A stud wall restraint system for in-plane building movement isolation

Abstract

A stud wall restraint system for in-plane building movement isolation uses a channel having side flanges and a web therebetween. The web has intermittent elongate longitudinal slots orientated along a longitudinal axis of the channel and the web comprises intermittent integrally formed fold out connectors which comprise elongate slots. The channel can be used for arrangements that allow for non-axial loadbearing walls to accommodate in-plane vertical and horizontal building movements whilst providing for enhanced structural restraint and resistance against out-of-plane transverse actions.

1 .- 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A stud wall restraint system for in-plane building movement isolation, the system comprising:
 a channel having side flanges and a web therebetween wherein:
 the web comprises intermittent elongate longitudinal slots orientated along a longitudinal axis of the channel; 
 the web comprises intermittent integrally formed fold out connectors; and 
 the connectors comprise elongate slots which are:
 aligned parallel with the longitudinal axis of the channel when the connectors are not folded out; and 
 orientated transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the channel when the connectors are folded out; and 
 
   
       the flanges comprise transversal slots which are orientated transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the channel, further comprising the stud wall comprising a plurality of spaced-apart studs and wherein the channel is installed as a head channel wherein the web thereof is horizontal and wherein:
 the head channel is secured under a support structure using the longitudinal slots to allow horizontal in-plane movement between the channel and the support structure; 
 webs of the studs are engaged using the slots of respective connectors to allow vertical in-plane movement between the channel and the stud wall; and 
 wherein flanges of the studs are engaged using respective pairs of transversal slots to allow vertical in-plane movement between the channel and stud wall. 
 
     
     
         34 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the transversal slots of the flanges comprise intermittent collocating pairs of transversal slots. 
     
     
         35 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein, when the channel is installed, the longitudinal slots run horizontally and the slots of the connectors run vertically. 
     
     
         36 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein stress-relief perforations form a line of weakness along a base of each connector so that each connector may be folded out by hand. 
     
     
         37 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , further comprising fasteners securing the channel to a support structure using the longitudinal slots and wherein bushings prevent compression of the web by the fasteners. 
     
     
         38 . The system as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the bushings are non-metallic. 
     
     
         39 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein each connector does not extend beyond the flanges when folded out. 
     
     
         40 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein each fold out connector is adjacent to a respective pair of the transversal slots. 
     
     
         41 . The system as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the transversal slots of the flanges comprise intermittent collocating pairs of transversal slots and wherein each pair is located either side of a base edge of a respective connector along the longitudinal axis of the channel. 
     
     
         42 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the connectors extend beyond the flanges when folded out. 
     
     
         43 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein a further channel is installed as a base channel wherein the web thereof is horizontal and wherein:
 the channel is secured on a floor structure using the longitudinal slots of the base channel to allow horizontal in-plane movement between the channel and the floor structure; and   webs of the studs are engaged using the connectors of the base channel.   
     
     
         44 . The system as claimed in  claim 43 , wherein the connectors further comprise a plurality of fixation apertures and wherein the webs of the studs are engaged using the fixation apertures to prevent movement between the channel and the stud wall. 
     
     
         45 . The system as claimed in  claim 43 , wherein the transversal slots of the flanges comprise intermittent collocating pairs of transversal slots and wherein flanges of the studs are engaged using respective pairs of transversal slots. 
     
     
         46 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the stud wall is a full-height stud wall and wherein the channel is secured against the support structure using the longitudinal slots. 
     
     
         47 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the stud wall is a partial height stud wall and wherein the channel is secured to the support structure via plenum bracing using the longitudinal slots. 
     
     
         48 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , further comprising the stud wall comprising a plurality of spaced-apart studs and wherein the channel is installed as a head channel wherein at least one connector is bent outwardly away from the flanges and secured against a plenum bracing strut. 
     
     
         49 . The system as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the connectors further comprise a plurality of fixation apertures and wherein at least one connector is secured against the plenum bracing strut using the fixation apertures to prevent movement between the channel and the plenum bracing strut. 
     
     
         50 . The system as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the plenum bracing strut is vertical. 
     
     
         51 . The system as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the plenum bracing strut is diagonal. 
     
     
         52 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the slots are reinforced with a raised peripheral flange extending in between the flanges. 
     
     
         53 . The system as claimed in  claim 52 , further comprising fasteners securing the channel to a support structure using the longitudinal slots and wherein bushings prevent compression of the web by the fasteners and wherein the bushings avoid compression of the peripheral flange. 
     
     
         54 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , further comprising the stud wall comprising a plurality of spaced-apart studs and wherein the channel is installed to form a header-to-jamb or a sill-to-jamb connection wherein the channel is installed horizontally with respect to a jamb stud and the channel terminates at a base of a folded out connector which is secured to a web of the jamb stud. 
     
     
         55 . The system as claimed in  claim 54 , wherein the connectors further comprise a plurality of fixation apertures and wherein the web of the jamb stud is secured to the folded out connector using the fixation apertures to prevent movement between the channel and the stud wall. 
     
     
         56 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , further comprising the stud wall comprising a plurality of spaced-apart studs and wherein the channel is installed to form a header-to-cripple stud connection or a sill-to-cripple stud connection wherein a cripple stud meets the web of the channel and is secured thereto using a folded out connector of the channel. 
     
     
         57 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the flanges comprise intermittent stress relief notches. 
     
     
         58 . The system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the flanges comprise intermittent pairs of stress relief notches collocating along a longitudinal axis of the channel. 
     
     
         59 . The system as claimed in  claim 57 , wherein the notches narrow towards the web.