The present invention is directed to a porous concrete system comprised of a porous concrete slab and one or more cast-in conduits, with at least one conduit including an adapter capable of connecting to a hose. In addition, the present invention is also directed to a porous concrete system comprising a plurality of porous concrete slabs, wherein each porous concrete slab contains one or more conduits embedded therein and at least one conduit in each porous concrete slab has an adapter that is connectable to a hose and wherein the porous concrete slabs are arranged in a manner where the conduits in one porous concrete slab are adjacent to the conduits in the neighboring porous concrete slab.

A building block and a building system used for construction a building are disclosed in the present invention. The building block includes: an inner face, an outer face, an upper face having a base face and a projection protruding upward from the base face, wherein the projection extending longitudinally for the entire length of the upper face; a lower face having a complementary groove for interlocking with the projection of a cooperating interengaging building block; a first end; a second end; each of the first end and the second end has a header face, which is substantially one of a planar face, a male header face and a female header face, the male header face of the building block interlocking with the female header face of a cooperating interengaging building block; the cooperating interengaging building block is substantially similar to the building block.

A masonry block system that includes a stretcher block and a half block, each block having connector means for interlocking with an adjacent block, the blocks being constructed in a such a manner as to enable quick and easy assembly of a building structure.

A residential or commercial building, structure, or building component can include an exterior member, interior member, and plurality of cross-members spatially disposed therebetween. Each of the exterior member, interior member, cross-members can be formed from a multi-layered stack of polymeric material made by a layered three-dimensional printing process, and all can be monolithically integrated. An exterior surface region of the exterior member can have an integrally formed surface finish. Overlying finishing or connective layers can be added. The exterior and interior members can be configured in a parallel arrangement to form a rectangular or curve shaped building block. A fill material can be disposed into openings between the exterior and interior members, and an interior surface region at the interior member can include a cavity configured for an electrical box, plumbing, or a sensing device.

Brick or block walls are often constructed before fixtures, such as faucets, are installed. Sometimes this occurs because the fixture has not yet been selected, or because an installation location for the fixture is unknown. Thus, workers often need to modify the wall to receive fixtures once selected. However, other times, a builder may know where a fixture should be installed, and the type of fixture it will be. In these instances, a fixture-ready block may be selected based on the type and location of the fixture and installed at the proper location when the wall is built. The block may have apertures with dimensions selected based on a fixture that will be installed in the block. This may eliminate the need to drill or bore through the wall after it is finished in order to install the fixture.

A can plaza assembly is configured to provide electrical distribution at a location. The can plaza has a box, further comprising a side wall opening and joined to a lid. A plurality of cans is arranged inside the can plaza. Conduits project outward from each can. Fittings are joined to the conduit and extend through the side wall opening of the box. Foam fills the box around the cans and the conduits, such that the foam does not completely cover the cans. Rebar is arranged twelve inches on center each way from the cans on top of the foam. Concrete fills upon the rebar and foam up to an upper edge of the can. Electrical wires are routed through the conduits and cans provide the electrical distribution at the location.

A building system including at least one block and further including at least one mortarless side panel including a finished outside surface and at least one dovetail protrusion on an opposing surface for joining the side panel to the at least one blocks, and a connector on each end of the panel for joining the side panel to other side panels, and at least one top cap including a finished top surface.

A building block may be designed to hold utilities, including but not limited to, electricity and plumbing. Such a building block can resist compression forces and moment and can connect to other building blocks to form a modular wall system with the ability to distribute the forces in a way that reduces the stresses on each individual block. The building block may include a body with an upper end and a lower end, one or more main compartments, and one or more inner pass-through openings, wherein the upper end includes one or more protrusions, and the lower end comprises one or more intrusions and one or more slots. A building system may include more than one such building blocks and a base.

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.

Disclosed herein is a control tube bearing assembly comprising in one example a main body having an outer surface, a longitudinal axis, a radial axis; and an actuator sleeve radially exterior of the main body longitudinally repositionable thereto. The actuator sleeve in use is grasped by a user and repositioned relative to the main body so as to actuate tape dispensing, mastic dispensing, creasing components, and/or tape cutting components or a taper as desired.