Precast blocks with a rectangular or quadrangular prism shape contain a normal weight hydraulic concrete casing, lightweight concrete or similar material, for building walls or slabs. The steel-reinforced blocks for walls, mezzanine or rooftop slabs have the length of the wall or slab to build. An acoustic, thermal-insulating lightweight material housed in the interior simultaneous provides for blocks sufficiently lightweight to transport and install manually on-site. For walls, the blocks are tongued and grooved on the top and bottom sides and placed horizontally one on top of the other using block or similar adhesive therebetween. In the corners or T intersections, blocks are alternatively placed and form armed headframes for stability and resistance. For blocks for slabs, the tongue and groove system is on the sides, installed one beside the other, using block or similar adhesive therebetween. Transversal rods to the slab are placed to avoid temperature retraction.

A unibody structural frame for an interlocking structural block, an interlocking structural block, and a system of interlocking structural blocks useful for the manufacture of structures, columns, and beams.

A unibody structural frame for an interlocking structural block, an interlocking structural block, and a system of interlocking structural blocks useful for the manufacture of structures, columns, and beams.

A refractory insert is provided, including a main body part having a first surface defining a first sidewall, an opposed second surface defining a second sidewall, and an outer peripheral surface separating the first and second surfaces, and a mechanical mating member provided on at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface thereof. The mechanical mating member includes a retention mechanism for controlling and retaining a position of a corresponding mating member in connection therewith.

A refractory block assembly for a steam reformer furnace tunnel includes a hollow main body, at least one first mechanical mating member defining a protruded portion extending from an upper surface of the main body, at least one second corresponding mechanical mating member defining an opening corresponding to the protruded portion formed in a portion of a lower surface of the main body, and at least one through-hole having openings formed in a first side and an opposed second side of the main body portion. A refractory insert member having mechanical mating features on at least a portion of the outer surface thereof resides within the at least one though-hole of the refractory block.

A refractory block assembly for a steam reformer furnace tunnel includes a hollow main body, at least one first mechanical mating member defining a protruded portion extending from an upper surface of the main body, at least one second corresponding mechanical mating member defining an opening corresponding to the protruded portion formed in a portion of a lower surface of the main body, and at least one through-hole having openings formed in a first side and an opposed second side of the main body portion. A refractory insert member having mechanical mating features on at least a portion of the outer surface thereof resides within the at least one though-hole of the refractory block.

A bracket for locating a vertical reinforcement bar within a block wall having a central area to enable a reinforcement bar placed vertically through a void of a block wall to pass through the bracket; and a locator for locating the central area in a predetermined position within the void of a block wall; wherein one or more guides extend into the central area to guide one or more reinforcement bars through a central aperture, the central aperture defined by the one or more guides.

A border wall or fence is constructed from a plurality of existing ISO steel shipping containers which are connected together both horizontally and vertically at their corners using conventional corner locks so as to present a continuous physical barrier of any selected length. The containers are stacked three or four high with the bottommost containers recessed into the ground and filled at least partially with dirt or sand. The uppermost containers are open at their ends to allow personnel to walk or drive through the length of the wall. Windows are also formed in the upper containers to allow personnel to view the area around the wall. Gated openings can be formed periodically to allow for passage through the wall.

A border wall or fence is constructed from a plurality of existing ISO steel shipping containers which are connected together both horizontally and vertically at their corners using conventional corner locks so as to present a continuous physical barrier of any selected length. The containers are stacked three or four high with the bottommost containers recessed into the ground and filled at least partially with dirt or sand. The uppermost containers are open at their ends to allow personnel to walk or drive through the length of the wall. Windows are also formed in the upper containers to allow personnel to view the area around the wall. Gated openings can be formed periodically to allow for passage through the wall.

A wall constructed of building blocks designated as basic and modified, which have both convex and concave surface features. The convex and concave surface features are present both in the longitudinal and latitudinal direction. The convex and concave surface features are in parallel planes with one another. A curve in the wall is introduced with variation of these blocks with use of acute angle cutoff present on the latitudinal edge of the blocks. A curve in the wall can also be made with a bent on a block's longitudinal plane creating an obtuse angle at the outer longitudinal edge. The wall layers and ends are terminated by two types of filling blocks that are essentially one-half section of either the basic of modified block separated along the longitudinal direction or the latitudinal direction. The building blocks can also have a cavity used for filling in some compound.