US3744194A

US3744194A - Reinforcing assembly and method of forming reinforced concrete building walls, roofs and the like

Info

Publication number: US3744194A
Application number: US00159643A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Ramberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-07-06
Filing date: 1971-07-06
Publication date: 1973-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 1990-07-10

Abstract

An improved system and method for forming concrete walls and roofs, such as for one and two story housing.

Description

United States Patent 1 Ramberg [451 July 10, 1973 REINFORCING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF FORMING REINFORCED CONCRETE BUILDING WALLS, ROOFS AND THE LIKE [76] Inventor: Lawrence R. Ramberg, 8801 Golf Road, Des Plaines, Ill.

[22] Filed: July 6, 1971 [211 App]. No.: 159,643

[52] US. Cl 52/378, 52/448, 52/581, 52/585, 52/665, 52/741 [51] Int. Cl E04b 1/16 [58] Field of Search 52/378, 349, 414, 52/585, 626, 656, 601, 741, 665, 447,448, 454

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,031,926 7/1912 Hansbrough 5,2/601 X 2,298,989 10/1942 Underwood 52/378 X 1,726,031 8/1929 Lanthrop 52/601 2,052,113 8/1936 Ruppel 52/741 X 2,087,218 7/1937 Davis 52/585 2,321,197 6/1943 Greulich.... 52/581 X 3,604,174 9/1971 Nelson, Jr 52/601 3,609,935 10/1971 Thomas 52/601 Primary Examiner-Alfred C. Perham Attorney-Max Dressler, Marshall W. Sutker et al.

[5 7 ABSTRACT An improved system and method for forming concrete walls and roofs, such as for one and two story housing. A prefabricated frame assembly is formed of a plurality of peripheral frame members defining a rectangular peripheral frame section. Reinforcing rods are supported by an opposite pair of members and other reinforcing rods are secured to and cross the first reinforcing rods, thereby to form an open reinforcing network. The members provide surfaces to which panel board may be secured. A suitably configured plurality of the frame assemblies are posi tioned seriatim on a slab, are connected by short reinforcing rods to form a wall frame, a complete house frame and a roof. The array of frame assemblies. especially after panelling has been applied internally provides a skeleton reinforcing network to which concrete may then be applied to form a reinforced concrete structure.

20 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENIED Jul 1 0 I973 mil-0P2 PATENIEfl- 10W 3.744.194

SHEET 2 of 2 REINFORCING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF FORMING REINFORCED CONCRETE BUILDING WALLS,.ROOFS AND THE LIKE A prefabricated frame assembly is formed of a plurality of peripheral frame members defining a rectangular peripheral frame section. Reinforcing rods are supported by an opposite pair of members and other reinforcing rods are secured to and cross the first reinforcing rods, thereby to form an open reinforcing network. The members provide surfaces to which panel board may be secured. A suitably configured plurality of the frame assemblies are positioned seriatim on a slab, are connected by short reinforcing rods to form a wall frame, a complete house frame and a roof. The array of frame assemblies, especially after panelling has been applied internally provides a skeleton reinforcing network to which concrete may then be applied to form a reinforced concrete structure.

This invention relates to a reinforced concrete structural member, to an improved skeleton array for reinforcing a concrete structure, and to an improved prefabricated reinforcing frame assembly which is easily erected on site, to which interior water-repellent paneling may be directly applied, and .to which concrete, such as lightweight concrete, may be efficiently and quickly applied. This invention also relates to a method of erecting a skeleton reinforcing network to which concrete may be applied to form a reinforced wall, roof or the like.

One of the known modes of providing exterior structural walls for buildings, such as homes, is to erect and form reinforced concrete walls. Because the load bearing characteristics of concrete itself is not usually sufficient to serve as the wall, it is therefore necessary to embed reinforcing material in it. As such, reinforcing material, such as reinforcing rods or reinforcing wire mesh, must initially be mounted in some way, either temporarily to a support; or, for example, with the lower ends of long vertical reinforcing rods initially embedded in a slab for the building. In such cases, it is thereafter usually necessary to provide a temporary frame, as of wood, into which concrete is poured or sprayed to form a wall about the reinforcing rods, after which the temporary wood form is removed. If a temporary frame is omitted, and concrete is sprayed, as on a mesh form, very substantial quantities of the sprayedon concrete are lost to waste.

In accordance with the invention, many of the disadvantages inherent in known methods of forming reinforced concrete walls and roofs, such as for a one or more story building, are minimized or avoided completely. This invention provides prefabricated frame assemblies which are easily erected and which are easily secured to each other to form a skeleton assembly for reinforced concrete walls and roofs. The skeleton assembly may desirably also include interior water rcpellent paneling which is easily secured to the frame assemblies, and which is intended to remain after application of the concrete to provide an interior wallboard surface for the walls. The prefabricated frame assemblies of this invention are easily and quickly erected on site into a unitary skeleton reinforcing assembly for entire walls and buildings, dramatically speeding the erection time of reinforced concrete structures.

Further objects, advantages, and features of this invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical array of prefabricated frame assemblies of this invention, assembled to form a skeleton assembly to which concrete may be applied;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a frame assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view, partially in section and partially broken away, taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a reinforced concrete structural member, partially broken away, embedding a frame assembly of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a frame assembly of this invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a pair of adjacent frame assemblies secured together into a skeleton assembly prior to the application of concrete;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 4, showing additionally a next adjacent frame assembly; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but illustrating adjacent frame assemblies juxtaposed and secured together to form inside and outside corners.

FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality of frame assemblies of this invention in a typical skelton assembly array which might serve as the front wall of a one-story home.

Referring first to typical frame assembly 10, it is seen to comprise a plurality of generally coplanar elongate frame members secured together to form an outer rigid, rectangular peripheral frame section 12 for the frame assembly. The elongate frame members comprise a horizontal base member 14, a horizontal header l6, and a pair of opposed, spaced vertical members 18. These frame members are secured together at their respective ends, as by tack welds, to form the rigid frame section 12. Each of the

frame members

14, 16, and I8 is illustrated as a U-shaped channel, each channel having a central leg, and a pair of integral legs projecting from the edges of the central leg. To make certain that

channels

14 and 16 are filled properly with concrete, as will be described, they may be L-shaped channels omitting one of the integral legs.

Each of the legs 22 of the pair of vertical frame members l8 defines a plurality of vertically spaced openings 20. Openings 20 are proportioned to receive and accommodate the ends of reinforcing rods. As seen in the drawings, at least one elongate horizontal reinforcing rod 26, and depending upon the height of the unit, more than one reinforcing rod 26, spans the width of the frame assembly 10. The ends of the reinforcing rods 26 are preferably disposed, at opposite ends, between the pairs of integral legs 22, as is illustrated in FIG. 2-7. Desirably, the reinforcing rods 26 are secured at the openings 20 as by nuts 28.

Vertical members 18 may provide openings 20, which are as much as three-fourths inch in diameter, thereby to accommodate, as desired, reinforcing rods 26 having diameters ranging from approximately onefourth inch to three-fourths inch, depending upon the strength required from the reinforcing frame assembly to be embedded in the particular concrete structure. It has also been found desirable to form the channel frame members l4, 16, 18 from 20-gauge black iron into channels of about 2 inches X 2-5/8 inches, although, of course, other dimensions and materials may also be used.

A typical frame assembly 10 may be about 9 feet high by about 4 feet wide. When a frame assembly is of that size, it is desirable to provide an additional vertical frame member, such as frame member 30. Frame member 30 may also be a U-shaped channel and may be positioned within the horizontal base and

header members

14 and 16, generally in the manner that vertical member 18 is shown as being mounted in FIG. 2. The integral legs 32 of vertical frame members 30 also define openings corresponding to openings 20, so that reinforcing rods 26 may pass completely therethrough. The openings 20 in members 118 and 30 are coaxial.

To erect the frame assembly 10, frame members 14, l6, l8, and 30 are positioned as illustrated, and are then secured to each other, as by tack welding. Thereafter, reinforcing rods 26 are slid through the openings 20 in the legs 22 of one vertical member 18, through the central vertical member openings and through the openings 20 in the legs of the opposed frame member 18. Desirably, the reinforcing rods 26 are slightly shorter than the width of the frame assembly 10, so that the ends of the reinforcing rods 26 lie between legs 22 at each side of the frame section 12.

After the reinforcing rods 26 are secured in position, as by the spring nuts 28, at least one second elongate reinforcing rod, such as vertical reinforcing rods 40, is positioned perpendicularly to rods 26, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Preferably they are secured to the horizontal reinforcing rods 26, as by tying them together with tie wires 42 or the like. As such, the reinforcing rods 40 cross and are secured to the reinforcing rods 26 and, together with the frame section members and the reinforcing rods 26, define an opening reinforcing network. Desirably, each frame assembly incorporates at least three reinforcing rods. It will be seen that the ends of the second reinforcing rods 40 also lie within the outer periphery defined by peripheral frame section 12.

Frame assemblies, such as frame assembly 10, may be prefabricated, as in a factory, and may then be transported to the construction site for erection.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a typical use of prefabricated frame assemblies, such as assembly 10, would be to erect them on a pre-formed concrete slab S. A frame assembly, such as assembly 10, is positioned and mounted on a slab S in a pre-determined location. The location may be predetermined, as by a series of short reinforcing rods 44 each having an end embedded in the slab and projecting upwardly, rods 44 being spaced and located to enter locating apertures 46 in the central leg of horizontal base member 14. If such rods are used, they will serve, subsequently, to tie the entire reinforced concrete structure to the slab.

Of course, to form a reinforced concrete structural member of this invention, such as a wall or a roof, a plurality of frame assemblies is suitably secured, as to the slab S and to each other, to form a skeleton assembly, such as of the type illustrated in FIG. I. To that end, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of additional frame assemblies is shown as being positioned to be secured to each other and adjacent ones to frame assembly 10. Each of the other frame assemblies is appropriately formed, generally in accordance with the foregoing, each having one or more first and second reinforcing rods, the ends of which rods are disposed within an outer frame section defined by peripheral frame members. The skeleton assembly array illustrated in FIG. 1 provides openings for, for example, a door and windows.

Those additional frame assemblies which lie against slab S may be secured to slab S in the manner in which frame assembly 10 is secured to the slab. Adjacent frame assemblies are tied and secured together by short reinforcing rods, such as rods 50 (see FIG. 6). Rods 50 are adapted to pass through and lie in

openings

20, 20 of adjacent frame assemblies l0, 10', thereby to locate the frame assemblies with respect to each other, and, when concrete is subsequently applied, to tie-the adjacent frame assemblies and the entire reinforcing network together. Desirably, at least two such reinforcing rods 50 span each pair of adjacent pairs of legs 22, 22', as is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1 and as is shown in FIG. 6. Reinforcing rods 50 may be tied to legs 22, 22', as by additional nuts 28, or the like. Those additional frame assemblies 10 which are not adjacent the slab S, such as those above the window areas and door illustrated in FIG. 1., are secured to adjacent frame assemblies, as by a suitable plurality of short reinforcing rods 50, and in the manner described.

Once a skeleton array such as the front wall array illustrated in FIG. 1, has been erected, it may be combined with appropriately configured skeleton arrays for side walls, back walls, roofs, and the like, secured to,

each other and to the slab as appropriate. Indeed the corners formed at intersecting walls tend to stabilize an entire peripheral exterior wall assembly to eliminate the need for supports to maintain the vertical skeleton arrays in a vertical position. Roof frame assemblies can be directly secured to the upper edges of vertical frame assemblies to form a complete wall and roof network for a home to which concrete may be applied at one time. 7

To complete a suitable skeleton array, the interior of the erected frame assemblies are covered with a water repellent paneling, such as waterproof or water repellent plasterboard. This may then serve as a final interior wall surface for the reinforced concrete structural member.

To that end, panel board P is secured by suitable fasteners to support surfaces which the legs of the frame members l4, 16, 18, and, if present, frame mem ber 30 provide. Suitable fasteners 60 pass through the paneling and into the frame member legs, as illustrated in FIG. 7. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, panel P would be secured to the interior surface of central legs 24 of vertical frame members 18, and to projecting integral legs 62, of horizontal frame members'l4 and 16. When the expanse of the frame member 10 is wide enough to require additional support, as in frame assembly 10, one of the legs of vertical frame member 30 also provides a support surface 64 against which the panel P is disposed for securance thereto by further fasteners 60. All of the support surfaces to which the paneling P'is secured is preferably substantially coplanar, as is the case with the frame assembly 10, as is seen best in FIG. 2.

After the paneling P has been suitably mounted to the frame assemblies, the skeleton assembly is ready for the application of concrete, such as sprayable lightweight concrete. The panel boards P not only serve to provide either a finished interior wall (or one which may be subsequently finished with plaster), but also serve as a backing for the skeleton frame array, omitting the necessity for temporary forms, or the like. When concrete C is sprayed from the exterior surface, it forms against the paneling and about each of the That provides very strong wall sections, or roof sections, or entire building shells quickly and efficiently, and with a minimum of waste of concrete. Typical reinforced concrete sections incorporating reinforcing frame assemblies of this invention are illustrated in the drawings. For example, FIG. 7 illustrates a pair of coplanar

adjacent frame assemblies

10, 10.

Referring now to H6. 8, a series of

frame assemblies

100, 102, and 104, similar in construction to frame assembly 10, are illustrated. Rather than being coplanar, as were frame assemblies 10, 10' in FIG. 7,

frame assemblies

100, 102, 104 are disposed at angles of 90 to each other and illustrate the manner in which inside and outside corners may be formed. In such cases, when the individual frames are erected on site, and are to be tied together so that a unitary concrete structure is formed when the concrete is applied, right angle, short reinforcing rods 50' are positioned in openings corresponding to openings in the frame members of the frame assemblies. Thereafter, paneling P is applied in the manner previously described, and concrete is applied in the same manner it was applied to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7.

Although rectangular frame assemblies have been illustrated, it will be apparent that frame assemblies having other external peripheral configurations may be used. For example, triangular frame assemblies may be formed, wherein first reinforcing rods are positioned in two opposite frame members, and second reinforcing rods are secured to the first reinforcing rods and cross the first reinforcing rods. Further, the frame assemblies may be flat coplanar assemblies, or may assume other shapes, such as a parti-spherical shape.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from the foregoing description and drawings, that other frame assemblies, skeleton arrays, and structural members than those specifically illustrated and described may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly, this invention is not to be considered as being limited by the foregoing specification and drawings, except insofar as is required by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A prefabricated frame assembly for reinforcing concrete structural members, said frame assembly comprising a plurality of elongate frame members lying in a generally flat coplanar array secured together adjacent their respective ends to define a relatively rigid pe riphcral frame section for said frame assembly, each of said frame members being a U-shaped channel, each of an opposed pair of said frame members defining a plurality of spaced openings along its length, at least two substantially straight first elongate reinforcing rods being disposed in an opening in each of said pair of frame members, at least one end of each of said first reinforcing rods lying within the periphery of said periph- Y secured to and crossing said first reinforcing rods to define therewith, and with said frame section, an open reinforcing network, the ends of each of said second reinforcing rods lying within the periphery of said peripheral frame section, each of said elongate channels having a central leg providing a first support surface to which a panel board may be secured and a pair of integral second legs projecting from the edges of said central leg, each of the support surfaces being generally coplanar, and wherein said spaced openings are provided in each of said integral second legs of each of the opposed pair of frame members.

2. A prefabricated frame assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein said frame members define a rigid rectangular peripheral frame section.

3. A prefabricated frame assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein an additional elongate frame member parallel to said opposed pair of frame members is disposed therebetween and defines a plurality of spaced openings along its length in which central portions of said first reinforcing rods are disposed.

4. A prefabricated frame assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein a pair of horizontal frame members are L-shaped channels and a pair of vertical frame members are U-shaped channels.

5. An erected skeleton assembly for forming a reinforced concrete structural member, said skeleton assembly comprising 1. a pair of adjacent frame assemblies, each frame assembly comprising a plurality of elongate frame members secured together in a generally coplanar array to define a peripheral frame section for said frame assembly, each of an opposed pair of said frame members defining a plurality of spaced openings along its length, at least one first elongate reinforcing rod, each of said rods being disposed in an opening in each of said pair of frame members, at least one end of each of said first reinforcing rods lying within the periphery of said peripheral frame section, each of said first reinforcing rods being secured to said frame members, and at least one second elongate reinforcing rod secured to and crossing said first reinforcing rods to define therewith and with said frame section an open reinforcing network, the ends of each of said second rods lying within the periphery of said peripheral frame section, and

2. A plurality of short reinforcing rods in openings in adjacent ones of said pairs of frame members of adjacent frame assemblies, whereby when concrete is applied to said adjacent pair of frame assemblies, the frame assemblies are tied together by said third short reinforcing rods.

6. A skeleton assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein said frame members of each frame assembly define a rigid rectangular peripheral frame section, thereby to provide a pair of rectangular frame assemblies, and wherein there are at least three reinforcing rods in each frame assembly.

7. A skeleton assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein each of a plurality of said elongate frame members of each frame assembly includes a first support surface to which a panel board may be secured, each of said support surfaces being substantially coplanar.

8. A skeleton assembly in accordance with claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of elongate frame members comprises a said first leg providing a first support surface and a second integral leg, the second legs of the opposed pair of frame members in each frame assembly defining said openings.

9. A skeleton assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of elongate frame members is a U-shaped channel having a central leg and a pair of integral legs projecting from the edges of said central leg, and wherein said spaced openings are provided in each of said integral legs of each of the opposed pair of frame members.

10. A skeleton assembly in accordance with claim 7, wherein panel boards are secured to the first support surfaces of each frame assembly.

11. An erected skeleton assembly in accordance with claim in which at least one of said frame assemblies includes an additional elongate frame member parallel to said opposed pair of frame members disposed therebetween, said additional frame member defining a plurality of spaced openings along its length in which central portions of said first reinforcing rods are disposed.

12. A reinforced concrete structural member, such as an external wall or roof or the like, said member comprising l. a pair of adjacent frame assemblies, each frame assembly comprising a plurality of elongate frame members secured together in a generally coplanar array to define a peripheral frame section for said frame assembly, each of an opposed pair of said frame members defining a plurality of spaced openings along its length, at least one first elongate reinforcing rod, each of said rods being disposed in an opening in each of said pair of frame members, at least one end of each of said first reinforcing rods lying within the periphery of said peripheral frame section, each of said first reinforcing rods being secured to said frame members, at least one second elongate reinforcing rod secured to and crossing said first reinforcing rods to define therewith, and with said frame section, an open reinforcing network, the ends of each of said second rods lying within the periphery of said peripheral frame section, and support surfaces defined by a plurality of said frame members,

2. a plurality of short reinforcing rods in openings in adjacent ones of said pairs of frame members of adjacent frame assemblies,

3. panel boards securedv to said support surfaces to provide an internal surface for said structural member, and

4. concrete formed against said panel boards and embedding said frame assemblies and short reinforcing rods. I

13. The reinforced concrete structural member of claim' 12, wherein the frame members of each of said frame assemblies defines arectangular peripheral frame section, and there are at least three elongate reinforcing rods in each frame assembly.

14. A reinforced concrete structural member in accordance with claim 13, wherein each of said plurality of frame members is a U-shaped channel having a central leg and a pair of integral legs projecting from the edges of said central leg, and wherein said spaced openings are provided in each of said integral legs of each of the opposed pair of frame members, said support surfaces being provided by surfaces of said legs.

15. A method of erecting a skeleton reinforcing network to which concrete may be applied to form a reinforced concrete wall, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of rectangular frame assemblies, each frame assembly comprising a plurality of elongate frame members secured together to define a frame section, an opposed pair of said frame members defining a plurality of spaced openings along their length, at least one first elongate reinforcing rod supported at its ends in openings in said opposed pair of frame members, at least one second reinforcing rod secured to and crossing said first reinforcing rods to define therewith, and with said frame section an open reinforcing network, mounting a first of said frame assemblies on a slab, positioning a second of said frame assemblies adjacent said first frame assembly, and positioning short reinforcing rods in openings in adjacent frame assembly frame members to secure and tie said adjacent frame members and frame assemblies to each other.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, comprising the further step of securing water repellent panel board material to said frame members to form a skeleton array.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15, in which one of the frame members of one of said frame assemblies defines openings and said frame assembly is positioned on the slab with short reinforcing rods projecting upwardly from the slab through one or more of said openings thereby to tie said frame assembly to the slab.

18. A method of erecting a skeleton reinforcing network to which concrete may be applied to form a reinforced concrete member, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of frame assemblies, each frame assembly comprising a plurality of elongate frame members secured together to define a frame section, an opposed pair of said frame members defining a plurality of spaced openings along their length, at least one first elongate reinforcing rod supported at its ends in openings in said opposed pair of frame members, at least one second reinforcing rod secured to and crossing said first reinforcing rods to define therewith, and with said frame section an open reinforcing network, positioning a pair of said frame assemblies adjacent each other, and positioning short reinforcing rods in openings in adjacent frame assemby frame members to secure and tie said adjacent frame members and frame assemblies to each other.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the frame members of said frame assemblies lie in a generally coplanar array.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein said frame assemblies are generally rectangular in shape.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,744,194 Dated July 10, 1973 Inventor(s) LAWRENCE R. RAMBERG It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column: 1, "linesi4-l8, delete the paragraph "A prefabricated frame... concrete structure,"

Co1umn 8, line 51, change "assemb'y" to -assembly--.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of August 197A.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON, JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 FORM PO-1050 (10-69) v 4: us. GOVERNMENT mum-ms orncs: was 0 366-324,

Claims

1. A prefabricated frame assembly for reinforcing concrete structural members, said frame assembly comprising a plurality of elongate frame members lying in a generally flat coplanar array secured together adjacent their respective ends to define a relatively rigid peripheral frame section for said frame assembly, each of said frame members being a U-shaped channel, each of an opposed pair of said frame members defining a plurality of spaced openings along its length, at least two substantially straight first elongate reinforcing rods being disposed in an opening in each of said pair of frame members, at least one end of each of said first reinforcing rods lying within the periphery of said peripheral frame section, each of said first reinforcing rods being secured to said frame members, and at least one substantially straight second elongate reinforcing rod secured to and crossing said first reinforcing rods to define therewith, and with said frame section, an open reinforcing network, the ends of each of said second reinforcing rods lying within the periphery of said peripheral frame section, each of said elongate channels having a central leg providing a first support surface to which a panel board may be secured and a pair of integral second legs projecting from the edges of said central leg, each of the support surfaces being generally coplanar, and wherein said spaced openings are provided in each of said integral second legs of each of the opposed pair of frame members.

3. panel boards secured to said support surfaces to provide an internal surface for said structural member, and

4. concrete formed against said panel boards and embedding said frame assemblies and short reinforcing rOds.

5. An erected skeleton assembly for forming a reinforced concrete structural member, said skeleton assembly comprising

11. An erected skeleton assembly in accordance with claim 5 in which at least one of said frame assemblies includes an additional elongate frame member parallel to said opposed pair of frame members disposed therebetween, said additional frame member defining a plurality of spaced openings along its length in which central portions of said first reinforcing rods are disposed.

12. A reinforced concrete structural member, such as an external wall or roof or the like, said member comprising

13. The reinforced concrete structural member of claim 12, wherein the frame members of each of said frame assemblies defines a rectangular peripheral frame section, and there are at least three elongate reinforcing rods in each frame assembly.

18. A method of erecting a skeleton reinforcing network to which concrete may be applied to form a reinforced concrete member, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of frame assemblies, each frame assembly comprising a plurality of elongate frame members secured together to define a frame section, an opposed pair of said frame members defining a plurality of spaced openings along their length, at least one first elongate reinforcing rod supported at its ends in openings in said opposed pair of frame members, at least one second reinforcing rod secured to and crossing said first reinforcing rods to define therewith, and with said frame section an open reinforcing network, positioning a pair of said frame assemblies adjacent each other, and positioning short reinforcing rods in openings in adjacent frame assemb y frame members to secure and tie said adjacent frame members and frame assemblies to each other.