The Simplest, Strongest Continuous Rod Tie-Down System Available

In multi-story wood frame construction, the challenge is to design the shearwalls to resist maximum lateral and uplift forces. Since significant material shrinkage and settling will occur, your tie-down system will loosen over time, significantly reducing the load bearing capacity and leading to potential failure of the sheerwall during extreme seismic or wind events."

The Ratcheing Anchor System was designed to provide a simple, cost effecive solution to this problem. At each floor, simply slip the appropriate bearing plate and RAS Nut over the threaded rod and attach with two wood screws. The RAS Nut will automatically take up any slack in the system created by shrinkage or settling, ensuring that your structure will remain as strong as the day you built it."

THE RAS NUT

The heart of the RAS system is the RAS Nut, a patent pending innovation developed by Ron Smith, who has designed and built many exceptional products in the Silicon Valley over the past 30 years. The RAS Nut's unique design allows it to provide unlimited take-up distance, fail-safe performance and extreme ease of installation. All at a very cost effective level."

Four movable threaded segments within the RAS Nut allow the nut to slide in one direction over the threaded rod, but engage in the opposite direction. Once installed, it will fully compensate for any shrinkage and settling, maintaining a tight structure. Because of the independent nature of the four threaded segments, the RAS Nut ratchets 4 time more often than competing designs and 3 of the 4 segments will always be engaged with the rod. The RAS Nut will work securely on damaged or contaminated threads without redressing.

The RAS Nut has been approved by ICC under ESR 1992. US and international patents are pending.

The RAS Nuts are color coded and available in sizes from 1/2" through 1 1/4". Bearing Plates available rated to 45,000 lbs.