EP0817896B1

EP0817896B1 - A procedure for the construction of vertical walls using glass bricks and a reinforceable modular element used in said procedure

Info

Publication number: EP0817896B1
Application number: EP96907651A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Eugenio Magnani
Original assignee: VETROARREDO SpA
Current assignee: Vetroarredo SpA
Priority date: 1995-03-29
Filing date: 1996-03-25
Publication date: 1999-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-25
Also published as: ITPR950010A1; IT1281167B1; AU710075B2; ES2143185T3; JPH11502911A; BR9607931A; AU5119596A; WO1996030605A1; MX9707409A; DE69605777D1; DE69605777T2; EP0817896A1

Description

The object of the present invention is a procedure for the construction of vertical walls using glass bricks and a reinforceable modular element made out of glass used for carrying out said procedure. The so called brick and glass tiles or reinforced concrete and glass tiles are manufactured articles made of glass and are used for the construction of walls and/or flooring.

According to a traditional technique, the laying procedure envisages the manufacturing of formwork shuttering in which metal reinforcements are arranged and concrete is injected for binding the single glass bricks to each other.

When the concrete is solidified the reinforcements are then removed.

Said procedure is particularly difficult to carry out and expensive.

In the patent number FR-A-2542353 are described frameworks which comprise the glass bricks and are provided with projections and recesses destined to fit, by coupling, into the corresponding recesses and projections of adjacent bricks, thus constituting construction modular structures.

Said frameworks have a non symmetrical configuration and so, in the case of the application of glass bricks with unequal facings or defined orientation, it is necessary to pay particular attention when applying the framework so that said framework is applied in the correct direction.

A further drawback is due to the insufficient seal of a wall which is obtained by means of a simple fitting of the above mentioned framed bricks, said wall lacking reinforcement.

Also the patent number EP-B-0115279 describes modular bricks having the same characteristics and the same drawbacks as those in the French document FR-A-2 542 353 mentioned above.

In particular, said patent shows glass bricks provided with a framework made of plastic material equipped with cylindrical recesses which, coupled with cylindrical projections and seal gaskets, permit the assembling without cracking.

The first row of bricks also requires a base section as a support.

This solution is also particularly expensive. The solutions of the known technique are therefore constituted by modular but not reinforceable bricks or by reinforceable and not modular bricks which are-difficult to lay.

FR-A-2 700 182 discloses a process for the construction of vertical walls as in the preamble of claim 1.

The French document discloses the use of a plastic framework for the glass bricks and the plastic framework, constituted by a single piece, is die-cast directly on the glass bricks, with an expensive and complex process.

Furthermore it is necessary to employ expensive glues for plastic material during the mounting of the wall, to anchor the frameworks of the bricks each other.

The aim of the present invention is to make available a new construction procedure using glass bricks of a new conception which are reinforceable and modular, easy to lay and economical.

A further aim of the present invention is to eliminate the use of a base section for the laying of the first row of bricks.

Said aims are fully achieved by the procedure object of the present invention for the construction of vertical walls using glass bricks, which procedure is characterised in the appended claims.

The object of the present invention is also a modular element comprising a glass brick for the construction of walls, of the type provided with an external retaining structure, as characterised in the appended claims.

This and further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will better emerge from the detailed: description that follows of a preferred embodiment here illustrated in the form of a nonlimiting example in which:

Figure 1 shows the glass brick in a perspective view;
Figure 2 shows the glass brick in a vertical section.

With reference to the figures, 1 denotes, as a whole, a retaining structure, preferably made of wood or of plywood and substantially of a fixed type, for a glass brick 2, often called brick and glass tiles or reinforced concrete and glass tiles.

The framework 1 is constituted by four sides constrained to each other by conventional means or adhesives and which is connected to the brick by means of an elastic element 7, such as, for example, resin.

The four sides of the framework can be shaped in such a way to reciprocally fix into each other so as to permit a greater solidity, as shown in figure 1 where a male part 4a of a side is fixed into a female part 4b of the adjacent side of the framework.

Each wood element 3 constituting a side of the framework can include two male ends 4a or two female ends 4b (as shown in figure 1 where the horizontal element has two recessing ends and the vertical element has two projecting ends), or, according to a variation not shown, each element 3 is provided with a male end 4a and with a female end 4b. By means of the fittings and the connection to the framework a single block with the brick and glass tiles and the elastic element 7 is obtained.

Each element 3 is also provided with cavities or grooves 5 for the insertion of metal reinforcements which are preferably constituted by rods or polygonal rods 6.

The grooves 5 have a substantially complementary shape with respect to that of the reinforcement to be inserted into said grooves. Said grooves can have transversal, round or also square or polygonal sections.

In each case the above mentioned half parts are destined to be completed by means of the insertion of the reinforcement and by means of the approaching of another brick in such a way that the other half part of the groove envisaged on said brick completes the cageing of the rod constituting the reinforcement.

As shown in figure 1, two grooves 5 are generally provided for each side of the framework and they are placed in such a way that each groove is received by the corresponding groove of the adjacent side.

When building a wall and laying the modular elements, the vertical and horizontal reinforcements have to be inserted into grooves skew to each other, as shown in figure 1, in such a way that the horizontal and vertical reinforcements do not cross each other. As shown in figure 2, the sides of the framework are narrower than the brick, in such a way that, once the construction of the wall has been completed, recesses are left between a brick and those immediately adjacent to it. In said recesses it is possible to arrange finishing frames or to apply mixtures of various colours or mixtures which can be painted. Said brick 2 is therefore a modular and reinforceable brick with which walls and flooring can be obtained, which are particularly strong (owing to the reinforcement) and at the same time easy to construct (owing to the brick modularity and to the particular simplicity of the laying).

The laying procedure of the bricks in order to construct a wall envisages the laying of the bricks on a row of other glass bricks already laid or on any kind of base (for example a floor); the subsequent insertion of a reinforcement, constituted by rods or metal bars 6, having circular or polygonal sections, into the shaped grooves 5; the laying of other glass bricks until completion of the wall.

The glass bricks are laid with the interposition of adhesive or binding material between the bricks to be laid and the row of bricks already laid or the underlying base.

Said binding material is constituted by adhesive substances, glues or resins.

Thanks to the particular arrangement of the grooves 5, as well as to the fact that all the grooves 5 are equidistant from the nearest external border of the framework, the modular brick can be perfectly symmetrical during the mounting phase, i.e., in the case of a square brick this can be laid on any of its own sides and have any of the glass sides displayed.

According to a possible variation of the embodiment, the modular element can be obtained by pouring a cement mixture around the bricks as a replacement of the wood frame. Obviously the cement mixture has the cavities or grooves 5 for the insertion of a horizontal or vertical reinforcement constituted by rods or metal bars. In the embodimemt foreseeing the use of cement mixtures, the elastic element 7 will be no longer necessary.

Claims

A process for the construction of vertical walls and/or flooring with glass bricks (2), comprising the following operative phases:

the laying of reinforceable modular bricks (2) made out of glass, equipped with an external retaining structure (1) and placed on a row of already laid glass bricks (2) or on any base;

the insertion of a reinforcement, constituted by rods or metal bars (6) having circular or polygonal sections, into grooves (5) correspondingly shaped for containing a half part of said rods or metal bars (6), said grooves being obtained in the external retaining structure (1) of each glass brick;

the further laying of glass bricks (2) until completion of the walls or of the flooring,

characterised in that it comprises, as a preliminar phase, the realizing of the retaining structure (1) by constraining four sides of elements of wood or plywood to each other, the four sides belonging to a framework, each side being reciprocally fixed to the adjacents, said sides being connected to the bricks (2) by means of an elastic element (7).
A procedure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insertion of the reinforcement is carried out in such a way that the vertical bars (6) and the horizontal bars (6) constituting the reinforcement are inserted into grooves (5) placed in different parallel planes.
A modular element for the construction of walls, of the type comprising a glass brick (2) with an external retaining structure (1), shaped in such a way to have, on each side of the retaining structure itself, at least a longitudinal groove (5) along the whole length of the side, said side being shaped as a half part so as to accommodate a rod or metal bar (6) having a section whose shape corresponds to that of the groove (5), characterised in that the retaining structure (1) is made up of elements of wood or plywood constrained to each other by adhesive substances and by means of reciprocal fitting, said retaining structure (1) being adapted to be connected to the brick (2) by means of an elastic element (7) such as resin.
A modular element as claimed in claim 3, wherein each side of the retaining structure (1) is equipped with two longitudinal parallel grooves (5).
A modular element as claimed in claim 3, wherein all of the grooves (5) are equidistant from the external border of the nearest retaining structure.
A modular element as claimed in claim 3, wherein the retaining structure (1) is narrower with respect to the brick (2).
A modular element as claimed in claim 3, wherein each wood element (3) of the retaining structure (1) has male parts (4a) and/or female parts (4b) which engage corresponding male or female parts afforded by adjacent wood elements (3).
Walls and flooring constructed by means of the process as claimed in any of the claims from 1 to 2 or by means of the use of modular elements with glass bricks as claimed in any of the claims from 3 to 7.