All Things Wood: Unpredictable Nature and Cause of Cracks at Gypsum Panel Ceiling Joints Perpendicular to Framing Frank Woeste Introduction In some arid parts of the Southwest, the occurrence and recurrence of cracks at taped gypsum panel (drywall) joints between panels in residential projects have been reported in trade magazines since the mid-1990s. In some homes of a project, one or two cracks or ridges appear at... Read More January 2020 Issue #12246 Page 60
Questions Answered: CSHP High-Performance Coiled Strap Rachel Holland We recently hosted an interactive webinar in which our new high-performance coiled strap’s product manager, Thom Murphy, and I discussed how an innovative embossment is a game changer for coiled strap, making it easier and faster to install with a standard framing nailer. During the... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 108
Questions Answered: Making Wood Connections Work for Two-Hour Fire Walls Paul McEntee In this article, Paul McEntee follows up on our July 25 webinar, Making Wood Connections Work for Two-Hour Fire Walls, by answering some of the interesting questions raised by attendees. We presented an hour-long webinar recently about using fire wall hangers in Type III wood-frame buildings,... Read More November 2018 Issue #10232 Page 90
Still Using Lag Screws? Consider Self-Tapping Wood Screws Instead Aram Khachadourian, P.E. Lag screws are traditionally specified for many structural loads in wood construction. However, recent innovations in engineering for self-tapping wood screws have made them an increasingly popular, labor-saving alternative to lag screws. In the following, Aram Khachadourian, P.E., of Simpson... Read More October 2018 Issue #10231 Page 108
Questions Answered: Resisting Uplift with Structural Fasteners Bryan Wert Of course you know about creating a continuous load path with either connectors or rod tiedown systems, but have you considered using fasteners instead? In this article, Bryan Wert follows up on our May 2 webinar, Drive a New Path: Resisting Uplift with Structural Fasteners, by answering some of... Read More July 2018 Issue #10228 Page 96
Multi-Ply Beam Load Transfer Paul McEntee Larger beams are often built up out of smaller 2x or 1¾” members. This can be done for several different reasons: for the convenience of handling smaller members on the jobsite, or because solid 4x, 6x or glulam material is not readily available, or for reasons of cost. Engineered... Read More April 2018 Issue #10225 Page 98
All Things Wood: Anatomy of an Inherently Dangerous Deck Frank Woeste Over the period of nine days starting on June 9, 2017, five deck collapses in five states (MT, VA, OH. MI, and WI) were reported in the news media. Using the injury data from the media, the five collapses resulted in a total of 57 injuries. In one case, WAVY.com reported that, after an... Read More July 2017 Issue #10216 Page 76
Mass Timber Construction – Building for the Future Fred Tai The future is here. It is common knowledge that wood is a renewable and environmentally friendly building material. There are two types of wood-framing methods in North America. The most common method for residential construction is light-frame construction using either balloon-framing or... Read More April 2017 Issue #10213 Page 76
How to Pick a Connector Series: Selecting a Joist Hanger Randy Shackelford A quick glance through the Simpson Strong-Tie® Wood Construction Connectors catalog shows that we manufacture at least 29 different models of face-mount wood-to-wood joist hangers, three separate models of face-mount wood-to-masonry hangers, 42 different models of top-flange wood-to-wood... Read More March 2017 Issue #10212 Page 76
How to Pick a Connector Series – Selecting Fasteners Aram Khachadourian, P.E. The parts won’t hold themselves up. They have to be fastened in place. In a previous entry in this series, Randy Shackelford, PE addressed selecting a joist hanger. This article focuses on the fasteners recommended for various wood connectors. For straps, holdowns, and other... Read More October 2016 Issue #09207 Page 68