AU2016100585A4 - Modular Wall Panel with Integral Form Work - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular wall panel for producing a concrete wall is made from two boards and a foam core. The core includes channels to provide form work for concrete. Panels may be easily joined to make walls of varying heights and lengths. Depending on the application the form work can be left empty, filled with concrete, partially filled, or filled with other material such as earth, sand or aggregate. Figure 1

Description

Modular Wall Panel with Integral Form Work

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to wall panels, in particular a modular wall panel with integral form work that can be used as is or filled with concrete and reinforcing rods or other materials such as earth, depending on the application

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a wall panel that facilitates the modular construction of a wall. The panel can form a wall by itself, but also provides form work that can be filled with different material depending on the application. For maximum strength it can be filled with concrete and reinforcing rods. For many applications a stable wall can be made with just earth, sand, aggregate or the like. The aesthetic design of the panel also lends itself to non-walling applications such as wine racks, storage boxes, indoor and outdoor furniture, cooling ice boxes, planters, garden seats etcetera.

[0003] Concrete is commonly used for wall construction due to its versatility and relatively low cost in comparison with other materials. Walls can be made from concrete blocks cemented together, concrete poured into form work or from precast concrete panels. In many applications concrete walls require some form of finishing either for either aesthetic reasons or for fire proofing.

[0004] The construction methods described are relatively labour intensive, or in the case of precast panels require the use of heavy lifting equipment. In the competitive building marketplace there is a call for a method of producing a concrete wall that is quick and easy without requiring the use of expensive equipment.

[0005] The object of this invention is to provide a modular wall panel for producing a concrete wall that requires minimal labour and equipment to alleviate the above problem, or at least provide the public with a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] In a first aspect the invention comprises a modular panel for wall construction comprising two spaced apart boards and a core joining the two boards together, wherein the core comprises a series of interconnected vertical channels and horizontal channels for accepting concrete.

[0007] Preferably the panel includes vertical and horizontal channels which extend around a periphery of the panel, and the channels are semicircular in cross section.

[0008] In preference the panel further comprises vertical channels with a circular cross section, and the core separates the vertical channels from the panels.

[0009] It should be noted that any one of the aspects mentioned above may include any of the features of any of the other aspects mentioned above and may include any of the features of any of the embodiments described below as appropriate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows.

[0011] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a wall panel according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0012] Figure 2 shows a top view of the wall panel.

[0013] Figure 3 shows an end view of the wall panel.

[0014] Figure 4 shows the shape of a concrete structure formed within the wall panel.

[0015] Figures 5A to 5D show the steps in joining two wall panels together from a partial end view.

[0016] Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a wall panel fitted with joiners ready to accept a second wall panel.

[0017] Figure 7 shows a perspective view of two wall panels fitted together.

[0018] Figure 8 shows a column made in the same manner as the wall panel.

DRAWING COMPONENTS

[0019] The drawings include the following integers. 10 wall panel 15 internal concrete structure 20 first board 22 exposed section of board 24 joining channel 30 second board 32 exposed section of board 34 joining channel 40 core 42 core side section 50 vertical channel 52 end vertical channel 60 top horizontal channel 62 bottom horizontal channel 70 joining strip 80 column

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts. Dimensions of certain parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration.

[0021] The present invention provides a modular wall panel with integral form work for concrete which can be used to make walls for a variety of purposes such as retaining wall, fences, garden structures, cool rooms and building walls which are either load bearing or non-load bearing. The panels are easily joined together to produce walls of any desired size. The walls comprise two external boards which can be of a variety of building materials such as magnesium oxide, cement sheets or plasterboard to offer a complete walling solution.

[0022] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a wall panel 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The panel 10 comprises two spaced apart boards 20 and 30 joined together by a core 40. The core comprises a series of vertical channels 50, end vertical channels 52, top horizontal channel 60 and bottom horizontal channel 62. The vertical channels 50 are of a circular cross section whilst the remaining channels are semicircular and contribute to half of a circular cross sectional channel when placed adjacent to a second panel. The wall panel is also shown in Figures 2 and 3 from a top view and an end view.

[0023] The vertical and horizontal channels in the wall panel provide a formwork for concrete when additional strength is required. The concrete may include reinforcing rods which may be tied into surrounding structures. A typical application is to have vertical rods extending from a slab floor over which a panel is placed to receive the rods into a vertical channel. These rods may be joined to further horizontal rods in the horizontal channels or further vertical rods extending into the vertical channels of stacked panels. The amount of concrete added to a panel can easily be limited to a select number of vertical channels by blocking other channels with a block of foam or the like. The concrete forms a series of circular pillars connected by the horizontal channels. The internal concrete structure formed within a single panel is shown as 15 in Figure 4.

[0024] The vertical and horizontal channels may also be used to run services inside a wall such as water or electricity. These services may also be embedded in any concrete poured into the channels.

[0025] To allow wall panels 10 to be easily joined together the core 40 stops short of the extremities of the constituent boards 20 and 30, leaving an exposed section of board 22 and 32 approximately 15mm wide as can be seen in the partial end view of Figure 5A. To join two boards together a joining channel 24 and 34 is cut into the side sections 42 of the core 40 as shown in Figure 5B. A joining strip 70 can then be inserted into the joining channels as shown in Figure 5C. A second wall panel 11 with corresponding joining channels can be placed on top of the first panel 10. The joining strip 70 may be made from a variety of materials such as steel, wood or plastic.

[0026] Perspective views of a first panel 10 fitted with joining strips 70 is shown in Figure 6. A second panel 11 fitted on top of the first panel 10 is shown in Figure 7.

[0027] The construction method of the wall panel can also be applied to other building elements such as the column shown as 80 in Figure 8 which comprises 4 external boards, and core 82 with vertical channel 84. Such a column can be used free standing or adjacent one or more wall panels 10. The column can be joined to the wall panels just by the concrete in the end vertical channels of the wall panels, or a hole may be formed in the column to form a bridge between concrete in the column and concrete in the wall panel. Reinforcing rods my easily pass between the column and the wall panel when the hole in the column is aligned with the horizontal channels of the wall panel.

[0028] The wall panels 10 can be made from a variety of materials depending on the application. Typically a polyurethane or polystyrene foam is used together with Magnesium Oxide sheeting. Other sheeting choices include cement sheet, plasterboard, plywood or sheet metal.

[0029] Depending on the materials chosen the wall panel may be used for external or internal walls, can be painted, rendered or left bare, and be fire proof and waterproof, As well as holding the boards 20 and 30 together and providing a form work, the core 40 also acts as insulation, greatly reducing thermal transfer through the wall. At least 15mm of insulating foam is present between the external boards and the vertical channels.

[0030] The wall panels 10 can be made in varying lengths, heights and thicknesses. A convenient size is 2700mm long, 600mm high and 206mm thick with channels 160mm in diameter. Panels of the same length and thickness but being 400mm high are also convenient. The two sizes can be used together to form a wall 1000mm high which in several jurisdictions is the maximum height for a retaining wall without requiring approval.

[0031] The reader will now appreciate the present invention which provides a modular wall panel for producing a concrete wall that requires minimal labour and equipment. The wall can include varying amounts of concrete and reinforcing depending on the application. The wall panel can also be used by itself in many applications depending on the strength of wall required. Apart from concrete the wall may be filled with other material such as sand, earth or aggregate to provide a wall of intermediate strength.

[0032] As can be appreciated from the drawings the panel is aesthetically and may be used in various non-walling applications such as wine racks, storage boxes, indoor and outdoor furniture, cooling ice boxes, planters, garden seats etcetera.

[0033] Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus. Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in this field.

[0034] In the present specification and claims (if any), the word "comprising" and its derivatives including "comprises" and "comprise" include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.

Claims (5)

1. A modular panel for wall construction comprising two spaced apart boards and a core joining the two boards together, wherein the core comprises a series of interconnected vertical channels and horizontal channels for accepting concrete.

2. A panel as in claim 1 including vertical and horizontal channels which extend around a periphery of the panel.

3. A panel as in claim 2 wherein the channels extending around the periphery of the panel are semicircular in cross section.

4. A panel as in any one of the preceding claims including vertical channels with a circular cross section.

5. A panel as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the core separates the vertical channels from the panels.