GB2171431A - Building panels and building structures - Google Patents

Abstract

A building panel for assembly with similar panels to form a wall structure which panel comprises a sheet member (1) having a curved major surface and at least one reinforcing rib (2) having a rectilinear front surface and a shaped rear portion (3) curved to match the curvature of a respective area of the sheet, said rib or ribs being attached to the said respective areas of the sheet surface by said rear portions. Such panels may be assembled edge to edge to form buildings such as silos, or other structures. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Building panels and building structures The present invention relates to building panels and building structures and includes methods of assembling building structures.

In previous patents exemplified by British Patent Specification No. 2159551 the Applicant has already described a method for the construction of vertical structures of the type utilising standardised modular elements which are prefabricated in the factory and assembled at the works site, each element essentially comprising a smooth metal sheet or plate on the outer surface of which are welded horizontal stiffening and reinforcing ribs.

Although this definition does not imply any restriction in respect of the shape of said smooth sheet, hitherto the use of this method had only been applicable to the case in which the modular elements are intended to provide flat or polygonal walls.

Now, in the course of research the Applicant ascertained that by using smooth rounded sheet metal, and also taking into account certain novel provisions, it was possible to benefit new technical and economic advantages.

Assuming, for the sake of example, that smooth rounded sheet metal is understood to mean cylindrical structural elements with a vertical generator, it is obvious that the horizontal stiffening ribs have to conform to the curvature of said cylinder.

In theory, of course, it would be possible to use similarly curved ribs having the same curvature as the portion of cylindrical wall in question. However, it is difficult to accomplish this solution in an economic manner.

According to the invention, the solution lies in utilising straight ribs, preferably similar to those described in the Applicant's previous patents, and in suitable shaping the rear portion, i.e. in accordance with said preference the two edges with which it is to be welded to the sheet, this shaped portion being rounded in conformity with the curvature of said sheet.

From an engineering aspect, this operation of shaping the edge of a sheet in conformity with a rounded configuration with one or more given radii does not create any difficulty.

In a first aspect, the invention provides a building panel for assembly with similar panels to form a wall structure which panel comprises a sheet member having a curved major surface and at least one reinforcing rib having a rectilinear front surface and a shaped rear portion curved to match the curvature of a respective area of the sheet, said rib or ribs being attached to the said respective areas of the sheet surface by said rear portion or portions.

The invention includes a building structure comprising such building panels assembled and fixed in edge to edge relationship directly or via intermediate joining members to form curved wall portions of said building structure.

The invention also includes a method of constructing a building structure comprising assembling and fixing such building panels fixed in edge to edge relationship directly or via intermediate joining members to form curved wall portions of said building structure.

This is of great significance wherever it is desirable either to reduce the thickness of metal sheets or to reduce the danger of flexion in the walls.

Therefore, in the case of polygonal silos of very great height, the loads applied to the walls can become very substantial and calculation show that, to be able to withstand the danger of flexion, flat sheets should be of considerable thickness, thereby increasing their weight and cost price of the construction.

However, rounded sheets intended to form a silo of like height but of generally cylindrical configuration are of much greater strength, thereby making it possible to lighten the structure and thus reduce its cost price.

In the present application the terms "rounded" and "cylindrical" are to be understood both in their restricted sense and in their broad sense, namely: in the case of a restricted meaning, the invention covers any construction of cylindrical type defined by a rectilinear generator and a circular or elliptical director, and in the case of a broad meaning, the invention covers more generally the case in which said director is composite, namely made up of sections comprising an odd number of alternately convex and concave curves.

In fact, it would appear that if a convex "boss" is introduced at the centre of the concavity of a sheet with cylindrical profile, the inertia or stiffness of the rib is thus increased and, moreover the latter remains rectilinear, thereby giving rise to a number of advantageous effects: it becomes possible to dispense with any inner reinforcement in the rib; it also becomes possible to lengthen the vertical distance separating two ribs; therefore, for the same structural strength, there is the benefit of a saving in material and labour, these two savings result in a reduction of almost 50% in the cost pri-ce of the structure.

The practical application of this variant does not cause any engineering difficulties: the shaping of the sheets of the panels may be effected using former templates and actuators; and the ribs shaped in conformity With the corrugations of the sheets may be produced by means of a numerically controlled stamping machine.

Panels produced in accordance with the in vention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a view from above of the panel in Figure 1, and Figure 3 combines the three standard views (front, from above and in section) of a rib intended to cooperate with a sheet having three corrugations, the deflections of which have been exaggerated for greater clarity.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a metal sheet or plate of generally cylindrical shape and with a vertical generator, representing part of the vertical partition of a silo of generally cylindrical shape, built in conformity with the method forming the subject matter of the Applicant's previous patents. According to this method, each of the individual panels forming this partition is reinforced and stiffened by horizontal ribs 2-2'. According to the present embodiment, these ribs are now shaped as evident in particular at 3 on rib 2', shown prior to being welded at its location 2" on the panel 1.

Shaping of this type simply comprises cutting each of the edges 4 of the sheet forming the rib in conformity with a rounded configuration corresponding to the curvature of the panel 1.

In practice, taking into account the diameter of the structures referred to in the present invention, which may be of the order of 20 metres, this curvature is relatively alight and the deflection f, indicated in Figure 2, is only of the order of tens of millimetres, so that the shaping operation can be performed very easily.

Figure 2 shows an assembly of two panels P1 and P2 corresponding to the panel in Figure 1.

This assembly comprises two cylindrical sheets 1 a and 1 b reinforced by ribs 2a and 2b and connected by vertical posts 5a and 5b of trapezium-shaped section.

In the extreme case, these posts could be of triangular section so that these sheets 1 a and 1b form a continuous cylindrical surface, it being understood in this case that the seal at the joints between each pair of adjacent panels would have to be assured by appropri ate means.

Of course, this embodiment of the invention does not only cover vertical cylindrical structures with a circular director but also those with a differently curved director, for example elliptical, or those wherein straight walls are joined by curved zones and so on.

According to the second embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the rib comprises a base 11 resulting from the juxtaposition of bases 1 1 a End 1 ib of two elemental ribs, the bottom of a V-joint 11 C and two inclined flanges 2 and 3.

According to the invention each flange 12 or 13 is shaped in conformity with two concave curves 14-14' joined by a convex curve 15. The section of the sheet constituting the corresponding panel will correspond therefore to the aspect of curves 14-15-14' evident from the sectional view of the rib.

Of course, a section of this type with three corrugations is the most elementary but any other section with an odd number of corrugations could be used, depending on the requirements imposed by the type of construction.

Claims (15)

1. A building panel for assembly with similar panels to form a wall structure which panel comprises a sheet member having a curved major surface and at least one reinforcing rib having a rectilinear front surface and a shaped rear portion curved to match the curvature of a respective area of the sheet, said rib or ribs being attached to the said respective areas of the sheet surface by said rear portion or portions.

2. A building panel as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said sheet is a portion of a cylinder.

3. A building panel as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said sheet seen in curved view provides a curve which is a part of a circle, an ellipse of other wholly convex shape.

4. A building panel as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said sheet seen in curved end view presents a composite curve made up of an odd number of adjoining convex and concave curve portions.

5. A building panel as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each said rib comprises a rectilinear front panel member having top and bottom long edges bearing rearwardly extending flange members each having a rear edge curved to fit the corresponding portion of said sheet.

6. A building panel as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each rib is attached to the sheet by welding.

7. A building panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A building structure comprising building panels as claimed in any preceding claim assembled and fixed in edge to edge relationship directly or via intermediate joining members to form curved wall portions of said building structure.

9. A building structure as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the panels are joined along vertically extending edges by vertically running trapezi dal cross section, elongate joining members.

10. A building structure as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9 which is a silo.

11. A method of constructing a building structure comprising assembling and fixing building panels as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 fixed in edge to edge relationship directly or via intermediate joining members to form curved wall portions of said building structure.

12. A method for the construction of vertical structures of the type utilising standardised modular elements which are prefabricated in the factory and assembled-at the works site, each element essentially comprising a smooth metal sheet' or plate on the outer surface of which are welded horizontal stiffening and reinforcing ribs, characterised in that the smooth sheet constituting the base of an element is in the form of a part of a cylinder with a vertical generator, and that the horizontal ribs associated with this element are rectilinear and shaped on their rear surface so as to conform to the curvature of said part of the cylinder.

13. A method according to Claim 13, characterised in that the director of said cylinder is circular, elliptical or of analogous entirely convex curved shape.

14. A method according to Claim 13, characterised in that the director of the cylinder, of which each element is a part, is in the form of a curve having concave zones and at least one convex zone, the total number of the corrugations of this curve being odd.

15. A structural element, characterised in that it is obtained in accordance with the method according to any one of Claims 13 to 15.