IL202585A - Building method for casting a floor or ceiling - Google Patents

Description

BUILDING METHOD FOR CASTING A FLOOR OR CEILING mp>n )H nasi* t\ n\?>\y Pearl Cohen Zedek Latzer P-73625-IL The present invention relates to a method of building construction useful for casting floors or ceilings.

Horizontal parts of buildings primarily floor and ceiling plates are designed to support a predefined load. As concrete performs poorly under tension steel reinforcing rods are used near the lower surface of the concrete plate.

The load comprises its own weight, and possibly also machinery, furniture, stored items and masses of people. Particular attention must be paid to moving items, such as rotating or reciprocating machinery or people dancing as is found in wedding halls. Where the high stresses involved would require a thick, heavy and expensive floor or ceiling, it has long been practice to use ribbed or hollow floors/ceilings, which reduce weight and cost and yet provide for the specified loading.

A common method of construction is to set up an array of foamed plastic rectangular boxes around which the concrete is poured, after positioning of the steel reinforcing rods.. Said boxes or blocks prevent concrete flowing into the space between the intended ribs but contribute nothing to load carrying although they remain in place also after the concrete has hardened.

Other methods of achieving the same end are seen in the following US patents and patent applications: US Patents nos. 4,637,184 5,572,842 6,539,691 6,845,591 7,540,121 and US Patent applications nos. 2003/01 10724 2007/0271864 and 2008/0053022.

In the prior art all the elements supporting the concrete remain in place but do not carry any part of the load on the building floor or ceiling when in use after the concrete has hardened. Whatever components are used to support the concrete before hardening, it is necessary to provide a horizontal plane for casting, whereas the ground over which the floor is to be cast is nearly always not flat or horizontal. With known methods of building construction considerable time and effort is expended on rectifying this situation.

It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to obviate the disadvantages of prior art horizontal building slabs and to provide a cost-reducing method allowing recovery and reuse of almost all objects which were used to support the plate(s) on which the concrete was poured.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method which eases the task of leveling the area to be cast.

The present invention achieves the above objects by providing a method wherein, in a there is provided a building method for the construction of a floor or ceiling, said method having the following steps: a) Preparing an open frame surrounding the area wherein said floor it to be cast, and cutting an aperture in at least one of the walls or bottom of said open frame; b) Pouring into said open frame a multitude of discrete objects being of a size less than said aperture to form a horizontal layer, and leveling the upper surface of said layer; c) Laying at least one plate on top of said upper surface of said layer, and if more than one plate is used, ensuring that all plates are level and in the same horizontal plane; d) Laying rib forms (if applicable) and placing reinforcing rods on top of said at least one plate; e) Pouring concrete over said reinforcement rods and over said rib forms (if any) to form the floor main plate; f) Allowing said concrete to harden; and g) Entering a suction pipe through said aperture(s) and thereby removing and restoring for further use said multitude of discrete objects.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a building method wherein said objects are made of an expanded polymer.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a building method wherein said objects are substantially spherical.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a building method wherein said substantially spherical objects are of a diameter between 5 and 50 mm.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a building method wherein said objects are flake shaped.

In yet a further preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a building method wherein said plate(s) resting on said objects is/are made of an expanded polymer.

It will thus be realized that the novel method of the present invention serves to save the cost of the conventional construction items used to support the cement while setting. There is however a further benefit obtained by the use of a multitude of balls or flakes with regard to the task of leveling the area to be cast. Leveling of this surface using conventional components is labor intensive. In contradistinction thereto leveling a bed of balls or flakes is much easier and requires less time.

Either balls or flakes can be used. The flakes are somewhat more stable when stacked and may be readily available from companies supplying packing materials. The balls may be easier to extract by the vacuum pipe, and will be more durable for repeated usage.

The invention will now be described further with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent by example preferred embodiments of the invention. Structural details are shown only as far as necessary for a fundamental understanding thereof. The described examples, together with the drawings, will make apparent to those skilled in the art how further forms of the invention may be realized.

In the drawings: FIGs. 1 and 2. are a perspective view and an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of a floor being constructed using step a) and b) according to the invention; FIG. 3 is a sectioned elevational view of a of a preferred embodiment of a floor being constructed after execution of step c; FIG. 4 is a of a preferred embodiment of a floor being constructed after execution of step e; FIG. 5 is a sectioned elevational view of a of a preferred embodiment of a ribbed floor being constructed also after execution of step e; FIG. 6 is a fragmented view of a of a of a preferred embodiment of a ribbed floor being constructed during execution of step g; and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a floor being constructed after step b) wherein the multitude of objects is in flake form.

The building method for the construction of a floor or ceiling will now be described with reference to the diagrams.

STEPS a) and b) are illustrated in FIGs. 1 and 2.

Step a) comprises preparing an open frame 10 surrounding the area wherein the floor is to be cast. The frame 10 may rest on the soil 12 and will surround the foundation elements 14. The frame 10, which can suitably be made of wooden boards extends a littler higher than the upper surface of the floor which will be cast in STEP e).

A round aperture 16 is cut in at least one of the walls of the open frame 10; and extends inwards through the foundation elements 14. Cutting this aperture 16 in the foundation elements 14 can be avoided either by utilizing an existing gap therein or by casting the aperture 16 at the same time as the foundation is cast. This aperture could be made at any other suitable location.

STEP b) involves pouring into the open frame 10 a multitude of discrete objects 18 being of a size less than the aperture 16 diameter. The objects 18 form a horizontal layer and the upper surface 22 of the layer is then leveled. The quantity poured in is only sufficient for the purpose of generating the flat horizontal surface 22 above earth level.

The objects 18 are preferably made of an expanded polymer, and are shown as of spherical shape, preferably in the range 5 - 50 mm diameter.

In a further embodiment the objects are flakes 24 made of a light weight expanded foam, as seen in FIG. 7.

Referring now to FIG. 3, in STEP c) there is seen that at least one plate 26 is laid on top of the newly generated flat horizontal surface 22 above earth level. Except in very small structures a plurality of plates 26 will be required. If more than one plate is used, the plates are checked to be level and to be in the same horizontal plane. The plates 26 may be made of an expanded polymer as is commonly found in packaging of goods for transport.

STEPS d) and e) are illustrated in FIG. 4 for a plain floor, and in FIG. 5 where rib forms 28 are laid if the intention is to cast a ribbed floor 30. All the needed reinforcing rods 32 are now positioned on top of the plate(s) 26 in STEP d). In STEP e) Concrete 34 is poured over the reinforcement rods 32 and over the rib forms 28 (if any) to form the floor main plate, as seen in FIG 5.

In STEP f) the concrete 34 is allowed to harden.

STEP g) comprises entering a suction pipe 36 through the aperture 16, as seen in FIG. 6. Application of a vacuum to the pipe 36 enables removing and restoring for further use the multitude of discrete objects 18, which are collected in a vessel 38. A vacuum pump 40 connected to the vessel 38 supplies the necessary suction. .

The scope of the described invention is intended to include all embodiments coming within the meaning of the following claims. The foregoing examples illustrate useful forms of the invention, but are not to be considered as limiting its scope, as those skilled in the art will be aware that additional variants and modifications of the invention can readily be formulated without departing from the meaning of the following claims.

Claims (7)

1. A building method for the construction of a floor or ceiling, said method having the following steps: a) preparing an open frame surrounding the area wherein said floor it to be cast, and cutting an aperture in at least one of the walls or bottom of said open frame; b) pouring into said open frame a multitude of discrete objects being of a size less than said aperture to form a horizontal layer, and leveling the upper surface of said layer; c) laying at least one plate on top of said upper surface of said layer, and if more than one plate is used, ensuring that all plates are level and in the same horizontal plane; d) laying rib forms (if applicable) and placing reinforcing rods on top of said at least one plate; e) pouring concrete over said reinforcement rods and over said rib forms (if any) to form the floor main plate; f) allowing said concrete to harden; and g) entering a suction pipe through said aperture(s) and thereby removing and restoring for further use said multitude of discrete objects.

2. The building method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said objects are made of an expanded polymer.

3. The building method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said objects are substantially spherical.

4. The building method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said substantially spherical objects are of a diameter between 5 and 50 mm.

5. The building method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said objects are flake shaped.

6. The building method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plate(s) resting on said objects is made of an expanded polymer.

7. A building method substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to the accompanying drawings.