Building blocks include a tongue and groove on each block that allow the blocks to be placed in a way that interlocks the tongue and groove of one block with the corresponding groove and tongue, respectively, of another block facing the opposite direction. In a first embodiment, the same building block that has a decorative front face is used for both sides of the wall, resulting in a wall with opposed finished surfaces. In a second embodiment, a first plurality of blocks that have a decorative front face are used for one side of the wall, while a second plurality of blocks that have a thicker and non-decorative face are used for the other side of the wall, with the first and second plurality of blocks interlocking back-to-back via their respective tongues and grooves. Both types of blocks can be made using the same concrete form.

Building blocks include a tongue and groove on each block that allow the blocks to be placed in a way that interlocks the tongue and groove of one block with the corresponding groove and tongue, respectively, of another block facing the opposite direction. In a first embodiment, the same building block that has a decorative front face is used for both sides of the wall, resulting in a wall with opposed finished surfaces. In a second embodiment, a first plurality of blocks that have a decorative front face are used for one side of the wall, while a second plurality of blocks that have a thicker and non-decorative face are used for the other side of the wall, with the first and second plurality of blocks interlocking back-to-back via their respective tongues and grooves. Both types of blocks can be made using the same concrete form.

A dry-stack masonry wall supported on hollow piles includes a wall having a plurality of stacked rows of masonry blocks that form a hollow interior grid of horizontal and vertical channels. The wall is supported on piles having hollow interiors, each of which is in communication with one of the vertical channels of the wall. Hardened grout filling the grid of the wall and the interiors of the piles monolithically binds the blocks into a wall which is bonded to and supported by the piles.

A dry-stack masonry wall supported on hollow piles includes a wall having a plurality of stacked rows of masonry blocks that form a hollow interior grid of horizontal and vertical channels. The wall is supported on piles having hollow interiors, each of which is in communication with one of the vertical channels of the wall. Hardened grout filling the grid of the wall and the interiors of the piles monolithically binds the blocks into a wall which is bonded to and supported by the piles.

An L-shaped shear wall module including an L-shaped outer pattern plate, an L-shaped inner pattern plate, and connectors connected between the L-shaped outer pattern plate and the L-shaped inner pattern plate. The L-shaped outer pattern plate 100 and the L-shaped inner pattern plate 200 are arranged in parallel to each other. The L-shaped inner pattern plate includes a first inner pattern plate and a second inner pattern plate which are perpendicular to each other. A corner transition block is disposed at a corner of the L-shaped inner pattern plate. The corner transition block has a protruding surface protruding towards the L-shaped outer pattern plate. The protruding surface of the corner transition block and the inner surface of the L-shaped outer pattern plate jointly enclose a concreting cavity at the corners for concreting reinforced concrete. The present application also provides a shear wall and a construction method thereof.

An L-shaped shear wall module including an L-shaped outer pattern plate, an L-shaped inner pattern plate, and connectors connected between the L-shaped outer pattern plate and the L-shaped inner pattern plate. The L-shaped outer pattern plate 100 and the L-shaped inner pattern plate 200 are arranged in parallel to each other. The L-shaped inner pattern plate includes a first inner pattern plate and a second inner pattern plate which are perpendicular to each other. A corner transition block is disposed at a corner of the L-shaped inner pattern plate. The corner transition block has a protruding surface protruding towards the L-shaped outer pattern plate. The protruding surface of the corner transition block and the inner surface of the L-shaped outer pattern plate jointly enclose a concreting cavity at the corners for concreting reinforced concrete. The present application also provides a shear wall and a construction method thereof.

A wall block having a block body and a vertical plane of symmetry. The block body having a front portion, a rear portion and a neck portion. The wall block including a core extending through the neck portion and dividing the neck portion into first and second neck wall members extending rearward from the front portion to the rear portion. The wall block having a flange extending downward from the block body. The wall block having a channel positioned in the rear portion of the block body. The wall block having a first plane parallel to the plane of symmetry that passes through the first neck wall member and a second plane parallel to the plane of symmetry that passes through the second neck wall member, the first and second planes being located approximately midway between the plane of symmetry and the lateral outermost points of the wall block.

A wall block having a block body and a vertical plane of symmetry. The block body having a front portion, a rear portion and a neck portion. The wall block including a core extending through the neck portion and dividing the neck portion into first and second neck wall members extending rearward from the front portion to the rear portion. The wall block having a flange extending downward from the block body. The wall block having a channel positioned in the rear portion of the block body. The wall block having a first plane parallel to the plane of symmetry that passes through the first neck wall member and a second plane parallel to the plane of symmetry that passes through the second neck wall member, the first and second planes being located approximately midway between the plane of symmetry and the lateral outermost points of the wall block.

In one embodiment, an article of manufacture includes a plurality of nestable, identically sized building blocks, each block having at least one inward-slanting side wall connected to a top surface of the block at an edge of the block, wherein a first block defines a hollow interior space adapted to receive a second block in a nested configuration. One or more of the blocks have one or more recesses on the top surface that are each designed to receive a portion of the bottom edge of another block, thereby providing increased stability for non-nested configurations. A recess may have a curved shape that can receive a curved portion of another block at different angular orientations of the blocks. The recesses may engage another block's bottom edge in a non-interlocking manner or in an interlocking manner.

A theft-proof packaging system includes a product package including a compartment configured to encapsulate a product. The compartment is in a non-surrounding environmental state, the non-surrounding environmental state being either pneumatically pressurized above a surrounding environment or pneumatically vacuumized below the surrounding environment. A pressure sensor inside the compartment includes a switch, the switch configured to disconnect and connect a power source to a transmitter, wherein the switch is configured to disconnect the power source from the transmitter in the presence of the non-surrounding environmental state inside the compartment and the switch is configured to connect the power source to the transmitter when the compartment equalizes to the surrounding environment. A receiving unit is disposed remote from the product package and receives the signal from the transmitter and sounds an alarm. A passive RFID tag may be located within the compartment and detected when passing through a walk-through scanner.