FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 14, 2009
Contact for Reporters:
Shelby Lentz
Simpson Strong-Tie
(925) 560-9068
slentz@strongtie.com
or
Emily Narvaes Wilmsen
Colorado State University
(970) 491-2336
Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu
or
Suzette Riley
Colehour+Cohen
206-409-1960
sriley@colehourcohen.com
World’s Largest Earthquake Test Led by Colorado State University and
Simpson Strong-Tie Could Help U.S. Building Industry
Editor’s note: Video, photos, Q&A and project background information are available for download at
www.strongtie.com/capstonetest - click on “Information for the Media.”
A teleconference with key spokespeople will begin and 9:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. ET on July 14. For more
information see bottom of release.
Pleasanton, Calif. – Colorado State University and Simpson Strong-Tie along with other partners successfully
led the world’s largest earthquake shake table test in Japan on Tuesday, showing that mid-rise wood-frame
buildings can be built to withstand major earthquakes.
“Thorough, detailed analysis of the data won’t be available for weeks, but scientists are pleased with the initial
results,” said John van de Lindt, principal investigator on the test and civil engineering professor at Colorado
State University.
Tuesday’s 40-second test, approximating a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, was the strongest test, occurring on a
seven-story condominium tower with 23 one- and two-bedroom living units. The test, held in Miki City, near
Kobe, Japan, was on the world’s largest earthquake shake table owned by Japan’s E-Defense, a 3-D, full scale
earthquake testing facility. The tower is the largest wood-frame building ever built and tested.
“Early results of the testing this summer show that the building performed so well and had so little damage that
it validated the design philosophy developed by Colorado State, other universities in the National Science
Foundation’s Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation and our industry collaborators,” said van de Lindt.
Steve Pryor, structural engineer for Simpson Strong-Tie and project collaborator added, "The testing thus far
has shown that performance-based design for light-frame wood structures works. This will allow the
engineering and building community to provide safer, better performing buildings in the most cost-effective
manner."
-more-
The U.S. building industry rarely permits wood-frame buildings in excess of five stories in earthquake-prone
areas. The data gathered from this test could increase the height of these buildings and influence the design of
future wood-frame construction. The government of British Columbia is particularly interested in the results of
the test after enacting a new law April 1 that increases the height of wood-frame structures from four to six stories.
Researchers spent the summer simulating earthquakes ranging from fairly frequent events expected every 70
years or so, to more powerful earthquakes that are only expected every 500 to 2,500 years, with magnitudes
ranging from 6.7 to 7.5 on the Richter scale. The Northridge earthquake, for comparison, measured 6.7.
The seismic testing, known as the NEESWood Capstone tests, is the culmination of a four-year $1.4 million
grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a new design approach for taller wood-frame buildings
in earthquake-prone areas. That grant is a collaboration between five universities, including Texas A&M
University, RPI, University at Buffalo, and University of Delaware.
Other contributors on the Japan project include the U.S. Forest Products Lab/Forest Service, the Provincial
Government of British Columbia, FPInnovations, Maui Homes and numerous material contributors, including
Stanley Bostitch, and Strocal Inc.
MEDIA TELECONFERENCE INFORMATION:
WHEN:
Tuesday, July 14, 9:30 a.m. PT / 12:30 p.m. ET
CALL-IN: 1-218-936-7999 ACCESS CODE: 173216
WHO:
Dr. John van de Lindt, project lead and professor, Colorado State University
Steve Pryor, structural engineer and project collaborator, Simpson Strong-Tie
Please RSVP to Suzette Riley at sriley@colehourcohen.com or 206-262-0363 x 110
About Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc.
For more than 50 years, Simpson Strong-Tie has focused on creating structural products that help people build safer
and stronger homes and buildings. Considered a leader in structural systems research and testing, Simpson StrongTie® products are recognized for helping structures resist high winds, hurricanes and seismic forces. The company is
one of the largest manufacturers of connectors, fasteners, fastening systems, anchors and lateral-force resisting
systems in the world. To better understand how buildings perform, Simpson Strong-Tie invested in its state-of-the-art
Tyrell Gilb Research Laboratory in Stockton, California. The lab features specialized testing equipment, including a
three-story shake table that recreates seismic ground motion to test full-scale wall sections. The work Simpson
Strong-Tie does in its labs not only helps with new product development, but also with new technology and ideas on
how structures are designed and built. www.strongtie.com
About NEESWood
NSF created the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation or NEES to improve the
understanding of earthquakes and their effects. NEES is network of 15 large-scale, experimental facilities that feature
shake tables and centrifuges that simulate earthquake effects as well as a tsunami wave basin. John Van de Lindt
manages NSF’s $1.4 million grant for Colorado State, Texas A&M University, State University of New York-Buffalo,
Rensselear Polytechnic Institute and the University of Delaware and is leading the NEESWood project. The goal of
NEESWood is to safely increase the height of wood-frame construction buildings in the U.S. to six stories while
effectively incorporating technology that minimizes damage incurred by seismic events. www.nees.org
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