An improved beam connector providing enhanced means for connecting beams in geodesic spherical or domed dwellings and commercial structures. The improved connector design provides for construction of an entire geodesic frame using only one connector size and shape, and one beam size and shape. The improved connector comprises three angularly spaced apart legs radiating from the center at a downward pitch, each leg for receiving a beam. The top surfaces of each leg may form a dihedral angle for supporting adjacent exterior hexagonal and pentagonal panels. The bottom surfaces of each leg may form a dihedral angle for supporting adjacent interior hexagonal and pentagonal panels.

An improved beam connector providing enhanced means for connecting beams in geodesic spherical or domed dwellings and commercial structures. The improved connector design provides for construction of an entire geodesic frame using only one connector size and shape, and one beam size and shape. The improved connector comprises three angularly spaced apart legs radiating from the center at a downward pitch, each leg for receiving a beam. The top surfaces of each leg may form a dihedral angle for supporting adjacent exterior hexagonal and pentagonal panels. The bottom surfaces of each leg may form a dihedral angle for supporting adjacent interior hexagonal and pentagonal panels.

A crane, such as a bridge crane or gantry crane, having at least one horizontally extending crane girder, which is designed as a lattice girder having a plurality of braces and on which a crane trolley having a lifting device can be moved. At least some of the braces are planiform, and each of the planiform braces has a flat main surface, which extends transversely to a longitudinal direction of the crane girder. A first brace and a second brace form a brace pair and are arranged in an X-shape in relation to each other as viewed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the crane girder.

A fixture for setting rebar at a predetermined distance from the rim of an excavated pit includes elongated first and second legs each having a proximal end and a distal end, the first and second legs rigidly joined at their mutual proximal ends to form an L-shape; an angle adjustment device carried by the first leg, comprising a foot movable towards or away from the first leg along an axis generally parallel to the second leg; a support bracket carried by the first leg at a predetermined offset distance from the proximal end thereof; and a hook extending from the distal end of the second leg, generally parallel to the first leg.

A fixture for setting rebar at a predetermined distance from the rim of an excavated pit includes elongated first and second legs each having a proximal end and a distal end, the first and second legs rigidly joined at their mutual proximal ends to form an L-shape; an angle adjustment device carried by the first leg, comprising a foot movable towards or away from the first leg along an axis generally parallel to the second leg; a support bracket carried by the first leg at a predetermined offset distance from the proximal end thereof; and a hook extending from the distal end of the second leg, generally parallel to the first leg.

A plurality of metalogs form a freestanding wall or fence, or structure comprising walls, upper floors whenever applicable and/or roof of a building. Each metalog has an axis. A stiffener extends through a set of aligned holes in the metalogs at right angles to the axes. One or more additional stiffeners may similarly extend through one or more additional sets of aligned holes in the same metalogs. The stiffeners function to resist forces acting in a direction parallel to the axes of the metalogs and therefore enhance the stability of the structure and obviate otherwise required X-bracing.

A plurality of metalogs form a freestanding wall or fence, or structure comprising walls, upper floors whenever applicable and/or roof of a building. Each metalog has an axis. A stiffener extends through a set of aligned holes in the metalogs at right angles to the axes. One or more additional stiffeners may similarly extend through one or more additional sets of aligned holes in the same metalogs. The stiffeners function to resist forces acting in a direction parallel to the axes of the metalogs and therefore enhance the stability of the structure and obviate otherwise required X-bracing.

An extrusion profile and cap system is provided. The extrusion profile may be made of metals, polymers, ceramics, and the like. The extrusion profile may include an outer perimeter forming an internal cavity. At least one channel may be formed along the outer perimeter and protruding into the internal cavity. The cap is releasably attachable to the extrusion profile and may cover at least a portion of the channel. The cap may hide bolts, screws, angle bars, wires and the like within the channel.

An extrusion profile and cap system is provided. The extrusion profile may be made of metals, polymers, ceramics, and the like. The extrusion profile may include an outer perimeter forming an internal cavity. At least one channel may be formed along the outer perimeter and protruding into the internal cavity. The cap is releasably attachable to the extrusion profile and may cover at least a portion of the channel. The cap may hide bolts, screws, angle bars, wires and the like within the channel.

Various embodiments provide rollable and deployable composite booms that may be used in a wide range of applications both for space and terrestrial structural solutions. Various embodiment composite booms may be bistable, i.e. having a stable strain energy minimum in the coiled configuration as well as the in the deployed configuration. In various embodiments, a boom may be fabricated by aligning two independent tape-springs front-to-front encircled by a durable seamless polymer sleeve. The durable seamless polymer sleeve may allow the two tape-springs to slide past each other during the coiling/deployment process so as to reduce, e.g., minimize, shear and its derived problems.