I’m laying out a foundation plan for my father’s house and am considering the Simpson GU connector for my girder connections to the foundation. This girder hanger simply saddles over the top of the stem wall and under the sill plate to provide a what looks like a pretty solid connection to the stem wall. In speaking with a local building contractor I’ve be told you can even use this hanger on a corner where you might not be able to throw the saddle over the stem wall. He simply has the foundation finisher put a “crease” in the top of his stem wall with the finishing trowel. He feels this is a quick and dirty (but effective) way to handle the corner condition by allowing the grabbing end of the saddle to fit into this makeshift groove. What do you think? It seems pretty handy although a lot seems to be riding on that crease (and the single bolt that goes throught the top of the saddle). What would be another alternative? Just build out the stem wall to receive the girder? Do you put a mud sill beneath the girder or do you consider this over kill if the girder is PTDF? I don’t mean to be picky about this but I also want to make sure this “neat” method is a good habit for me to be picking up.