Support for a strap holdown

A connector for securing a first structural member to a cementitious second structural member, said connector comprising:

• a. a substantially planar foot section having a top end and a bottom end, a first fastener having a shank and a head, wherein said foot section is formed with at least one opening therethrough adapted to receive said fastener having a shank and a head, said opening having a constricted portion and an enlarged portion communicating with said constricted portion, and wherein said enlarged portion is larger than said constricted portion, and wherein said constricted portion has a length and a side, and said constricted portion is formed such that at a first point along its length, said constricted portion is shaped such that said side of said constricted portion of said opening is formed to closely approach said shank of said fastener at two different points on said shank such that it can closely receive said shank of said fastener, such that at said first point, said opening is too constricted to allow a head of said fastener to pass through said opening;
• b. an elongated, substantially planar attachment section integrally connected to said top end of said foot section and disposed at a selected angle to said foot section, said attachment section being formed with a plurality of restricted openings that are large enough to receive shanks of standard nailable fasteners but are too small to receive heads of standard nailable fasteners;
• and
• c. a hook section integrally connected to said bottom end of said foot section, said hook section being formed to provide mechanical interlock with said cementitious member.

A method of setting a connector in a poured cementitious foundation, said connector being formed to attach to a structural framing member that is set above said foundation after it has cured, said method comprising:

• a. creating a form that is to be filled with an uncured cementitious member, said form having form boards, at least some of said form boards having inner surfaces that will define outer surfaces of said foundation when said cementitious member has cured, and at least some of said form boards having top surfaces that will be equal to or above the level of said cementitious member when it has cured;
• b. selecting a fastener, said fastener having a narrow shank with a head attached thereto at one end, said head of said fastener being wider than said shank, and said shank having a tip at an opposite end from said head of said fastener;
• c. selecting a connector, said connector having an attachment section and a foot section, said attachment section having a bottom end, said foot section being formed with at least one opening therethrough, said foot section also having a top end and a bottom end, and wherein said attachment section and said foot section are connected together at a transition area, said transition area comprising said bottom end of said attachment section and said top end of said foot section;
• d. suspending said connector in said form such that said transition area is substantially adjacent said inner surface of one of said form boards with at least a portion of said attachment section of said connector protruding out of said form such that at least a portion of said attachment section of said connector would protrude out of said cementitious member after it has cured, and said bottom end of said foot section of said connector is disposed within said form and is removed from said inner surface of said one of said form boards to which said transition section is substantially adjacent;
• e. inserting said shank of said fastener in a direction parallel to said shank and toward said tip through said opening in said foot section of said connector;
• f. driving said tip of said fastener into said same inner surface of said one of said form boards or an inner surface of a different form board that is aligned with said inner surface which lies adjacent said transition section, such that said fastener is supported by said form, and said head of said fastener is disposed adjacent said foot section of said connector;
• g. sliding said shank of said fastener in said opening substantially perpendicular to said shank of said fastener;
• and
• h. filling said form with said uncured cementitious member.

A connection, comprising:

• a. a form board, comprising an inner surface;
• b. a cementitious member, comprising an outer surface that is in abutting relationship with said inner surface of said form board, and a top surface;
• c. a fastener held by said form board and protruding from said inner surface of said form board, said fastener comprising an elongated, relatively narrow shank, said shank having a tip that is embedded in said form board, said fastener also comprising a head at an opposite end of said shank from said tip, said head being held away from said inner surface of said form board and is attached to said shank, said head being wider than said relatively narrow shank, and said fastener further comprising a second head that lies between said tip of said shank and said head at said end of said shank, said second head also being wider than said relatively narrow shank;
• d. a connector, comprising an attachment section that has at least some portion protruding out of said cementitious member and is attached to a foot section, said foot section being at least partially embedded in said cementitious member;
• and
• e. wherein said foot section is formed with at least one opening therethrough, said opening receiving said shank of said fastener therethrough.