What is provided is a precast hollow block, a precast wall system incorporating the precast hollow block, and forms for manufacturing a hollow block and a coping cap. Accordingly, the precast hollow block and its incorporation into a precast wall system provide solutions to current “level up” block coping techniques, wall flood protection, wall force protection, and the like. Instead of having mismatched or missing face textures on sloped portions of the wall, the precast wall system allows for easier installation of face-textured blocks directly at the top of the wall. As a result, the precast wall system may readily account for slope transitions of a wall, conform to specific Department of Transportation project requirements, accommodate existing wall construction specifications, and be easily customizable for a variety of applications.

What is provided is a precast hollow block, a precast wall system incorporating the precast hollow block, and forms for manufacturing a hollow block and a coping cap. Accordingly, the precast hollow block and its incorporation into a precast wall system provide solutions to current “level up” block coping techniques, wall flood protection, wall force protection, and the like. Instead of having mismatched or missing face textures on sloped portions of the wall, the precast wall system allows for easier installation of face-textured blocks directly at the top of the wall. As a result, the precast wall system may readily account for slope transitions of a wall, conform to specific Department of Transportation project requirements, accommodate existing wall construction specifications, and be easily customizable for a variety of applications.

A cooling tower structure having a concrete perimeter foundation wall with a perimeter rebar grouping. The structure includes at least four columns formed of CMU blocks with at least two columns being freestanding and positioned approximate corners of the foundation wall. Each column further includes a column rebar grouping being tied into the perimeter rebar grouping. At least three bond-beams formed of CMU blocks are connected between the columns at least four feet above the foundation. The bond-beams include beam rebar groupings tying into at least one of the column rebar groupings. The structure includes housing walls formed of CMU blocks extending upward from the bond beams. At least one fan is on at least one pedestal column positioned within the foundation wall, with a pedestal rebar grouping extending though the pedestal column from a concrete pedestal footing. A series of water collection troughs are positioned within the cooling tower above the fan and fill media is positioned in the cooling tower above the collection troughs.

A cooling tower structure having a concrete perimeter foundation wall with a perimeter rebar grouping. The structure includes at least four columns formed of CMU blocks with at least two columns being freestanding and positioned approximate corners of the foundation wall. Each column further includes a column rebar grouping being tied into the perimeter rebar grouping. At least three bond-beams formed of CMU blocks are connected between the columns at least four feet above the foundation. The bond-beams include beam rebar groupings tying into at least one of the column rebar groupings. The structure includes housing walls formed of CMU blocks extending upward from the bond beams. At least one fan is on at least one pedestal column positioned within the foundation wall, with a pedestal rebar grouping extending though the pedestal column from a concrete pedestal footing. A series of water collection troughs are positioned within the cooling tower above the fan and fill media is positioned in the cooling tower above the collection troughs.

A radiation shielding block for constructing structural walls having flat opposed front and rear surfaces defining a thickness of the block, continuously curved, sinusoidal opposed left and right surfaces and top and bottom surfaces. The continuously curved, sinusoidal surfaces have a regular repeating wavelength pattern having a wave direction that is perpendicular to the flat front and rear surfaces, and a length that is two complete wavelengths of a sinusoidal wave. A plurality of the radiation shielding blocks are stackable in a staggered wythe construction having a plurality of wythes and at least one successive course of blocks set atop a previous course of blocks such that the continuously curved, sinusoidal surfaces of the successive course of blocks engage complementary continuously curved, sinusoidal surfaces of the previous course of blocks, and the successive course of blocks is offset by one wavelength from the previous course in a front-rear direction.

A connection means for building components is described. According to the invention, a connection means can be arranged opposite on the external surface of a building component, having a body, this body comprising a case and containing at least one filling material within said case, where said filling material is more elastic than the material forming said case, said case and said filling material being adapted to receive at least one through anchoring element which can be fixed to said building element.

An apparatus includes a monolithic retaining wall formed by combinable modular retaining wall blocks. Each of the combinable modular retaining wall blocks defines (A) vertical grooves extending along a vertical direction, and (B) horizontal grooves extending along a horizontal direction. This is done in such a way that the monolithic retaining wall, which is formed by the combinable modular retaining wall blocks, defines (A) spaced-apart instances of the vertical channels extending vertically through the monolithic retaining wall, and (B) spaced-apart instances of the horizontal channels extending horizontally through the monolithic retaining wall, in which at least some of the spaced-apart instances of the horizontal channels intersect at least some of the spaced-apart instances of the vertical channels.

The construction of buildings can be time consuming and error prone. Building modules constructed off-site and pre-furnished can be made more efficiently than building everything on-site. Building modules are disclosed with a reinforced, precast concrete floor with thickened edges, and a structural frame that defines the shape of the module. The frame is made from hollow structural section bars that are attached to the thickened edges of the floor. The module is made with a roof to protect the furnishings and fittings inside the module during storage, transportation and installation.

The construction of buildings can be time consuming and error prone. Building modules constructed off-site and pre-furnished can be made more efficiently than building everything on-site. Building modules are disclosed with a reinforced, precast concrete floor with thickened edges, and a structural frame that defines the shape of the module. The frame is made from hollow structural section bars that are attached to the thickened edges of the floor. The module is made with a roof to protect the furnishings and fittings inside the module during storage, transportation and installation.

An insulated concrete form (ICF) system includes a rectangular building block formed of two back to back half beam “C” sections defining a half beam space at each open end of the “” block and defining an intersecting column space orthogonal thereto with interlocking grooves on each corner side of the block. The system also includes a plurality of rectangular building blocks interlocked via the interlocking grooves configured to form a grid of beam space and intersecting column space orthogonal thereto, the resulting grid space configured to be filled with concrete and interstitial rebar to form a concrete wall.