Beam hangers offer a system solution that allows hardware to be preinstalled in a controlled shop environment before product delivery. Components, including gravity structure, roof, floor, and wall elements, can thus arrive on site machined and ready to assemble. Apart from time and cost savings, these pre-engineered connectors are known for their capacity to ensure robust connections. MTC Solutions distributes four beam hanger systems, including the APEX, which was engineered by our research and development team over the course of 4 years and is manufactured on demand in Canada using Canadian cast aluminum from Ontario, or in the United States for American mass timber projects. This local manufacturing allows for faster and cheaper shipping when and where you need it. Alongside it, we also supply the tested and proven GIGANT, RICON S VS, and MEGANT systems, ensuring engineers and builders have access to a broad range of solutions when it comes to mass timber construction. All these systems are tested and proven for the North American market, making them the perfect choice for your mass timber projects in the USA and Canada.
The MTC Solutions Beam Hanger Design Guide is a comprehensive resource for using our beam hanger systems, offering tabulated design values, complete detailing, and precise installation instructions that can facilitate your connection design process and reduce in-shop and on-site challenges. It provides guidelines for a multitude of design considerations, including fire design, reinforcement, skewed or sloped configurations, and seismic performance. Find out how our beam hanger systems—the APEX, MEGANT, RICON S VS, and GIGANT—can bring your mass timber project to the next level.
Manufacturing in Canada and in the United States for all your projects across North America
Download and axial tested
Interstory drift performance tested in a 2-hour fire-resistance rating (FRR) configuration, achieving drift ratios greater than 6% without sudden failure in load-carrying capacity
Improved installation tolerances axially and horizontally up to 1/8 in. (3.2 mm)
Integration of a 0.5° rotational installation tolerance
and many more features!
Full-frame, fully loaded 2-hr FRR test, in accordance with CAN/ULC-S101 and ASTM E119.
Tested with a beam-to-column gap of 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) without a fire-resistant joint system (NO intumescent tape, sealant, or fire caulking!)
Optimized, high-capacity hanger that allows reduced wood volume by up to 10% when compared to hangers with similar capacity.
Tested both with and without reinforcing screws
Updated Appendix A: Fire Protection to reflect the APEX results from the 2-hr fire-resistance rating test
General updates & fixes:
NEW interaction equation for hangers loaded in multiple directions
NEW designation from ASSY fasteners to MTC fasteners
Light improvements on guide structure and organization
Updated “How to Use This Guide” section
Patch Notes
January 22, 2026
Cover-to-cover document refresh, with a complete visual overhaul!
Updated guidelines in compliance with with CSA O86:24
Manufacturing in Canada and in the United States for all your projects across North America
Download and axially tested
Interstory drift performance tested in a 2-hour fire-resistance rating (FRR) configuration, consistently withstanding drift ratios greater than 6% without sudden failure in load-carrying capacity
Improved installation tolerances axially and horizontally up to 1/8” (3.2 mm)
Integration of a 0.5° rotational installation tolerance
Optimized, high-capacity hanger that allows for reducing wood volume by up to 17% when compared to hangers with similar capacity.
and many more features!
NEW product chapter structure for our beam hangers—the GIGANT, the ICC-certified RICON S VS and MEGANT, and the MTC APEX
Updated design section featuring:
Download, axial & uplift factored resistances for wood-to-wood connections
Download factored resistances for steel-to-wood connections (unique to the RICON S VS)
Minimum beam and column member sizes for 45-, 60- and 120-minute FRRs
Housing details for concealed connectors in both single and double configurations in both imperial and metric units
NEW installation instructions section covering all necessary steps in a clean and readable fashion to ensure smooth installation of all beam hangers
NEW seismic performance details for the RICON S VS, the MEGANT, and the MTC APEX—derived from our most recent in-house tests—highlighting their ability to exceed a drift ratio of 4% while fully loaded, meeting the requirements specified in NBCC 2024 clause 4.1.18.13.
NEW tabulated resistances: The RICON S VS and MEGANT have all-new tabulated axial and uplift factored resistances
NEW in-depth appendix section including:
(A) Fire Protection, providing recommendations to designers for complying with code-mandated FRR
(B) Uplift Resistance Design, featuring new and updated information for using self-tapping screws (STSs) to resist uplift
(C) Reinforcement Perpendicular to Grain, including detailed information on use of fully threaded STSs as tension reinforcement in mass timber beam connections
(D) Product Specifications, with updated details and more accurate dimensions
General updates & fixes:
NEW interaction equation for hangers loaded in multiple directions
NEW designation from ASSY fasteners to MTC fasteners
Overall improvement on guide text
Updated “How to Use This Guide” section
Updated tech details on sloped and skewed connection configuration
Patch Notes
March 11, 2025
Cover-to-cover document refresh, with a complete visual overhaul!
Updated guidelines to comply with NDS 2024
General Notes section expanded and split into
General Notes to the Designer
General Notes to the Installer
Updated Beam Hanger Selection Tool
New product chapter structure for our beam hangers—the GIGANT, the ICC-certified RICON S VS and MEGANT, including
Download values for the RICON S VS and MEGANT hangers in double configuration
Download values and minimum weld requirements for steel-to-wood connections unique to the RICON S VS
Minimum beam and column member sizes for 0, 1, 2-hr fire-resistance ratings (FRRs)
Housing details for concealed connectors in both single and double configurations in both imperial and metric units
Brand NEW Installation Instructions section covering all necessary steps in a clean and readable fashion to ensure smooth installation of all beam hangers
New Seismic Performance Details for the RICON S VS and MEGANT, derived from our most recent in-house tests, highlighting their ability to exceed a drift ratio of 4% while fully loaded, satisfying the drift limits specified in ASCE 7-2022 Table 12.12-1.
New information on axial resistance performance: The RICON S VS and MEGANT can resist axial forces greater than 5% of their download capacities while fully loaded, in accordance with ASCE 7-2022 Sections 1.4.3 and 12.1.4.
NEW in-depth Appendix section including:
(A) Fire Protection, providing recommendations to designers for complying with code-mandated FRRs
(B) Uplift Resistance Design, featuring new and updated information for using self-tapping screws (STSs) to resist uplift
(C) Reinforcement Perpendicular to Grain, including detailed information on use of fully threaded STSs as tension reinforcement in mass timber beam connections
(D) Product Specifications, with updated details and more accurate dimensions
General updates & fixes:
Overall text improvement
Updated “How to Use This Guide” section
Details on Sloped and Skewed Installations revamped and relocated from Appendix D in the previous version of the document
Patch Notes
October 17, 2023
NEW product reference: the recently tested MEGANT E, specifically designed for seismic performance.
NEW Accessories section added, referencing all MTC Solutions products related to beam hanger installation.
General updates & fixes:
Updated the RICON S VS 290 fastener pattern to move away from the connector edges.
Updated beam geometry dimensions based on the latest calculations.
Updated mass units (lbs) to be consistent with the NDS 2018.
Updated architectural unit precision in all sections.
Updated decimal values to fractional architectural units.
Updated housing notes for the RICON S VS and the MEGANT in Tables 2.11, 2.12, 3.21, and 3.22.
Patch Notes
March 20, 2023
NEW test values integrating the ICC ESR-4300 approved design load for the RICON S VS Series.
Reorganized the guide into a chapter structure for improved readability.
Complete visual overhaul.
General updates & fixes.
Patch Notes
July 2022
General updates & fixes.
Patch Notes
March 2019
NEW product: the MEGANT series, high-capacity beam hangers that allow mass timber member installation from all directions.
Introducing the Beam Hangers Design Guide for United States-based projects.
Features easy-to-read design tables for the GIGANT, RICON S VS, and MEGANT connectors in one document.
Contains practical connector positioning instructions for the most common post-to-beam and beam-to-girder installations.
Includes complete detailing and step-by-step installation instructions for manufacturers.
Includes guidelines for special design cases including:
Fire design
Skewed and sloped connections
Steel-to-wood connections
Concrete-to-wood connections
Patch Notes
March 2019
NEW product: the MEGANT series, high-capacity beam hangers that allow mass timber member installation from all directions.
Introducing the Beam Hangers Design Guide for Canada-based projects.
Features easy-to-read design tables for the GIGANT, RICON S VS, and MEGANT connectors in one document.
Contains practical connector positioning instructions for the most common post-to-beam and beam-to-girder installations.
Includes complete detailing and step-by-step installation instructions for manufacturers.
Includes guidelines for special design cases including:
Fire design
Skewed and sloped connections
Steel-to-wood connections
Concrete-to-wood connections
Your Tool for a Streamlined Selection Process
Years of Connection Testing in One Guide
MTC Solutions established itself as an industry leader by introducing the first pre-engineered, off-the-shelf mass timber beam hangers in the USA and in Canada in 2015. Over the years, we perfected them. We performed a wide variety of rigorous performance tests, including fully loaded capacity shear tests, fire resistance rating tests (for 60 and 90 minutes), inter-story drift performance tests, and axial loading tests. We proudly achieved the first-ever ICC-ES approval for a mass timber beam hanger system, the RICON S VS. With the development and release of the APEX in 2025, we have again set a new benchmark for the industry. APEX delivers an unmatched capacity in a single hanger configuration, smooths and accelerates installation compared to all other market-available hangers, shrinks procurement lead times, and reduces the wood fiber percentage required in post-to-beam connections.
The Beam Hanger Design Guide is a compilation of all our data extracted from these tests, formatted into easy-to-read design tables that provide you with all the details you need for your North American mass timber projects.
Save Time, Save Money
Our beam hanger systems are installer-friendly, and the Design Guide will provide you the complete process with straightforward, easily replicable steps. The APEX stands out with the best installation tolerances in the North American market for pre-engineered, off-the-shelf, beam hangers, making it exceptionally quick to install. You can verify this yourself in video 🎥! This level of installation efficiency can help reduce on-site labor, lower construction costs, and support crews working under tight schedules.
Each of our Beam Hanger systems comes with its set of downloadable instructional resources, including the APEX (coming soon), MEGANT, RICON, and GIGANT. These materials ensure a smoother assembly process and help maximize both accuracy and project value.
One Guide to Support Them All
The Beam Hanger Design Guide is packed with information relevant to multiple roles within the mass timber project pipeline. From beam size recommendations for architects, to loading capacities and fire ratings for designers, to routing measurements for manufacturers, to installation guidance for installers, this document has something for everyone.
Get the Support You
Need on Your Mass
Timber Connections
