It's good to be demonstrating a continuous path for earthquake protection - and a best practice!
Not long ago I took a class offered by Simpson Strong Tie, the company that makes structural straps and anchors. You have all seen their products, particularly under decks.
In that class I learned about something engineers are calling a CONTINUOUS PATH.
In Japan there is a huge and special warehouse in which scientists, engineers and Simpson Strong Tie, build houses. One is just a house. The other utilizes various forms of straps and ties and structural support. Then the warehouse shakes both houses!
From these experiments they can determine where best to place supports and better protect houses.
They found that only a few straps from top to bottom, in the right places, can literally hold a house together. These locations are called the CONTINUOUS PATH.
It is very effective and VERY cheap, only a couple of hundred dollars per house.
The photo to the left demonstrates the beginning of a continuous path I found recently in a new construction, pre-drywall inspection.
It was a happy find!
That very sturdy anchor is located at the center of the sill plate, anchoring into a multiple-stud array on the front wall of a townhouse.
Every townhouse in this row has the same thing.
Above this base anchor a couple of long straps are attached onto that same center stud array.
Notice how they pass through the ceiling, from first to second level, and are surrounded by orange fire block.
To the left is where they pass through that floor, to anchor into a similar multiple-stud array above.
Amazingly, this is all it takes to help tie the two levels together.
Finally, on the right, is the attachment at the front corner of the house.
Notice the half twist as it ties another multiple-stud array into an overhead, double, micro-laminate structural beam.
You can also see the lateral support between units, seeing the top of the 45 degree strap angling downward from the front corner.
This is the beam that supports the underside of the edge of a large balcony on the front of the house. And the roof from there.
Seeing it I was able to point it out to my client with an explanation of the experiments behind the system.
When I saw the supervisor I also expressed how good it was to see that. He knew what it was for, but did not know what it was called.
In my opinion, this is
Best Practice
And it is wonderful to see!
My recommendation: looking as I do for good things on new construction, it is great to see the fruits of scientific and engineering experimentation come to the fore in the building industry. People are thinking! And our builders are getting the message!
Comments(28)