Flexible Framing Anchor Straps Provide structural reinforcement to a building frame during earthquakes and high winds  This flexible strap and frame anchor is made of a woven synthetic composite called Kevlar® that can provide structural reinforcement to a building frame during earthquakes and high winds. Kevlar® , which is currently used in bulletproof vests, is woven into a continuous filament yarn to develop the Millibar® strap. It can be designed as an anchor strap or as a tension tie to provide racking resistance to wall framing. It is easier to install than traditional methods of bracing and not subject to deterioration from temperature or moisture.
Buildings subject to extreme loads from earthquakes and high winds require braced shear walls and connections to resist potentially high tension loads. The Kevlar® Millibar® framing anchor may be used to resist those forces by anchoring the roof to the wall and the wall down to the foundation. The straps, placed diagonally across walls, can also provide resistance to shear and racking from wind and seismic forces. Building codes do not currently recognize this strapping approach as an acceptable, stand-alone, bracing system. The expense of the straps may further limit its use. Additional assembly testing and comparative testing reflective of end-use conditions and existing products may be needed. 
The product is only available from New Necessities (see distributors section).
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Since Kevlar® Millibar® has not been approved as a lateral wall bracing and roof uplift system, it cannot substitute for reinforced wall sheathing or braced shear walls required by code, unless certified by a Registered Professional Engineer.
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Kevlar® Millibar® straps may be installed in shear walls in a typical crossbracing "X" or "V" pattern. Where doors and windows preclude this pattern, a narrower "X" pattern may be used for smaller panels (with reduced capacity and stiffness). At gable walls, the strap may be run down each side of the roof parallel with the rafters, through sawcut kerf in the sheathing at an overhang, down the corner posts, and anchored to the foundation. The whole installation is sandwiched between the framing/sheathing assembly and the finished roofing or siding. The attachment of the finish over the straps strengthens the system. The strap must be securely fastened along its entire length to add shear, racking and uplift strength to the walls. Power or pneumatic nail or staple guns must be appropriately adjusted to prevent overdriving of the fasteners, which could reduce the structural capacity of the straps.
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According to the manufacturer, Millibar® straps have high tensile strength, flexibility, chemical resistance, toughness, tear and cut resistance, dimensional stability, flame resistance, and self-extinguishing characteristics. It has low thermal shrinkage, elongation and weight. The strap is easy to install to common building materials such as wood and steel. The manufacturer’s test data also indicates superior flexibility and impact fatigue resistance, ultraviolet resistance, low electrical conductivity, and excellent dimensional stability. Manufactured housing often must be able to withstand high winds, and also dynamic stresses and strains during transportation. Kevlar® Millibar® strapping may be well-suited to strengthen these building systems. The strapping is available in 230-foot coils, three inches wide, and wholesales for about $2.20 per linear foot. | 
