US 6,415,581 B1Granted

Corrugated stiffening member

AssigneeDeck West, Incorporated

InventorsJerry Shipman, Willie Oehrlein, Joe Orgon

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Abstract

A stiffening member, as well as a diaphragm of a building in which the stiffening member is used, is disclosed. The diaphragm includes a horizontal wide-flange beam, a corrugated deck, and a corrugated stiffening member. The stiffening member is an elongate, corrugated strip. The stiffening member's corrugations are formed by a series of U-shaped portions that alternate with, and are integrally connected to, a series of horizontal upper portions. Each U-shaped portion consists of three planar portions: two substantially vertical side portions and one horizontal floor portion. Each U-shaped portion is reinforced with two parallel raised ribs. In a second embodiment of the stiffening member, the U-shaped portion is reinforced with two parallel tab portions attached at the sides of the stiffening member. The stiffening member nestingly overlies the corrugated deck, and is attached to the deck and to the underlying horizontal beam with either welds or pins.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A stiffening member, comprising:

a. a plurality of U-shaped portions, having an outer surface, wherein each said U-shaped portion comprises:
(i) a first substantially vertical, planar side portion;
(ii) a second substantially vertical, planar side portion;
(iii) a horizontal, planar floor portion;
(iv) a first corner integrally connecting said floor portion to said first substantially vertical, planar side portion;
(v) a second corner integrally connecting said floor portion to said second substantially vertical, planar side portion;
(vi) means for reinforcing one of said corners between one of said side portions and said floor portion, wherein said reinforcing means comprises a projecting portion projecting from said U-shaped portion's outer surface, and further, wherein said projecting portion comprises an elongate ribs generally hemicircular in transverse cross-section, projecting convexly from said U-shaped portion's outer surface;
b. a plurality of horizontal, planar upper portions residing in a plane parallel to and above the plane of said horizontal, planar floor portions;
c. an integral connection between each of said first substantially vertical, planar side portions and one of said horizontal, planar upper portions;
and,
d. an integral connection between each of said second substantially vertical, planar side portions and another of said horizontal, planar upper portions.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/617,468Filed 17 Jul 2000
Granted: 9 Jul 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

E04D 3/366
Connecting; Fastening: by closing the space between the slabs or sheets by gutters, bulges, or bridging elements, e.g. strips
E04B 5/40
With slab-shaped form units acting simultaneously as reinforcement; Form slabs with reinforcements extending laterally outside the element: with…
E04C 2/322
Formed of corrugated or otherwise indented sheet-like material; composed of such layers with or without layers of flat sheet-like material: with…
E04D 3/30
With special cross-section, e.g. with corrugations on both sides, with ribs, flanges, or the like: of metal