AU629524B2 - Building systems - Google Patents

Description

1 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 09 9 0 0 0 4 o 9* 9 eO0 #t0 <0 0 9 9* 4 o i 0 99 0 9 9 9 4 1 99 JOHN DONALD McROBERT JAMES BERNARD WADE LAURENCE KERROD TOP 1]ENBE R

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JOHN MICHAEL FENWI CK PHILIP ALBERT STEVENS (Patent Application No. PI 6156) COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED "BUILDING SYSTEMS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- "A WALL STRUCTURE" This invention relates to building (system products and to a method of erecting structures) modules formed from a mouldable material and to structures utilizing such building modules.

For illustrative purposes, the present invention will be described in relation to the erection of small structures such as dwellings and the like. However, it should be appreciated that the invention as herein described is suitable for the construction of other buildings such as garages, and industrial and commercial buildings or the like. Furthermore, for the purposes of this specification, a mouldable material is to be taken as a reference to a material which may be moulded in an initial state, and which then 1ardens into a substantially rigid material.

In addition and in order to provide consistency of terminology throughout the specification, references to width, height, thickness and wall thickness will be taken as a respective panel dimensional reference in the direction corresponding to the dimensions set out in FIG. Traditionally, dwellings are built in certain stages. For example, framed structures involve the installation of piers (or stumps), the positioning of numerous floor bearers around at lrast the periphery of the dwelling and joists attached thereto. The joists provide a framework to which the flooring is attached.

Frames of timber or metal representing the various walls are constructed and secured to the floor and the necessary framework required to support the roof added. Upon completion 'the roof and the wall,) of the roof, the wall frames are clad. Alternatively, c '4 Iii, 2 a concrete slab on the ground or elevated, is used as a base for framed or brick structures with traditional roofing.

Wall cladding materials include corrugated metal sheets, fibre cement sheets, brick or concrete masonry blockwork, (corrugated metal or) flat plaster or fibre board and other sheeting such as plywood. These are relatively inexpensive, easy to transport, stack readily allowing economical transport thereof and require little skill and the use of basic tools to cut, fabricate (fabricated) or erect. However, sheets of fibre cement and plaster are relatively brittle and corrugated metal sheets are thin and all are susceptible to damage during handling. A further disadvantage associated with walls Yormed from sheets of fibre cement or sheets of corrugated metal is that, in general, they are not aesthetically pleasing.

This invention aims to alleviate the above and other disadvantages and to provide building products and a method of erecting structures which will be reliable and effici-nt in use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.

invention in one aspect resides broadly in a (wall panel assembly including a plurality of corrugated elements arranged adjacent one another to form a wall panel and binding means for d maintaining structural integrity of said wall panel. The elements may be s+acked in side by side relationship either substantially horizontally or substantially vertically or in horizontal rows and/or one above the other. The corrugated rr o elements may form a wall core or structure and the binding means may include a surface covering extending across the corrugated elements at one or at opposite sides of the elements. The surface covering may be in the form of a structural skin or panel such as a timber, metal or composite panel or the binding means may comprise a layer of mesh like material secured to said corrugated elements by suitable attachment means such as mechanical fasteners. Preferably the mesh like material if used for one or both skins, is a sheet of expanded metal, but could be wire mesh or netting as desired, or fibre reinforced mouldable material.

Alternatively, the attachment means may include a mouldable material surrounding said mesh like material and attached to or bonded to the corrugated panels. Other structural or decorative skins may be applied to one or both sides of the wall panel to complete the wall structure if desired.

For the purposes of this specification, a mouldable material is to be taken as a reference to a material which may be moulded in an initial state, and which then hardens into a substantially rigid material.) building module which may be o; 20 stacked by hand in -ingle rows for stable support module upon module to form a wall, the building module being in the form of slender block formed from a mouldable material and having a substantially constant thickness wall of non-linear longitudinal t configuration, said module having an overall width to height ratio t* 25 of 1:1 plus or minus 50%, and a module wall thickness of approximately one tenth, plus or minus 50% of the overall width of the module.

4 Preferably the non-linear longitudinal configuration of the building module is a regular wave form which provides at least two crest portions at opposite extremities of the module anai iore preferably the wave form is a curvilinear wave form. It is also preferred that the building module is so formed that the opposite faces of the building module are complementary whereby alurality of the modules may be stored in nested side by side relationship.

Suitably the building modules of this invention are utilized to form a wall panel assembly which may include a plurality of building modules stacked on edge and adjacent one another to form a wall panel and binding means to secure the modules together so as to provide structural integrity of the wall panel assembly.

Preferably however the building module may form a wall core or structure and the binding means may include a surface covering extending across the building module at one or at opposite sides of the building module. The surface covering may be in the form of a structural skin or panel such as a timber, metal or composite panel. Alternatively the binding means may comprise a layer of t o 20 mesh like material secured t- said corrugated building module by St suitable attachment means such as mechanical fasteners.

Preferably the mesh like material if used for one or both skins, is a sheet of expanded metal, but could be wire mesh or netting as desired, or fibre reinforced mouldable material. Alternatively, 25 the attachment means may include a mouldable material surrounding i said mesh like material and attached to or bonded to the building modules. Other structural or decorative skins may be applied to t 4 6- -111 one or both sides of the wall panel to complete the wall assembly if desired.

The blocks or building modules may or may not be secured to adjacent blocks by bonding agent such as mortar. Alternatively the blocks may be held in position relative to adjacent blocks positioned either side or above and below by tie rods, or the blocks may be fixed together and directly rendered with a fibre reinforced plaster to give a vertically corrugated wall without voids.

Preferably the (corrugated elements have) building module is of corrugated form having relatively deep corrugations which may be of any desired configuration such as part-circular, triangular or square or the like. It is also preferred that the corrugated (elements) building module are stacked with their corrugations in register whereby they can form, in conjunction with the decorative and/or structural skin(s), if so applied, continuous floor to ceiling voids which may be used as service ducts or conduits for air circulation or the like These voids may alternate as "Outside" and "Inside" voids depending as to whether one wall of the void comprises the outside or inside skin if so applied.

The wall panel assembly may also (provide a one way span) support (for) a wide variety of commercially produced or custom made decorative and/or structural skins. Such skins after 25 attachment to the wall panel assembly may become structurally contiguous with the wall panel assembly and may provide a skin capable of sharing applied building loads. The binding means may i

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/i also comprise tensile metal or fibre reinforcement applied on site. Such reinforcement may include metal bars extending along the voids and tensioned between opposed edge members of the wall assembly.

(Each corrugated element may be formed from a sheet of iron, steel or any other suitable material. The core panel may include a number of indentations or surface irregularities. In one emboaiment, the surface irregularities may comprise a number of regularly or irregularly spaced corrugations, ridges or recesses extending either longitudinally, transversely or obliquely across at least part of a surface of the material.) Preferably, each (corrugated element) building module is formed as a corrugated block from cement, concrete, clay or a fibre reinforced material and preferably each block has a 15 (span) module width [wl of not less than 100mm nor more than 300mm Sand (a length) an module length fli from 400mm to 1200mm.

Suitably (their width to height) the module width [wl to module height ratio (in their wall building configuration) is 1:1 plus or minus 50%. The wal- thickness of the block is suitably 20 one tenth the overall width of the block plus or minus 50% and may vary within these limits within one block. It is also preferred that the corrugated building module may be used to construct a wall having a module thickness of between 100mm to 300mm using single core panels, or double these thicknesses for back to back core panels. For a continuous wall core or structure as illustrated in FIG. 2, it is preferred that the corrugated building module is able to form a wall having a thickness of

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1 7 between 65mm to 300mm using single core panels, or double these thicknesses for back to back core panels.

In one embodiment of the invention the building module is provided with surface irregularities which may comprise a number of regularly or irregularly spaced corrugations, ridges or recesses extending either longitudinally, transversely or obliquely across at least part of a surface of the module.

(The plan shape of the block is preferably a curvilinear profile or a series of straight sections or a combination thereof, to provide the internal boundary of the alternating "inside" or "outside" voids if so formed by the skin(s) and to provide the continuous simple span support for such skin(s)) Building modules of this invention (Blocks as hereinbefore described) are suitably formed so as to be compactly and robustly o 0 15 stackable and progressively reinforceable on si,, or capable of being assembled horizontally, tied longitudinally and tilted vertically to form a wall if so desired.

a (For such segmented block construction wall core or structure it is preferred that the corrugated elements have a 20 wall thickness (including skin thickness) of 100mm through to 300mm using single core panels, or double these thicknesses for a back to back core panels.) The support for a building made in accordance with this invention may comprise a plurality of discrete concrete channels or slabs on ground or elevated which may define the periphery of the structure and/or the location of any internal walls or structural supports. Wall panel assemblies of this invention may a o.t

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8 be used as flooring by securing the core to a supporting sub-frame arranged on the building supports whereupon sheets of a mesh like material may be secured by way of suitable fasteners to the upper or exposed surface of the base or core panels and grouted with a suitable setable material such as concrete mortar. The mouldable material is suitably troweled or sprayed into the mesh like material to build up the desired thickness. Alternatively, the skin(s) if applied may be of preformed panels affixed to the ridges of the building modules.

Alternatively, the core or structure panel may comprise a plurality of joined panels of block-like construction, Preferably, a plurality of such panels is positioned end to end, and side by side as the base for a floor, or atop and adjacent one another to form a suitable wall or core for a laminated wall.

The blocks may or may not be secured to adjacent blocks by bonding agent such as mortar. Alternatively the blocks may be held in position relative to adjacent blocks positioned either side or above and below by tie rods, or the blocks may be wired together and directly rendered with a fibre reinforced plaster to 20 give a vertically corrugated wall without voids. Sheets of mesh like material may or may not be secured to the exposed surfaces of the blocks. Preferably the sheets of mesh like material are Scovered with suitable setable mouldable material which may be concrete but which may be a plastics or other setable material as 25 desired. The mouldable material is suitably troweled or sprayed into the mesh like material to build up the desired thickness.

Alternatively, the skin(s) if applied may be of preformed panels .44 A K .A l affixed to the ridges of the base panels.

According to the present invention there is also provided a method of constructing a structure including:laying a foundation and /or the erection cf a supporting sub-frame; forming a floor and erecting a wall and a roof, wherein the wall and /or the floor constitute a wall In an other aspect, this invention resides broadly in a corrugated building block having relatively deep corrugations whereby a plurality of said blocks may be stacked in rows one above the other to form a wall. Preferably the corrugated building block has a width overall of between 100mm and 300mm, a length of between 400mm and 1200mm, a width to height ratio of 1:1 plus or minus 50%, and a wall thickness of the block of approximately one tenth the width overall of the block plus or minus (In a further aspect, this invention resides broadly in) According to the present invention there is also provided a a, a a., method of constructing a wall including stacking a plurality of 20 (blocks) building modules as defined above (to form a wall) and binding (said) the stacked (blockss) building modules together to maintain structural integrity of (said stacked blocks.panel assembly as described above.) the stacked building modules.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of this invention, wherein:- "aa c9 vt +rr r FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a floor of a structure constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 represents perspective view of a wall of a structure constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 represents an alternative arrangement of a wall of a structure constructed in accordance with the present invention; (and) FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) represent a plan view of a wall of a structure constructed in accordance with the present invention, and FIG. 5 illustrates the dimension terminology For a blockwork core version of this invention, a structure 15 constructed in accordance with the invention may include a floor as depicted in Fig.l. The floor 5 is shown supported by a S.o. sub-frame 6 comprising joists 7 and (piers) floor bearers 8 or an 0 alternative base such as slab (on ground) or beam. The floor includes corrugated base panels, one of which is shown at 9, 20 arranged in edge to edge abutting relationship (along the) on F joists 7 and temporarily supported between opposing loists during 0* construction. Sheets of reinforcing mesh 10 may be affixed by way of fasteners such as screws, rivets or bolts, not shown, to the upper or exposed horizontal surfaces or ridges of the base panels F 25 9. The sheets of reinforcing mesh are infilled with a suitable 4 mouldable material, a cutaway section of which is shown, at 11.

Voids 12 in the floor 5 are formed by virtue of its i^ 11 elevation above the ground or in the case of a slab on the ground, by virtue of the underside of the assembled corrugated panels 9 which (becomes an) bond to the integral tensile reinforcement (in composite action) together with the inside mouldable material 11 so that the corrugated panels become a composite reinforced slab having continuous transverse recesses or voids.

Fig. 2 depicts one embodiment of a wall 13 constructed in accordance with the invention. The periphery of the wall is defined braced by supporting timber or metal sub-frame 14.

Attached to thr sub-frame 14 are corrugated core panels arranged with their ridges extending vertically. Sheets of a mesh like material 16 are secured by fasteners, not shown, to the exposed or external vrtical surface of the core panels 15 which may be of variable height, with width and depth as described hereinbefore. These panels are stacked in rows beside one another with the corrugations vertically aligned. The wall 13 is finished with a covering material 17, such as concrete or render troweled or affixed onto the sheets of mesh like material 16. Voids 18 in the wall are formed between surfaces of the modular core panels and the reinforced render 17.

.ig. 3 represents yet another embodiment of a wall 19 constructed in accordance with the present invention. The wall 19 includes an inner core comprising stacked tiles or blocks positioned end to end and atop one another and in rows, only one of which is shown, to form the core panel 20. These blocks 15 may be arranged with the corrugations aligned directly, as shown, or the blocks 15 may be offset atop each other, again with the r g;d ~tch rO 6 i

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12 corrugations aligned. The core panel 20 includes numerous corrugations 20A extending longitudinally (across) up opposed vertical surfaces of each block. The core panels 20 are maintained in position by elongate, metal tensile fasteners 21 (or by wiring adjacent blocks) arranged to pass through voids 30 in the wall 19 formed by the corrugations 20A of acij-ent core panels or by continuous end block joining strips. The free ends 22 and 23 of the fasteners 21 are secured respectively to joists and beams or base plate and top plate not shown, of the structure.

Sheets of mesh like material 16 are attached to the exposed or external vertical surfaces of the wall panels 20 by way of fasteners, not chown. (Sheets of mesh like material 24 are attached to the exposed or external vertical surfaces of the wall panels 20 by way of fasteners, not shown.) The sheets of mesh 15 like material (24) 16 are shown clad with a suitable cladding 0 .t material .Fi qs. 4(a) and 4(b) show alternate embodiments of a wall 26 fir constructed in accordance with the invention. The wall 26 comprises a plurality of base panels or blocks 27 or pairs of 20 superimposed corrugated base panels or blocks secured together by S fasteners whereby, in the latter instance, voids 31 are formed by S the internal surfaces of opposing abutting wall blocks 27.

Attached to the outer or exposed vertical surfaces of each W-P.

panel are sheets of steel reinforcing mesh 28 or other sheeting.

25 The Uheets 28 may be covered by suitable covering material 29.

Further voids 30 formed between the exposed surface of the wall blocks 27 and the cladding panels 32 which may be fiber

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I I 13 cement or plaster sheeting or plywood or the like as desired.

The building construction technique of the present invention allows the construction of a structure as an elevated shell with continuous voids from floor to ceiling within the structural composite skin of the building. This allows later installation of all services including ventilation or air conditioning within the said voids. The method is therefore energy efficient in the economic supply and placement of materials to provide the strength o- the building where is most efficiently utilised and it is energy erficient in allowing the building to be heated or cooled with maximum ambient contact or shielding as required. Furthermore the use of man handleable size blocks enables economical and efficient transport of the basic building materials, particularly in remote areas where cranes may not be 15 readily available. The present building method also allows simple retrofitting of services and modifications.

It should be appreciated from the foregoing description Sa that a structure constructed in accordance with the present invention may be aesthetically pleasing and it may encompass various architectural styles. The method of construction lends itself to energy efficient and low cost hoising, ideal for remote a areas such as mining townships or developing countries. For remote sites, basic materials may be brought to the site in bulk and fabricated on site with minimum wastage. The method of construction is quite suitable or may be easily mastered by semiskilled or unskilled labour.

The choice of materials and the method of construction i I Sprovides the selective positioning of material where strength is needed. Thus small volume/ weights of building materials can cover large volumes of the structure. A characteristic of the structure is the continuous voids intrinsically formed or capable of being formed by the walls and/or floor which are ideal for ducting, cabling or heat transfer.

Of course it will be understood that while the above has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such modifications and variations apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (14)

1. A building module which may be stacked by hand in single rows for stable support module upon module to form a wall, the building module being in the form of slender block formed from a mouldable material and having a substantially constant thickness wall of non-linear longitudinal configuration, said module having an overall width to height ratio of 11 plus or minus 50%, and a wall thickness of approximately one tenth, plus or minus 50% of the overall width of the module.

2. A building module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said non- linear longitudinal configuration is a regular wave form which provides at least two crest portions at opposite extremities of S' the module.

3. A building module as claimed in claim 2, wherein said wave form is a curvilinear wave form.

4. A building module as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein opposite faces of said module are complementary whereby a plurality of said modules may be stored in nested side by side 6 .I relationship.

A building module as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said module has an overall width of between 100mm and 300mm and an overall length of between 400mm and 1200mm. 16

6. A building module as claimed in any one of the precedin claims, wherein said module is formed from concrete or a compressed fibrous material.

7. A wall panel assembly including a plurality of building modules as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and arranged in single rows module upon module to form a wall structure and binding means for binding said modules together for maintaining structural integrity of said wall structure.

8. A wall panel assembly as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said binding means includes a surface covering extending across at least one side of said wall structure. B

9. A wall panel assembly as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein a surface covering is provided at opposite sides said wall structure.

A wall panel assembly as claimed in claim 7 or claim 9, wherein said surface covering includes a structural skin spanning across crest portions of said building modules.

11. A wall panel assembly as claimed in any one of claims 8 to wherein said surface covering includes a mesh like material secured to said building modules.

12. A wall panel assembly as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said attachment means is a mouldable material which encapsulates said mesh like material.

13. A wall panel assembly as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said surface covering is a preformed panel.

14. A method of constructing a wall including stacking a plurality of building modules as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 to form a wall structure and binding said stacked building modules together to maintain structural integrity of said stacked blocks. A wall panel assembly substantially as hereinbefore as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS Sixth DAY OF August, 1992 JOHN DONALD McROBERT, JAMES BERNARD WADE, LAURENCE KERROD TOPPENBERG, JOHN MICHAEL FENWICK and PHILIP ALBERT STEVENSby PIZZEY COMPANY PAT3NT ATTORNEYS i i yJ