Abstract: In a metal building wall construction intended especially for house basement walls, the walls consist of edge interlocked metal panels resting on the web of an upwardly-open perimeter channel that delineates the basement floor. A flange on the channel inner side sets the depth of a poured concrete floor and acts as a screed for levelling the concrete. The perimeter channel web is wider than the panels are thick and they are supported at their inner face by spaced tabs struck up out of the perimeter channel web to leave internal drain holes which permit escape of water received in the perimeter channel. Since the thin passage between abutting edge webs unavoidably promotes capillary action whereby water can be drawn into it from the adjacent soil, the passage is provided along its length with an enlargement forming a vertical longitudinal drain passage that will trap the water moving into the passage and cause it to travel downwards to the perimeter channel and through the drain holes.

Abstract: A new building construction is intended especially but not exclusively for use in areas with "active soils", i.e., soils in which drastic dimensional changes occur with the seasons, owing principally to changes in water content. Such soils heave considerably particularly, within the confines of the building footing, causing severe cracking of any floor laid directly thereon and possibly of the floors above. In this new construction the lowermost floor structure is supported by one or more trusses, each of which is supported at its ends on the footing. The ends of the truss or trusses slide freely on the footings so as not to be affected by movement of the latter and are therefore clear of any direct earth movements.The truss or trusses support vertical loads only, while the floating floor structure is arranged to withstand the horizontal forces applied by the active soil.