GB713574A - A structural system for floors and roofs - Google Patents

Abstract

713,574. Floors ; roofs; building units. AYMERICH, J. M. B., and REITG, I. B. March 25, 1952 [March 26, 1951], No. 7617/52. Classes 20 (4) and 87 (1) Floors and roofs are constructed of one or more self-supporting building units each comprising a dome-shaped polygonal supporting shell 4, and means 13, 16 are provided for supporting the shell at each corner thereof. The shell supports may be ascending ones in the form of columns &c. or descending ones, i.e. suspended supports proceeding from a higher support. The shell may be of regular or irregular polygonal form with rectilinear or curvilinear, horizontal or slanting sides. As shown the shell 4 is joined to a flat top surface element 6 by means of ribs 7 extending diagonally of the shell and/or by ribs 8 parallel to the sides of the shell. Elements to compensate the horizontal stresses may be included comprising rods 14 which join the supports 13 together and may be located in the plane passing through the points 15 where the shell rests on supports 13, or, as in Fig. 5, above the upper surface of the shell so as to be invisible from below. In the latter construction the rods are supplemented by stays 17 joining points 15 to points 18 on rods 14. The shell 4 may be constructed from rectangular bricks 9, 10, 11, the curvature of the shell being obtained by the juxtaposition of courses 12 of bricks 9. Fig. 8 shows various arrangements of units, where units 21, 22 are juxtaposed in the same plane, units 23, 24 are juxtaposed in different planes. Units 21, 23 are superposed covering the same area, and units 22, 24 are superposed and cover different areas. The upper surfaces of the ribs may be horizontal as shown, or may be inclined for use in the construction of s'oping roofs &c. The spaces between the shell the upper flat surface, and the ribs provide heat and sound insulation, and may be used to hold water &c. pipes. Large aisles &c. may be constructed clear of rising supports such as columns. Specification 669,806 is referred to.