Arch beams and plates

Claim 1

A low-rise light-weight synergistic arch-beam utilizing elastic support to vastly increase the transitional buckling load of a shallow arch and permitting large reductions in dead load, comprising: a. a compression element in the form of an elongated low-rise arch member of high compression strength material; b. a tie element of high tensile strength material; c. the opposite ends of said arch member being fastened to respective opposite ends of said tie element such that the opposite ends of said arch member react against each other through said tie element; said joined arch member and tie element being supported at said opposite ends thereof; d. an elastic support means of low modulus material filling the space between said arch and said tie element and being internally confined therebetween to form a tied arch-beam structure; e. said low modulus material operating to hold said arch and tie element apart except where fastened together at said opposite ends thereof and to maintain proper position with respect to each other for greatly increasing the transitional buckling load of the resultant arch-beam structure such that the arch-beam structure transfers load in essentially pure compression through said arch member to said supports at the opposite ends thereof; said elastic support means of low modulus material allowing a significant decrease in the material normally required for forming said low-rise arch member and still support a given load that would otherwise exceed the buckling load of said arch member and normally cause collapse of the low-rise arch member; f. the tensile strength of said tie element normally determining the failure mode of the arch-beam structure; g. said synergistic arch-beam providing greater ease in deflection control over conventional flexural elements, thereby permitting a much greater percentage of available resistance to be utilized in carrying live loads; the limitations of ordinary shallow arches and the inefficiency of conventional flexural elements being eliminated therein.