An impact shield for earthquake protection is described herein. The impact shield may include a canopy constructed of a puncture-resistant material, the canopy defining a first internal volume accessible via a first opening, the canopy being structured to form a semispherical shape when in an inflated state, the semispherical shape defining a space dimensioned for sheltering at least one human body; a support joined to the canopy and constructed of the puncture-resistant material, the support defining a second internal volume accessible via the first opening and a second opening, the support located within the space, the support structured to form a column when in the inflated state; and a fitting joined to the support for closing the second opening to fix the first internal volume and the second internal volume after inflation of the support and the canopy.

An expandable safe room (ESR) defining a protected space therein is provided and comprises a main upright frame, a pair of side walls hingedly connected to the main upright frame, and a front wall parallel to the main upright frame and hingedly connected to the side walls, wherein deploying the ESR in an expanding direction moves the front wall in a forward direction and away from the main upright frame. Floor and roof are also provided wherein the deployment of the ESR can be automatically or manually.

A three part foundation system for supporting a building is described. Three part foundation systems can include a containment vessel, which constrains a buffer medium to an area above the containment vessel, and a construction platform. A building can be built on the construction platform. In a particular embodiment, during operation, the construction platform and structures built on the construction platform can float on the buffer medium. In an earthquake, a construction platform floating on a buffer medium may experience greatly reduced shear forces. In a flood, a construction platform floating on a buffer medium can be configured to rise as water levels rise to limit flood damage.

A method for on-site assembly of a shelter for an above-ground structure to protect the structure from blast, wind, fire or other physical hazards. A pyramidal shelter with triangular or rectangular base is formed by joining side panels to each other. Each side panel includes a triangular frame covered, except at access hatch, observation port and door openings, with either steel plate or diamond steel mesh to which blast-resistant, fire-resistant or other kinds of coatings or panels are applied. A corner anchor assembly to support each corner of a shelter has a lower plate, an overlying split plate, and a pair of upstanding, anchor rods attached to the split plates for insertion into hollow, lower portions of side beams of adjacent side panels. The corner anchor assemblies facilitate expansion of an assembled shelter by addition of more modular components.

An earthquake resistant and reinforcing device for buildings and bridges is provided. In this device, two support mandrels are disposed on two ends of a main tube, and one ends of the two support mandrels are inserted in to the main tube. Baffle plates are disposed near the ends of the two support mandrels in the main tube, and sheath covers are disposed at the ends of the two support mandrels outside the main tube. A first elastic part is disposed in the main tube and between the baffle plates of the two support mandrels. A second and a third elastic parts are respectively disposed between the baffle plates of the support mandrels and the sheath covers. This device can be installed between beams and columns of buildings and bridges for effectively absorbing the energy waves acting thereon and thus increase the safety of the buildings and bridges.

A structural yielding link, particularly for use in an eccentrically braced frame arrangement or in a linked column frame arrangement having a first end having a means for connecting to a face of a first beam and a second end having a means for connecting to a face of a second beam; a first variable cross-section portion and a second variable cross-section portion extending from the first end and from the second end, respectively; and a constant cross-section portion joining the first variable cross-section portion and the second variable cross-section portion.

A transportable modular building includes a shipping container having shipping container frame members defining an outer periphery of the shipping container; shipping container periphery walls extending between the shipping container frame members, and an entry wall unit. The entry wall unit is recessed from the shipping container frame members that form a first side. The entry wall unit includes a door; a solar panel power interface to interface with a solar panel. The shipping container is suitable for national and international conveyance using conventional transportation networks.

A lateral bracing system having high initial stiffness and including yield links capable of effectively dissipating stresses generated within the lateral bracing system under lateral loads.

A structural assembly and a structural bracing system including the structural assembly are presented. The structural assembly includes Belleville disks and shape memory alloy (SMA) rods with nonlinear elastic behavior (e.g., Nitinol rods) to resist lateral force. Stacked Belleville disks are placed between plates resulting in nonlinear elastic behavior in compression. Shape memory alloy rods are placed at the corners of the plates and held by nuts at the exterior faces of the plates. The rods are loose when a compression load is applied to the plates and will work in tension when a tensile load is applied to the plates. A shaft (e.g., steel tube) is placed at the center of the Belleville disks to stabilize the assembly. Addition of the assembly with nonlinear elastic behavior in both tension and compression loadings to a structural bracing system improves the structural behavior of the bracing system.

A lateral bracing system is disclosed for affixing a column to a beam in a construction. The lateral bracing system includes a pair of buckling restraint plates, one each affixed to a top and bottom flange of a beam. The lateral bracing system further includes at least one yield plate for each buckling restraint plate. Each yield plate includes a first end affixed to the column, and a second end affixed to the beam.