SUMMARY
Shear ties are used in the construction industry to ensure that the shear walls
used in construction of light frame buildings can perform reliably at the rated
loads. Currently used shear tie designs are lacking in several key
performance areas and this invention seeks to improve the performance
through a novel design method.
The proposed shear-tie design provides superior performance in the areas of
increased strength, deformability resistance and concrete passage prevention
and reduced installation tolerances. These performance improvements help
overcome issues possessed by current tie systems. Additionally, the shear tie
mechanism proposed has the ability to be used in other applications such as
blast and impact resistance structures where there is need for rapid energy
dissipation via panel deflection.
Competitive Advantage
This invention addresses an important aspect in light building construction.
Shear wall tie-down connections are very important in ensuring that the
building is able to withstand the rated loads and will not collapse or present
other issues or problems as time goes on. If the shear tie does not have the
right performance capabilities, it can cause the wall system to become loose
and increase the chances of some damage occurring due to lack of building
performance at the rated level. Shear tie systems help make sure that the
building strength, stretch-ability, shrinkage and reliability factors are
maintained for the duration of the building’s life – especially because
building tend to shrink and settle over several years. As a consequence, the
connections used can face a situation called ‘reverse loading’ and should be
able to accommodate this condition without sacrificing performance or
getting deflected.
Lehigh Tech ID# 053014-01
Market Need/Opportunity
The overall market for construction material that will use this invention is in
the multibillion $ range. Latest estimates are that the size of the market in the
US will exceed $12B by 2018. . Within the overall construction material
market, this invention is particularly applicable to the ICF (Insulated Concrete
Forms) market segment. This market segment is expected to show a growth
of 20% per year based on the ability of ICF materials to enable building to be
certified as Green Building and allow building developers to obtain
significant points towards LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) certification.
Status
Lehigh University is looking for a partner for further development and
commercialization of this technology through a license. The inventor is
available to collaborate with interested companies.
PATENT ISSUED