Joist hangers are simple to install, but ignoring details can cause issues with inspectors and lead to project delays. At our office, we often see the same mistakes repeated—simple errors that are easy to avoid with proper care and following best practices. Here are the five most common...

A Repetitive Member Increase (Cr) in truss design accounts for the load-sharing and composite action that occurs when multiple members, connected by load-distributing elements, act together as a system. This is an adjustment to allowable stresses of multiple members (like trusses, joists,...

We often get questions about using fasteners different from those listed in a connector’s catalog load tables. A question came up recently, and I said, “I did a blog post about that not too long ago.” Turns out that blog post is over 10 years old, which no longer qualifies as...

A common denominator for deck collapses is a special family event, such as a graduation, wedding, birthday party, or family reunion. A properly designed and constructed 14-ft x 24-ft residential deck floor, designed for a 40 psf uniform live load, should safely support 84 occupants based on an...

Specific gravity (G) is a measure of wood density affected by the specific species or species combination of the commercial grade, growth region, and grading rules. It is the single most important lumber property for the strength of mechanical fasteners, such as nails and screws used in...

The 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) is available. One addition to the new residential code deals with the wood framing around stair openings. This addition was submitted as part of a code change proposal by the Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association (SMA) based on the work and...

At Simpson Strong-Tie, Risk-Taking Innovation is central to our mission of helping people design and build safer, stronger structures. We’ve devoted a tremendous amount of effort and resources to thoughtfully cultivating a culture of innovation. And as Engineers, we’ve been armed...

Mass timber buildings use cross-laminated timber (CLT) or mass plywood panels to create horizontal diaphragms to transfer wind and seismic forces into the vertical elements of the lateral-force-resisting system. Spline connections resist shear forces at the panel joints, which I discussed in...

Prior to joining Simpson Strong-Tie, I spent 13 years working as consulting structural engineer. As a specifier, I was amazed at the number of resources Simpson made available to me. From software, to blogs, to design guides, there were many resources to help me solve problems and streamline the...

Simpson Strong-Tie recently released an updated model of our H1 – now the H1A. As a consulting engineer, I remember how much I disliked updating my standard details when products were discontinued. I thought it would be informative to explain the modifications and some of the reasons for...