A building sub-floor construction comprising a plurality of elongated beams formed of rigid polymer foam material, wherein the elongated beams comprise similar cross-sectional shapes, and wherein the elongated beams are configured to snuggly engage one another along their lengths to produce a continuous slab.

A water drainage system may include a clip having a support arm, a catch arm, and a brace. The support arm may include a support arm contact surface that may be opposingly positioned to the brace. A rail may have an upper plate, a back plate, and a lower plate. The lower plate may include a plate lip that extends toward the upper plate, and a channel may be formed in the rail that extends between the upper plate, back plate, lower plate, and plate lip. The upper plate may include an upper plate contact surface that is disposed within the channel. An optional waterproof membrane may be coupled to the clip and rail by engaging the clip to the rail with a portion of the waterproof membrane tensioned between the support arm contact surface and the upper plate contact surface.

Concrete wall supports that reduce or eliminate wall movement due to exterior horizontal forces. One support is a bracket mounted to a floor joist with a plate extending below the top of the wall and two legs extending from the plate and attaching to the joist. One leg is above the concrete wall on one horizontal side of the plate, and the other leg is on the opposite side of the plate. Another support has a plate that extends below the top of the wall with two legs on opposite sides of the joist above the wall. A leg attaches to the lower edge of the joist. A support against shear forces includes a highly water permeable aggregate composite disposed in the voids of the wall, with a supportive strip that is enclosed in the aggregate composite and extends out of the voids to the face of the wall.

The present invention is a novel, disaster-resistant structure (such as a building, room, closet, enclosure, or wall) and a method for constructing or assembling the structure securely to a body of cast material such as a foundation, grade beam base, platform, slab or floor that incorporates flexible cables to resist the very high loads or impact of debris and other hazards that may occur due to high winds, tornadoes, earthquakes, or other severe storms. The structure is secured to the body of cast material by at least one flexible cable. The flexible cable can be comprised of any member from a group of cables, wires, ropes, strings, or threads. The flexible cable can also be made from a wide range of materials including steel, other metals, nylon, manila, polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, Kevlar, Nomex or polyimides. Typical construction methods for a body of cast material include building a form work or frame that defines the shape and dimensions of the body of cast material. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one hollow tube is placed into the area defined by the form work or frame for the body of cast material. The tube is placed in a generally horizontal position, but the ends may be curved or turned upward. When the cast material is placed into the form work or frame and hardens, the tube is at least partially embedded. In the best mode, the tube is bent or curved so that the ends are not within the formwork or frame and are protruding from the body of cast material after it hardens. However the hollow tube could be straight, curved, or angled. The tube may also be woven between the conventional steel reinforcing of the body of cast material. In the preferred embodiment, the flexible cable is passed through the hollow tube so that it can be looped over the ceiling or portion of the ceiling after the structure is framed. Conventional construction methods for framing include the use of wood, metal or masonry. In the preferred embodiment, the flexible cable is looped around the structure in a substantially vertical plane, passed through the tube, traveling inside the walls and ceiling. The ends of the flexible cable are connected. They could be connected to the structure's framing or the body of cast material, but in the preferred embodiment, the ends are connected to each other. This can be accomplished by using a clamp, or clamps, sleeves, clips, crimps, turnbuckles, hooks, ball and strap fittings, strap forks, ball and shanks, threaded fittings, strap eyes, eyelet fittings, eye bolts, plugs, threaded plugs, ball end plugs, ties, welds or any other means for connecting cable ends. The flexible cables provide the stren

A system for a basement concrete form and drainage are disclosed. The system may include a lineal that is a horizontal concrete form for a footer for a wall and a basement floor. The lineal may include a rectilinear tubular structure having a cavity, an outer wall, and drain perforations in the outer wall to permit fluid transmission from the cavity to an exterior of the lineal. In addition, a retainer may be mounted to a stake for the basement concrete form when the stake is embedded in a formation underlying the lineal. The retainer may be selectively vertically positioned along the stake to adjust a height of the lineal relative to the underlying formation.

A building module. The building module has a rigid inner construction panel defining a planar surface thereon; one or more rigid brackets each affixed by one or more mechanical fasteners to the planar surface of the construction panel; a rigid, closed-cell, spray foam or an adhesive matrix contiguous to and substantially covering the planar surface of the construction panel and contacting and embedding at least a major portion of the one or more brackets. Each of the one or more brackets bears a planar surface facing substantially away from the planar surface of the construction panel. The surface area of the planar surface of each of the one or more brackets is substantially smaller than the surface area of the planar surface of the construction panel to which it is affixed. There are also other embodiments of building modules. There are also other embodiments of brackets useful in building modules. There are also other embodiments for making building modules.

A building monitoring computer system for monitoring building integrity may be provided. Various types of sensors may be embedded throughout or within certain portions of different types of building or construction material making up the building, such as within roofing, foundation, or structural materials. The sensors may be in wireless communication with a home controller. The sensors may be water, moisture, temperature, vibration, or other types of sensors, and may detect unexpected or abnormal conditions within the home. The sensors and/or home controller may transmit alerts to a mobile device of the home owner associated with the unexpected condition, and/or that remedial actions may be required to repair the home or mitigate further damage to the home. The sensor data may also be communicated to an insurance provider remote server to facilitate the insurance provider communicating insurance-related recommendations, updating insurance policies, or preparing insurance claims for review for home owners.

An apparatus and associated method for a sliding entry door assembly. The sliding door assembly has a frame, and a fixed lid attached to the frame. A rail is attached to the frame. A lid is selectively slidable upon the rail relative to the fixed lid to an opened position. A cam is selectively operable to raise the slidable lid to be flush with the fixed lid in a closed position.

A method of constructing an inhabitable underground structure is disclosed that comprises the steps: creating a cutout in the earth at a desired location to generally match a desired shape of an interior of the underground structure; applying a reinforcement structure to an outer perimeter of the cutout; and applying shotcrete over the reinforcement structure to create a monolithic underground structure.

A wall framing system for supporting an interior wall in spaced proximity to an exterior wall includes one or more stud members extending between upper and lower frame channel members, which are configured to self-locate in relation to the exterior wall in a manner which establishes a moisture and air barrier between the exterior wall and the interior wall supported by the wall framing system. The interior wall supported by the wall framing system is resistant to moisture degradation, and maintains desired R-value insulation properties throughout the wall.