A building panel may be installed below a slab in the construction of buildings. The building panel supports the slab and also provides a ventilation layer that may be depressurized to eliminate or reduce infiltration of radon gas into the building. The ventilation layer may comprise channels which provide a two-dimensionally interconnected void. Ventilation panels which include collars for connecting to ventilation systems may be provided. The panels may be installed directly on compacted soil. The building panels may additionally provide sub-slab insulation and/or a capillary break for water drainage. In some embodiments the building panels are formed substantially entirely of thermal insulating material such as rigid polystyrene foam. In an example embodiment the panels are approximately 4 inches thick and have a grid of intersecting channels formed on an underside of the panels.

The present invention relates to a variable friction energy dissipation prefabricated seismic-damping partition wall-frame structure and a construction method therefor. The variable friction energy dissipation prefabricated seismic-damping partition wall-frame structure includes a peripheral frame, prefabricated seismic-damping partition wall panels, rubber pads, a friction seismic-damping layer, horizontal force transfer members and a steel angle restraining members. The sliding friction of the partition wall can be significantly improved with increase of an inter-story drift, so that the partition wall has a larger hysteretic area and a higher energy dissipation capacity and can provide the structure with a relatively high additional damping ratio, so as to alleviate a seismic action. In addition, integral damage control of the partition wall can be better achieved, and the energy dissipation capacity of the partition wall under bidirectional seismic actions can be guaranteed.

A vacuum insulated panel (VIP) and a method of manufacturing a VIP includes a rigid core material having high insulation and low conductivity properties. The rigid core may be made of an inorganic material that effectively mimics a porous silica core material. The core material includes large particles of an inorganic material having a diameter in a range of 10 m to 50 m. A portion of these large particles may be ground into small particles having a diameter of less than 1 m. The small particles are mixed with a portion of the large particles to form a core material which is then mixed with a fiber skeleton and compacted under vacuum along with a fibrous skeleton for structure. The resulting structure provides a porosity ranging from 10 nm to 1 m in diameter.

Support wires can be used to hold up light tiles to provide a lightweight display system or technique.

A roof cover board made from a mixture of 30-60% stucco; 20-50% perlite; 10-30% cellulose fiber; 3-20% starch; and siloxane. Also disclosed is a stucco-free roof cover board made from a mixture of 30-60% perlite, 30-60% cellulose fiber, 5-25% starch; and siloxane. Also disclosed are methods for making same.

A fastening system for joining a first composite sandwich panel and a second composite sandwich panel comprising a cam assembly and a stud receiving assembly. The cam assembly is configured to be positioned within a first hole extending through a thickness of a first composite sandwich panel. The cam assembly comprises a housing and a cam connector rotatable within the housing. The cam connector is configured to engage a head of a stud. The stud receiving assembly is configured to be positioned within a second hole extending through a thickness of a second composite sandwich panel. The stud receiving assembly has internal retaining channels configured to secure a first end of the stud.

A masonry reinforced with at least one bed joint masonry reinforcement structure. The bed joint reinforcement structure includes at least two cords, which have metal filaments that are twisted together. The cords are oriented parallel or substantially parallel in the length direction of the masonry reinforcement structure.

A building panel may be installed below a slab in the construction of buildings. The building panel supports the slab and also provides a ventilation layer that may be depressurized to eliminate or reduce infiltration of radon gas into the building. The ventilation layer may comprise channels which provide a two-dimensionally interconnected void. Ventilation panels which include collars for connecting to ventilation systems may be provided. The panels may be installed directly on compacted soil. The building panels may additionally provide sub-slab insulation and/or a capillary break for water drainage. In some embodiments the building panels are formed substantially entirely of thermal insulating material such as rigid polystyrene foam. In an example embodiment the panels are approximately 4 inches thick and have a grid of intersecting channels formed on an underside of the panels.

A wood or engineered wood structural panel, such as, but not limited to, OSB (oriented strand board) or plywood, that is both fire-resistant and water resistant. The panel is factory-coated with a product that provides fire resistance. The treatment gives it a Fire-Resistant (FR) performance (for use in a one- or two-hour rated assembly). The panel also is overlaid or coated in a factory setting with a weather/water resistive barrier (WRB). The structural panel thus combines a fire-resistant structural sheathing and WRB product in one integrated panel produced at a factory prior for installation at a job site.

A building-construction panel includes a tongue on one edge and a groove on an opposite edge that receives the tongue of an adjacent panel. A shoulder on the tongue-side edge defines an abutted surface that is contacted by an abutting surface on the groove-side edge to limit panel travel during installation and maintain a gap between upper edge portions of the adjacent panels. A bottom transition is formed on the groove-side edge so that the groove-side abutting surface is smaller than the tongue-side shoulder abutted surface. In this way, the relatively smaller groove-side abutting surface structurally maintains the gap but also minimizes frictional interpanel contact area to minimize squeaking. And the relatively larger tongue-side shoulder abutted surface helps keep the shoulder from being collapsed into the groove from overdriving the panels together during installation. In typical embodiments, the panel is a high-performance structural wood subflooring panel.