EP3280863B1

EP3280863B1 - Construction frame defining an architectural opening during construction works; kit in parts comprising such construction frame and use of such construction frame

Info

Publication number: EP3280863B1
Application number: EP16715328.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Magalie Munters; Hugo Crombez
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-04-08
Filing date: 2016-04-08
Publication date: 2022-06-08
Anticipated expiration: 2036-04-08
Also published as: BE1023515B1; EP3280863A1; BE1023515A1; EP3078797A1; WO2016162548A1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a lintel and a construction frame used as a lintel during construction works for defining an architectural opening. The present invention particularly concerns a construction frame designed for receiving a building panel, such as a window or a door or a wall panel, therein. The present invention concerns use of the construction frame as a lintel and as an appropriate total solution to nearly any issue concerning air- and watertightness, insulation properties and finishing as a result of apertures made in the building envelope.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the increase use of alternative, non-fossil energy sources and increased energy management in buildings, there is a high focus on insulation, and air- and water tightness of buildings, including the windows and doors. In recent years, insulation/sealing properties of windows and window frames have greatly improved. The zone between the window and door profile and the building carcass however remains a place where insulation/sealing is often poor and jeopardizes overall energy/insulation properties of the building.
The reason for the poor insulation/sealing properties in the zone is that architectural openings in carcass building are often oversized to fit in a window frame or door frame afterwards, whereby the remaining opening between the carcass and the window or door frame is filled with eg. PU foam that has a relative low insulation/sealing property.
Also, the required higher overall insulation, results in thicker insulation and thus in thicker walls with much wider cavities.
In such a placement method the insulation remains unprotected and visible for a long time. Furthermore extra supports for the placement of the sills and/or the windows are necessary.
In order to partly solve the above problems for cavity walls, it is known to use timber frames defining the architectural opening during construction works, whereby carpenters place the timber frame in the carcass aperture after the facade masonry is finished. Only thus, a window or door frame can be installed therein later on. Water and air tightness is obtained through plastic or rubber flashings and sealing tapes around the framework.
For solid walls/one leaf walls, it is also known to mount the window or door frame on the outside of the wall on extra supports. The space between the inner wall and the window or door frame needs to be closed, typically by a roofer, by application of sealing strips such as EPDM rubber strips.
It is clear that such methods requires several craftsmen such as masonries, carpenters and roofers for erecting a wall, which is both costly, difficult in terms of time management and often results in quality losses in terms of water tightness, air tightness, insulation properties and overall finishing quality.
A yet more advanced solution is described in eg. GB2250530 , GB2275061 , GB2341198 , EP2246512 and US2005072073 wherein a polymeric mounting frame is described to be installed during construction works and around which a wall is erected, thereby defining the architectural opening and covering the wall cavity and preventing water leaking into the wall cavity. Such known mounting frames are pre-assembled and define the architectural opening very precisely, matching the dimensions of a window or door to be installed therein, such that no opening remains between the window and the frame. As such a good insulation of the zone between the window or door and carcass can be achieved and guaranteed. Among the disadvantages of such mounting frames is the impossibility to anchor the window frames in the carcass directly and that as such the mounting frames are subject to high forces transferred by the window or door due to amongst other wind load, pressure differences between the inside and outside of the building and due to expansion and contraction of the window or door frame due to temperature variations. Given the very long lifetime required for windows and doors, the mounting frames are perceived a potential weak link and have not been successfully introduced in the market place to date.
Furthermore, the application of these frameworks mainly focused on timber frame construction. Thus, these mounting frames do not provide solutions to typical problems of solid construction with cavity walls. Such typical problems include; the bearing of the outer cavity leaf, the mounting of glass surfaces or windows protruding the bearing cavity leaf, the mounting of stone sills bridging widening cavities, the bearing of the inner cavity leaf and eventually a part of the floor or the roof, the application as a permanent formwork for casting concrete lintels or floors, or even as an autonomous structural building component.
Finally, they also do not enable particular architectural detailing, nor design freedom, such as fully receding windows or doors, with reveals finished in a continuous fashion.
It is clear from the above that there remains a market need for a mounting frame that alleviates the above problems, disadvantages and negative perceptions, without increasing overall construction time and construction cost.
The present invention addresses this need and concerns a construction frame providing high structural bearing properties -thereby avoiding post operations such as anchoring window frames directly into the carcass-, high insulation/sealing properties, making the need for insulation tapes redundant, and is easy to install during construction works.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is defined in the appended independent claims. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The construction frame is manufactured in a particulate reinforced polymeric material preferably having a lambda value of maximum 2 W/mK, preferably maximum 1 W/mK, most preferably maximum 0,4 W/mK.
Preferably, the polymeric material is chosen from the group comprising: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyoxymethylene, polyester, polyvinylchloride, acrylonitrile-butadieen-styreen, polysulfon, polymethylmethacrylaat, polylactic acid or admixtures thereof, whereas the fibre material material is preferably chosen from the group comprising; glass fibres, carbon fibres, basalt fibres, aramid fibres, lignin fibres, cellulose fibres, polyester fibres like for example vectran or admixtures thereof.
The mounting frame comprises upstanding posts and horizontally extending posts. The upstanding posts and horizontally extending posts of the mounting frame (in its position intended for use) can be manufactured from identical materials or material compositions or from different materials or material compositions.
The dimensions of the mounting frame are preferably such that the width (dimension perpendicular to the plane of the central aperture) is at least 5cm, preferably at least 15 cm, more preferably at least 25 cm, most preferably at least 35 cm.
According to a preferred embodiment of the mounting frame, through holes, dowels and/or connectors are provided in the second wall of each frame member for improving anchoring of the mounting frame in the carcass. Preferably, a moisture and/or vapor barrier seal is provided on the opposed surface of said frame members.
The base walls of the frame members preferably comprise a slanting edge at at least one of its longitudinal edges, which edges can be used as plaster edge beads during later finishing works.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a construction frame applied in a wall part;
Fig. 2 illustrates various alternatives for the cross-section of frame members of the construction frame according to the present invention;
Fig. 3-9 show consecutive construction steps for building a wall and implementation of a construction frame;
Fig. 10 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a construction frame with a window frame and window installed therein;
Fig. 11 shows an alternative embodiment of a construction frame according to figure 1, wherein additionally a window pane is installed in the construction frame.
Fig. 12 illustrates the impact of varying thickness and length of a second wall of the frame members of the construction frame on the strength thereof;
Fig. 13 shows an alternative of Fig. 11 with an alternative upper frame member of a construction frame;
Figs. 14, 15 and 16 show some alternative cross sections from a frame member to be used in a construction frame according to the present invention;
Fig. 17 schematically illustrates three alternatives of fixing the individual frame members to one another to create the construction frame;
Fig. 18 shows a perspective and partially exploded view of three alternative embodiment of frame members of a construction frame;
Fig. 19 shows yet another alternative embodiment of a frame member;
Figs 20, 21 and 22 illustrate different options for clamping a window/door frame in a construction frame of the present invention;
Fig. 23 illustrates the deflection of a frame member of the construction profile when a load is applied thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The construction frames of figures 1, 3-11, 13, 17 and 18 are shown for illustration purposes only and do not form part of the present invention.
Figure 1 shows a construction or mounting frame 1 comprising elongated frame members (or posts) 2, 2' defining a central aperture 3, each frame member having an L- or T-shaped cross section with a base wall 4 having a surface 4' facing the central aperture and an opposed surface 4" from which a second wall 5 protrudes. In the illustrated embodiment, a series of through holes 6 and/or dowels and/or connectors is provided in this second wall. The frame members 2, 2' are manufactured in a fibre reinforced polymeric material. According to the present invention at least one of said frame members (and preferably all of the frame members) having a maximum longitudinal deflection ratio of 1/250 and preferably 1/500 when a load of 1 kN/m, preferably 2kN/m, more preferably 4k/m, most preferably 5kN/m directed perpendicular on said frame member and parallel to the plane of the central aperture is applied thereon (cf. Fig. 23). Preferably, each of said frame members, when taken individually have a E-modulus, perpendicular to the plane defined by the base wall 4, of at least 5 GPa, preferably at least 7 GPa, most preferably at least 15 GPa.
The polymeric material is chosen from the group comprising: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyoxymethylene, polyester, polyvinylchloride acrylonitrile-butadieen-styreen, polysulfon, polymethylmethacrylaat, polylactic acid or admixtures thereof, whereas the fibre material is preferably chosen from the group comprising; glass fibres, carbon fibres, basalt fibres, aramid fibres, lignin fibres, cellulose fibres, polyester fibres like for example vectran or admixtures thereof. The fibres can be in the form of a web extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame members 2, 2' or in the form of continuous strands, potentially intertwined and generally extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame members 2, 2'.
The fibres can be uni- or multidirectional, in the form of strands, yarns, rovings, weavings, strand mats, ... They also can be knitted, braided, stitched, ...
The fibre reinforced polymeric material preferably has a lambda value of at maximum 2W/mK, more preferably maximum 1W/mK and most preferably maximum 0,4W/mK.
The construction frame comprises upstanding posts 2 and horizontally extending posts 2'. The upstanding posts and horizontally extending posts of the construction frame (in its position intended for use) can be manufactured from identical materials or material compositions or from different materials or material compositions.
The frame members 4 are preferably manufactured by pultrusion and subsequently assembled into the construction frame having the desired and predetermined dimensions. Assembly of the construction frame is preferably performed in a controlled area allowing precise control of the dimensions and high quality links between the different frame members resulting in a structurally rigid frame (form stable) with a high load bearing capacity.
In figure 2, three alternative cross sections of the frame members are illustrated as an example, whereby the width W, height H and the position of the second wall 5 on the base wall 4 varies. The thickness T2 of the base wall 4 is preferably smaller than 3 cm, more preferably smaller than 2 cm, most preferably smaller than 1 cm, whereas the thickness T1 of the second wall 5 is preferably smaller than 3 cm, more preferably smaller than 2 cm, most preferably smaller than 1 cm. In general, on the first hand, the base wall is chosen to have a width matching the width of the wall wherein it is intended to be applied, such that each of the frame members acts as a cavity closer, thereby allowing providing the functionality of cavity closer and reducing, if not making totally redundant, the need for using insulation tapes to prevent water ingress in the wall cavity.
The second wall on the other hand is made with an appropriate height and thickness of the second wall are chosen such as to make the members sufficiently stiff in accordance with the intended function. As illustrated in figure 12, increasing the thickness and/or height of the second wall increases the stiffness of the concerned frame member. Alternatively, or in combination with varying the thickness and height of the second wall, side fins 14 can be provided between the base wall and second wall as represented in figure 13, thereby further increasing the stiffness of the concerned frame member.
Figures 14, 15 and 16 show some alternative cross sections from a frame member to be used in a construction frame according to the present invention, whereby thickness variations in the base wall or second wall can either by achieved by pultruding the frame member is a specific cross section in a single material or material composition (Fig. 14 and 15) or can be achieved by gluing extra material slabs on a extruded or pultruded frame member (Fig. 15 and 16). The frame members can be extruded or pultruded in a wide variety of materials such as stainless metal or fibre reinforced plastic materials and the add-on slabs, which are preferably glued to the frame members by a structural glue can be made of rovings, woven mats or extruded or pultruded slabs in either a same material composition as the frame members or in a different material composition.
Figure 17 schematically illustrates three alternatives of fixing the individual frame members to one another to create the construction frame. In Figure 17A, the fixation between two adjacent frame members is achieved by gluing a L-shaped profile over the end portions of two adjacent frame members, whilst in figure 17B, two adjacent frame members both have a reduced thickness at their end portions and a solid L-shaped corner piece at fixed to both end portions, thereby defining and securing a corner of the construction frame. In figure 17C, the base wall of the frame members is manufactured as a hollow profile, whereby a corner piece is provided having an L-shape with at each leg a portion inserted in the hollow chamber of the concerned frame member profile.
In figure 18, a frame member with a T-shaped cross section is showed that comprises two profiles with a L-shaped cross section positioned next to one another such that one of their legs extend along one another in the longitudinal direction to define the second wall of the frame member, whereas the second legs extend in direction opposite one another to define the base wall of the T-shaped frame member. Both L-shaped profiles (in metal of a fibre reinforced polymer) are preferably encased in a hollow enveloping profile (preferably in a polymeric material). In order to increase strength and or insulation properties of the T-shaped frame member an insulation panel and/or reinforcing panel can be inserted between both legs of the L-shaped profiles defining the second wall of the T-shaped member. Such construction allows using metal frame members with an insulating insert, thereby allowing the frame members have a thermal transmittance (U-value) of maximally 2 W/m²K, preferably maximally 1 W/m²K, more preferably maximally 0,4 W/m²K in a direction perpendicular to the central aperture.
In figure 19 yet another alternative embodiment of a frame member is shown, wherein second wall is executed as a hollow profile that can be filled with an insulating and/or reinforcing material slab.
In general, the frame members are manufactured in a fibre reinforced polymeric material, taking full advantage of its material properties, on the basis of its specific geometry, as a function of realizing the least possible thermal transmittance.
This advantage is inherently linked to a geometry according the design of the T- or L-profile. Due to the strength of the chosen material, the web of the T-beam can remain relatively thin, and the cavity wall insulation can be maximally built up to the flange, retaining its full isolating capacity even in case the frame members are manufactured in metal such as steel. Thus the geometry of the profile, and the emplacement thereof and the choice of materials determine the bearing and thermal properties of the frame.
Figures 3 - 9 schematically illustrate the use of a construction frame during wall construction. In figure 2 an inner wall 7 is erected using masonry, although any other known construction material could be used, leaving open an architectural opening. As shown in figure 4, a construction frame 1 according to the invention is provided in said architectural opening and secured to the inner wall 7 by means of bolts or screws applied in through the through holes 6 into the inner wall.
Due to the limited thickness of both the base wall 4 and the second wall 5 of the construction frame, the frame can be used for architectural opening expanding over the entire height of a building store (ground to ceiling) allowing maximal flexibility in architectural design.
Alternatively only a ground row of bricks or ground portion of concrete is provided whereafter the construction frame is positioned in place and the remainder of the inner wall 7 is built around the construction frame while systematically fixing the construction frame to the erected inner wall. It is also possible to mount the frame in an existing aperture of an already existing wall and or by making a new aperture in an existing wall .(eg. renovation) In case the inner wall is built by casing concrete in a formwork, the construction frame is preferably part of the formwork before casting the concrete in the formwork such that the desired architectural opening is defined upon casting and that the concrete closely fits the outer surface 4" of the construction frame.
As mentioned supra, fixation of the construction frame to the inner wall 7 can be achieved by screws or bolts applied through the through holes 6 in the construction frame, however glue, mortar or other adhesives can be applied or the flange or second wall 5 can be positioned such that it becomes embedded in concrete during casting of the inner wall. Given the multiple options for fixing the construction frame to the inner wall, the through holes 6 are not mandatory.
In figure 5, the wall is further erected to a level above the construction frame, whereby the construction frame may have a supporting function for carrying part of the wall above the construction frame. In this case the wall part above the construction frame comprises a second architectural opening 20 for a second (vertical) window, while a second floor ceiling defines a third architectural opening 30 for providing a ceiling window or light street. In figure 6, construction frames 21 and 31 according to the invention are provided in both the second and third architectural openings 20 and 30.
In figure 7, the wall under construction is further completed by applying layer 8 of insulation material 8 to the wall, such EPS, XPS panes around the construction frame 1 on the first building floor or by panes of insulation material such as closed cell PU panes, rock wool or the like around the construction frame 21 in the second architectural opening.
The layer 8 of insulation material is subsequently covered (Figure 8) by a finish such as decorative plaster 9 for the construction frame 1 on the first building floor or an outer wall 29 of, in this case, bricks, for the construction frame 21 on the second building floor, whereby both the insulation layer as the decorative outer wall are applied around the base wall 4 of the construction frame and closely fit to the outer surface 4" of said base wall.
It is clear that the depth of the construction frame, here defined by the width of the base wall 4 preferably matches the thickness of the wall wherein it is intended to be applied. As such the base wall 4 of the mounting can act as a cavity closer closing protecting the space between inner and outer walls 7, 9. Appropriate widths of the construction frame therefore start from 5 cm and are preferably even 15cm or 25cm or 35cm or more. In order to effectively seal the space between inner and outer walls 7, 9 from water or air ingress, which can be detrimental for insulation capacity, it is preferred to apply a layer of mortar or adhesive between base wall 4 of the construction frame and the inner wall 7 and between the construction frame and the outer wall 9. For a better adhesion of mortar or adhesive to the outer surface 4" of the base wall is preferably provided with a zone of high roughness, increasing the effective contact area between the mortar or adhesive and the outer surface 4". It is also possible to provide a moisture and/or vapour barrier seal on the surface 4" eg. by gluing a strip of EPDM thereon.
Further, in case the construction frame is intended to be used in a wall whereon decorative plaster is to be applied on the inner wall and/or outer wall, it is preferred that the construction frame is provided with base walls 4 having slanting edges on its longitudinal sides that will function as plaster edge beads and render the edges of the construction frame nearly or entirely invisible after application of the plaster. Preferably, said slanting edges are provided with keying elements such as a roughened surface or a primer improving adherence of plaster to the slanting edge.
In figure 9, a window is installed in the construction frame, thereby finishing the wall.
As illustrated in more detail in figure 10 the window is installed in the construction frame by first providing a profile mounting bead 10 on the inner surface 4' of the base wall 4 of the construction frame. This mounting bead 10 can be fixed by for example gluing and/or screwing and allows subsequent insertion of a window or door frame with window or door pane in the construction frame. The profile mounting bead 10 in this case comprises 4 elongated profiles fixed on the base walls 4 of each of the construction frame's members 2 to define a continuous abutment surface against which a window/door frame can be slided in the construction frame. The window/door frame can subsequently be fastened by a profile applied or fixed to the construction frame base wall 4 such that the window/door frame is clamped between the profile mounting bead 10 and the additional profile 11 as schematically represented in figure 11. In this case the additional profile is executed as a sill, such as a window sill or door sill on the bottom edge of the window or door and as a decorative or ventilation panel on the other edges of the window or door.
Although in figure 10, the window/door frame is clamped between the profile mounting bead 10 and the additional profile 11, other means of fastening such as clipping or gluing can be applied equally, moreover the profile mounting bead can be made part of the construction frame by extruding, pultruding or co-extruding it simultaneously. Due to the structural strength of the construction frame, the position of the window/door can be varied along the width of the inner surface 4' of the construction frame, while the construction frame provides sufficient support for the window/door even when subject to heavy wind loads.
Figure 20 to 22 illustrate different options for clamping a window/door frame in a construction frame of the present invention. In figure 20, the clamping is achieved by a L-shaped mounting bead glued or screwed to the base wall of each of the frame members of the construction frame, whereby a first construction bead portion acts as a receiving zone for the window/door frame or glass panel and a second (upright) portion acts as a glass-bracket. A second glass-bracket is clipsed to the bead portion defining the receiving zone of the mounting bead.
In figure 21 the second glass-bracket is made of a L-shaped profile glued or screwed on the construction frame, whereas in figure 22, both glass-brackets are L-shaped profiles glued or screwed on the construction frame which also acts as glass pane or window profile receiving zone.
Figure 11 shows an alternative construction frame, wherein the construction frame is manufactured as a sandwich panel of two layers 12 with for example a fibre reinforced polymeric material 13 there between.
In accordance with the present invention the construction frame is used as a lintel. In such case, the lintel comprises:

a first frame member designed to span an architectural opening;
a second frame member extending parallel to and at a distance of the first frame member;
a least two upright support frame members extending perpendicular to first and second frame members and connecting the first and second frame member, thereby defining a frame;

The frame members can in this case be chosen from one of the above described embodiments (cf. Figures 2 and 13 to 19), whereby the first frame member spanning (the top of) the architectural opening is dimensioned longer than the second (lower) frame member and larger than the distance between both (upright) support frame members to effectively ensure support for the construction material on top of the first frame member.

Claims

Use of a construction frame comprising elongated frame members defining a central aperture, each frame member having an L- or T-shaped cross section with a base wall having a surface facing the central aperture and an opposed surface from which a second wall protrudes, wherein said frame members are manufactured in a fibre reinforced polymeric material or metal and or a combination of metal and polymeric material, at least one of said frame members having a maximum longitudinal deflection ratio of 1/250 and preferably 1/500 when a load of 1kN/m directed perpendicular on said frame member and parallel to the plane of the central aperture is applied thereon, as a lintel, characterized in that said frame comprises:
- a first frame member designed to span an architectural opening;

- a second frame member extending parallel to and at a distance of the first frame member;

- a least two upright support frame members extending perpendicular to first and second frame members and connecting the first and second frame member, thereby defining the frame;
wherein the first frame member is dimensioned longer than the second frame member and larger than the distance between both support frame members.
A lintel comprising:
- a first frame member designed to span an architectural opening;

- a second frame member extending parallel to and at a distance of the first frame member;

- a least two upright support frame members extending perpendicular to first and second frame members and connecting the first and second frame member, thereby defining a frame;
each frame member having an L- or T-shaped cross section with a base wall having a surface facing the central aperture and an opposed surface from which a second wall protrudes, wherein said frame members are manufactured in a fibre reinforced polymeric material or metal and or a combination of metal and polymeric material, characterized in that the first frame member is dimensioned longer than the second frame member and larger than the distance between both support frame members; and in that at least the first frame member has a maximum longitudinal deflection ratio of 1/250 and preferably 1/500 when a load of 1kN/m directed perpendicular on said frame member and parallel to the plane of the central aperture is applied thereon.