Patent ID: 8646230

Claim:
A flat roof support structure including a plurality of vertical columns each having a rectangularly shaped cross-section, an elongated generally horizontally oriented beam associated with and positioned atop each vertical column, and attachment structure fixing the upper end of each vertical column to a mounting area of the associated elongated beam, the attachment structure for each vertical column and associated elongated beam comprising: two U-shaped attachment members one each affixed to opposed sides of the vertical column at the upper end of the vertical column, each of the two U-shaped attachment members opening in an outwardly directed orientation parallel to the elongated beam; a pair of attachment plates fixedly attached one each to opposed sides of each elongated beam in the mounting area, the attachment plates extending downwardly below a lower surface of the elongated beam on opposed sides of the elongated beam a distance equal to a portion of the U-shaped attachment members, the attachment plates overlapping the portion of the U-shaped attachment members with the mounting area of the associated elongated beam positioned atop the vertical column, the two attachment plates being fixedly attached one to each opposed side of the associated elongated beam in the mounting area to form a solid channel or box into which the upper end of the vertical column is inserted; and attachment devices fixing the pair of attachment plates to the U-shaped attachment members and assembled on-site.