GB2399832A - Adjustable lateral restraint, for tying wall to joists or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

An adjustable lateral restraint comprises a plate 1 which is fixed to a wall 9, as by threaded fastener 6, and which mounts two articulated arms 2, pivoted at 4 to plates 3 , which may be fastened as by screws 7 to the side of joists 8, whereby to tie the wall to the joists. Floorboards may then be screwed to the joists to ensure that the floor acts as a diaphragm.

Description

Adjustable Lateral Restraint Device This invention relates to a structural

device used to transfer lateral forces of a masonry wall to an abutting structural element of the building or structure thereby providing stability to the wall.

A vertical wall of a structure extending from a lower level to a higher level of the building carries the load imposed on that wall by other elements such as the roof, intermediate floors, the dead load of contents of the building and the resultant forces of wind loading on the building. With older buildings in particular the design of the structure, Ape of materials used and age of the materials often results in the vertical walls deflecting or deforming in a lateral direction. This condition may become extreme and eventually require the reconstruction of the wall to prevent collapse.

A remedial measure may be taken to arrest this condition before it reaches a state of being beyond acceptability. That is to provide lateral restraint by tying the wall to abutting structural elements such as intermediate floors. These floors are used as a diaphragm to transfer lateral forces into adjacent walls other than the deformed wall. The floor plate is secured to the wail in need of restraint by using mechanical ties. Where the floor joists are parallel to the wall to be restrained it is possible to insert ties across the top or bottom, or through the centre of the joists, providing the joists have sufficient depth to them to permit this.

Where the joists run into or bear onto the wall to be restrained it is likely that these joists are in loose pockets or bear onto a wall plate. In such cases it is usual to cut and fit a timber nagging between the joists to permit a mechanical tie to be connect to this for the load transfer into the floor plate. The distance between these joists may often be variable requiring time consuming measuring and adjustment of the length of the timber naggings. The method of fixing the naggings is by screwing or nailing and may be dimcuit to effect.

An object of this invention is to eliminate the need for the use of timber naggings, which need to be cut and fitted between the joists, and the application of mechanical ties over or through the naggings. The invention is employed to transfer horizontal load between wall and floor by a simply fixed adjustable mechanical device to suit a wide range of distance between joists and a connection to the wall.

The invention may be designed and fabricated in various suitable structural materials including steel, aluminium, ferrous and non-ferrous metals of any type according to tensile strength, plastics, carbon fibre, composite technology materials or any combination of these materials.

The size, thickness, length and profile of the components may be varied to suit a variety of usage circumstances and applications.

A typical embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: FIGURE 1 shows a plan of the device used to tie a wall to joists.

FIGURE 2 is a cross section / elevation of the arrangement in FIGURE 1.

The device typically comprises a back plate 1, two articulated arms 2 and two side fixing plates 3. The articulated arms are hinged 4, at each end.

The device is fixed to the wall 9, by attaching the back plate to a threaded metal fixing 6, embedded in the wall. The device is located a mid-height of the joist depth.

The angle of the articulated arms 2, are adjusted so that each arm touches the joists 8, and the side fixing plates 3 are parallel to the joists.

The side fixing plates are fixed to the joists by screws 7 fixed through the plates.

Once fixed in place the floor coverings are replaced and screw fixed to ensure that the floor acts as a diaphragm. The wall is then restrained in a horizontal plane by the interaction of the floor and abutting walls resisting any lateral forces exerted by the wall.

The articulated arms may be extended for any suitable length for individual application and may be additionally hinged in a vertical axis to permit a fixing from above or below the proposed diaphragm members. For this purpose an extra plate may be fixed either side of the back plate.

Claims (5)

1. A mechanical structural restraint device for the interface of a wall and floor, or ceiling, comprising a fixing plate attached to the wall at any level and located so that each of two articulated arms attached to the fixing plate may be extended to a pair of structural members, resting on or bearing into the wall, wherein each arm may be mechanically connected to those members by a side fixing plate located at the end of each articulated arm.

2. A mechanical structural restraint device as in Claim 1 designed to accommodate a variety of physical conditions of interface between two or more structural elements.

3. A mechanical structural restraint device as in Claim 1 designed to accommodate a variety of loading requirements.

4. A mechanical structural restraint device as in any preceding claim, which is made from metal, carbon fibre, plastic materials or from any combination of these materials.

5. A mechanical structural restraint device substantially described herein with references to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.