Simpson Strong-Tie and Cal Poly University celebrated the grand opening of the Simpson Strong-Tie Materials Demonstration Lab on Friday, October 22, at a dedication ceremony held at the new lab.

Simpson Strong-Tie and Cal Poly University celebrated the grand opening of the Simpson Strong-Tie Materials Demonstration Lab on Friday, October 22, at a dedication ceremony held at the new lab. As part of the university’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design, the new facility provides a hands-on learning environment for students.

Members of the Construction Management Department as well as the president of Cal Poly, Dr. Robert Glidden, kicked off the Oct. 22 dedication ceremony.

“Simpson Strong-Tie has been an important partner to Cal Poly for many years,” Dr. Glidden said. “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.”

Chairman and founder of Simpson Strong-Tie Barclay Simpson visited the new lab and spoke at the ceremony.

“Simpson Strong-Tie is honored to contribute to this outstanding project,” Simpson said. “The lab will be a great platform for interactive learning, but its Cal Poly’s talented faculty and students who will bring it to life and influence the future of building technology. Continued innovation and discovery are so important to architecture and construction, and this laboratory is a key addition to the Construction Innovations Center.”

Following Cal Poly’s motto of “Learn by Doing,” the 7,000-square-foot Simpson Strong-Tie Materials Demonstration 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. “The lab is intended to show students how architectural design, engineering and construction work closely together,” said Al Hauck, construction management department head.

As a long-term supporter of Cal Poly, Simpson Strong-Tie has coordinated student workshops, provided scholarships and served on college advisory committees. In 2004, the company donated $500,000 to help fund the new lab.

Alan Hanson, southern California sales manager for Simpson Strong-Tie and member of the college’s Dean’s Leadership Council served as the key liaison on the project.

“This is an example of the kind of partnership that touches so many people, from individual students to the college as a whole,” said College Dean R. Thomas Jones.

For more information, visit www.strongtie.com.