GB2166768A - Prefabricated building elements with assembly joints - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a concrete building system having wall elements 1, floor and ceiling elements 19 and vertical support elements 21, each of the elements being adapted to be attached securely to at least one other element. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Prefabricated building structure The present invention relates to the field of building construction, more specifically, to the construction of building structures using prefabricated elements, preferably of concrete.

The construction of building structures using prefabricated concrete elements has been known since at least as early as the 1920's; however, major drawbacks and disadvantages have existed in this type of construction.

Some of the disadvantages include the need for extensive on-site pouring of concrete to securely join the various precast elements.

Such practice was very time consuming and several to defeat the main purpose of prefabricating components, namely in order to save time.

Using other known techniques, there was a need for additional structural members using steel or wooden joints to ensure the stability of the completed structure. A known method of joining elements was simple overlap joints which did not have the stability required and needed more time for assembly during the actual construction.

It is an object of this invention to overcome some of these disadvantages and to provide a construction system which allows for a relatively fast and economical construction of a building structure made of prefabricated concrete elements.

In one broad aspect, the present invention relates to a building structure including walls comprised of a plurality of prefabricated panels, each said panel having a front surface and a back surface, a mutually opposed pair of ends and a mutually opposed pair of sides, a selected one of said surfaces having a plurality of vertically extending ribs formed thereon, a selected one of the outermost of said ribs having a tongue formed therein and the other of said outermost ribs having a complimentary groove formed therein each said groove is lined with deformable elastic material, whereby when said panels are secured together, a sealed tongue and groove joint is formed.

The present invention provides a building structure comprising a plurality of prefabricated components. These components are preferably primarily concrete.

The present invention provides, from another aspect, a building structure comprising wall elements, floor and ceiling elements, and vertical support elements, each element being adapted to be securely attached to at least one other element.

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view in cross-section of a wall panel; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a wall panel mounted on a concrete footing; Figure 3 is a perspective view of an outside corner panel; Figure 4 is a perspective view of an inside corner panel; Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of a floor and ceiling panel; Figure 6 is a perspective view in cross-section of a floor and ceiling panel mounted in wall panels; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a partially completed building structure; Figure 8 is a cross sectional view of a build ing--structure; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a wall panel adapted for the installation of a window; Figure 10 is a perspective view of a window sill panel; Figure 11 is a perspective view of an archway panel;; Figure 12 is a perspective view of a window or door header; Figure 13 is a schematic illustration of a typical steel reinforcement pattern in a panel; and Figure 14 is a view of a window assembly.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the manner in which the various components of the present invention may be assembled to form a building structure.

Fig. 1 shows a typical wall panel 1 having a flat outer surface 2, and an inner surface 3 having a plurality of parallel support members 4 extending from the inner surface 3. Each member 4 has wood strips 5 which form an integral part of the wall panel 1, and facilitate the installation of interior wall finishes while eliminating the necessity of erecting an interior wooden framework for this purpose. The support members 4 are of a sufficient depth to allow for the installation of insulation, such as fiberglass batts or polystyrene.

Each end of the wall panel terminates in a support member 4 being either a tongue member 7 or a groove member 6, thereby facilitating the assembly of wall members to each other by means of tongue and groove joints. Preferably, the interior of each joint is lined with a soft rubber latex compound, which may be applied as a pre-formed one piece solid strip. The rubber latex functions to prevent moisture from entering through the wall joint, and also fills in any gaps which may exist in the joint.

Referring to Fig. 2, it can be seen that the wall panel 1 has holes 12 at predetermined points in the support members 4 which have either a tongue member 7 or a groove member 6. When two wall panels 1 are joined together they can then be bolted together at these points. Larger holes 8 are also drilled or formed in each support member 4 in order to allow electrical wiring, plumbing, and other such works to be inserted through the walls without the necessity of cutting holes espe cially for these once the panels have been erected.

It can also be seen, in Fig. 2 that there is a substantially rectangular notch 9 cut out of the bottom of each member 4. The notches 9 facilitate the assembly of the wall panel on the foundation footing 11, as shown in Fig. 2 or on a floor panel 19, as shown in Fig. 7. In Fig. 2 it can be seen that the concrete footing 11, which may be either poured in situ or preformed and transported to the site, is provided with a substantially rectangular ridge 10 to fit the notches 9. This ridge may be preformed, or formed in situ after the wall panel is erected on the concrete footing 11.

Referring to Fig. 3, wall panels may also be formed to be used as corner panels. Fig. 3 shows an outside corner panel. It can be seen that then only difference between a corner panel and a wall panel as described above is that one support member 4 is bevelled at an angle of approximately 45". The angle may be varied according to the particular angle desired at the corner of the structure.

A wall panel, adapted to be joined with the wall panel illustrated in Fig. 3 to form the outside corner is not shown; however, the level is in the support member 4 having a groove 6, adapted to receive the tongue 7 which is shown in Fig. 3.

An inside corner panel, as shown in Fig. 4, is similar to an outside corner panel, except that the edges, rather than being bevelled inwardly, project outwardly at an angle of approximately 135 from the inner surface 3 of the panel. This angle may also be varied according to the particular corner angle desired.

Fig. 4 shows the two wall panels as they would be adapted to form an inside corner, with the support member 4 having the tongue 7 being bevelled on one panel and the support member having the groove being bevelled on the other panel.

Fig. 5 shows a floor and ceiling panel 19 according to the present invention. Each such panel 19 has a lower surface 13 which forms a ceiling surface when the panel is in place, and an upper surface 14 which has a plurality of parallel upward floor members 16 having wooden strips 5. These wooden strips 5 are integrally attached to the floor members 16, and facilitate the installation of flooring material, without the necessity of constructing a separate wooden grid or framework for flooring. A flooring space 27 is formed between the floor members 16 thereby facilitating the installation of heating ducts, plumbing pipes and the like, without the need for cutting holes. Furthermore, any cold feel to the concrete is substantially eliminated by raising the finishing flooring a distance from the concrete upper surface 14 of the panel 19.The panel 19 terminates in a floor member 16, at each end and these outer floor members 16, for use where two floors and ceiling panels are to be used side by side.

Such an application is shown in Fig. 7, and in such a case, a concrete support column 21 and beam 24 are also used to secure and support adjacent floor and ceiling panels 19.

It can be seen in Fig. 5, that there is a downwardly projecting tongue 15 at one outer floor member 16 of the floor and ceiling panel 19. At Fig. 6, it can be seen that there may also be an upwardly projecting tongue 15a on the upper surface of the floor and surface panel opposite the said downwardly projecting tongue 15. These tongues fit into grooves 18 formed in the upper edges of the support member 4 of the wall panels 1, in the case of a downwardly projecting tongue 15, or notches 9 on the lower edges of the support members 4 of the wail panel 1, in the case of upwardly projecting tongues 15a. A joint between a wall panel 1 and a floor and ceiling panel 19 is therefore made by inserting these tongues 15 or 15a into the corresponding groove 18 or notch 9.An upward extension 17 of the wall panel covers such a joint and serves to protect it from moisture and to add stability to the joint. Such an extension is illustrated in Fig. 7.

Referring to Fig. 7, the downwardly projecting tongues 15 on the floor and ceiling panels 19 may also be inserted into grooves 18 in the support beams 24, the beams 24 being supported by columns 21 resting on concrete footings 20. Tongue 25 and groove 26 joints may be used to mount the beam 24 to the column 21. Tongue 22 and groove 23 joints may also be used to mount the column 2f to the footing 20. Each of these joints may be cemented.

The use of tongue and groove joints as described in wall to floor and ceiling, wall to footing, floor to ceiling to beam, beam to column and column to footing joints provides a great deal of stability to the structures built with this system, and also greatly facilitates the actual construction, as the positioning of the various elements of the system can be done accurately and quickly by only a small crew. It has been found that structures may be built with the present system in less time, and utilizing less labour than possible with prior systems.

Fig. 8 shows cross section of a structure built according to the present invention. It can be seen that it is possible to cut suitably sized holes in the walls to allow for the installation of windows, and doors. When a window or door hole is desired in a wall panel, there are additional, horizontally extending outward projections 31 (see Fig. 12) formed above the hole to act as headers and these support the weight of the structure above then holes. The holes may be continuous from one panel to another, shown as Fig. 14, and include, at the lower edge of the holes, a groove 30 to accept a downwardly extending tongue on a preformed window sill 28. Vertical grooves may be formed in the vertical edges of the window holes, so that a window may easily be installed by sliding it in place and sealing it with a caulking compound.

Wall panels may also be formed in shapes other than rectangular. Shown in Fig. 11 is an arch-shaped panel, used for decorative purposes, but with the features as herein described for all wall panels.

Referring to Fig. 7, and Fig. 8, the construction of a building structure according to the method of this invention may be described by following the following steps: a) a suitable hole is excavated b) concrete footings 11 and 20 are installed, either poured in situ, are transported to the site c) wall panels are mounted on the footings, and cemented thereto by ridge 11 at notches 9; the wall panels are bolted together d) concrete is poured in the hole as a foundation floor e) floor and ceiling panels are joined to the wall panels and cemented in place; where required, support beams and columns are also installed now to support floor ceiling panels; the joints are cemented f) wall panels are joined to the floor and ceiling panels and the joints are cemented; the panels are bolted together g) necessary doors and windows are installed h) floor and ceiling panels are installed above the wall panels; necessary beams and columns are installed, joints are cemented Steps f, g and h are then repeated in order until a building of the desired height is completed.

i) plumbing, electrical, etc. work is installed j) interior wall and floor finishes are applied It has been found that buildings of up to six and seven stories are possible with this invention, without the need of additional structural materials.

It should be noted that the concrete panels used in this invention are re-inforced with steel. A typical re-inforcement pattern is shown in Fig. 13, but any suitable re-inforcement pattern is possible in this invention.

Claims (27)

1. A building structure comprising wall elements, floor and ceiling elements and vertical support elements, each element being adapted to be attached securely to at least one other element.

2. A structure according to Claim 1, wherein each said wall element is formed as a substantially rectangular panel with a flat outer surface and an inner surface having a plurality of outwardly projecting vertical members.

3. A structure according to Claim 2, wherein the vertical edges of each wall element are adapted to fit with the vertical edge of each other wall element, and the horizontal edges of each wall element being adapted to fit with an adjacent floor or ceiling element.

4. A structure according to Claim 1, wherein each said floor and ceiling element is formed as a substantially rectangular panel with a flat lower surface and an upper surface having a plurality of outwardly projecting longitudinal members, and including an upwardly projecting member adjacent to each longitudinal edge, and edges adapted to fit with the horizontal edges of an adjacent wall element and with the edge of an adjacent floor and celing element.

5. A structure according to Claim 2, wherein on the surface remote from the inside surface of the said wall element of each said outwardly projecting vertical member, there is, integrally attached, a wooden strip.

6. A structure according to Claim 4, wherein on the edge of each said outwardly projecting longitudinal member remote from the upper surface of the said floor and ceiling member there is integrally attached a wooden strip.

7. A structure according to Claim 3, wherein each said wall element is adapted to fit with adjacent wall elements by means of a tongue and groove joint.

8. A structure according to Claim 3 or 7, wherein a thin layer of flexible insulating material is inserted in the joint between the wall elements to be fitted together.

9. A structure according to Claim 2, wherein the said wall elements are adapted to fit with the said floor and ceiling elements by means of notches in the upper and lower surfaces outwardly projecting members of the said wall elements which are of a size suitable to receive upwardly or downwardly projecting members on the upper or lower surface of the floor and ceiling elements.

10. A structure according to Claim 9, wherein a layer of concrete is poured in the joint between a said wall element and a said floor and ceiling element.

11. A structure according to Claim 8, wherein the outwardly projecting members on the inner surface of each wall element extend substantially from the bottom edge of each wall element to a point near the upper edge of the wall element, and wherein the downwardly projecting member on the lower surface of each said floor and ceiling element is located near the edge of the said floor and ceiling element, such that when the floor and ceiling element is fitted to the wall element, the edge of the floor and celing element adjacent to the said downwardly projecting member will abut the inner surface of the said wall element, and the upper edge of the said wall element are flush with the upper edge of the upwardly extending member of the floor and ceiling element adjacent to the wall element.

12. A structure according to Claim 1, wherein said support elements include sub stantially rectangular, vertical concrete posts adapted to fit with adjacent wall elements and floor and ceiling elements, and horizontal and concrete beams adapted to fit with floor elements, the upper surfaces of the said posts being adapted to fit with the lower surfaces of the said beams by means of a tongue and groove joint.

13. A structure according to Claim 2, wherein holes are provided in the said wall elements for windows and doors.

14. A structure according to Claim 13, wherein around each said hole there are, on the inside surface of the said wall elements outwardly projecting members adapted to securely hold windows and doors.

15. A wall panel as shown in the drawings.

16. A floor and ceiling panel as shown in the drawings.

17. A building structure as shown in the drawings.

18. A building structure comprising a plurality of prefabricated concrete components.

19. A method of erecting the structure shown in the drawings.

20. A method of erecting a building structure comprising the assembly of components illustrated in the drawings and described herein.

21. A building structure comprising a plurality of prefabricated components.

22. A building structure including walls comprised of a plurality of prefabricated panels, each said panel having a front surface and a back surface, a mutually opposed pair of ends and a mutually opposed pair of sides, a selected one of said surfaces having a plurality of vertically extending ribs formed thereon, a selected one of the outermost of said ribs having a tongue formed therein and the other of said outermost ribs having a complementary groove formed therein each said groove is lined with deformable elastic material, whereby when said panels are secured together, a sealed tongue and groove joint is formed.

23. A structure according to Claim 22, wherein each said outermost rib has a plurality of apertures formed therein, whereby said panels may be secured together, by means of nuts and bolts.

24. A structure according to Claim 23, wherein a selected side of each said panel forming an outer corner in a said structure is provided with a rib angled inwardly at 45 , whereby securement of a pair of said ribs angles inwardly at 45" forms an outer corner of a said structure.

25. A structure according to Claim 23, wherein a selected side of each said panel forming an inner corner in a said structure is provided with a rib angled outwardly at 45 , whereby securement of a pair of said ribs angled outwardly at 45" forms an inner corner of a said structure.

26. A structure according to Claim 23, further including a plurality of floor and ceiling panels, wherein each said floor and ceiling panel has a flat lower surface, a longitudinally ribbed upper surface, and at least a pair of mutually opposed sides, wherein each said side of a said floor and ceiling panel is provided with a longitudinal rib having an upwardly and a downwardly projecting tongue and wherein the top and bottom edges of the vertical ribs on said wall panels are adapted to receive said tongues on said longitudinal ribs whereby tongue and groove joints are formed at the junction of said wall panels and said floor and ceiling panels.

27. A structure according to Claims 23, 24, or 25, wherein each of the ribs on said wall panels is provided with wood nailing strips.