# Patent

## Title
Method and apparatus for fabricating an off-shore structure

## Abstract

While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have here been disclosed, supra, the inventive concepts hereof are not limited to such preferred embodiments but are those defined in the claims which follow.

## Background
## Claims

1. An improved stud having a bearing flange, a mounting flange and a web joining the mounting flange to the bearing flange, said stud for use in a wall made up of a line of substantially identical studs and wall panels on opposite sides of the wall, with the studs alternated in reversed arrangement so that on each side of the wall the mounting flanges alternate with the bearing flanges; each pair of adjacent wall panels on each side of the wall having their adjacent panel edges fastened to a mounting flange and with each panel on each side of the wall having its central part bearing against a bearing flange; the improvement comprising: parallel and aligned on opposite sides of said web, said web including first and second legs interconnected by a transverse member, said transverse member being non-parallel relative to said bearing flange and said mounting flange; .Iaddend. being so formed that the entire bearing flange will deflect a greater amount, from the web-flange juncture to the free end of the flange, than the deflection of the mounting flange from its web-flange juncture to its free end under the same loading at the same distance from the respective web-flange junctures; adjacent edges of a pair of panels so that when the panels are fastened to a mounting flange the panels are retained firmly and snugly against the mounting flange in a manner to avoid deflection inwardly or outwardly from the plane of such panels; panel having its edges fastened to a pair of mounting flanges, so that the center of the panel and the bearing flange flex inwardly resiliently for sound attenuation, but with the center of the panel being free of outward bias from the bearing flange, which bearing flange is formed to be free of a tendency to deflect outwardly, though it is resilient enough to be flexed inwardly by outward sound waves impinging against the panel .Iadd., said bearing flange and said mounting flange each being substantially smooth and substantially free of internal and external protuberances between its edges; so that substantially the entire area of such bearing flange provides a resilient overall bearing area for the adjacent central part of a panel. .Iaddend.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the juncture between the web and the mounting flange is formed to be more rigid than the juncture between the web and the bearing flange.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the juncture between the web and the bearing flange has weakening formations which produce greater resiliency.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the two flanges are in substantial transverse alignment relative to the web.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the web has resilience producing weakening formations which are closer to the bearing flange juncture than to the mounting flange juncture.

6. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the web includes first and second legs interconnected by a transverse member, said second leg being longer than said first leg and being joined to said mounting flange.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the two flanges are parallel.