NEES-Soft Project Tests Strong Frame® Special Moment Frame to Validate Seismic Retrofit Solutions for Soft-Story Buildings

As part of the NEES-Soft project led by Colorado State University, Simpson Strong-Tie and other industry collaborators successfully completed earthquake testing of the Simpson Strong-Tie® Strong Frame® special moment frame on July 24-August 5 at the University of California San Diego.

The initial testing is intended to validate the FEMA P-807 guidelines that address seismic retrofit requirements for weak-story, wood-frame buildings in seismically active regions of the United States as well as provide a solution for the City of San Francisco's mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance. The test set up featured a full-scale, four-story wood-frame building with a soft (weak) first story. Simpson Strong-Tie Strong Frame special moment frames were used to retrofit just the first story of the building (the garage area) to see if a lower-cost alternative could minimize building damage during an earthquake. Using the university's outdoor shake table, the building was subjected to four earthquakes that ranged in magnitude from approximately 3.5 to 6.5.

After the first test series, the upper stories of the building showed negligible damage, due to the Strong Frame fuses in the ground floor frames absorbing the earthquake energy within the frame and keeping the structural integrity of the beams and columns intact. The structural fuses were not replaced between tests, demonstrating their ability to absorb more than one large ground motion. The test results showcase that there is a practical, cost-effective retrofit solution for the City of San Francisco as well as other cities with seismic risk. To learn more about the test, click here.

David Weekley Homes Honors Simpson Strong-Tie with "Partners of Choice" Award for Ninth Consecutive Year

For the ninth year in a row, Simpson Strong-Tie received the coveted "Partners of Choice" Award – earning an "A" ranking in both quality and service from David Weekley Homes, the nation's largest privately held home builder. The Partners of Choice Award is the result of a rigorous interactive feedback system that recognizes top-performing suppliers. Simpson Strong-Tie has been part of the evaluation program since its inception in 2003, and is among 16 companies this year to achieve the double "A" ranking. For more information about the award, visit www.strongtie.com/news.

Simpson Strong-Tie Supports
Our American Made Home Project

Our American Made Home is a residential project by husband and wife team Patrick and Renee Dubois. The Dubois' are building their dream home in New Castle, California, with as many American-made products as possible, including several donated Simpson Strong-Tie® structural connectors.

"We feel it's very important to support companies who manufacture products in the USA. We have heard time and again how important this project is from our readers. We are fortunate to get support from Simpson Strong-Tie and hope that others will make the conscious decision to ask for them by name," noted Patrick Dubois.

Simpson Strong-Tie manufactures hundreds of thousands of structural connectors every year – all of which are made in the U.S. For more information about the project and the Simpson Strong-Tie products used throughout the home, visit www.ouramericanmadehome.com.

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