Specify – March 2019

Balcony connection system

J&P Building Systems Ltd.’s BALCON unit is an adjustable assembly for joining metal balconies to concrete structures. According to the company, simple installation and design is the theme behind BALCON. It is strong, so fewer connections are required to make structural connections. It is a rigid fixing point, with no rotation, allowing the designer to focus on the supporting steel structure. Design of the BALCON system enables concrete and architectural metal trades to work in harmony, reducing the risk of site remedial work while maintaining high thermal insulation performance at the connections. At the connection points, FABREEKA_TIM shims positioned between components provide thermal insulation, minimizing leakage through the connections.

J&P Building Systems

www.jp-uk.com

Seismic bypass framing connector

Simpson Strong-Tie introduced the SCS seismic bypass framing connector, the first hybrid seismic clip engineered for either slide-clip or fixed-clip applications in high-seismic areas, and the first product of its kind to undergo full-scale cyclic research testing to determine load capacities in real-world conditions, the company said. To determine the in-plane performance of the SCS clips, Simpson Strong-Tie conducted full-scale cyclic testing on the uniaxial shake table at its Tye Gilb Research Laboratory. The results were used to develop a representative component test to determine various combinations of stud/clip in-plane capacities. The testing allowed the company to a re-engineer the bypass clip to significantly increase the in-plane capacity.

Simpson Strong-Tie

www.strongtie.com

Field-bolted connections

SidePlate Systems released field-bolted connections for all applications. Its new SidePlate and SidePlate PLUS connections can be applied to any lateral steel design. The SidePlate connection is optimized for projects outside seismic regions. The joint has no field-welding, which speeds up any construction project by eliminating weather delays and minimizing the need for specialized field welding. In addition, added stiffness in the field-bolted joint design typically allows for an overall lighter steel package, reducing project costs and enhancing erection speeds. The SidePlate PLUS connection is perfect for areas with special seismic requirements. The PLUS design is also field-bolted and is AISC 358 approved.

SidePlate Systems

www.sideplate.com