A spacer apparatus and method to prevent dry rot damage to a fence is provided. The fence includes posts disposed in the ground, a horizontal support plank coupled to each pair of adjacent posts, pickets disposed on the horizontal support plank, and a pair of horizontal rails disposed on the horizontal support plank. The spacer apparatus includes a plate and a pair of end tabs coupled to the plate, each end tab coupled to a side edge of the plate and having a first width that is less than a second width of the plate along the side edge. The plate is disposed on the horizontal support plank to permit the end tabs to conform to the horizontal support plank for stability, thereby enabling the plate to support the pickets and horizontal rails above the horizontal support plank. The end tabs are then removed from the plate.

A connecting assembly for connecting two components in construction, having a first component with an anchor element, which has a connecting portion and a second component with at least one housing part, which has a conical or wedge-shaped inner surface, fixed therein or thereon. A clamping part having a conical or wedge-shaped outer surface is in the housing part, which clamping part, when connected to the anchor element, clamps the connecting portion of the anchor element so that, when a tensile force acts on the connecting portion, the outer surface of the clamping part is pulled against the inner surface of the housing part such that the clamping force acting on the connecting portion increases. When not connected to the anchor element, the clamping part has a range of motion with respect to the inner surface of the housing part; however, the housing part is spatially delimited in all directions.

A connecting assembly for connecting two components in construction, having a first component with an anchor element, which has a connecting portion and a second component with at least one housing part, which has a conical or wedge-shaped inner surface, fixed therein or thereon. A clamping part having a conical or wedge-shaped outer surface is in the housing part, which clamping part, when connected to the anchor element, clamps the connecting portion of the anchor element so that, when a tensile force acts on the connecting portion, the outer surface of the clamping part is pulled against the inner surface of the housing part such that the clamping force acting on the connecting portion increases. When not connected to the anchor element, the clamping part has a range of motion with respect to the inner surface of the housing part; however, the housing part is spatially delimited in all directions.

A length-adjustable truss stiffener is intended to be used to strengthen truss systems at locations of localized over-stress to reduce the cost from the alternative solution which is to reduce truss spacings. The stiffener consists of two or more sleeves locking around two or more components of the main truss. The sleeves mounted on different truss components are connected to one another with a length-adjustable shank. The stiffener may be used in two-dimensional or three-dimensional trusses. Of a collection of prefabricated trusses necessary to erect a structure, only a subset of one or more trusses are customized with stiffeners according to loading calculations predicting failure of that subset under required loading conditions, while all other trusses are installed in their original prefabricated state.

A length-adjustable truss stiffener is intended to be used to strengthen truss systems at locations of localized over-stress to reduce the cost from the alternative solution which is to reduce truss spacings. The stiffener consists of two or more sleeves locking around two or more components of the main truss. The sleeves mounted on different truss components are connected to one another with a length-adjustable shank. The stiffener may be used in two-dimensional or three-dimensional trusses. Of a collection of prefabricated trusses necessary to erect a structure, only a subset of one or more trusses are customized with stiffeners according to loading calculations predicting failure of that subset under required loading conditions, while all other trusses are installed in their original prefabricated state.

This invention refers to a structural system for floor and roof construction, based on a parallel arrangement of a set of composite pre-tensioned girders to provide support to a deck formed by layers of any given material. The composite girders are components formed by lengths of bamboo culms, steel components and fillings of mortar or other materials, arranged in such way that a maximum mechanical efficiency is obtained.

This invention refers to a structural system for floor and roof construction, based on a parallel arrangement of a set of composite pre-tensioned girders to provide support to a deck formed by layers of any given material. The composite girders are components formed by lengths of bamboo culms, steel components and fillings of mortar or other materials, arranged in such way that a maximum mechanical efficiency is obtained.

A composite assembly includes a series of elongated layers joined lengthwise thereof. At least two of the elongated layers each have an upper elongated portion and a lower elongated portion secured together in an end-to-end relationship at a joint therebetween by a connector arrangement. The upper elongated portion is constructed of a wood material, and the lower elongated portion is constructed of a non-wood material. The lower elongated portion may have a reinforcing rod therein.

A composite assembly includes a series of elongated layers joined lengthwise thereof. At least two of the elongated layers each have an upper elongated portion and a lower elongated portion secured together in an end-to-end relationship at a joint therebetween by a connector arrangement. The upper elongated portion is constructed of a wood material, and the lower elongated portion is constructed of a non-wood material. The lower elongated portion may have a reinforcing rod therein.

This application relates to I-joists which are configured to resist fire damage. Specifically, the present application relates to reinforcing I-joists with reinforcing members configured to provide structural support and/or to provide a physical barrier to fire. This may help the I-joists to maintain structural integrity during a fire and so help improve safety during evacuation of a building and during fire-fighting operations.