Abstract: The present invention provides a structural element for an aircraft and spacecraft, having a core which includes core regions which are uncoupled from one another by means of an expansion joint arranged between the core regions. The present invention further provides a method for producing a structural element for an aircraft or spacecraft, including the following method steps: providing a core of the structural element, which core includes core regions; and arranging an expansion joint between the core regions. The present invention relates still further to an aircraft and/or spacecraft having such a structural element.

Abstract: The portable structure will generally have a pod from which a suite frame and suite may be deployed. The suite will allow personnel to administer to many critical demands and activities. The portable structure may be deployed upon any terrain, whether level or uneven, rigid or soft, and both the pod and the suite may be leveled independently. Additionally, the portable structure may incorporate at least one cocoon section wherein the cocoon section comprises at least one interior layer contacting a mesh covering placed over the suite frame, at least one thermal layer affixed to the interior layer, wherein the thermal layer includes heat adding and heat removal members capable of removing or adding heat to the mesh covering or a substance adjacent the at least one thermal layer and at least one exterior layer affixed to the thermal layer.

Abstract: An elongated clip for hard clapboard style siding such as fiber cement, composite wood, fiberglass, plastic, oriented strand board or other materials. The clip includes rainscreen and standoff features for proper placement from a support wall structure. In addition, the clip includes a support feature for the installation and proper alignment of an upper course of siding.

Abstract: A stringer for decking has a strip of material to extend over a top surface of a decking joist, and is provided with clips. Each clip has a base part standing up from the strip, and a head projecting in the lengthwise direction of the strip. Alternate clips have their heads projecting towards opposite ends of the joist. The size of the head, and the height of the head above the strip, are chosen to fit into the grooves of a standard grooved deck board. The lengthwise spacing between two adjacent clips with their heads facing towards each other is chosen so that the standard grooved deck board will fit onto the two clips with the two heads received in the grooves on either side of the board. The lengthwise spacing between two adjacent clips with their heads facing away from each other sets the width of a gap between two boards fitted onto the two clips.

Abstract: A leave-in-place forming system for concrete slabs and pavements that comprises a number of components including two or more of the following: a plate dowel for load transfer between adjacent concrete panels (joint stability), a divider plate, and an assembly or molding to finish the concrete to, that armors the joint and/or provides a water-tight seal to the joint. The joint assembly could incorporate an integral setting assembly or bracket or could be used with a re-usable setting bracket. The integral assembly or bracket is most suitable when it is desirable to place concrete to both sides of the joint assembly at the same time. The re-usable setting bracket is most suitable where concrete is placed to just one side of the assembly and it is desirable to re-use the setting assembly.

Abstract: A fire-rated angle piece and wall assemblies or other assemblies that incorporate the fire-rated angle piece, in which the angle piece can include an intumescent or other fire-resistant material strip. The angle can be attached adjacent to a corner of a framing member, such as metal tracks, headers, header tracks, sill plates, bottom tracks, metal studs, wood studs or wall partitions, and placed between the framing member and a wall board member at a perimeter of a wall assembly to create a fire block arrangement. A fire spray material can be applied over a portion of the angle piece.

Abstract: A door includes a door frame, first and second door skins having rectangular outer peripheries and inner openings, and a frameless glazed unit received at the openings. The door skins include exterior surfaces facing away from the door frame and opposite interior surfaces facing and secured to opposite sides of the door frame. The exterior and interior surfaces of the first and second door skins establish integral lips and grooves of the first and second door skins Opposite sides of the frameless glazed unit directly contact and are sealed by the integral lips and sealant and/or adhesive contained in the grooves of the first and second door skins.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an industrial plant module for industrial plant construction includes (1) determining a number of single level layers required to fabricate a multi-story industrial plant module, including at least two story layers; (2) constructing the single level layers at substantially ground level and in a multi-step sequence, including installing equipment on at least one story layer, and where each story layer is open at its top; and (3) fabricating the multi-story industrial module by stacking the single level layers and fastening the single level layers together.

Abstract: A tensioned panel extended insulation system includes a support structure, a panel support structure and a pair of insulation panels. A telescoping tube extended insulation system includes a support structure and a ceiling sheet material. A rafter clip may be attached to a rafter for attachment of an end of the support structure. A cable arched telescoping tube extended insulation system includes an arched support structure, an adjustable spacer, a cable and the ceiling sheet material. A bar joist extended insulation system includes a support structure, an insulation support structure and an ceiling sheet material. A bar joist extended insulation system may be arched. A system for installing ceiling sheet material in buildings preferably includes either two roller supports or two sheave supports, a middle section, a first end section and a second end section. A rotary strut could also be used to replace an existing strut.

Abstract: A seismic connection device for connecting a panel to a beam includes a dissipating element with a longitudinal axis fixed to the beam only in correspondence of its longitudinal ends, a sliding connector slidingly mounted on the dissipating element in such manner to slide along the longitudinal axis of the dissipating element, a fixed connector fixed to the panel, a tensioning element disposed between the fixed connector and the sliding connector to allow for a linear displacement of the fixed connector towards the sliding connector. The panel is adapted to move with respect to the beam in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A floor panel for a floor of a passenger cabin of a mobile platform is provided, which comprises a base body with an integrated cable channel and a cover element covering the cable channel. The base body is realized in the form of a sandwich component including two honeycomb structures, between which the cable channel is arranged. The cover element is firmly attached to the base body, thereby creating a self-supporting floor panel. Since the cover element is firmly attached to the base body, the thickness and weight of the base body may be reduced.

Abstract: A modular adaptable housing architecture for building temporary shelters and residential units in emergency situations is provided and includes an oval cross-section, which can be increased and extended in a flexible manner, involving the mechanically articulated assembly of successive structural modules formed by pairs of crosswise-arranged ovoid frames in order to support a panel-based inner floor slab, with the shell being formed by sheets, while providing a level floor solution in which the floor is elevated above the ground using the curvature of the elliptical supporting section of each frame or retractable supporting parts of the frames. The result is a self-tensioning geometry shelter, which can be adapted to suit the terrain and occupancy requirements, which is stable, strong and environmentally friendly, and which can be transported in disassembled parts and quickly assembled at any location without requiring any additional work and enabling a finish typical of the locality.

Abstract: Panel assemblies for movable partitions include a panel and a protective clip covering at least a portion of a bottom surface of the panel. The panel includes channels defined between lateral edge portions and a back side surface of the panel. Tabs of the protective clip are positioned within corresponding channels. Movable partitions include at least one panel and at least one protective clip, which is assembled with the at least one panel and is coupled to a back side surface of the at least one panel. Tabs of the back portion of the at least one protective clip are inserted at least partially within two opposing channels of the at least one panel. Methods of attaching a protective clip to a panel of a movable partition include positioning tabs extending from longitudinal ends of the back portion of the protective clip within channels of the panel.

Abstract: A plurality of carrying bars defining a suspended mounting grid. A bracket having a U-shaped central portion defining a mounting channel receiving a portion of said carrying bars. The bracket has a first support arm extending laterally outward from a first side of said central portion, and a second support arm extending laterally outward from a second side of said central portion. A keyway is disposed in each of said first and second support arms. A ceiling panel having a ceiling panel connecting member engages said keyway in either of said first support arm or said second support arm of said bracket so that said ceiling panel is carried by said bracket on said carrying bars. A securing clip carried on each of said first and second support arms engaging said ceiling panel connecting member to resist removal of said ceiling panel connecting member from said keyway.

Abstract: A concrete building structure and method for constructing a building structure which includes a first cross-brace section, including a plurality of pre-cast concrete blocks connected in series by at least one rebar; a second cross-brace section, including a plurality of pre-cast concrete blocks connected in series by at least one rebar, extending generally perpendicularly to the first cross-brace section such that the first and second cross-brace sections form a grid understructure; a plurality of channels encapsulating adjacent blocks from the first and second cross-brace sections, whereby the grid understructure includes channels into which concrete may be poured at a building site; each of the plurality of blocks positioned within respective channels; a plurality of pre-cast concrete slabs resting atop the blocks in the grid understructure; and poured concrete filling each of the channels and a space between adjacent concrete slabs to complete a generally flat floor of the building structure.

Abstract: Floor panel, with a horizontally and vertically active locking system allowing that two of such floor panels can be connected to each other at said sides by providing one of these floor panels, by means of a downward movement, in the other floor panel; wherein the vertically active locking system comprises a locking element in the form of an insert; wherein this locking element comprises at least a pivotable lock-up body; characterized in that the pivotable lock-up body comprises a support portion which is rotatable against a support surface pertaining to the floor panel concerned, and more particularly in a seat.

Abstract: A method for forming a variably sized wall panel by supplying a face panel of a first material, the face panel having a front face and a back face, the back face having a plurality of crosspieces extending therefrom. The face panel is placed in a mold such that the front face of the face panel abuts a bottom of the mold and the back face of the face panel faces away from the bottom of the mold. A flowable second material is layered on top of the face panel and the flowable second material is allowed to harden such that the back face of the face panel and the crosspieces are frictionally bound to the hardened second material.

Abstract: A method of installing an inground vehicle lift includes the steps of excavating an area to create a pit, lowering a housing which encloses the mechanical components of the lift into the pit via a support structure, coupling the housing with a lower rebar system and an upper rebar system via a plurality of anchors and a plurality of angled support members before or after lowering the housing into the pit, leveling the housing, pouring concrete into the pit to a level such that the lower rebar system is sufficiently embedded within the concrete, allowing the concrete to partially cure, detaching the housing from the support structure, backfilling the pit with backfill material, installing insulation within the pit above the backfill material, and pouring concrete into the pit to a level such that the upper rebar system is sufficiently embedded within the concrete.

Abstract: A frame connector assembly is adapted to releasably secure first and second frame members in line with one another. The connector assembly includes first and second expansion elements elastically interconnected. The second expansion element includes two hollow lobes joined by a web. When the connector assembly is received by the two frame members, threaded rotation of one or more threaded actuators forces the expansion elements apart and into engagement with opposing primary walls of the frame members. The threaded actuator also presses against the web, thereby causing resilient outward rotation of the lobes. This rotation results in compressive engagement between the outboard edges of the second expansion element and respective intermediate walls of the frame members. Thus, the connector assembly imposes locking forces to the frame members along two axes orthogonal to the main axis of the frame connector assembly. The expansion elements may have an identical extrusion cross-section.

Abstract: A modular assembly of solar panels is held together in a rigid fashion through the use of two J-channels arranged on either side thereof in oppositely facing directions. Brackets hold these J-channels to flanges on the underside of the solar panels. In the argot of solar panel installation, the J-channels extend in the north-south direction. Between each solar panel there is disposed a liquid collecting pan extending in the east-west direction. This collecting pan also acts as a clip providing both a structural and electrical connection between adjacently disposed solar panels in a column assembly which is rendered capable of installation as a single unit from the ground.