Did you know that the average life expectancy of a wood deck is between 10 and 15 years? Modern design and construction practices use structural connectors to form a continuous load path. This construction method uses connectors and structural screws to create solid connections reinforcing a structure against wind, seismic, and other load forces all the way from the roof down to the foundation.
Tag: engineering
Building Dreams: The Impact of Simpson Strong-Tie Student Scholarships
We recently caught up with past recipients of our Simpson Strong-Tie Student Scholarship, part of our Strong-Tie Undergraduate Fellowship. The scholarship provides juniors and seniors majoring in architecture, civil or structural engineering, and construction management or technology at participating schools with $3,000 towards their education.
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From Bar Inspiration to Backyard Elevation: How to DIY a Cantilevered Swing
Kurt Krasavage, owner of Residential Imagineering, LLC, constructed a cantilevered swing in his backyard using Simpson Strong-Tie hardware. Inspired by a bar in Mexico with an attached swing-set, Kurt and lead builder Shawn Bealla created an exceptional outdoor entertainment center that became a popular gathering spot. Learn about his project and get inspired for your own creative backyard DIY.
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The 2022 Simpson Strong-Tie Scholarship Student Trip
Each year, Simpson Strong-Tie provides scholarships to students studying in the engineering field. Besides the scholarship, we also offer an all-expenses–paid trip to the Bay Area to tour our lab, meet our engineers and do a bit of sightseeing. Training Coordinator Sam Marcoux discusses this year’s scholarship trip and reports from the students about their experience.
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A Woman In Engineering: How I Break the Bias
March 8, 2022 is International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is “Break the Bias” which asks participants to imagine a gender equal world. Simpson Strong-Tie Engineering Supervisor for the Southwest United States, Rachel Holland, shares her story of being a woman in engineering and how she works to create change in her field by mentoring young women interested in STEM.
When I was young, no one mentioned how rare female engineers were. Perhaps I didn’t do my research to figure that out on my own. In fairness, though, there tended to be an equal number of female and male students in the classes I took in high school. However, by day one as an architectural engineering freshman at Cal Poly SLO, I could already tell the vast majority of my classmates for the next five years were going to be boys. Therefore, that was a big change — and a telling clue about my future career path.
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Meet Annie Kao, Our VP of Engineering
Every February, the National Society of Professional Engineers honors the profession of engineering during Engineers Week. The goal of Engineers Week is to “celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world.” Engineers are the foundation of Simpson Strong-Tie, and we appreciate our engineering team daily. However, this year we’re using Engineers Week as an opportunity to tell the story of individuals who help make up our Engineering Department.
Simpson Strong-Tie Viet Nam Branch Celebrates Lunar New Year
Simpson Strong-Tie’s Vietnam Branch was established in 2012 to provide No-Equal® engineering services not only in structural engineering, mechanical engineering and graphic design but also in software solutions. We work as a team, grow together inspired by our commitment to product quality and a customer-focused mindset, and bring collaborative spirit to achieving our organizational goals.
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Engineering with Kids: Popsicle Sticks, Spaghetti and Marshmallows
Back in March, a few colleagues and I were discussing how to prepare kids for college. With that subject in mind, I wanted to do something fun and meaningful for the kids in our community. So I organized some workshops in my back yard focused on engineering with kids who might be interested in exploring structural engineering — and summer was the perfect time to do it! We had a group of 12 kids, aged 7–11, who signed up and were all set to explore some engineering concepts. It was a learning experience for me, as well!
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How to Build a Durable Home DIY Bar
Many of us have cluttered or underutilized space in our garage or backyard. But sometimes those spaces can be turned into a relaxing retreat for friends and family. As the 2015 summer interns at Simpson Strong-Tie, we designed a DIY bar to make unused space a pleasant place to relax. The home bar is common in many kitchens or outdoor areas; however, this DIY bar opens a door for personalization.
Whether you’re looking to create a DIY cocktail lounge in the garage, a full-scale tropical bar by the pool or a simple bar for family barbecues and cocktail parties, your experiences will be better knowing that you’re enjoying them at your personal, hand-built bar.