Abstract: An adhesive backed window trim bendable and divisible along a hinge separating the trim into two strips with score lines in each strip. A nub is formed along the side edges of the window trim for use in providing a finished edge concealing the adhesive when the undivided trim or the trim strips are used during installation of a replacement window or the like. The trim is co-extruded from a rigid PVC and plasticized PVC with shallow furrows on the rear face forming the score lines.

Abstract: An adaptor for connecting a ground screw to an upright beam of a solar panel support assembly includes (a) a cylindrical connector having an open ground-screw receiving bottom end and a top end, the cylindrical connector having an inner circumferential surface with a diameter slightly larger than that of the ground screw and at least two sets of bolt holes, each set of bolt holes including at least three bolt holes uniformly distributed circumferentially about the cylindrical connector at an axial level, and the at least two sets of bolt holes being axially distanced from one another; (b) an intermediate plate having a top surface and a bottom surface fixed to the top end of the cylindrical connector; and (c) an upright beam connector fixed to the top surface of the intermediate plate and extending upward from the intermediate plate.

Abstract: A retrofit reinforcing structure addition and method for an existing gravity spread foundation for a wind turbine or the like having a central pedestal and a spread section is provided. The retrofit structure addition includes a collar formed around the pedestal of the spread foundation. The collar is formed by a shape sustaining member, such as a CMP, placed around the pedestal to define an annular ring between the CMP and the pedestal that is filled with cementitious material. Radial bolts extend horizontally through the collar and into the side of the pedestal. Soil and/or rock anchor bolts extend vertically through the collar, the spread portion of the foundation and into the underlying soil and/or rock substrate. The radial and anchor bolts are post-tensioned to ensure that the cementitious material of the collar remains in compression and the bolts are always in static tension, strengthening the original gravity spread foundation and extending the fatigue life thereof.

Abstract: A composite wall panel having a front surface, a rear surface, and side surfaces extending therebetween is provided. The panel includes a cured composition of pieces of cellulose and/or chaff and at least one binder. A wall assembly is also provided. The assembly includes: a frame including a plurality of linearly arranged elongated studs having a top end, a bottom end, and a first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side extending between the respective ends; a plurality of interconnected wall panels mounted to the first side of the elongated studs of the frame to form a first wall portion; a plurality of interconnected panels mounted to the second side of the elongated studs to form a second wall portion; and an insulating layer inserted within a cavity between the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

Abstract: A vent is disclosed that is particularly suited to use in ventilating attic spaces beneath a hip roof. The vent is configured to be installed along a hip of the roof overlying and covering a ventilation slot formed through the roof deck along the hip. The vent includes an elongated laterally flexible top panel from which baffle arrays depend. The baffle arrays are formed of a plurality of depending arcuately curved vanes that arc away from the vent. The vanes are aerodynamically shaped to redirect wind-blown rain and snow away from the vent and are configured to block the migration of rain and snow through the vent. A pair of spongy conformable filler strips is attached beneath the edge portions of the vent. The filler strips conform to the shapes of underlying shingles when the vent is installed to fill any gaps that otherwise might be formed between the vent and the shingles.

Abstract: A multi-blade top awning includes an awning frame. A blade top plate, a linkage strip for driving the blade top plate to be opened/closed and a driving mechanism are cooperatively mounted on the awning frame. The driving mechanism includes a connection rod, a rocker arm, a worm and gear assembly and a power source. The connection rod is used for driving the linkage strip to move, the rocker arm is used for driving the connection rod to move, the worm and gear assembly is used for driving the rocker arm to rotate, and the power source is used for providing power for the worm and gear assembly. The rocker arm can rotate by 360 degrees around the worm and gear assembly, such that the blade top plate is opened/closed, a manual rocker does not need to be rotated in a reverse direction when the blade top plate is closed.

Abstract: A damping system includes a component for a structure. The component has a first panel with an outer perimeter, a first adhesive disposed about the outer perimeter, a second adhesive disposed along the outer perimeter inward of the first adhesive, and a second panel adhered to the first panel via the first and second adhesives. The first adhesive has a first durometer, and the second adhesive has a second durometer. The first and second adhesives dampen impact forces received upon at least one of the first and second panels.

Abstract: A new louver, and a louvered roof assembly having a plurality of these louvers is provided wherein the plurality of louvers, are movable within a frame between an open condition and a closed condition. The louvers, each having first and second ends, are pivotally coupled to the frame for rotation about an axis. A linear drive motor is coupled to a moveable arm bar to which each louver is connected by a pin which pin is attached at the pin's opposite end to a member disposed within the center of each respective louver. Single set and dual sets of louvers may be operated by a single linear drive actuator.

Abstract: A T-shaped shear wall module including a straight pattern plate, two L-shaped pattern plates with a same structure, and connectors. Each of the two L-shaped pattern plates includes a first pattern plate and a second pattern plate which are perpendicular to each other. In a direction perpendicular to the straight pattern plate, the two first pattern plates are arranged in parallel to each other and both extend in a direction away from the straight pattern plate, and a plurality of connectors are rigidly arranged between two first pattern plates. Along a direction parallel to the straight pattern plate, two second pattern plates are coplanar and extend in opposite directions, and a plurality of connectors are rigidly arranged between the straight pattern plate and the two second pattern plates. The present application also provides a shear wall and a construction method thereof.

Abstract: A method of constructing a hollow wall structure comprising: a step (A) of constructing a grout wall mold; a step (B) of grouted a curable liquid material into the grouting space; a step (C) of removing the first template wall and the second template wall so as to produce a semi-finished hollow wall having the Styrofoam board; and a step (D) of removing a semi-finished hollow wall having the Styrofoam board so as to obtain a hollow wall having a communication space. The communication space has an inflow conduit and a connection channel.

Abstract: A staking system includes a multifaceted support, each of the faces including a separate aperture to allow a stake to mount therethrough at varying angles. The support may be made of two separable elements. A bail is hingedly mounted in the support and set between various positions over the top of the support. A puller can be used to cause lever-action removal of the stake from the ground, and the pullet may be adjected to various distances. The support may be rotated along the ground surface to provide better attack angles for the lever-actuated removal.

Abstract: A tensionless concrete pier foundation for supporting a tower and a method of constructing the same is provided, the foundation having an outer CMP and an inner CMP with an annular space therebetween in which a plurality of sleeved tower anchor bolts are embedded, at least the outer CMP having an upper edge that is flush with the top of the foundation after the tower has been installed. A method of plumbing a tower anchor bolt cage using a bolt alignment ring is also provided that includes coupling the upper ends of the CMPs together with lateral spacing bolts that extend across the annular space. The tower anchor bolt cage is suspended from the lateral spacing bolts by the bolt alignment ring, and the lateral spacing bolts are shimmed on a low side as necessary for leveling the alignment ring and plumbing the bolt cage, before concrete pour.

Abstract: The corner fence post support consists of cylindrically shaped main ratchet that sits on top of a corner fence post, typically a T-post. A second component, a ratchet socket is attached to support legs. The bottom of the legs can be fitted with specialized foot structures or simply driven into the ground. The legs are usually placed inside the fence line where they provide outward support to the corner post to counter the inward force of the fence line. The main ratchet and ratchet socket can easily engage and lock together at multiple vertical positions, so that the optimal fit can be readily obtained under a variety of local conditions and a variety of grades, whether level, uphill or down-hill.

Abstract: A composite material may be used as a building material to provide desirable visible aesthetics, such as in a roof or facade. The composite material may include two or more materials, wherein a first material provides desirable qualities for appearance and a second material provides desirable qualities for strength or other characteristics desirable of a building material. Each of the first material and the second material may be transparent, such that the composite material is also transparent. The first material may be Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and the second material may be Polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Abstract: A floor element for forming a floor covering, wherein the floor element comprises a decorative layer made of a ceramic material; a support layer arranged below the decorative layer; and a reinforcing layer arranged in between the decorative layer and the support layer, wherein the support layer comprises edges provided with coupling elements configured to realize a mechanical coupling with coupling elements of an adjacent floor element.

Abstract: A ground mounting assembly includes one or a plurality of posts, each attached to at least one stabilizing plate or scoop pyramid. The post may be driven into the ground and then lifted to deploy plates into a locking mechanism, or driven into the ground by a pile driver with plate held in place, released, and driven further and deployed into a locking mechanism, or driven into the ground and double pounded inside the post to drive reinforcing plate into slotted winglets, or driven, double pounded and rotated to extend the reinforcing plates horizontally from the pole or pile. The post also can used as a mooring in harbors, lakes, or at sea. A system based on a double pounder pile driven mono pole, optionally extendable in length, is also described.

Abstract: A torsion box panel assembly includes a plurality of sub-panels each having a skin secured to a core, and a plurality of hinges each coupled between a different pair of the sub-panels such that each sub-panel is foldable relative to an adjacent sub-panel along a respective hinge. The hingedly-coupled sub-panels together form a base panel having an expanded configuration in which each hinge is closed and the surfaces of the sub-panel skins are substantially co-planar. The base panel, in its expanded configuration, has a planar panel surface defined, at least in part, by the combination of the co-planar sub-panel skins. At least one stabilizing member is secured to the planar panel surface and spans all of the closed hinges to lock the sub-panels together to form a torsion box panel.

Abstract: A bounce house securing assembly includes a plurality of blocks that is each of the blocks is comprised of a weighted material such that each of the blocks has a weight of at least 40.0 pounds. In this way the plurality of blocks have sufficient weight to inhibit a bounce house from becoming airborne. A plurality of top handles is each coupled to a respective one of the blocks thereby facilitating the respective blocks to be carried. A plurality of side handles is each movably coupled to a respective one of the blocks thereby facilitating the respective block to be carried. A plurality of spikes is each of the spikes is coupled to and extends downwardly from a respective one of the blocks for penetrating a support surface to inhibit the respective block from moving on the support surface. Each of the spikes is extendable through a respective one of a plurality of securing loops on the bounce house to anchor the bounce house to the support surface.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a photovoltaic roof tile module. The photovoltaic roof tile module can include a photovoltaic roof tile module. The photovoltaic roof tile module can include at least: a first photovoltaic roof tile and a second photovoltaic roof tile positioned adjacent to each other, and a spacer coupled to and positioned between the first and second photovoltaic roof tiles. A respective photovoltaic roof tile can include front and back glass covers, and multiple cascaded strings encapsulated between the front and back glass covers. A respective cascaded string can include a plurality of photovoltaic structures electrically coupled to each other in series, and the multiple cascaded strings can be electrically coupled to each other in parallel. The first and second photovoltaic roof tiles can be electrically coupled to each other in parallel.

Abstract: A gusset plate assembly for use in connecting at least two beams to a hollow tubular column in a building. The gusset plate assembly can receive said at least two beams in a biaxial orientation of said beams. The gusset plate assembly comprises gusset plates sized for transferring the weights of said at least two beams and their reaction forces and bending moments from the application of severe load conditions acting on the building to the hollow tubular column. At least one of the gusset plates receives a portion of a second of the gusset plates. A joint penetration groove weld joining the first and second gusset plates together allows the gusset plate assembly to be free of welds on its internal corners. A method of assembling a gusset plate assembly is also disclosed.