Simpson Strong-Tie calls itself "the world leader in structural solutions, products and technology that help people design and build safer, stronger homes, buildings, and communities." A pioneer in the building industry, company officials say its employees have an unmatched passion for problem solving through skillful engineering and thoughtful innovation. Earlier this year, the company introduced the new Yield-Link brace connection (YLBC), an innovative structural steel solution for dissipating energy through a fuse connection, which creates a resilient steel frame that protects the beam column and brace during seismic and wind events.

The YLBC is simple for designers to incorporate into new construction or retrofits, helps reduce testing and inspection costs, and requires no field welding, company officials note. Along with the Yield-Link moment connection and Edge-Tie system for cladding connections, the Yield-Link brace connection gives fabricators, erectors, engineers, building owners, and contractors a tested, more economical solution for structural steel construction. Backed by technical field support and integrated into several widely used design and detailing software tools, the YLBC joins a growing suite of proven structural steel construction solutions designed to simplify design and installation while enhancing building strength and resilience.

"The Yield-Link brace connection provides structural steel engineers and specifiers with a design-friendly, fully tested product," says Tim Ellis, Business Development Manager, Structural Steel at Simpson Strong-Tie, which is headquartered at Hacienda and has been a tenant since 1995. "Fabricators and erectors will appreciate how fast and easy it is to install. For building owners, the YLBC reduces costs and construction time and helps provide a safe, resilient structure."

The company's structural systems research and rigorous testing enable it to design code-listed, value-engineered solutions for a multitude of applications in wood, steel, and concrete structures. At the end of 2022, for example, Simpson Strong-Tie introduced ACBH, an aluminum concealed beam hanger designed for mass timber structures and engineered to support loads equivalent to 20,000 pounds of force. Designed to provide a concealed connection for fire performance and architectural aesthetics, the ACBH from Simpson Strong-Tie joined the existing CBH concealed beam hanger as part of a family of innovative connectors and solutions for mass timber construction. Fabricated from machined aluminum, the ACBH allows for the use of 45º countersunk fasteners, delivering significantly higher loads and stiffness per screw. For situations where a single ACBH is still not sufficient for the design loads, two connectors can be used on a single beam end to achieve twice the allowable download of a single connector.

"The ACBH has been thoroughly tested as a high-capacity, easy-to-install connector and is designed with drift performance in mind and to take on the heavy loads of mass timber construction," says Randy Daudet, Director of Global Offsite Construction at Simpson Strong-Tie. "Along with our other structural solutions for mass timber, the ACBH provides mass timber fabricators and construction crews with additional versatility and simplified installation to help them build safer, stronger structures faster."
Featuring tested assemblies for one-hour and two-hour fire resistance ratings and excellent tolerance for onsite fit-up, the ACBH provides a strong and reliable connection that's fast, easy, and cost-effective to install, according to officials. The ACBH is manufactured and stocked in the US for reliable availability to meet short lead times and to reduce jobsite dependency on challenged global supply chains.

For more information about Simpson Strong-Tie, please visit www.strongtie.com, www.facebook.com/strongtie, or twitter.com/strongtie.
For more information on the Yield-Link brace connection, including an installation video, please visit www.youtu.be/4Q5fCHamFqA.

Photo by Alain Pham on Unsplash