A support for installing facing materials such as ceramic tiles on a substrate such as floors, walls and ceilings wherein the support plate has a plurality of spaced apart recesses in the plate material, with the recesses being open at the top surface and have solid sidewalls and a base, and a plurality of slots in the non-recessed portions of the plate material extending through the top surface and bottom surface, the slots joining one or more adjacent recesses. The support plate of the invention is used for tile installations between the substrate and such tile. Thin-set mortar that is used to secure the tile to the support plate flows into the recesses and into the slots forming a continuous bond between the mortar and the adjacent slots providing for a strong bond between the support plate, mortar and the tiles.

A concrete anchor capable of resisting large loads while requiring minimal embedment depth. The system includes a concrete structure including a cylindrical opening in the concrete surface thereof. The system also uses an anchor which includes a sleeve and a plug. The sleeve includes at least two legs extending toward a first end of the sleeve. The plug includes an increasing diameter portion disposed toward a first end of the plug. The plug includes a locking opening. After installation, legs of the sleeve extend radially outward past the wall and the increasing diameter portion prevents inward movement of the legs to lock the sleeve and the plug in turn in the concrete cylindrical opening. Furthermore, dynamic loading on the plug via the locking opening when the anchor is in use generates a dynamic radially outward force on the legs to secure the anchor in the concrete hole.

In one aspect, a reinforcing assembly includes one or more longitudinally-extending bars having a first end a second end opposite the first end. The reinforcing assembly also includes multiple downwardly-extending working members each independently connected at a top of the working member to at least one of the one or more bars. The working members are oriented diagonally with respect to a longitudinal axis extending along the one or more bars.

In one aspect, a reinforcing assembly includes one or more longitudinally-extending bars having a first end a second end opposite the first end. The reinforcing assembly also includes multiple downwardly-extending working members each independently connected at a top of the working member to at least one of the one or more bars. The working members are oriented diagonally with respect to a longitudinal axis extending along the one or more bars.

A universal barrier system includes universal barrier components that may be assembled together to shield floors and walls from moisture and provide a thermal break in an operational area of the universal barrier component. A lap zone of the universal barrier component may allow universal barrier components to be assembled and installed to protect floors, walls, ceilings, footings and the like from moisture and heat gain or loss by minimizing the need for tapes and other joining methods. The universal barrier system may also act as a sound deadening material. The operational area and lap zone of the universal barrier component may be disposed on a vapor block layer to provide some rigidity. The operational area of the universal barrier component may include a thermal break disposed upon the vapor block layer. The thermal break may include an outer protective layer. In addition, universal barrier tape and universal barrier edging may be provided to couple adjoining universal barrier components.

A universal barrier system includes universal barrier components that may be assembled together to shield floors and walls from moisture and provide a thermal break in an operational area of the universal barrier component. A lap zone of the universal barrier component may allow universal barrier components to be assembled and installed to protect floors, walls, ceilings, footings and the like from moisture and heat gain or loss by minimizing the need for tapes and other joining methods. The universal barrier system may also act as a sound deadening material. The operational area and lap zone of the universal barrier component may be disposed on a vapor block layer to provide some rigidity. The operational area of the universal barrier component may include a thermal break disposed upon the vapor block layer. The thermal break may include an outer protective layer. In addition, universal barrier tape and universal barrier edging may be provided to couple adjoining universal barrier components.

A reinforcing assembly includes one or more longitudinally-extending bars having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, multiple first working members, and multiple second working members. Each working member is independently connected to at least one of the one or more bars and extends away from the one or more bars. The first working members are oriented diagonally with respect to a longitudinal axis extending along the one or more bars and are connected along a first continuous portion of the one or more bars. The second working members are oriented diagonally with respect to the longitudinal axis and are connected along a second continuous portion of the one or more bars. The first working members extend from the one or more bars away from the second working members. The second working members extend from the one or more bars away from the first working members.

A reinforcing assembly includes one or more longitudinally-extending bars having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, multiple first working members, and multiple second working members. Each working member is independently connected to at least one of the one or more bars and extends away from the one or more bars. The first working members are oriented diagonally with respect to a longitudinal axis extending along the one or more bars and are connected along a first continuous portion of the one or more bars. The second working members are oriented diagonally with respect to the longitudinal axis and are connected along a second continuous portion of the one or more bars. The first working members extend from the one or more bars away from the second working members. The second working members extend from the one or more bars away from the first working members.

A method of laying one or more concrete topping slabs over an existing concrete structure includes providing a concrete form defining an area on a surface of the concrete structure, drilling a hole into the surface of the concrete structure within the area, the hole being closer to a first border of the concrete form than to a second border of the concrete form opposite the first border, attaching first and second slip-dowel receiving sheaths respectively to the first and second borders, securing a first end portion of a bent metal bar in the hole with a second end portion of the bent metal bar extending parallel to the surface and the slip-dowel receiving sheaths toward the second border, and pouring a concrete mixture over the surface of the concrete structure and about the first and second slip-dowel receiving sheaths and the second end portion of the bent metal bar.

A method of laying one or more concrete topping slabs over an existing concrete structure includes providing a concrete form defining an area on a surface of the concrete structure, drilling a hole into the surface of the concrete structure within the area, the hole being closer to a first border of the concrete form than to a second border of the concrete form opposite the first border, attaching first and second slip-dowel receiving sheaths respectively to the first and second borders, securing a first end portion of a bent metal bar in the hole with a second end portion of the bent metal bar extending parallel to the surface and the slip-dowel receiving sheaths toward the second border, and pouring a concrete mixture over the surface of the concrete structure and about the first and second slip-dowel receiving sheaths and the second end portion of the bent metal bar.