GB2132244A - Wall panel - Google Patents

Abstract

A wall panel for partition walls or forms (shuttering) comprises a core of wire netting covered with a mixture of mortar and short synthetic fibres, and moulded so that one face comprises a plurality of recessed portions spaced apart by crossed reinforcing ribs (12). The wall panel has a flange extending along each of two sides and a complementary receiving channel extending along each of the other two sides whereby a plurality of such panels can be assembled. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Lightweight reinforced combination wall panel This invention relates to building construction panels, and more particularly, to wire mesh reinforced combination panels which can readily be fabricated to form a hollow partition wall or be used as shuttering into which mortar is poured to form a solid wall or floor.

Some concrete slabs, tiles and panels for building walls or floors are known in which a flat, thin wire mesh is enclosed to act as reinforcement. Since such a wire mesh lies only in a single plane in the slab, tile or panel, the use of the wire mesh as reinforcement is of limited efficacy, and the slab, tile or panel would be impracticable if thickened to suit specific needs without the use of additional wire meshes to compensate for the reinforcement necessary for the increased thickness.

It is known that to form a cast-in-place concrete wall or floor requires the use of a formwork of boards nailed together to be filled with concrete. As a rule, after setting of the concrete poured into such a formwork, the formwork must be removed and a plaster-finish applied to the exposed rough surface of the thus formed wall or floor to assure a smooth, attractive appearance. However, removing the formwork and applying the exterior finish can be time-consuming and costly.

The invention provides a wall panel which endeavours to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages. The wall panel in accordance with the invention is formed with a plurality of recessed portions and crossed ribs on one side and is reinforced with a specially designed wire mesh which reaches into each of the ribs to render the panel light in weight and sturdy in structure. A plurality of such panels can be readily assembled in edgewise interfitting relationship by mating elements provided along the edge portions of each panel and fitted to supporting channel studs to form a hollow partition wall.Alternatively, the panels can be used as forms into which mortar can be poured to form a solid wall, but such forms need not be removed after the mortar sets and the exposed wall surface requires no application of any plaster-finish thereto since the other side of each panel is substantially smooth.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wall panel shown upside down according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the wall panel with its smooth top side facing upward and partly broken away to show the interior structure; Fig. 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a wire mesh reinforcement employed as the structural framework of the wall panel; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a section of a channel stud for supporting the wall panel of the invention; Fig. 5 is a top view, partly in section, of a wall built of the wall panels of the invention; Fig. 6 is a detailed illustration of the interconnecting portions of the wall shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 illustrates in front elevation the wall of Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a U-shaped clamp for securing together the wall panel and the channel stud as shown in Fig. 4.

With reference to Figs. 1-3, a wall panel according to the invention is composed of a core skeleton of wire netting covered with a mixture of mortar and short synthetic fibres, the wire netting and mixture being moulded into a thin case-like body A having a smooth top surface 11 and a plurality of square cells 1 2a spaced apart at regular intervals by crossed reinforcing ribs 12 on its bottom. The case-like body A has a projection 1 3a along one lengthwise side edge, a receiving channel 1 4a along the opposite lengthwise side edge, another projection 1 3b along one transverse side edge and another receiving channel 1 4b along the opposite transverse side edge.The projections 1 3a and 1 3b and the receiving channels 1 4a and 1 4b are designed so that the projection 1 3a can fit in the receiving channel 1 4a of another identical wall panel and the projection 1 3b can be received by the receiving channel 1 4b of still another identical wall panel. Thus engaged with one another, a plurality of such wall panels can be readily assembled to form a trim, continuous wall face without requiring the use of mortar as a bonding agent.

At the corner of the bottom side of the case-like body A where the receiving channels 1 4a and 1 4b meet, there is a cut-away portion 1 spa, while a corresponding cut-away portion 1 sub is provided at another corner of the bottom side of the case-like body where the projection 1 3b and the receiving channel 1 4a meet. The receiving channel 1 4a is formed with an aperture 1 sic located in its side wall formed by the margin of the bottom side of the case-like body A. The projection 1 3a is formed with a central opening 1 5d and a short section is cut out from each end of the projection 1 3a. The purpose of providing the aforesaid cut-away portions, aperture and opening is to accommodate a U-shaped clamp 4 (see Fig. 8), as will be explained in detail later.

In order to render the thin, case-like body A pressure- and impact-resistant, the case-like body A is reinforced with a wire mesh reinforcement 2 enclosed therein. The wire mesh reinforcement 2, best illustrated in Fig. 3, comprises a first wire mesh 21 of closely woven thin wires and a second wire mesh 22 of sparsely woven thick wires 22a. The first wire mesh 21 is pressed so that a pattern of evenly spaced, downwardly projecting, crossed ribs 21 a is formed, circumscribed by frame members 21 b.

The second wire mesh 22 is secured by spot welding to the first wire mesh 21 on the top thereof, preferably with its thick wires 22a overlying the crossed grooves in the top surface of the first wire mesh.

To produce the wall panel of the invention, the wire mesh reinforcement 2 is placed in a mould, which mould is then filled with a mixture of mortar and synthetic fibres. Arter the mixture hardens, the resulting hard mass will be in the form of the case like body A as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the enclosed wire mesh reinforcement 2 spreading throughout the panel proper and ribs 1 2 to thereby render the panel stress-resistant. Since the square cells 1 2a in the bottom of the panel makes it possible for the panel to be light in weight, that contributes to easy transport of the panels to a job site.

Channel studs 3, reinforced with a wire mesh 31 and provided with evenly spaced-apart spacers 32 as shown in Fig. 4, are provided for supporting assembled wall panels, and U-shaped clamps 4 as shown in Fig. 8 are provided for securing together the assembled wall panels and channel studs. The channel stud 3 may rise from the floor to the ceiling and be fixed at the lower end to the floor.

For the purpose of fixing the channel stud, there may be provided on the floor a plurality of raised cement anchors (not shown) adapted to fit the channel of the channel stud. When each channel stud is erected on the raised cement anchor, the channel studs and raised cement anchors may be bonded together by mortar or fastened together for example by nuts and bolts which are partially embedded in the cement anchors and passed through openings 33 formed in each spacer 32 of the channel stud. Then wall panels A can be laid on edge and assembled in courses as shown in Fig. 7, the lowest course of wall panels being fixed to the floor by mortar and the wall panels of adjacent courses being in interlocking engagement as are adjacent wall panels in each course by virtue of the projections 1 3a and 1 3b and receiving channels 1 4a and 1 4b.As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the wall panels A are mounted in two vertical planes on opposite sides of the channel studs 3 and are secured in place by U-shaped clamps 4 each having one leg extended through the cut-away portion 1 5a or 1 Sb or the aperture 1 Sc of the wall panel into the receiving channel 1 4a and the other leg inserted into the channel of the adjacent channel stud thereby to clamp the wall panel against the channel stud by friction fit.While adjacent panels in each vertical row are joined to each other by the engagement of the projection 1 3a and receiving channel 1 4a, the projection 1 3a will not obstruct the interposing of one leg of the U-shaped clamp 4 in the receiving channel 1 4a, since a section of a predetermined iength is cut out from each end of the projection 1 3a and the opening 1 5d exactly accommodates the one leg of the U-shaped clamp.

When the assembled wall panels are erected to such a height that the top courses of wall panels abut the undersurface of a floor (ceiling) slab, mortar should be forced into the joints between the courses and the slab to ensure a bond with the slab. However, if there is not such a slab, then the opening between the two opposed vertical planes of wall panels are to be covered with, for example, panels of the same material sized so as adequately to span that opening. The panels thus superimposed on the top courses of wall panels may then be joined together in end to end relationship and to the top courses by martar or resin. A partition wall built of such wall panels requires no application of any plaster finish or glazing, since the exposed surface of each wall is smooth.

Alternatively, the wall panels may also be employed to serve as shuttering. After the wall panels are assembled to form a desired hollow structure in the same manner as stated hereinbefore, the hollow structure can be filled with concrete to become a solid wall.

Advantageously, the wall panels need not be removed after the concrete has set, since the exposed surface of the solid wall is smooth.

Claims (4)

1. A lightweight reinforced wall panel for building walls and shuttering composed of a wire mesh reinforcement and a mixture of mortar and short synthetic fibres, the wire mesh reinforcement and mixture being moulded into a thin rectangular body having one face smooth and the other face formed with a plurality of recessed portions spaced apart by crossed reinforcing ribs, a projection extending along each of two side edges meeting at a corner of the rectangular body, and a complementary receiving channel extending along each of the other two side edges meeting at the diagonally opposed corner, whereby a plurality of such panels can be assembled in edgewise interfitting relationship.

2. A lightweight reinforced wall panel according to claim 1 , wherein a cut-away portion is formed at the corner of the ribbed side of the rectangular body where the receiving channels meet and at another corner of the ribbed side where the lengthwise receiving channel and the projection perpendicular thereto mesh, the lengthwise receiving channel being formed with a centrally located aperture in its side wall formed by the margin of the ribbed side of the rectangular body, and wherein the lengthwise projection has a section cut out from each end thereof and is formed with an opening in its central section.

3. A lightweight reinforced wall panel according to claim 1, wherein said wire mesh reinforcement comprises a first wire mesh of closely woven thin wires pressed so that a pattern of evenly spaced, downwardly projecting, crossed ribs and peripheral frames are formed, and a second wire mesh of sparsely woven thick wires attached by spot welding to the top of the first wire mesh.

4. A lightweight reinforced wall panel constructed and adapted for use substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.