A building module comprising a bearing wall element having the form of a rectangular parallelepiped with openings intended for installation of window and/or door units and/or hinged elements, heat-insulating, reinforcing and finishing layers, having the same surface area, successively attached onto a bearing wall reinforced concrete element, the said surface area indents from an edge of the bearing wall element along the perimeter, the bearing wall element is made of lightweight reinforced concrete comprising a concrete mixture with lightweight fillers and a spatial frame formed by plane reinforced frames interconnected in a horizontal plane and embedded connectors and transport loops located on an outer edge, with extra reinforcing elements having a form of parallel rods positioned in an upper part of the spatial frame are located between plane frames, and the spatial frame is filled with concrete and is made using lightweight filler.

A building module comprising a bearing wall element having the form of a rectangular parallelepiped with openings intended for installation of window and/or door units and/or hinged elements, heat-insulating, reinforcing and finishing layers, having the same surface area, successively attached onto a bearing wall reinforced concrete element, the said surface area indents from an edge of the bearing wall element along the perimeter, the bearing wall element is made of lightweight reinforced concrete comprising a concrete mixture with lightweight fillers and a spatial frame formed by plane reinforced frames interconnected in a horizontal plane and embedded connectors and transport loops located on an outer edge, with extra reinforcing elements having a form of parallel rods positioned in an upper part of the spatial frame are located between plane frames, and the spatial frame is filled with concrete and is made using lightweight filler.

A construction article 12 usable in the construction of a building made of concrete. The article 12 has base and side members 32, 34 in the form of plates extending perpendicularly from each other in an L-shape configuration. Three spaced upstanding elongate members 42 are provided upstanding from the base member 32. An appropriately shaped closure member 14 is provided which closes the open ends of the elongate members 42 such that when concrete is poured thereover the members 42 leave three openings extending through the set concrete to permit fixings to extend therethrough.

The invention provides a method of constructing a modular multi-storey building including: assembling first and second building modules in a vertical arrangement at an 5 installation location to form a multi-storey building structure, wherein temporary support members between the first and second building modules vertically support at least part of the second building module above the first building module; installing a permanent support structure 10 and connecting it to the first and second building modules to vertically support the second building module above the first building module; and removing the temporary support members.

In certain embodiments, a curtain wall system comprises first and second curtain wall member supporting apparatuses and a corner latching apparatus. The first and second supporting apparatuses each have a respective: vertically-disposed member; horizontally-disposed supporting member; and locking member coupled to the vertically-disposed member. The locking member is disposed beneath a lower surface of the horizontally-disposed supporting member. The corner latching apparatus has a corner shape and comprises a first horizontally-disposed latching arm oriented in a first direction and adapted to engage with the locking member of the first supporting apparatus. The corner latching apparatus comprises a second horizontally-disposed latching arm oriented in a second direction and a stabilizing resilient member disposed beneath a lower surface of each of the first and second horizontally-disposed latching arms, at least a portion of the stabilizing resilient member adapted to compress against an upper surface of a curtain wall member.

In certain embodiments, a curtain wall system comprises first and second curtain wall member supporting apparatuses and a corner latching apparatus. The first and second supporting apparatuses each have a respective: vertically-disposed member; horizontally-disposed supporting member; and locking member coupled to the vertically-disposed member. The locking member is disposed beneath a lower surface of the horizontally-disposed supporting member. The corner latching apparatus has a corner shape and comprises a first horizontally-disposed latching arm oriented in a first direction and adapted to engage with the locking member of the first supporting apparatus. The corner latching apparatus comprises a second horizontally-disposed latching arm oriented in a second direction and a stabilizing resilient member disposed beneath a lower surface of each of the first and second horizontally-disposed latching arms, at least a portion of the stabilizing resilient member adapted to compress against an upper surface of a curtain wall member.

A construction includes a supporting structure made from concrete reinforced by metal rods. The supporting structure has at least two levels, each level having a slab. A plurality of fa?ade panels is fixed to the supporting structure to form at least a part of a fa?ade of the construction. The plurality of fa?ade panels has at least a top fa?ade panel mounted above a bottom fa?ade panel. Each fa?ade panel is made from a mixture containing a curable material in which organic plant-derived elements are embedded. The mixture in the cured state has a density of less than 1000 kg/m.sup.3 and a compressive strength comprised between 3 and 6 MPa. Each fa?ade panel is mounted movable with respect to the supporting structure with a vertical functional clearance.

A construction includes a supporting structure made from concrete reinforced by metal rods. The supporting structure has at least two levels, each level having a slab. A plurality of fa?ade panels is fixed to the supporting structure to form at least a part of a fa?ade of the construction. The plurality of fa?ade panels has at least a top fa?ade panel mounted above a bottom fa?ade panel. Each fa?ade panel is made from a mixture containing a curable material in which organic plant-derived elements are embedded. The mixture in the cured state has a density of less than 1000 kg/m.sup.3 and a compressive strength comprised between 3 and 6 MPa. Each fa?ade panel is mounted movable with respect to the supporting structure with a vertical functional clearance.

Architectural precast concrete construction relies on mechanical connectors at discrete location that may be damaged in a blast or seismic event, posing specific design problems to the engineer. These problems can be overcome with proper detailing. The performance of precast concrete cladding wall panel connection details may be enhanced by incorporating a specific connection hardware, herein described, that deforms elastically or inelastically to accommodate relative displacements due to building motion and/or energy associated with blast pressures.

Architectural precast concrete construction relies on mechanical connectors at discrete location that may be damaged in a blast or seismic event, posing specific design problems to the engineer. These problems can be overcome with proper detailing. The performance of precast concrete cladding wall panel connection details may be enhanced by incorporating a specific connection hardware, herein described, that deforms elastically or inelastically to accommodate relative displacements due to building motion and/or energy associated with blast pressures.