Shear load resistant structure
AssigneeVerco Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorVirgil R. Morton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The bottom flutes of a fluted deck or diaphragm of a building are fixedly attached to a horizontal load bearing member supported by vertical load resisting members. A load translation member, fixedly secured to the top flutes of the diaphragm and to the horizontal load bearing member, precludes relative movement between the top flutes en masse and the bottom flutes en masse. By precluding relative movement of the top and bottom flutes, the shear loads imposed upon the diaphragm by earthquakes and/or high winds are translated through the load translation member and the load bearing member to the vertical load resisting members.
Claims13
A diaphragm for translating horizontal shear loads imposed thereon through a supporting load bearing member to vertical load resisting members in buildings, said diaphragm comprising in combination:
- a. a fluted deck, said fluted deck including webs alternately interconnecting top and bottom flutes terminating at opposed open ends defined by the extremities of said webs, said top flutes and said bottom flutes, said fluted deck having the opposed open ends supported by a load bearing member;
- b. first welds for rigidly securing the ends of each of said bottom flutes of said fluted deck to the supporting load bearing member;
- c. load translation means transversely located with respect to the flutes of said fluted deck for structurally interconnecting the top flutes of said deck with one another and with the load bearing member;
- d. second welds for rigidly securing the ends of each of said top flutes of said deck directly to said load translation means;
- and
- e. third welds for rigidly securing the load bearing member directly to said load translation means;
- whereby, said load translation means inhibits relative movement between and buckling of said top and bottom flutes of said fluted deck due to horizontal shear loads imposed upon said diaphragm and said load translation means translates the horizontal shear loads from said diaphragm to the load bearing member and ultimately to the vertical load resisting members.
A building for resisting horizontal shear loads imposed by earthquakes, high winds and the like, said building comprising in combination:
- a. vertical load resisting members for absorbing horizontal shear loads imposed upon the building;
- b. horizontal load bearing members attached to said vertical load resisting members for translating horizontal shear loads to said vertical load resisting members;
- c. a diaphragm supported by said horizontal load bearing members, said diaphragm comprising in combination:
- i. a fluted deck, said fluted deck including webs alternately interconnecting top and bottom flutes and defining a total thickness of said diaphragm of at least 11/2 inches;
- ii. first welds for rigidly securing said bottom flutes of said fluted deck to at least one of said horizontal load bearing members;
- iii. load translation means for structurally interconnecting said top flutes of said fluted deck with one another and with said one horizontal load bearing member;
- iv. second welds for rigidly securing said top flutes of said fluted deck with said load translation means;
- and
- d. third welds for rigidly securing said load translation means with said horizontal load bearing member;
- whereby, said load translation member inhibits relative movement between and buckling of said top and bottom flutes of said fluted deck due to shear loads imposed upon said diaphragm and said load translation member translates the shear loads imposed upon said diaphragm through said horizontal load bearing members to said vertical load resisting members.
A method for constructing earthquake resistant buildings having vertical load resisting members supporting horizontal load bearing members, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. welding a fluted deck having webs alternately interconnecting top and bottom flutes to a horizontal load bearing member, said welding step including the step of welding bottom flutes of the fluted deck in proximity to a horizontal load bearing member;
- b. welding a load translation means to top flutes of the fluted deck;
- and
- c. welding the load translation means to the horizontal load bearing member;
- whereby the load translation means inhibits relative movement between and buckling of the top and bottom flutes of the fluted deck due to horizontal shear loads imposed upon the deck and the load translation member translates the horizontal shear loads imposed upon the deck through the load bearing member to the vertical load resisting members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.