AU703801B2

AU703801B2 - Building construction method

Info

Publication number: AU703801B2
Application number: AU71885/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Branko Mladichek
Original assignee: MLADICHEK IVANKA
Current assignee: Mladichek Ivanka
Priority date: 1995-11-22
Filing date: 1996-11-21
Publication date: 1999-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 2016-11-21
Also published as: AU7188596A

Description

2 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

METHOD

This invention relates to the construction of buildings using precast concrete wall panels.

It is now well known to construct buildings using 5 precast concrete wall panels, involving a technique known as tilt-up which in the last fifteen years has been used extensively for industrial, commercial, government and housing projects. The technique involves casting concrete wall panels horizontally on the ground and in stacks, which panels when cured are erected using a crane and maintaining them in position using adjustable braces.

The commonly used sequence of steps followed in the tilt-up construction technique is as follows: 1. The site is cleared; 2. Services such as sewage are installed; 3. The ground is prepared for the casting of a concrete floor slab; stafflenne/keep/PN6712 19.11 3 4. The concrete floor slab is cast; The floor slab is allowed to cure; 6. Concrete wall panels are poured using the floor slab as a base; 7. The wall panels are allowed to cure; 8. The wall panels are erected and braced; 9. The roof frame is constructed; The roof covering is applied; 11. The floor slab is completed by filling the 10 perimeter gap between the perimeter of the original floor slab and the bottom of the wall panels; 12. The braces are then removed and the building is complete.

The main disadvantage of the tilt-up method presently used is the time it takes to erect panels and complete the roof structure, and although the time is comparable to conventional methods of constructing buildings with brick walls, it takes six to eight weeks to cast the wall panels and erect a wall therefrom. There is a time delay resulting from the requirement to wait until the floor slab is cast and cured, which can take four to six weeks, before the wall panels can then be cast, cured and erected, whilst only after then can the roof construction take place.

In view of the large financial investment that the construction of buildings represents, considerable staff/enne/keep/PN6712 19.11 4 savings would result if construction time could be reduced.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a building construction method based on the tilt-up principal, but designed to reduce construction time.

In accordance with the invention there is envisaged a method of constructing a building, wherein a temporary or sacrificial casting bed is prepared at the building site and upon which wall panels are cast, erecting and bracing the wall panels after casting thereof, and thereafter providing a roof and casting a floor slab.

:The invention also envisages a building constructed in accordance with the method defined above.

By casting the floor slab after the wall panels 15 have been erected a two stage floor slab casting procedure is no longer necessary as there is no perimeter gap which needs to be filled, and this is in addition to the time saving associated with casting the wall slabs whilst site preparation proceeds, and the further time savings 20 associated therewith in constructing the roof and pouring the floor slabs simultaneously if desired.

.i One preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the first step involved in the casting of wall slabs for a building, Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a stack of floor slabs after having been sequentially cast and cured in a mould, staff/enne/keep/PN6712 19.11

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5 Figure 3 is an end elevational view of an erected and braced wall panel to form part of a wall of a building, Figure 4 is an end view similar to that of Figure 3 showing construction of the roof structure, Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figures 3 and 4 after completion of pouring of the floor slab, curing thereof and thus completion of the construction of the building.

Turning to Figure 1 of the drawings, and in accordance with this preferred embodiment of the invention, an area of land 10 at the building site is cleared and levelled and a temporary or sacrificial casting bed 11 is laid. In this embodiment of the invention the casting bed ~is a relatively thin slab of concrete and because it is o 15 thin it is relatively inexpensive. Alternatively, a temporary casting bed formed as a timber or steel framed platform and covered with sheet material to provide a level

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casting surface may be utilised. Such a temporary casting bed may be constructed to be reusable, or for use 20 subsequently as part of a building, for example, it may be used to form the floor of an upper level of the building.

With reference to Figure 2 of the drawings a plurality of wall panels 12 are poured sequentially within a mould 13 formed from timber or any other suitable material. A first wall panel is poured and allowed to cure, material is then applied to prevent adhesion between the first panel and a second panel cast on the top thereof, and so on, until a stack of wall panels have been cast and cured within the mould. Whilst casting of the wall panels has been carried out the site is being further cleared and prepared, whilst footings 17 for the wall panels are also being cast.

staff/enne/keep/PN6712 19.11 6 The mould 13 is then removed and the wall panels 12 erected upright and braced by props 14 (Figure In this embodiment of the invention the wall may be erected around the casting bed 11 which is sacrificed by becoming part of the floor slab when it is subsequently cast.

At the same time as the wall panels are being cast and the site further cleared, a roof assembly which may be of the type the subject of our Australian patent no. 634235, is constructed elsewhere on the site whereby when the wall panels are erected the roof assembly can then be positioned whilst the floor slab 16 is also being cast to complete the construction of the building (Figures 4 and 5).

staff/enne/keep/PN6712 19.11 7 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A method of constructing a building, wherein a temporary or sacrificial casting bed is prepared at the building site and upon which wall panels are cast, erecting and bracing the wall panels after casting thereof, and thereafter providing a roof and casting a floor slab.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the casting bed is a relatively thin slab of concrete.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 2, wherein after the completion of use of the casting bed the floor slab is cast over the bed whereby it becomes part of the floor slab.

A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the casting bed is a temporary casting bed formed as a timber or steel framed platform covered with sheet material to provide a level casting surface.

A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a stack of wall panels are progressively cast one on top of the other separated by material to prevent adhesion between the respective panels.

6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein whilst the wall panels are being cast footings for the panels are also being cast.

7. A method of constructing a building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A building constructed in accordance with the method of any one of Claims 1 to 7.

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