EP3334867A1

EP3334867A1 - Prefabricated building system

Info

Publication number: EP3334867A1
Application number: EP15794646.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Armando COPPOLA
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-08-14
Filing date: 2015-08-14
Publication date: 2018-06-20
Also published as: WO2017029686A1

Abstract

Building system for realizing buildings comprising a plurality of blocks (1) for realizing supporting partitions (40), each block (1) comprising therein two chambers separated with respect to each other, each one of said chambers being accessible by means of a respective upper opening (10, 11) and a respective lower opening and being configured to communicate, once said block (1) is installed, with respective chambers of the superimposed and underlying blocks (1), so that said chambers provide a first volume usable as formwork for a concrete pillar and a second volume useful for filling with inert material of suitable particle size.

Description

Prefabricated building system

The present invention relates to a building system for realizing buildings, in particular for realizing residential and commercial buildings.

STATE OF THE ART

The buildings field is still almost totally linked to the use of traditional reinforced concrete technologies, which need to massively use expensive materials, do not allow to use recycled materials and do not allow an easy possibility of recycle of the same materials at the end of the useful life of the building. For this reason, there are remarkable problems linked to the recycle of materials coming from constructions and demolitions (C&D) . Each year, only in Italy, 35 million tons of construction and demolition waste are produced and only 10% thereof is recycled. In other countries the situation is better, but further improvement is needed in the use of materials coming from construction and demolition waste, as it is also established by recent regulations according to which the content of recycled materials inside new construction buildings has to reach compulsorily 70% in short time.

The possibility to use materials coming from construction and demolition waste can be exploited efficiently if new building systems are provided, with modular components produced at industrial prefabrication level. Anyway, the existing prefabricated building systems (mainly in wood, concrete or insulated metal) have important technical and economic drawbacks: generally components of great dimensions have to be factory- built and then have to be transferred and assembled on site, thus rendering particularly expensive and complex the steps of transport and moving in the building yard and thus needing skilled personnel for installation.

AIM OF THE INVENTION

Therefore aim of the present invention is to provide a building system for realizing buildings, in particular residential and commercial buildings which use factory-prefabricated components which are then assembled on the building realization site, which is no more a building yard and substantially turns in an assembly workshop.

According to another aim, the present invention provides a building system which allows to realize dwelling modules with few skilled workers, so that construction costs are reduced and self- construction is allowed (the building is built by the people who are going to live in it) .

? Yet, another aim is to provide a building system which allows to realize buildings with optimized energy performance according to the climate of the place where the building is going to be built and which allows an easy and economic integration of plants, as for example air-conditioning systems and the production systems of renewable energy from renewable source.

Another aim of the present invention is to provide a building system for realizing buildings comprising a reduced number of prefabricated components, of such dimensions and weight that the transport and moving are easier and economic, even in pallets.

Yet, according to another aim, the present invention provides a building system for realizing buildings by means of which it is possible to realize the structure and the vertical and horizontal closures of the buildings, which allows to use all the finishing components (doors, windows, panels...) known at the state of the art. Lastly the present invention provides a building system which reaches all the just described aims and which, at the same time, allows to realize a building with costs for square meter lower than the building methods known at the state of the art. APPLICATION FIELD

With the present building system it is possible to realize a great range of structure types, among which for example floors on the ground, bulkheads and thrust walls; bottom horizontal closure systems, self-supporting upstands with climbing over systems, houses with one or two floors both of independent and row type, multi-floor buildings, post earthquake and post natural disasters emergency modules, service pavilions or infobox, coverings and "green" fagades. The building system can be further used for improving existing structures, thus realizing new supporting and insulation partition walls inside existing buildings, thus realizing also consolidation with increase in supporting capability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Therefore the present invention provides a building system for realizing buildings comprising a plurality of blocks for realizing supporting partitions, each block comprising therein two chambers, separated with respect to each other, each one of said chambers being accessible by means of a respective upper opening and a respective lower opening and being configured to communicate, once said block is installed, with respective chambers of the superimposed and underlying blocks, so that said chambers provide a first volume usable as formwork for a concrete pillar and a second volume useful for filling with inert material of suitable particle size.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will be now described in detail with reference to the appended figures 1 to 15.

In particular, firstly single components of the system will be described, and in the following the method for realizing a building by using such components .

First of all it is to be precised that a building realized with the building system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of self- supporting parallel partitions, arranged with constant distance between centres with respect to each other, which are realized by means of a plurality of prefabricated blocks in plastic material, which are assembled on site following a constraint assembly scheme.

As it is shown in figure 1, each prefabricated block (1) is provided with a suitable constraint system which allows to arrange side by side and to superimpose a plurality of blocks, till a self- supporting wall is obtained. The single block (1) comprises in fact a first (10) and a second (11) opening, which communicate with through recesses, i.e. provided with openings both on the upper surface and on the lower surface of the same block. It is important to precise that, regardless of the geometric shape shown in figure, which is the preferred embodiment of the invention, the feature of the prefabricated blocks of the system is to have two chambers inside, separated with respect to each other, each one configured so that it can communicate with respective chambers of the superimposed and underlying blocks, once the block is installed.

All the recesses are provided with a male-female type constraint system, which is hollow in the centre. The male constraining means of the first (10) and second opening (11) are positioned on the upper surface of the block (1) . By superimposing a plurality of blocks, as it is shown in figure 2, to each male constraining means a respective female constraining means, on the lower surface of the superimposed block, is coupled.

The first opening (10) is configured so that by superimposing a plurality of blocks, the volume defined by the respective chambers provides a formwork for a little pillar, which is to be filled with concrete in a following assembly step. It is to be said in advance that the step of casting of concrete inside the little pillars is the unique "wet" step needed for the realization of buildings with the system according to the present invention. The second opening (11) of the block (1) communicates with a respective chamber inside the prefabricated block (1), which can be filled with bulk material during the construction of the partition .

It is important to underline that said second opening (11) of the block (1) communicates inside with a chamber which has preferably a greater section than the respective opening, so that the useful volume for filling with the bulk material is maximized.

Demolition material can be used as filling material, preferably waste produced in the building construction step or in demolition step of other buildings. For example, aggregate coming from the foundation digging of the same building can be reused directly on site, after crumbling them to the needed particle size (with equivalent diameter preferably equal to 6 cm) , with consequent saving for the reduction of waste produced in the building yard. Filling with bulk inert material gives the partition a good thermal inertia. Alternatively, according to the desired technical features for the partition, the inner recesses of the prefabricated blocks can be filled with thermally insulating materials, such for example aerogel, foams, expanded clay, polystyrene or others.

Another possibility is the re-use of bulk material available on site and which cannot be used for realizing buildings otherwise, such for example sand and waste from quarrying.

As it is shown in figure 2, the blocks (101, 102, 104) usable for realizing partitions according to the present invention can be realized with the opening (10) for concrete arranged at the right or left of the opening (11) for filling with bulk material. In this way, by superimposing alternately layers realized from blocks of the one and the other type, the junction strength is improved. The separation line (103) between the blocks (101, 102) of the lower row is in fact at the upper block (104) .

Each side surface of each block is also preferably configured so that a constraint surface is defined with the respective surface of the adjacent block, thus guaranteeing the alignment precision of a block with respect to the other one, and so, the linearity of the partition. The shape of the coupling between a block and the adjacent one shown in figure is to be intended exclusively as a way of example and not limiting the possible shapes therefor .

It is to be precised that in figures 1 and 2, the blocks are shown from their "inner" side, the inner side being intended as the one facing the interior of the building.

As it is shown in figure (1), on the inner surface of the block there are provided a plurality of ribs (12, 13), projecting with respect to the inner surface of the block (1) and configured so that a plane parallel thereto is defined on which finishing panels of any type can be easily installed (as a way of example wood or plasterboard) , without the need for support structures of any type.

The provision of ribs (12, 13) further provides two other functions: it guarantees the space for passage of cables and pipes, thus easing the systems realization, and it realizes an interspace between the block and the finishing panel, which interspace can be ventilated or not, according to what described in detail in the following. With reference to the dimensions of the building blocks, without this limiting the aims of the present invention, it can be indicated a thickness between 30 and 40 cm, a width between 100 and 150 cm and a height between 20 and 100 cm. Preferably, for realizing a partition, layers of blocks with different height can be also used: for example the superimposition of a 60 cm layer of blocks and a 40 cm layer of blocks allows to realize 1 meter height, which is generally used for parapets and windows .

Polyethylene-based composite materials and epoxy resins reinforced with fibers of various nature, as a way of example fibreglass and carbon fibre, can be used as materials for realizing the prefabricated blocks.

At the end of the realization of a partition by assembling prefabricated blocks, the structure of the building is completed with concrete castings in the seats provided by the superimposition junction of all the just described recesses provided in the modules, which are stationary formworks, since they remain included inside the building structure.

As inner and outer finishing panels there can be used panels known at the state of the art, such for example wood or plasterboard panels. They can be possibly used as inner coating, for controlling the humidity inside the rooms, modular panels in plaster-fibre additivated with phase change nanoparticles (phase change materials for absorbing and releasing in determined conditions of humidity overpressure, or overheating) .

Lastly, once the structure is realized in its structural parts the building is completed by installing outer (which form the building shell) and inner panels.

Outside the coating panels or strips are mounted by means of suitable aluminum anchoring and supporting means directly at the vertical ribs (14) formed by the trapezoidal shape of pillars on the outer surface .

So there is obtained an outer shell (30) with respect to the self-supporting partition (40), and between the shell (30) and the self-supporting partition (40) it is realized an air interspace, of ventilated or not ventilated type. The passage from ventilated type interspace to not ventilated type interspace can occur very simply by opening or closing, possibly by means of an automatic system, a series of ventilation openings.

In summer in fact, ventilation is a positive factor since it allows to limit the heating of the inner supporting wall by changing air in the interspace; in winter the ventilation openings can be closed, possibly by means of automatic moving means, so that air in the interspace is still, thus giving the vertical closing system a remarkable increase in thermal resistance.

According to the climate and aesthetic needs, the material of the outer shell can be wood, high pressure laminate plastic with various finishing effects (HPL) , composite material additivated with phase change nano-materials (PCM, phase change materials) .

From the inside of the self-supporting partition the coating surfaces can be realized by means of personalized modular boiseries: there can be used panels in plaster-fibre and hemp fibre-based composite material or the like, possibly stabilized with nano-materials able to give important fire retardant, bactericide and anti-bacterial properties, dynamic thermo-hygrometrical self- regulation .

It is important to underline that any type of coating material among those known at the state of the art can be used, both inside and outside, in association with the building system according to the present invention. This is an aspect which makes the present invention particularly simple in its realization; in fact, products known at the state of the art and available on the market can be used for the finishing: panels, doors, windows, false ceilings and others, once the structure is completed.

In figure 7, it is further shown a view of the ventilated crawl space (50) to be used with the building system according to the present invention.

The ventilated crawl space (50) is positioned in contact to the aggregate and the ground of the foundation. As it is shown in figure 7 the crawl space comprises a base (51) and a covering (52) .

A plurality of base elements can be arranged side by side, on more rows, up to fill the base surface of the construction. The shape of the base (51) is such that it defines longitudinally a space (511) for laying systems tubes and pipes, and to be provided with a series of holes (512) on the side walls to allow the transversal crossing of systems tubes and pipes. On the lower side of the base element (51) is it further realized a through hole

(513) which, when a plurality of elements are arranged adjacent, allows to define ducts for air passage. The renewal air effect in such ducts in contact to the aggregate and the ground of the foundation provides a passive cooling associated to passive de-humidification .

In fact the crawl space (50), in order to take new- air from outside, can comprise manifolds oriented towards the summer prevailing winds and connected to the ducts (513) realized in the crawl space base. Such manifolds, by Bernoulli-Venturi effect, make the air move in the ducts (513) formed in the prefabricated crawl space. The air cools itself in contact to the ground and then flows in the ventilated interspace positioned between the supporting partition and the building inside.

In fact, as it is shown in figure 15, blocks (1) positioned in the first row starting from the bottom can comprise thorugh holes (15) in correspondence of the ventilation space of the crawl space, putting in communication the crawl space with the interspace provided outside the supporting partition, comprised between the same supporting partition and the outer coating panel. The covering (52) of the ventilated crawl space (50) is configured so that it covers the base element (51) and is provided with a series of grooves (521) suitable for housing the pipes useful for the realization of a radiant floor. The last component to be described is the covering element (60). The shape of such covering element is such that it is possible to realize easily coverings of different composition with only one piece .

As seen in plan view, as shown in figure 8, two covering elements (61, 62) are each configured to rest on two consecutive little pillars comprised in the supporting partitions (41, 42). The shape of the covering elements (61, 62) is such that a diagonal covering is realized with respect to the orientation of the supporting partitions (41, 42).

If, in fact, the first covering element (60) rests on the first and the second little pillar (411,

412) of the first supporting partition (41), the second covering element (62) rests on the second and third little pillar (422, 423) of the second supporting partition (42) . The detail of the constraint of the covering element to pillars is shown in figure 4, in which it can be seen the collar hook (20) configured to be housed around the male constraint of the little pillar (21) .

The section view of figure 10 allows to understand that the covering element (60) rests on the inclined projection (21) of the collar hook (20).

In this way, the inclination (21) of the hook (20) defines the angle with which the covering element (60) is housed with respect to the supporting partition.

The shape of the covering element is shown in figures 12 to 14.

In figure 12 two covering elements (61) are shown arranged side by side along respective resting sides (611, 621) . In figure 13, it is shown an axonometric view of a covering element (60) . As it can be seen in figure 13, on the long side (602) visible in figure there are provided a plurality of constraint means (604) of male-female type. Respective constraint means are provided on the opposed side (503), even if hidden in figure 13. On the short side (605), opposed to the resting one (601) there are instead provided complementary constraint means (606, 607) configured so that by arranging two identical pieces side by side along the side (605) opposed to the resting one, the two pieces can be assembled one with the other.

All the couplings are of male-female type and such that a casting of concrete inside the covering element can pass from an element to the adjacent one without obstacles.

Lastly in figure 14, it is shown an axonometric view from the bottom of a double pitch covering realized by arranging a first (61, 62) and a second 63, 64) couple of covering elements side by side. In figure, for graphical reasons, only one (40) of the two supporting partitions which support the covering is shown.

As it is visible in the shown images, the shape of the covering element (60) is such that it is possible to realize a double pitch covering with all identical pieces, as it is shown in figure 14. Alternatively, if the aesthetical needs are different, it is possible to realize a flat covering by simply constraining a false ceiling to the intrados lines (65) which are all located on the same plane. Therefore, also the constraint of the false ceiling results particularly easy.

After describing the components of the building system according to the present invention, it is now possible to describe in detail how the supporting structures (foundation and elevation ones) and the closures (vertical and covering closures) are realized.

The foundation structures needed for the system are realized according to the distance between the centres of the longitudinal partitions of the building, which will be constant. When these structures are ended, which are a traditional type of work in buildings construction, the prefabricated blocks begin to be assembled to form two partitions parallel with respect to each other, which define a first longitudinal section. As a way of example the net width of the section can be 3,60 m, corresponding to a distance between the centres equal to 4 m.

During the construction of the partitions, when the height of 2-3 rows of prefabricated blocks is reached, the chambers begin to be filled with the bulk material; when the final height of the partition (ex. 2,70 m) is reached, stiffening reinforcements are arranged (only if stiffening need results from the calculation) by inserting them upperly, by means of suitable openings, in the formworks where the concrete will be cast. On top of the reinforcements, if needed according to the structural calculations, pins can be arranged for the reinforcement constraint, which will be possibly provided in the ceiling.

When the two parallel partitions are ended, the steel collar bracket (20) are assembled, of such shape that they are constrained to the tongues at each trapezoidal part (little pillars) . As yet shown, these brackets provide also shaped support for the covering elements. Also stationary side walls are arranged on the side walls of the partitions, in order to stop the casting of concrete .

Then it occurs the dry assembly of the tiles: for each longitudinal section with 4,00 m of distance between the centres there are two of them in the crossing direction, assembled according to a certain inclination of the centre line; there can be used also steel connectors (zincate or stainless) to make it easy and to improve the constraint both in the centre line between two section tiles, but also on the lateral long sides of the tiles between consecutive sections.

When covering elements are assembled, there are introduced the strands according to the lying indicated by the "x" shape, which can be put in traction by applying a pre-tension (where needed from calculation) , possible stumps and brackets in shaped circular bars are integrated (where needed from the calculation) and then the casting of concrete occurs from the centre line by means of suitable space provided in the upper part.

When the peripheral curb is realized thanks to the side walls, which are part of the prefabrication kit, the upstand working can restart, in case of multi-floor structure, or the completion planned for the coverings can restart, upon completing the same operation described for all the supporting partitions of the first level according to the proj ect .

When the covering is reached the shell is ended by sealing the resin joints both in center line and on the supports on the partitions; where it is planned according to the project, special pieces for anchoring photovoltaic or thermal solar panels can be mounted, instead of blocks of hanging garden.

At this point, while outside the finishing operations are ended by mounting the gutters, the outer ventilated wall (or green wall, or other type provided which can be integrated with the system) and the seals, inside (which does not have any operability constraint as for example provisional works or waiting times of seasoning) there can occur the assembly of the modular system provided for the base closing (the crawl space described in the suitable section) , as well as the installation of the systems, and after, the assembly of the boiseries and, where needed, of the false ceilings.

Possible stairs are then realized as well as any other architectural element planned, the inner and outer standing finish, the lockers and the modular inner courts planned according to the project, and ready in kit ; in the following the finishing, cabling and assembly of the technological devices are realized .

Claims

1. Building system for realizing buildings comprising a plurality of blocks (1) for realizing supporting partitions (40), each block (1) comprising therein two chambers separated with respect to each other, each one of said chambers being accessible by means of a respective upper opening (10, 11) and a respective lower opening and being configured to communicate, once said block (1) is installed, with respective chambers of the superimposed and underlying blocks, so that said chambers provide a first volume usable as formwork for concrete pillar and a second volume useful for filling with inert material of suitable particle size .

2. Building system for realizing buildings according to claim 1, characterized in that each one of said upper and lower openings (10, 11) is provided with a constraint system of male-female type, which is hollow in the centre, configured so that by superimposing two blocks the one on the other one, to each male constraining means a respective female constraining means, on the lower surface of the superimposed block, is coupled.

3. Building system for realizing buildings according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the superimposition and the arrangement of a plurality of blocks (1) side by side allows to realize a supporting partition (40) in which, at regular distances chambers are provided usable as formworks for realizing concrete pillars, said chambers developing seamlessly from the bottom to the top of said partition (40) .

4. Building system for realizing buildings according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said blocks are realized in plastic material, and preferably in epoxy resin- based composite material.

5. Building system for realizing buildings according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least on a side surface of said blocks a plurality of ribs (12, 13) is provided, projecting with respect to said side surface and configured so that a plane parallel thereto is defined.

Building system for realizing buildings ording to claim 5, characterized in that on the side surface opposed to said side surface comprising a plurality of ribs (12, 13), at said first volume usable as formwork for a pillar in concrete, a projection (14) is provided which defines a plane parallel to said opposed side surface .

7. Building system for realizing buildings according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a plurality of covering elements (60, 61, 62), configured to rest on said supporting partitions (40), characterized in that the shape of said covering elements (61, 62) is such that a covering is realized, which in plan view, develops diagonally with respect to the orientation of the supporting partitions (41, 42).

8. Building system for realizing buildings according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shape of the covering element (60) is such that it allows to realize a double pitch covering by using a plurality of identical pieces constrained between each other.

9. Building system for realizing buildings according to claim 8, characterized in that the shape of said covering element (60) comprises a series of projections configured so that, when a double pitch covering is realized by arranging a plurality of identical elements side by side, the intrados lines (65) of said projections lie on only one plane.