Helifix has launched a new 12 page technical brochure on its long established BowTie range used to connect masonry walls to internal timber floor or ceiling joists.
Improving wall to floor connections is a standard procedure in the seismic retrofit of buildings. The BowTie HD has been independently tested to establish the seismic performance of the system as a wall-diaphragm anchorage.
Testing of the BowTie HD was carried out by Solid Ground Ltd in New Zealand to determine the pull out capacity and lateral force-displacement/slip behaviour of the wall anchorage system when installed in a typical Unreinforced Masonry (URM) building using the Helifix recommended installation procedure. Force-displacement data was obtained to assist in developing accurate behavioural models for seismic analysis and design of wall diaphragm anchorage.
Further details on specification and testing are featured in the brochure with data on maximum achievable BowTie anchorage capacities in timber or when resin fixed into masonry. Design guidance and a design example are also featured to help the engineer determine seismic demand and calculate the capacity of a one wall-diaphragm anchor.
The BowTie system provides a cost effective, non-disruptive solution for strengthening URM buildings with flexible diaphragms.
