The world is moving at such a rapid rate with changes in technology, processes and demands that things we would never thought achievable, are now a reality. Our ability to move with the times and adopt this new technology and thinking could be the difference between survival, or not. Who would have thought a decade ago that the Truss manufacturers would be making floors and sending them out as opposed to just supplying the floor trusses.
As designers and builders realise that timber is not just for domestic construction but rather md rise and commercial buildings, the Frame and Truss fabricator has an opportunity that has never existed before. Sustainable buildings constructed in timber up to 6 stories is now a reality and while there are the systems from Europe that have been bought in, traditional frame walls are still a perfect solution for us.
With this development there are challenges and bracing for this height is one of them. With Simpson Strong-Tie’s engineering involvement in the past decade of factory built shear wall systems and high wind rod tie down systems in the US, the solutions are already here. We have engineered the ATS system into a number of buildings in Australia working closely with the design Engineers and the builders to achieve economical workable solutions. The new Portal Frame System where the steel is taken out of the building and replaced with LVL and a Hardware system that is easier to fix to and cheaper to install. We have an engineering team with decades of experience in this field that takes us outside any software driven solution that we may have been used to. This is all designed to meet the Simpson Strong-Tie motto of “Helping to build Safer, Stronger Structures”.
As we continue to move into these new areas of construction, let’s not bury our heads in the sand with “this is the way that we have always done it” but rather embrace the new systems and processes that have been tested and engineered for better solutions. New fasteners that replace traditional straps in tie downs and frame construction for better loads. More fixing from the floor for safer construction sites for our customer, the builder. Greater efficiencies for all in the construction industry while not reducing the quality and integrity of the structure.
For more information on the ATS tie down systems and Shear wall opportunities, contact Simpson Strong-Tie.
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