Construction Method to Reinforce Masonry Walls with Wood

Abstract

This disclosure relates to masonry construction of residential houses using prefabricated masonry panels or blocks, such as Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) panels or Concrete Masonry Units (CMU). Unlike existing masonry construction methods, this masonry structure is reinforced by common wood studs as join keys. All wood studs are individually strap-tied directly to the foundation and horizontally bound together to form a network of cells enclosing masonry blocks throughout the entire building. Considerations are given to prevent wood studs absorbing moisture from masonry material.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A tie-down method in house construction that anchors an entire building to an array of Ω-shaped metal rails, which are embedded in the foundation concrete during pouring with the upper portion exposed as rings on the foundation top surface, and further comprising a method that ties the wood studs of walls and floor joists of the building directly to the exposed part of metal rails using metal connecting straps and their required nails and bolts. 
     
     
         2 . The method in  claim 1  wherein said Ω-shaped rails are made from construction steel rebar. 
     
     
         3 . A masonry wall construction method that reinforces stack-bound masonry blocks with wood studs as join keys, and further comprising:
 a. a method that connects common wood building components, such as wood stud walls, windows, doors, lintels, floor joists, etc., to said masonry wall by anchoring on said wood stud keys, and   b. a horizontal band or the roof wall band, named the top rail in drawings, that is made of either steel rebar or wood studs connected by metal straps, and circulates said house wall structure and straps together said stud keys and hence said blocks.   
     
     
         4 . The method in  claim 3  wherein said masonry block has four sides: exterior, interior, left and right side, and two surfaces, top and bottom surface, and the block shape further comprising,
 a. a vertical concave groove in at least one of the four side to receive, enclose, and interlock with said stud keys in  claim 3 , and 
 b. said concave groove that secures said stud key between its two shoulders, a primary shoulder and a secondary shoulder, where the secondary shoulder is lower than the primary shoulder exposing said stud key at one side of the joint, and 
 c. said concave groove that is tapered-in toward the bottom and has rounded corners or bumps at the bottom to retain gaps between said blocks and said keys in  claim 3 , and 
 d. a mean to keep said wood stud keys dry by filling the said gaps on the primary shoulder side with moisture-barrier material, and by keeping the gap on the secondary shoulder side either open to air flow or covered with only breathable materials to allow moisture in said keys vaporizing. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method in  claim 3  wherein said masonry blocks are aerated autoclaved concrete panels or blocks.