A reinforced building wall includes a foundation and an anchor rod anchored to the foundation; a first stud wall disposed above the foundation; the first stud wall having a first bottom plate, a first top plate and first and second vertical studs operably joined to the first bottom plate and the first top plate; a horizontal first bridge member disposed between the first stud and the second stud, the first bridge member having a first vertical opening; a rod post having one end operably connected to the anchor rod and operably connected to the first bridge member to transfer downward forces from the first bridge member and the second bridge member to the rod post; the anchor rod is attached to an anchor; and the anchor is disposed in an upper portion of the foundation.

A bracket includes a first wing, a second wing and a bridge that connects the first wing to the second wing. The first wing has a first inner surface and a first outer surface. The second wing has a second inner surface and a second outer surface. The bridge extends from the first inner surface to the second inner surface thereby coupling the first wing to the second wing such that the first inner surface is normal to a first direction, and the first inner surface is parallel to the second inner surface. The bridge includes a front edge and a rear edge. The front edge forms a recess that extends into the bridge towards the rear edge along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and the recess terminates within the bridge prior to reaching the rear edge.

A system for securing modular building units to each other and a method for assembling structures using said method is disclosed. The disclosed system allows for modules to be connected to each other from an external position, without a person having to enter the modules to fasten components internally. The system and method may be used to build structures using prefabricated modules, avoiding significant amounts of onsite labor and drastically reducing the time required to erect structures.

A hydraulic expandable connector for taking up a slack in a tie rod in a hold-down system includes an inner cylindrical body disposed within an outer cylindrical body; a first actuation spring operably attached to the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body to urge relative motion between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body such that the connector expands axially to take up the slack; a first chamber and a second chamber disposed between an outer wall surface of the inner cylindrical body and an inner wall surface of the outer cylindrical body; a first passageway communicating between the first chamber and the second chamber; and a valve operably disposed in the first passageway in an open position when the connector expands and a closed position when the connector is subjected to an axial load.

The invention relates to a modular plant (1), in particular a modular industrial plant, comprising a plurality of cuboid-shaped plant modules (20, 40, 40a, 40c), which are arranged in two or more layers stacked one above the other. The modules have a support structure having fastening points (24, 24′, 44, 44′), wherein the fastening points are provided for connecting a module to corresponding fastening points of the adjacent modules of a layer located above and/or below thereof. In the horizontal plane, the modules of a layer are connected to the adjacent modules of the layer located above and/or below thereof in a form-fit manner by means of a connection element (64) having the shape of a double cone or of a double conical frustum. At least one traction device (62, 70, 80) having a tension member (62) is provided, by way of which traction device a bottom layer of modules (40a) or a foundation block (6) can be impinged upon with a tensile force along the vertical, with respect to a top layer of modules (40c) such that along the vertical, the modules between said bottom layer (12) and said top layer (11) and the adjacent modules of the layer located above and/or below thereof are positively pressed together at the fastening points and are thus fixed in place.

Computerized online engineering tool system for specifying the various components of a holdown system that assemble a run comprising a tie rod in a frame wall structure from the foundation up through the walls to the top floor, and bearing members and tension devices securing the tie rod to the wall. The system comprises a user's computer for connecting to a server which includes a database of drawing elements and hardware component parts; the server including a program operably associated with the database; and the program including the steps of i) allowing a user to login into the server; ii) allowing the user to select options for the run; iii) providing the user a data input and calculated data page for the load at each framing level and rod size sufficient to handle the load; and allowing the user to download a shop or installation drawing of the run generated using the drawing elements and hardware component parts from the database.

A building system comprising a plurality of tubes, a plurality of connection nodes comprising tubular sections for connection to the tubes, wherein the tubes are arranged to connect between the connection nodes to form a frame for a building, wherein at least one continuous cavity is formed through at least a portion of the nodes and tubes when the nodes and tubes are connected, the building system further comprising fluid tight seals between the tubes and connection nodes to enable fluid to flow through the at least one continuous cavity.

A method and a module system for building purposes by using a module system is provided, said module system including a plurality of mutually equal-sized basic components, which are assembled for a wall structure in one or more vertical planes by installing the same in connection with each other side by side and on top of each other. The wall structure is put together from substantially thin-walled basic components, which are open at ends thereof opposite in a lengthwise direction thereof and have an open internal space, and which are coupled to each other side by side and on top of each other with connection pieces capable of being connected with a first form locking joint to lengthwise coupling arrangements present on each external side thereof. The basic components are coupled to each other with an end block interconnecting the basic components by the opposite ends thereof.

A hydraulic expandable connector for taking up a slack in a tie rod in a hold-down system includes an inner cylindrical body disposed within an outer cylindrical body; a first actuation spring operably attached to the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body to urge relative motion between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body such that the connector expands axially to take up the slack; a first chamber and a second chamber disposed between an outer wall surface of the inner cylindrical body and an inner wall surface of the outer cylindrical body; a first passageway communicating between the first chamber and the second chamber; and a valve operably disposed in the first passageway in an open position when the connector expands and a closed position when the connector is subjected to an axial load.

Beam segments made of a somewhat compressible material may be arranged with the top surface of each beam segment substantially in contact with the bottom surface of a next beam segment between a first beam segment and a last beam segment. A plurality of bolt bores extends between the top and bottom surfaces of each of the beam segments in substantial alignment through each of the beam segments. The bolt bores are spaced apart to receive corresponding bolt segments and tightening fasteners compressed between the first beam segment and the last beam segment. The beam segments may be compressed to form a combined beam structure that forms a building structure unit. The combined beam structure may be joined with other combined beam structures to form walls and floors for a building structure.