Laminated construction elements and method for constructing an earthquake-resistant building
OwnerWilliam Harry Smithinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims25
Construction elements for assembling an earthquake-resistant building, comprising in combination:
- an interlocking, stackable wall unit comprising a load bearing inner laminate, a load bearing outer laminate and a rigid insulating core bonded between the respective inner and outer laminates and the inner and outer laminates respectively include a top surface with a parallel-sided longitudinal groove and a bottom surface with a complimentary tongue that is received in the groove when one of the stackable wall units is stacked on top of another;
- a laminated roof beam comprising opposed outer load bearing members having a predetermined length and width, an inner load bearing member having the same predetermined length and at most the predetermined width, and an elongated metal plate having the predetermined length and at most the predetermined width, the respective outer load bearing members, inner load bearing member and metal plate being laminated together so that the metal plate is between one of the outer load bearing members and the inner load bearing member;
- and
- steel rods adapted to be anchored in a foundation of the building and to extend vertically through the stackable wall units stacked on top of one another to form an exterior wall of the building, and through brackets connected to outer ends of the laminated roof beams to tie the foundation, exterior walls and roof beams for resisting wracking forces.
A method of constructing an earthquake-resistant building, comprising:
- a) connecting in a vertical orientation to a foundation for the building, a plurality of steel rods, the steel rods being spaced apart a predetermined distance and having respective threaded top ends;
- b) erecting walls for the building by stacking over the steel rods predrilled, stackable wall units comprising a load bearing inner laminate, a load bearing outer laminate and a rigid insulating core bonded between the respective inner and outer laminates;
- c) securing a wall plate to a top of the erected walls;
- d) erecting a ridge beam to support center ends of opposed pairs of roof beams for supporting a roof for the building;
- d) mounting the opposed pairs of roof beams to the ridge beam and opposed side wall plates, adjacent a top end of each of the steel rods that extend through the opposed side wall plates, each roof beam comprising opposed outer load bearing members having a predetermined length and a predetermined width, an inner load bearing member having the predetermined length and at most the predetermined width, and a metal plate having the predetermined length and at most the predetermined width, the respective outer members, inner members and the metal plate being laminated together so that the metal plate is between one of the outer members and the inner member;
- and
- e) installing brackets to tie the respective roof beams to the respective steel rods, and to tie together ends of the roof beams where they meet above the ridge beam;
- and
- f) installing nuts on the top ends of the vertical steel rods to secure the walls and the roof beams to the foundation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.