CH716058A1 - Insulation box and fireproof protection process for technical elements of a building. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of fireproof protection of technical elements (E) of a building by means of one or more prefabricated insulation boxes (C), allowing the precalking of a vacant space in the concrete structure (P ) of a building. The box 5 comprises an easily modifiable fire-retardant material and is arranged before the concrete pouring of the building structure. The prefabricated box is then hollowed out so as to install the technical elements that need to be protected from fire. The invention also relates to such an insulation box (C) and such a concrete structure (P).

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to the thermal insulation of the technical elements of a building and in particular their fire insulation. The present description refers in particular to an insulation box comprising a fire-retardant material, as well as to a method of fire-retardant insulation of the technical elements to be incorporated into the building.

State of the art

[0002] Traditionally, the concrete structures of buildings under construction are cast in their entirety without taking into account possible passages of technical elements such as ducts or pipes. This practice requires drilling the concrete afterwards to accommodate the technical elements essential to the functioning of the building. This takes time and effort, which is detrimental to delivery times and construction costs.

In addition, when the passages are arranged in the concrete structure, it is customary to seal the technical elements after their installation by inserting into the remaining space a fire retardant material. The installation of the fire retardant material after the fact can be made difficult for reasons of space or ease of access. The caulking operation is then delicate and may not lead to optimal protection.

[0004] The process should then be improved to make it possible to reduce construction costs and times, while improving the quality of the protection against fires.

Brief summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims to overcome these difficulties. In particular, the present invention covers a method of flame retardant protection of the technical elements of a building by means of a prefabricated insulation box. The insulation box comprises or is made of flame retardant material.

[0006] The method comprises a step b) of pre-caulking, during which an insulation box is placed in a vacant space, intended to accommodate the technical elements of the building.

The method comprises a casting step c) during which the concrete of the concrete structure of the building is poured around the insulation box, so as to trap the box in the concrete, at least by its side surfaces. The side surfaces refer to the surfaces of the insulation box perpendicular to the plane of the concrete structure of the building.

[0008] The method comprises a step d) of hollowing out the insulation box, during which the insulation box is perforated. Preferably, the perforation is carried out in the central part so as to leave a substantial volume of the insulating box between the concrete structure and the technical elements which must be integrated.

[0009] The method comprises an installation step e) of technical elements in or through the recess of the insulation box.

[0010] The method may further comprise a step a) of reinforcement during which the reinforcing bars are arranged to construct the concrete structure of the building. The reinforcement is then carried out so as to leave at least one space vacant, in which the insulation box is put in place during pre-caulking step b).

[0011] Where appropriate, the insulating box is arranged so as to come into contact with the concrete irons, or to be interconnected with the end of the rebars arranged during the first step a).

[0012] The casting step c) can be carried out so as to touch the visible surface of the insulation box installed during the second step b), with the surface of the concrete structure, once cast, or so as to partially or totally cover the visible surface of the insulation box, or so as to leave part of the insulation box protruding from the surface of the concrete structure once it has been poured. The visible area refers to the surface of the insulation box parallel to the plane of the concrete structure. It is therefore orthogonal to the side surfaces.

[0013] The recessing step d) is preferably carried out by hand or using manual tools such as a knife, spatula or the like.

A sixth step f) of waterproofing can be provided at the end of the steps described above. The process is then carried out according to the sequence: first a), second b), third c), fourth d) and fifth steps e), which are carried out chronologically in this order.

[0015] The object of the present invention is also an insulating box comprising an easily moldable flame retardant material, or made of an easily moldable flame retardant material, optionally covered with a layer of impermeable material. The insulation box is suitable for being incorporated into a concrete structure of a building. The flame retardant material is preferably selected from rock wool or compacted glass wool. The density is preferably equal to or greater than 150 kg / m <3>.

The object of the present invention is further a prefabricated concrete structure comprising at least one insulation box as described above. The concrete structure can then be assembled with the rest of the building, before hollowing out the insulation box and installing the technical elements to be protected.

Brief description of the figures

[0017] Examples of implementation of the invention are indicated in the description illustrated by the appended figures: <tb> <SEP> • Figure 1: insulation box placed before pouring concrete <tb> <SEP> • Figure 2: schematic view of an insulation box integrated into the building structure.

Example (s) of embodiment of the invention

The present invention relates to a thermal insulation box C intended to protect the technical elements of a building from fire. The insulation box C comprises in particular a flame retardant material resistant to fire at least 30 minutes, or even 60 minutes, or even 90 minutes and more. The fire resistance is determined according to the provisions of the AEAI standard in force.

The insulation box C is a block made of a flame retardant C1 such as glass wool, rock wool, or harder materials such as cellular concrete or equivalent. Preferably, the insulating box C used for the purposes of the invention is made of an easily moldable material so as to be able to hollow out and insert the technical elements of the building. Rock wool or glass wool are fire-retardant materials particularly suitable for this purpose. Such materials can be compacted so as to maintain a clean and rigid shape.

The terms "easily moldable" denote a material that can be worked by hand, or with a manual tool such as a knife or a spatula or equivalent. Such a material eliminates the need for heavy and bulky equipment such as electric or pneumatic jackhammers and perforators. Such a material also allows you to save time in the installation of technical elements E.

The insulation box C takes the dimensions necessary for the location of the technical elements E of the building. It can for example take the form of a cube or a rectangular parallelepiped with a thickness of the order of 20 cm, 30 cm, 50 cm or more. The width is adapted to the technical elements E to be incorporated into the building during its construction. A width of a few tens of centimeters may be sufficient. The width can extend up to 1 m, 2 m, 3 m or more depending on the dimensions of the technical elements. The length is adaptable in the same proportions, that is to say of the order of a few tens of centimeters to 1 m or 2 m or 3 m or more.

The technical elements E designate any installation to be integrated into the building during its construction. They include ventilation ducts, ventilation boxes, electrical boxes, electrical cable trays, any monitoring devices integrated into the building structure, including building integrity monitoring devices, if applicable, communication devices and their connections, air conditioning or heating devices.

The insulating box C can be covered with a layer of waterproof material C2, so as to preserve the fire-retardant material from moisture, in particular during its storage or transport. The waterproof layer C2 can be a layer of aluminum, or a polymer layer such as a plastic material, or a mixture of several layers of different materials. The waterproof layer C2 can for example consist of a first layer of cardboard material to give it the rigidity necessary for its maintenance, and a second waterproof layer of aluminum or plastic. The waterproof layer C2 can be an elastomer layer such as rubber or a thermoplastic.

The insulation box C is intended to be disposed in the concrete structure P of the building. It may for example be placed between two parts of the building under construction, such as two floors or two adjoining rooms, before the concrete is poured. In this way, the insulation box C is found integrated into the structure of the building P at locations previously identified during the design of the building. For the purposes of the present invention, the concrete structure P of the building designates any structural element shaped from concrete. The concrete structure P therefore includes any vertical wall, any horizontal slab or floor, any prefabricated structure incorporated into the building during its construction.

In this case, the insulation box C can be integrated into the metal frame, comprising the reinforcing bars, at the places where the technical elements E of the building will be placed.

When the concrete is poured, the insulation box C is preferably still visible and accessible to be able to be hollowed out in the proportions necessary for the installation of the technical elements E. The insulation box C is therefore dimensioned to be flush the surface of the concrete structure P when completed. Alternatively, the insulating box C is dimensioned so as to protrude a few centimeters, of the order of 1, 2, 5 or 10 cm from the surface of the concrete structure P once completed, so as to compensate for the thickness of a possible coating on the surface of the concrete structure P. On a vertical wall, such a coating may for example comprise a layer of thermal insulation arranged for energy saving purposes.

[0027] Alternatively, the insulation box C can be sized so as to remain set back relative to the surface of the concrete structure P. Under these conditions, the insulation box C is covered with a small thickness of concrete during its pouring, of the order of 1, 2, 5 or 10 cm. The concrete layer covering the insulation box C can however be easily broken later, due to its small thickness and therefore its low resistance. Once the concrete covering the insulation box C has been removed, the space can be exploited to place on the insulation box C a layer of waterproof material to ensure the watertightness of the assembly of the box D 'insulation with the building structure. Alternatively or in addition, a decorative or covering material can be placed there. The thickness of the material thus added can be defined to be flush with the surface of the concrete structure P.

The insulation box C allows for example a cutout between two floors to allow the passage of vertical service ducts which run along the concrete structure P of the building over its entire height or over a substantial portion of its height. The thickness of the insulation box C can be determined to match the thickness of the concrete slab once poured. It follows that the insulation box C is still visible after the slab separating the two floors is cast. It can then be hollowed out to allow the service ducts to pass from one floor to another.

The same principle is applicable for the vertical walls, which must be perforated to allow the passage of technical elements on either side of these walls.

The insulation box C is preferably sufficiently rigid to retain its shape despite the pressures exerted by the liquid concrete during its casting. Preferably the density of the insulation box C, when it is made of rock wool, is at least 150k g / m <3>. However, the density may be higher depending on the needs or the material used in the manufacture of the insulation box C.

[0031] The insulation box C is also sufficiently strong to allow the passage of a person. In other words, the insulation box C, once incorporated into a concrete slab for example, allows workers to walk on it safely, without the risk of them falling to the lower level.

[0032] Optionally, the insulating box C can be covered with a rigid material such as hard plastic or cardboard material. In addition or alternatively, the insulation box C can include in its mass rigid reinforcements such as reinforcing bars. Such reinforcements can be integrated into the insulation box C and close to its surface so as not to hinder the installation of the technical elements. Such reinforcements may for example be made of a sufficiently rigid plastic material to support the weight of a man. The reinforcements of the insulation box C, if necessary, must be able to be shaped or removed for the possible passage of technical elements. They can be easily cut or broken. PVC reinforcements can, for example, play this role.

[0033] The insulating box C advantageously makes it possible to dispense with the shuttering and stripping stages usually practiced in the construction of a building. To this end, the insulation box C can be pre-cut to measure and if necessary modified on site and placed before the concrete of the P structure is poured.

One or more of the surfaces of the insulation box C may include asperities so as to anchor the insulation box C in the concrete structure P of the building. More specifically, the surfaces intended to be in contact with the concrete structure P can be provided with one or more protuberances, which may be conical, rectangular, or of different shapes, and intended to be cast in the concrete of the structure P. in this way the insulation box C cannot be removed or moved after the concrete structure P is poured. Alternatively or in addition, one or more of the surfaces of the insulation box C are not planar so as to allow the anchoring of the insulation box C in the concrete structure P. The surfaces of the insulation box C may be example striated or wave-shaped.

[0035] Alternatively, the insulating box C is arranged so as to be partially penetrated by one or more concrete irons of the concrete structure P. Thus, the insulating box C is placed in a non-removable manner before casting of the concrete structure P around the reinforcing bars. Once the concrete structure is poured, the insulation box C is immobilized by the end of the reinforcing bars and cannot be removed or moved. The reinforcing bars can for example be incorporated into the insulation box C over a length of a few centimeters, of the order of 1, 2, 5 cm or more.

Alternatively, independent anchoring systems, such as sealing bars or other rigid rods which can be inserted into the insulation box C, over a length of a few centimeters, of the order of 1, 2, 5 cm or more, at the time of its installation, can be considered.

According to another aspect of the invention, the insulation box C can be integrated into an element of the concrete structure P prefabricated in the factory. For example, walls or elements of slabs can be prepared with one or more insulating boxes C, then transported to the site to be integrated into the rest of the building.

The insulating box C can be made from rock wool, also known as stone wool, or glass wool, in powder form or previously extruded, then compacted. One or more additives can be included, in particular to facilitate the cohesion of the raw material during pressing. Possible additives include glues and hydrophobic materials.

The present invention further covers a method of isolating technical elements E against fire.

The method comprises a first step a) of reinforcement during which the reinforcing bars of a concrete structure P are arranged. The reinforcing bars of the P structure are arranged so as to leave at least one space vacant, without reinforcing bars. The location and dimensions of this vacant space can be predicted in advance when designing the building. The location and dimensions of this vacant space can alternatively be determined on site. This reinforcement step can however be optional. When reinforcing bars are not needed, the process begins with step b).

The method comprises a second step b) of pre-caulking during which an insulating box C, as described above is arranged in the vacant space created during step a). The insulating box C can be arranged so as not to be in contact with or associated with the reinforcing bars of the structure P. Alternatively, the insulating box C can be arranged so as to be in close contact with the bars. concrete, or even interconnected with the end of the reinforcing bars, over a distance of a few centimeters, of the order of 1, 2, 5 cm or more. When step a) is not required, the insulation box C can be maintained by any other fixing device such as fixing lugs screwed or nailed to a support structure.

The method comprises a third step c) of casting during which the concrete is poured to form the concrete structure P of the building. The concrete is poured so as to come into contact with the insulation box C, the surfaces of which serve as formwork. The concrete of the concrete structure P can be poured so as to touch the visible surface of the insulation box C. alternatively, the concrete can be poured so as to partially or totally cover the insulation box C. Depending on the requirements As required, the concrete of the concrete structure P can be poured so as to leave a visible surface of the insulation box C protruding, which then forms a setback with respect to the surface of the concrete structure P once poured.

The method comprises a fourth step d) of hollowing out the insulating box C. The insulating box C is perforated, preferably in its central part, in the dimensions which correspond to the dimensions of the technical element E , or technical elements E to be incorporated. The recess is carried out with bare hands or using manual tools, such as spatulas, knife, possibly chisels. Preferably, the recess of the insulation box C does not require any mechanical tool. In the case where the insulation box C is covered with a layer of concrete during step c), the hollowing step d) comprises the destruction of this layer of concrete. Preferably, the destruction of the concrete layer can be carried out without a mechanical tool, but using manual tools such as a hammer, sledgehammer, possibly chisel. In the case where the insulation box comprises a layer C2 impermeable to water, the step of hollowing out comprises the destruction of this layer C2 of impermeable material. When the insulating box C comprises one or more reinforcements, the step of hollowing out the insulating box C can comprise the destruction of one or more of these reinforcements. Preferably, these reinforcements can be easily destroyed by hand or using manual tools such as a chisel, chisel or saw. The dimensions of the recess of the insulation box C correspond to that of the technical elements E to be incorporated, possibly increased by a clearance necessary for the installation of these technical elements E. The clearance can be of the order of a few millimeters. or a few centimeters depending on the size and shape of the technical elements E to be incorporated.

In the case where the concrete structure P is a prefabricated structure to be integrated into a construction in progress, a step c2) of assembling the concrete structure P to the rest of the building must be provided before step d ) recess of the insulation box.

The method comprises a fifth step e) of placing the technical elements E in the insulation box C. The technical elements E are those listed above. However, the list is not exhaustive. It is understood that any element intended for the operation of the building and for its integrity, and which must be the subject of fireproof protection, can be considered as a technical element E for the purposes of the present invention. The technical elements E also include any accessories such as thermal insulation layers to prevent condensation, reinforcing structures, covering elements. The technical element (s) E are placed in the recess made during the fourth step d).

The method may include a sixth step f) of waterproofing, so as to make the assembly of the insulation box C with the concrete structure P watertight. This step f) is not mandatory . It is especially superfluous in the internal parts of the building. It may, however, be necessary for the external parts of the building, in particular for the roofs and the external walls. The waterproofing step f) can comprise the sprinkling, the dispersing, or the insertion into the intermediate spaces of an impermeable material such as a silicone paste. Alternatively or in addition, waterproofing can be carried out using tar paper, expanded foam, or any other means customary in the context of real estate construction.

According to the method of the present invention, steps a), b), c), d), e) and f) described above are carried out in the order explained.

Reference numbers used in figures

C Insulation box C1 Flame retardant material C2 Layer of waterproof material E Technical elements P Concrete structure of the building

Claims (10)

1. A method of flame retardant protection of the technical elements (E) of a building by means of one or more prefabricated insulation boxes (C), the method comprising: - a step b) of pre-caulking, during which a prefabricated insulation box (C) comprising a fire retardant material is placed in a vacant space, left free for the passage of technical elements (E) in a concrete structure (P), - a casting step c) during which the concrete of the concrete structure (P) is poured around the insulation box (s) (C) until it comes into contact with the insulation box (s) (C) arranged during step b), - a step d) of hollowing out the insulation box or boxes (C), during which the insulation box or boxes (C) are perforated in their central part, - an installation step e) of technical elements (E) in, or through the recess of the insulation box (s) (C) arranged during step b). 2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising a step a) of reinforcement during which the reinforcing bars are arranged to construct the concrete structure (P) of the building, so as to leave one or more spaces vacant, and in which the insulation box (s) (C) are put in place during pre-caulking step b) so as to come into contact with the reinforcing bars, or to be interconnected with the end of the reinforcing bars arranged during the first step a). 3. Method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein step c) of casting is carried out so as to touch the visible surface of the insulation box (s) (C) installed during the second step b), with the surface of the concrete structure (P), once poured, or so as to partially or totally cover the visible surface of the insulation box (C), or so as to leave part of the insulation box (s) (C) ) protrude from the surface of the concrete structure (P) once poured. 4. Method according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the hollowing step d) is performed by hand or using manual tools such as a knife, spatula or the like. 5. Method according to either of the preceding claims, further comprising a sixth step f) of waterproofing. 6. Method according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the first a), second b), third c), fourth d) and fifth steps e) are performed chronologically in this order. 7. Insulation box (C) comprising an easily moldable flame retardant material, optionally covered with a layer of impermeable material, suitable for being incorporated into a concrete structure (P) of a building. 8. Insulating box (C) according to claim 7, characterized in that the fire retardant material is selected from rock wool or compacted glass wool. 9. Insulation box (C) according to either of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that its density is equal to or greater than 150 kg / m <3>. 10. Concrete structure (P) comprising one or more insulating boxes (C) as described in claims 7 to 9.