AU647058B2 - Improvements in and relating to building structures - Google Patents

Description

647058 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME ADDRESS OF APPLICANT: Winstone Wallboards Limited 37 Felix Street Te Papapa Auckland New Zealand NAME(S) OF INVENTOR(S): Kevin James GOLDING Carey Matthew HABLOUS Robert Arthur John BRITTON Soo Michael John COLLINS Gary William BERRY ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON Patent Attorneys 1* 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: Improvements in and relating to building structures The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:la- The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to building structures and particularly to the construction of walls.

To the present time sheet bracing of walls has utilised wood based wallboards in constructions complying with New Zealand standard 3604:1990.

The use of plaster, such as gypsum plaster, wallboards or other low strength wallboards for this purpose has not been possible because of the tendency of the fixings for the gypsum or such wallboard tearing through the wallboard under cyclical earthquake loading.

The present invention has resulted from the testing of low strength panels, particularly but not exclusively, gypsum panels to find whether they could be used for sheet bracing if suitable panels and/or fixings coo: were used.

It is thus an object of one embodiment of the present invention to provide a wall structure and method of forming same utilising a low strength wallboard such as plaster wallboard and so as to provide a braced wall.

The braced wall may satisfy New Zealand standard 3604:1990 or other appropriate wall bracing standards in eeoeo New Zealand or elsewhere, which may be in existence, or brought into existence.

•25 25 Alternatively, this invention in its various embodiments will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

2 Further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of forming a braced wall structure by securing at least one plasterboard panel or sheet to a wall frame, said method comprising fixing said panel or sheet to a wall frame by forcing a plurality of elongate nails, spaced apart around the periphery of said panel or sheet, through said panel or sheet and into said wall frame, and said method further including inserting each said nail through a respective washer which is sufficiently thin and flexible that it is driven into the panel or sheet exposed surface by a :J5 head portion of said nail as it is forced against said olo panel or sheet.

:According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a fixing means for the abovedefined method for securing at least one plasterboard panel or sheet to a wall frame to provide a S: braced wall, said fixing means comprising a nail and e0 washer assembly wherein the washer is sufficiently thin eoooo: S"and flexible that it dishes as it is driven into the exposed surface of said panel or sheet by a head portion of the nail which is elongate and is inserted into said washer and wherein the washer and nail head portion can be forced against said panel or sheet so as to dimple the exposed surface of and apply pressure to, said panel JIV:7 or sheet.

2a According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a braced wall structure constructed by the above defined method and/or by the fixing means referred to above.

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C a 3 Further aspects of this invention which should be considered in all of its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description given by way of example of possible embodiments thereof and in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein; Figure 1: shows very diagrammatically part of a wall structure in which the present invention may be used; Figure 2: shows very diagrammatically a cross-sectional view through the wall structure of Figure 1 and at the 10 edges of a pair of the wall panels; Figure 3: shows an enlarged view of the fixing arrangement of Figure 2; Figure 4: shows an exploded view of the fixing means of Figures 2 and 3.

In Figure 1, a wall structure of a required length and height is shown with a top plate 1, bottom plate 2, floor joist 3 and stud framing 4 with a plurality of wallboards or panels 5 secured in position by means of a 09 plurality of fixing means 8, 10 so as to form a braced wall, the boards or panels 5 acting as wall bracing elements.

As mentioned above, in New Zealand, New Zealand standard 3604:1990 applies to such structures.

To the present time wood based panels or boards have been used in order to achieve the necessary bracing in respect of cyclical or earthquake loading.

4 The present invention in a preferred embodiment, however, utilises a low strength wallboard and particularly a high density gypsum plaster board 5 which in Figure 2, is shown provided with a tapered edge 6.

Alternatively, a plywood or other low strength board may be used. A pair of boards or panels 5 are shown adjacent one another and fixed to the stud 4. The respective tapered edges 6 in this example provide a recess 7 which, after fixing, will be filled and the o o 10 panel surface finished using normal finishing techniques. It is stressed that the edges of the boards 5 are only optionally tapered.

fixing of the panels 5 is shown achieved by elongate nails or clouts. These have elongate shanks 8 and head portions 9, the latter which engage against a *000 o• respective washer or the like 10 to press same against 0000 the upper surface of the board S• While in Figure 2 the washer means 10 is shown as being substantially flat against the surface 6 of the 0 panel 5, as seen in the enlarged drawing of Figure 3, after completion of the fixing, the washer 10 preferably has been bowed so as to be impressed into the board surface 6 and preferably to form a dimple in the surface 6 of the board As seen in Figure 4, the nail or clout is inserted through the apertured washer 10 and suitably the 5 diameter of the shank 8 provides a close fit within the hole or aperture 11 of the washer In one possible embodiment of the invention the nail and washer may be of galvanised steel and the nail or clout may be of the order of 30mm long with a shank 8. The washer 10 may be of 26 gauge steel and may be of the order of 15mm diameter. The boards or panels 5 may typically be of the order of 2.4m r o. long x .9/1/1.2m wide and 9.5mm thick. The fixing a.o.

S* 10 centres may be, for example, 150mm apart around the perimeter of each of the boards or panels It has been found surprisingly that the structure of the present invention and method of forming same provides sufficient bracing to withstand cyclical or earthquake loading and the low strength wallboard such as the high density gypsum plaster board has thus .0 acquired the characteristics of bracing strength at least equal to the level of wood based panels or boards.

It is believed by the inventors that this effect a has been achieved by a frictional force being set up between the nail head, the washer, and the board surface with the fixing means of the present invention effectively clamping the board to the wall frame. The gauge of metal used for the washers will, in the preferred embodiment as mentioned above, provide for the dimpling of same into the gypsum plaster board, or the like, to provide or enhance the clamping and frictional 6 effect of the fixing system. In this way, the use of the washer has avoided the previous problems experienced with gypsum and like low strength wallboards where a cyclic loading would result in the nail or clout head ripping into the board material about the nail hole.

After fixing the panel or board in the manner described above, the usual finishing would generally be provided to complete the wall structure.

Where in the foregoing description reference has 10 been made to specific components or integers of the invention having known equivalents then such equivalents .are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (4)

1. 3. A method as claimed in either of the preceding claims including securing said nails and washers with sufficient force upon each said nail head portion that it results in a dimpling of the exposed surface of the panel(s) or sheet(s). 8
2. 4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A braced wall structure formed by the method of any one of the preceding claims.
3. 6. A fixing means for carrying out the method of any one of claims 1 to 4 for securing at least one plasterboard panel or sheet to a wall frame to provide a braced wall, said fixing means comprising a nail and washer assembly wherein the washer is sufficiently thin and flexible that it dishes as it is driven into the exposed surface of said panel or sheet by a head portion of the nail which is elongate and is inserted into said washer and wherein the washer and nail head portion can be forced against said panel or sheet so as to dimple the exposed surface of, and apply pressure to, said "0 panel or sheet.
4. 7. A braced wall structure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying o drawings. Dated this 15th day of December 1993 WINSTONE WALLBOARDS LIMITED e: By its Patent Attorneys Davies Collison Cave