I had the opportunity to attend a class at the local Simpson training center. The topic was "Multi-Story Wood Frame Construction Workshop".
The class is free - all you have to do is register. When I got there at 7:30, they had a breakfast buffet, a refrigerator full of drinks, a product manual for each of us as well as coffee cup, pen, stationary and candy at each desk. They also catered BBQ for lunch.
I have to say I was really impressed with it. I was expecting 6 hours of "Buy Strong-Tie" or something of the sorts. What struck me is their training is centered around the IBC.
Here is the agenda:
1. Effects of Wind and Earthquakes
2. Design & Comparison of High Wind & Seismic Lateral forces
3. Force Distribution Based on Rigid and Flexible Diaphrams
4. Shear Wall Design Examples (Force Transfer Method, Perforated & Segments Design, Stacked vs. Non-stacked)
5. Tye Gilb Lab video
6. ATS Presentation (Product Information, Details, Design Software, Test Results, etc)
7. ATS Advantage (A cost Study of ATS vs. Tradition holdowns)
8. Anchoring Solutions: ACI1318 Anchoring Solutions for the Design Example
Sounds like a great program.
Cool I'd like to attend one of those . I have a lot of questions :o for those turkeys ;D , the perks sounded pretty good as well. How was the BBQ?
PEG,
The BBQ was good. They even had apple cobbler for desert - YUM!
From what I hear, they even pay for your hotel for your stay the night before the class. I am impressed their training has not (YET) become subject to corporate squeezing.
Granted, most of the people in there were mostly engineers and 95% of the material covered was WAY over my head. But for free food ::)
I am signed up for more classes so I will keep you updated.
P.S. Check your PM
Looks like good info, Chris and I have been on apartment complexes similar to those pictured in the literature using these. Possibly John can post them to this forum.
Youngins,
Can you tell me how to find out about where these classes are and how to sign up? I'd be interested for professional reasons as well as for purposes of personal construction geekery.
http://www.strongtie.com/workshops/workshops.asp?site=sst
I live in McKinney, TX - so it was pretty convenient for me. If you are approved as a builder or other related profession they claim to pay for your hotel stay the night before.
The next class I am going to is the "Wall Bracing Requirements of the International Residential Code" on April 12th. This will be perfect timing for myself since I plan on to be in the process of building the floor deck for the "Youngins Playhouse" by then.
Chris
Thanks so much for posting this. I just signed up for the April 14 homeowner program in Kent, WA.
mt
Simpson is selling milled lumber now too. Don't know if it has any metal mixed in. PEG-questions for those turkeys huh? If they talked to people about all of this stuff 200 years ago, they would have been burnt at the steak.
I just got out of "Wall Bracing Provisions of the IRC" Topics covered:
1. Why is wall bracing required?
2. Wall bracing requirments of the IRC
3. Steel strong-wall & tall wall applications
4. Case studies in wall bracing
During the first session, we learned the different methods for determining where and how bracing should be placed. The second session was dedicated to working actual examples using the IRC prescriptive guide. They had handouts of several different floor plans. For each one, we spent 10-15 minutes individually applying knowledge from the first session in determining where bracing should be placed and what method of bracing to use. The handouts included single and multi-story homes. We then went through each example as a class to see how we did.
I have to say this was much better than the first workshop since I learned something that I can actually apply. We also got the nickle tour of the attached factory facility. Saw exactly how a lot of the products are actually made. Also physically saw the largest floor joist in the world:
(http://www.strongtie.com/graphics/news/ibs2007.jpg)
The content of this workshop is something I believe everyone here could comprehend and strongly recommend.
I'd hate to have to lift that beam into its hanger!