Abstract: A system for securing a building structure, and various components of a building structure, to one another and/or to the building foundation or ground, is provided. The system includes apparatus for securing shingles against wind damage on a sloped, shingled roof; apparatus for securing the roof structure of a building to the adjacent upper wall structure; and apparatus for securing the roof structure directly to the foundation of the building or to the ground. The system is particularly adaptable to single and two story residential dwellings, such as single family homes and townhouses, and their related structures, such as garages and sheds, having sloped, shingled roofs. Installation of the complete system of the present invention provides substantial additional security for a structure against storm damage, particularly due to high winds.

Abstract: A prefabricated panel for forming walls and roofs of buildings includes a concrete planar portion having a first face and a second face, at least one concrete rib projecting from the first face, at least one block of insulating material fitted adjacent to the first face and the at least one rib, a plastic stud channel secured over at least one of the at least one rib, anchors for securing the panel to a foundation. A polystyrene strip is preferably contained within each plastic stud channel. The anchors preferably include a first angle-iron plate having first and second planar portions, the first planar portion being contained within one of the concrete ribs and the second planar portion being exposed and parallel with the exterior of the rib, a second angle-iron plate having first and second planar portions, the first planar portion being fastened to the second planar portion of first angle iron plate and the second planar portion being secured to the foundation. A structure formed of such panels includes a foundation having a ledge around its edges and several of the panels positioned vertically on the ledge and secured to the foundation to form walls. Additional panels may be placed across the tops of the vertically positioned panels to form a roof. These additional panels have at least one slot for receiving the tops of the vertically positioned panels.

Abstract: A foundation structure comprises a plurality of light metal parts which assemble and secure in place prior to placement of foundation in situ concrete. Assemblage is supported by coarsely threaded rods which screw directly into earth and attach to parts by various methods. Some parts remain in place as permanent supporting members for superimposed structure. Others, which generally form surfaces of foundation concrete, subsequently relocate to become either similar permanent structural members, or inventory for subsequent projects. Use of a computer aided design program assists in optimal configuration of parts, and creates a list of parts with necessary cut and piecemark information for automated fabrication of any particular length parts. This information, along with a computer produced schematic plan, allows use of parts as collocation elements which define a distinct foundation design by simple field assembly. Variations in assemblage of parts accommodate requirements of site, user needs, and materials of subsequent structure. Specific versions offer an integral joist floor structure, a free standing wall, or a concrete slab on grade. Interface with subsequently superimposed walls is specific to those of either framed members, or concrete type materials.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed for providing a building with good wind resistance by the use of a reinforcing structure. Specific reinforcing structure is also disclosed. The technique involves affixing a tethering device over a portion of the roof frame and securing the ends of the tethering device to the building foundation.

Abstract: A method for reinforcing building structures so they may withstand strong winds. The method involves installing vertical tie rods to bolts anchored in the foundation of the building structure. The rods tie the horizontal beams, such as ceiling joists of the building structure, to the anchor bolts through nuts and washers secured to the removed end of the anchored tie rod.

Abstract: A slab-on-grade must be designed to resist two types of expansive soil movement: the short-term cyclic heave/shrinkage around the perimeter of the foundation and the long-term progressive swelling beneath the center of the slab The purpose of the conventional slab-on-grade on expansive soils is to provide deepened perimeter footings that are below the active zone of seasonal swell/shrinkage and to soak the soil subgrade in order to reduce the long-term progressive swelling beneath the center of the slab Two common problems with this foundation are that the perimeter footings are not deep enough to resist the short-term cyclic heave/shrinkage and the presoaking beneath the slab is not done properly The purpose of the design of the posttensioned slab-on-grade is to build a foundation that is strong and rigid enough to resist the expansive soil forces using the center-lift and edge-lift deformation configurations Three potential problems are that the expansive soil movement is cyclic, the edge moisture variation distance is based solely on climate, and the center-lift deformation may be underestimated

Abstract: A major departure from traditional foundation piles for jackets is planned for the Europipe 16/11-E riser platform in the North Sea. Scheduled for installation in the summer 1994 in 70 m water depth, the jacket will have no piles. The permanent foundation will consist of a 12 m diameter mudmat at each of the 4 corner legs fitted with skirts projecting down from its periphery. This new concept will use suction to achieve the full penetration depth of 6 m. The structure will not rely on gravity platform principles only, but will use passive suction generated by tension load to resist the overturning moment from environmental forces.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a monolithic concrete wall structure and more particularly to a reinforced, precast, insulated concrete wall structure. The wall structure of the invention has an enlarged, upper reinforced horizontal concrete beam that helps carry various stresses and loads present in a residential or commercial structure. The wall structure also has a three-layer insulated main section that includes integrated vertical support columns for added strength. The wall structure is strong enough to span spaced-apart footings without additional reinforcement, thereby eliminating the need for a continuous foundation footing.

Abstract: A unique water drain system is utilized for eliminating subgrade water which usually accumulates below ground level and causes cracks or leaks in the concrete foundation. The present system is uniquely designed to be used with permanent wood foundations. A basket-retainer is used to contain and prevent the spread of crushed stone out of position. The crushed stone allows the water to flow through it and to a drain tile. The retainer has a water-permeable membrane around or lined in it to prevent soil or debris from clogging up the crushed stone conduit.

Abstract: This experiment was done at the foundation of a chapel that was constructed about 300 years ago at St Mary's City, Maryland, in the USA. The magnetic anomaly of this foundation is irregular and lumpy. The magnetic map does not show a uniform band with a high magnetic field along the line of the foundation; instead, it shows a series of high readings spaced unevenly near the foundation. This irregularity is caused by the addition and subtraction of the remanent magnetization of randomly oriented bricks in the foundation. Most brick foundations will probably show this irregularity, which will increase where the bricks are larger, the wall is smaller, or the magnetic sensor is closer to the foundation. This irregularity can make it difficult to delineate a buried foundation by magnetic survey. Several bricks were removed from the chapel's foundation and detailed magnetic maps were made of them. An analysis of these maps allowed the remanent and induced magnetization of the bricks to be determined. Having determined typical magnetic parameters for the bricks, simulations of the magnetic maps of brick foundations were constructed. These explain the irregularity of the anomalies.

Abstract: Concrete slab foundation and method of construction in which ground soil is graded to form a building pad, a plurality of plastic domes having top and side walls are placed in a rectilinear array on the pad, and concrete is poured over the domes to form a monolithic structure consisting of a gridwork of criss-crossing ribs between the side walls and a horizontally extending deck above the top walls. The concrete is prestressed with longitudinally extending tendons in the ribs, and the plastic domes are left in place as a permanent part of the foundation to serve as a moisture barrier at the under side of the deck and the lateral faces of the ribs.

Abstract: We present current theories about the structure of space and time, where the building blocks are some fundamental entities (yes-no experiment, quantum processes, spin net-work, preparticles) that do not presuppose the existence of space and time. The relations among these objects are the base for a pregeometry of discrete character, the continuous limit of which gives rise to the physical properties of the space and time.

Abstract: The way bridges respond to seismic excitation may be significantly influenced by the dynamic properties of their foundations. Within current design practice, foundation elements typically are considered as elastic springs, without consideration to material and radiation damping. General foundation models are identified that are suitable for (a) modeling soil-structure interaction for the seismic analysis of bridges, (b) modifying an existing, nonlinear, seismic-bridge-analysis computer program to include a new element capable of representing such models, and (c) conducting a parametric study to assess the effect of the increased energy dissipation mechanisms on the seismic response of bridge substructures. Three different models for spread-footing foundations are identified, applied to a typical two-column bridge bent, and compared with conventional elastic and fixed-base models. Three soil-stiffness values are considered, and two earthquake records, each with two different intensities, were applied to the bent. Maximum values of displacement, plastic-hinge rotation, and cumulative plastic hinge rotations were noted and compared. It was concluded that the use of the spread-footing foundation models can produce an important change in the bridge response to seismic activity when compared with that of the fixed-base model--depending on the frequency content of the earthquake and the stiffness of the soil. The effects of radiation damping were observed to be insignificant for foundations on stiff soil but important for those on soft soil. In addition, the performance of the simpler, damped foundation models was found to be quite similar to that of the more complex models. The models' accuracy was not verified, but the structural response of incorporating them was explored.