Online Training Available on Building Safer, Stronger Homes to Withstand Hurricanes, Earthquakes

BuildIQ® University, the leading provider of Best Practices in Homebuilding®, has teamed up with Simpson Strong-Tie® to offer five online courses that train builders and contractors on how to use structural connectors to create safer, stronger homes to withstand hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. The courses are available through BuildIQ University's online store, http://university.buildiq.com.

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Quote startThe Simpson Strong-Tie series presents very rich content in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Our students have reacted favorably to the presentation style and the manageable length of the courses. The Simpson offerings are a great supplement to the existing BuildIQ course catalogQuote end

Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) October 10, 2008

BuildIQ® University, the leading provider of Best Practices in Homebuilding®, has teamed up with Simpson Strong-Tie® to offer five online courses that train builders and contractors on how to use structural connectors to create safer, stronger homes. The courses are available free of charge through BuildIQ University's online store.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and more recently, Ike, demonstrates exactly why it's so important to ensure that builders and contractors are educated on how to use and install structural connectors. "The importance of properly installing structural connectors is a critical message we want to help spread," says Michael Dickens, founder and CEO of BuildIQ.

"There's a great need to create homes and buildings that are better able to withstand these hurricanes and other natural disasters," says Mike Moran, Vice President of Builder Programs at Simpson Strong-Tie. "For example, in a hurricane, structural connectors redistribute the pressure of the wind on the exterior of the home to the frame, and then to the foundation--as long as they're installed properly. Educating the homebuilding industry is an essential step in helping to minimize the structural damage that results from high winds and earthquakes."

The five new Simpson Strong-Tie courses available now at BuildIQ University are:

  •     Basic Fastener Installation. This course covers the basics of correctly installing Simpson Strong-Tie connectors, including how to correctly choose and install nails and work with screws and machine bolts.
  •     Plated Truss Products. This course covers truss types and terminology and covers the basics of correctly installing Simpson Strong-Tie truss hangers and bracing products.
  •     Steel Strong-Wall® Shearwall Installations. This course covers how to install the Simpson Strong-Tie Steel Strong-Wall Shearwall (SSW), going over important terminology, describing how to use concrete templates, showing how to install the SSW in four applications, and teaching how to avoid common mistakes during installation.
  •     Introduction to Joist and Beam Hangers. This course covers the basics of correctly installing Simpson Strong-Tie joist and beam hangers.
  •     Introduction to Mudsill Anchors. This course covers the basics of correctly installing Simpson Strong-Tie mudsill anchors.

Standard Pacific Homes®, a large homebuilder based in Irvine, CA, has already taken advantage of these courses. "The Simpson Strong-Tie series presents very rich content in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Our students have reacted favorably to the presentation style and the manageable length of the courses. The Simpson offerings are a great supplement to the existing BuildIQ course catalog," says Steve Metzger, Standard Pacific's Manager of Organizational Training and Development.

Companies, teams, or individuals interested in signing up for any of these courses should visit the BuildIQ University online education store. All five online courses are available now.

About BuildIQ
BuildIQ creates, publishes, and hosts a comprehensive curriculum of web-based training courses, content, and tools, which focus on Best Practices in Homebuilding®. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, BuildIQ works nationally with some of the best homebuilders in the country. Since the company started in 2001, the mission of BuildIQ and its sister company IBACOS has remained the same: to enable homebuilders to deliver high-quality homes. The BuildIQ team works closely with leading homebuilders, building scientists, and manufacturers to produce a growing body of free and subscription-based content and tools, covering a wide range of topics critical to business performance. For more information about BuildIQ, please visit our main website at BuildIQ.com.

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