Method and apparatus to minimize and control damage to a shear wall panel subject to a loading event
AssigneeKaterra Inc.
InventorHans-Erik Blomgren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A building wall comprises a shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge, a bottom left corner, and a bottom right corner. The wall sits atop a horizontal base support located under the horizontal bottom edge of the shear wall panel. A tie-down couples the shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the shear wall panel such that the shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces. Toe crushing elements are situated under the bottom corners of the shear wall panel. The bottom corners of the shear wall panel compress the toe crushing elements as the shear wall panel rocks about the tie-down under horizontal forces.
Claims18
A building wall, comprising:
- a shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge, a left vertical edge, a right vertical edge, a bottom left corner at an origin of the horizontal bottom edge and left vertical edge, and a bottom right corner at an origin of the horizontal bottom edge and right vertical edge;
- a horizontal base support located under the horizontal bottom edge of the shear wall panel;
- a tie-down coupling the shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the shear wall panel such that the shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces;
- and
- a left toe crushing element situated under the bottom left corner of the shear wall panel and a right toe crushing element situated under the bottom right corner of the shear wall panel, the bottom left and right corners of the shear wall panel compressing the respective left and right toe crushing elements as the shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.