In October 2010, Cal Poly University and Simpson Strong-Tie celebrated the grand opening of the Simpson Strong-Tie Materials Demonstration Lab. As part of the university's College of Architecture and Environmental Design, the new facility provides a hands-on learning environment for students.

Following Cal Poly's motto of "Learn by Doing," the 7,000-square-foot lab is designed so students can build and test full-scale models and building components. The lab itself is built with a variety of materials, including heavy timber braced framing, engineered wood, cast-in-place concrete walls, translucent polycarbonate wall panels and several Simpson Strong-Tie products.

As a strong proponent of education, Simpson Strong-Tie believes that knowledge is the key to continuing to advance the design, building and construction industry. "Educated students design and build safer, more sustainable structures," said Barclay Simpson, founder and chairman of Simpson Strong-Tie.

Since 1990, Simpson Strong-Tie has coordinated student workshops, provided scholarships and served on college advisory committees at Cal Poly. In 2004, the company donated $500,000 to help fund the construction of the demonstration lab. "Simpson Strong-Tie has been an important partner to Cal Poly for many years. The new lab represents an exciting new phase in this partnership as it will provide students with hands-on experience using state-of-the-art technology to learn the fundamentals of construction management," said Dr. Robert Glidden, president of Cal Poly.

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Read about the design of the new lab in the October 2010 issue of the Structural Report

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