Volume 7 | Number 1 | April 2016

Industry News, Code Updates and Product Solutions

Although we are already nearing the end of the first quarter

of 2016, I would like to take the opportunity to say Happy
New Year and to thank you for your business and support
last year.
We have been undergoing many internal changes here at
Simpson Strong-Tie leading into the new year, which Id
like to share with you. Our goal for these changes, as always, is to ensure
we are providing the best products and service to you, our customers.
After much research and analysis, we recently decided to streamline our
Repair, Protection and Strengthening (RPS) Systems line. We are now
focusing our RPS Systems solutions on the Simpson Strong-Tie FX-70
Structural Repair and Protection System; on our Fiber-Reinforced Polymer
products including code-listed glass and carbon fibers, code-listed carbon
laminates, fiber-reinforced cementitious matrix; and on our injection resins.
In addition, we have divided the management of our RPS systems and
our anchor product line. I will continue to lead and oversee our anchor
products, and we have asked Ryan Kaelin, a long-time employee with solid
experience in the infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction
markets, to serve as Director of RPS. These changes ensure an even better
strategic focus on these separate yet complementary product lines to
produce products that best meet the needs of our customers.

2016 SIMPSON STRONG-TIE COMPANY INC.

Weve also made a significant investment in a new, state-of-the-art facility

for R&D and manufacturing of our anchor and RPS products. This new
175,000 sq. ft. facility in West Chicago, IL, will consolidate our Baltimore,
MD and Addison, IL facilities and will include a training center and
demonstration area for our employees and customers. We expect this
facility to be fully operational by the end of the year.
There are many benefits for Simpson Strong-Tie and for our customers
with the opening of this new facility. We will realize increased efficiency in
production and R&D, along with better collaboration between our RPS and
anchor product lines. The new facility also has room for future growth. At
the same time, we are carefully planning this transition to ensure there is no
disruption to our customer service and product availability for our customers.

PRODUCT NEWS
FRP SOLUTIONS NOW
CODE LISTED
The Simpson Strong-Tie precured laminate, a Fiber
Reinforced Polymer (FRP) solution, is now code
listed (ICC-ES ESR-3403). The listing makes Simpson
Strong-Tie the only manufacturer with a code-listed
precured laminate in North America.
FRP systems,
part of Simpson
Strong-Tie
Composite
Strengthening
Systems (CSS),
are externally
bonded and applied
to concrete and
masonry structural
elements for repair
and strengthening.
CSS consist of
carbon and glass
fabrics combined
with epoxy resin
to create the FRP
composite system
or a carbon-fiber
precured laminate applied with an epoxy paste. FRP
systems have a high strength/stiffness-to-weight ratio
and provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional
retrofit or strengthening methods.
The new code-listed carbon fabrics provide some of the
highest design values in the industry. The code report
includes:

As part of this change, I recently relocated to the Chicago area to be more

involved with the startup and ongoing operations of our new facility. The
opportunity to be based with so many of our talented employees, where
so many of our products are designed, tested and manufactured, is very
exciting. Im looking forward to getting the new facility up and running
to continue serving our customers.

CSS fabrics, including three weights of

unidirectional carbon and one weight each of
unidirectional glass and bidirectional glass

If you have any questions about these changes, please feel free to contact
me. Thank you again for your ongoing support.

FX-207 Slurry Seal as a finish coating for

flame-spread and smoke-developed classification
in compliance with the IBC and UBC.

Bill Georges
Vice President
Anchor Systems
bgeorges@strongtie.com

CSS epoxies, including an epoxy

saturant/primer and an epoxy paste/filler
CSS precured laminate

For more information about FRP solutions, visit

strongtie.com/rps. n

LITERATURE NEWS

TRADESHOW UPDATE

NEW 2016 ANCHOR

SYSTEMS PRODUCT GUIDE

WORLD OF CONCRETE WRAP-UP

The 20162017 Product Guide for Anchoring

and Fastening Systems is now available. The
new product guide features at-a-glance and
up-to-date information about the full line of
Simpson Strong-Tie anchor systems for use in
concrete and masonry. The product guide also
offers a robust appendix section with installation
instructions for adhesive anchors, mechanical
anchors and crack injection, as well as popular
product applications by contractor market. The
new guide includes an Anchor Product Selection
Guide that makes it easier than ever to identify
code-listed products, as well as sections on
carbide drill bits and restoration solutions.
To download the guide or order by mail, go to
strongtie.com/anchorproductguide. n

Simpson Strong-Tie featured and demonstrated a variety of products at World of

Concrete in Las Vegas on February 25.
Simpson Strong-Tie Repair, Protection and Strengthening (RPS) systems were
featured with installation displays and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) crush tests
each hour. A 180-gallon tide pool was used to simulate the in-place installation
capabilities of the FX-70 Structural Repair and Protection System.
Featured anchor
system products
included the
newly released
HDIA hollow
drop-in anchor,
an internally
threaded, flushmount expansion
anchor for use in
hollow materials
such as CMU
and hollow-core
plank as well
as solid base
materials, and
the Simpson
Strong-Tie Piston Plug Adhesive Delivery System, which offers an easy-to-use,
more reliable and less time-consuming means to dispense adhesive into drilled
holes for threaded rod and rebar dowel installations at overhead, upwardly inclined
and horizontal orientations.
Many attendees participated in a Drill n Fill installation contest where they had to
install an adhesive anchor and a Titen HD concrete screw using three gas-actuated
fasteners and a powder-actuated fastener. All participants received a t-shirt, and
the daily champions won a YETI cooler. The overall show champion won a Speed
Clean Dust Extraction System, a comprehensive drill bit-and-vacuum system
that reduces dust while producing precise, clean holes for adhesive installation.
Power tools for the Drill n Fill contest were provided by the Robert Bosch Tool
Corporation, an alliance partner.

WORKSHOPS & TRAINING

Authorized Stocking Dealers-Condensed
Stockton, California
Thursday, April 14
Commercial Construction Overview
North Las Vegas, Nevada
Chandler, Arizona
Waipahu, Hawaii
Waipahu, Hawaii

Thursday, April 21
Thursday, May 5
Wednesday, May 18
Thursday, May 19

Concrete and Masonry Repair and Strengthening with FRP Workshop

High Point, North Carolina
Tuesday, April 26
Gallatin, Tennessee
Wednesday, June 8

General Review with Wood and CFS Connectors,

Anchors and RPS
Golden, Colorado
Tuesday, April 19
Salt Lake City, Utah
Thursday, April 21
Post-Installed Concrete Anchorage / Wood, Concrete,
Steel Repair and Restoration Workshop
Bend, Oregon
Tuesday, April 5
Medford, Oregon
Thursday, April 7
Strength Design of Post-Installed Concrete
Manchester, New Hampshire
Wednesday, April 6

For more information regarding workshop content and for a complete schedule, visit the Workshops and Training section
of our website at strongtie.com/workshops.
2

2016 SIMPSON STRONG-TIE COMPANY INC.

We thank everyone who visited the Simpson Strong-Tie booth at World of Concrete
and look forward to seeing you again in 2017! n

PRODUCT PROFILE
NEW CRIMP DRIVE ANCHOR
Simpson Strong-Tie has added a new countersunk-head
anchor to the Crimp Drive product line. This easy-toinstall expansion anchor offers a preformed curvature
that creates an expansion mechanism to keep the anchor
in place and eliminates the need for secondary tightening.
The new design reduces time and labor and overall cost
of installation.
With nine zinc-plated and two mechanically galvanized

countersunk sizes, Simpson Strong-Tie provides a full

line of Crimp Drive anchors for use in concrete and
grout-filled block. Five crimp anchor head styles are
available for several applications, including fastening
wood or light-gauge steel, attaching concrete formwork
and hanging overhead support for sprinkler pipes or
suspended ceiling panels. For more information about the
new Crimp Drive anchor, visit strongtie.com/anchors. n

ONLINE UPDATE
JOIN THE COMMUNITY: STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING BLOG

2016 SIMPSON STRONG-TIE COMPANY INC.

The Simpson Strong-Tie Structural Engineering Blog is a forum

for meaningful discussions and resources specifically for
structural engineers. We invite you to subscribe to the weekly
blog, and welcome conversations and comments on our posts.
Visit seblog.strongtie.com (no www needed) to subscribe
and view our posts.

Cold-Formed Steel Framing Wall Stud Design Section B1. One

is sheathing-braced design and the other is steel-braced design.
Sheathing-braced design has limitations, but it is a cost-effective
method of bracing studs since sheathing is typically attached to
wall studs. This design method is based on an assumption that
the sheathing connections to the stud are the bracing points and
so its limited by the strength of the sheathing-fastener-to-stud
connection. Due to this limitation, the Designer has to use a
steel-braced design for most practical situations. AISI S211
prescribes a maximum nominal stud axial load for gypsum board
sheathing with fasteners spaced no more than 12 inches on
center. AISI S211 Section B1 and the Commentary discuss
the design method and assumptions and demonstrate how to
determine the sheathing bracing strength.

Here is an excerpt from one of our posts, Brace for Impact!

Bracing Design for Cold-Formed Steel Studs, by Jeff Ellis,
Simpson Strong-Tie Director of Codes and Standards.
While consideration of bracing is important for any structural
element, this is especially true for thin, singly symmetric coldformed steel (CFS) framing members such as wall studs. Without
proper consideration of bracing, excessive buckling or even failure
could occur. Bracing is required to resist buckling due to axial or
out-of-plane lateral loads or a combination of the two.
There are two methods for bracing CFS studs as prescribed by
the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Committee on
Framing Standards (COFS) S211 North American Standard for

To read the rest of this post, visit seblog.strongtie.com. If you

have questions, have a suggestion for a topic or would like to
provide feedback about the blog, please send us an email at
seblog@strongtie.com. n

Concrete News is published by Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. All information is meant to be relevant and useful. Information provided is for general understanding
only. All designs or other information should be evaluated by a qualified design professional. MAILING LIST: To revise your mailing information, contact us at
web@strongtie.com and include your old and new information.

P.O. Box 10789, Pleasanton, CA 94588

800-999-5099
strongtie.com

Inside this issue:

FRP Solutions Now Code Listed
New 2016 Anchor Systems

Product Guide

World of Concrete Wrap-Up

New Crimp Drive Anchor

Join the Community:

Structural Engineering Blog

WEBSITE UPDATE
REDESIGNED WEBSITE
PROVIDES ENHANCED
FEATURES
Simpson Strong-Tie has redesigned its website
to provide advanced features for Designers,
structural engineers and architects. The new
website includes the most up-to-date product
information and is mobile-friendly so it can
be viewed in any format.
The site also features more powerful search
and filtering functions based on
product attributes, making it
even easier to browse and locate
the exact products you need.
Enhanced photographs, illustrations and graphics also depict
products in greater detail.
We plan to add new capabilities to
strongtie.com throughout 2016,
so check back frequently to see
the latest enhancements. n