Abstract: A reinforced building wall comprises a foundation; an anchor rod extending from the foundation; a first stud wall disposed above the foundation, the first stud wall including a first bottom plate and a first top place; a second stud wall disposed above the first stud wall, the second stud wall including a second bottom plate and a second top plate; the first tie rod including first and second threaded end portions, the first end portion is operably connected to the anchor rod; a second tie rod including third and fourth threaded end portions, the third end portion is operably connected to the second end portion of the first tie rod; the second tie rod including an outer end portion operably attached to the second stud wall; an intermediate portion of the first tie rod is unthreaded and comprises at least about 75% of the length of the first tie rod; and an intermediate portion of the second tie rod is unthreaded and comprises at least about 75% of the length of the second tie rod.

Abstract: Coping arrangements and methods for mounting coping arrangements for swimming pools and related structures are provided. The coping arrangements include an elongated base member shaped and adapted to be received by a wall of a swimming pool; and a plurality of elongated top members, each of the plurality of elongated top members are adapted to be replaceably mounted to the elongated base member, and each of the plurality of elongated top members having an exposed contour different from each of the other elongated top members. The different exposed contours of the top members of the coping arrangement may comprise different cross-sectional. Methods for changing a coping arrangement, coping arrangement kits, coping members, and methods for installing a pool are also disclosed.

Abstract: A flange frame and to an assembly set for preassembling and/or for transporting and/or for assembling a tower segment for a wind turbine and/or a tower section of a wind turbine and/or a tower of a wind turbine, and also to methods. The flange frame comprises two flange sections for fastening the flange frame in a releasable manner on a horizontal flange of a tower segment, also comprises a lifting bolt for the engagement of a sling-like lifting unit, and further comprises a supporting element for supporting the flange frame on a standing surface.

Abstract: A mobile tower system includes a tower cassette sized to be accommodated in a bed of a pickup truck. The tower cassette includes a container, a tower vertically fixed to a back portion of the container, and a mounting member fixed to a top of the tower. The mounting member has a free end for mounting a piece of equipment thereto, and the mounting member is moveable between a stowed position and a use position. When in the stowed position, the free end of the mounting member is disposed inside of the container for securing the piece of equipment mounted thereto in the container when the tower is not in use. When in the use position, the free end of the mounting member is disposed outside of the container for operating the piece of equipment when the tower is in use.

Abstract: An assembly supports external masonry veneer. A bracket mounts to a load bearing wall support structure. A shelf angle has a horizontal leg that defines a shelf for the veneer, and an upstanding leg supported by mounting brackets that secure the assembly to the wall structure. The horizontal shelf is segmented. The back of the shelf angle flexes between the segments to allow the shelf angle to follow the shape of a curve wall. The shelf angle is secured to the mounting brackets with locking clips. The mounting brackets may be channels. They may have lower abutments. The abutments may extend rearwardly. An insulator may be placed between the back and structure. The mounting bracket may have lightening holes. The lightening holes may be in a framework array including alternating diagonal struts. A low thermal conductivity coating may be applied to the bracket.

Abstract: A windowsill assembly includes a beam member and an insert bracket. The beam member includes a first leg and a second leg, the first leg meeting the second leg at a joining region at proximal ends of the first leg and the second leg. The insert bracket includes a first portion and a second portion that are substantially perpendicular to each other to substantially match an angle between the first leg and the second leg of the beam member. The insert bracket couples the beam member to a support member.

Abstract: An assembly creates annular voids in concrete around the distal end of cylindrical tubes. A cap has a flat top and a cylindrical, depending skirt. An annular, foam plug extends between the inside of the skirt and the outer diameter of the tube. The plug has an undeformed inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the tube to create an interference fit around the tube and keep concrete out when the cap is on the end of the tube. The plug has a radial thickness of 0.3 to 1 inch, and has an axial length of 1 to 3 inches, with a bottom of the plug located at a bottom of the skirt. The cap is glued to the end of the tube for pressure testing. After the tube is entrained in concrete, the cap and plug are removed to leave a void in the concrete surface.

Abstract: Load support structures for mounting a load atop a raised rib metal panel roof make use of relatively small, inexpensive, and easy-to-make adapter plugs as interfaces between the raised ribs and one or more component pieces or members of the load support structure, such as an upper diverter or a lower closure member. The adapter plug has an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface having an inner profile substantially matching or conforming to some or all of the profile of a particular style of rib profile. The outer surface of the adapter plug has a standardized shape, some or all of which is made to conform to an upper diverter, lower closure, and/or other component member of the load support structure.

Abstract: A panel having at least one pair of complementary locking means at opposite panel edges, wherein at least one pair of the locking means is provided with complementary hook profile portions, wherein at least one of the hook profile portions has a compression region.

Abstract: The object is attained by a method of erecting a wind turbine tower having a plurality of tower segments which are tensioned by means of tensioning members. A plurality of tensioning members is provided and a fixing unit is fixed at an end of the tensioning members. Fixing of the fixing unit is effected by placing a multi-part wedge unit at a free end of the tensioning members which comprise a plurality of tensioning wires. A sleeve is fitted over the wedge unit and a pulling tab is fixed on or at the sleeve. The pulling tab has an opening. A cable is fixed at or in the hole in the pulling tab. The cable with the fixing unit and thus the tensioning members is pulled upwardly. The fixing unit is fixed at a segment of the tower, that is to be fixed. The sleeve is removed before the tensioning member is braced.

Abstract: An assembly (10) for strengthening a building column. The assembly comprising two pairs of elongate members (16, 28) beatable around the building column and with inter engaging engagement formations (22, 24, 32) and (34) which once inter engaged prevent the elongate members (16, 28) from being separated in either a directly longitudinal or a directly transverse direction.

Abstract: A floor panel has two pairs of opposite edges so at least at one pair of opposite edges the floor panel is provided with coupling parts formed in one piece with a substrate of the floor panel. A relief is provided at least with a plurality of embossments in a synthetic transparent material of a top layer of the floor panel. The embossments are performed deeper than the synthetic transparent material, and the printed decor and an underlying layer of the substrate are embossed. The underside of the substrate is undeformed.

Abstract: A double variable sliding isolator including a bottom sliding plate, a top sliding plate, and a friction piece is provided. The bottom sliding plate has a bottom sliding surface that has at least two curvatures. The top sliding plate is disposed over the bottom sliding plate and has a top sliding surface that has at least two curvatures. The friction piece is disposed between the top sliding plate and the bottom sliding plate and the friction piece is in contact with the bottom sliding surface and the top sliding surface. When an external force is applied to the bottom sliding plate and the top sliding plate, the bottom sliding plate and the top sliding plate will generate a relative displacement, so that the friction piece slides along the bottom sliding plate and the top sliding plate.

Abstract: A shrinkage compensating device for seismic restraint in wood building construction combines a spring-operated take-up device (TUD) with a ratcheting split nut. The split nut, attached to or formed as part of a rotatable component of the TUD, acts as the securing nut for the TUD and allows the TUD with the split nut to be slipped over the top of a threaded rod and pulled down along the rod into place against a structural member. Several forms of attachment of the split nut to the spring-operated TUD are disclosed, as is a simplified rotatable split nut version.

Abstract: An acoustic ceiling tile and a dynamic acoustic ceiling system that includes multiple ceiling tiles that can be quickly and easily installed onto ceiling structures utilizing attached or embedded magnetic assemblies to provide an aesthetically pleasing image, such as an fluctuating image, along with a reduction in unwanted noise or room acoustics, wherein the attached or embedded magnetic assemblies are configured to be removed from the ceiling tile, and then configured to be easily placed or located onto a different location on the ceiling tile as needed, to allow for optimal installation of the ceiling tile onto the ceiling structure.

Abstract: A hoisting system for the at least one of an installation, a decommissioning and a maintenance of a wind turbine which comprises at least a foundation, a tower, a yawing part and a rotor of at least 80 m diameter with at least one blade, comprising a first hoisting device which comprises measures to establish a load carrying joint with an already built part of the wind turbine which is located above the foundation, wherein the hoisting system is characterized in that the ratio between the maximum hoist load of the hoisting device and the mass of the heaviest part is larger than 0.2 and smaller than 1 and in particular smaller than 0.8 and more in particular smaller than 0.7 and preferably smaller than 0.6, with the heaviest part being a heaviest part which is hoisted as one piece and which belongs to the yawing part of wind turbine.

Abstract: A foundation for a structure pre-stressed via a plurality of tensioning members includes a foundation slab and a suspension device cast into the foundation slab. The suspension device includes an anchor element, which may be an upper anchor plate, located at least as high as an upper side of the foundation slab, the anchor element for attachment to one of the tensioning members. The suspension device also includes a lower anchor plate located at least as low as within a lower third of the foundation slab. The structure may be a container, a tower or a wind turbine tower. The structure may include a stack of prefabricated concrete parts. The disclosure is also directed to the combined structure and foundation, and to a method of manufacturing a structure having a foundation.

Abstract: A novel and useful frame less supplemental window for fenestration suitable for use with existing windows. The supplemental window, in one embodiment, comprises plastic sheet material with bullnose edging around it. Corner braces add rigidity and strength to corners in several embodiments. An attachment mechanism secured either to the sheet material or the bullnose edge functions to fasten and/or seal the supplemental window to an existing window. The bullnose edging functions to substantially enclose (i.e. trap) a volume of air between the window pane and the plastic sheet material. The supplemental window is configured such that the layer of trapped air is of an optimum thickness within a preferred range of 0.15 to 0.75 inches to maximize thermal insulation properties of the supplemental window.

Abstract: A modular shelter system includes a floor panel having a first curved surface along a lateral edge on a top side of the floor panel and a first inside surface located inside of the first curved surface. The modular shelter system additionally includes a wall panel having a second curved surface along a bottom end of the wall panel, wherein the second curved surface is configured to rotate relative to the first curved surface, and wherein the second curved surface is configured to mate with the first curved surface. The wall panel further has a second inside surface located inside of the second curved surface, wherein the second inside surface is configured to mate with the first inside surface when the wall panel is erected over the floor panel.

Abstract: Although Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRPs), as alternatives for the corrosive steel reinforcement in concrete structures, have shown promising performance under gravity loads, their performance under reversal cyclic loading is still one of the main concerns. The linear behavior of FRP reinforcement has a two-sided effect on the seismic performance of FRP-reinforced concrete (RC) moment-resisting frames. Although the linear nature of FRP reinforcement could be advantageous in terms of limiting the residual damage after an earthquake event, it lowers the energy dissipation of the structure which can compromise its seismic performance. Disclosed herein is the addition of steel plates at selected locations in moment-resisting frames to improve seismic performance of FRP-RC structures while still being able to take advantage of its linear behaviour (minimal residual damage after earthquake). The effectiveness of the proposed solution was tested both experimentally and analytically.