NZ248942A - Constructing a building; form footing, place panels and then connect a perimeter beam to the inside or outside of the panel top - Google Patents

Description

8942 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No.: 248942 Date: 13 October 1993 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Improvements in/or Relating to Methods of Building and/or Buildings Erected Using Such Methods I, GAVIN ROSS MOORE, a New Zealand citizen, of 3/54 Foyle Street, Ohakune, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 248 942 This invention relates to methods of building using concrete panels and/or buildings erected using such methods.

There are many instances where it is necessary to provide buildings for dwellings or other purposes which are structurally secure enough to withstand severe weather conditions, such as hurricanes, and when used as dwellings to provide an environmentally comfortable habitat In many instances there is a significant shortage of timber, but there are available local materials from which reinforced cementitious panels can be formed. It is desirable, particularly where die building is for use as a dwelling, that the panels are insulated and a particularly suitable building panel for the method according to this invention is described and claimed in my New Zealand Patent Specification No. 244719.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method of building and/or buildings erected using the method which can effectively utilise concrete panels to provide a structurally secure building and is particularly suited for buildings incorporating the building panels described in my New Zealand Patent Specification No. 244719.

Accordingly in one aspect the invention may be said to consist in a method of building comprising die steps of laying out a building profile, forming panel support footing means in accordance with die building profile, supporting and levelling concrete construction panels on said footing to form wall sections with said construction panels abutted together or spaced apart on die support footing means, joining the base of the panels into a reinforced concrete floor of die building and structurally connecting the top of the erected panels using a perimeter beam fixed to the inside or outside of said panels.

In another aspect the invention may be said to consist in buildings erected using the building method as described in the preceding paragraph.

One preferred form of my invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing die building method according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a detailed section of a single storeyed building through the concrete panel; Figure 3 is a similar section through a window; Figure 4 is a similar section through a door; Figure 5 is an enlarged detail showing the arrangement of the perimeter beam at the top of the concrete panel; Figure 6 is a detail showing die arrangement for the perimeter beam above a window; Figure 7 is a detail showing the perimeter beam above a door; Figure 8 is a typical section in a two storeyed construction through the concrete panel; ! ~ Figure 9 is a similar section through a window; 24 8 942 Figure 10 is a similar section through a door; Figure 11 shows an internal jointing bracket for abutting concrete panels at the corner of a building; £uld Figure 12 shows aa external jointing bracket A building method according to the present invention requires the laying out of the desired building profile. A simple building profile is illustrated in Figure 1. Panel support footing means in the form of a profile foundation 1 are poured, usually in a trench dug in the ground 2. Concrete building panels 3 are erected in an upright position on the footing 1 and are levelled and supported in position using external bracing outside of the building profile. The bracing is not shown in the drawings. Panels 3 may be abutted together or there may be openings 4 provided between the panels. The gaps are left for doors or windows in the completed building.

The size of the panels 3 can vary and it is desirable for an insulated construction panel to be provided. A particularly suitable construction panel is described in and claimed in my New Zealand Patent Specification No 244719.

Briefly such a construction panel has an outside thickness 4a of reinforced cementitious material normally reinforced by steel fibres although many other types of reinforcing could be used. A layer of insulating material 5 is embedded in the panel but with the periphery of the insulating sheet located inside the periphery of the panel while still ensuring there is insulation over the greater part of the panel 3. The top 6 and bottom 7 of the panel 3 remain free of insulation and provide structural sections for the panel. The panel has an inside layer 8 of reinforced cementitious material and additional reinforcing can be provided in the structural areas of the panel.

The panels 3 are also formed with embedded threaded sockets and these sockets towards the top of the panel are used to attach a perimeter beam 9 or to provide attachment positions for lifting the beam.

The perimeter beam 9 is shown in Figure 1 as being attached to the inside of the top face of the panels and while the beam may be joined across a panel as shown at 10 it is structurally connected to the panels by structurally secure bolts passing through the perimeter beam in to the sockets in the panel Thus a continuous perimeter beam is provided around the building which structurally secures the top of the panels and provides a support from which other building components may be mounted.

While the perimeter beam is shown on the inside of the building in Figure 1 in some building configurations it would be more convenient to locate the perimeter beam on the outside of the panels. Again with appropriate location of sockets for attachment of the beam this presents no difficulties. In appropriate circumstances and if necessary the perimeter beam could be located both on the inside and on the outside of the panels 3. 24 894 The perimeter beam needs to be a structural member and in my building technique I prefer to use a wooden beam, for example 300 millimetres by SO millimetres. However it would be possible forother structural beams to be employed in the building technique without departing from the scope of the invention.

It will be apparent from the above description that a builder seeking to erect a building will identify the openings 4 required and select panel widths that accommodate those openings. Panels in a variety of widths are available and can be ordered for erection in to the general construction, for example as illustrated in Figure 1.

It is necessary to ensure that the base of the panels are tied together and threaded sockets are located in the panels into which may be engaged starter rods 11 to ensure that the lower end of the panel is tied into a reinforced concrete floor 12. In the openings 4 the floor is finished to the outside face of the panels 3 as is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.

Once the reinforced floor 12 has been poured tying in the panels 3 and the perimeter beam 9 has been fitted more conventional construction techniques can proceed to complete the building. lintels may be attached to the perimeter beam in the openings 4 between the panels and windows and doors fitted.

A typical window 13 is illustrated in Figure 3 with the lintel 14 attached to the perimeter beam 9 and an infill panel IS built by conventional building techniques beneath the window 13.

A typical door is illustrated in Figure 4. In this case the lintel 14 is similarly provided with the door 16, for example, an aluminium sliding door fitted in place.

A suitable roof structure, for example, with prefabricated trusses 17 can be erected to be supported on top of the panels 3 and perimeter beam 9. The trusses 17 support the roof cladding 18 with the gutter 19 fitted to the end of the roof trusses and a soffit 20 returned underneath the protruding section of the truss to engage with the panel wall or infill panel IS thereby providing a quick and economical way of completing a roof on a single storeyed dwelling. Appropriate strapping and ties can be provided from the perimeter beam 9 to the roof trusses 17 thereby ensuring a structurally secure dwelling which will have a strength able to withstand severe conditions likely to be encountered in hurricanes or tropical storms.

The building method is also suitable for application in two storeyed buildings as has been illustrated in Figures 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings. In this application the panels are erected in a manner identical to that previously described although there is the flexibility of providing the perimeter beam 9 on the outside or inside or on both sides of the top of the panel 3 depending upon the structural strength and other factors required. In this instance the floor joists 21 for the second level are supported on the top of the perimeter beam 9 and to the top of the panels 3 again with suitable strapping or brackets to ensure a structurally secure attachment. 24 8 9 42 Conventional timber framing 22 can then be erected from the floor joists 21 in the normal manner and a conventional roof structure erected on top of the timber framing.

To ensure there is*a structurally secure connection between a butted corner panels 3 jointing brackets are provided. The jointing brackets may be either an internal bracket 23 as is illustrated in Figure 11 or an external bracket 24 as is illustrated in Figure 12. In both instances suitable steel brackets are bolted in place by bolts engaging in threaded sockets embedded in the panels 3. Jointing compound can be located in the joint 25 and where either an internal or an external perimeter beam 9 is used the beam will be checked out to fit over the bracket and bolt heads.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a versatile and comparatively cheap method of building is provided which will allow structurally secure buildings to be erected quickly and economically to a strength specification that will withstand severe weather conditions.

Claims (8)

-6- 248 942 WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A method of building comprising die steps of laying out a building profile, forming panel support footing means in accordance with the building profile, supporting and levelling concrete construction panels on said footing to form wall sections with said construction panels abutted together or spaced apart on the support means, joining the base of die panels into a reinforced concrete floor of the building and structurally connecting the top of the erected panels using a perimeter beam fixed to the inside or outside of said panels.

2. A method of building as claimed in Claim 1 wherein die perimeter beam is attached to the panels by bolts passing through die perimeter beam and engaging in threaded sockets embedded in die concrete panels.

3. A method of building as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein die perimeter beam is a structural wooden beam.

4. A method of building as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a lintel is attached to the perimeter beam in die spaces between the concrete panels.

5. A method of building as claimed in any one of die preceding claims wherein the comers of abutted concrete building panefs are joined together by structurally secure jointing brackets.

6. A method of building as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein tLt openings between the panels are left where there are to be doors or windows in die completed building.

7. A method of building as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the reinforced concrete floor is formed inside die panels with reinforcing starters engaged in the panel to tie the base of the panels into the reinforced concrete floor and with die floor in die gaps between the panels finished to the outside face of the panels.

8. A method of building as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the building panel comprises an outer thickness of reinforced cementitious material, a layer of insulating material, with the perimeter of the insulating material inside the -7- 248 942 periphery of die panel, but extending to insulate a substantial part of die panel while leaving tree of insulation a structural section at each end of die panel and a second layer of reinforced cementitious material to complete the panel and embed the insulating material within die panel and die continuous reinforced cementitious sections at die top and bottom of die panels, A method of building when performed substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A building when erected using the method according to any one of the preceding claims. PW cfp&UC A. J. PARK & SON j. park AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANT* end of claims f 0 JF? 13S7