Bond beam and block joist

Abstract

A building has walls built from blocks with cavities. Roofs and floors are formed from joists extending between walls. Each joist has a vertical plate, an angle piece located on each side of the vertical plate and end plates. The end plates bear on the wall blocks. Pins extend from the end plates into cavities of the wall blocks. Bond beams can be positioned on walls parallel to the joist. Horizontal blocks are laid across the joists to form a roof or floor.

1 . A building having at least two parallel walls made of stacked blocks, the blocks having cavities therein, which cavities are aligned vertically, the building having a horizontal roof or floor, comprising:
 a) joists spanning between the two walls, with each joist made from a vertical plate with an upper portion and at least one angle piece, the angle piece having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion coupled to the upper portion of the vertical plate, the second portion extending laterally from the first portion and the vertical plate, the vertical plate having a thickness, each joist having two ends and having a longitudinal direction between the two ends, each joist having a width which comprises the thickness of the vertical plate and a lateral extension of the angle piece;   b) each end having a horizontal end plate coupled thereto and extending longitudinally from the respective end, the end plate having a width that is wider than the width of the combined angle piece and the vertical plate;   c) one of the joists is a first joist, another of the joists being a second joist that is adjacent to the first joist, the end plates of the first joist being separate from the end plates of the second joist;   d) each of the end plates having at least one pin extending vertically down, the pin located in a block cavity in the wall, the end plates located on the respective walls;   e) horizontal blocks located on top of the joists, the angle piece and the end plates forming a top surface.   
     
     
         2 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the end plate of the first joist on one of the walls abuts the end plate of the second joist on the one wall. 
     
     
         3 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one angle piece is a first angle piece, further comprising a second angle piece coupled to the vertical plate on each joist extending opposite of the first angle piece. 
     
     
         4 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the joist is shaped like a “T” in transverse cross-section. 
     
     
         5 . The building of  claim 1 , further comprising the end plates having at least one pin extending vertically up. 
     
     
         6 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the end plates are rectangular. 
     
     
         7 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the end plates are interior end plates, with each interior end plate having a protrusion and a recess for fitting into another interior end plate with a protrusion and a recess, wherein the protrusion of one interior end plate is received in the recess of the other interior end plate. 
     
     
         8 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal blocks have cavities therein, with cavities aligned horizontally. 
     
     
         9 . The building of  claim 1 , further comprising a bond beam located along a third wall that is perpendicular to the two walls, the third wall comprising blocks with cavities, the bond beam comprising a horizontal plate located on and extending along the length of the third wall, the horizontal plate having a side edge that projects laterally of the third wall, and with pins depending from the horizontal plate and into the cavities of blocks in the third wall, an angle piece located along an inside of the third wall and coupled beneath the horizontal plate. 
     
     
         10 . The building of  claim 9 , further comprising a bond beam located along a third wall that is perpendicular to the two walls, the bond beam comprising a horizontal plate located on and extending along a length of the third wall, with pins depending from the horizontal plate into cavities of blocks in the third wall, the horizontal plate having two side edges that project laterally of the third wall, with an angle piece located on each side of the third wall, the angle piece coupled to an underside of the horizontal plate in proximity to the side edges. 
     
     
         11 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the end plate of the first joist on one of the walls abuts the end plate of the second joist on the one wall;   b) the at least one angle piece is a first angle piece, further comprising a second angle piece coupled to the vertical plate on each joist extending opposite of the first angle piece;   c) the joist is shaped like a “T” in transverse cross-section;   d) the end plates having at least one pin extending vertically up;   e) the end plates are rectangular.   
     
     
         12 . The building of  claim 1  wherein the two walls have respective inside surfaces, the ends of the joists being located between the inside surfaces, the end plates extending past the inside surfaces to bear on horizontal surfaces on the walls. 
     
     
         13 . The building of  claim 1  wherein the respective end plate has a top surface that is planar with a top surface of the respective angle piece second portion. 
     
     
         14 . The building of  claim 13  wherein the vertical plate of each joist has a notch in the upper end at each end, the respective end plate located in the respective notch. 
     
     
         15 . The building of  claim 9  further comprising horizontal blocks located on top of the bond beam. 
     
     
         16 . The building of  claim 10  further comprising horizontal blocks located on top of the bond beam. 
     
     
         17 . The building of  claim 9  further comprising a second bond beam located along a fourth wall that is perpendicular to the two walls, the second bond beam comprising a horizontal plate located on and extending along a length of the fourth wall, with pins depending from the horizontal plate into cavities of blocks in the fourth wall, the horizontal plate having two side edges that project laterally of the fourth wall, with an angle piece located on each side of the fourth wall, the angle piece coupled to an underside of the horizontal plate in proximity to the side edges. 
     
     
         18 . The building of  claim 17  further comprising horizontal blocks located on top of the first and second bond beams. 
     
     
         19 . A building having at least two parallel walls made of stacked blocks, the blocks having cavities therein, which cavities are aligned vertically, the building having a horizontal roof or floor, comprising:
 a) joists spanning between the two walls, with each joist made from at least one angle piece, the angle piece having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, the horizontal portion extending laterally from the vertical portion, the vertical portion depending down from the horizontal portion, each joist having two ends and having a longitudinal direction between the two ends, each joist having a width which comprises the lateral extension of the horizontal portion;   b) each end having a horizontal end plate coupled thereto and extending longitudinally from the respective end, the end plate having a width that is wider than the width of the joist;   c) one of the joists is a first joist, another of the joists being a second joist that is adjacent to the first joist, the end plates of the first joist being separate from the end plates of the second joist;   d) each of the end plates having at least one pin extending vertically down, the pin located in a block cavity in the wall, the end plates located on the respective walls;   e) horizontal blocks located on top of the horizontal portions of the first and second joists and the end plates forming a top surface, each of the horizontal blocks having ends and sides, with the distance between the ends being a horizontal block length and the distance between the sides being a horizontal block width, the horizontal block length being greater than the horizontal block width, the horizontal blocks arranged in an end-to-end manner so that one of the ends of one of the horizontal blocks contacts an adjacent horizontal block.   
     
     
         20 . The building of  claim 19 , wherein the end plate of the first joist on one of the walls abuts the end plate of the second joist on the one wall. 
     
     
         21 . The building of  claim 19  wherein the two walls have respective inside surfaces, the ends of the joists being located between the inside surfaces, the end plates extending past the inside surfaces to bear on horizontal surfaces on the walls. 
     
     
         22 . The building of  claim 19  wherein the respective end plate has a top surface that is planar with a top surface of the respective angle piece horizontal portion. 
     
     
         23 . The building of  claim 22  wherein the vertical portion of each angle piece has a notch in the upper end at each end, the respective end plate located in the respective notch. 
     
     
         24 . The building of  claim 19  wherein the horizontal blocks interlock with adjacent horizontal blocks on the horizontal block ends and the horizontal block sides. 
     
     
         25 . The building of  claim 24  wherein the horizontal blocks contact adjacent horizontal blocks without mortar. 
     
     
         26 . The building of  claim 19 , further comprising a bond beam located along a third wall that is perpendicular to the two walls, the bond beam comprising a horizontal plate located on and extending along a length of the third wall, with pins depending from the horizontal plate into cavities of blocks in the third wall, the horizontal plate having two side edges that project laterally of the third wall, with an angle piece located on each side of the third wall, the angle piece coupled to an underside of the horizontal plate in proximity to the side edges. 
     
     
         27 . The building of  claim 26  further comprising a second bond beam located along a fourth wall that is perpendicular to the two walls, the second bond beam comprising a horizontal plate located on and extending along a length of the fourth wall, with pins depending from the horizontal plate into cavities of blocks in the fourth wall, the horizontal plate having two side edges that project laterally of the fourth wall, with an angle piece located on each side of the fourth wall, the angle piece coupled to an underside of the horizontal plate in proximity to the side edges.