In a lumber factory, an automated laminated veneer lumber (LVL) process supported by a lumber production line employing a cross-cutting and rip-sawing stage, a dip-coating stage, a spray-coating stage, a print-marking stage, and a stacking, packaging and wrapping stage. At the dip-coating stage, cross-cut and rip-sawed LVL product is automatically transported and submerged through a dipping reservoir containing clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid, and then wet-stacked and set aside to dry. Once dried, the dip-coated LVL products are returned to the production line and sprayed coated with a moisture, fire and UV protective coating at the spray-coating stage, and then passed through a drying tunnel for quick drying of the spray-coating to produce Class-A fire-protected LVL products. The Class-A fire-protected LVL products are stacked, packaged and wrapped at the stacking, packaging and wrapping stage into a package of Class-A fire-protected LVL products, ready for shipping.

A method of producing packaged bundles of Class-A fire-protected lumber for use in wood-framed building construction. The method involved maintaining a dipping tank in a lumber factory, containing a water-based clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFPC) liquid at a depth sufficient to cover pieces of raw lumber while being treated during dip-coating operations. Untreated lumber pieces are submerged into the dipping tank, piece by piece, in an automated manner to coat all surfaces of the lumber pieces in CFIC liquid, and then removed from the dipping tank to produce pieces of Class-A fire-protected lumber having a CFIC liquid coating. The Class-A fire-protected lumber pieces are automatically wet stacked, packaged and wrapped into a packaged bundle, and allowed to dry.

A method of and system for producing Class-A fire-protected oriented strand board (OSB) sheets. Each Class-A fire-protected OSB sheet has: a core medium layer made of wood pump, binder and/or adhesive materials; a pair of OSB layers bonded to the core medium layer; a clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) coating on the surface of each OSB layer, made from CFIC liquid applied to the surface by dipping the OSB sheet into the CFIC liquid in a dipping tank, allowing shallow surface absorption into the OSB layers and ends of the core medium layer at atmospheric pressure; and a moisture, fire and UV protection coating spray coated over the the CFIC coating to provide protection against moisture, fire and UV radiation from Sunlight, which is quickly dried by passing through a drying tunnel on the production line.

A method of and system for producing wood-framed buildings having Class-A fire-protection and defense against total fire destruction during the construction phase, and certifying and documenting the same. The system includes a reservoir for containing a supply of clean fire inhibiting liquid chemical (CFIC) liquid for spray application over over the interior surfaces of raw and treated lumber and sheathing used in a completed section of a wood-framed assemblies in a wood-framed building during its construction phase; a liquid spray pumping subsystem operably connected to the reservoir tank containing the supply of CFIC liquid. A hand-held liquid spray gun, operably connected to the liquid spray pumping subsystem, is used to for spray CFIC liquid from the reservoir tank onto the exposed interior wood surfaces of lumber and sheathing used to construct each completed section of the wood-framed building, to form a CFIC coating on the treated interior wood surfaces providing Class-A fire-protection to the completed section of the wood-framed building.

An insulation support system preferably includes an edge-folded ceiling liner sheet, an encapsulated package and a plurality of compressible thermal spacers. The edge-folded ceiling liner sheet includes opposed folded-up edges. The folded-up edges have sufficient length to clear pinch points along structural beams. Opposing folded-up edges of the edge-folded ceiling liner sheet are creased on the fold to fit in the encapsulated package. The edge-folded ceiling liner sheet is fan-folded for retention in the encapsulated package. A sheet slot is formed through at least one lengthwise sidewall of the encapsulated package. A removable edge seal strip is applied over the sheet slot. A compressible thermal spacer includes a snap clip and a compressible insulation material. A bottom of the compressible insulation material is bonded to a top of the snap clip. The snap clip is attached to a top flange of a purlin eliminating the need for exposed roof insulation.

A method of and system for on-job-site spray coating of clean fire inhibiting liquid chemical (CFIC) liquid all over the exposed interior surfaces of raw and treated lumber, sheathing and wood used in a completed section of a wood-framed assemblies in a wood-framed building during its construction phase. The system includes a liquid spray pumping subsystem having a reservoir tank for holding a supply of the CFIC liquid; and a hand-held liquid spray nozzle for spraying the CFIC liquid from the reservoir tank, over the exposed interior wood surfaces of lumber and sheathing used in a completed section of a wood-framed assembly in a wood-framed building during construction phase. The CFIC-coated wood surfaces suppress fire ignition and suppression by interfering with free radicals (H+, OH, O) produced during the combustion phase of a fire.

A method of and system for designing and constructing high-density multi-story wood-framed buildings, and Class-A fire-protected building components, and methods and factories for producing the same in an economical manner. An on-job-site method is provided for treating wood-framed buildings so that such wood-framed buildings demonstrate Class-A fire-protection and improved defense against total fire destruction.

This invention provides fall protection systems comprising a suspension fabric, supported by a grid-work of longitudinal and lateral bands, in metal building construction. The fall protection system uses safety clips to attach lateral bands to intermediate purlins, and also provides novel attachments of the lateral bands to eaves and ridges whereby the respective eave and/or the ridge absorbs an enhanced portion of the force of impact when an object falls onto the fall protection system. The invention further provides methods of installing such systems, and buildings embodying such systems.

A building is constructed from a plurality of rectangular wall sections secured to one another. At least some wall sections are formed of an upper and a lower beam, vertical studs extending between the upper and lower beams and a wall panel secured to the beams and to the studs. In the invention, each beam is formed of an elongate metal sheet folded through a right angle about at least one longitudinally extending line to define at least a horizontal first plate, and a vertical second. A plurality of separately formed sheet metal brackets are secured to at least one of the plates of the folded metal sheet at preset distances from one another along the length of the beam and secured to the ends of the studs.

A composite structural member for a building structure comprises a first elongate portion having a first end region and a second end region and a second elongate portion having a first end region and a second end region. The second end region of the first elongate portion is connected to the first end region of the second elongate portion so that the composite structural member provided thereby is substantially longer than either of the first and second elongate portions. The first elongate portion may comprise a first member suited for resisting high magnitude forces and the second elongate portion may be a second member, less well suited for resisting high forces but having lower cost per unit length. The composite structural member may be a rafter, especially a rafter of a portal frame.