PA/PAHD/HPAHD Strap Tie Holdowns are wood-to-concrete connectors that satisfy engineering and code requirements. As with any connector of this nature, the most typical application is to affix the frame of a house to the foundation. The general design of these connectors is quite simple: they consist of a nailed section and an embedded section. There are no tricky installation notes for the nailed portion of the strap tie holdown (just remember to nail from the bottom up); however, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding the embedded portion:

First, bending the PA/PAHD/HPAHD Strap Tie Holdowns 90o (horizontal) to aid wall placement causes stress concentrations and the sharp corner and can cause spalling. This can be managed, however. If the spall is less than 1" it can be ignored, and if the spall is between 1" and 4", allowable loads should be reduced by 10%.

Unlike some of the other Strap Tie Holdowns offered, which do not recommend a horizontal cold joint exist within the embedment depth of the strap, the PA/PAHD/HPAHD Strap Tie Holdowns can be implemented in a two-pour system as long as the holdown is lower on the stud wall for adequate development length into the foundation (i.e. deep enough within the foundation that it won't pull the slab off like the lid of a soup can). Obviously though, if lowered the nailed section will have fewer fasteners, and therefore will reduce the allowable loads. Loads are calculated using a 4" slab over 6" and 8" foundation walls.

Some slight variations on the design of the PA/PAHD/HPAHD Strap Tie Holdowns also allow for use at the edge of concrete.

Most importantly, when installing the PA/PAHD/HPAHD Strap Tie Holdowns, make sure to keep in mind all the general notes for specified fasteners, and when modifications are made always reduce loads according to the code.