AU2007202809B2 - Prefabricated concrete element - Google Patents

Abstract

The prese-t invention, describes a novel prefabricated panel, which includes at least one first substantially vertically ridge projecting from an inner-face, located substantia ly on the periphery of an inner face of the panel. In addition there is a 5 second ve:lical ridge projecting from the inner face, to form a first pair of substantially vertically ridges, located adjacent the first substantially vertically ridge so to provide a channel that accommodates a rubber strip. This allows prefabricated panels to be assembled in a way that is quick and economical. The shape of the panels also allows simple and straightforward installation of 10 services such as plumbing and wiring and fastening of a drywall layer.

Description

57233 DIA:JO P/00/009 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLED Invention Title: PREFABRICATED CONCRETE ELEMENT Name of Applicant: LUIGI GAGLIARDI Address for Service: COLLISON & CO 117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 The invention is described in the following statement: 2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The preserit invention relates to building constructions, and, in particular, relates to a prefabicated concrete panel closure and a method of joining the edges of prefabricated structural panels 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Construction techniques involving the use of prefabricated wall panels are considered to be quite well known. Prefabrication of wall panels provides many advantages for both builder and homeowner, in terms of ease of construction, flexibility in design, and lower overall cost potential. However, there are some 10 drawbacks such as the way in which the prefabricated panels are joined one to the other. Typically, adjoining wall panels are simply placed in a side-by-side arrangement such that the ends are as close as possible, preferably touching. The panel is then set in place which then leaves usually a very thin gap between the panels 15 that is subsequently cover over in the finishing stage, usually by the application of a layer of render or similar material. Whilst the application of render does penetrate the crack to some extent, it is more of an aesthetic fix up, one that over time, with the inevitable shifting of the panels, is qaite easily broken. 20 Once the crack is open then it is possible for water and pests to make their way between the concrete panels and this can then result in substantial damage not only to the panels themselves in terms of damage by water damp, but also then pests can eiter the building and cause significant damage to the interior of the building as well as potentially being hazardous to the occupants. 25 One of the ways in which this has been addressed is to provide a rubber seal as applied to the crack, after construction of the two wells, wherein the rubber seal 3 is inserted from an outside position and forced into the crack. The problem with such a procedure is that first of all the rubber seal is usually inserted unevenly in that certain sections are pushed deeper into the crack than others which provides an unsightly finish. Secondly, the rubber seal can be quite easily S removed causing damage to the appearance of the wall. However, the main problem is that it is difficult to install such seals between the relatively small gaps between wall panels and as such only a relatively small amount of the seal is ever allowed to penetrate between the adjoining panels. In addition, once the corner has been constructed, internal sheeting material, 10 such as plasterboard or other dry wall material, is applied to provide a more aesthetically pleasing finish. The application of such sheeting material to the inner corner of the room is often difficult due to slight unevenness in the comer join as a result of minor imperfections in the casting of the panel. Also, the presence of a bolt or bracket used to connect the two walls together 15 needs to be taken into account and this usually requires the use of more complex casting techniques that allow any bracket to be countersunk. Alternatively, batons are applied to the inner face of the wall so as to hold the internal sheeting material away from the surface of the concrete to give enough room for a bracket to be applied in the corner. This then gives rise to other 20 problems in terms of aligning the panel in the corner, over the bracket. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a prefabricated wall panel having a weather sealing means. It is a further objection of the invention to provide a closure and seal capable of 25 efficiently and effectively sealing the joint between two prefabricated panels. It is a further objection of the invention to provide a closure and seal assembly for prefabricated panels, 4 It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a closure and seal assembly for prefabricated panels that is able to provide support to facia board. It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate, the disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art. 5 Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taking in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 10 According to the present invention, although this should not be seen as limiting the invention in any way, there is provided a prefabricated panel, including at least one first substantially vertically ridge projecting from an inner face, the at least one ridge located substantially on the periphery of an inner face of the panel. 15 In preference, there is a second substantially vertically ridge projecting from an inner face, -o form a first pair of substantially vertically ridges, located adjacent the first substantially vertically ridge so to provide a channel there between. In preference, a sealing means is positioned in the channel. In preference, the sealing means is a rubber strip. 20 In preference, the prefabricated wall panel further has located on an inner face thereof a number of additional pairs of substantially vertically ridges in a spaced apart relationship relative to the first pair. In preference, each of the substantially vertically ridges protrudes from the inner face 6 In preference, the substantially vertically ridges are integral with the prefabricated wall panel. In preference, the panel is formed by casting. In preference, the panel is cast from concrete. 5 In yet another form of the invention there is a joining means, the joining means including a body, the body having at least a first and second mounting plate, said mounting plates arranged in an "L" shape, at least one aperture located on each mounting plate to allow for the insertion of a fastener there through, the mounting plates further including a spacing means located thereon, the spacing 10 means protruding substantially out from an inner face of the body. In this way, when used to join prefabricated concrete panels at right angles to one another, the joiner is used to hold one panel perpendicular to the other and that the tightening of fastening means inserted through the joiner into the panels, when tightened will force the panels closer together. Then when 15 plasterboard is applied to the interior section of the prefabricated panel, the spacing means provides support for the plasterboard. In preference, the spacing means are adjustable. In preference, the spacing means are positioned adjacent to one another. In preference, the prefabricated panel includes a channel travelling substantially 20 vertically an outer most edge, the channel shaped to receive a sealing member therein. In preference, the sealing member is a protective strip. In preference, the protective strip is constructed from a rubber material.

6 In yet another form of the invention, there is a method of joining prefabricated panels substantially perpendicular with respect to one another, wherein there is a first and second concrete panels to be joined wherein the first concrete panel has at leas" located on an outer most edge of a face a channel running 5 substantially vertically, the channel shaped to accommodate a sealing member therein, so that in use, after the first prefabricated panel is erected, the sealing member is placed within the channel and then a second prefabricated panel is erected such that its side edge is adjacent to the channel of the first prefabricated panel and then a "L" shaped joiner is positioned between an inner 10 angle formed by the two prefabricated panels and fasteners securing the joiner to each of the panels are then tightened to bring the two panels into a contiguous or adjoining position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS By way of example, an employment of the invention is described more fully 15 hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG 1 is a plan view of the invention according to a first embodiment. FIG 2 is a front perspective view of the prefabricated wall elements in use, with a cut away Df the plasterboard, FIG 3 is a rear perspective view of the joined elements without plasterboard in 20 place. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A prefabricated wall panel 5 has ridges 7 located on an inner face 10, which are formed during the manufacturing process of the wall panel 1. Such casting processes are well known to those in the trade that allow for custom size panels 25 to be prefabricated according to certain size specifications of the builder. During such construction of the wall panel 1, ridges 8 and 9 are located towards the outer edge of the inner face 10, from the side edge 12.

7 When the wall panel 5 is erected on site in the conventional manner, a sealing member 15 is secured in channel 14 by an adhesive. Other methods of securing the sealing member 15 and the channel 14 are also considered to fall within the scope of the current invention, such as by forcing the sealing member 5 15 into a c-annel having a shape substantially smaller than that of the sealing member such that it "press fits" into place. A second prefabricated wall panel is then placed at right angles to the first wall panel 5 so that the side edge 18 lies adjacent to faces 20 and 22 of ridges 8 and 9 respectively. The side edge 18 of the second wall panel 16 is generally 10 flat but may also have a concave section 26 to receive a portion of the sealing member 15, however, this may not be seen as being a necessity. Once panels 5 and 16 are in place, a joiner 27 is then fastened to a first panel, e.g. panel 5, by way of a bolt 28 passing through a first mounting plate 30 and into the wall panel 5. is Partial tightening of bolt 28 is then achieved and another bolt 32, passing through a second mounting plate 34 and tightened accordingly. As bolts 28 and 32 are tightened this then forces the side edge 18 of the second wall panel 16 into closer relationship with ridges 8 and 9 of the first wall panel 5 such that the faces 20 and 22 of ridges 8 and 9 will be adjacent or touching the side edge 18. 20 Bolts 28 and 32 are typically expansion bolts and as such do not rely on any internal thread within the wall panel, however, an internal thread may be contemplated depending upon the final application and materials used to construct the wall panels. With both of the wall panels in place, the next step is then to finish the wall, 25 which is typically done by applying a plasterboard facia material, such as GYPROCK@. The plasterboard is attached to the ridges 7 on the inner face 10 of the first and second wall panels in a suitable manner, such as with an adhesive or alternative such as a screw fastener.

8 The pairs of ridges 7 hold the fascia board 40 away from the inner surface 10 of the panel 5 which allows for the insertion of services, such as electrical conduit, wiring or plumbing in a relatively simple manner. The services can be simply attached directly to the inner surface 10 by using standard fixing techniques. 5 The end 42 of the plasterboard sheet 40 then overlaps the joiner 27 and a spacer block 44 is used to provide a solid surface upon which the plasterboard end 42 can be placed and adhered to. In the absence of such spacing means, the plasterboard can dig into the head of the bolt 28 and potentially cause damage that may be seen on the outside surface 50. The height of the spacer 10 block 44 is such that is provides a top surface that is parallel with the faces 13 of ridges 7, The spacing means 44 can either be integral with the joiner 27 or, alternatively, a separate piece that can be adjustable depending upon whether or not the rear faces 52 and 54 are positioned relative to the wall panels 5 and 16. 15 For example, as shown in Figure 1 the first mounting plate 30 of the joiner 27 is sitting slightly above the face 51 of wall panel 5 compared to the second mounting plate 34 whose rear face 54 is touching. As such, a spacing means 44 needs to be adjusted to allow for the gap between the rear face 52 and surface 51. 20 Once the spacing means are in place then the plasterboard sections 40 can be readily applied and secured in the usual manner so as to provide a clean and efficient comer joint that can be readily achieved by a person with minimal skill. As will no be appreciated, as the ridges 7 hold the fascia board 40 away form the inner face 10, it is then possible to simple pass services, such as electrical 25 and plumbing down through the spaces provided. This allows for straightforward fitting of serves once the fascia panel 40 is in place. Previously, with brick veneer construction, once the interior panels were in place it is a major job to install services due the presence of the wooden framework. This 9 would require several tradespersons and significant time to the expense of the homeowner or builder. With the current invention, the task is a lot simpler, only requiring relatively minor work to the fascia panel 40 by, for example, an electrician who would 5 pass wiring or conduit down from the roof space, between the fascia 40 and the inner face 10 of the prefabricated panel 5. At the appropriate position, the electrical would make an opening from the installation of the switch ad the wires would be connected and the switch panel fixed in place. On the outside of the wall, there will remain a notch 62 within which can be 10 placed a mortar or render. The notch 62 has a substantial surface area, compared to a thin crack which would be the result of a conventional joining method, the increased surface area allows for a greater adhesion of mortar or other material into the notch 62 thus providing a more secure joined cover. Moreover, should there be some movement that results in a cracking along this 15 line, then the presence of the compressed sealing member 15 between the two wall panels 5 and 16 also provides an effective barrier that effectively stops any weather or pests passing through. The sealing member 15 can be made from any suitable flexible material that deforms under pressure so as to take advantage of the mechanical 20 compression provided by the joiner 27. The casting of the prefabricated wall panel 5 can be effected using known casting techniques and employing a specific shape bottom mould to give the ridges 7, 8 and 9. This allows for custom sized panels to be made off-site and erected as needed. 25 The above method and apparatus provide a relatively quick and efficient way of achieving both a weatherproof seal between concrete panels as well as providing an efficient way of achieving flat right angled joins between interior plasterboard walls that are mounted onto prefabricated panels. This then 10 allows an electrician, for example, to install components with minimal damage to the fascia. Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction [and process steps, parameters of operation etc] without departing from the scope 5 and ambit of the invention.

Claims (13)

1. A prefabricated panel, including at least one first substantially vertical ridge projecting from an inner face, the at least one ridge located substantially on the periphery of an inner face of the panel; 5 wherein there is a second substantial vertically ridge projecting from an inner face, to form a first pair of substantially vertical ridges, located adjacent the first substantially vertical ridge so to provide a channel therebetween, wherein a sealing means is positioned in the channel.

2. The prefabricated panel of claim 1, wherein the sealing means is a rubber 10 strip.

3. The prefabricated panel of claim 2, wherein the prefabricated wall panel further has located on an inner face thereof a number of additional pairs of substantially vertically ridges in a spaced apart relationship relative to the first pair. 15

4. The prefabricated panel of claim 3, wherein each of the substantially vertically ridges protrudes from the inner face

5. The prefabricated panel of claim 4, wherein the substantially vertically ridges are integral with the prefabricated wall panel.

6. The prefabricated panel of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the panel is .20 formed by casting.

7. The prefabricated panel of claim 6, wherein the panel is cast from concrete.

8. The prefabricated panel of claim 6 or 7, further including a joining means, the joining means including a body, the body having at least a first and 12 second mounting plate, said mounting plates arranged in an "L" shape, at least one aperture located on each mounting plate to allow for the insertion of a fastener there through, the mounting plates further including a spacing means located thereon, the spacing means protruding 5 substantially out from an inner face of the body.

9. The prefabricated panel of claim 8, wherein the spacing means are adjustable.

10. The prefabricated panel of claim 9, wherein the spacing means are positioned adjacent to one another. 10

11. The prefabricated panel of claim 10, wherein the prefabricated panel includes a channel travelling substantially vertically an outer most edge, the channel shaped to receive a- sealing member therein.

12. The prefabricated panel of claim 11, wherein the sealing member is a protective strip. 15

13. The prefabricated panel of claim 12, wherein the protective strip is constructed from a rubber material.