Wood Construction Connectors - Page 7

®	IMPORTANT INFORMATION & GENERAL NOTES

These notes are provided to ensure proper installation of Simpson Strong-Tie^® Co, Inc. products and must be followed fully.

a. Simpson Strong-Tie Co., Inc. reserves the right to change specifications, designs, and models without notice or liability for such changes.

b. Steel used for each Simpson product is individually selected based on the product's steel specifications, including strength, thickness, formability, finish, and weldabitity. Contact factory for steel information on specific products.

c. Unless otherwise noted, dimensions are in inches, loads are in pounds.

d. Unless otherwise noted, bolts and nails cannot be combined. 8d, 10d, and 16d specify common nails.

e. Unless otherwise noted, allowable loads are for the following species under continuously dry conditions. Allowable loads for other species or conditions must be adjusted according to the code.

f. For face-mount hangers and straight straps, use 0.86 of the table loads for Spruce-Pine-Fir.

g. Simpson Strong-Tie Co., Inc. will manufacture non-catalog products provided prior approval is obtained and an engineering drawing is included with the order. Steel specified on the drawings as 1/8",3/16" and 1/4" will be 11 gauge (0.117"), 7 ga (0.179"), and 3 gauge (0.239"), respectively. The minimum yield and tensile strengths are 33 ksi and 52 ksi, respectively.

h. All references to bolts or MBs are for structural quality through bolts equal to or better than ASTM Standard A 307, Grade A.

i. Unless otherwise noted, bending steel in the field may cause fractures at the bend line. Fractured steel will not carry load and must be replaced.

j. A fastener that splits the wood will not take the design load. Evaluate splits to determine if the connection will perform as required. Dry wood may split more easily and should be evaluated as required. If wood tends to split, consider pre-boring holes with diameters not exceeding .75 of the nail diameter (1997 National Design Specification, 12.1.3.1.).

k. Wood shrinks and expands as it loses and gains moisture, particularly perpendicular to its grain. Take wood shrinkage into account when designing and installing connections. Simpson manufactures products to fit common dry lumber dimensions. If you need a connector with dimensions other than those listed in this catalog, Simpson may be able to vary connector dimensions; contact the factory. The effects of wood shrinkage are increased in multiple lumber connections, such as floor-to-floor installations. This may result in the vertical rod nuts becoming loose, requiring post-installation tightening.

l. Top flange hangers may cause unevenness. Possible remedies should be evaluated by a professional and include using a face mount hanger, and routering the beam or cutting the subfloor to accommodate the top flange thickness.

m. Built-up lumber (multiple members) must be fastened together to act as one unit to resist the applied load.

n.Do Not Overload. Do not exceed catalog allowable loads, which would jeopardize the connection.

o. Some model configurations may differ from those shown in this catalog. Contact factory for details.

p. Hanger Options -- some combinations of hanger options have not been evaluated. In some cases, combinations of these options may not be installable. Horizontal loads induced by sloped joists must be resisted by other members in the structural system. A qualified designer must always evaluate each connection, including carried and carrying member limitations, before specifying the product. Fill all fastener holes with fastener types specified in the tables, unless otherwise noted.

Hanger configurations, height, and fastener schedules may vary from the tables depending on joist size, skew and slope. See the allowable table load for the non-modified hanger, and adjust as indicated. Gauge may vary from that specified depending on the manufacturing process used. U and W hangers normally have single stirrups; occasionally, the seat may be welded.

B, W and GLT hangers for sloped seat installations are assumed backed. To order a custom non-backed hanger, contact the factory.

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE INSTALLER

a. All specified fasteners must be installed according to the instructions in this catalog. Incorrect fastener quantity, size, type, material, or finish may cause the connection to fail. 16d fasteners are common nails (8 ga x 3-1/2") and cannot be replaced with16d sinkers (9 ga x 3-1/4") unless otherwise specified.

b. Bolt holes shall be a minimum of 1/32" and a maximum of 1/16" larger than the bolt diameter (per the 1997 NDS, section 8.1.2.1.).

c. Install all specified fasteners before loading the connection.

d. Use proper safety equipment.

e. Welding galvanized steel may produce harmful fumes: follow proper welding procedures and safety precautions. Welding should be in accordance with A.W.S. standards.

f. Pneumatic or powder-actuated fasteners may deflect and injure the operator or others. Nail tools may be used to install connectors, provided the correct quantity and type of nails are properly installed in the nail holes. Tools with nail hole-locating mechanisms should be used. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and use the appropriate safety equipment.

g. Joist shall bear completely on the connector seat, and the gap between the joist end and the header shall not exceed 1/8".

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DESIGNER

a. Allowable loads for hangers are determined by a static load test resulting in not more than a 1/8" deflection of the joist relative to the header.

b. Allowable loads for more than one direction for a single connection cannot be added together. A design load which can be divided into components in the directions given must be evaluated as follows:

Design Shear/Allowable Shear + Design Tension/Allowable Tension <= 1.0.

c. Loads are based on the 1997 National Design Specifications (NDS), unless otherwise specified. Other code agencies may use different allowable loads.

d. Duration of load adjustments as specified by the code are as follows:

"FLOOR" and "DOWN" (100) -- no increase for duration of load.

"SNOW" (115) -- 115% of design load for 2 month duration of load.

"NON-SNOW" (125) --  125% of design load for 7 day duration of load.

"EARTHQUAKE/WIND" (133 and 160) -- 133% and 160% of design load for earthquake/wind loading.

Other load values, based on duration of applied loads or special conditions, may govern in certain geographic areas and may be used where applicable, up to the maximum table load. Load duration increases are only applied if the factor of safety can be maintained.

e. Wood shear is not considered in the loads given; reduce allowable loads when wood shear is limiting.

f. Simpson Strong-Tie Co., Inc. strongly recommends the following addition to construction drawings and specifications:

"Simpson Strong-Tie connectors are specifically required to meet the structural calculations of plan. Before substituting another brand, confirm load capacity based on reliable published testing data or calculations."

g. Verify that the dimensions of the supporting member are sufficient to receive the specified fasteners.

h. Some catalog illustrations show connections that could cause cross-grain tension or bending of the wood during loading if not sufficiently rein forced. In this case, mechanical reinforcement should be considered.

i. Simpson will provide code testing data on all products upon request.

j. The allowable loads published in this catalog are for use when utilizing the traditional Allowable Stress Design methodology. A method for using Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) for wood has recently been published in AF&PA/ASCE 16-95.