AU3018997A - Wall or like structure - Google Patents

Description

WALL OR LIKE STRUCTURE

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to a wall or like structure and in particular but not limited to a wall or like structure for a building having an internal core layer of insulating material and steel fibre reinforced concrete layers on respective surfaces of the core layer.

BACKGROUND ART The applicant has observed needs for buildings that can withstand strong windforces such as during typhoons or cyclones, yet can be built relatively economically and quickly.

Transportation of building materials to certain remote areas, especially in developing countries, is costly. The transportation costs often negate the advantages of modular building techniques.

In addition, people in those remote areas often do not have the skills to take on a building project using known methods. It is therefor desirable to have a building method that is simple and can be learned relatively quickly.

Further low on-going maintenance, hight strength and resistance to earth quakes and fire are also desired for buildings of this type.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wall or like structure which alleviates or at least reduces to a certain degree one or more of the prior art disadvantages.

A further objection of the present invention is to provide a building method for the above mentioned wall or like structure.

OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION In one aspect therefore, the present invention resides in a wall or like structure comprising a plurality of layers of materials two or more spaced upright support members, the plurality of layers including a first layer having an inner surface and an outer surface, the first layer being formed with one or more sections of insulating material arranged substantially vertically between paired adjacent upright support members, a second layer containing a mixture of a cementitious material and an adhesive or bonding material applied onto one or both of the inner and outer surfaces. Preferably, the first layer includes a sub-layer of brickwork adjacent to one or each face of the one or more sections of insulating material.

The insulation material is typically expanded polystyrene. But other suitable insulation materials such as cardboard can also be employed. The wall of like structure of the present invention may include a third layer of cementitious material applied on the or each second layer.

The upright support members can have any configurations for supporting the first layer. Typically each upright member has two or more spaced vertical elements interconnected by a medial element. Desirably the medial element is formed of a thinner and/or lighter material than the vertical elements. In one form the medial element is in the shape of a zigzag web of a lighter gauge rod or wire welded to the upright elements.

It is preferred that each upright support member has means for supporting the associated first layer in position prior to application of the second layer. The supporting means may be in form of one or more pairs of laterally spaced arm elements adapted for maintaining the associated first layer in position.

The arm elements may be integrally formed with or fixed to the vertical elements.

A head beam of cementitious material may be formed above the first layer and preferably integrally with the or each second layer.

Desirably the cementitious material is fibre reinforced and advantageously the fibre is a steel fibre. The fibre may have of an "I" shape such as that of fibresteel (Registered Trade Mark) or a zigzag or wavy shape.

Typically, in use each of the upright support members are fixed in or secured to a floor or a foundation of the building. The wall may be an internal wall or an external load bearing wall of the building.

Conveniently one or more channels are provided in the first layer. The one or more channels are adapted for accommodating electrical wiring and/or plumbing pipes. In another aspect therefore, the present invention resides in a method of constructing a wall or like structure including the steps of: (a) supporting substantially vertically a first layer having one or more sections of insulating material;

(b) applying a second layer containing a mixture of cementitious material and adhesive or bonding material to an exposed face of the first layer;

(c) applying a third layer of cementitious material to the second layer when the second layer is substantially firm or substantially cured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the present invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein:- Figures 1 to 4 show in section a part of an external house wall according to the invention at different stages of its construction, and

Figure 5 is a sectional detail drawing, to larger scale, taken along line A-A in Figure 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring initially to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, the building includes a generally conventional reinforced concrete foundation 100 and a floor slab 102. A rabbet 104 is formed about the upper periphery of the floor slab 102.

The external wall 10 includes an internal core layer 12 which is made up of a series of adjacent rectangular panels or sections of expanded polystyrene of uniform thickness or parallel-faced formation. The vertical edges 14 of the panels being chamfered at front and back, as shown in Figure 5.

Sections of the layer 12 are maintained in substantially vertical position by support arms 16 of support posts 18 and are inset from the rabbet 12. The lower ends of the posts 1 8 are fixedly secured to the floor slab 102. In an alternate arrangement the lower ends can be fixed to the concrete foundation 10.

Each post 18 consists of two spaced parallel uprights 20 which can be in the form of reinforcing rods. A zigzag or lighter gauge rod or wire 22 is welded to the uprights. The uprights 20 are accommodated in the chamfered recesses formed between adjusted sections of the core layer 1 2. A polystyrene head beam mould 24 is spiked or otherwise secured temporarily to the top of the core layer 12.

The layer 12 may have any appropriate thickness ranging from about 5mm to about 500mm. In this embodiment the thickness of the layer 12 is about 50mm.

A layer 26 of a mixture of fibre-reinforced concrete and a bonding material is spayed by well-known techniques onto the inside face of the core layer 1 3. The mixture layer 26 is then allowed to cure for a few hours or until sufficiently firm for application of a layer 28 of fibre-reinforced concrete to the mixture layer 26. The layer 28 then is screeded and trowelled to present a smooth inside surface to the wall 10.

While the mixture layer 26 is curing, another layer 30 of the mixture of fibre-reinforced concrete and a bonding material is sprayed on the outside face of the core layer 12. The mixture layer 30, as for layer 26, is allowed to cure.

A layer 32 of fibre-reinforced concrete is then sprayed onto the layer 30 and is screeded and trowelled to form the desired external face of the wall, which may be smooth, textured or figured. The external layers 30, 32 may, if desired, be of considerably lesser thickness than the combined thickness of layers 26 and

28.

When the inner and outer layers 26, 28 and 30, 32 are cured or set, the head beam mould 24 is removed, reinforcing rods are placed in the channel 34 so formed, and concrete is poured or sprayed therein to form a head beam 36, into which roof fixing bolts 37 are cast.

The inner layers 26, 30 are about 1 5mm in thickness. But the thickness may range from 2mm to 100mm. The outer layers 28 and 32 can have a thickness ranging from 2mm to 500mm, but in this embodiment the thickness is 35mm. Electrical, plumbing and other conduits as indicated at 38, may easily be built into the wall 10 during its construction. By the use of an electrically heated tensioned wire (not shown) corresponding cuts may be made to lead into the core layer sections 12 and to form through the core sections 12 a channel of suitable size for the conduit 38 before being withdrawn from the initial cut. The conduit 38 may then be simply inserted through the channel formed in the core 13.

The wall 10 may, of course, be formed with windows, doorways and any other required openings, which may be cut in the core sections 12 before they are erected, and fitted with appropriate frames before the wall core is sprayed with concrete.

The internal walls of a house may be made similarly to the external walls, though their concrete layers may be sprayed to lesser thickness than those of external walls.

Walls and the like constructed according to the invention may be erected very quickly and easily as well as economically, and will be found to have good load-bearing qualities as well as being impervious to moisture, and to be good heat and sound insulators. It will be understood, of course, that the particular embodiment of the invention herein described and illustrated may be subject to many modifications of constructional detail and design, which will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention in the following claims.

Claims (23)

1. A wall or like structure comprising a plurality of layers of materials and two or more spaced upright support members, the plurality of layers including a first layer having one or more sections of insulating material arranged substantially vertically between paired adjacent upright support members, the first layer having an inner surface and an outer surface, a second layer containing a mixture of a cementitious material and an adhesive or bonding material applied onto one or both of the inner and outer surfaces.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the first layer including a sub- layer of brickwork adjacent to one or each face of the one or more sections of insulating material.

3. The structure according to claim 1 or claims 2 wherein the insulating material is expanded polystyrene, cardboard or the like.

4. The structure according to any one or the preceding claims wherein each said upright member having two or more laterally spaced vertical elements and adjacent vertical elements being interconnected by a medial element.

5. The structure according to claim 4 wherein the medial element is formed of a relatively thinner and/or lighter material than the vertical elements.

6. The structure according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the medial element is a zigzag shaped web.

7. The structure according to any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein each said upright member further having means for supporting the associated first layer in the vertical position prior to application of the second layer.

8. The structure according to claim 7 wherein the supporting means including one or more pairs of laterally spaced arm elements extending from the vertical elements of each upright member.

9. The structure according to claim 8 wherein the pairs of arm elements are located at selected positions spaced along the vertical elements.

10. The structure according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the arm elements are formed integrally with or fixed to the vertical elements.

1 1 . The structure according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the structure further including a third layer of cementitious material applied on the or each second layer.

12. The structure according to claim 1 1 wherein a head beam of cementitious material is formed above the first layer and is integral with the or each second layer and/or the or each third layer.

1 3. The structure according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cementitious material of the second and/or third layer is fibre reinforced.

14. The structure according to claim 13 wherein the fibres are steel fibres.

1 5. The structure according to claim 13 or claim 14 wherein the fibres are substantially "I", zigzag or wavy shaped.

16. The structure according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the upright members are fixed in or secured to a floor or foundation of a building.

1 7. The structure according to any of the preceding claims wherein one or more channels are formed in the first layer for accommodating electrical wiring and/or plumbing pipes.

18. A method of constructing a wall or like structure with a plurality of layers comprising the steps of:

(a) supporting substantially vertically a first layer for the structure, the first layer having one or more sections of insulating material;

(b) applying a mixture of cementitious material and an adhesive or bonding material to an exposed surface of the first layer thereby forming a second layer of the structure;

(c) applying cementitious material to the second layer when the second layer is substantially firm of substantially cured, thereby forming a third layer of the structure.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the supporting step includes fixing or securing spaced upright support members to a floor or foundation of a building and arranging the one or more section between the spaced upright members.

20. The method according to claim 18 or claim 19 wherein the supporting step includes positioning a head beam mould on the upright members.

21 . The method according to claim 18 to 20 wherein the applying steps employ a spraying means for spraying the mixture in step (b) and the cementitious material in step (c).

22. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 21 comprising a further step of removing the mould when the third layer is substantially firm or cured, and arranging a head beam in a channel formed by the mould.

23. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 22 where one or more channels for accommodating electrical wires and/or plumbing pipes are formed in the first layer in the supporting step or before the supporting step.