Beam and building incorporating the same

Claim 1

In a building construction comprising a roof or floor, at least one primary structural member in the form of a beam extending beneath and supporting said roof or floor, said beam comprising four longitudinal load-bearing members arranged in an inverted generally triangular configuration as seen in crosssection with one of said longitudinal load-bearing members running the length of the beam along each of the two top edges of the triangular configuration and with the two remaining longitudinal load-bearing members running the length of the beam along the downwardly depending bottom edge thereof to delineate three longitudinal sides of said beam, two of which are inclined to both the vertical and the horizontal, said longitudinal loadbearing members each being formed from strip material provided with longitudinal bends therein, including a first such bend which divides said longitudinal load-bearing member longitudinally into two substantial parts angularly disposed toward one another, and two longitudinal reverse bends adjacent the longitudinal edge of one part of said longitudinal loadbearing member to form an integral off-set lip extending substantially the length thereof, said lip on the one part of each of the top longitudinal load-bearing members cooperating with the lip on said one part of one of the bottom longitudinal load-bearing members to provide outwardly off-set integral longitudinal panel-retaining lips extending substantially along the tops and bottoms of said inclined sides of said beam, the other parts of said two top longitudinal load-bearing members being adapted to support said floor or roof and the other parts of the two bottom longitudinal load-bearing members being secured to one another, said beam further comprising bracing members inter-connecting said cooperating top and bottom longitudinal load-bearing members and panels on said inclined sides, said panels being retained by said lips and covering said bracing members, the distance apart of said reverse bends forming the lips on any one said inclined side being greater than the height of the respective panel retained by said lips, the top said lip extending lower than the top edge of said panel to retain the top of said panel, and the bottom said lip extending above the bottom edge of said panel to retain the bottom of said panel, whereby said panels are inserted by inserting said top edge of said panel behind said top lip, locating said bottom edge of said panel in the correct plane and then moving said panel downwards to retain said bottom edge of said panel behind said bottom lip.