Strong-Tie has added yet another design innovation to a growing suite of products and solutions for structural steel construction. Introducing the Yield-Link® brace connection (YLBC). 

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New ECB Elevated Column Base Ready for Multifamily Residential Construction

As part of an expanding portfolio of multifamily residential solutions, we’re excited to introduce the Simpson Strong-Tie® ECB elevated column base. The ECB makes it simple to add a waterproofing layer when installing solid sawn posts or hollow columns. It’s perfect for construction of stacked balconies in multifamily housing, or whenever a post is being used to support an awning or roof.   Continue reading “New ECB Elevated Column Base Ready for Multifamily Residential Construction”

Builder Solutions Webinar Series: Pipeline Estimating Software

This summer we hosted a successful Builder Solutions Webinar series dedicated to highlighting innovative new product solutions to help get houses on the market faster. The thirdwebinar in the series lightly touched on our web-based material management and estimation logic software solution — Pipeline. Due to the popularity of the topic, we’re launching the Pipeline Webinar Series.   

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Five FRP Advantages for Contractors and Structure Owners

FRP fiber-reinforced polymer provides a number of advantages over traditional concrete-strengthening materials and methods. Strengthening concrete structures by means of this composite has benefits for contractors and property owners alike.

While FRP is not feasible for all applications, there are demonstrable FRP advantages for many structural rehabilitation projects.
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Simpson Strong-Tie Connectors and Fasteners Make the Strongest Partners

Parts, however solid and sturdy they are, won’t hold themselves up. They have to be fastened in place. That’s why we offer a complete line of fasteners that are designed and tested specifically for use with our connectors. However, not every fastener can be used with every connector. Here’s how to identify the right fastener-connector combination for your next project.
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Better Engineering for Stronger, Longer-Lasting Bridges and Wastewater Infrastructure

Eighty-one years ago this May, traffic opened on a newly constructed bridge span between Marin County, California, and the city of San Francisco. At 4,200 feet long and with towers 746 feet high, the steel suspension bridge was the longest and tallest bridge of its time. Built at a cost of $35 million, held together with 1.2 million rivets, and painted international orange from end to end, the Golden Gate Bridge was an instant symbol not just of California idealism, but of American engineering and construction might.

While the Golden Gate is no longer the longest or tallest bridge in the world, its iconic status has endured. Named one of the seven wonders of the modern world by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Golden Gate enjoys regular special attention from 13 ironworkers and 28 painters who replace corroding steel and rivets with high-strength steel bolts and constantly touch up the span with paint to prevent corrosion.
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Modular Building: a Faster, Higher-Quality Alternative to Stick-Built Construction

Modular construction — sometimes also known as prefabricated, prefab, prebuilt, manufactured, factory-built, or panelized construction — ain’t no stroll in the trailer park. Although double-wides and modular prefabs sometimes roll off the same factory floor, the similarities end there between mobile homes and true modular construction, which is gaining a foothold in markets as builders and developers look for higher-quality, more efficient construction processes.

Like component construction, modular building takes much of the labor off of the construction site and puts it on a factory floor, where assembly can be value-engineered to minimize waste and maximize speed and overall product quality. And while modular building includes trusses and panels, modular component facilities are much more than your run-of-the-mill truss plant.
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