A retention tie system for post-construction installation to stabilize masonry or composite walls. The system comprises a tie member anchored in an anchor hole bored into the existing foundation and a tensioned against a base plate and a cover plate seated along the top of the wall. A bracing member is used to provide lateral stability to the respective plate members. A tension washer is used to ensure that the tie members are tensioned to the appropriate load.

A building wall comprises a shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge, a bottom left corner, and a bottom right corner. The wall sits atop a horizontal base support located under the horizontal bottom edge of the shear wall panel. A tie-down couples the shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the shear wall panel such that the shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces. Toe crushing elements are situated under the bottom corners of the shear wall panel. The bottom corners of the shear wall panel compress the toe crushing elements as the shear wall panel rocks about the tie-down under horizontal forces.

A concrete block includes a dry cast concrete body having opposite first and second sides, opposite first and second end faces extending between the first and second sides, and opposite first and second bearing faces extending between the first and second sides and the first and second end faces. Each of the first and second bearing faces defines an inset region sized to receive a key that will also fit into the inset region of a like block stacked thereon. The body has at least a pair of rod-receiving apertures extending completely therethrough between the first and second sides to permit attachment to a like block through the first and second sides with a rod extending through each of the apertures. The block can be tapered to form curved walls.

A beam and bolting construction method and an example dwelling (10) according to the method are provided. The method involves preliminary steps of selecting a site and determining a bolt array (19) and selection of dimensions and materials. Actual construction steps include forming a foundation slab (14) having vertical bolts (18) embedded therein in accordance with the bolt array (19). Alternating layers of beams (B), having aligned bolt bores (52) for receiving the bolts, are successively laid down over the bolts (18), with sides meeting at corners (29) with alternating sides encompassing the corner bolt. Once a desired height is achieved, washers (72) and nuts (78) are placed on the bolts and are tightened to desired pressure levels. The dwelling (10) is formed with beams (42) compressed together by threaded bolts (18) in a bolt array (19).

A building wall comprises a shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge, a bottom left corner, and a bottom right corner. The wall sits atop a horizontal base support located under the horizontal bottom edge of the shear wall panel. A tie-down couples the shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the shear wall panel such that the shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces. Toe crushing elements are situated under the bottom corners of the shear wall panel. The bottom corners of the shear wall panel compress the toe crushing elements as the shear wall panel rocks about the tie-down under horizontal forces.

Method of making construction materials intended for use as structural elements, such as structural blocks, used in the construction of buildings and civil engineering structures. In one aspect, the blocks may comprise a body shape configured so as to allow it to interlock with other blocks in the construction of a structure. Methods for manufacturing the blocks and structures comprising such materials and methods for building such structures are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a structural assembly (10) including a plurality of adjacent blocks connected together, comprising: a first block (12) having a first side (12a) and a second side (12b); a second block (14) having a first side (14a) and a second side (14b), the second side (12b) of the first block (12) bearing against the first side (14a) of the second block (14); a first assembly device (20) connecting the first and second blocks (12, 14) together, the first assembly device (20) being entirely housed in the first and second blocks, the first assembly device (20) being tensioned so as to compress the first and second blocks (12, 14) against each other.

A structural masonry element includes an element body having a perimeter wall defined by height, and having parallel top and bottom surfaces, each of the top and bottom surfaces having an external lunate shape. The external lunate shape is defined by a material section resulting from a symmetrical lens cut away from a first circle. The symmetrical lens is a result of an intersection of the first circle with a second circle. Radii of the first and second circles are equivalent. A distance between centers of the first circle and second circle is greater than each of the first and second radii. The external lunate shape is configured to nest an analogous interfacing masonry element within the symmetrical lens and thereby provide a spherical first interlocking masonry joint. A mortarless masonry structure including a plurality of such masonry elements is also considered.

A building wall includes a first shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge and a right vertical edge, a horizontal base support located under the horizontal bottom edge of the first shear wall panel, and a first tie-down that couples the first shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the first shear wall panel such that the shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces. The wall further includes a second shear wall panel in plane with and adjacent to the first shear wall panel, the second shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge and a left vertical edge. The horizontal base support further is located under the horizontal bottom edge of the second shear wall panel, and a second tie-down couples the second shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the second shear wall panel such that the second shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces. A connector couples the first shear wall panel along a portion of its right vertical edge to the adjacent second shear wall panel along a portion of its left vertical edge.

A hollow prefabricated masonry wall panel is made at a fabrication site and is configured for transportation to a build site. The hollow prefabricated wall panel has a base row and an upper row formed of hollow blocks. A slit is formed in the top of each of the two side walls of the hollow blocks of the base row and upper row, the slit having a width no larger than 20% a width of a side wall. Provisional reinforcement is provided within each slit with a bonding material, a size of the slit and the provisional reinforcement configured to provide tensile strength during transportation of the hollow prefabricated wall panel from the fabrication site to the build site. At least one mid-row is laid between the base row and upper row so the hollow cavities are aligned to preserve hollow wall cavities that can accept code required reinforcement once transported to the build site.