WO1987006971A1

WO1987006971A1 - Method of and means for forming apertured concrete slabs

Info

Publication number: WO1987006971A1
Application number: PCT/AU1987/000129
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Robertson
Original assignee: Paul Robertson
Priority date: 1986-05-06
Filing date: 1987-05-06
Publication date: 1987-11-19
Also published as: AU602697B2; AU7398887A

Abstract

An aperture forming apparatus (10) for use in providing an aperture in concrete flooring (11) comprising a dish-shaped sleeve-holder (18) securable to formwork (17), a sleeve (12) is receivable in the sleeve-holder (18). The sleeve-holder (18) is retained in the concrete slab (11) and the sleeve may be removed. After the slab (11) has hardened and the formwork (17) is removed, the aperture (21) formed by sleeve (12) may be accessed through base (13) by commencing a cut at drain hole (20). The aperture (21) is used for passage of pipes or service lines through a concrete floor or wall and is back filled with filler to ensure acceptable fire ratings are maintained once a pipe has been passed through the aperture (21).

Description

"METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR FORMING APERTURED CONCRETE

SLABS" FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to a new and improved method of and means for forming apertured concrete slabs, and more particularly to improvements relating to the common practice of pouring a concrete slab when an aperture-defining sleeve is attached to the formwork so that the resultant aperture may be used for the passage of pipework or other service lines through the slab.

BACKGROUND ART Principally the invention is applied to the pouring of horizontal slabs for concrete floors, ceilings and the like, as is common practice in multi- storey buildings, for example, but it is to be understood that it may also be applied to walls. According to the prior art method, as described in for example, U.S. patents Nos. 2,694,847; 3,004,320; 2,234,784; 3,276,176; and 2,968,855, a sleeve of known diameter is secured by for example, nailing to the formwork where an aperture is to be provided for the passage of pipes or other service lines once the concrete has been poured and the formwork removed. These conventional sleeves are each provided with sights where nails or clouts may be driven into the formwork for stable mounting, or other mounting means may be provided and after pouring has been affected, the sleeve is removed along with the formwork and is thrown away

In all the above prior U.S. patents, once the formwork is removed an aperture extending through the slab is exposed and once a pipe or a service line is passed through the aperture, it is necessary to fill the aperture with concrete to ensure appropriate fire ratings are met. The resulting aperture presents difficulty in filling-in processes after the service pipe or service line has been passed through and secured in position. The underneath side of the aperture must be patched with concrete, cement or equivalent, there being difficulty in supporting the patch, there often being used paper, board, iron or other materials which are officially disapproved to assist support and setting of the patch. Thereafter a tradesman goes to the top of the slab and completes the filling of the aperture by pouring concrete therein and then trowelling it off. These known procedures result in a number of problems arising^' from the removal of the sleeve, so that the aperture will have a jagged bottom edge which makes awkward the provision of an aesthetically pleasing patch. Filling of concrete into the concrete defined aperture may result in poor waterproofing, while the past methods as described can also result in the loss of desirable fire-proofing.

OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION •The present invention has been devised to overcome the problems currently experienced as the aforementioned, and has for its principal object to provide a new system, method of and apparatus for forming an apertured concrete slab, whereby there will be savings in costs, ease and speed of operation, and- ' the formation of a sealed aperture which has improved waterproofing and fire-proofing characteristics, as well as being attractive in appearance at the position of the underneath of the aperture. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter apparent.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides broadly in an aperture forming system for use with formwork, said formwork enclosing flooring, a slab, or the like of material laid while wet and allowed to harden, said aperture forming system including a dish-shaped body and a sleeve member, said dish-shaped body having a base and a peripheral wall and being releasably securable to said formwork, and being anchorable in said flooring by. the material thereof, said sleeve member having a through hole and being peripherally received by said dish member and forming an aperture extending through said flooring, said dish-shaped body being retained in said flooring on removable of said formwork.

In another aspect, the invention resides in an aperture forming apparatus for use in providing an aperture in a flooring, a slab or the like of material laid while wet and allowed to harden, said aperture forming apparatus being anchorable in said flooring by the material thereof including, a dish-shaped body, said dish-shaped body having a peripheral wall and a generally planar base.

In a further aspect, the invention resides in a flooring or slab or the like of material laid while wet and allowed to harden and having at least one aperture extending through said flooring, said aperture having on a lower side of said flooring an aperture defining cover member anchored in said flooring by the material thereof.

In still a further aspect, the present invention resides in a flooring or slab or the like of material laid while wet and allowed to harden comprising a plurality of pipes, service lines or the like extending through plate members anchored in said flooring of the material thereof. The dish shaped member may comprise a dished sleeve-holder having a flat circular base adapted to be secured by nails or similar fasteners to the formwork and the sleeve member may comprise a cylindrical tubular body adapted to be fitted closely within or outside the peripheral wall of the sleeve-holder, whereby after concrete has been poured and the formwork is removed, the sleeve member and the sleeve holder may be retained in the slab, the sleeve-holder may be pierced to permit passage of service lines through the aperture defined by the sleeve member, and the aperture may be filled with concrete supported by the flat base which provides a smooth sealing plug or patch when viewed from beneath the slab.

The invention also embraces a method of forming an apertured concrete slab, using the sequence of steps apparent from the foregoing, as well as embracing novel forms of sleeve members and_sleeve holders as hereinafter described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be more readily understood and be put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Fig. 1 is a cut-away sectional view through a slab or flooring constructed using the method and apparatus of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a pictorial view illustrating a dish-shaped body or sleeve-holder constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 are pictorial views illustrating further embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a pictorial view illustrating one form of sleeve member applicable to the present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a pictorial view illustrating a further embodiment of the present invention.

METHOD OF PERFORMANCE Referring to Fig. 1 there is illustrated a cross-sectional pictorial view, a cut-away view of a slab or flooring 10 constructed in accordance with the method and apparatus of the present invention. The slab 10 is made from material laid while wet and allowed to harden such as concrete 11 in which is retained a sleeve member 12 which may be of fire-proof material which is engaged within the periphery of a sleeve-holder 18.

The sleeve-holder is of general dished shape and has a base portion 13 and a circular wall 14 and an outwardly extending flange 15, the outward extending flange 15 serving to assist in the retention of the sleeve holder 12 within the concrete 11. A plurality of nails 16 are driven through the base 13 of sleeve holder 12 into ply formwork 17 in order to secure the dish- shaped body portion relative to the formwork. .The dish- shaped portion would normally be secured to the formwork at a predetermined site for the location of pipes or service lines and the sleeve member 12 would be placed within the dish-shaped body and after all necessary dish-shaped bodies and sleeve members are in position, the slab would be poured. After the slab has been allowed to harden, the formwork would be removed and it will be realised that the sleeve-holder 18 and the sleeve member 12 will be retained in the concrete slab 10.

It will be realised however, that whilst the sleeve-holder 18 is retained in the slab 10 it may be possible, in the practice of the present invention to utilise a removable sleeve member which may be reused and in this regard, the sleeve member 12 may include a plurality of hinged segments which may fold inwardly of the hardened concrete aperture in order to allow removal from the slab 10 of the sleeve member 12. Referring now to Fig. 2 there is illustrated the sleeve-holder 18 of Fig. 1 which is shown in perspective view and as can be seen it comprises a plastics or metal material of relatively thin base thickness and the base 13 includes a plurality of holes 19 through which clouts, as in 16 of Fig. 1 may be driven into desired formwork, in addition a drainage hole 20 may be provided in order to allow water to drain from the aperture 1 defined in the slab 10. As can be seen the peripheral flange 15 is a continuous circumferential flange, but this may in fact be in sections and may extend from any point about the periphery of the wall section 14.

In addition whilst the sleeve member 12 is illustrated located within the periphery of the sleeve holder 18, it may be possible to extend the sleeve holder upwardly from the flange 15 and mount the sleeve member exteriorly of the wall 14 and rest same -on the upper surface of the flange 15.

It will be realised that it is a particularly advantageous feature of the present invention to retain within the slab a plate-like member 13 extending across an aperture formed in the slab during the pouring process, the plate 13 appearing from beneath to be substantially contiguous with the lower surface of the slab and defining an aesthetic appearance which may be finished by any known plastering techniques and may provide a locating means for pipes or service lines, with the plate 13 simply being cut away to define a hole of suitable size for passage of particularly sized pipes through the aperture 21. ' The holder is preferably made of metal which is sufficiently rigid but easily penetrated when required, being suitably of copper or zinc coated galvanised iron, and the base 13 is suitably provided with an initial central hole for drainage purposes. The sleeve member may conveniently be made from a ceramic fibre material of such vertical height as to protrude above the level of the upper surface of the slab to be formed.

The sleeve-holder may conveniently be made having chamfered or stepped corners or any other means which serves to retain the sleeve holder within the slab. In this regard, sleeve-holder may be of such extent that there is no need for extensions of the vertical walls in order to retain the same within the slab and it may be retained within the slab by the normal adhesive affects of having an extended metal surface in contact and retained within a concrete body. The sleeves may be made of a ceramic fibrous material such as that produced in Australia by Morganite Ceramic Fibres Pty. Ltd. and sold under the trade mark "TRITON KAOWOOL" . These sleeves are inexpensive and can be made by any suitable method, being easily machined to have smooth inside and outside surfaces if the initial surfaces are rough as a result of manufacturing processes. They are very rigid, light in weight and fire proof with no asbestos content, and since they are required in various diameters, they may be transported with smaller diameter sleeves located within larger diameter sleeves. They are fire preventative up to 1260 degrees Celsius, with a melting point as high as 1760 degrees Celsius.

The components may have desired dimensions to suit a range of applications, being designed to replace galvanised iron pipes having internal diameters of say 50 mm, 100 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm, 250 mm and 300 mm with an average of 24 gauge thickness. The ceramic fibrous sleeves may have wall thicknesses from say 10 mm to 20mm according to the particular sleeve diameter while the length of each sleeve will be in accordance with the intended thickness of the slab, fairly standard lengths being perhaps 150 mm, 300 mm and 500 mm in order to exceed this lead thickness. The sleeve-holders may be dimensioned to correspond to the sleeves, the peripheral wall typically being 550 mm long. The draining hole 20 in the dish-shaped body base 13 may be 15 mm in diameter, while the plurality of 3 mm holes 19 are drilled in the disc-shaped base 13 close to the drainage hole for nailing to the formwork. The draining hole 20 also serves as a site for a tradesman to commence cutting an enlarged pipe receiving hole. The sleeves may if desired have an inside coating which will adhere and seal well to ensure a waterproof and fire resistant surface. It will be obvious that the sleeve may ideally be colour co-ordinated to assist tradesman selecting sizes and types very quickly and accurately, any one of the known types of colour coding being usable, such as seamless membranes which are waterproof and fireproof and can be brought into a dozen colours such as_. that sold under the trade mark "EURA-SEAL" .

In use, a sleeve-holder may be nailed to the formwork with desired precision at the required location, using nails or clouts fitting closely within the drilled holes about the drainage hole so that the clouts draw out and down through the drilled holes when the formwork is taken away. The selected sleeve is then located closely in its holder and the concrete may be poured, the top of the sleeve being covered by tape if desired, though I envisage that a removable and re¬ usable cap might be usefully employed. After the concrete has set, the formwork is removed to leave the slab fixedly containing the sleeve and its holder, with neither being thrown away. If the slab is left in this condition, the drainage hole will permit rainwater or the like to escape. However, workmen may make a desired aperture by penetrating the disc and passing a pipe or pies or other service lines through the sleeve and thus through the slab. It is then a simple matter to fill in the aperture defined by the sleeve, with the concrete, cement or other fill being supported by the disc of the holder. The latter then provides a smooth and attractive underneath contiguous with the lower face of the slab and without irregular edges joining the concrete slab face. The advantages of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing. The tradesman has only to cut the desired hole in the disc at the base of the sleeve and insert his pipework or other lines, with a labourer having a simple task in going around to the top of the slab and filling in the aperture with cement. There is no need to provide a large patch around the pipework from underneath the slab to effect a neat finish, and there is no need to throw away any components or to fiddle with dubious supporting means for the cement filler. The resultant seal will be completely waterproof and fireproof compared with previous procedures.

The components offer the building industry a non-asbestos product which may be easily used with total effectiveness, the sleeves being fully tested and approved as fire-prevention materials. The system should prove more economical and easier to use in industrial, commercial and domestic buildings. The bottom disc is also made from materials which prevent the possibility of any two metals reacting together undesirably. Of course, the invention is applicable to all thicknesses of slabs, with the formwork thickness being typically one inch in most applications. Whilst the present invention employs in one form a cover member forming an aperture the cover member being the exposed base of the dish-shaped body defining and locating an aperture when in place, the cover member itself may include a predetermined opening for receiving a pipe or service line and in this regard the plate or base portion 13 of the sleeve-holder 18 may have a concentric opening extending out to the periphery thereof and there may be provided extensions of the base for fixing purposes, in order to fix the sleeve holder to formwork 17.

Referring to Fig. 3 there is illustrated in pictorial view an exemplary embodiment of the present invention illustrating an example of the many and varied applications of the present invention. As can be seen from Fig. 3, where like numerals have been used to illustrate like features, there is illustrated an aperture forming apparatus 30 attached to formwork 17, which may be made from plywood material. In this embodiment the sleeve-holder 18 does not include a peripheral flange which extends into the concrete, although it may have this feature. The apparatus 30 relies on the fire box 31 which represents an e_.xposed recess defined by the box 31 having an aperture 21 defined by the through hole of sleeve member 12. The arrangement being that the sleeve-holder is secured to the fire box 31 by means of outwardly extending tabs 32 and screws 33 whereby the whole apparatus 30 is retained in the poured slab substantially by means of the retention of the fire box 31 rather than by retention of the sleeve-holder 18. Accordingly the present invention advantageously requires that at least part of the apparatus has retention characteristics. Fire box 31 is secured to the formwork 17 by means of an elongate flange 34 and plurality of nails 35. On dismantling of the formwork the fire box 31, sleeve-holder 18 and sleeve member 12 would normally be retained in the concrete slab, the fire box 31 may include extensions which extend into the poured concrete to enhance the retention of the fire box in the slab.

Referring now to Fig. 4 where again like numerals have been used to illustrate like features another aperture forming apparatus 40 is illustrated which includes an inverted dish-shaped body 41 which supports a sleeve member 12, the sleeve member 12 being soldered or welded to an aperture formed in the base 42 of the inverted dish-shaped body 41. Sleeve member 12 has on its lower end a female housing 43 for receiving a male pipe extension, the upper end of the sleeve member 12 corresponds to a male extension which may be inserted into a corresponding female extension of another pipe, thereby enabling the joining of pipes through a floor. It will be realised that the sleeve member 12 in this embodiment will be retained in the slab, and the space 46 about the female end 43 may be used to enable the tradesman to gain access to the female joint 43 for the purpose of joining to a suitable male end piece once the formwork 17 has been removed. The sleeve-holder 41 may include an extension 47 (shown in dotted outline) to provide additional support to the sleeve 12 which may be a section of pipe, in addition, a flange 15 of the type described in relation to the embodiment of Fig. 2 may be included to enhance the retention of the sleeve-holder in the finished concrete slab or flooring..

Referring to Fig. 5 there is illustrated a sleeve member 12 constructed in accordance of one form of the invention where the sleeve member is made from a plurality of folding sections 22, each of which when operatively folded such that edges 23 and 24 are secured together forms a cylindrical sleeve which may be inserted into any of the aforementioned sleeve-holders. The hinges 25 enable the sleeve portions 22 to be folded inwardly in order to remove the sleeve from a finished concrete slab, the arrangement being that the cross-section of the hinged sleeve may be reduced to enable easy removal from the slab. Referring now to Fig. 6, there is illustrated a aperture defining apparatus 50, where like numerals have been used to illustrate like features and a sleeve member 12 is illustrated operatively engaged with a sleeve-holder 18 which is of the basic form illustrated in relation to Fig. 2, however in. this embodiment the sleeve member 12 has a plurality of peripheral extensions or corrugations 51 and is illustrated having a lid 52 to prevent concrete being poured about the sleeve member 12 from entering into the aperture 21. The sleeve member also includes a flange 53 which covers a space 54 which is filled with a rubber sealing material which primarily is designed to prevent any galvanic or corrosive action between the metal of sleeve member 12 and the metal of sleeve-holder 18. Preferably the sleeve member 12 is a sleeve member of the type described in Fig. 5 and may be removed from the poured concrete slab to leave a plurality of furrows in the wall of the aperture defined by sleeve member 12. It will be appreciated that when the sleeve member 12 is removed from the slab the sleeve-holder 18 will remain in the slab and a pipe may be passed through aperture 55 or an aperture extended therefrom and cement or other filler may be poured into the aperture 21 to secure any such pipe in position and the effect of the corrugations 51 will be to aid in the retention of the filler in aperture 21 once the filler has set.

It will be realised that many improvements and additions may be incorporated into the various parts of the apparatus illustrated in the drawings such as lids, protective lower coatings or plates, covering or other extensions attached to the exposed dish base to give aesthetic effect alternatively many insertions such as fire proof wads and cloths may be placed within the aperture about pipes or other service lines which pass through the aperture. Furthermore whilst it is preferable to provide a small hole in the base of the sleeve-holders, it may be that a large hole may be provided and suitable external flashing or covering may be screwed to the periphery of such a hole in order to provide a reduced hole size, such flashing or cover may be made from a variety of materials including flexible materials such as rubber and the rubber may be made to distort by pushing a pipe up past the rubber, the rubber having been attached to the base of the sleeve-holder. Clearly there are many other variations on the present invention which will be apparent to those skilled in the art and whilst the above has been given by way of illustrating example of the invention, many modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. An aperture forming apparatus for use in providing an aperture in flooring, a slab or the like of material laid while wet and allowed to harden, said aperture forming apparatus being anchorable in said flooring by the material thereof and including, a dish- shaped body, said dish-shaped body having a peripheral wall and a generally planar base.

2. An aperture forming apparatus as defined in Claim 1, wherein said dish shaped body includes a peripheral flange.

3. An aperture forming apparatus as defined in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said dish shaped body further includes at least one opening, said at least one opening being located in the base of said dish-shaped body.

4. An aperture forming apparatus as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein said dish shaped body is co-operable with an aperture forming sleeve member, said aperture forming sleeve member peripherally engaging the said wall of said dish shaped body to define an extension thereof.

5. An aperture forming apparatus as defined in Claim 4, wherein said base can be cut to provide a -de'sired opening into said aperture.

6. An aperture forming system for use witii formwork, said formwork enclosing flooring, a slab, or the like of material laid while wet and allowed to harden, said aperture forming system including a dish shaped body and a sleeve member, said dish shaped body having a base and a peripheral wall and being releasably securable to said formwork and being anchorable in said flooring by the material thereof, said sleeve member having a through hole and being peripherally received by said dish member and forming an aperture extending through said flooring, at least said dish-shaped body being retained in said flooring on removal of said formwork .

7. An aperture forming system as defined in Claim 6, wherein said sleeve member is made from fire

• resistant material and said dish member is made from a relatively thin material, said material being cuttable to form an opening in said dish member.

8. An aperture forming system as defined in Claim 6, wherein said base includes at least one through hole.

9. An aperture forming system as defined in Claim 7 or 8, wherein said wall includes one or more outward extensions serving to anchor said dish shaped body within said flooring.

10. A flooring or slab or the like of material laid while wet and allowed to harden and having at least one aperture extending through said flooring, said aperture having on a lower side of said flooring an aperture defining cover member anchored in said flooring by the material thereof.

11. A flooring as defined in Claim 10 wherein said aperture is formed by a sleeve member, said sleeve member extending from said cover member.

12. A flooring or slab or the like of material laid while wet and allowed to harden comprising a plurality of pipes, service lines or the like extending through aperture defining plate members anchored in said flooring by the material thereof.

13. A flooring as defined in Claim 12 wherein each said plate member has a surface contiguous with the surface of said slab.

14. An aperture defining apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.