A drainage and ventilation mat for use in building exterior walls, roofs and basement assemblies that addresses all three of the following major concerns: drainage, cross ventilation/air flow, and compressive strength. The drainage and ventilation mat includes two layers of parallel, square strands that are overlaid at angles to create a diamond-shaped netting of two layers which provides an air space for horizontal and vertical air movement and protects the drainage plane behind it. The mat features a high compressive strength that creates an air space that can withstand extreme construction and environmental forces. The netting is configured with or without a scrim to accommodate a variety of exterior wall, roof and basement assemblies drainage and ventilation needs.

Compound structure made of composite material, such as fiber-reinforced polymer resin, comprising first oblong elements reciprocally distanced and parallel to each other and second oblong elements reciprocally distanced, parallel to each other and crisscrossed with respect to the first oblong elements. The first oblong elements and the second oblong elements are made in a single body to define a reticular structure with a monolithic flat shape

An architectural structure for constructing a variety of goods in a variety of configurations is provided. The architectural structure includes a plurality of paired slat-like members and a spine configured to hold the plurality of paired slat-like members in an expanded state. Each paired slat-like members includes joined upper ends, joined lower ends and an expandable central region joined to an adjacent paired slat-like members.

An architectural structure for constructing a variety of goods in a variety of configurations is provided. The architectural structure includes a plurality of paired slat-like members and a spine configured to hold the plurality of paired slat-like members in an expanded state. Each paired slat-like members includes joined upper ends, joined lower ends and an expandable central region joined to an adjacent paired slat-like members.

An expanded metal lath may be formed by slitting a metal sheet or strip in a defined pattern and subjecting the sheet or coil to a tensile force sufficient to cause the slits to form a plurality of openings. The web bands forming the plurality of openings can include a heavier web bands in areas where fasteners will be used to affix the expanded metal lath to a substrate and lighter web bands in other areas where fasteners will not be used. The expanded metal lath can include stabilizers or selvedge wires at opposed lateral or longitudinal edges to protect the expanded metal lath during shipping and installation. The expanded metal lath may include furring elements integrally formed with the web bands to raise the expanded metal lath off an underlying surface.

A structural support having fractal-stiffening and method of fabricating the support is presented where an optimized location of at least three nodes is predetermined prior to fabricating the structural support where a first set of webs is formed on one side of the support and joined to the nodes to form a first pocket region. A second set of webs is formed within the first pocket region forming a second pocket region where the height of the first set of webs extending orthogonally from the side of the support is greater than the second set of webs extending orthogonally from the support.