Newly Patented Framing System Could Alter Home Construction in Earthquake Zones

March 21, 2011 - PRLog -- Haiti, Chile, China, Northern California, even Guy, Arkansas (as examined in the New York Times 2/6/11), Christ Church, New Zealand and now once again Japan ...  Each of these locations had an earthquake over the last year and a half.  When will a major disaster in California or somewhere else in the United States be next? With the rise in fatalities, severe injuries, increased insurance expenses, and economic devastation associated with recovery from major earthquakes, especially when it comes to housing and shelter, the need for a cost effective, and an easy to apply construction technique to limit the risks of earthquakes has never been greater.

Bernard Jacovitz, a South Florida-based inventor, custom home builder and home inspector with over 50 years experience and dual degrees in architectural and industrial design from Pratt Institute has just received patent approval of his new design for a completely new approach for home construction framing that will minimize and virtually eliminate the risks to the home associated with earthquakes.  Jacovitz, who is 92 years of age, came up with the idea for his newly patented design shortly after the devastating earthquake in Haiti that resulted in an estimated 230,000 deaths, 1,000,000 homeless and near full devastation of the country’s capital infrastructure.  He immediately recognized the need and focused all his efforts on a revolutionary building technique that would prevent damage to standing single and two-story homes during an earthquake.

The technique offers architects and builders a completely new framing method that allows for great flexibility in a home’s frame while avoiding any subsequent reduction in the strength of the frame and its foundation.  In fact the, JacBloxTM Framing System should result in both greater flexibility and increased strength to a home if used according to his design specifications. Best of all the desing technique serves as an innovative way to significantly increase a home’s energy efficiency.  The response to the new design has already begun.  Metal Construction News, a key trade paper and blog in the industry, just last week interviewed Jacovitz on his invention for its blog.  

Highly experienced in home construction techniques both technical and practical, Jacovitz’s newly patented design, owned by Earthquake Resistant Building Construction, Inc., was specifically designed to avoid any increase in the standard cost of home construction.  

The newly patented construction technique relies on the use of specialized round steel galvanized corrugated tubing as a replacement for standard wood or concrete block framing.  The tubing is placed adjacent to one another throughout the entire framing process.  While steel framing has been around for sometime, there has never been anything similar to the JacBloxTM Framing System.  The new technique will be instrumental in making home construction more sustainable and could help in getting LEED Certification for a home or building.  Homes or buildings that use the JacBloxTM Framing System will require far less lumber and will be able to take advantage of the technique to dramatically increase energy efficiency at no additional cost.  Buildings using the JacBloxTM Framing System will blow in eco-safe insulation into the 8” dead air circular columns and into the small spaces between the pipes which will allow for far more energy efficiency than standard construction techniques.

The JacBloxTM Framing System will revolutionize home construction making it safer and more energy efficient offering benefits to both developed and developing nations when building homes.  Builders, architects and engineers could benefit from this new advance.

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Earthquake Resistant Building Construction owns a newly patented construction technique designed to minimize risks to home construction from earthquakes. The technique, known as the JacBlox Framing System, also makes homes far more energy efficient.