A device for compensating for the natural shrinkage of building materials includes an expander mounted on a base plate. An opening in the expander aligns with a hole in the base plate to define an axis and receive a shank of a fastener. The expander is biased axially away from the base plate substantially at the axis. The base plate can be securely fastened to a first building member. A fastener can be axially fixed relative to a second building member and the expander but not axially fixed relative to the base plate and first building member.

A building includes a stud wall including a first bottom plate; a foundation; a tie rod operably anchored in the foundation and extending through the first bottom plate within the stud wall; a first bridge member disposed on the first bottom plate, the first bridge member having an opening through which the tie rod extends; a pair of spaced apart reinforcement studs; and the pair of spaced apart reinforcement studs including bottom ends bearing on the first bridge member.

A reinforced building wall comprises a foundation; an anchor rod extending from the foundation; a first stud wall disposed above the foundation, the first stud wall including a first bottom plate and a first top place; a second stud wall disposed above the first stud wall, the second stud wall including a second bottom plate and a second top plate; the first tie rod including first and second threaded end portions, the first end portion is operably connected to the anchor rod; a second tie rod including third and fourth threaded end portions, the third end portion is operably connected to the second end portion of the first tie rod; the second tie rod including an outer end portion operably attached to the second stud wall; an intermediate portion of the first tie rod is unthreaded and comprises at least about 75% of the length of the first tie rod; and an intermediate portion of the second tie rod is unthreaded and comprises at least about 75% of the length of the second tie rod.

A device for compensating for the natural shrinkage of building materials includes an expander mounted on a base plate. An opening in the expander aligns with a hole in the base plate to define an axis and receive a shank of a fastener. The expander is biased axially away from the base plate substantially at the axis. The base plate can be securely fastened to a first building member. A fastener can be axially fixed relative to a second building member and the expander but not axially fixed relative to the base plate and first building member.

A coupling nut includes: a simple fastening nut housing case having bolt insertion holes for insertion, from end portions of the simple nut housing case, of bolts to be coupled, and, in sections of the housing case toward end portions thereof, simple fastening nut housing portions configured to non-rotatably house simple fastening nuts that screw together with the bolts inserted into the bolt insertion holes; and a simple fastening nut that is housed in each simple fastening nut housing portion of the housing case, provided with at least two or more nut segments that are biased by biasing springs, and configured to screw together with a screw portion of the inserted bolt when the housing case is rotated in a screwing direction after insertion of the bolts. One simple fastening nut has a left-hand thread and the other has a right-hand thread.

A device for compensating for the natural shrinkage of building materials includes a hinged expander mounted on an elongate base plate. The base plate includes a plurality of spaced apart teeth on each longitudinal end that define a notch between each pair of adjacent spaced teeth. The hinged expander included two leafs that are joined at an apex in a hinged relationship. Each leaf has an outer edge configured for receipt within a notch in the base plate. Apex is biased in a direction away from the base plate. The teeth prevent outward movement of the leaf edges while permitting inward movement. The base plate is securely fastened to a first building member. A fastener is longitudinally fixed relative to a second building member and the apex of the hinged expander but not fixed longitudinally relative to the base plate and first building member.

Reinforced building wall comprises a foundation; an anchor rod extending from the foundation; first stud wall disposed on the foundation and second stud wall disposed above the first stud wall; first tie rod including first and second threaded end portions, the first threaded end portion is operably connected to the anchor rod; second tie rod including third and fourth threaded end portions, the third threaded end portion is operably connected to the second threaded end portion of the first tie rod; the fourth threaded end portion operably attached to the second stud wall; an intermediate portion of the first tie rod is unthreaded, the intermediate portion extending through a first top plate of the first stud wall and a second bottom plate of the second stud wall and the second threaded end portion is not disposed within the first top plate and the second bottom plate.

A hold down system for a building wall comprises a first rigid member and a second rigid member, the second rigid member being vertically spaced apart from the first rigid member, the first rigid member is supported on a horizontal member of a stud wall, the first and second rigid members including first and second openings, respectively; a tie-rod with a lower end portion for being anchored to an anchorage, the tie-rod extending transversely through the first and second openings, the tie-rod dividing the first and second rigid members into a first lateral section on one side of the tie-rod and a second lateral section on a diametrically opposite side of the tie-rod; first support and second support disposed between the first and second rigid members, the first support being disposed in the first lateral section, the second support being disposed in the second lateral section, the tie-rod extending through the first and second rigid members outside of the first support or the second support; and a nut threaded to the tie-rod, the nut exerting pressure on the second rigid member to place the tie rod under tension loading, the tension loading is transferred by the second rigid member to the first and second supports to subject the first and second supports to compression loading, thereby causing the first rigid member to press on the horizontal member of the stud wall via the first and second lateral sections of the first rigid member, thus distributing the compression loading.

A connecting device for connecting at least two structural elements, of which at least one is a wooden structural element. The connecting device comprises a head which has a surface with a circular sector cross section, and the surface has a series of openings as seats for fastening means which are fastenable in the wooden structural element, and wherein the connecting device comprises an element which is fastenable to a second structural element and comprises a connecting element, which is adjustable in length, and a bolt, and wherein the head is connected laterally displaceably and rotably with the fastenable element to a second structural element, and wherein the head has a seat for the bolt, and wherein the head is connected with the fastenable element to the second structural element via the length-adjustable connecting element.

A building includes a stud wall including a first bottom plate; a foundation; a tie rod operably anchored in the foundation and extending through the first bottom plate within the stud wall; a first bridge member disposed on the first bottom plate, the first bridge member having an opening through which the tie rod extends; a pair of spaced apart reinforcement studs; and the pair of spaced apart reinforcement studs including bottom ends bearing on the first bridge member.