Structural Member Assemblies, Beams, And Support Structures Comprising Same

Abstract

A multi-floor structural assembly including a foundation level, a support column including a plurality of outer hollow longitudinal structures defining an interior passage, and a plurality of inner members. The plurality of outer hollow longitudinal structures are aligned end-to-end along a single axis, and the plurality of inner members are aligned end-to-end within the interior passage of the support column so that at least one end of at least one inner member is longitudinally offset from every longitudinal end of the plurality of outer hollow longitudinal structures: A first composite deck includes a first horizontal beam and a hold down bracket secures the column to the foundation. The support column extends upwardly beyond the horizontal beam of the first composite deck.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multi-floor structural assembly, comprising:
 a foundation level having a top surface;   a support column extending in a longitudinal dimension, comprising:   a plurality of outer hollow longitudinal structures, each longitudinal structure having a first longitudinal end and an opposing second longitudinal end, and each longitudinal structure having a length in the longitudinal dimension and defining an interior passage extending along the length; and   a plurality of inner members, each inner member having a first longitudinal end and an opposed second longitudinal end and having a length in the longitudinal dimension,   wherein the plurality of outer hollow longitudinal structures are aligned end-to-end along a single axis, wherein respective longitudinal ends of each of the outer hollow longitudinal structures are coupled to respective longitudinal ends of each adjacent outer hollow longitudinal structure, wherein the interior passages of the plurality of outer hollow longitudinal structures cooperate to define an interior passage of the support column,   wherein the plurality of inner members are aligned end-to-end along the single axis within the interior passage of the support column so that the first and second longitudinal ends of each of the inner members extend to respective longitudinal ends of each adjacent inner member,   wherein at least one end of at least one inner member is longitudinally offset from every longitudinal end of the plurality of outer hollow longitudinal structures;   a first composite deck disposed above and parallel to the foundation level, the first composite deck including at least a first horizontal beam disposed along an outer perimeter of the first composite deck; and   a hold down bracket including a base plate and a mounting plate extending therefrom, the base plate and the mounting plate being perpendicular to each other,   wherein the base plate is secured to the top surface of the foundation level, wherein the mounting plate is secured to an outer surface of the support column, wherein the support column extends upwardly beyond the horizontal beam of the first composite deck, and the horizontal beam is secured to the support column by at least one fastener, at least one weld, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second longitudinal ends of the plurality of outer hollow longitudinal structures and the plurality of inner members are disposed either below or above the horizontal beam of the first composite deck. 
     
     
         3 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the outer hollow longitudinal structures and the plurality of inner members comprises light gauge steel. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the hold down bracket further comprises a pair of gussets, each gusset including a first leg secured to a respective edge of the base plate and a second leg secured to a respective edge of the mounting plate. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second legs of each gusset are secured to the base plate and the mounting plate, respectively, by a weld. 
     
     
         6 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each outer hollow longitudinal structure comprises:
 a first channel member having a first longitudinal end and an opposed second longitudinal end, wherein the first channel member has a length in the longitudinal dimension and defines an inner channel extending along the length; and   a second channel member having a first longitudinal end and an opposed second longitudinal end, wherein the second channel member has a length in the longitudinal dimension and defines an inner channel extending along the length; and   wherein each of the first channel member and the second channel member, in a cross sectional plane perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension, comprises
 a base wall having an inner surface, an outer surface, a first end, and a second end, 
 a first side wall extending from the first end of the base wall, and 
 a second side wall extending from the second end of the base wall, 
 wherein the base wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall cooperate to define the inner channel, 
   wherein the first and second channel members are positioned with respect to each other so that the inner surface of the base wall of the first channel member opposes the inner surface of the base wall of second channel member, and so that the inner channels of the first and second channel members cooperate to define the interior passage extending in the longitudinal dimension.   
     
     
         7 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the mounting plate of the hold down bracket is secured to one of the first side wall and the second side wall of the first channel member and one of the first side wall and the second side wall of the second channel member. 
     
     
         8 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 7 , wherein each inner member extends from a wall of the first channel member of at least one outer hollow longitudinal structure to an opposing wall of the respective second channel member of the at least one outer hollow longitudinal structure. 
     
     
         9 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 8 , wherein each of the inner members comprises a first parallel wall, a second parallel wall, and a web extending between the first and second parallel walls, wherein the first wall of the inner member abuts and attaches to the wall of the first channel member of the at least one outer hollow longitudinal structure, and the second parallel wall of the inner member abuts the opposing wall of the respective second channel member of the at least one outer hollow longitudinal structure. 
     
     
         10 . A multi-floor structural assembly, comprising:
 a foundation level;   a first floor disposed above and parallel to the foundation level;   a structural member extending in a longitudinal dimension and including a top end and a bottom end, comprising;
 a first channel member having a first longitudinal end and an opposed second longitudinal end, wherein the first channel member has a length in the longitudinal dimension and defines an inner channel extending along the length; 
 a second channel member having a first longitudinal end and an opposed second longitudinal end, wherein the second channel member has a length in the longitudinal dimension and defines an inner channel extending along the length; and 
 an inner member having a first longitudinal end and an opposed second longitudinal end, wherein the inner member has a length in the longitudinal dimension, 
 wherein the first and second channel members are positioned with respect to each other so that the inner channels of the first and second channel members cooperate to define an interior passage extending in the longitudinal dimension, 
 wherein the inner member extends through at least a portion of the interior passage and is attached to at least one of the first channel member and the second channel member. 
 wherein at least one of the first and second longitudinal ends of the inner member is longitudinally spaced from a respective longitudinal end of the first channel member and a respective longitudinal end of the second channel member; and 
   at least one hold down bracket including a base plate and a mounting plate,   wherein the base plate is secured to the foundation level and the mounting plate is secured to an outer surface of the structural member, and   wherein the upper longitudinal ends of the first and the second channel members extend upwardly beyond the first floor.   
     
     
         11 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first floor is secured to the structural member by at least one fastener and/or at least one weld. 
     
     
         12 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the mounting plate of the hold down bracket is secured directly to both the first channel member and the second channel member of the structural member. 
     
     
         13 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the length of the inner member is greater than half of the length of the first channel member and greater than half of the length of the second channel member. 
     
     
         14 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 12 , wherein each of the first channel member, the second channel member, and the center member comprises light gauge steel. 
     
     
         15 . The multi-floor structural member assembly of  claim 12 , wherein each of the first channel member and the second channel member, in a cross sectional plane perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension, comprises
 a base wall having an inner surface, an outer surface, a first end, and a second end,   a first side wall extending from the first end of the base wall, and   a second side wall extending from the second end of the base wall,   wherein the base wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall cooperate to define the inner channel, and   wherein the first and second channel members are positioned with respect to each other so that the inner surface of the base wall of the first channel member opposes the inner surface of the base wall of the second channel member.   
     
     
         16 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 15 , wherein each of the first channel member and the second channel member, in the cross sectional plane, further comprises:
 a first flange extending from a first end of the first side wall that is opposite the base wall and in a direction toward the second side wall; and   a second flange extending from a first end of the second side wall that is opposite the base wall and in a direction toward the first side wall.   
     
     
         17 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the length of the first channel member and the length of the second channel member are substantially equal. 
     
     
         18 . The multi-floor structural assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said at least one of the first and second longitudinal ends of the inner member is longitudinally spaced from the respective longitudinal end of the first channel member and the respective longitudinal end of the second channel member by at least twelve inches. 
     
     
         19 . The multi-floor structural member assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the length of the inner member is greater than the length of the first channel member and greater than the length of the second channel member. 
     
     
         20 . A hold down bracket comprising:
 a base plate;   a mounting plate extending perpendicularly from the base plate; and   a pair of gussets, each gusset including a first leg secured to a respective edge of the base plate and a second leg secured to a respective edge of the mounting plate via weld,   wherein the mounting plate defines one of at least one groove or at least one notch on each edge,   wherein each gusset defines the other of at least one groove or at least one notch that is configured for complementary engagement with the at least one groove or at least one notch of the mounting plate.