NEW Hansen Pole Buildings Connections

For decades wood-to-wood connections for post-frame building construction have been with nails. Usually lots of nails, or (for non-engineered construction) not nearly enough.

Hansen Pole Buildings’ engineers have always specified 10d common hot-dipped galvanized nails for connecting 1-1/2” thick wood members to other framing members. Great part for strength, yet difficult to source.

Let’s take a look at strength characteristics of popular nails.

First (from 2018 NDS Table 11.3.3) if building with green lumber (over 19% moisture content), nails with a diameter of under ¼” have a 30% reduction in lateral strength and a 75% reduction (no reduction for post-frame ring shank nails) in withdrawal values! This would include driving through a dry 2x member into a solid-sawn column. A convincing argument for use of dry framing lumber and glu-laminated columns.

Lateral loads (shear) attaching a 1-1/2 inch thick member, both members of same species (from NDS)

10D commons / 20D box / 16d sinkers SYP 128# Dfir 118#

Pole barn ring shank nails (0.177” diameter) SYP 178# Dfir 163#

Withdrawal values (2018 NDS Table 12.2C) in pounds per inch of penetration into main member

Same nails as above SYP 46# HemFir 25#

Pole barn ring shank nails (with a 0.177” diameter), regardless of length, are limited by head pull-through values. With a 3/8” head maximum value is 191# (2018 NDS Table 12.2F). With a withdrawal value of 96# per inch in SYP, when attaching a 1-1/2”, any nail length over 3-1/2” is not adding to connection serviceability.

Simpson Strong-Tie SDWS16300 screws have a values with SYP of 229# in lateral loads and a withdrawal value of 192# per inch.

For attaching a 1-1/2” SYP member to another SYP member, SDWS screws are 179% stronger laterally loaded. For withdrawal (example being an externally mounted wall girt to a column), previously using a 10d common nail through a girt, into a Hem-Fir column would have been 25# x 1.5” x 0.25 = 9.375# of resistance. A SDWS screw into a SYP glu-lam 192# x 1.4” = 268.8#.

Hands down SDWS screws are superior and result in far fewer fasteners being needed, resulting in quicker installations.

Added benefit, have a board not quite where you want it? Much easier to back a screw out, than to pull a nail!

All NEW Hansen Pole Buildings now include SDWS16300 screws for attaching 1-1/2 inch (2x) members!

Call 1.866.200.9657 TODAY to participate in “The Ultimate Post-Frame Building Experience”.

And, don’t forget to watch for our next article