A sludge digester including a vessel and floating cover. The vessel includes a sidewall and an interior volume configured to receive and contain sludge. According to one embodiment, the cover comprises a frame structure that is constructed and arranged to form a skirt member formed at a periphery of the cover and extending downwardly into the vessel, and a continuous ballast ring attached to a lower portion of the skirt member and configured to form a trough member with an interior surface of the skirt member. The sludge digester may also include a guide system coupled to the sidewall and the skirt member and configured to allow vertical displacement of the cover with change in volume of at least one of a gas and a sludge contained in the vessel beneath the cover.

A vented honeycomb structure with a plurality of honeycomb cells arranged in a hierarchical order and having a plurality of truss walls, each truss wall including a plurality of members. The vented honeycomb structure is fabricated by joining a plurality of sheets of trusses using any one of an expansion, a corrugation, and a slotting process. Fabrication can also occur by deposition, casting, additive, extrusion, or aligning and joining methods. The honeycomb cells, truss walls, truss wall openings, and truss wall members can be functionally graded.

A method for producing three-dimensional space frames or truss structures from simpler components and space frames or truss structures produced by the associated method. The various components, which may be made from virtually any material, are shaped in such a way so that they may be fitted together to create a space frame or truss structure. The components may be held together by any available attachment means, or by the interaction of the components themselves. The method and associated components allows for the assembly of three-dimensional space frames or truss structures from planar materials, significantly reducing cost and manufacturing time. These space frames or trusses can then be used as structural members, as the interior load-bearing portions of sandwich panels, or in any situation where high-strength and light weight are desirable.

Structural members having enhanced load bearing capacity per unit mass include a skeleton structure formed from strips of material. Notches may be placed on the strips and a weave of tensile material placed in the notches and woven around the skeleton structure. At least one pair of structural members can be jointed together to provide very strong joints due to a weave patterns of tensile material, such as Kevlar, that distributes stress throughout the structure, preventing stress from concentrating in one area. Methods of manufacturing such structural members include molding material into skeletons of desired cross section using a matrix of molding segments. Total catastrophic failures in composite materials are substantially avoided and the strength to weight ratio of structures can be increased.

A linear construction truss comprising a hollow shell with a square cross section and a core composed of linked tetrahedra, and a method of manufacturing of said linear construction truss.

The disclosure generally relates to a locating assembly as a component of a locating table segment for positioning truss segments in a truss assembly system. The system generally includes a plurality of table segments aligned in parallel and adapted to position a series of locating blocks on a top surface of the system/table, where each block is a component of one of a plurality of locating assemblies in the system. The block positions collectively define an outer boundary of a support truss (e.g., as a roofing truss). Once the blocks are moved to their desired position, appropriately sized truss segments are placed within the block-defined boundary and fastened together.

A composite open web beam joist includes a cambered beam joist portion including a top end, a bottom end, a first side, a second side, and an open web layout extending from end to end. The open web layout includes triangular web sections and openings between each of the triangular web sections. Each triangular web section includes a peak. A first chord angle beam is attached to the first side of the cambered beam-joist portion at the peaks of the triangular web sections. A second chord angle beam is attached to the second side of the cambered beam-joist at the peaks of the triangular web sections. A plate is vertically attached to a center of the top end of the cambered beam-joist. The plate extended longitudinally along the center of the top end of the cambered beam joist portion. The plate includes a distal end having a flange and a recess.

The disclosure generally relates to a locating assembly as a component of a locating table segment for positioning truss segments in a truss assembly system. The system generally includes a plurality of table segments aligned in parallel and adapted to position a series of locating blocks on a top surface of the system/table, where each block is a component of one of a plurality of locating assemblies in the system. The block positions collectively define an outer boundary of a support truss (e.g., as a roofing truss). Once the blocks are moved to their desired position, appropriately sized truss segments are placed within the block-defined boundary and fastened together.

A composite open web beam-joist includes a cambered beam-joist portion including a top end, a bottom end, a first side, a second side, and an open web layout extending from end to end. The open web layout includes triangular web sections and openings between each of the triangular web sections. Each triangular web section includes a peak. A first chord angle beam is attached to the first side of the cambered beam-joist portion at the peaks of the triangular web sections. A second chord angle beam is attached to the second side of the cambered beam-joist at the peaks of the triangular web sections. A plate is vertically attached to a center of the top end of the cambered beam-joist. The plate extended longitudinally along the center of the top end of the cambered beam-joist portion. The plate includes a distal end having a flange and a recess.

A composite open web beam joist includes a cambered beam joist portion including a top end, a bottom end, a first side, a second side, and an open web layout extending from end to end. The open web layout includes triangular web sections and openings between each of the triangular web sections. Each triangular web section includes a peak. A first chord angle beam is attached to the first side of the cambered beam-joist portion at the peaks of the triangular web sections. A second chord angle beam is attached to the second side of the cambered beam-joist at the peaks of the triangular web sections. A plate is vertically attached to a center of the top end of the cambered beam-joist. The plate extended longitudinally along the center of the top end of the cambered beam joist portion. The plate includes a distal end having a flange and a recess.