Simpson Strong-Tie, the leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, has secured seismic code listing of its high-performance FRCM fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix and FRP fiber-reinforced polymer solutions for the reinforcement and strengthening of concrete and masonry structures.

Comprehensive seismic testing was conducted at the Simpson Strong-Tie Tyrell Gilb Research Lab and other locations to establish the strength of FRCM and FRP systems when subjected to seismic forces. Tyrell Gilb is the only privately owned lab with an accredited seismic testing facility, including a seismic shake table and a cyclic/static test frame that can test wall sections up to five stories high.

The 6.4-magnitude and 7.1-magnitude earthquakes that occurred on July 4 and July 5 outside of Ridgecrest, California, underscored the critical need for composite systems designed to repair structural damage from seismic events and that could provide the code-listed structural resiliency to withstand future events.  

“Larger earthquakes like the ones in Southern California are a reminder of the ongoing necessity for seismic retrofit applications that can provide significant flexural, axial and shear strength gains with reduced preparation and installation time,” says Brad Erickson, engineering manager of Composite Strengthening Systems for Simpson Strong-Tie. “With completion of seismic testing of FRCM and FRP, Simpson Strong-Tie is able to offer the most thorough code listing for any available composite strengthening system, and we still have the only code-listed precured carbon laminate as well.” 

Simpson Strong-Tie is at the forefront of research and development for seismically resilient construction systems, including participating in the world's largest shake table test to determine how buildings perform and where they fail during earthquakes and other natural disasters. The updated FRP code report has added ductility for column strengthening and for beam strengthening, as well as in-plane shear strengthening of slabs and of concrete walls. The new FRCM code report includes the following structural applications:

• Axial strengthening of columns
• Flexural strengthening of slabs
• Flexural and shear strengthening of beams
• Out-of-plane flexural strengthening of concrete masonry walls
• In-plane shear strengthening of concrete masonry walls

In addition to seismic testing, both the FRCM and FRP were tested for performance against fire, achieving a four-hour UL fire-rated assembly and a Class 1/A rating for ASTM E84 flame spread and smoke development.

For more information about the Simpson Strong-Tie FRCM fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix and FRP fiber-reinforced polymer solutions, visit strongtie.com/css.