EP0285538A1

EP0285538A1 - Partition-panel for interior compartmentation of buildings; procedure and device for its manufacture

Info

Publication number: EP0285538A1
Application number: EP88500026A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Virgilio Marco Gracia
Original assignee: SPAVIK SA
Current assignee: SPAVIK SA
Priority date: 1987-03-20
Filing date: 1988-03-15
Publication date: 1988-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2008-03-15
Also published as: ES2003010A6; GR3002247T3; DE3863456D1; ATE64973T1; EP0285538B1

Abstract

The invention consists of a partition-panel (1) made up of two lightweight, vibrated concrete half-panels (2), (3), obtained separately. Two perfectly finished, ready for painting faces are obtained because of their respective contact with the vibration mould plate. The two half-panels are compacted on their rough rearsides (4) on which channels (6) are shaped using a suitable mould. On coinciding face to face in the finished panel, these channels (6) make longitudinally interior through passing orifices. Furthermore, in the vibration mould, they are given a protruding longitudinal fillet (11) on one lateral edge and a recess (10) on the other, both with a cross section in the shape of a trapezium, to enable adjacent panels to be tongue and groove joined, as well as longitudinal slots (8) in both lateral edges of the finished panel for introducing the binder between adjacent panels.

Description

This invention relates to a partition-panel conceived for structuring the interior compartmentation of buildings although, in view of its special features, it may also be used for backing, as well as suspended or false ceilings. In these latter cases, it is reduced to only one of the two parts which, as we shall be seeing later, make up each panel.
In the traditional building industry, interior partition walls dividing buildings on the inside and forming the different rooms and passageways are generally made by successively superimposing bricks, more or less light in weight, mainly of the type commonly know as hollow, laid one by one and joined together by a mortar or cement mix. A very slow, laborious procedure is therefore necessary, requiring a certain skill from workers undertaking it so that the partition wall built has the correct qualities as desired. Having built the partition wall, the mortar or binding mix must be allowed to dry and set and further supplementary work must be performed afterwards for final finish, such as making chaces required for embedding electricity, water or any other type of utility conduit and, finally, the wall has to be plastered with layers of gypsum plaster on both sides, with which it is finished and ready for subsequent painting or decorating.
This laborious partitioning work involves the use of a large amount of labour and time, with inevitable repercussions as regards high cost of the finished work.
In order to lessen this high cost, it is desired to achieve a partition-panel built with prefabrication techniques, to be delivered on site with the measurements required so that one single panel extends from a room's floor to its ceiling, with both visible sides perfectly finished and ready for painting. It would connect easily and solidly with those adjacent to it, would be made with a sufficiently strong, light building material having suitable heat and sound insulation properties and, finally would be as resistant as its planned use may require. It would have internal ducts avoiding subsequent chace making for embedding electrical conduit, etc.
The partition-panel which fulfills the aforesaid requirements is the subject of this invention which, apart from comprising each and every one of the conditions mentioned is highly fire resistant (up to around 900°) and preferably made in vibrated lightweight concrete. Due to its well known properties, the latter is particularly suited to prefabricated building items.
Nevertheless, up to now it has not been possible to adopt this panel prefabrication system using such ideal material as vibrated, lightweight concrete for making partition-panels as those under discussion here, due to the impossibility of achieving a panel with internal ducts penetrating right through the whole length and, moreover, due likewise to the total impossibility of getting this panel's two basic, visible sides completely finished and ready for simply painting or decorating.
In fact, during vibration operations, apart from the cement and aggregate necessary, the lightweight concrete subjected to this treatment includes the air which the mix has absorbed on its own plus that produced by air entraining agents which must be added to provide a spongy texture with the threefold purpose of lessening weight increasing heat/sound insulating properties and increasing its volume.
However, the air as mentioned tends to rise to the top of the mix, aided to this effect by the actual vibration itself. The result is that whilst the bottom mix surface, in direct contact with the mould's surface, may look quite smooth and flat, the top surface has a rough appearance, with an infinity of tiny holes depending on the distribution of the components, according to weight and grading, and on the air bubbles tending to outcrop on this surface. The top surface of the vibrated panel thus made disqualifies it for use as a partition-panel with a finish on both sides, apart from the fact that in normal vibration operations, neither is it possible to give the panel the internal through ducts we referred to earlier.
The solution presented by this patent consists in shaping the partition-panel by contraposing two half panels vibrated separately, checking they coincide when brought together and joining them correctly with cement-adhesive on the rough sides resulting from the vibration operations. In this ways they will bond together after the cement-adhesive's setting and a partition-panel will be obtained which, furthermore, will keep the typical rigidity of items bonded together, absorbing any possible deformation between them.
In order to provide the partition-panel unit thus formed with intervals through ducts its whole length, during each half panel's vibrating operation, a framework-grill is laid on the mould's bottom. Such grill is formed by a succession of long, narrow, half round members or parallel bars, with the curved surface immersed in the mix to be vibrated, thus making a corresponding succession of channels with an arch shaped cross section in the half-panel which run the whole length of the latter. The half round bars of this framework are connected and assembled together to form the grill, by using a suitable number of flat cross strips. These strips are bent over at right angles at their ends which fit and adjust to the mould sides.
It can be seen from the foregoing that after vibrating and setting, each half panel displays one flat, smooth face and a rear surface provided with a succession of longitudinal channels, arch shaped in cross section. On joining two of these half panels together back to back, their respective channels fully coincide, forming a succession of holes running through the partition-panel's whole length. These channels are separated by what become the bonding ribs or areas whereby the two component parts will be bonded together into a solid, compact partition-panel.
So as to provide the partition-panels in question with secure, effective means of connection to their neighbouring panels, one of their side edges where connection is to be made has a salient in the form of a fillet and the opposite one has a slot or recess. These protuberances and recesses are trapezium shaped in cross section and are suitably sized for the salient fillets of one to penetrate the recesses of the next one, forming a groove and tongue joint. This joint is improved and strengthened by the longitudinal outer channels of the panels connecting with the outside via respective slots, also longitudinal but rectangular in cross section, located in the actual edges themselves of the panel. The slots in each panel facing those in the neighbouring one define a space connecting the aforementioned outer channels of both panels, enabling the ducts and communicating slot to be filled in with a cement, plaster or similar mix which, on setting, becomes a solid panel binder.
In order to obtain these rectangular slots in each panel's edges, the two outer bars of the framework which shapes the longitudinal channels in the partition-panel have side protuberances, forming a body therewith, in the form of fillets, also longitudinal, flush with the flat side and with the same rectangular cross section, pointing toward the mould's sides.
As an alternative, the patent provides for a type of manufacture wherein the rectangular slots located in the partition-panel's edges are not completely continuous lengthwise, but occur only between regularly spaced lengths, to which effect the framework-grill's outer bars will also have rectangular protuberances spaced alternately and regularly thus forming such slots.
Likewise, an alternative has been provided for whereby the longitudinal ducts running the inside length of the partition-panel do not reach the end thereof, but are slightly shorter than the panel and centered therein, in which case, on not emerging on its end edges, the panel displays a smooth surface, thus facilitating and improving end-to-end connection between each two panels when necessary. In this case, the length of the framework bars shaping the said ducts will have to be shortened.
Any kind of suitable, lightweight concrete can be used for making the panels we are describing. The white cement type is preferable, since the panel turns out white in colour, plus, because if its good properties, a perlite aggregate to which an air entraining agent will be added to provide internal air bubbles to the effects of lessening weight and increasing insulation properties. Fibre glass or plastic reinforcement may also be added to give the panel greater bending strength in certain cases. Likewise, apart from water, which is always indispensable to concrete making, other types of chemical admixtures can be used in the mix, with different objectives that may be required like, for example, water repellent admixtures, since normal air entraining agents have a physical-mechanical action independent of the chemical reaction we want to add.
The proportion of each lightweight concrete component will depend on the characteristics of strength, weight, insulation, etc. required to be given to the partition-panel. As an example, and with no limitation as to scope, we would hereafter describe a typical compound made of lightweight concrete containing perlite.
To make 1/10 m. of concrete, a mix is made using 40 kgs of cement (white or normal), 140 litres of perlite (mixing grain sizes), 1/8 litre air entraining agent (amount according to type of concrete), 38 litres of water (according to consistency), 5 grammes of fibre (according to bending stresses).
A normal process will be used, first pouring the water into a cement mixer, then the air entraining agent and cement, following with the perlite aggregate little by little. The mix is made for about 1-1/2 (one and a half) minutes until a hard plastic appearance is obtained. The result is then poured quickly into the mould to prevent possible segregation.
The moulding process is as follows:
As we have stated before, the partition-panel consists of two parts bonded together. Therefore, moulding is carried out separately for each half panel. In this process, what is to be the visible face of the half-panel is formed on the smooth bottom of the mould.
The mix is poured into the mould and is spread throughout it. Vibration then begins and lasts for a time which depends on the strength, frequency of vibration and amount of mix. As a guiding example, 125 kg, centrifugal force low frequency vibrating could be used for a 2.60 × 0.60 × 0.04 half-panel, with a vibration time of some 70 seconds. So vibration may be performed by an easy combination of the strength-frequency-time magnitudes. This operation must be carried out in order to achieve not the total concrete compaction by extracting all the air bubbles possible, but simply for the latter to rise sufficiently from the bottom of the mould, i.e. from what is to be the visible face of the panel. This rise is established preferably as an average 1 millimetre from the said bottom surface which will become the outside face. With this treatment, all the air bubbles carried by the concrete mix itself and those we added via the entraining agent create a homogeneous mix of concrete and bubbles higher up, but with a completely smooth visible face, free of bubbles on the surface in contact with the mould's bottom.
The device for performing the process basically comprises an absolutely smooth bottomed, tray type mould, preferably made in formica with a bottom stiffening structure and with their respective perimeter enclosing frames. One of the latter's sides facing the lateral edges of the panel has a longitudinally protruding fillet with a trapezium shaped cross section and the other side will have a longitudinal recess with the same cross section. The dimensions involved will be as required to form the aforementioned collateral tongue and groove elements between the different panels.
Prior to concrete pouring, these tray moulds are set up in a suitable manner on a conventional vibrating table which transmits the vibrations for a suitable time. The bar framework constituting the mould accessory for making the channels required in the top face of the half-panel being formed has already been fitted to the sides of the aforesaid tray. As we have also stated previously, this framework is secured onto the sides by means of the bent over square ends of the cross strips embracing it. This channel shaping framework is removed at the end of the vibrating process when the channels are sufficiently well formed and before the panel's final setting, noticeably facilitating this setting.
The mix can be poured onto the tray mould before placing the channel forming framework or the latter can be positioned on the tray and pouring can be made through the spaces existing between the bars, with which the due concrete half-panel thickening finish is facilitated.
In order for all the foregoing to be more readily understood, the attached drawings show a practical way of implementing the invention.

Figure 1 shows us a perspective view from one end of a partially cut away panel where its structuring can be clearly seen, as well as part of a like panel attached to its side enabling the tongue and groove joint and assembly method between them both to be seen in detail.
Figure 2 shows us a partial cross sectional view of a tray mould for obtaining a half-panel where the special structuring of its side frames can be seen together with that of the grill framework resting on and fitting into them, which forms the rearside channels in each half-plate.
Finally, figure 3 shows us the device for making and vibrating the basic half-panels to be used in forming the partition panel in question, both schematically and in partial perspective.

Figure 1 shows us that the partition-panel (1) is formed by joining the half-panels (2) and (3), along the ribs or bonding areas (4) which determine the compaction of the unit. Each half-panel has a succession of channels (5) along its inside which, when placed opposite each other, form a succession of longitudinal through ducts (6) of which the outer ones (7) are in contact with the outside edge of the panel through the channels or recesses (8) provided to facilitate bonding between panels by means of a fill mix or mortar (9) occupying the slots (8) and the longitudinal outer through ducts (7) in each half-panel.
This figure likewise shows us the longitudinal recesses (10) and protuberances (11) with trapezium shaped cross sections on both side edges of each half-panel. These form the tongue and groove type assembly between two adjacent panels.
Figure 2 shows us the setting mould where the basic, flat, totally smooth tray (12) which will preform the visible face of the half-panel can be seen, as well as the special arrangement of the sides (13) where a protruding fillet (14) with trapezium shaped cross section can be seen on one side and a longitudinal recess (14ʹ) with the same cross section on the other. These form the tongue and groove elements for joining panels. Here we can also see the special arrangement of the framework (15) made up of a series of half round bars, connected and held together by cross strips (16) which are bent over at their ends forming a square (17) for securing the framework (15) onto the mould's sides (13).
Prolongations in the fashion of fillets (18) with a rectangular cross section can also be seen in this figure. As stated earlier, these can be continuous, as seen in the drawing, or be intermittent stretches which, issuing from the lateral bars of the framework (15) and making a single body therewith, form the channels or slots (8) in the lateral edges of the partition-panels.
Finally, figure 3 shows the panel making device in a highly schematic way in partial perspective. Mounted on a vibrating table (19) fitted with a vibrator (20) suitably located in an appropriate position, the device transmits vibrations to the tray mould (12) fitted with a bottom stiffening structure (21) where the tongue and groove fillet (14) can be seen on one of its sides (13). The positioning of the framework (15) which forms the channels made in the rear of the half-panels can just be made out too. Naturally, the table (19) has conventional means of articulation facilitating the formwork's striking and removal of the panel from the mould.
The foregoing is a faithfull reflection of the invention, which should be considered in a broad and non-limiting sense. Circumstances of a secondary or accessory nature which, whilst varying, do not alter the essential quality claimed hereafter, are inmaterial.

Claims

1. Partition-panel for interior compartmentation of buildings. Being made with prefabrication techniques in light-weight vibrated concrete, this panel is characterized because it is made by contraposing two half-panels vibrated separately, each of which has one face or surface flat and smooth from its direct contact with the base moulding tray and its other face rough with tiny cavities as a result of the vibration process itself. Each rough side has a succession of longitudinal channels, arch shaped in cross section. The half-panels are bonded together on their rough sides with cement-adhesive. The channels in each half-panel coincide when placed face to face and form longitudinal through ducts in the finished panel whilst the spaces separating these ducts form bonding areas or ribs making for a solid, compact unit. A protuberance in the shape of a longitudinal fillet with a trapezium shaped cross section is made on one of the lateral edges of each half-panel and a recess on the other, also longitudinal, with the same cross section and of a size suitable for enabling collateral panels to be fitted together by groove and tongue type jointing.

2. Partition-panel, as claim 1, characterized because the two outside ducts of the interior succession thereof, are in contact with the respective outside lateral edge via longitudinal slots rectangular in cross section. The latter may run either the whole length of the partition-panel or intermittently at regular intervals.

3. Partition-panel, as claim 1, characterized by provision being made for the succession of longitudinal ducts formed inside thereof to be slightly shorter than the panel itself. In this case, the latter's end edge surfaces will be totally flat and smooth.

4. Procedure for manufacturing a partition-panel for interior compartmentation of buildings, as the previous claim, characterized because any kind of suitable light-weight concrete may be employed in making the half-panel, preferably from white cement and an aggregate of perlite to which is added the relative air entraining agent as well as fibre glass or plastic and/or any other suitable admixture. It is then mixed in a cement mixer for about 1-1/2 minutes until a hard, plastic, even appearance of the mix is obtained. The mix is next poured into a basic vibration mould. The vibration process involves strength-frequency-time magnitudes, to be combined as a function of the size of the panel, but without giving rise to total compaction of the concrete and consequent expulsion of all the air bubbles immersed in the mix. It is performed only up to determining that the said bubbles have risen from the mould's bottom up to approximately 1 millimetre inside the mix. This area will then be free of bubbles whilst above this limit, a homogeneous concrete and bubble mix is created. An upper supplementary mould is used for shaping the succession of longitudinal channels. This further mould must be kept in place only whilst vibration is being performed and is suitable for introducing the mix through it into the basic mould with the purpose of obtaining the correct finish thickening of the panel.

5. Device for the manufacture of a partition-panel for interior compartmentation of buildings, as the previous claim, characterized because a mould formed by a totally flat, smooth, preferably formica plate supported by a bottom strengthening frame fitted with its respective sides is placed on a conventional concrete vibration table. Facing the mould's centre line, there is a protuberance in the fashion of a fillet with a cross section in trapezium form on one of the longitudinal sides whilst, on the other side and in correspondence thereto, there is a longitudinal recess or slot made with the same cross section and with a size sufficiently large for the sides of adjacent panels to be joined by means of these tongue and groove shapes.

6. Device, as claim 5, characterized by the use of a framework-grill formed by a succession of long, narrow long members in the fashion of half-round parallel bars. The latter's curved surfaces must be immersed in the mix to be vibrated. The bars are joined to form the framework-grill by flat, cross strips to which the former are secured on their flat side. These flat strips, suitable in number according to the framework's length, finish at their ends in right-angled bends, thus forming squares which are fitted and secured to the mould's sides. The two outer side bars of the said framework have lateral protuberances forming an integral part thereof. These fillets, which are also longitudinal and rectangular in cross section, are flush with the flat face of the bars, but not as deep as them and point towards the sides of the mould.

7. Device, as claim 5, characterized because the laterally protruding rectangular fillets on the outer bars of the framework grill may be set along its whole length or in regularly spaced alternating stretches. Provision has also been made for the bars of the framework itself to be slightly shorter in length than the panel to be made, i.e. not reaching the end edges thereof.