A building wall includes a bottom plate and a top plate; a first stud and a second stud extending between the bottom plate and the top plate, the first stud and the second stud are spaced apart and next to each other; a tie rod including a first end portion operably anchored to a foundation and a second end operably attached to the building wall; a sheathing attached to the bottom plate, the top plate, the first stud and the second stud; a longitudinal member including a longitudinal hole, the tie rod extending through the hole; and the longitudinal member is operably attached to the sheathing.

Installation and construction methods for installing a wall panel are provided. The wall panel includes a surface member and a long joint member that extends horizontally, is fixed to one plate surface of the surface member, and is joined to a pair of wooden columns. The method includes: disposing the joint member between the pair of wooden columns; joining both longitudinal ends of the joint member to respective side surfaces, facing each other, of the pair of wooden columns; installing the wooden beam between the pair of wooden columns and adjusting erection of the wooden columns; and fixing an edge of the surface member to front surfaces of the pair of wooden columns and the wooden beam.

A support assembly for use with building structures, the support assembly having a main axis when in an assembled configuration. The support assembly includes: a mounting body for receiving or carrying a section of the building structure; a base which in use is arranged to be located on a supporting surface, the base having a main body having opposed ends, each end having a leg extending therefrom; a connector operatively interconnecting the mounting body and the base when in the assembled configuration; and an adjustment arrangement operable to cause relative movement between the mounting body and the base towards or away from one another in the direction of the main axis.

A take-up system and continuity tie system that uses fire stopping intumescent materials to help prevent and inhibit the travel of fire along the continuity tie system, due to the openings in the members of the building that receive the continuity tie system.

A connection between a connector, a fastener and one or more structural members is disclosed. The connector can be formed with a fastening and alignment member. The fastening and alignment member includes a projecting member and a protruding member in close proximity to a predetermined location for the fastener.

The fixing metal fitting including: a joint base in groove shape mainly composing a joint metal; a cover spacer in groove shape capable of supporting the pillar's axial load by covering the joint base, wherein joint base including: a plane section in rectangular shape coinciding with an end surface of the pillar; a pair of groove walls bent vertically in L shape; and a joining plate standing from the plane section and supported by welded part J contacting at least the pair of groove walls or groove bottom, wherein the cover spacer including: a plane section in rectangular shape for supporting pillar by abutting to the pillar's end surface; a pair of groove walls composed of side edges of plane section respectively bent vertically in L shape; and a slit drilled such that the joining plate will be fitted into slit when the cover spacer is covering the joint base.

A louver system including a louver assembly mounted to a frame. The louver assembly includes first and second side members mounted to respective side elements of the frame, and a number of slat subassemblies with respective slat bodies that are rotatable about respective axes of rotation thereof. The slat bodies are rotatably held between the first and second side members by pivot pins. The pivot pins include one or more extended pivot pins, for securing the louver assembly to the side elements of the frame. Each extended pivot pin extends between inner and outer ends thereof. The outer end is formed to be partially positioned in a selected one of the side elements, and to engage an outer side of the selected side element. The inner end is formed for location in a selected one of the slat bodies, to rotatably secure the selected slat body between the side elements.

A girder tie for connecting a building component to a rigid rod to resist uplift forces applied to the building component comprises a connector including a building component connector and a rigid rod connector coupled to the building component connector. The rigid rod connector attaches to the rigid rod. The building component connector includes first and second back flanges free of direct connection to one another. The first and second back flanges can each be attached to the building component. A washer is disposed between the rigid rod connector and a nut on the rigid rod that secures the rigid rod to the girder tie. The washer includes at least one back flange brace to inhibit the first and second back flanges from moving relative to one another when the building component experiences the uplift forces.

A reinforced stud-framed wall, including a bottom plate; first and second vertical studs; a member supported on the bottom plate, the member having a compression strength greater than a compression strength of the bottom plate; the first vertical stud having a bottom end supported on the member with a first contact area, whereby a load on the first contact area is spread over a first area on the bottom plate larger than the first contact area; and the second vertical stud having a bottom end supported on the member with a second contact area, whereby a load on the second contact area is spread over a second area on the bottom plate larger than the second contact area.

A connection is provided where a connector can act as a holdown or tension tie and transfer tension, uplift, or lateral load between an anchored member and an anchoring member. The connector is used in combination with separate anchor and fasteners. The anchor may be tied to a concrete foundation, another connector of the same type, a wood framing member, or structural member of a similar type, or other supporting or anchoring members.