Insulated Box Beam Framing Member

Abstract

A fabricated framing member constructed primarily of wood products that is used as a stud, joist, or rafter to construct walls, floors, or ceilings. Lumber is normally used for these purposes, however, the thermal performance, dimensional accuracy, and dimensional stability of lumber is not as good as desired. The invention improves these and other qualities by strategically minimizing the amount of wood products used and by the addition of insulation. The shape of the structural portion of the member is similar to the shape of an elongated box and insulation fills the inside of that box.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention generally refers to a building construction framing member, made primarily of wood and/or wood products, that is used in building residential and light commercial structures. The framing member may be used as a stud, header, sill or other component in the framework of a wall, floor or ceiling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The present invention is a building construction framing member that has insulative properties. It is hereinafter referred to as an “insulated box beam framing member” or “IBBFM” or as this “invention” or the present invention. Since it is most commonly used as a stud, it is sometimes referred to as a “stud.” The present invention is constructed from multiple pieces of wood or wood composites, insulation, adhesives, and possibly fasteners and reinforcing materials. The shape is that of an elongated, insulation filled, rectangular box proportionally appropriate for use in the construction of walls, floors, or ceilings.

This framing member can be easily incorporated into plans by engineers and architects as it may have, in preferred embodiments, the same outer dimensions as conventional lumber and have structural properties equivalent to common lumber products. This framing member can also be installed in the same manner as dimensional lumber with minimal additional training of carpenter crews. Many different dimensional variations and manufacturing methods for the present invention are possible.

BACKGROUND

The invention described herein relates to wood framing systems for residential and light commercial buildings. The common method of wall framing for many years has been to use dimensional lumber with a cross-sectional area measuring 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches. This member is commonly referred to as a “two by four” (or 2×4) because the cross sectional dimensions of the member prior to final milling are 2 inches by 4 inches. These 2×4s are typically assembled as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C to form a wall.

The vertical members in walls are commonly called “studs” and these studs (100) are fixed in place by attachment to a top plate (102) and bottom (or sill) plate (103). This wall frame (101) is then typically sheathed by attaching plywood or oriented strand board (105) to the exterior of the wall and covered with gypsum board (106) on the interior of the wall. Insulation (107) is installed within the wall cavity created by all of these components (FIG. 1B) to create an insulated wall assembly (104). There are more components in a wall assembly than described above and some additional features relevant to this invention are shown in FIG. 1C.

As interest in walls with greater levels of thermal insulation increased, larger members have been used to increase the depth of a wall cavity allowing for more insulation (107) between the inner (106) and outer (105) wall coverings. 2×6 members (actually measuring 1.5 inches wide×5.5 inches deep) are now commonly used for wall studs.

It has been recognized that the relatively low performance of wood as a thermal insulator in wall assemblies impairs the thermal performance of a wall assembly. This has led to advanced framing techniques (using fewer framing members in a wall) and innovative framing members which reduce the thermal conductivity between the outer sheathing (105) and the inner gypsum board (106) through the wall studs (100). The present invention is one of many such innovative framing members.

A similar situation exists with the manner of framing floors and ceilings with members commonly called “joists” and “rafters”. The present invention relates to an insulated framing member which could be used as either studs (100), joists, plates (102 & 103), trimmers (108), cripples (112), sills (103 & 110), headers (111), rafters, or other wall, floor or ceiling construction elements. See FIG. 1C for an illustration of some of the wall elements.

REVIEW OF SIMILAR PATENTS

There are numerous prior patents with differing designs attempting to improve the insulation value of building framing members. One approach is to remove parts of conventional wood studs and replace those spaces with insulation. There are several of these designs. One example of this approach is the Pues stud (US 2019/0203463 A1) which does not seem to add enough insulation value to be practical. Its geometry also makes exterior cladding installation more complex.

Another approach is to design many different configurations which adhere an insulated layer to common structural members. An example of this is U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,608 (Charlson). This approach adds complexity and may not have found favor with the construction industry since other simpler methods accomplish the same result.

The most common approach uses a variation on an I-beam shape with insulation filling the non-structural space within the confines of a rectangular space bounding the I-beam. Numerous similar inventions optimizing this approach have been patented. This approach uses two flanges that are fixed in position in relation to each other by a variety of connecting means which differentiate the inventions.

One of the earlier I-beam designs was the McDermid stud (U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,322), which likely hasn't been adopted due to its complex assembly and lower performance than later designs. Another I-beam type is the Weibe stud (U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,487) which uses metal pins to connect the flanges. In this design, the high thermal conductivity of the metal pins works against the thermal improvement gained by the added insulation.

Yet another I-beam attempt is the Daniels stud (US 2007/0283661 A1) which uses three web pieces glued and stapled into slots between the two flanges. Inadequate compressive strength may have been the weakness of this design.

The compressive strength is better with the Watts studs (U.S. Pat. No. 8,640,429 B1) since it has more web material but also a greater complexity or less thermal performance depending on the embodiment selected.

Another design is the Hubbe stud (US 2007/0227095 A1) which uses wooden dowels, blocks, or both, to achieve the needed strength between the flanges. The Hubbe stud also has special connections built on the ends to connect effectively to the top and bottom plates of a wall which could also be made similarly to the studs.

The I-beam approach reached, perhaps, the current state-of-the-art with the Iverson stud (US 2017/0247883 A1). This stud further increased strength by changing the wood dowel angles and widening the flanges. This design has some disadvantages compared to the box beam approach and other inventions with dimensional likeness to conventional lumber.

Another approach for achieving a thermally improved wood stud is the box shape. An example of this is the Clark stud (US 2012/0011793 A1) which is comprised of the same two flanges that most of the I-beam studs have, but with only insulation between them bonded to both wooden flanges in various ways. This limited the strength of the stud since insulation has very poor tensile strength.

Another box design is the Lockhart stud (U.S. Pat. No. 9,103,113 B2) which also utilizes insulation layers bonded between wooden elements and shares the same strength concern as the Clark stud.

Another box design is the Tiberi stud (U.S. Pat. No. 8,091,297 B2) which adds a wooden connection between the flanges to improve strength. Unfortunately there is not enough improvement in strength or insulative properties to make this stud practical.

The Wilkins stud (U.S. Pat. No. 8,516,778 B1) solves the strength problem by fixing the two flanges in position with six metal plates. Unfortunately, the metal plates are very thermally conductive defeating much of the insulative gains of the insulation layer.

The Laing stud (US 2022/0080698 A1) improves on the thermal loss of the Wilkins stud by using a “mesh” to fix the flanges in position. The difficulty with using a mesh is that a mesh has little strength in compression. The “cover” is described in the Laing stud as a “house wrap” or “building paper” which does not imply any structural strength.

The necessary solution to the box beam stud concept is to fix the flanges into position with a structure that is strong in tension, compression, and shear. This is accomplished in the Kisch box beam (U.S. Pat. No. 8,117,802 B1) but the Kisch beam is mostly intended as a beam or column of larger size than a wall stud. Further, the more complex jointing would become a cost problem if applied to a stud.

The Henthorn stud (US 2003/0208986 A1) solves the jointing problem and achieves a very-close-to-optimum design, except that it is limited to the use of Oriented Strand Board (OSB) as the connecting members between the flanges. This limitation is significant for a number of reasons. The available thicknesses of OSB are thicker than optimal and the density of OSB is greater than other materials. Both of these characteristics reduce the thermal performance of the stud. Additionally, the vapor permeability of OSB is less than desirable and OSB more easily sustains permanent damage when subjected to water. Any adhesives used must be compatible with the specific adhesives used to create the OSB. Lastly, the utility passthrough method of the Henthorn stud is thermally inefficient.

The present invention (IBBFM) is different than the Henthorn stud in several ways. It overcomes the OSB limitation by using plywood (in a preferred embodiment) which is available in thinner material than OSB. Other advantages of using plywood are its 5 times greater moisture permeability, a more secure adhesion, and possibly a lower thermal conductivity due to its lower weight (density). Another difference is that the utility passthroughs in the present invention (IBBFM) are made without additional core members and are filled with foam insulation to maintain the best possible thermal performance while still allowing for easy installation of utilities at the construction site. These differences improve thermal efficiency. The present invention (IBBFM) also includes a provision for fiber reinforcement to strengthen the areas of the structure that see the greatest stress when loaded while maintaining a simple and uniform construction.

PRINCIPLES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The ideal building stud will have adequate strength (in both column compression and beam loading), dimensions allowing standard construction methods and materials, standard end and edge connectability, as much insulation value as possible, the lowest weight possible, the smallest use of raw materials possible, and have a low cost of manufacture. There are many challenges to achieving these ideals.

The first challenge is maintaining adequate strength. Materials that have good insulating properties generally have poor structural strength. It is, therefore, necessary to minimize the amount of structural material while maintaining adequate strength.

The present invention does this by concentrating structural material in the parts of its shape which are subjected to the most stress when loaded and by retaining only as much structural material as needed to meet strength requirements of the structure.

FIG. 2 shows the areas of higher stress when the member is loaded as a beam with a weight on it or as a wall stud with a wind pushing on it. This is the strongest axis of the member. Loaded in this way, the member is in compression in zone 201, in tension in zone 202, and in shear in zones 203. Structural material is built into these zones of the IBBFM.

FIG. 3 shows the areas of higher stress when the member is loaded as a column. The member tends to buckle in the direction of the weak axis. The member is in compression in zone 301 and in shear in zones 303. The stress in zone 302 will be tension with a simple side load but is more complex when loaded as a column. Structural material is located in these zones of the IBBFM.

The stress areas in FIGS. 2 & 3 indicate the areas with the most stress but the stress on the member is not uniform even if the applied force is uniform. For this reason, the option of adding fiber reinforcement (607) in the areas of greatest stress (areas to be identified by computer modeling and/or break testing) is included in the present invention (IBBFM). The predicted location of such reinforcement(607) is shown in FIG. 6. which depicts reinforcement on one side of each flange (402) only but is intended to represent the location which is typical of both sides of each flange (402). The reinforcement could be installed anywhere on the inward side of each flange (402) and affixed thereto.

When greater strength is needed in a portion of the member, reinforcement material could be installed between the flanges (402) and the side plates (401). The reinforcement material could be carbon fiber, fiberglass, or other high strength material. It would ideally be attached to both the flanges (402) and the side plates (401) possibly imbedding it in the adhesive joining the two. Another way of optimizing the structural portion of the (IBBFM) is to vary the thicknesses of the components, however, this is not preferred since it may add complexity to the construction of the member.

Another challenge is designing the overall dimensions of the member so that standard materials and design methods can be used. The easiest way is to make the member the same dimensions as standard lumber products. This is important for maintaining design and construction efficiency. Many lumber products are available in sizes that have dimensions ready to install without cutting. Framing carpenters are familiar with the layout math, and products are designed in sizes that are easy to fit together. For example, many siding products prefer wall studs to be installed at 16 inch spacing. If these studs are 1.5 inches wide, standard width fiberglass batt insulation will fit perfectly in the wall cavity between them. If the 16 inch spacing is increased to accommodate a wider stud, for example, the 4 foot by 8 ft sheathing and gypsum boards will all need to be cut creating wasted time and material. If, on the other hand, the 16 inch spacing is maintained and the stud width is increased, the wall cavity width is reduced and standard fiberglass batt insulation will need to be derated due to the extra compression. Using standard lumber dimensions is a challenge because smaller dimensions require a greater concentration of structural material to achieve the necessary strength and this results in lower thermal insulation. If the wall cavity dimensions change from standard dimensions, a wall-fill type of insulation (foam-in-place or blown-in fiberglass or cellulose) could be used, however, it is a more expensive option and requires more skill and special equipment to install than fiberglass batts.

Another challenge is to provide the means to connect the wall stud (100) to plates (see FIG. 1 elements 102 & 103), sheathing (see FIG. 1B element 105), and wall board (106). The ideal invention would install the same way and as conveniently as its dimensional lumber equivalent would install. The design of the present invention provides solid wood in all of the necessary locations for standard connections to other building components.

The geometry of the present invention results when adequate-but-not-excessive structural material is placed in the areas of highest stress (FIGS. 2 & 3) and at all of the connection surfaces, and insulation is placed in the space not occupied by the structural material. This geometry is shown in FIG. 4. By maximizing the structural benefit of all structural material, the amount of structural material can be minimized allowing for more insulation. This maximizes thermal performance, minimizes overall weight, and minimizes materials needed to construct the member. Simple geometry and minimizing the number of pieces in the assembly help reduce overall cost of manufacture.

The pre-drilling of holes (505 & 506) for the purpose of easier utilities installation at the construction site is not novel, and is considered common knowledge in the art of building construction. This concept is easily applied to the present invention as shown in FIG. 5. The insulation may be installed flush with the outside of the webs (401) as shown in 506 and in a preferred embodiment where insulation is formed inside of the member; or it may be recessed to the inner surface of the webs (401) as shown in 505 in an embodiment where the insulation is pre-formed and installed during assembly.

Another benefit of a series of holes is to facilitate the installation of foam-in-place insulation inside the hollow cavity of the (IBBFM). Foam may be added through these holes and excess expansion of foam can be relieved through these holes preventing swelling of the structural portion of the (IBBFM). This technique is also common knowledge in the art of construction and is not novel. Holes for adding foam could be located anywhere in the IBBFM that doesn't adversely affect its strength.

Another option included in this invention is to add end blocks FIG. 4 (403) for the purpose of connectibility, which in a preferred embodiment may be approximately 1.5 inches in the longitudinal direction. Additionally, similar blocks FIG. 7 (701) could be installed every 16 or 24 inches along the IBBFM. This option would be useful when the IBBFM is used as a plate (102 or 103) since these blocks would help transfer compression load from above the plate to the structure below the plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a simple wall frame assembly (101) as per prior art with studs (100), top plate (102), and sill plate (103).

FIG. 1B shows the top view of an insulated wall assembly (104) with insulation (107) installed into the wall cavities between the studs (100), sheathing (105), and gypsum wall board (106).

FIG. 1C shows a side view of another typical wall frame (101) of prior art and names various elements used in the wall frame.

FIG. 2 shows the location of the greatest stress in a framing member when it is loaded in the strong axis.

FIG. 3 shows the location of the greatest stress in a framing member when it is loaded in the weak axis.

FIG. 4 shows four views of the present invention with optional end connection blocks (403) installed. The flanges (402) are fixed in place relative to each other by two web plates (401) and the end connection blocks (403). The geometry forms a long box made of wood products. This box is filled with insulation (404).

FIG. 5 shows four views of the present invention with optional pre-drilled holes (505) for easy installation of utilities at the construction site and for installation of foam-in-place insulation (404) in the factory.

FIG. 6 shows the predicted location of optional reinforcement material (607).

FIG. 7 shows the option of plate blocks (701) to increase compressive strength when used as a plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The construction of the preferred embodiment is as follows. It is not the only embodiment possible and variations and optional features will also be discussed.

The IBBFM is made of two elongate flanges (402) spaced at some distance from each other and fixed into position by two elongate webs (401) which are adhered to the side faces of the elongate flanges thereby creating a rectangular tube shaped member. The inside of the tube is filled with insulation (404).

The IBBFM is purposely not dimensioned since variations in the dimensions of all the components could be used to adjust the properties of this invention to optimize it for specific purposes. For example: one application may require more strength while another requires greater insulation. Even though a preferred embodiment results in overall dimensions equivalent to standard dimensional lumber (commonly 1.5″×5.5″), other dimensions could be useful and are also claimed in the present invention. For example, sills (110) and headers (111) could be manufactured in a factory at a specified length, thickness, and height.

FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention which has two webs (401) located on the exterior of the member rather than one web in the center (as in the I-Beam studs). This geometry has the advantages of protecting the insulation (404) contained within the member, and of adding stiffness when the member is in compression (due to this shape's greater radius of gyration).

The IBBFM design (FIG. 4) is an assembly of multiple pieces rather than being constructed of a single piece of wood. This has the advantage of creating a more dimensionally correct and stable product (helping to prevent twist, bow, and crook).

The IBBFM (FIG. 4) could be assembled with glue or fasteners or a combination of the two. Although any of its pieces could be made of solid wood or many engineered wood composites, in a preferred embodiment, the flanges (402), end blocks (403) and plate blocks (701) would be made from solid natural wood while the webs (401) would be made of plywood.

In a preferred embodiment, the insulation (404) would be a polyurethane foam formed within the cavity of the IBBFM. Not only does polyurethane foam perform best thermally, but it also has the additional advantage over other insulation types of contributing to the structural strength due to its inherent strength and its ability to bond to the flanges (402) and side plates (401). The IBBFM (FIG. 4) could also use other types of insulation to achieve a lower cost. Pre-formed foam (such as extruded or expanded polystyrene for examples) insulation of any type could be cut and glued into the cavity during assembly rather than forming the foam within the cavity. Insulation product technology is constantly improving and new insulations which have yet to be developed or brought to market may become the best choice for the present invention. The use of the present invention with any type of insulation is claimed.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 includes optional end connection blocks (403) which make attachment to plates (102 & 103) easier when used as a wall stud but could be omitted when used for other purposes. Similar to the end connection blocks are the plate blocks shown in FIG. 7. These plate blocks can be installed when the member is used as a sill plate (103) or top plate (102) to transfer the compressive load through the plate to the surface above or below. This type of blocking is not novel. It is a method well known to those skilled in the art of construction. This blocking may be made of wood or an engineered wood product.

FIG. 5 shows how holes (505 & 506) could be pre-drilled in various places of the webs (401) to make the installation of utilities faster and easier at the construction site and/or to aid in installing the foam insulation in the factory. The use of holes for these purposes is not novel. It is a feature well known to those skilled in the art of construction. In a preferred embodiment, the holes are drilled through the structural material only and not through the insulation. The insulation can remain at the inward surface of the side plate as shown in 505 or be filled flush with the outward surface of the side plate (401) as shown in FIG. 5. (506).

Although the IBBFM would typically be made of wood or engineered wood products, other non-metallic materials or combinations of materials may also be used except that oriented strand board (OSB) and/or particle board may not be used for the side flanges (401). The type of insulation, glue, fasteners, and optional reinforcement are also not specified since the present invention could utilize many different types of materials for these things. Some types of glue that would commonly be used are epoxy, urea formaldehyde, melamine, or phenolic.

When greater strength is needed in a portion of the member, reinforcement material could be installed in that portion between the flanges (402), end connection blocks (403), and the side plates (401). The reinforcement material could be carbon fiber, fiberglass, or other high strength material. The predicted beneficial location of the reinforcing fibers is shown in FIG. 6. The reinforcing material would ideally be attached to both the flanges (402) and the side plates (401) possibly imbedding it in the adhesive joining the two. The precise location of the reinforcing fibers could be determined by computer modelling and/or break testing and could be installed only where needed.

The insulated box beam framing member invention proposed herein has the advantage of being most similar to the common framing members that construction crews are already familiar with. This means that additional framing time or training of construction workers is minimized.

The overall strength of various embodiments of this invention will be less than a solid wood member of the same overall size, however, buildings are commonly designed with more strength than necessary in certain elements to allow the use of standard dimensioned building materials. This means that in many situations, this invention could be a direct replacement for standard dimensional lumber.

The shape of the member could be optimized further than the embodiments shown. One way to do this is with a computerized finite element analysis program such as STAAD or RISA. Also, strength testing could create a database that architects and engineers could use to incorporate this invention into their designs. This invention could also be made in custom lengths or widths for convenient use as sills(103, 110), headers(111), cripples(112), or other framing components. The idea claimed includes variations in actual dimensions, materials, and features described in this specification in order to achieve performance needed for particular applications. For example: Some applications may require more strength while others may need more insulation value. Optimization of the shape and dimensions of the member could further improve performance and is also claimed.

This invention could be used in walls (as in FIG. 1A-1C), floors, or ceilings where improved insulation characteristics are desired. By decreasing the thermal conductivity of a wall assembly, for example, the need for a continuous layer of insulation outside of the sheathing is reduced or eliminated. A continuous layer of foam insulation outside of the sheathing has become a common way to overcome the poor thermal properties of common framing members but using that method complicates moisture control design and exterior flashing methods.

The manufacture of this invention could be done in a variety of ways from a simple assembly jig to an automated production line process. The best choice will depend on the production volume needed.

Claims

1. A fabricated framing member for use in building a structure and that is comprised of: a) a first elongate flange component extending from one end of the member to the other end, having an inward face, an outward face, a pair of side faces which extend between the inward and outward faces, two end faces, and being formed from a structural material;b) a second elongate flange component, oriented substantially parallel to the first elongate flange component, spaced some distance from the first elongate flange component, extending from one end of the member to the other end, having an inward face, an outward face, a pair of side faces which extend between the inward and outward faces, two end faces, and being formed from a structural material;c) a pair of elongate web components, each affixed to and extending from a side face of the first elongate flange component and extending to the cooresponding side face of the second elongate flange component, and affixed thereto, oriented substantially parallel to the elongate flange components, having an inward face, an outward face, two edge faces, two end faces, and being formed from a structural material other than oriented strand board (OSB) and from a material which is substantially solid and which provides substantial compressive, tensile, and shear strength;wherein the first and second elongate flange components and the pair of elongate web components assume the shape of a rectangular tube the length of the member where: a) the inward faces of the flange components and the exposed portion of the inward faces of the web components define an elongated interior rectangular surface of a rectangular tube, andb) the outward faces of the flange components and the outward and edge faces of the web components define the outer surface of a rectangular tubewherein the elongated interior rectangular surface extends from one end of the member to the other and defines an oblong box shaped cavity within the member,wherein the oblong box shaped cavity within the member is substantially filled with insulative material of any kind, andwherein the insulative material is either formed against, or assembled into and optionally adhered to, the elongated interior rectangular surface defining the oblong box shaped cavity within the rectangular tube shaped member.

2. The insulated member of claim 1; wherein end connection blocks made of solid structural material are affixed between the flange and web components at each end of the member displacing a portion of the interior insulation of the member;wherein the end connection blocks have an inward face, an outward face, a top face, a bottom face, and two side faces;wherein the inward face of each end connection block borders on, and may be affixed to, the interior insulation;wherein the outward face of each end connection block is flush with the end of the member;wherein the top face of each end connection block is affixed to the inward face of the first elongate flange component;wherein the bottom face of each end connection block is affixed to the inward face of the second elongate flange component; andwherein the side faces of each end connection block are affixed to the inward faces of the elongate web components.

3. The insulated member of claim 1 wherein one or more apertures are formed into the web components such that the aperture space within the thickness of the web component may or may not be filled with insulation.

4. The insulated member of claim 1 wherein reinforcing material is affixed to the elongate flange and elongate web components where they contact each other and/or against the inside face of each flange component or in a portion of the spaces described.

5. The insulated member of claim 1; wherein plate blocks are affixed between the flange and web components at each end of the member and at either 12, 16, or 24 inch centers along the length of the member, and displacing portions of the interior insulation of the member;wherein the plate blocks have two longitudinally oriented faces, a top face, a bottom face, and two side faces;wherein the two longitudinally oriented faces of the plate blocks border on the interior insulation of the member or may be flush with the end of the member;wherein the top face of each plate block is affixed to the inward face of the first elongate flange component;wherein the bottom face of each plate block is affixed to the inward face of the second elongate flange component;wherein the side faces of each plate block are affixed to the inward faces of the elongate web components, andwherein the plate blocks are made of a solid structural material.

6. The insulated member of claim 1; wherein end connection blocks are affixed between the flange and web components at each end of the member displacing a portion of the interior insulation of the member;wherein the end connection blocks have an inward face, an outward face, a top face, a bottom face, and two side faces;wherein the inward face of each end connection block borders on, and may be affixed to, the interior insulation;wherein the outward face of each end connection block is flush with the ends of the member;wherein the top face of each end connection block is affixed to the inward face of the first elongate flange component;wherein the bottom face of each end connection block is affixed to the inward face of the second elongate flange component;wherein the side faces of each end connection block are affixed to the inward faces of the elongate web components;wherein the end connection blocks are made of a solid structural material, andwherein one or more apertures are formed into the web components such that the aperture space within the thickness of the web component may or may not be filled with insulation.

7. The insulated member of claim 1; wherein end connection blocks are affixed between the flange and web components at each end of the member displacing a portion of the interior insulation of the member;wherein the end connection blocks have an inward face, an outward face, a top face, a bottom face, and two side faces;wherein the inward face of each end connection block borders on, and may be affixed to, the interior insulation;wherein the outward face of each end connection block is flush with the end of the member;wherein the top face of each end connection block is affixed to the inward face of the first elongate flange component;wherein the bottom face of each end connection block is affixed to the inward face of the second elongate flange component;wherein the side faces of each end connection block are affixed to the inward faces of the elongate web components;wherein the end connection blocks are made of a solid structural material, andwherein reinforcing material is affixed to the elongate flange and elongate web components where they contact each other and optionally affixed to the end connection blocks and elongate web components where they contact each other and optionally against the inside face of each flange component or in a portion of the spaces described.

8. The insulated member of claim 1; wherein one or more apertures are formed into the web components such that the aperture space within the thickness of the web component may or may not be filled with insulation; andwherein reinforcing material is affixed to the elongate flange and elongate web components where they contact each other and/or against the inside face of each flange component or in a portion of the spaces described.

9. The insulated member of claim 1; wherein end connection blocks are affixed between the flange and web components at each end of the member displacing a portion of the interior insulation of the member;wherein the end connection blocks have an inward face, an outward face, a top face, a bottom face, and two side faces;wherein the inward face of each end connection block borders on, and may be affixed to, the interior insulation;wherein the outward face of each end connection block is flush with the end of the member;wherein the top face of each end connection block is affixed to the inward face of the first elongate flange component;wherein the bottom face of each end connection block is affixed to the inward face of the second elongate flange component;wherein the side faces of each end connection block are affixed to the inward faces of the elongate web components;wherein one or more apertures are formed into the web components such that the aperture space within the thickness of the web component may or may not be filled with insulation, andwherein reinforcing material is affixed to the elongate flange and elongate web components where they contact each other, and optionally between the end connection blocks and the elongate web components where they contact each other, and optionally against the inside face of each flange component or in a portion of the spaces described.