LOAD BEARING APPARATUS AND SYSTEM

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This international patent application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application serial number 61/081,281, filed on July 16, 2008, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Large scale, multi-story buildings are typically constructed with steel and concrete. Floors in such buildings may be constructed by spanning steel joists between structural supports and installing metal decking supported by the positioned steel joists. The decking forms a sub floor surface onto which concrete is poured to form the building floor. Generally, the joists also form the framework from which ceilings are hung for the floor below.

[0003] One type of steel joist is an open web steel joist having a top chord and a bottom chord, which are connected by web members. The top and bottom chords may be comprised of angle irons welded back-to-back with the web members between. The top chords typically have joist shoes at both ends which rest upon top surfaces of the structural supports, such as shown in U.S. Patent No. 6,993,881. The structural supports can be, for example, I-beams or load bearing walls. Once the open web steel joists are in place between the structural supports, the metal decking spans on the top chords of the open web steel joists and are secured thereto, for example, by welds or screws. One type of metal pan or decking is a corrugated steel decking.

[0004] There is a need for a load bearing apparatus that allows a gravity load bearing member, such as a steel joist, to be supported adjacent to a support structure, such as a load bearing wall, without the steel joist having to rest directly on the support structure. The apparatus may interface with a wide range of support structures, such as metal I-beams, concrete walls, concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls, etc. The load bearing apparatus may position the top chord of the steel joist such that it is substantially flush with the top surface of the support structure. The load bearing apparatus may allow the support structures to be completed after

placement of the steel joists. A system using the above-described apparatus is also needed.

[0005] Accordingly, a load-bearing apparatus is disclosed for supporting a gravity load-bearing member (e.g., a steel joist) adjacent a support structure (e.g., a load- bearing wall), and a bearing system using the load bearing apparatus, are disclosed.

[0006] The load-bearing apparatus disclosed may comprise: a base portion having at least one support portion extending there across capable of assisting to support the gravity load bearing member; a pair of side wall portions extending upwardly from the base portion to form a nesting portion capable of receiving an end of the gravity load bearing member; and at least one mounting flange having an upward portion extending from the base portion capable of abutting the cementious bearing wall and a lateral portion capable of extending into the cementious bearing wall more than 3 inches, the lateral portion of the mounting flange including at least one hole there through spaced at least 3 inches from the upward portion of the mounting flange capable of receiving fasteners to fasten the load bearing apparatus and assist in supporting the end of the gravity load bearing member positioned in the nesting portion.

[0007] The building system using the load-bearing apparatus may comprise: a plurality of gravity load bearing members; a least one cementious bearing wall; a plurality of load bearing assemblies for supporting each of the gravity load bearing members adjacent each cementious bearing wall, each load bearing assembly comprising: (1) a base portion having at least one support portion extending there across capable of assisting to support one of the gravity load bearing members; (2) a pair of side wall portions extending upwardly from the base portion to form a nesting portion capable of receiving an end of the gravity load bearing member; (3) at least one mounting flange extending from the base portion and having an upward portion capable of abutting the cementious bearing wall and a lateral portion capable of extending into the cementious bearing wall more than 3 inches, the lateral portion of the mounting flange including at least one hole there through spaced at least 3 inches from the upward portion of the mounting flange; and a plurality of fasteners extending

through the holes in the lateral portions of the mounting flanges to fasten the load bearing assemblies to the cementious bearing wall.

[0008] Alternatively, or in addition, a load-bearing apparatus disclosed may comprise: a base portion having at least one support portion extending there across capable of assisting to support the gravity load bearing member; a pair of side wall portions extending upwardly from the base portion to form a nesting portion capable of receiving an end of the gravity load bearing member; and at least one mounting flange having an upward portion extending from the base portion capable of abutting a first side of the support structure and a lateral portion capable of abutting a second side of the support structure, the lateral portion of the mounting flange capable of interfacing (e.g., via welding) with the second side of the support structure to secure the load bearing apparatus to the support structure and assist in supporting the end of the gravity load bearing member positioned in the nesting portion.

[0009] Alternatively, or in addition, the building system using the load bearing apparatus may comprise: a plurality of gravity load bearing members; a least one support structure; and a plurality of load bearing assemblies for supporting each of the gravity load bearing members adjacent each support structure, each load bearing assembly comprising: (1) a base portion having at least one support portion extending there across capable of assisting to support one of the gravity load bearing members;

(2) a pair of side wall portions extending upwardly from the base portion to form a nesting portion capable of receiving an end of the gravity load bearing member; and

(3) at least one mounting flange extending from the base portion and having an upward portion capable of abutting a first side of the support structure and a lateral portion capable of abutting a second side of the support structure, the lateral portion of the mounting flange capable of interfacing with the second side of the support structure to secure the load bearing assembly to the support structure and assist in supporting the end of the gravity load bearing member in the nesting portion.

[0010] Additional advantages and features will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] A load bearing apparatus is described below in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings and figures:

[0012] Figures IA- 1C show a load-bearing apparatus according to one embodiment. Fig. IA is a side elevational view of the load bearing apparatus. Fig. IB is a front side elevational view of the load bearing apparatus. Fig. 1C is a top plan view of the load bearing apparatus.

[0013] Figure 2 shows the load bearing apparatus of Fig. 1 secured to a building system where the load bearing apparatus is supporting an end of an open web steel joist.

[0014] Figure 3 is a building system where the load bearing apparatus of Fig. 1 interfaces with a cementious support structure.

[0015] Figure 4 is a building system where the load bearing apparatus of Fig. 1 interfaces with a steel beam support structure.

[0016] Figure 5 shows the load bearing apparatus of Figure 2 with fasteners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION QF THE DISCLOSURE

Referring generally to figures 1-5, there is shown a load bearing apparatus 100 which may be secured to a support structure 124 and receive an end 118 of a gravity load bearing member 112. As shown generally in Figs. IA- 1C, the load bearing apparatus 100 includes a base portion 102 having at least one support rib 104 formed on a lower surface 106 thereof. In one embodiment, the support rib 104 extends across the lower surface 106 of the base portion 102 adjacent to a front side 108 of the base portion 102. In one embodiment, the support rib 104 extends across the lower surface 106 of the base portion 102 adjacent to a rear side 110 of the base portion 102. In still another embodiment, the base portion 102 includes a pair of support ribs 104 formed on the lower surface 106 thereof. In yet another embodiment, the pair of support ribs 104 extend across the lower surface 106 of the base portion 102 adjacent to the front side 108 and the rear side 110, respectively. The support ribs 104 may be formed at the same time as the base portion 102 and other parts of the load bearing

apparatus 100. The support ribs 104 strengthen the base portion 102 to assist in supporting a gravity load bearing member 112 (e.g., an open web steel joist).

[0017] The load bearing apparatus 100 also includes a pair of side walls 114 that extend upwardly from the base portion 102 to form a nesting portion 116 for receiving an end 118 of the gravity load bearing member 112 as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. In one embodiment, each side wall 114 has a substantially triangular profile as shown in Figs. IA, 2 and 5.

[0018] The load bearing apparatus 100 also includes at least one mounting flange 120. The mounting flange 120 has an upward portion 122 extending from the base portion 102 and capable of abutting a support structure 124 (e.g., a cementious bearing wall, a steel beam). The mounting flange 120 also has a lateral portion 126 capable of extending inward of the support structure 124 a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is selected based on properties of the particular support structure 124. For cementious load bearing structures, the predetermined distance is at least 3 inches, and the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 includes at least one hole 128 there through spaced at least 3 inches from the upward portion 122 of the mounting flange 120. In other embodiments, where other support structures are used, the same holes may be provided for flexibility and use of the load bearing apparatus; however, in some embodiments, holes 128 may not be within 3 inches of the upward portion 122, or no holes 128 may be needed where fastening is done by welding. Each hole 128, where provided, is capable of receiving a fastener 130 for securing the load bearing apparatus 100 to the support structure 124. In some embodiments, the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 may include a plurality of holes 128, each of the holes 128 being spaced at least 3 inches from the upward portion 122 of the mounting flange 120. In some embodiments, the mounting flange 120 may have a substantially L-shaped profile. In some embodiments, the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 may be capable of being positioned to allow the fastener 130 to engage a top side 132 of at least a portion of the support structure 124, and in others, extend within the support structure 124.

[0019] The at least one mounting flange 120 may be a pair of mounting flanges 120, the upward portion 122 of each of the mounting flanges 120 extending from one of the side walls 114 and capable of abutting a side 134 of the support structure 124.

[0020] The base portion 102, the side walls 114, and the mounting flange 120 are integral parts of the same piece of metal or discrete pieces that are joined to form the load bearing apparatus 100. The base portion 102, the side walls 114, and the mounting flange 120 may be made of steel and the steel may be 14 gauge or thicker.

[0021] The load bearing apparatus 100 can be attached to the support structure 124, whether it be a cementious load bearing wall 136 as shown in Fig. 3, a steel beam 138 as shown in Fig. 4, or some other support structure. The load bearing apparatus 100 may be attached to the support structure 124 using the fasteners 130. Alternatively, the load bearing apparatus 100 may be attached to the support structure 124 by welding.

[0022] The load bearing apparatus 100 may be secured to the support structure 124, and receive the end 118 of the gravity load bearing member 112 as shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 2, the gravity load bearing member 112 is an open web steel joist having a top chord 140 and a bottom chord 142, which are connected by web members 144 as shown in Figs. 3-4. The open web steel joist may include a joist shoe 146 disposed on a lower surface of each end 118 of the top chord 140. The size of the top chord 140 and/or the joist shoe 146 of the open web steel joist can be selected so that an upper surface 148 of the top chord 140 is substantially flush with the top side 132 of the support structure 124 as shown in Figs. 3-4. The support ribs 104 inhibit deformation of the base portion 102 of the load bearing apparatus 100, which allows the end 118 of the top chord 140 and/or the j oist shoe 146 of the open web steel j oist to be held in position in the nesting portion 116 of the load bearing apparatus 100. In this manner, the open web steel joist is supported adjacent to the support structure 124 without resting directly on the support structure 124.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 3, the load bearing apparatus 100 can be used in a load bearing system 300. The load bearing system 300 uses a plurality of the load bearing apparatus 100 to secure a plurality of the gravity load bearing members 112 (e.g., the open web steel joists) to the support structures 124 (e.g., cementious bearing walls).

[0024] In Fig. 3, the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 of the load bearing apparatus 100 rests on an upper portion 150 of a completed first cementious bearing wall 136. The lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 is sized so that at least 3 inches of the lateral portion 126 extends across the upper portion 150 of the first cementious bearing wall 136. Furthermore, as noted above, the at least one hole 128 of the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 is at least 3 inches from the upward portion 122 of the mounting flange 120.

[0025] A fastener 130 extends through each hole 128 in the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 to secure the load bearing apparatus 100 to a cementious bearing wall 136. The fastener 130 can include a flange 152 formed between opposite ends of the fastener 130. A diameter of the flange 152 is larger than a diameter of the hole 128 in the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120, such that only a first portion 154 of the fastener 130 will extend through the hole 128 and into the first cementious bearing wall 136. Accordingly, a second portion 156 of the fastener 130 typically extends above the later portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 of the load bearing apparatus 100.

[0026] Thereafter, a second cementious bearing wall 158 can be formed directly above and, if desired, integral with the first cementious bearing wall 136 having the load bearing apparatus 100 secured thereto. The second cementious bearing wall 158 is formed around the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120. In one embodiment, a filler material 160 (e.g., grout) can be used to fill around the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 of the load bearing apparatus 100 prior to forming the second cementious bearing wall 158. The second cementious bearing wall 158 may also be formed around the second portion 156 of the fastener 130 extending above the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120, and further anchor the load bearing apparatus 100 to the support structure 124 (i.e., the first and second cementious bearing walls 136, 158). In this manner, the load bearing apparatus 100 may allow work to begin on subsequent support structures if desired (e.g., the second cementious bearing wall 158) without requiring that the gravity load bearing members 112 first be in place.

[0027] Once each load bearing apparatus 100 are secured to the cementious bearing walls 136 and the open web steel joists are placed in the load bearing apparatus 100, metal decking 162 (e.g., a corrugated steel decking) is secured on the upper surfaces 148 of the top chords 140 of the open web steel joists. The metal decking 162 may be screwed or welded to the top chords 140 of the open web steel joists. The metal decking 162 may serve as a sub floor on which, for example, a concrete floor 164 can be placed or formed. Fasteners, such as the fastener 130, can be used to connect the concrete floor 164 to adjacent support structures 124 (e.g., the second cementious bearing wall 158).

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4, the load bearing apparatus 100 can be used in a load bearing building system 400. The load bearing system 400 may use a plurality of the load bearing apparatus 100 to secure a plurality of the gravity load bearing members 112 (e.g., the open web steel joists) to, and spanning between support structures 124, for example, metal beams 138.

[0029] In Fig. 4, the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 of the load bearing apparatus 100 rests on an upper portion 166 of a metal beam 138. The lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 is sized so that generally at least 2 inches of the lateral portion 126 abuts the top side 166 of the metal beam 138.

[0030] In some embodiments, the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 may include at least one hole 128 that is at least 2 inches or 3 inches from the upward portion 122 of the mounting flange 120. A fastener (not shown) extends through each hole 128 in the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 to secure the load bearing apparatus 100 to the metal beam 138. Alternatively, the lateral portion 126 of the mounting flange 120 may be joined to the upper portion 166 of the metal beam 138 by welding.

[0031] Once the load bearing apparatus 100 are secured to the metal beams 138 and the open web steel joists are placed in the nesting portion of the load bearing apparatus 100, the metal decking 162 (e.g., a corrugated steel decking) is secured to the top chords 140 of the open web steel joists. The metal decking 162 may be screwed or welded to the top chords 140 of the open web steel joist. The metal

decking 162 may serve as a sub floor on which, for example, the concrete floor 164 can be placed or formed.

[0032] The load bearing apparatus and building system described herein allow a gravity load bearing member, such as a steel joist, to be supported adjacent to a support structure, such as a cementious load bearing wall or metal beam, without the steel joist positioned directly on the support structure. The apparatus may also interface with a wide range of support structures, such as metal beams, concrete walls, CMU walls, etc. The apparatus may position the top chord of the steel joist such that it is substantially flush with the top surface of the support structure. The apparatus may allow the support structures to be completed prior to placement of the steel joists.

[0033] While one or more embodiments have been described, the disclosure is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. Modifications and alterations will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations in so far as they come within the scope of the claims, or the equivalents thereof.