AU2006200106B2

AU2006200106B2 - A building structure

Info

Publication number: AU2006200106B2
Application number: AU2006200106A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Brian Davies
Original assignee: Brian Investments Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Brian Investments Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2000-06-26
Filing date: 2006-01-12
Publication date: 2008-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 2021-06-26
Also published as: AU2006200106A1

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): BRIAN INVESTMENTS PTY LTD Invention Title: A BUILDING STRUCTURE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: A BUILDING STRUCTURE The present invention relates to a building structure.

The present invention relates to a building structure and a method of forming a building structure. In particular, although not exclusively, the present invention relates to a storage structure.

Typically, buildings are constructed with walls of bricks and/or other building material. A roof is then built on top of the wall. The roof is made of different building materials again. Having many types of building materials present difficulties due to the variety of construction techniques that must be employed and the associated expense.

Where the building is to be air-tight, all the joins must be sealed.

When the building is used for grain storage, the shape of the structure needs to account for the manner in which grain lies on the ground. Due to the particulate nature of grain, it prefers a structure having a round base and depending on the type of grain, a rill angle of about 300. Dome shaped structures are ideal for storing grain as they have an internal shape to accommodate the grain, as well as an external shape which provides a wind resistant profile.

Unfortunately dome shaped structure are difficult to build using traditional building materials and construction techniques.

Prior art dome shaped structures are comprised of building elements which are either not hexagonal in shape or rely on a combination of hexagons and other shapes to accommodate H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 the curve in the dome shaped wall.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a wall element for use in constructing a wall of a dome-shaped building structure, the wall element including a connecting means for connecting the wall element to other wall elements to form the wall, and wherein the wall element is of a hexagonal shape, wherein first and second sides are of the same length, and third and fourth sides, located opposite said first and second sides respectively, are of the same length, and wherein said first and second sides are longer than said third and fourth sides, whereby, in use, a plurality of wall elements can be tessellated to form said dome-shaped building structure.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a wall element for use in constructing a wall of a dome-shaped building structure, the wall element having a hexagonal shape, wherein the wall element includes a connecting means for connecting adjacent wall elements together to form the wall, first and second adjacent sides, third and fourth opposite sides and fifth and sixth adjacent sides, wherein a first set of non-opposite two sides are of the same length, and a second set of two non-opposite sides are of the same length and longer than the length of each of the sides of the first set such that either the wall element is symmetrical about a line between the corners between first and second sides and fifth and sixth sides and shape of the wall elements narrows towards a corner between the first and second sides or the second side and the fifth sides are parallel and the wall element narrows towards the second side.

H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a wall element for use in constructing a wall of a dome-shaped building structure, the wall element including a connecting means for connecting the wall element to other wall elements to form the wall, and wherein the wall element is of a hexagonal shape, wherein the length of the sides is such that the wall element narrows across its body either between a pair of opposite corners or a pair of opposite sides such that a plurality of like wall elements can be tessellated to form said dome-shaped building structure.

In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a building structure comprising a wall including a plurality of wall elements, each wall element having a hexagonal shape and connecting to a plurality of other wall elements so as to form the wall, wherein each wall element includes a connecting means for connecting adjacent wall elements together to form the wall, first and second adjacent sides that are each of the same length, third and fourth opposing sides that are each of the same length and shorter than each of the first and second adjacent sides, and fifth and sixth adjacent sides that are each of the same length and shorter than each of the third and fourth opposing sides, and wherein the wall elements are tessellated to form a dome-shaped structure.

Preferably, the wall is formed at least three consecutively connected rings of interlocking wall elements, each of the wall elements in each ring being of the same size, each of the wall elements in a first ring H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 of the consecutively connected rings being larger than the wall elements of a second ring of the consecutively connected rings and each of the elements in the second ring being larger than the wall element so a third ring of the consecutively connected rings.

Preferably, each wall element in each subsequent ring of the consecutively connected rings are smaller than the wall elements of the preceding ring.

In some embodiments of the third aspect of the invention, each wall element includes first and second sides of the same length, third and fourth adjacent sides, located opposite said first and second sides respectively, are of the same length, and fifth and sixth sides, located between said first and fourth sides and between said second and third sides respectively, and wherein said first and second sides are longer than said third and fourth sides.

Preferably in these embodiments, the fifth and sixth sides are of the same length, the fifth and sixth sides being longer than the first and second sides and shorter than the third and fourth sides.

In some embodiments of the third aspect of the invention, each wall element includes first and second sides of the same length, third and fourth sides, located opposite said first and second sides respectively, are of the same length, and fifth and sixth sides, located between said first and second sides and between said third and fourth sides respectively, and wherein said first and second sides are longer than said third and fourth sides.

H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 Preferably, the fifth side is longer than the first and second sides and the sixth side is shorter than the third and fourth sides.

Preferably, the connecting means of each wall element includes an interlocking portion located on each side of the wall element for connecting each said side to another side of another wall element.

Preferably, the interlocking portions connecting two wall elements together include a complementary projection and recess, one of each formed on each respective connecting sides.

Preferably, each wall element includes a first face and second face opposite the first face, the first face of each wall element is of concave shape.

Preferably, the first face of each wall element, in use, collectively forms an interior face of the wall.

Preferably, the second face of each wall element is convex in shape.

Preferably, the second face of each wall element, in use, collectively forms an exterior face of the wall.

In order to provide a better understanding of the present invention, an embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a schematic representation of an H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 Figure 2 embodiment of a building constructed in accordance with the present invention; is a plan view of a wall element used to construct a building in accordance with the present invention; is a perspective view of a wall element of figure Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 is a perspective view of a section of a wall of the building of Figure 1; is a perspective view of an example of a section of a wall showing the irregular nature of the wall elements in each ring of wall elements; is a side view of a schematic representation of an alternative embodiment of a building structure in accordance with the present invention; and is a perspective view of a wall element of the building of figure 6.

Figure 6 Figure 7 Referring to Figure i, there is shown a first embodiment of a building structure 10, which includes a wall 16 comprising a plurality of wall elements 12. The wall elements 12 are connected together to form the wall 16. The wall elements 12 are arranged in rings 15. The wall elements 12 in each ring 15 are of the same size and shape. The rings 15 are of decreasing radius (size) and sit one on top of the other in an interlocking manner. The wall elements 12 of each consecutive ring are smaller than the wall elements of the H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 previous ring.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, each wall element 12 is in the form of a tile. The wall element 12 includes an inside face 20 and an opposed outside face 22. The wall element 12 also includes a plurality of sides 24. The wall element is roughly hexagonal in plan view, therefore there are six sides 24. The wall elements 12 are not true hexagons though as the length of the sides are not the same size. Sides 24a and 24b are the same length, 24c and 24d are the same length and 24e and 24f are the same length. However sides 24a and 24b are longer than sides 24c and 24d, which are longer than sides 24e and 24f. It can also be seen that opposite sides (for example 24c and 24d) are not parallel.

The body of the wall element 12 is curved. More specifically, the wall element 12 is shaped with a concave curve on the inside face 20. The wall element 12 is also shaped with a convex curve on the outside face 22. The curvature of the body, and the inside and outside faces is such that when the wall elements 12 are coupled together to form the wall 16 the wall is curved so as to form a hollow hemisphere. That is, the radius of curvature of the inside face 20 is the inside radius of the hemisphere and the radius of the curvature of the outside face 22 is the outside radius of the hemisphere.

Each wall element 12 is connected to another wall element by abutting sides of adjacent wall elements and interlocking a complementary projection 30 and recess 32 between the adjacent wall elements. One side of one of the abutted wall elements has the projection 30 and the other has the recess 32. In this case, three of the sides 24 have the projection H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 and three of the sides 24 have the recess 32. There are three projections 30 on three adjacent sides and three recesses 32 on the other three adjacent sides. In this embodiment each projection 30 is in the form of a tongue and each recess 32 is in the form of a groove adapted to receive the tongue in close-fitting relation.

Referring to Figure 6, there is shown an alternative building structure 10' This building structure is constructed in a similar manner to the building structure of the previous embodiment, with the exception that each of the wall elements 12' are rotated by 30'. In other words, a pair of opposite parallel sides of the wall elements 12' are horizontal rather than opposite sides being in line with vertical arcs over the surface of the building structure as shown in Figure 1.

In this embodiment vertical rings 19 of wall elements extend in a vertical direction. Rings 15 in this embodiment are interlaced with rings 17. Wall elements 12' in ring 17 are positionally 1800 out of phase with wall elements 12' in rings 15. Each of the wall elements are progressively smaller in size moving up the surface of the building structure Referring to Figure 7 in order to arrange the wall elements 12' to achieve the dome shape shown in Figure 6, each wall element 12' is of slightly different shape to the shape of the wall element 12 of the previous embodiment. Here, sides 24e and 24b are parallel. Side 24b is the longest side of all and 24e is the shortest side of all. 24a and 24d are of the same length, 24c and 24f are of the same length, but shorter than 24a and 24d.

H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 It can be seen that the dimensions of the tiles can be calculated form the arcs drawn over the surface of the building structures 10 and 10'. Furthermore, the length of the shorter side in any wall element in one ring is equal to the length of the longest side of the wall element in the subsequent ring. In the structure 10', there is only one longest side and one shortest side for element. In the structure 10, there are two longest sides and two shortest sides.

The wall elements may be constructed of high-density foam, aerated concrete, plastic epoxy resin, foamed plastic or any other suitable building material. The wall elements may even be injection moulded on site to reduce transport costs.

An adhesive may be used between the projections and recess of each wall member to permanently connect the wall elements together. The adhesive may also act as a sealant so that the join between each wall member is air tight.

The interconnection between each wall element may be reinforced by using pins secured through each projection and recess when they interlock together. The pins increased tensile strength across the interlock and provide improved internal loading. Internal reinforcing may be required within each wall element to withstand load stress of the pins on the wall element.

The building structure 10 or 10', may be constructed by positioning wall elements in their correct position in each ring 15 and 17. There may be, for example, 20 wall elements in each ring. It is preferred that the number of wall H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 elements evenly divide into 360. Layers of wall elements may be formed by placing wall elements on concentric rings.

Each ring is formed one on top of the other. In particular, layers rings of the same size of wall element are used.

When the layer is completed the next is commenced, with smaller wall elements needed to create the next layer in another ring of smaller radius. Each ring will have the same numbers of elements as the previous ring. Typically there are about 10 rings.

The process is repeated until a single top element can be positioned in the remaining hole. The top element will have a number of sides equal to twice the number of elements in each ring.

The first layer of wall elements placed on the foundation 14 may alternate between half elements 12A and complete wall elements 12. This allows the base edge of the wall to be flat and secured on the foundation 14.

Each wall element in the first ring may be, for example, 2 to 3 metres in height. The actual size of the wall elements will vary depending on the desired radius and size of the building structure to be constructed.

Because of the curve (shown as lines 40) the included angle between each side of the wall elements is not 600 as in the case in an ordinary hexagon. This problem is solved by reducing the size of the tile in each ring (as described above) and by adjusting the shape of the tile. Figures 2 and 5 show the tile narrowing towards the top just as the lines 40 narrow the closer to the top of the structure you go. Example measurements are shown in Figure 5 which H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 represent the relative size relationship between tiles of each ring.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention has at least the following advantage: The building structure may be of a dome shape which is well suited to storing, for example, grain and is also well suited to resist wind loading; (ii) The building structure may be constructed relatively quickly and easily and will thus provide cost efficiencies.

Modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the basic inventive concepts, such as the projections and recesses of each wall element may alternate from one side to the next side rather than three projections in a row and three recesses in a row.

All such modifications are intended to be considered within the scope of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description and appended claims.

H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06

Claims

1. A wall element for use in constructing a wall of a dome-shaped building structure, the wall element including a connecting means for connecting the wall element to other wall elements to form the wall, and wherein the wall element is of a hexagonal shape, wherein first and second sides are of the same length, and third and fourth sides, located opposite said first and second sides respectively, are of the same length, and wherein said first and second sides are longer than said third and fourth sides, whereby, in use, a plurality of wall elements can be tessellated to form said dome-shaped building structure.

2. A wall element for use in constructing a wall of a dome-shaped building structure, the wall element having a hexagonal shape, wherein the wall element includes a connecting means for connecting adjacent wall elements together to form the wall, first and second adjacent sides, third and fourth opposite sides and fifth and sixth adjacent sides, wherein a first set of non-opposite two sides are of the same length, and a second set of two non- opposite sides are of the same length and longer than the length of each of the sides of the first set such that either the wall element is symmetrical about a line between the corners between first and second sides and fifth and sixth sides and shape of the wall elements narrows towards a corner between the first and second sides or the second side and the fifth sides are parallel and the wall element narrows towards the second side. H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06

3. A wall element for use in constructing a wall of a dome-shaped building structure, the wall element including a connecting means for connecting the wall element to other wall elements to form the wall, and wherein the wall element is of a hexagonal shape, wherein the length of the sides is such that the tile narrows across the tile either between a pair of opposite corners or a pair of opposite sides such that a plurality of like wall elements can be tessellated to form said dome-shaped building structure.

4. A wall element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connecting means of the wall element includes an interlocking portion located on each side of the wall element for connecting each side of the respective wall elements to a corresponding side of another wall element.

A wall element according to claim 4, wherein each interlocking portion includes one of a projection and a complimentary recess that interlocks with the other of the projection and complimentary recess located on the corresponding side of another wall element.

6. A wall element according to any one of claims 1 to wherein the wall element includes a first face and second face opposite the first face, the first face of the wall element being of concave shape.

7. A wall element according to claim 6, wherein the second face of the wall element is convex in shape.

8. A building structure formed of a plurality of wall elements according to any one of claims 1 to 7. H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 00 O O 5

9. A building structure comprising a wall including a plurality of wall elements, Seach wall element having a hexagonal shape and connecting to a plurality of other wall elements so as to form the wall, wherein each wall element includes a O connecting means for connecting adjacent wall elements together to form the wall, first and second adjacent sides that are each of the same length, third and fourth opposing sides that are each of the same length and shorter than each of the first and second adjacent sides, and fifth and sixth adjacent sides that are each of the same length and shorter than each of the third and fourth opposing sides, and D wherein the wall elements are tessellated to form a dome-shaped structure.

10. A method of constructing a building structure having a dome-shaped wall including the steps of: providing a plurality of wall elements according to any one of claims 1 to 8, a first set of the wall elements are of a first size, a second set of the wall elements are of a second size that is smaller than the first size, and a second set of the wall elements are of a third size that is smaller than the third size, arranging the first set of wall elements to form a first ring, arranging the second set of wall elements to form a second ring that tessellates with the first ring, and arranging the third set of wall elements to form a third ring that tessellates with the second ring, wherein the first, second and third rings form the dome-shaped wall.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the wall elements are placed in an arrangement where an inside face of each wall element forms a part of an inside surface of the wall.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the wall elements are placed in an arrangement where an outside face of each wall element forms a part of an outside surface of the wall.

13. A method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the wall elements are placed in an arrangement where a curve in the body of each wall element contributes to a curve in the wall.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the wall elements are placed so that a concave curve of the inside face of each wall element contributes to form a constant concave curve in the inside surface of the wall.

A method according to claim 12, wherein the wall elements are placed so that a convex curve of the outside face of each wall element contributes to form a constant convex curve in the outside surface of the wall.

16. A method according to any one of claims 10 to wherein the consecutively connected rings of interlocking wall elements are placed such that each successive ring is disposed of top of a respective preceding ring.

17. A method according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein an adhesive is used to permanently couple the wall elements together. H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06 I

18. A method according to any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the wall is sealed at joins between wall elements with a sealant.

19. A wall element substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A building structure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A method of constructing a building structure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 12 th day of January 2006 BRIAN INVESTMENTS PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia H:\emilyw\keep\speci\P59294 A Building Structure.doc 12/01/06