Simpson Strong-Tie, the leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, continues its evolution of holdowns with the launch of the HDUE holdown. As a one-to-one replacement for the company’s industry-leading HDU, the HDUE holdown secures shearwalls, braced wall panels and other lateral-force-resisting applications in wood construction. The HDUE improves on existing holdowns with breakthrough innovations to meet the higher design demands of today’s residential structures, such as three-story single-family homes with more windows and reduced area for shearwalls.
The patent-pending HDUE holdown is a game-changer in several ways. Most notably, its four largest sizes combine angled fastening and perpendicular fastening; this engages the screws in both tension and shear, allowing for higher load capacity while reducing the quantity of screws required. In addition, the teardrop-shaped holes permit selected fasteners to engage and distribute the load more evenly, and optimized screw patterns reduce splitting at the end of the post and maximize individual fastener capacity.
The HDUE also features a predeflected (rounded) seat, which reduces deflection under load. An overlapping back plate increases steel strength and helps prevent post splitting. In addition, for the higher capacity holdowns, the back plate design is shifted where the angled screws are installed, preventing mis-installation and ensuring a precise connection.
“Since we launched the first holdown in 1966, we’ve improved on our original design several times over to continue meeting our customers’ needs. With recent advancements in design and manufacturing technology, we saw an opportunity to innovate once again and address the challenge of increasing load demands in the market,” said Bryan Wert, director of product development for Connectors & Lateral Systems at Simpson Strong-Tie. “This new HDUE product line replaces our entire HDU series, bringing modern enhancements and superior performance to one of our flagship products.”
The HDUE is fast and easy to install with Strong-Drive® SDS Heavy-Duty Connector screws, which reduce fastener slip and allow wood posts to maintain a greater net section than bolts. This new product line features six models with a wide range of load capacity to accommodate today’s construction needs.
To learn more, visit www.strongtie.com.