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November 2020 #12256 Page #130
Risk-Taking Innovation Leads to New FRP Strengthening Application
By Jesse Russell
At Simpson Strong-Tie, we’re always seeking out new opportunities for innovation while helping customers find solutions to new challenges. In fact, “relentless customer focus” and “risk-taking innovation” are two of our nine company values. These two values recently came into play with a challenge to test our Composite Strengthening Systems™ FRP products in a new application on a 17-foot-tall concrete column. Concrete Strengthening Systems Development Manager Aniket Borwanker was on the testing team. He explains the challenge: “Simpson Strong-Tie worked with Tipping Structural Engineers and Maffei Structural Engineers to test a full-scale concrete column strengthened with our code-listed FRP in our state-of-the-art Tye Gilb research laboratory in Stockton, California. Due to unique site conditions, many columns couldn’t be wrapped on all sides. Simpson Strong-Tie built full-scale concrete specimens to match the concrete columns onsite. FD Thomas Structural Specialties, an elite Simpson Strong-Tie–certified FRP contractor, wrapped the concrete specimen on three of its faces with FRP, and used FRP through-anchors on the fourth face. We tested multiple specimens with various FRP materials and loaded them in both directions. The columns were tested using displacementcontrolled cyclic loading protocol to simulate earthquake loading. Once the testing was complete and the results analyzed, Tipping Structural Engineers approved the strengthening detail to be used on this project.” Continued next page
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