Load bearing member

Abstract

A load bearing member comprising: a first rigid portion ( 12 ) adapted to bear a load until the load reaches a predetermined load and thereafter have a reduced or substantially no load bearing capacity; and a second flexible portion ( 14 ) adapted to bear the load after the predetermined load is reached, wherein the first rigid portion and the second flexible portion cooperate to bear the load such that the load bearing member is enabled to transform from rigidly to flexibly bearing the load when the predetermined load is reached.

1 . A load bearing member comprising:
 a first rigid portion adapted to bear a load until the load reaches a predetermined load and thereafter have a reduced or substantially no load bearing capacity; and   a second flexible portion adapted to bear the load after the predetermined load is reached,   wherein the first rigid portion and the second flexible portion cooperate to bear the load such that the load bearing member is enabled to transform from rigidly to flexibly bearing the load when the predetermined load is reached.   
     
     
         2 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first rigid portion is adapted to fail at the predetermined load. 
     
     
         3 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the first rigid portion includes a weakening feature adapted to fail at the predetermined load. 
     
     
         4 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein failure at the predetermined load is due to a material forming the first rigid portion reaching a failure value. 
     
     
         5 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the weakening feature is adapted to respond more to at least one particular type of loading and less to other types of loading. 
     
     
         6 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the weakening feature is provided at a predetermined axial location. 
     
     
         7 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein a weakening feature is provided at a plurality of predetermined axial locations. 
     
     
         8 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , including switching means and load sensing means, and wherein the load bearing member is adapted to switch from the first rigid portion to the second flexible portion for bearing the load when the predetermined load is reached. 
     
     
         9 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions are configured to bear a load in parallel. 
     
     
         10 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first rigid portion is arranged to bear the majority of the load prior to the predetermined load is reached. 
     
     
         11 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second flexible portion is provided as an inner core of the load bearing member and the first rigid portion substantially surrounds the inner core. 
     
     
         12 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the first rigid portion is provided as a hollow tubular member and the second flexible portion is provided as a wire member provided within the tubular member. 
     
     
         13 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second flexible portion is formed by removing material from a solid member to form a waist portion. 
     
     
         14 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the first rigid portion is provided as a collar member provided around the waist portion. 
     
     
         15 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first rigid portion and second flexible portion are provided as an insert for retrofitting to a conventional load bearing member. 
     
     
         16 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising at least one of a beam, column, bracket, hanger, strut, axle, cable, pipe, and pipe joint. 
     
     
         17 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1  comprising a compression fastener. 
     
     
         18 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 17 , including a washer member comprising a resilient material. 
     
     
         19 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the washer member includes a recess or cavity adapted to allow displacement of the second flexible portion. 
     
     
         20 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the cavity contains a gas. 
     
     
         21 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the washer includes an aperture having an entrance for the fastener and an exit spaced apart from the entrance, and wherein the entrance is oversized relative to the fastener. 
     
     
         22 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 17 , including a sleeve member. 
     
     
         23 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the sleeve member includes a joint portion at a location corresponding to the predetermined axial location. 
     
     
         24 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the joint portion is flexible. 
     
     
         25 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , including transformation indicating means adapted to indicate when the load bearing member has transformed from rigidly to flexibly bearing the load. 
     
     
         26 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first rigid portion is formed from a first material and the second flexible portion is formed from a second different material. 
     
     
         27 . A load bearing member as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the load bearing member is adapted for fastening a facade to a building. 
     
     
         28 . A method of supporting a load within a structure using a load bearing member, the method comprising:
 providing the load bearing member with a first rigid portion adapted to have a load bearing capacity until a predetermined load is reached and thereafter have a reduced or substantially no load bearing capacity; and   providing the load bearing member with a second flexible portion adapted to bear the load after the predetermined load is reached.   
     
     
         29 . A method as claimed in  claim 28 , including adapting the first rigid portion to fail at the predetermined load. 
     
     
         30 . A method as claimed in  claim 29 , including selecting a material forming the first rigid portion which will reach a failure value at the predetermined load. 
     
     
         31 . A method as claimed in  claim 28 , including providing the first rigid portion as a hollow tubular member and the second flexible portion as an inner wire provided within the tubular member. 
     
     
         32 . A method as claimed in  claim 28 , including forming the second flexible portion by removing material from a solid member to form a waist portion, and providing the first rigid portion as a collar member around the waist portion. 
     
     
         33 . A method as claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the load bearing member comprises a fastener. 
     
     
         34 . A method as claimed in  claim 33 , including supporting, using a support, a plurality of facade elements provided on the exterior surface of a building, and fastening the support to the exterior surface using at least one load bearing member. 
     
     
         35 - 45 . (canceled)