CN109415893B

CN109415893B - Building structure connecting device and using method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN109415893B
Application number: CN201780037359.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 阿恩·奥尔森; 尼尔斯·马格纳尔·赫勒
Original assignee: Polybo AS
Current assignee: Bolibao Recycling Co.,Ltd.
Priority date: 2016-06-14
Filing date: 2017-06-13
Publication date: 2021-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2037-06-13
Also published as: NO342700B1; EP3469160B1; CN109415893A; NO342534B1; LT3469160T; EP3469160A1; PL3469160T3; NO20161845A1; DK3469160T3; EP3469160A4; NO20161000A1

Abstract

A building structure connection device (1) and a method for connecting an end portion (3) of at least one first building element (5) having a thickness (T5) to an end portion (7) of at least one second building element (9), the connection device (1) comprising: a first joint element (11) for connection to an end portion (3) of a first building element (5); the first joint element (11) having a length substantially corresponding to the thickness (T5) of the first building element (5); a second joint element (13) for connection to an end portion (7) of a second building element (9); and at least one elongate member (20) for being slidably engageable with at least one of the first and second joint elements (11, 13) such that relative movement between the first and second joint elements (11, 13) in at least one direction is prevented.

Description

Building structure connecting device and using method thereof

Technical Field

The present application relates to a connection device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a building structure connecting device and a method for connecting an end portion of at least one first building element to an end portion of at least one second building element.

Background

The first building element may for example be a slat element, wherein a plurality of such slat elements arranged side by side may provide a floor or a roof in a building. Such a slat element has a length defined by a first end portion, a width defined by a second end portion, and a thickness defined by a top side and a bottom side. The second building element may for example be a support (such as a wall, a column, a supporting beam or a foundation) configured for supporting at least an end portion of the first building element.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the slats and the supports must be interconnected to achieve the desired stability. For building structures comprising steel elements, the required stability is usually provided by means of welding and/or bolting. For building structures constructed of cast-in-place concrete, the required stability can often be provided by means of reinforcing bars interconnecting elements such as walls and floors.

Buildings constructed of concrete may be made from prefabricated elements, with floors or roofs made from precast slat elements or from "beams" placed side by side to form slats. Concrete walls are usually manufactured by placing two or more wall elements side by side, usually connected to each other by means of a tongue and groove arrangement.

In order to provide the required connections between such prefabricated wall elements and between the wall elements and the slat elements, so-called "welded plates" are often used. In this case, the welded plates must be disposed spaced apart from each other before the concrete is poured into the formwork. During erection, the abutting weld plates are welded together to provide the desired connection. However, such a connection is not considered to be capable of transferring bending moments between the wall element and the slat element. The slats must therefore be designed to be freely supported, i.e. supported on the ends and freely rotatable and without a resisting moment.

Furthermore, the connection provided by means of the welding plates requires precise positioning of the welding plates in the formwork before the concrete is poured, as well as a thorough check of the positioning of the elements before welding.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to remedy or reduce at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative to the prior art.

This object is achieved by the features specified in the description below and in the subsequent claims.

The invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims define advantageous embodiments of the invention.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a building structure connecting device for connecting an end portion of at least one first building element having a thickness to an end portion of at least one second building element. The connecting device includes:

-a first joint element for connection to an end portion of a first building element; the first joint element having a length substantially corresponding to the thickness of the first building element;

-a second joint element for connection to an end portion of a second building element; and

-at least one elongate member for slidable engagement with at least one of the first and second joint elements such that relative movement between the first and second joint elements is prevented.

The elongate member may have a length that exceeds the length of the first connector element. This has the following effect: each of the at least one elongate member that slides into engagement with the first and second joint elements provides a rigid connection capable of transmitting bending moments. Thus, the structure comprising at least one first building element and at least one second building element, which comprise a first joint element and a second joint element, respectively, may be designed as a rigid frame structure.

In a first embodiment, the elongated member may be a beam having an H-shaped or I-shaped beam profile. At least the first joint element may be provided with a box section for receiving a flange of a beam and a slot for receiving a web of the beam. Preferably, the slot extends through at least one end portion of the first joint element so as to be arranged to allow sliding movement of the elongate member or beam relative to the first joint element. However, the slots extending through both end portions of the first joint element allow the elongate member to extend from both end portions and are preferred as this provides a greater range of use.

The second joint element may comprise a cavity for receiving and supporting an end portion of the elongate member. Thus, the second joint element may provide a closure for the end portion of the elongate member. The second joint element may be provided with a base plate for supporting the end face of the elongate member.

In a second embodiment, the elongated member (20) may be a bolt configured for receiving a nut to provide a bolted connection between at least one of the first and second joint elements.

The first joint element may comprise a box section integrated in an end portion of the first building element. The box section is provided with at least one perforation for receiving a bolt.

The second joint element of the connecting device may comprise a plate member forming part of the end portion of the second building element, the plate member being provided with at least one perforation mating with a perforation in the box section. Thus, the bolts may connect the tank section with the plate member.

The first building element may be a slat element and the second building element may be a support for supporting the slat element. The slat element may form part of the floor and the support may form part of the wall. However, the support may alternatively or additionally be arranged on top of the first building element, i.e. supported by the slat element. Thus, the connecting device according to the invention may provide a rigid connection between a first building element, such as a floor element, and a second building element, such as a wall element, supporting the first building element, and/or a rigid connection between the first building element and a further second building element supported by the first building element, i.e. wherein the second building element is arranged on top of the first building element.

The first building element and the second building element mayTo be made of concrete. Preferably, such concrete elements are prefabricated. The concrete element may be solid. However, solid concrete has a typical value of about 2400-2500kg/m³The density of (c). There are several disadvantages to this high density. One of the drawbacks is that handling such elements, which may weigh several tons, requires relatively powerful lifting equipment. At the construction site, arranging access for heavy lifting equipment that may be required during installation of the slat element with the wall element may be problematic. Another drawback associated with heavy structures is the limitation of the axle pressure allowed on the road network, which may result in more travel from the manufacturer to the construction site. The disadvantages of heavy prefabricated slat elements are even greater where it is difficult to provide sufficient capacity of lifting equipment. Additionally, road transport may be the most challenging if road standards are poor.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that building structures comprising high static load building elements, such as the solid slat elements and wall elements described above, may be significantly more susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes than structures having a lower density. This, together with the infrastructure and limited access to suitable lifting equipment, may be an explanation for the fact that there is relatively little use of slat elements of the type described above in some countries and regions.

Thus, to reduce the static load of the first and second building elements, the aggregate of the concrete may comprise granulated expanded polystyrene.

The applicant's patent application PCT/NO2016/050083 discloses a plate-like slat element for use as a floor in a building. The slats have a length defined by a first end portion, a width defined by a second end portion and a thickness defined by a top side and a bottom side. The slat element is made of concrete with aggregate comprising a foamed plastic material, and the slat element is provided with a reinforcement comprising an upper grid reinforcement and a lower grid reinforcement. The slat element is supported by the support element at least in a portion of the first end portion. The slat element comprises at least two spaced-apart truss beams each extending in at least two dimensions between the first end portions. At least two spaced-apart truss beams are connected to the upper and lower grid stiffeners at the upper and lower portions, respectively. All of the reinforcement is embedded in the concrete, wherein the aggregate of the concrete comprises granulated expanded polystyrene. In one embodiment disclosed in PCT/NO2016/050083, the aggregate of the concrete consists only of granulated expanded polystyrene.

Hereinafter, this type of concrete in which the aggregate of the concrete comprises or consists of granulated expanded polystyrene is also referred to as EPS concrete. The use of EPS concrete as material other than reinforcement has the effect of a plate element, so as to obtain a density of about 20-25% of the density of the corresponding lath made of solid reinforced concrete, and a density of about 40-50% of the density of the corresponding lath made of filigree laths. The reduced density will in turn have the positive effect of allowing the amount of reinforcement required in relation to the corresponding higher density slats to be reduced. The reduced amount of reinforcement in turn has a positive effect on the overall weight of the structure.

The truss girder embedded in the EPS concrete stably resists buckling of compressive stress through the EPS concrete and the upper and lower mesh reinforcements. It is therefore important that each of these is firmly fixed to the truss beam. The adhesion between the EPS concrete and the reinforcement ensures the utilization of the tensile capacity of the reinforcement.

The two-dimensional truss beam may be formed of wire and include a lower chord, an upper chord, and an inclined member extending between the lower chord and the upper chord in a zig-zag shape between the first end portions. The purpose of the inclined member is to absorb shear forces.

In one embodiment, the truss beam may extend in three dimensions between the first end portions. This has the effect of, among other things, increasing the buckling capacity in relation to that of the two-dimensional lattice girder.

Such a three-dimensional truss beam may be formed of wire and comprises a lower chord, an upper chord and an inclined member extending in a zigzag shape between the lower chord and the upper chord, at least one of the upper chord and the lower chord comprising two spaced apart wires. The at least two truss beams arranged in a spaced apart manner may thus exhibit a V-shape or a Λ -shape, or a combination thereof, as seen from the end portion.

In order to provide a strong joint between the truss beam and the upper and lower grid stiffeners, the joint of the stiffeners may be provided by means of welding.

Application PCT/NO2016/050083 further discloses a method for producing a plate-like slat element, wherein the method comprises: providing a mould frame; positioning at least two truss beams having upper and lower portions substantially parallel and bonding a lattice reinforcement to each of the upper and lower portions of the truss beams so as to produce a complete reinforcement; placing the complete reinforcement at a desired location in the formwork; and preparing a homogeneous concrete block in which aggregate of the concrete includes granular expanded polystyrene, and filling the concrete into the formwork such that the complete reinforcement is embedded in the homogeneous concrete block.

The plate-like slat element disclosed in PCT/NO2016/050083 is particularly suitable for use as a first building element for carrying a first joint element and as a second building element for carrying a second joint element, both forming part of a connecting device according to the invention.

Thus, the first building element and the second building element may comprise at least two spaced-apart truss girders each extending at least in two dimensions between the end portions, the at least two spaced-apart truss girders may be connected to the upper and lower grid stiffeners at the upper and lower portions, respectively.

In one embodiment of the invention, the concrete batten member is provided with at least two spaced apart three dimensional lattice girders connected at upper and lower portions to an upper and a lower lattice reinforcement.

The concrete wall element may be provided with similar reinforcement means or by means of at least two spaced apart two-dimensional lattice girders connected at upper and lower portions to upper and lower lattice reinforcements.

In order to achieve a rigid connection capable of transmitting bending moments, the first joint element and the second joint element according to the invention must be fixed to the end portion of the first building element and the end portion of the second building element, respectively. Depending on the material of the construction element, the joint element may be fixed by means of mechanical connection means (such as bolts, wires, etc.), welding, adhesive means or a combination of two or more thereof.

In embodiments in which one or both of the first and second building elements are made of concrete, the first and second joint elements may be fixed to a portion of the reinforcement of the first and second building elements, respectively, by means of welding. Alternatively, the joint element may be fixed to the reinforcement by means of a wire.

In one embodiment, an end portion of each truss beam is provided with a first or second joint element.

However, the first joint element and the second joint element may alternatively be fixed to the first building element and the second building element by means of, for example, rods or angles extending from the joint elements into the building elements. Such bars or angles must be designed to resist the forces acting on the joint elements. The bars or angles and/or the joint elements themselves have to be fixed in the correct position before the concrete is poured into the formwork, for example by connecting the joint elements to the formwork.

In one embodiment, the second building element (e.g. wall element) may be provided with at least one element hole extending through the side (i.e. its thickness) and through the second joint element. A corresponding member aperture may be provided through a portion of the elongated member. The aperture is arranged at a position allowing the aperture to be aligned after the elongated member has been slid into the cavity of the second joint element, such that locking means for preventing the elongated member from being moved out of the cavity may be inserted into the aperture. The locking means may typically be a rod, such as a bolt. Such a bolt may be provided with a nut to prevent the bolt from moving out of the hole.

Thus, the holes in the second building element, the second joint element and the elongated member may be prefabricated and arranged at positions allowing the holes to be aligned in the use position. Alternatively, the hole for receiving the locking means may be made by drilling through the element and member after installation.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a building comprising a connection device according to the first aspect of the present invention.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of connecting building elements by means of a connecting device according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the method comprises:

-aligning at least one first joint element and a second joint element with each other;

-sliding the elongate member into engagement with the first and second connector elements.

In erected condition, the first building element, such as a floor element carried on top of a second building element (e.g. a wall element), the at least one first and second joint elements may be aligned with each other such that they reach mutually correct positions for receiving the elongated members. Thereafter, the elongated member may first be slid into engagement with the first connector element and further into engagement with the second connector element.

Alternatively, the elongate member may first be inserted into engagement with the second connector element such that the elongate member projects upwardly from the second connector element. Thereafter, the first joint element of the first building element may be slid into engagement with the elongated member and lowered until the first building element is supported on top of the second building element.

If a second building element, for example a wall element, is alternatively or additionally required on top of the first building element (as in the case of a multi-storey building where the floor element provides support for the wall element), the elongate member may have a length that provides an upward projection from the top surface of the first building element. Then, the second joint element of a further second building element (e.g. a wall element or a column) may be slid into engagement with the protruding elongate member.

As mentioned above, in order to lock a second building element supported on top of the first building element, a locking device may be inserted through the hole extending therefrom, through the second joint and through the elongated member.

As long as the first joint element and the second joint element are correctly arranged in the first building element and the second building element, respectively, the connecting device will ensure a correct mutual position of the building elements and, in addition, a rigid connection capable of transferring bending moments. Furthermore, the building structure assembled by means of the connecting device according to the invention can be easily disassembled. This possibility of disassembly is particularly useful for temporary building structures.

Drawings

In the following, examples of preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are described, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of spaced apart items of a connection device;

fig. 2 shows, on a larger scale, a first joint element connected to an end portion of a first building element shown on the right in fig. 1;

fig. 3 shows, on a larger scale, a second joint element connected to the uppermost end portion of the lowermost second building element shown in fig. 1;

figure 4 shows two first building elements aligned and butted against each other on top of a second building element, and further shows the elongated member before interlocking the first joint element of the first building element with the second joint element of the second building element;

figure 5a shows a second building element lowered on top of the first building element shown in figure 4 and after the elongate members have been inserted;

fig. 5b shows a top view of the first building element shown in fig. 5a, on a larger scale, after installation of the elongated members;

figure 5c shows an alternative embodiment of the connecting device shown in figure 5b on a larger scale;

figure 6 shows the building structure after the second building element shown in figure 5a has been connected;

FIG. 7 shows a portion of the building structure after assembly;

fig. 8a shows a typical plate-like concrete batten member comprising a first joint member according to the invention at the opposite end portion, the concrete batten being viewed from the top side where the truss girder is shown;

fig. 8b shows the slat element of fig. 8a in a sectional view along I-I of fig. 8a, together with a further wall element supporting the slat element;

fig. 9a shows a section along the line II-II of fig. 8a on a larger scale;

fig. 9b shows an alternative embodiment of the lattice beam shown in fig. 9 a;

figure 10a shows an alternative embodiment of a first joint element and a second joint element connected to end portions of a first building element and a second building element, respectively, before connecting the joint elements, the second building element being an outer wall;

figure 10b shows the joint elements of figure 10a connected together on a larger scale;

fig. 11a shows a similar joint element as in fig. 10a on a larger scale, but where the second building element is an inner wall;

FIG. 11b shows the joint element of FIG. 11a connected together;

12 a-12 b illustrate an alternative embodiment of the joint element of FIGS. 10a and 10 b;

FIG. 12c shows an alternative embodiment of the joint element of FIG. 11 b;

figure 13a shows a cut along a-a in figure 10a on a larger scale;

FIG. 13B shows a cut along B-B in FIG. 10a on a larger scale;

figure 13C shows a cut along C-C in figure 10a on a larger scale;

figure 14a shows a first joint element and a second joint element for use in the building element shown in figure 11 a;

figure 14b shows a first joint element and a second joint element for use in the building element shown in figure 11 b;

fig. 14c shows the first joint element in a section along D-D in fig. 14b, i.e. seen from above; and

fig. 15 shows a principal perspective view of a first building element connected between two second building elements, similar to the embodiment shown in fig. 10 b.

Detailed Description

Positional specifications such as above, below, up, down, top, bottom, right side, and left side refer to positions shown in the drawings.

In the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals. For purposes of clarity, some elements in some figures may not have reference numbers.

For illustrative reasons, the relative proportions of some of the elements may be somewhat distorted.

In the figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a building structure connecting device. The connecting device 1 is configured for connecting an end portion 3 of at least one first building element 5 to an end portion 7 of at least one second building element 9. In the figure, the first building element 5 is shown as a plate-shaped concrete slat 5, while the second building element 9 is shown as a plate-shaped concrete wall element 9. As will be discussed below, each slat 5 and wall element 9 is provided with a reinforcement R.

The concrete slab has a length L5, a width W5, and a thickness T5. Similarly, the concrete wall element 9 has a length L9, a width W9 and a thickness T9. It should be noted that in fig. 1 to 7 and 10a to 13c, only a part of each slat 5 and wall element 9 is shown. Typically, as shown in fig. 8a, the lengths L5 and L9 are respectively greater than the widths W5 and W9 of the slats 5 and the wall elements 9.

It should be noted that the width W5 of the slat 5 may differ from the width W9 of the wall element 9, although shown as being the same in fig. 1, 4, 5a and 6.

In the first embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 8b, the connecting device 1 comprises a first joint element 11 integrally connected with the end portion 3 of the concrete slat 5, i.e. the first joint element constitutes a part of the end portion of the concrete slat 5. The first joint element 11 has a length which substantially corresponds to the thickness T5 of the concrete slat 5, i.e. the longitudinal axis of the first joint element 11 extends between the top surface and the bottom surface of the concrete slat 5.

The connecting device 1 further comprises a second joint element 13 integrally connected with the end portion 7 of the wall element 9, i.e. the second joint element 13 constitutes a part of the end portion 7 of the wall element 9. In the first embodiment the second joint element 13 has a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis extending between the end portions 7 of the second building element 9.

In fig. 1 to 5a, the concrete itself is shown as transparent, but with the reinforcement shown.

In the first embodiment, the connecting device 1 further comprises an elongated member 20 for interlocking with at least one (such as one or two) first joint element 11 and at least one (such as one or two) second joint element 13. The elongated member 20 has a length which exceeds the length of the first joint element 11, i.e. exceeds the thickness T5 of the slat 5.

In a first embodiment shown in fig. 1, 4, 5a and 5b, the elongated member 20 is a beam 20 having an H-beam profile, the beam 20 comprising beam flanges 22 spaced apart by a beam web 24 as shown in fig. 5 b. As an alternative to the H-beam profile shown in fig. 5b, the elongated member 20 may have an I-beam profile as shown on a larger scale in fig. 5 c.

The first joint element 11 is provided with a box section 111 for receiving a portion of one of the beam flanges 22 of the beam 20, and a slot 113 for receiving a portion of the beam web 24. The box section 111 and the slot 113 are open such that the beam 20 can slide relative to the first joint element 11. See, for example, fig. 4.

An advantage of the elongated member 20 having an H-shaped or I-beam profile is that the elongated member 20 can connect two first building elements 5, which two first building elements 5 are aligned and butted against each other on top of a second building element 9.

First joint element 11 in the first embodiment shown in fig. 2, a top flange 115 and a bottom flange 117 are further provided, the top flange 115 and the bottom flange 117 being connected at the end portions of the first joint element 11, for example by means of welding. The top flange 115 and the bottom flange 117 extend parallel to the top surface and the bottom surface, respectively, of the slat element 5. The main purpose of the flanges 115, 177 is to provide a rigid connection between the first joint element 11 and the slat 5. The rod 119 is connected to the inner end portions of the

flanges

115, 117 by means of welding. One purpose of the bars 119 is to serve as reinforcement for keeping the

flanges

115, 117 in the correct position with respect to the surface of the concrete slab 5. Another purpose of the bar 119 is to act as an adhesive between the concrete and the first joint element 11, thereby reducing the risk of pulling out the first joint element 11 when subjected to e.g. bending moments.

The

flanges

115, 117 may further be provided with a plurality of friction or engagement increasing means, such as protrusions (not shown) extending into the concrete slat elements 5.

In case only one first building element 5 is connected to a second building element, for example when connecting the slats 5 to an external wall element 9 of a building, the H-shaped or I-shaped beam 20 may be replaced by, for example, an RHS-beam (RHS rectangular hollow profile). The slot 113 in the first joint element may be superfluous.

In an embodiment such as that shown in fig. 3, the second joint element 13 comprises a cavity 131 for receiving and supporting an end portion of the elongated member 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the cavity 131 is defined by a rectangular hollow section 133, the rectangular hollow section 133 being configured to provide support to the beam flange 22. The longitudinal axis of the rectangular hollow section 133 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis extending between the end portions 7 of the second building element 9. At the outer end portion, the rectangular hollow section 133 is provided with an RHS flange 135 extending rectangularly outwards from the rectangular hollow section 133, such that the RHS flange 135 is coplanar with the end surface 7 of the second building element 9. The purpose of the RHS flange 135 is similar to the purpose of the

flanges

115, 117 of the first building element 5.

As mentioned above, the second joint element 13 may be provided with a bottom plate (not shown) for supporting the end surface of the elongated member 20 and for preventing uncured concrete from flowing into the cavity during manufacturing of the second building element 9.

In order to transmit forces from the concrete reinforcement R to the first joint element 11 and the second joint element 13, said

joint elements

11, 13 are connected to the reinforcement R in the shown embodiment, for example by means of welding.

Fig. 1 shows an "exploded" view of a first embodiment of a connecting device 1 according to the invention, in which two concrete panels 5 are supported by a wall element 9. After the installation of the two concrete panels 5, the other wall elements 9 are placed on top of them. In order to provide a rigid connection capable of transferring bending moments, the

elements

5, 9 are connected to each other by means of H-beams 20.

The H-shaped or I-shaped beam 20 may be attached in at least three alternative steps.

In a first alternative, after the slats 5 have been arranged on top of the lower wall element 9, the H-beams 20 are slid into engagement with the box sections 111 and the slots 113 of the first joint element 11 of the slats 5 and then into the cavities 131 of the lower second joint element 13. Thereafter the upper wall element 9 is lowered onto the strip 5, so that the H-shaped or I-shaped beam 20 slides into the cavity 131 in the second joint element 13. A first alternative is shown in fig. 4 and 5 a.

In a second alternative, the H-shaped or I-shaped beam 20 may be inserted into the cavity 131 of the lower second joint element 13 before the strip 5 is mounted to the wall element 9. Each of the slats 5 is then successively connected to the H-shaped or I-shaped beam 20 by "screwing" the first joint element 11 into the top portion of the H-shaped or I-shaped beam 20 and then sliding the slat 5 until it abuts the top portion 7 of the lower wall element 11. Thereafter the upper wall element 9 is lowered onto the strip 5, so that the H-shaped or I-shaped beam 20 slides into the cavity 131 in the second joint element 13.

In a third alternative, an H-shaped or I-shaped beam 20 may be inserted into the cavity 131 of the second joint element 13 of the upper wall part 9 and connected thereto. The upper wall part 9 is then lowered so that the H-shaped or I-shaped beam 20 simultaneously slides into engagement with the first joint element 11 of the slat 5 resting on the lower wall element 9 and further into engagement with the cavity 131 of the lower second joint element 13.

Independently of the above alternative, the upper wall element 9 and the lower wall element 9 can be prevented from moving vertically by means of a locking device. In the figures, the locking means is shown as a bolt 26, the bolt 26 being inserted through a hole 28 extending through the wall element 9, the second joint element 13 and a hole 29 extending through the H-shaped or I-shaped beam 20, as is mainly shown in fig. 6 and 7.

In fig. 1 to 5a and 7, the slats 5 and the walls 7 are shown for illustrative purposes as transparent concrete elements with a reinforcement generally indicated R.

Fig. 5b and 5c show an elongated member 20 in the form of an H-beam 20 and an I-beam 20, respectively. The web 24 of the I-beam 20 shown in figure 5c is supported by angle irons 30 (four shown) bolted to a portion of the first joint element 11.

Fig. 8a, 8b, 9a and 9b show principal drawings of suitable stiffeners. The reinforcement in the wall element 9 is not shown in fig. 8 b.

Fig. 8a, 8b and 9a show a truss girder 140 extending in a zigzag shape in width and height between the first end portions 3 of the slats 5. For the sake of clarity, the reinforcement in the wall portion is not shown in fig. 8 b.

As best seen in fig. 9a and 9b, the upper lattice stiffener 142 is fixed to the upper portion 140' of the truss beam 140 by means of a welded connection. Accordingly, the lower lattice reinforcement 144 is fixed to the lower portion 140 "of the truss beam 140 by means of a welded connection.

The truss beam 140 comprises a lower chord 146, an upper chord 148 and an inclined member 150 extending in a zigzag shape between the lower chord 146 and the upper chord 148 along the length L5 of the slat element 5.

In fig. 9a, a truss beam 140 is shown in a first, three-dimensional variation. The truss beams 140 are shown arranged alternately in a Λ and V shape.

The Λ -shaped truss beam 140 (three are shown in fig. 9 a) is provided with two lower chords 146 in its lower portion 140 ", the two lower chords 146 being arranged in parallel and in a spaced apart manner. In its upper part 140', the girder 140 is provided with an upper chord 148. The inclined members 150 are "wound" in a zigzag pattern about the longitudinal axis of the

chords

146, 148.

The V-shaped truss girder 140 (two shown in fig. 9 a) is provided with a lower chord 146 in its lower part 140 ". In its upper portion 140', the truss beam 140 has two upper chords 148 arranged in a parallel and spaced apart manner. Here, the inclined members 150 are also wound in a zigzag pattern about the longitudinal axis of the

chords

146, 148.

In fig. 9b, the truss beam 140 is shown in a second, two-dimensional variation, wherein the lower chord 146 is constructed of one wire and the upper chord 148 is constructed of one wire. The inclined members 150 are wound in a zigzag shape along the longitudinal axis of the

chords

146, 148.

The wall element 9 may be provided with similarly arranged stiffeners.

In one embodiment the concrete lath 5 is provided with a reinforcement arrangement as shown in fig. 9a, while the wall element 9 is provided with a reinforcement arrangement as shown in fig. 9 b.

In fig. 1 to 7, only one truss girder 140 is shown in each slat 5, whereas in fig. 9b two truss girders of the type shown are shown. This is for reasons of clarity. However, as best seen in fig. 8a, 9a and 9b, the slats 5 and the wall elements 9 are provided with a plurality of truss girders 140.

Turning now to fig. 10a to 15, there is shown an alternative embodiment of the first embodiment of the connecting device 1 shown in fig. 1 to 7 and also indicated in fig. 8a and 8 b. This alternative embodiment will be indicated as a second embodiment.

The main difference between the first and second embodiments shown in fig. 10a to 15 is that although the elongate member 20 of the first embodiment is in the form of a member having a length exceeding the length of the first joint element 11 (such as an H-shaped or I-beam), the elongate member 20 of the second embodiment is in the form of a bolt or bolts 20 configured to slidably engage with at least one of the first and second

joint elements

11, 13, for example.

The first joint element 11 and the second joint element 13 are typically made of metal, such as steel.

For example, referring to fig. 13c and 15, as shown in the second embodiment, the first joint element 11 comprises a box section 111 integrated in and forming part of the end portion 3 of the first construction element 5. The box section 111 is provided with perforations 112 for receiving the elongated members 20 in the form of bolts 20.

The second joint element 13 shown in the second embodiment comprises a plate element 132 forming part of the end portion 7 of the second building element 9. In the embodiment shown, the plate member 132 is provided with perforations 112' for mating with the perforations 112 in the tank section 111 (see fig. 14 a). However, in an alternative embodiment (not shown), the plate member may be provided with bolts fixedly connected to the outer portion of the plate member 132, typically by means of welding, such that the bolts protrude from said portion and may slide into the perforations 112 of the tank section 111.

Fig. 10a shows a first building element 5 in the form of a reinforced concrete slat 5 and two second building elements 9 in the form of outer wall elements 9 before assembly. One of the outer wall elements 9 will form a support for the slats 5, while the other will be supported by the slats 5. The wall element 9 is made of reinforced concrete. In the shown embodiment the stiffeners of the slats 5 and the wall elements 9 are similar to the stiffeners shown in fig. 9 b.

The lowermost one of the two wall elements 9 shown will be supported by a base F known per se, which is provided with bolts 20F protruding from the top part of the base F.

The tank section 111 of the first joint element 11 and the plate member 132 of the second joint element 13 are further provided with protruding members 120 extending into the concrete of the slat 5 and the wall element 9, respectively.

In the illustrated embodiment, the protruding member 120 is in the form of an angle member 120 that is fixedly connected to each of the tank section 111 and the plate member 132, for example by means of welding. The protruding member 120 is connected to the tank section 111 of the first joint element 11 and the plate element 132 of the second joint element 13 before the first joint element 11 and the second joint element 13 are arranged in the formwork. Thus, the protruding member 120 may be connected to a portion of the

stiffeners

146, 148, e.g. by means of wires or preferably by means of welding. An advantage of welding the projecting member 120 to the

stiffeners

146, 148 is that the forces carried by the

stiffeners

146, 148, 150 are directly transferred to the angle steel element 120 and the tank section 111 of the first joint element 11 and the plate member 132 of the second joint element 13, respectively. When connected, the connection is capable of transferring bending moments between the one or more wall elements 9 and the one or more slat elements 5.

This solution is particularly interesting when the aggregate of the concrete comprises or consists of granulated expanded polystyrene, i.e. when the slats 5 and the wall elements 9 are made of EPS concrete, wherein tensile and compressive forces are substantially carried only by the reinforcements R, and the EPS concrete provides support for the reinforcements in compression, preventing buckling of the compressed reinforcements.

It should be noted that the protruding member 120 may be made of, for example, a steel rod instead of the angle steel. However, a protruding member 120 made of angle steel is preferred, as such an angle steel member 120 will provide a more rigid connection than a connection made of steel rods. A rigid connection is particularly desirable when a connection capable of transmitting bending moments between one or more wall elements 9 and one or more slat elements 5 is required.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 10a and 10b, the end portion of the tank section 111 of the first joint element 11, which forms part of the end face of the slat end portion 3, is provided with a detachable end plate 111'. The end plate 111' is shown detached in fig. 10a and connected to the tank section 111 in fig. 10 b. The purpose of the detachable end plate 111' is to access the interior of the box section 111 so that a nut can be connected to the bolt 20 extending from the second joint element 13 and slid into the box section 111 through the perforation 112 during erection of the building structure comprising the connecting device 1. Similarly, if the building structure including the connecting device 1 needs to be dismantled, the detachable end plate 111' can access the joint. The first joint element 11 may be provided with other reinforcement means, such as for example reinforcement ribs connected to one or more walls and also to the detachable end plate 111', to increase the load-bearing capacity of the first joint element 11.

Fig. 13B is a view from section B-B in fig. 10a and shows four end plate supports 111 "for supporting the end plates 111 connected by means of screws (not shown). The removed end plate 111' is shown on the right side of the tank section 111 in fig. 10 a.

In fig. 10a, the bolts 20 constituting the elongated members for slidably engaging the first and second

joint elements

11, 13 are pre-mounted in the plate members 132 of the second joint element 13 through the perforations 112' during the manufacture of the wall element 9, i.e. before the casting of concrete into the formwork.

At the lower end portion of the wall element 9 below the strip 5, a cut-out 9' indicated by a dashed line is provided. The purpose of the cut-out 9' is to obtain access for the nut to be connected to the bolt 20F protruding from the base F. After tightening the bolt and nut connection, the cut 9' may be sealed by a suitable sealing means.

Fig. 10b shows the same elements as shown in fig. 10a on a larger scale after assembly of the building structure by means of the connecting device 1.

Fig. 11a shows a first building element in the form of two reinforced concrete panels 5 and a second building element in the form of an inner wall element 9 before assembly. The lower inner wall element 9 will form a support for the slats 5, while the upper wall element 9 will be supported by the slats 5.

The building structure connecting device 1 shown in fig. 11a has several features in common with the features shown in fig. 10 a. For example, angle 120 projecting from each of the tank section 111 and the plate member 132 is connected thereto and to the

stiffeners

146, 148 in the same manner as described above.

The tank section 111 of the first joint element 11 is provided with a partially open top portion instead of the removable end plate 111' shown in fig. 10 a. As best seen in fig. 14a and 14c, the partially open top portion is designated by reference numeral 114. The purpose of the partially open top portion 114 of the tank section 111 is to access the interior portions of both tank sections 111 for connecting nuts to the bolts 20 extending from the lower wall element 9 into the tank section 11, and to the bolts shown as "horizontal". The partially open top portion 114 is only available before the upper wall element 9 is lowered onto the slat 5.

The top part of the box section 111 is provided with bolt support lips 20' (four shown in fig. 14 c) for supporting bolts (not shown) to slide into engagement with the plate members 132 of the upper wall element 9 supported by the slats 5.

The bolts 20 are usually connected to the support lip 20' by means of a threaded connection.

The lower wall element 9 shown in fig. 11a is in the embodiment shown identical to the lower wall element 9 shown in fig. 10 a.

The lower end portion of the wall element 9 above the slats 5 is provided with a cut-out 9' similar to the cut-out shown in 10a for the lower end portion of the wall element 9 below the slats 5. The purpose of the cut-out 9 'is to obtain access for attaching a nut to a bolt 20 protruding from the supporting lip 20' of the box section 111 of the first joint element 11. After tightening the bolt and nut connection, the cut 9' will normally be sealed with a suitable sealing means.

It should be noted that as shown in fig. 10a, the lower end portion of the wall element 9 above the slat 5 may be similar to the lower end portion shown in fig. 11a, i.e. the bolt 20 may be slid from the inside of the box section 111 shown in fig. 10a and into the perforation 112' of the plate member 132 of the upper wall element 9 above the slat 5 (see fig. 14 a).

Fig. 11b shows the same elements as shown in fig. 11a after assembly of the building structure by means of the connecting device 1.

From the above, the person skilled in the art will understand that the assembly process of the

building elements

5, 9 shown in fig. 10a and 10b differs from the assembly process of the

building elements

5, 9 shown in fig. 11a and 11 b.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 10a and 10b, the inner part of the tank section 111 of the first joint element 11 is always accessible until the detachable end plate 111' is fixed to the tank section 111. Thus, tightening of the bolts by means of the nuts can be, but need not be, performed after the upper wall element 9 is placed on the strip 5 resting on the lower wall element 9.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 11a and 11b, the inner part of the tank section 111 of the first joint element 11 is only accessible until the upper wall element 9 is lowered onto the slat 5 so that the end portion 7 of the upper wall element 9 covers the partially open top portion 114 of the tank section 111. Therefore, the bolts 20 connecting the slats 5 to the lower wall element 9 and the end portion of each box section 111 (the bolts 20 are arranged horizontally) must be provided with nuts and tightened before lowering the upper wall element 9 onto the slats 5. Thereafter, the bolts 20 for connecting the upper wall element 9 to the slats 5 must be provided with nuts and tightened.

It should be noted that in some embodiments, the horizontal bolts 20 (see fig. 11b) connecting the end portions of each tank section 111 may be redundant. Alternatively, said horizontal bolts 20 may be replaced by suitable engagement means, such as for example hooking means arranged to be mutually connected when sliding an end portion of one of the slats 5 provided with hooking means with respect to an end portion of another of the slats 5 also provided with hooking means.

Turning now to fig. 12 a-12 c, an alternative embodiment of an elongate member 20 (i.e. the bolt shown in fig. 10 a-11 b) is particularly shown.

In fig. 12a to 12c, each of the elongate members 20 having a vertically extending longitudinal axis has a length exceeding the length of the first joint element 11. By the term "length" of the first joint element 11 is meant the height of the tank section 111, which substantially corresponds to the thickness of the slat 5.

The elongated member 20 shown in fig. 12a to 12c is shown as a bolt 20, which bolt 20 extends from the plate member 132 of the lower wall element 9 in the same way as described above. Each of the elongated members or bolts 20 will provide a continuous connection between both the wall element 9 and the slat element 5, as their length exceeds the length of the slat 5 (fig. 12a and 12b) or the box section 111 of the slat (fig. 12 c). The bolt can thus also transmit vertical loads between the upper wall element 9 and the lower wall element 9.

The elongated member 20 will thus provide a slidable engagement with at least one of the first and second joint elements such that a relative horizontal movement between the first and second

joint elements

11, 13 is prevented even before the bolt 20 is provided with a nut.

The lower end portion of the wall element 9 above the strip 5 is provided with a cut-out 9 'similar to the cut-out 9' shown in fig. 1 to allow a nut to be engaged to the end portion of the bolt 20.

The removable plate 111' may be made redundant by the elongated member or bolt 20 shown in fig. 12a and 12 b. Thus, the tank section 111 may be provided with a welded end portion. Since in this embodiment access to the interior of the tank section 111 is not required, further load bearing means, such as for example one or more reinforcing ribs, may be provided in the interior portion of the tank section 111.

As mentioned above, if the horizontal bolt 20 disclosed in fig. 11b is redundant, or if said horizontal bolt 20 is replaced by suitable engagement means, the partially open top portion 114 of the box section 111 as shown for example in fig. 11a, 11b and 14c may be replaced by a solid portion provided with only perforations for the bolts 20. Bolt guides, such as for example tubes (not shown), may extend between the perforations 112 of the box section 111.

Fig. 13a shows a cut along AA in fig. 10 a. The

stiffeners

146, 148 are welded (not shown) to the upper and lower projecting

members

120, 120. The inclined reinforcing member 150 extends between the protruding members 120, and a portion of the inclined reinforcing member 150 may be welded to the protruding members 120. The first joint element 11 is shown by means of a dashed line.

Fig. 13B shows the first joint element 11 and the end portion 3 of the first building element seen from B-B in fig. 10 a.

Fig. 13C shows a cut along C-C in fig. 10 a. The

stiffeners

146, 148 are welded (not shown) to and extend between the projecting members 120.

Fig. 14a, 14b show only the first joint element 11 and the second joint element 13 used in the building element shown in fig. 11a and 11b, respectively.

Fig. 15 shows a main perspective view of a first building element 5 connected between two second building elements 9, similar to the embodiment shown in fig. 10 b. The

building elements

5, 9 are shown as being transparent. The bolts 20 extending from the lower second building element 9 into the box section 111 of the first building element 5 are provided with nuts, while the nuts for the bolts 20 extending downwards from the upper second building element 9 are shown before engagement with the bolts 20. The reinforcement R is welded (not shown) to the projecting member, which in the embodiment shown is in the form of an angle iron.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1. A building structure connecting device (1) comprising at least one first building element (5) and at least one second building element (9), said connecting device (1) being intended to connect an end portion (3) of said at least one first building element (5) having a thickness (T5) to an end portion (7) of said at least one second building element (9),

the first building element (5) is a slat element forming part of a floor and the second building element (9) is a wall element forming part of a wall, the connecting device further comprising:

a first joint element (11) connected to and forming part of the end portion (3) of the first building element (5); -the first joint element (11) has a length substantially corresponding to the thickness (T5) of the first building element (5);

a second joint element (13) connected to and forming part of the end portion (7) of the second building element (9),

and

at least one elongated member (20) for being slidably engageable with at least one of the first joint element (11) and the second joint element (13) such that relative movement of the first joint element (11) and the second joint element (13) in at least one direction is prevented,

characterized in that said first (5) and second (9) building elements are made of EPS concrete, wherein the aggregate of said concrete consists of granulated expanded polystyrene, and wherein each of said first (5) and second (9) building elements comprises at least two spaced-apart truss beams (140), each truss beam (140) extending at least in two dimensions between the end portions of said first (5) and second (9) building elements, said at least two spaced-apart truss beams (140) being connected to an upper (142) and a lower (144) grid reinforcement at an upper (140') and a lower (140 ") portion, respectively, and wherein said first (11) and second (13) joint elements are fixed by welding to the truss beams (140) forming part of the reinforcements (R) of said first (5) and second (9) building elements, respectively Such that tensile and compressive forces in the first building element (5) and the second building element (9) are substantially carried by the reinforcement (R) and transferred to the first joint element (11) and the second joint element (13) via the welding.

2. Connection device (1) according to claim 1, wherein said elongated member (20) has a length exceeding the length of said first joint element (11).

3. Connection device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the elongated member (20) is a beam (20) having an H-shaped or I-shaped beam profile, and wherein at least the first joint element (11) is provided with a box section (111) for receiving a flange (22) of the beam (20) and a slot (113) for receiving a web (24) of the beam (20), the slot (113) extending through at least one end portion of the first joint element (11), thereby being arranged to be able to allow a sliding movement of the beam (20) relative to the first joint element (11).

4. Connection device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second joint element (13) comprises a cavity (131) for receiving and supporting an end portion of the elongated member (20).

5. The connection device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elongated member (20) is a bolt configured for receiving a nut.

6. Connecting device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the first joint element (11) comprises a box section (111) integrated in the end portion (3) of the first building element (5), the box section (111) being provided with at least one perforation (112) for receiving the bolt (20).

7. Connecting device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the second joint element (13) comprises a plate member (132) forming part of the end portion (7) of the second building element (9), the plate member (132) being provided with at least one perforation (112') mating with a perforation (112) in the box section (111).

8. Connecting device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the second building element (9) is a support for supporting or being supported by the slat element (5).

9. Connecting device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the second building element (9) is provided with at least one element hole (28) extending through the thickness of the second building element and through the second joint element (13), and the elongated member (20) comprises at least one member hole (29), which holes (28, 29) are aligned when an end portion of the elongated member (20) is slid into the cavity (131) of the second joint element (13), such that a locking device (26) for preventing the elongated member (20) from moving out of the cavity (131) can be inserted into the holes (28, 29).

10. Building comprising a connection device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 9.

11. A method of connecting building elements (5, 9) comprising a building structure connecting device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the method comprises:

-aligning the at least one first joint element (11) and the second joint element (13) with each other;

sliding the elongated member (20) into engagement with the first joint element (11) and the second joint element (13).