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Securing Load Bearing Columns with Metal Straps to Prevent Wind Lift

Steel straps are tied down on the band joists of the home. These steel straps are threaded through the columns to the top and prevent uplift during a hurricane. The columns are hollow but are made of marble dust and polymers that make it strong and load-bearing. A four-by-four is put on a house jack to hold the load up so the column can be slid into place. The column has a Tuscan design which features some swelling near the base and tapering near the top. After the column is in place, the connection is secured at the top with steel straps.
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Securing Load Bearing Columns with Metal Straps to Prevent Wind Lift

  computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Kevin we've already put some of these in place and it's a little bit more complicated than it would seem right yeah they they're -- their little. These -- installed -- there. Evidence follow correct order well in the thing here is that we're trying to meet the the code requirement of tying the whole place down so Russell's already nailed down this strap. To. The actual band joist on the side of the house and he actually was down their little while ago with. The palm -- which is the best tool I've seen on a job in awhile and he put in about a half dozen sixteen penny nails. So that this steel strap right here is really secured there then you -- threaded through the base in the column. And it tied up at the top so that we have a continuously tied house that's correct where we really need the whole thing tied together. Yet to prevent uplift in a hurricane because columns for thousands of years have been holding weight put on top of them but when you've got a hurricane. The winds are trying to push the roof off so this holds it all together yes that's that the purpose of the strap the weight bearing well OK well let me know I can help us. All right -- I'm not what do these weigh Jeff."

" About Turkish pounds each home -- elements. And you want to put it on that block -- you know -- Must -- What are they made out of it today that does that cut marble dust with -- you've got marble dust and a marble dust and polymers and it's very heavy material that's very load bearing it is load bearing that's what's amazing because it's follow. The thickness of the column itself is maybe I -- three quarters of an end up three quarters of an inch. And the when I foresaw -- now they can't be structural but they are this column itself is about what -- about 16000 pounds approximately."

" You can't just prop them into place you have to put up this four by four and a house Jack. We put that in there Bob and we just barely put some pressure on crank it up just enough so we stand that column vertically it'll just slide into place and then drop -- out of the below ground -- right when you take the house Jack back out the load comes back down that's correct and you're talking maybe what. Quarter of an inch or so just enough to get it and yes all right well let me help you from the Senate. "

" And I think we. -- them don't throw. It."

" So we've got a couple of shims here just to keep this base. Out of the way. And Jeff does the the load bearing. There's the base have anything to do with a load very realistically decorative yet -- that's carried by the column -- all the way from the flooring up yourself. Not like mad in the old system that's -- I don't know."

" It. What you call this particular design. This is a Tuscan design it's one of the simplest of all the five orders of architecture -- it was done after an trust in man from the Greek. And -- here it. It's very simple as far as the stout base goes up 13 of the column shaft before it starts taper which gives us that entices a fact or -- the -- of the column yes there which is the classical that's yes that's correct and the old temples in Greece went. When you were -- you know down here you're looking up at these forty foot columns. They they swelled up a little bit and then they tapered back up. And that gave them that that really impressive look. I was totally straight column. Looks a little bit to mechanical well it is and it also counters an optical illusion that makes any two straight lines look like they're leaning inward yeah high and so. It works perfectly on houses yeah how did you start this company. Started thirteen years ago you know I grew up in the south at a lot of problems and actress -- didn't find any and sucked into designing them and ago."

" That's a good start this is all that you need. That's it that's alienated not picking up any more than a quarter happening but it doesn't take them along yes OK so from now at this point -- The capital gets attached but have you already nailed the strap into the top no we'll fish the strap out the top now Bob and pull it tighten. And then same thing we'll use the palm nailer and we'll throw all those nails in through every hole that that that's why it's the --"

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