GB2263918A

GB2263918A - Cladding support system

Info

Publication number: GB2263918A
Application number: GB9201909A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Wells
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-01-29
Filing date: 1992-01-29
Publication date: 1993-08-11
Also published as: GB9201909D0

Abstract

A cladding support system comprises a plurality of spaced apart brackets (1), each having a vertical flange (12) and a horizontal flange (10), the vertical flange being adapted to be attached to a supporting structure and the horizontal flange having an upper surface adapted, e.g. by having an upstanding flange (6) to support a lintel (11) which extends longitudinally between the brackets. The brackets may each have a stiffening web (8) which passes through a slot in the lintel. <IMAGE>

Description

HASONRY SUPPORT SYSTEN This invention relates to a masonry support system, and more particularly to a system for supporting brickwork, blockwork, stone cladding, or similar structures.

In the cladding of modern buildings with brick work, block work, or stone, the outer leaf of the vertical wall comprising the cladding is supported at a distance from the inner leaf so as to leave a cavity between the inner and outer leaves. Various support systems have been proposed for supporting the dead load, which comprises solely the weight of the cladding itself.

In one such system, brackets are fixed at 225 mm centres to the supporting structure, which may, for example, be an edge of a reinforced concrete floor beam or structural steelwork, by the use of cast-in channels or expansion anchors. The brackets have horizontal flanges extending from the supporting structure which act as supports for the masonry outer wall leaf. Such a system is obviously expensive, and relatively inconvenient, requiring a large number of angle brackets where the outer leaf of the cavity wall is of any substantial area.

In a second proposal, a continuous angle is bolted to the supporting structure, the horizontal flange of the angle being adapted to support the brick work. In this system, the angle acts as a support for the outer leaf of the wall in a cantilever mode. Hence the strength of the system is essential based on the transverse strength of the horizontal flange of the angle, with minimal contribution from the longitudinal spanning strength of the angle. The result of this articulation is that the angle is subjected to considerable transverse bending of the horizontal flange, this bending being a maximum at the base of the bend. Since its strength is a function of material properties and elastic modulus, the material thickness of the angle invariably controls the design, and thicknesses within the range of from 4 to 12 mms depending on the load to be carried are required.

In a third proposal, an angle section profile is supported at intervals by being welded or bolted to brackets which are fixed at variable centres. The brackets are secured to the supporting structure and the angle section supports the brick work, the load being transferred into the brackets and hence the supporting structure by the bolting or welding. This system suffers from the same disadvantage as the second proposal, ie. that the angle is bent about its transverse axis and in addition, the entire load is carried by the welds or bolts connecting the angle to the bracket. The system has a further disadvantage that a large number of angle sections of different length and material thickness may need to be provided for different loading conditions.

There is thus a need for a masonry support system which is structurally more efficient, has improved versatility, reduced material costs, improved ease of forming and fabrication, and improved handling and transportation requirements.

The present invention provides a bracket angle support system in which the brackets supporting the longitudinally spanning angle form a normal simple support for the angle in addition to transferring the load into the supporting structure.

According to the present invention, there is provided a masonry support system comprising a plurality of spaced apart brackets, each having a vertical flange and a horizontal flange, the vertical flange being adapted to be attached to a supporting structure and the horizontal flange having an upper surface adapted to support an angle which spans longitudinally between the brackets.

The angle may extend in a continuous fashion over a series of brackets and the brickwork, blockwork or stonework is then constructed on the horizontal support provided by the angle.

In another aspect the invention also provides a bracket for use in a masonry support system, the bracket having a vertical flange adapted to be attached to a supporting structure and a horizontal flange having an upper supporting surface, a strengthening web located in a vertical plane and extending from the vertical flange to the horizontal flange, and a vertically-arranged back plate against which an angle, which is supported by the upper supporting surface of the horizontal flange, may be attached.

In a further aspect the invention also provides a course of masonry supported by a bracket or a bracket angle support system as hereinbefore described.

In this specification the angle will henceforth be referred to as a "beam lintel" and references to "horizontal" and "vertical" refer to the bracket, beam lintel or system when in use. "Horizontal" and "vertical" are used in the conventional sense that deviations of up to about 150 from the horizontal or vertical directions are included within these terms where such deviations are appropriate.

The vertical flange of the bracket is adapted to be secured to the supporting structure, for example, it may be provided with holes for securing bolts. The brackets may be bolted directly into the supporting structure, but preferably the bolts cooperate with a channel which is fixed or cast into the supporting structure so that the horizontal position of the brackets may be varied to suit individual requirements.

The horizontal flange of the bracket is adapted to provide a load bearing support for the beam lintel.

For improved strength, the bracket is preferably provided with one or more strengthening webs or gussets, which extend from the vertical flange to the horizontal flange. The lateral edges of the bracket may be provided with strengthening ribs extending from the vertical flange to the horizontal flange.

A vertically arranged back plate spaced apart from the vertical flange is provided, against which the beam lintel is attached, and this back plate may be provided with bolt holes for nominal fixing of the beam lintel. Preferably the back plate intersects with the gusset, and is connected to the ribs on the lateral edges of the bracket. The back plate is spaced apart from the vertical flange by a distance corresponding to the width of the cavity, which may be 50, 75 or 100 mms across. Shims may be placed behind the vertical flange of the bracket, or in front of the back plate to accommodate the bracket to the desired cavity width.

The bracket is required to be of robust construction, and may be fabricated or cast from stainless steel, or some other corrosion resistant material. If fabricated, the bracket is preferably made from 4 mm thickness material and if cast, the material thickness is preferably 5 mm.

The masonry support system of the invention comprises a longitudinally spanning simply supported or continuous beam lintel. An advantage of the present invention is that the beam lintel may be provided in standard lengths and the system may use any number of brackets dependent upon the loading. The beam lintel may have any suitable section, for example, box-section, "L" - section, or "Z" - section.

Preferably the beam-lintel has a profile with an angled or horizontally extending upper surface to give improved strength and resist compression buckling. The beam lintel can be supplied in any convenient length, but may typically be 2 metres long and may be slotted and holed to accommodate the gussets and fix the beam lintel to the back plates of the brackets. In this manner one length of the lintel can span several brackets. The lintel may be fabricated from relatively thin material, of 4 mms thickness or less, for example, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, or 4 mms depending on the load to be carried.

The number of supporting brackets will depend on the load being carried, but usually will be fixed at 2, 3 or 4 brick or block module centres along the beam lintel.

An advantage of preferred embodiments of the intention is that for structural integrity of the system only nominal fastening between the beam lintel and brackets is required, thus avoiding the need for any welding or bolting to transfer load into the brackets, as in the prior art constructions. If required, the beam lintels may simply be bolted or clipped, for example, to the back plates of the brackets. As the bolts or clips incur minimal loading and are mainly present to maintain the attachment of the beam lintel to the brackets and to prevent any inadvertent detachment, relatively light duty bolts or clips may be employed. The beam lintel spanning from one bracket to the next acts as a simply supported or continuous beam, bending and deflecting about the strong longitudinal axis in carrying the masonry.This contrasts with conventional bracket angle systems where the bending and deflection occurs about the weak transverse axis.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings in which Figure 1 shows the bracket angle system in perspective view; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a typical bracket; Figure 3 shows a vertical section through the support system of Figure 1 along the plane A-A; and Figure 4 shows a diagrammatic representation of various alternative beam lintel profiles.

Referring to Figure 1, the support system of the invention comprises a series of brackets 1 supporting beam lintels 2. The brackets are secured by bolts 3 to a channel 4 which is cast into the supporting structure (not shown). The beam lintel is attached at each of the bracket positions to the back plates 6 (see Figure 2) by bolts or clips 5 (only bolts at each end of the beam lintel are shown). The beam lintel has slots 7 intermediate its ends to accommodate the gussets 8 of the intermediate brackets.

The lower horizontal surface 9 of the beam lintel is supported underneath by the horizontal flanges 10 of the brackets (see figure 2) so that the flanges 10 take the load of the masonry which is supported on the horizontal surface 9 of the beam lintel. The beam lintel has an upper horizontal flange 11 which gives improved strength and resists compression buckling.

Referring now to Figure 2, the bracket 2 comprises a vertical flange 12 having a bolt hole 13 for securing the bracket to a supporting structure. The bolt hole is surrounded by horizontally directed serrations 14 to give vertical adjustment. Other means of vertical adjustment may also be provided. Attached to the vertical flange are a central strengthening web or gusset 8 and vertically extending side ribs 15. The ribs and the gusset extend from the vertical flange 12 to the horizontal flange 9.

The ribs and the gusset are connected by the verticallyarranged back plate 6 which intersects the gusset. The back plate 6 is provided with bolt holes 16 which cooperate with similar holes on the beam lintel to enable the beam lintel to be bolted to the back plate.

Figure 3 shows the arrangement of an intermediate flange and the beam lintel, and shows the generally "L"shaped profile of the beam lintel.

Some alternative profiles of the beam lintel are shown in Figure 4.

In operation, the system of the invention permits heavier loads to be supported using lighter beam lintels.

Loading of the imposed masonry creates deflection mainly longitudinally of the beam lintel, and not in a perpendicular direction as with conventional bracket angle systems. The system is easily assembled and does not require the beam lintel to be welded to the bracket.

Claims

1. A masonry support system comprising a plurality of spaced apart brackets, each having a vertical flange and a horizontal flange, the vertical flange being adapted to be attached to a supporting structure and the horizontal flange having an upper surface adapted to support an angle or beam lintel which extends longitudinally between the brackets.

2. A masonry support system according to Claim 1 in which the angle or beam lintel extends in a continuous fashion over a series of brackets.

3. A masonry support system according to Claim 1 or 2, in which one or more of the brackets is/are provided with strengthening webs or gussets which extend from the vertical flange to the horizontal flange.

4. A masonry support system according to any of the preceding Claims, in which the lateral edges of one or more of the brackets is/are provided with strengthening ribs extending from the vertical flange to the horizontal flange.

5. A masonry support system according to any of the preceding Claims in which one or more of the brackets is provided with a vertically arranged back plate spaced apart from the vertical flange against which the angle or beam lintel is attached.

6. A masonry support system according to any of the preceding Claims in which the beam lintel has a profile with an angled or horizontally extending upper surface adapted to give improved strength and resist compression buckling.

7. A masonry support system according to any of the preceding Claims in which the angle or beam lintel is fabricated from material of 4 mm in thickness or less.

8. A masonry support system according to any of the preceding Claims, in which the beam lintel is slotted at intervals along its length to accommodate the gussets of the brackets, or holed to accommodate fixing bolts or clips, or both.

9. A bracket for use in a masonry support system, the bracket having a vertical flange adapted to be attached to a supporting structure and a horizontal flange having an upper supporting surface, strengthening webs located in a vertical plane and extending from the vertical flange to the horizontal flange, and a vertically-arranged back plate against which an angle or beam lintel, which is supported by the upper supporting surface of the horizontal flange, may be attached.

10. A masonry support system according to any of Claims 1 to 8 in which there is used a bracket according to Claim 9.

11. A course of masonry supported by a bracket or angle support system according to Claims 1 to 8 or a bracket according to Claim 9.

12. A masonry support system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.