Patent ID: 6883281

Claim:
A modular building block for use in a building system, said block having top and bottom surfaces, opposed interior and exterior sides, and opposed ends, said block having a recess extending from the top to bottom surfaces and inwardly at each end, said top and bottom surfaces being complementary in shape for interfitting, with one of said top and bottom surfaces having a ridge portion extending the length of said block and the other of said top and bottom surfaces having a groove portion complementary to said ridge portion, whereby when a plurality of said blocks are assembled horizontally and vertically with ridge portions and groove portions of vertically adjacent blocks interfitting to define a wall, said block end recesses define a plurality of vertically oriented ducts adapted to accept structural rods and mortar in selected ones of said ducts to form support columns, and to accept utility conduits in selected others of said ducts without rods and mortar characterized wherein said ridge portion and said groove portion are centrally located on said top and bottom surfaces and said block includes a first channel and a second channel on either side of said recesses along the top and bottom surfaces which channels extend from end to end generally parallel to but laterally inwardly of said interior and exterior surfaces and laterally outwardly of said ridge portion and said groove portion, said first channel being inwardly of said exterior side of said block and said second channel being inwardly of said interior side, said first channel being smaller in cross section than said second channel and adapted to accommodate sealing means, and said second channel inward of said interior side adapted to accommodate a utility cable whereby when said blocks are assembled, said first channels of horizontally adjacent blocks define means for accommodating sealing means for sealing out weather elements, and said second channels of horizontally adjacent blocks define conduits for utility cables.