Abstract: A modular building block is disclosed as is a mortar and block wall to be formed by a plurality of identical such building blocks stacked in rows in longitudinally overlapping relation with some surfaces of the blocks of one row in abutment with blocks of upper and lower rows, yet with cement mortar of a thickness suitable for a conventional mortar joint between the blocks. Through the provision of spacers of soft material coupled to the blocks, as an integral part thereof, to abut with harder body portions of the other blocks, the blocks can abut each other without interfering with the ability of the cement mortar to bond the blocks together absorbing contractive forces in the walls.

Abstract: A panel assembly for use in construction of flooring, walls or ceiling has two panels (1, 2) each having a planar surface (3, 4) on one side and one its opposite side (5, 6) a plurality of bosses (7, 8) projecting from the panel. The panels (1, 2) are interconnected by abuttment of the bosses (7) of one panel (1) with the bosses (8) of the other panel (2) and a locking member (12, 18) is associated with some of the abutting bosses to thereby prevent lateral movement of panel (1) relative to the other panel (2). The locking members (18) may be tubular and/or comprise locking pins (12) arranged to pass through bores in some abutting bosses. When used as a flooring the panel assembly is installed on a concrete base (26) having a substantially flat surface and bedded on an adhesive compound (25). A number of panel assemblies will be required to construct the flooring wall or ceiling, but once constructed a number of individual panels may be removed to readily allow the installation of mains services.

Abstract: According to the invention a multi-layered furnace wall construction for industrial use is provided. The wall construction comprises an outermost iron shell layer, an innermost refractory fiber block layer and an intermediate layer interposed between the iron shell layer and the refractory fiber block layer. The refractory fiber block layer is secured to the intermediate layer by means of stud bolts and washers of ceramic material. The fibers constituting said refractory fiber block layer are oriented such that they extend in the direction substantially perpendicular to the surface plane of the furnace wall.

Abstract: A flush finishing metal door/window frame is provided for a reveal of an opening in a wall that has a pair of oppositely positioned wall board sheets. Wall finishing materials are used for finishing outside surface of the wall board sheets and stepped side flanges of a frame member in a continuous flush manner.

Abstract: A deck structure is disclosed in which overlapping and interlocking corrugated members, each formed from a single sheet of metal, are covered with a layer of concrete. Each corrugated member has at least one longitudinally extending valley along one side and a substantially flat flange provided on an opposite side. The flange may include spaced-apart longitudinally extending shallow depressions spaced at a distance and configured to receive and interlock with an adjacent member. When the decking is used as a deck form, the end portions of the sheet members may be partially or completely closed. Perforations which may be provided in flange portions of the members, allow water and other liquids to drain through deck form and to be caught in a vented valley portions of an adjacent member.

Abstract: Trussed girder, roof framing using the trussed girder and method of constructing the roof framing of a building using the trussed girder. In the trussed girder, an upper chord and a lower chord are jointed through lattice members. The trussed girder includes: a prestressing steel member; and an attaching mechanism for attaching the prestressing steel member to at least one of both the upper and lower chords to longitudinally extend under tension for providing prestress to the trussed girder.

Abstract: Unanchored fluid storage tanks rely primarily on the weight of fluid resting on an uplifted portion of the base plate to balance seismically induced overturning moments. Local uplift is therefore necessary to develop the resisting moment. This has often resulted in buckling and other damage. These problems are reduced or eliminated by inserting a ring filler under the tank wall, so that the base plate is partly preuplifted. The weight of fluid resting on the preuplifted portion of the base plate can contribute to the resisting moment without any additional uplift of the tank wall. It is shown by static analysis and by experiment that preuplift significantly improves the lateral load capacity of unanchored tanks.

Abstract: A habitable shelter and method of construction having a continuous floor portion with a plurality of four exterior walls attached to the floor portion via a hinge means along contiguous sides, the walls movable between horizontal positions along the floor to vertical upright wall positions. There is further provided means for allowing the walls to lay parallel to the floor, with the end walls foldable atop the side walls, and a plurality of exterior walls stacked between the folded end walls for compact storage for shipment. There is further provided a plurality of corner beam members for stabilizing the walls in their upright position in interlocking fashion, and a roof member positioned atop the vertical walls for defining an angulated roof on the structure. There is further provided a plurality of interior walls which in their upright position are doweled into the floor portion and interlocked into the side walls for further support.

Abstract: A reusable grid system and method for in place cast forming a monolithic roof covering for a sloped roof, the roof covering having the stepped and segmented appearance of a tiled roof. The grid system includes a plurality of horizontally disposed dam bars and transversly disposed fixed and movable spacer bars therebetween which, when removably assembled atop a sloped roof, are adapted to retain monolithic poured and scraped plastic uncured concrete or the like so as to have an exposed surface which substantially duplicates a conventional tile roof after curing and removal of the grid system. The cured roof covering is thus monolithic from one eave to peak to the other eave and may include foam-filled cavities for thermal insulation and weight reduction, longitudinal segmented elastomer-filled expansion joints, formed eaves with gutter connecting means and molded edges. The grid system may also include a movable spacer bar assembly, as well as means for forming the valley between two adjacent roof sections.

Abstract: The invention relates to the prestressing of a concrete work by means of a relatively long stretched sinuous cable (1) formed by a bundle of several metal strands (2)housed individually in plastic material tubes (3). The different tubes with their strands are positioned without special precautions in a sheath (5) buried in the work then a sufficiently unctuous and fine cement grout (6) is injected into this sheath for filling the spaces in the sheath between the tubes and strands are tensioned individually after solidification of the injected cement grout, by means of relatively light automatically operated actuating cylinders.

Abstract: A method for producing a constructional element comprising a steel casing filled with concrete, for instance, a machine body having good load carrying and vibration-absorbing properties. The main steel parts of the element are arranged to form a hollow casing filled with a fluid concrete mass. Internal pressure is supplied in the casing to act on the concrete mass during its hardening phase, the pressure being selected so as to provide in the steel casing an elastic deformation and expansion which substantially exceeds the shrinkage of the concrete mass during its hardening phase. The internal pressure must be sufficient to cause such a deformation of the steel casing that there is a remaining compression between the steel casing against the dry shrunk concrete in the finished element under all the loading and deforming conditions for which the constructional element has been designed.

Abstract: A protective peripheral cornice of a building which cornice is an equal angle broad flanged beam inserted between the top of the wall and the end section of the ceiling. Such beam is made of light material which is totally enveloped in a metal sheet except for two interruptions in each of which the sheet is replaced by bridgelike means of insulating plastic material which extend for about 1/2 the panel thickness; one of said interruptions being located across the horizontal median plane of the roof panel while the other is located across the vertical median plane of the wall panel. Such interruptions having thus the function of thermal insulations or thermal barriers.

Abstract: A mausoleum for cremated remains includes linear and columnar displays of arrays of transparent display vessels which are relatively small but illuminated to have individual prominence as well as a pleasing aesthetic effect. The vessels rest on linear and columnar displays in secured positions but can be rearranged if desired. The enclosure may be of cruciform outline so as to provide visual variety and to permit expansion in a natural manner.

Abstract: The set is composed of elements of six types (1 to 6) of different lengths and conformations, all having transverse interengaging tongues (7) and complementary grooves (8) and a dovetail slideway (9) at each end intended for their coupling to each other in their lengthwise direction.Certain elements (2, 3, 5, 6) furthermore have female dovetail slideways (9) on their side faces, intended for L, T and crosswise wall connections, as well as a hole (11) for the passage of a threaded rod and the containing of a centering sleeve.Ths set of elements has the specific feature that it makes it possible to reproduce, in all wall conformations and independently of the openings (25), a vertical alignment of the slideways (9) with a repetitive pitch (P) which visually reestablishes wall continuity despite the discontinuity due to the stagger of the joint lines (28) of the elements.

Abstract: A louvered wall is formed of spaced stacks of thin masonry blocks with elongated louvers disposed between adjacent blocks and extending longitudinally of the wall through several stacks of blocks. The middle longitudinal region of each louver is higher than its longitudinal edge regions and the upper and lower surfaces of the blocks are shaped to conform to the cross-sectional configuration of the louvers to lock the blocks and louvers against transverse movement.

Abstract: A support structure for forming eave corners on a hipped roof of a steel framed structure comprises a rectangular frame having two triangular sub frames tiltable along their adjacent diagonal sides. The inner corner of the rectangular sub frame is supported above the outer diagonal corner to form triangular planes coplanar with adjacent roof planes on each side of a hip line, the rectangular frame being cantilevered over the corner walls of the building to form an eave corner. The support structure may also be used to form internal or external corners on a verandah roof. A method for constructing hipped roofs on steel frame buildings is also provided.

Abstract: A delta-shaped roof joist structure provided with load transfer wall attaching clips at spaced intervals therealong for transferring both horizontal and perpendicular loads between the joist structure and a wall of a building. The load transferring clip structure includes a formed member of plate-like material having at one end a U-shaped portion for association and adjustment along a load transfer angle iron of an associated roof joist, and on the other end the member having an extension integral with one side of the U-shaped portion, and at substantially right angles thereto. The extension has an aperture for reception of wall affixing fastening elements therethrough.

Abstract: A support device and wall for a cable duct (10) in a cavity lining floor comprises a lift-off double bottom (24) in the direction of the cable duct (10) and a prefabricated blind shuttering (28) on the opposite side. Legs (16), which stand upon the bare concrete floor (12) at regular intervals corresponding to an integral multiple of the interval (e) of adjacent depressions (34) in the blind shuttering (28), are in alignment with the depressions (34) relative to the transverse direction of the cable duct (10).The legs are constructed as support plates (54) with vertical support rod (52) which exhibits a screw-thread at least in the uppermost region.

Abstract: A tarpaulin incorporating a novel and structure which will enable the tarpaulin to be readily utilized as an outdoor cover, drop cloth, lawn cleanup sheet and numerous other applications even under relatively adverse environmental conditions. The tarpaulin is preferably constituted of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic film material, which incorporates corner or edge grommet structure; which enables staking or weighted components to be detachably fastened to the structure so as to ensure that the tarpaulins will not be displaced or carried off in response to extraneous forces caused by the elements, while concurrently allowing for the easy handling thereof during use, particularly when employed for outdoor purposes, such as the accumulation and removal of lawn trash constituted of leaves, grass or shrubbery cuttings and the like.

Abstract: A structure, such as for a full-size stadium roof, which has a retractable central portion capable of opening up about one-half of the total roof area. Two retractable roof panels, rectangular in plan, cover an area that can be larger than a football field, and move in the direction of the main axis of the stadium.