AU674995B2 - A building panel - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: WIDE BAY BRICKWORKS PTY. LTD.

SANTE TROIANI CULLEN

CO.,

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

r r o Address for Service: Invention Title: A BUILDING PANEL e rooi ~r Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Nos. PM1801 filed 13 October 1993 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: THIS INVENTION relates to a building panel. In particular, the invention is directed to a prefabricated floor panel of steel reinforced, clay block construction.

In multistorey buildings (other than single dwellings), elevated floors ars normally made of reinforced concrete. The construction of each such elevated concrete floor requires the erection of formwork, laying and spacing of reinforcing, pouring and screeding of concrete, and dismantling of the formwork.

Such procedures are labour intensive and time consuming.

Furthermore, the next level cannot be constructed until the poured concrete floor has set, thereby prolonging construction ime.

It is known to use prefabricated block panels 15 in the construct 4 on of buildings. Examples of such [.panels can be found in Australian patent application no.

.57570/80, Australian patent no. 579788 and United States patents nos. 4,098,040 and 4,429,499. However, known panels are designed for use only as wall panels, i.e. in an upstanding orientation.

It is an object of the present invention to •ooe provide a floor panel for use in the construction of buildings, which overcomes or ameliorates at least some of the abovedescribed disadvantages of case concrete S 25 floors.

In one broad form, the present invention •ego provides a prefabricated floor panel comprising a plurality of juxtaposed courses of blocks with the joints between courses, and between blocks in each course, preferably being filled with mortar, at least some of the blocks having through holes, the floor panel further comprising at least one reinforcing member which, in use, extends horizontally in aligned through holes in the blocks, transversely to the courses, substantially from one edge of the panel to the opposite edge.

Several such panels are laid side-by-side to form a floor. Preferably, a layer of concrete is poured over the block panel(s). This concrete layer suitably includes a steel reinforcing mesh.

The blocks are preferably clay blocks, and have a "keyed" surface. The term "keyed" is intended to mean a surface having a plurality of spaced grooves, preferably of square or rectangular channel section. The keyed upper surface of the floor panel assists in bonding the panel to the concrete layer, while the keyed lower surface of the floor panel facilitates the application and retention of render thereto to form a smooth ceiling.

Typically, the blocks in each course are staggered with respect to the blocks in adjacent courses.

The reinforcing members are typically steel rods. The reinforcing rods are suitably post tensioned to hold the courses of blocks together. Alternatively, 15 the through holes in the blocks through which the reinforcing rods pass are filled with cementitious material such that the reinforcing rods are fixed within the panel. The rods may be pretensioned, if desired.

~Typically, the block panels are constructed off site, either horizontally or vertically, to the desired dimensions. The panels may be constructed under cover in order to avoid the vagaries of the weather. Once formed, the panels are transported on site as required, and S. lifted by crane to span between supporting walls. The 25 panels are laid side by side, and the layer of concrete is then poured over the top surfac of the panels. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that no Sformwork is required for the floor as the panels themselves act as formwork for the concrete layer. The underside surface of the panelD; is then finished off by rendering.

The prefabricated floor panel has several significant advantages. First, it enables buildings to be constructed faster and more economically, as it eliminates the need to erect and dismantle formwork for floors. Secondly, there is a considerable saving in weight as the clay blocks of the floor ppnels are significantly lighter than concrete. Consequently, the walls, footirgs and ground have less load to support.

Thirdly, as the floor panels can be constructed off site under cover, construction is not subject to adverse weather conditions. Fourthly, the clay blocks provide an insulating layer between levels in the building.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood and put into practice, preferred embodiments thereof will now be described, by of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig, 1 is a plan view of a floor panel according to one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the floor panel of Fig. 1 (with concrete layer thereon); Fig. 3 is a plan view of a floor panel 15 according to another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view of the :i floor panel of Fig. 3 (with concrete layer thereon); Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a block used in the panel of Figs. 1 and 3; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the block of Fig. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the floor panel of a first embodiment of the invention comprises a plurality of clay blocks 11 laid in courses, with blocks in each course being staggered with respect to the blocks 25 in adjacent courses. The panel 10 may be built up course by course, with the joints between blocks in each course, and between courses, being filled with mortar as the S panel is constructed, Alternatively, the blocks may be located on a horizontal plane, and the joints filled with mortar, as described in Australian patent application no.

50434/85.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, each block 11 is of rectangular section and has a centre corehole 12 of square cross section, and two rectangular coreholes 13 on either side thereof. In this manner, although the blocks in alternate rows are staggered, there will be alignment of coreholes 12 or 13 in the courses of blocks along one or more lines transverse to the courses.

At least the upper and lower surfaces of the blocks 11 (when the panel 10 is orientated horizontally) are provided with keyed surfaces. The keyed surfaces comprise grooves 14 which extend transversely to the courses of blocks. (For clarity, the grooves 14 are omitted from Figs. 1 and Preferably, the grooves 14 are of rectangular section and are between 2 to 12 mm wide, 1 to 4 mm deep, and spaced 2 to 12 mm apart. The blocks 11 themselves are typically 290mm long, 90mm thick and 162mm wide.

Steel reinforcing bars 15 extend through the panel 10 from one edge to the other, and pass through the aligned coreholes 12 or 13 in the courses of blocks. The size and spacing of the reinforcing bars 15 are 15 determined by design requirements. The aligned coreholes 12, 13 in which the reinforcing bars 15 are located are filled with grout to fix the reinforcing bars in the panel and to provide added strength. The reinforcing c bars 15 may suitably be pretensioned, if desired.

In an alternative arrangement, illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the coreholes 12, 13 in which reinforcing S. bars 15A are located are not filled with grout. Rather, the reinforcing bars 15A are post tensioned to hold the courses of blocks together. Post tensioning can be 25 achieved by providing a thread on an end of the reinforcing bars 15A, and tightening a nut on the thread while ensuring that the other end is securely anchored to o the opposite edge of the plate, e.g, by an anchor plate extending along the edge face.

After the panel 10 has been formed to the desired width and length, it is lifted by crane and placed across the top of supporting walls. The lengths of reinforcing bars extending beyond the panel 10 can be used for anchoring to the walls, Depending on the size of the floor, several floor panels can be laid side by side. A layer of concrete 16 is then poured across the top surface of the panels 10. (A reinforcing mesh is suitably laid over the floor panels before the concrete 6 is poured).

The underside of the panels 10 can be finished off by rendering the keyed surfaces of the blocks 11 on the panel underside to provide a smooth ceiling. The keyed block surfaces facilitate the application and retention of render on the panels.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the invention, and modifications which are obvious to those skilled in the art may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, although the panels 10 have been described with particular reference to their application as floor panels, they can also be used as wall panels.

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Claims (11)

1. A prefabricated floor panel comprising a p3urality of juxtaposed courses of blocks, at least some the blocks having through holes, the floor panel further comprising at least one elongate reinforcing member which, in use, extends horizontally in aligned through holes in the blocks, transversely to the courses, substantially from one edge of the panel to the opposite edge.

2. A floor panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blocks are clay blocks.

3. A panel as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the blocks have at least one exposed surface which is keyed or grooved. S: 15

4. A panel as claimed in any preceding claim, .wherein the joints between the courses of blocks, and the between the blocks in each course, are filled with mortar.

5. A panel as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the aligned through holes containing the reinforcing member(s) are filled with grout.

6. A panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the reinforcing member(s) is(are) pre-tensioned before the aligned through holes are filled with grout. 25

7. A floor panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reinforcing member(s) is(are) post- tensioned.

8. A floor panel as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a layer of concrete os on the upper side thereof.

9. A method of constructing a floor panel, comprising prefabricating a floor panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, placing the prefabricated floor panel in an elevated position in a generally horizontal orientation.

1 0. A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the step of b\a layer of concrete on the 8 upper side of the floor panel.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9 or 10, further comprising the step of rendering the underside of the floor panel with mortar to form a substantially smooth underside surface. DATED this thirtieth day of September 1994 WIDE BAY BRICKWORKS PTY. LTD. By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. ABSTRACT A prefabricated floor panel (10) comprises courses of clay blocks (11) having through holes (12, 13). Reinforcing rods (15) extend through aligned through holes in the courses of blocks The rods (15) may be pretensioned and the aligned through holes filled with grout. Alternatively, the aligned through holes may be left empty to enable the reinforcing rods (15) to be post-tensioned. The reinforcing rods (15) hold the floor panel together as a single unit which can be lifted into position. A layer of concrete is then cast over the upper side of the floor panel. The clay blocks (11) have keyed or grooved surfaces (14) to enhance the adhesion of render and/or concrete thereto. o• :i o o oeI o