AU739647B2 - Building construction - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

o* o*o* 9**P* @9 Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Application No: Radomir KASTRATOVIC Radomir KASTRATOVIC KEN MABA-T'N,

ATTOF'RE-

5th Floo., 15u G.

Adelaide, South Australia, 5000 ;A

R

"Building Construction" -C 22 PN 9570 dated 2 9 th April, 1996 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to the applicant.

-1- This invention relates to a building construction and a method of construction of a building.

At the present time the standard method of construction of a building is to firstly lay a foundation, sometimes also incorporating a floor, and if the building is on unstable soil such as "Bay of Biscay" soil, the foundation needs to be very deep. Brickwork, framework or a combination of both is then secured to the foundation, and the interior walls are usually plastered or if framework is used, the interior walls have panels of prefabricated material secured to them.

Quite often painting is also required, and in some instances both inside and 10 out. A roof structure is then produced which is secured to the upper ends of the walls, and ceilings are separately secured to framework which is usually timber *ol so that securing is facilitated.

The main object of this invention is to provide a building construction wherein the number of operations is substantially reduced.

°igloo 15 In this invention a building construction comprises a plurality of blocks which are retained in an assembled condition by fasteners which extend through apertures in spacers within the blocks.

Thus, in an embodiment of the invention, a building block is provided with two rectilinear frame subassemblies, spacers separating the subassemblies at their corners, apertures extending through the spacers, and panels incorporating the sub-assemblies. The panels may, for example, comprise ceramic material, or moulded material such as concrete which is moulded around the frame sub-assemblies. The panels may include facing material which can, for example, be of ceramic tiles, or other material having decorative properties.

The invention further extends to a method of construction with building, and in one method of construction of a building, bolts secure the spacers of adjacent blocks in face to face relationship to thereby establish self-supporting -2panels of sufficient strength to avoid the need for separate load bearing frame members other than those in the building blocks. In some instances the need for separate monolithic foundations can be avoided, and use can be made of support pads which are spaced from one another.

A search through Australian and International records has established that the use of joined blocks or the use of a skeleton of frames has been contemplated in the prior art, and for example reference can be made specifically to the French Patent No 2560620 in the name of Rouchet, and also to the Australian Patent Application No 41475/89 (613301) in the name of 10 Newsom. These werethe two closest prior art documents discovered by the Applicant's search, but further reference may be made to the Australian Patent Application No 28695/84 (571527) in the name of Vitale. Other less relevant references are Australian Patent Nos 41862/72 (468309), 29773/71 (466366), 82355/87 (592912), 17282/92, 67191/94 (PCT/CA94/00274), 15 (PCT/NZ94/00047), all these being available from the Australian Patent Office.

In addition, the International component of the Applicant's search disclosed the further relevant references: AU-94-60782; EP-0303526; DE-3222318; FR- 2630475; and a large number of references wherein cementatious or ceramic material has been associated with frames in which separate panels are used to form blocks which can be used in building. However, the Applicant has no knowledge of any prior art wherein the blocks are interconnected so as to form structural panels which require little or no ancillary supports. Furthermore, it appears to be completely new to have blocks which, beside having the structural facilities referred to, also have, when factory produced, finished surfaces on opposite faces thereby avoiding the need for separate framework structures and at the same time avoiding the need for subsequent painting, or at least reducing that need to much less than has been required previously.

-3- An embodiment of the invention is described in some detail with reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 is a partly sectioned view through a building which could be conveniently used for a dwelling; Fig 2 shows diagrammatically, a building block, and two rectilinear frame sub-assemblies (without incorporation into concrete to form a block); Fig 3 is a top view of a block in its assembled form; Fig 4 is an elevational section; Fig 5 is a perspective view illustrating a stage of building construction; 10 Fig 6 is an "exploded" view of a block and gasket; and Fig 7 illustrates the structural integrity of a building constructed according to this invention.

Referring firstly to Fig 1, a building 10 comprises a base structure assembly 11, side walls and end walls 12, an intermediate structure assembly 15 13, the upper panels of which form the floor of a second level and the lower panel the ceiling of a first level, and a roof 14. Again, in the case of the roof, the upper surface is exposed to the exterior of the building 10 and the lower surface is a ceiling formed from the panels of the blocks which are comprised therein.

In many instances it is unnecessary to utiiise monolithic foundations, and in the embodiment illustrated the foundations are replaced by a plurality of support pads 16, and as shown the support pads 16 support the corners of the building 10. The sizes of the pads will be determined by the conditions of the footings upon which they rest.

Fig 1 illustrates how all of the base structure assembly 11, walls 12, intermediate structure 13 and roof 14 can be comprised by a plurality of blocks and each block 20 is constructed substantially as shown in Figs 2, 3, 4 and 6. Each block 20 has two rectilinear frames 21 formed from mesh grids 22, and -4angle section spacers 25 and locking bolts 26 extending through aligned apertures in the angle section spacers 25 to secure a plurality of blocks together in building construction. Fig 6 shows use of a gasket 27 to inhibit moisture penetration.

Each rectilinear frame 21 supports a facing panel 28, and in the embodiment illustrated the facing panel 28 comprises an inner vibrated concrete layer 29 which is poured over rear faces of a series of tiles 30 (which may have re-entrant lugs embedded in concrete 29 to retain the tiles in their assembly), and also incorporates the mesh grids 22 which reinforces the 10 concrete 29. It will be noted that the outer surfaces 32 of the angle section spacers 25 are co-planar with the concrete, so that when the spacers 25 of adjoining blocks 20 are clamped in face to face relationship, the need for separate sealing material or mortar between adjacent blocks is removed.

The diagonal stays 33 illustrated in Fig 1 are optional, but are very 15 desirable if the sizes of the structures 11, 12 and 13 are considerable. It will be noted that the roof 14 does not require diagonal stays in most instances.

The method of construction of each block is to firstly produce two rectilinear frames 21 and secure them together with the angle section spacers S• 25. Tiles (or alternative decor) and the joined sub-assemblies are then placed into a mould, and concrete is poured to incorporate the grids 22 and also the tiles 30 into each of the two facing panels 28. This operation need not necessarily be conducted independently for each sub-assembly, but may be effected on a number of tile panels simultaneously.

Fig 5 illustrates also the shape of a corner block 31, which can advantageously have a face of raised portions as shown.

Fig 7 is similar to Fig 1, and different features bear corresponding designations. Fig 7 illustrates how an entire construction can be regarded as a simple rigid structure. The arch decor 40 may comprise blocks which interengage as described above, except for the curved shapes.

The loading which is imposed through the vertical walls 12, and also by the live loading and dead loading contained within the building on the base structure 11 and the intermediate structure, 13 is supported by the bolts and the frame members which are bolted and effectively comprises a large number of both transverse and longitudinal beams, such that any additional structure is not required. The spacers between opposite faces of the blocks all interconnect as shown in Figs 1 and 2 and provide conduit spaces for cooling for example, 10 from a gable air cooler 35, or from a heater (not shown) but set close to the ground for heating during the winter time. Besides providing that advantage, this invention also has the advantages of: a. the building is substantially fire proof; b. all blocks are preformed under factory conditions; 15 c. no wood is required; d. the type of structure may be substantially self-supporting and earthquake proof, when associated with resilient mounted footings or pads; e. the structures are nevertheless substantially rigid in all directions; f. the building is substantially proof against attack by termites; g. the type of structure is such that there is unlikely to be any vibration or twisting occur after erection; h. painting and subsequent treatment is substantially avoided; and i. the building may be constructed without the use of separate load bearing frames, and withstand some earth movement.

Referring again to Fig 1, a roof 36 is illustrated as a tiled roof which can be very efficiently and effectively laid on the exterior surface of the roof 14.

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Claims (12)

1. Building construction comprising a plurality of building blocks, each said building block comprising two rectilinear frame sub- assemblies, spacers separating the sub-assemblies at their corners, panels incorporating respective said sub-assemblies, apertures extending through spacers, and fasteners extending through said apertures securing said plurality of building blocks together.

2. Building construction according to claim 1 wherein each 10 said spacer is of angle section metal, having two flanges at right angles to one another, and said apertures extend through said flanges.

3. Building construction according to claim 2 wherein said securing means comprise bolts which join adjacent building blocks together, by clamping contiguous said spacer flanges of adjacent building blocks face to 15 face.

4. Building construction according to claim 3 wherein said clamping of contiguous spacer flanges joins said building blocks into a self- supporting structure. 0

5. Building construction according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein said building construction comprises a floor, side walls and roof, all comprising said building blocks.

6. Building construction according to any one of claims 3, 4 or wherein said building construction does not include separate load bearing frame members.

7. A building block useable in building construction according to any preceding claim, comprising two rectilinear frame sub-assemblies, -7- I spacers separating said sub-assemblies at their corners, apertures extending through the spacers, and a pair of spaced concrete panels incorporating respective said sub- assemblies.

8. A building block according to claim 7 wherein each said spacer is of angle section metal having flanges at right angles to each other.

9. A building block according to claim 8 wherein said apertures extend through said flanges.

A building block according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein 10 outer surfaces of said flanges lie co-planar with surfaces of said spaced concrete panels in an arrangement whereby, upon clamping of two blocks together, contiguous surfaces of said flanges abut and respective said co- •planar concrete surfaces also abut. 1.s

11. Building construction substantially as hereinbefore 15 described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig 1.

12. A building block substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs 2, 3 and 4. DATED this 29th day of April, 1997 RADOMIR KASTRATOVIC By his Patent Attorney KEN MADDERN