Patent Application - PREFABRICATED COMPOUND MASONRY UNITS > Claims

1. A prefabricated compound masonry unit comprising: at least one course comprising a plurality of blocks mortared to form a layer, the at least one course having a top surface and a bottom surface each having a first side and a second side; andlongitudinal tension reinforcement provided along at least a portion of a length of the at least one course and held with bonding material.
- 2. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal tension reinforcement extends along at least a portion of both the first side and the second side of one or both of the bottom surface and top surface of the at least one course and held with bonding material.
- 3. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one course is two courses having a lower course and an upper course with the longitudinal tension reinforcement placed in the bonding material along both the first side and the second side of the top surface of the lower course with a bottom surface of the upper course placed directly on the bonding material and aligned with the lower course.
- 4. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal tension reinforcement extends along substantially an entire length of the at least one course.
- 5. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 1, wherein each of the first side and second side of at least one of the top surface and bottom surface has a channel formed therein, with the longitudinal tension reinforcement retained within each channel with the bonding material.
  - 6. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 5, wherein the longitudinal tension reinforcement is fiber reinforced polymer.
    - 7. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 6, wherein the bonding material is one of epoxy and high strength mortar.
  - 8. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 5, wherein the at least one course is a plurality of courses having a lowermost course and an uppermost course with the first side and the second side of at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of each of the lowermost course and the uppermost course having the channel formed therein, with the longitudinal tension reinforcement retained within each channel with the bonding material.
- 9. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one course has a corner and the longitudinal tension reinforcement extends across the corner on one or both of the top surface and the bottom surface of the at least one course.
- 10. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one course is a plurality of courses having a lowermost course and an uppermost course and further comprising: at least one post-tensioning rod having a rod extending between a top surface of the uppermost course and a bottom surface of the lowermost course and attached to a plate at each end.
- 11. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one course has a joint between adjacent blocks with the longitudinal tension reinforcement provided along at least a portion of a length spanning each joint of both the first side and the second side of one or both of the bottom surface and top surface of the at least one course.
  - 12. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 11, wherein the longitudinal tension reinforcement is fiber reinforced polymer in dowel or biscuit form.
  - 14. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 11, wherein the at least one course has a bed extending along a length of the course, the bed positioned between external walls of the at least one course, with the longitudinal tension reinforcement extending along at least a portion of the length and retained in the bed with the bonding material.
- 13. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one course has a bed extending along a length of the course, the bed positioned between external walls of the at least one course, with the longitudinal tension reinforcement extending along at least a portion of the length of the bed and retained in the bed with the bonding material.
- 15. The prefabricated compound masonry unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one course has a bed extending along a length of the course, the bed positioned between external walls of the at least one course, and a joint between adjacent blocks, with the longitudinal tension reinforcement spanning each joint at at least one location along a surface of the bed.
16. A method of making a prefabricated compound masonry unit prior to transporting the unit to a building site comprising: forming a first course from a plurality of blocks by joining adjacent blocks with mortar;running longitudinal tension reinforcement along at least a portion of a length of the first course;retaining the longitudinal tension reinforcement to the first course with a bonding material.
- 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: forming a channel along the first course, wherein the longitudinal tension reinforcement is run within the channel.
  - 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the channel is formed by one of cutting or molding with the block.
- 19. The method of claim 16, further comprising: moving the prefabricated compound masonry unit to the building site.
- 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first course has a joint between adjacent blocks and the longitudinal tension reinforcement is run only to span each joint.
- 21. The method of claim 16, wherein the first course has a bed extending along the length, the bed positioned between external walls of the first course, wherein the longitudinal tension reinforcement is run within the bed.
- 22. The method of claim 16 further comprising: forming a second course from a plurality of blocks by joining adjacent blocks with mortar, wherein the second course is formed with the bonding material enclosing the longitudinal tension reinforcement between the first course and second course.