Abstract: A form assembly for forming a roof slab, an eave, and a peripheral beam in a monolithic structure is provided. The form assembly is detachably attached to upright columns of a housing frame structure and includes an eave formwork and a peripheral formwork. The eave formwork is mounted on the upright columns while the peripheral formwork is disposed between columns to be coupled to the eave formwork. The peripheral beam is formed between the eave and the roof slab and encloses a portion of top beams of the housing frame structure.

Abstract: Laminated interlocking stackable wall units are assembled using a large proportion of wood species unsuitable for use in the construction industry. The interlocking stackable wall units are used in combination with a laminated roof beam, and a roof panel to construct an earthquake-resistant buildings. Each building is tied together by composite steel bands that lend the structure flexibility and excellent resistance to wracking forces induced by natural phenomena, such as earthquakes and windstorms. The buildings are rapidly assembled with a minimum of labor, and are inexpensive to construct. The advantage is a high quality building constructed at reasonable cost.

Abstract: A ventilation system and material therefor includes a passage beneath the shingle layer of the roof of a building. The passage leads from the exterior of the building to the interior of the attic of the building. The passage is plugged with an air permeable polymeric material to allow passage of air from the exterior of the building to the interior of the building, and vice versa. The polymeric material is preferably shaped with a tapered thickness.

Abstract: A clear span building structure includes a first row of cantilever supporting structures and a second opposing row of cantilever supporting structures. Each of the cantilever supporting structures has (1) a post with a top end and a bottom end, the bottom end being engaged to the ground; (2) an anchor span having a haunch height from a bottom end of the anchor span to the ground; and (3) a cantilever span. The anchor span and the cantilever span are coupled to the top end of the post. The anchor span slopes downwards from the top end of the post and the cantilever span slopes upwards from the top end of the post. A first roof covers the first row of cantilever supporting structures. A second roof covers the second opposing row of cantilever supporting structures. The first row of cantilever supporting structures and the second opposing row of cantilever supporting structures form only two pole lines.

Abstract: Metal connector ties for tying together the roof covering, roof sheathing, roof beams, top plate, and outside walls of existing wood structures against shear and tensional forces from strong winds or seismic activity. Two different sheet metal connectors can be used to tie together the roof beams, top plate, and outside walls by fasteners driven through the connectors, around obstructing wood trim and utility wires, and into the wood members. The roof covering, roof sheathing, and roof beams are tied together by metal connectors, rods through the roof, standard pipe connections and guide wires, that are tied to the roof beams by fasteners. All ties are used on the exterior of existing buildings without dismantling any wood trim or utility wires.

Abstract: A building strut of rectangular cylindrical construction has four contiguous, axially directed side walls. A terminal end of one or two of the four side walls is rolled into a coiled, retracted position, exposing interior surfaces of the remaining adjacent side wall terminal ends. These remaining terminal ends of the building strut are then be formed into jogged-out positions for receiving a second building strut in permanent engagement medially or at its end.

Abstract: A hybrid truss and a system of fabricating a building using a hybrid truss is provided. The hybrid truss is designed to span large widths without center support. Each hybrid truss is typically made with two symmetrical truss members that join at the peak. Each member is made with an upper cord and a lower cord having cross bracing between the two cords. A peak end member is attached to the ends of the cords to join the two truss members at the peak to form the hybrid truss. Attached at the lower end of each truss member is a sleeve. The sleeve is rigidly attached to at least the lower cords and cross bracing. The sleeve redirects outward forces into the top of a post in a downward force and a slight rotational force. The sleeve is designed to slide over the top of a post or column to attach and properly position the truss on the top of the posts or columns. Vertical adjustment to level the hybrid truss is provided by vertical movement of the sleeve on the post.

Abstract: A system (100) for positioning and securing structural members (20, 30) to supporting walls (10) of a building includes at least a pair of mounting devices (105) respectively mounted to a pair of longitudinally extended laterally spaced building supporting walls (10). Each mounting device (105) includes a base plate (110) having a plurality of pairs of fixing members (120) disposed in spaced longitudinal relationship. A space (118) between each of the pairs of fixing members (120) is provided for receiving the structural member (20, 30) therein. Each mounting device also includes a pair of second fixing members (122) disposed adjacent opposing ends of the base plate (110). Each of the fixing members (120 and 122) are formed by vertically directed C-shaped channel members. Each channel member has a central web portion (130) bounded on two vertically directed sides by a pair of flanges (132) expending in a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: In an arcuate roof section including a series of rafters which each define an exposed end of the prescribed height, a device positionable along the exposed ends of the series of rafters to define an arcuate facia. The device comprises at least one facia member having an arcuate inner surface, an arcuate outer surface, a top edge and a bottom edge. The inner surface of the facia member is configured to abut the exposed ends of the rafters such that the outer surface defines the arcuate facia. Additionally, the width between the top edge and the bottom edge of the facia member exceeds the height of the exposed ends. The facia member may be formed from a plurality of laminated wood members or formed from bonded particulate matter. Additionally, the facia member may be formed from a plastic material.

Abstract: A modular construction system that utilizes an extruded wall panel formed from rigid PVC to form either a door system, a wall system, or a storage building. The construction system includes an extruded wall panel defined by planar front and back surfaces that define a hollow interior. The wall panel can be configured to act as a door panel for a modular door system. A plurality of wall panels can be joined by a panel adapter to define a wall having a user selected configuration. Further, the wall panels can be joined to define the sidewalls of a storage building. An eave connector formed from extruded plastic supports a series of wall panels on the sidewalls and cooperates with a roof connector to form the roof of the storage building from the extruded wall panels.

Abstract: A jointing device (10) is provided for joining elongate members (106, 110), and 108, 112) in a building (100). The device (10) is formed form a blank (11) of sheet material and comprises a gusset portion (12) and spaced flange portion (14 and 16) each extending from an edge of the gusset portion (12) and forming a cavity there between. The device (10) further comprises a first opening (24) arranged adjacent to one end of the gusset portion and in communication with the cavity and a second opening (26) arranged adjacent to the opposite end of the gusset portion and in communication with the cavity. In use, one elongate member (106) is positioned in the cavity through the first opening (24) and a second elongate member (110) is positioned in the cavity through the second opening (26) for joining by fixing to the jointing device (10). The blank (11) has foldlines (70) and the blank (11) is configured with sections bendable along the foldlines to form the gusset portion (12) and the flange portions (14 and 16).

Abstract: A glazed roof comprises glazing bars supporting glazing panels secured to a supporting structure by means of screws through fixing blocks mounted at the glazing bar ends, the fixing blocks having provision for receiving and directing the fixing screws.

Abstract: Retrofit connectors that secure together the outside sheathing and underlying structural members of wood-frame or masonry houses, preventing damage when subjected to lateral stresses from a hurricane, or transverse loads from an earthquake. The connectors have special bushings and bearing surfaces that tie the outside sheathing and underlying structural members together, but allow deflection, and transfer of energy to other structural members. Different embodiments of the connectors allow them to adapt to most wood-frame and masonry homes, and to most roof pitches.

Abstract: In an arcuate roof section including a series of rafters which each define an exposed end of the prescribed height, a device positionable along the exposed ends of the series of rafters to define an arcuate facia. The device comprises at least one facia member having an arcuate inner surface, an arcuate outer surface, a top edge and a bottom edge. The inner surface of the facia member is configured to abut the exposed ends of the rafters such that the outer surface defines the arcuate facia. Additionally, the width between the top edge and the bottom edge of the facia member exceeds the height of the exposed ends. The facia member may be formed from a plurality of laminated wood members or formed from bonded particulate matter. Additionally, the facia member may be formed from a plastic material.

Abstract: A mortise and tenon joint for I-beam members. The joint includes an I-beam post and an I-beam beam that interlocks with the I-beam post. The I-beam post and the I-beam beam are each made of fiber reinforced pultruded polymer composite. The web of the I-beam post extends past the flanges of the I-beam post so as to form a tenon. The flanges of the I-beam beam have a pair of aligned throughslots so as to form a mortise that snugly receives, and is filled by, the tenon. The tenon has a plurality of throughbores through the pair of opposing faces thereof. The web of the I-beam beam has a plurality of throughbores that are aligned with the plurality of throughbores in the tenon when the tenon is snugly received in the mortise. Bolts extend through first washers, through the plurality of throughbores in the web of the I-beam beam, through the plurality of throughbores in the tenon, through second washers, and threadably engage in nuts so as to maintain the tenon in the mortise.

Abstract: The present invention discloses, in certain aspects, a portable building with a plurality of interconnected walls defining an interior space therebetween, a floor on which the walls are positioned, a roof structure connected on top of the walls, and at least one bay area for servicing an automobile. In one aspect there are a pluralities of bay areas. In one aspect the building is removably mounted on a trailer.

Abstract: Roofing structure includes roofing brackets having a first leg attached to vertical members of a roof structure and a second leg that extends at an angle from the first leg and attached to horizontal members of the roof structure. Brackets serve to attache the vertical members to a support surface of the roof. The first and second legs include a plurality of preformed patterned holes and slots having varying sizes to receive fasteners. The pattern and size of the holes and slots allows for fastening of the brackets to steel bar joists while enabling the fasteners in the slots to be fastened near center lines of the respective bar joists. The slot sizes and positions enable fastening to steel bar joists for most distances between the flanges of their top angle chord members.

Abstract: The invention relates to a roof construction, assembled from aluminium alloy extrusions and sections which may be cut on site to the appropriate dimensions. There is a ring beam, made from a channel and a ridge member in the form of a central extruded aluminium alloy central box member, the channel and member being essentially of the same section. Thus a relatively small number of different extrusions are required.

Abstract: A structure stabilizing system that includes a length of cabling and a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides. Each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides includes an L-shaped joist securing plate assembly, a rafter securing plate, and a cable guide tube assembly. The structure stabilizing method includes the steps of a) providing a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides as described above; b) attaching one each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides to a number of sets of ceiling joists and rafters along each side of the building; c) threading a length of cabling through each of the cable guide tubes of each of the attached joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides; and d) anchoring the ends of the cable to the foundation of the structure to be stabilized.

Abstract: This invention provides an overhang support system for gable roofs which eliminates any need to put a notch in the gable end truss top chord member. It utilizes a novel unitary connector device for improved support of overhang structures in a gable roof of the type including an overhang member, a gable end truss top chord member, and a first adjacent truss (to the end truss) top chord member. The rigid connector provides some holes for nailing to an intermediate support member, situated between the first adjacent truss top chord member and the gable end truss top chord member, or, optionally, in one preferred embodiment, if no intermediate support member is used, these holes are used for nailing to an overhang support member; and it provides some holes for nailing to an overhang support member, situated between the gable end truss top chord member and the overhang member; and also holes for nailing to the gable end truss top chord member. The connector is channel-shaped to fit snugly over, e.g.