A building wall comprises a shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge, a bottom left corner, and a bottom right corner. The wall sits atop a horizontal base support located under the horizontal bottom edge of the shear wall panel. A tie-down couples the shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the shear wall panel such that the shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces. Toe crushing elements are situated under the bottom corners of the shear wall panel. The bottom corners of the shear wall panel compress the toe crushing elements as the shear wall panel rocks about the tie-down under horizontal forces.

Invention; is related to isolators eliminating circular forces caused by earthquake forces acting on the building. It is placed between foundation of structures manufactured by steel construction, concrete, prefabricated structure or other methods and structure and which reduces/terminates impact of earthquakes on structures. Thus, damage to be given by earthquake to carrying elements of building is eliminated.

The present invention relates to a seismic reinforcing device capable of conveniently conducting reinforcement of a structure, the device includes an upper support installed on an upper horizontal portion configured to connect columns, a lower support disposed under the upper horizontal portion, installed on a lower horizontal portion configured to connect the columns, and disposed in a diagonal direction with respect to the upper support, and a damper coupled to the upper support and the lower support and configured to absorb a shock.

A masonry wall is provided with a plurality of passageways. At least one reinforcement member is provided in each of the passageways. The reinforcement members include a first group of reinforcement members each having a centre line on the first side of a midplane of the wall and a second group of reinforcement members each having a centre line on the second side of the midplane. The passageways include slots that are open horizontally to the first side of the wall only. The second group of reinforcement members are arranged in passageways located spaced from the second wall surface opposite of the first wall surface. The reinforcement members in the passageways are each embedded in an adhesive substance bonded to the reinforcement members and to an inner surface of the passageway in which the reinforcement member is provided.

A building wall includes a first shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge and a right vertical edge, a horizontal base support located under the horizontal bottom edge of the first shear wall panel, and a first tie-down that couples the first shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the first shear wall panel such that the shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces. The wall further includes a second shear wall panel in plane with and adjacent to the first shear wall panel, the second shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge and a left vertical edge. The horizontal base support further is located under the horizontal bottom edge of the second shear wall panel, and a second tie-down couples the second shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the second shear wall panel such that the second shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces. A connector couples the first shear wall panel along a portion of its right vertical edge to the adjacent second shear wall panel along a portion of its left vertical edge.

A building structure having at least one storey including at least one column; at least one brace attached at one end to one side of at least one of the columns and at a second end to a fixed foundation surface; the brace attached to the at least one column at an incline; the at least one brace having a first portion and a second portion; wherein the at least one brace has a first in-use configuration in which the first portion is freely moveable with respect to the second portion such that a gap is formed in the brace preventing the transmission of force axially along the brace by preventing tensional forces from travelling axially along the brace, and a second in-use configuration in which the gap is closed by the first portion and the second portion being in contact to permit the transmission of forces axially along the brace; and wherein the second in-use configuration allows compressive forces to be transmitted along the brace such that the brace is activated when sufficient deformation occurs in the column in a direction that compresses the brace; and further comprising at least one damper functionally connected to one or both of the first and second portions and configured to provide damping as the at least one brace moves from the first in-use configuration to the second in-use configuration.

Plywood shear panel diaphragms are utilized in building walls and roofs to support against lateral forces such as earthquakes, wind, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Plywood is typically used for the shear diaphragm in wood construction, nailed vertical or horizontal to wood members. When introducing an opening in a plywood shear panel diaphragm, the diaphragm becomes weakened. Shear transfer process is required to maintain integrity in the shear diaphragm at the opening. The strength from the diaphragm is transferred to the openings edges, the top and bottom edges, using blocks between the framing members acting in compression, and the strap, which acts in tension, transfers the support of the diaphragm to opening. When compared to conventional means, the Block Strap apparatus is a better, more accurate, predictable, cost cutting, labor reducing product for providing for shear transfer requirements in typical common wood construction.

Axial buckling restrained braces are provided. In various embodiments, a device comprises a plurality of cylindrical sleeves arranged parallel to each other. Each of the plurality of sleeves has an interior surface defining an interior region. A plastically deformable rod is arranged within the interior region of each of the plurality of sleeves. The plastically deformable rod is adapted to assume a helical shape upon compression.

A method of reinforcing a masonry structure is described wherein polyester thread reinforcement strips are manufactured and mounted on the masonry structure to protect it from lateral forces caused by earthquake and other natural occurring phenomena that generally produce bending moments in the masonry structure. The disclosed method can easily and economically be applied to reinforce masonry structures in underprivileged regions.

The invention provides for a method, system and apparatus for resisting and restraining potentially destructive movement within a building structure while introducing little or no obstruction with respect to how a building structure is designed and how it is intended to function.