A shear connector for use with insulated concrete panels. The shear connector comprises an elongated core member that includes a first end and a second end, and a flanged end-piece removably secured to one of the first end or the second end of the core member. At least a portion of the flanged end-piece includes a maximum diameter that is larger than a maximum diameter of the core member. The shear connector is configured to transfer shear forces.

The invention comprises a product. The product comprises a foam insulating panel, the panel having a first primary surface and an opposite second primary surface, wherein the foam insulating panel defines at least one recessed channel in the first primary surface, the at least one recessed channel being sized and shaped to provide a mold for a structural reinforcing member. The product also comprises a concrete panel formed on the first primary surface and filling the at least one recessed channel so as to provide a structural reinforcing member for the concrete panel. The product further comprises an elongate anchor member in the foam insulating panel and extending from the first primary surface of the foam insulating panel into the concrete panel. A method of making a composite reinforced insulated concrete structure is also disclosed.

Disclosed herein are low density fiber cement articles, such as fiber cement building panels and sheets, comprised of multiple overlaying fiber cement substrate layers having small and uniform entrained air pockets and low density fillers distributed throughout. The combination of entrained air pockets and low density fillers provide a low density fiber cement matrix with physical and mechanical properties similar to comparable low density fiber cement matrix without entrained air pockets.

A vacuum insulated panel (VIP) and a method of manufacturing a VIP includes a rigid core material having high insulation and low conductivity properties. The rigid core may be made of an inorganic material that effectively mimics a porous silica core material. The core material includes large particles of an inorganic material having a diameter in a range of 10 μm to 50 μm. A portion of these large particles may be ground into small particles having a diameter of less than 1 μm. The small particles are mixed with a portion of the large particles to form a core material which is then mixed with a fiber skeleton and compacted under vacuum along with a fibrous skeleton for structure. The resulting structure provides a porosity ranging from 10 nm to 1 μm in diameter.

The present invention pertains to an element of an autoclave aerated concrete (AAC) material having a web of a second material different from AAC embedded therein and generally centrally disposed in a depth dimension of the element and between two planar faces and the second material supporting hardware for connecting the element to other structures.

Techniques of forming a foamed insulation material from gypsum waste are disclosed herein. One example technique includes mechanically comminuting the gypsum waste from an original size into particles of gypsum at a target size smaller than the original size and mixing the particles of the gypsum with a binder to form a mixture of particles and binder. The binder is configured to bind the particles of gypsum upon hydration. The example technique can further include performing air entrainment on the mixture until a foam is formed from the mixture having the particles of gypsum and binder. The foam has water that causes the binder to bind the particles of gypsum. The example technique can then include removing moisture from the mixture with the formed foam to form a foamed insulation material from the particles of gypsum.

The invention relates to a construction panel with high resistance to fire and to a method for producing a construction panel with high resistance to fire.

Disclosed herein is a thermal and/or fire resistant panel comprising: a panel body comprising a fire resistant composition, wherein the fire resistant composition comprises: a silane cross-linked hybrid inorganic polymer; and a siloxane.

Disclosed is an acid-modified flour and a method of making the acid-modified flour. The acid-modified flour is desirably prepared using a dry milling process. A starting flour is combined with a strong acid to form a mixture. The mixture is heated. A neutralizer is added to increase the pH of the mixture. If desired, the mixture can be dried and any agglomerates can be removed. The acid-modified flour can be used as a binder in a slurry for preparing one or more gypsum layers in a gypsum board.

An ultrastable cementitious material with nano-molecular veneer makes a cementitious material by blending 29 wt % to 40 wt % of a magnesium oxide dry powder containing 80 wt % to 98 wt % of magnesium oxide based on a final total weight of the cementitious material, with 14 wt % to 18 wt % of a magnesium chloride dissolved in water and reacting to form a liquid suspension, mixing from 2 to 10 minutes, adding a phosphorus-containing material, and allowing the liquid suspension to react into an amorphous phase cementitious material, wherein a portion of the amorphous phase cementitious material grows a plurality of crystals. The plurality of crystals are encapsulated by the amorphous phase cementitious material forming a nano-molecular veneer. A process to make the ultrastable cementitious material. A tile backer board incorporating the ultrastable cementitious material and a process for making the tile backer board.