WO2003050362A2

WO2003050362A2 - Building construction and building units for use therein

Info

Publication number: WO2003050362A2
Application number: PCT/ZA2002/000205
Authority: WO
Original assignee: Joubert, Dorothy
Priority date: 2001-12-13
Filing date: 2002-12-12
Publication date: 2003-06-19
Also published as: AU2002359907A1; WO2003050362A3; ZA200404600B; AU2002359907A8

Abstract

A building construction is provided in which a series of building units (5) are arranged in courses thereof to define walls to the building and wherein adjacent building units are located relative to each other by complementary inter-engaging formations (9, 10) at the operatively vertical ends thereof as well as by a series of uprights (3, 31) positioned at predetermined spaced centres passing through holes in the building units. The uprights are secured at their operatively lower ends to a common anchorage selected from a slab (1), a foundation, and a generally horizontal frame member (32). The hole through the building unit and the uprights have cooperating cross-sectional shapes and sizes such that the uprights serving directly to locate the building unit relative to the upright in a horizontal plane without any grouting or other filling material being introduced. The building units preferably have facing sheets providing a final external appearance and a core of lightweight foam material, typically and expanded naturally occurring mineral or a foam plastic material such as polystyrene or polyurethane. The invention also provides building units and wall panels embodying same.

Description

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNITS FOR USE THEREIN

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a building construction and, more particularly, to a building construction that can be erected easily and swiftly with a lesser degree of skill than that required of a conventional bricklayer, for example. More particularly, the invention relates to building units for use in the building construction provided by the invention.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The provision of satisfactory buildings of certain types, and in particular, but not exclusively, low-cost housing, is an ongoing problem in view of not only the cost of the building units themselves, but also be high cost of labour having the required degree of skill to construct, for example, brick or block walls utilizing mortar in between the individual bricks or blocks.

A variety of different alternatives have been proposed but, as far as applicant is aware, most, if not all of them, suffer from one drawback or another. One particular alternative of which applicant is aware is that put forward in US patent No 4,577,447. In this instance a wall is constructed of polystyrene elements having cavities that are filled with cementitious material having reinforcing bars embedded therein in the final condition of the wall. This construction is still relatively complex in the construction process, in its preferred form requiring not only vertical reinforcing bars but also horizontal reinforcing bars, and the structure is substantially permanent once erected and is not lend itself to modification or adjustment. The very use of cementitious material forming, in effect, a permanent grid encased within the

IP 1408 2002-12-Oδ polystyrene elements applicant considers to be undesirable as it does not adequately depart from conventional building techniques.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide a building construction and building units for use in such construction that may, with appropriate design input, be used to construct buildings cost effectively and with a minimum degree of skill being required of the persons erecting the buildings and with a minimum of tools required on-site.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided a building construction comprising a series of building units arranged in courses thereof to define walls to the building and wherein adjacent building units are located, at least in part, relative to each other, by complementary inter-engaging formations at the operatively vertical ends thereof, the building construction being characterized in that building units in successive courses thereof are located relative to each other, at least in part, by a series of uprights positioned at predetermined spaced centres and secured at their operatively lower ends to a common anchorage selected from a slab, a foundation, and a generally horizontal frame member, and wherein each of the building units has at least one generally vertical hole through it receiving at least one of said uprights in a manner serving directly to locate the building unit relative to the upright in a horizontal plane.

Further features of this aspect of the invention provide for the operatively top and bottom generally horizontal surfaces of the building units to be provided with complementary inter-engaging formations, preferably including at least one longitudinally extending ridge on the operatively upper surface and at least one complementary groove in the under surface; for the inter-engaging

IP 1408 2002-12-06 formations at the operatively vertical ends of the building units to be a vertically extending tongue projecting from one vertical end surface of a building unit and a complementary groove in the other end surface of the building unit with the tongue preferably having an enlarged head necessitating inter-engagement of the tongue and groove by means of relative vertical movement thereof to introduce a tongue into a groove or vice versa; and for the uprights to be tubular or solid, conveniently of metal, and to have their lower ends fitted to an anchor plate that, in the case of individual anchor plates, are preferably cast into a slab or foundation or, in the case of common anchor plates for the anchor plates form part of an elongate generally horizontal frame member.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a building unit assuming the general form of a block, the building unit having an operatively vertically extending core made of a lightweight foam material having two major operatively vertical faces, at least one operatively vertically extending hole through the block and generally centrally located along the length of the block for accommodating an upright, in use, and complementary formations extending along at least the two end surfaces for cooperating with co-operant formations on adjacent blocks to locate one relative to the other.

Further features of this second aspect of the invention provide for the two major operatively vertical faces to be in substantially finished form that may optionally be a layer of surfacing material having required properties, as may be required; for the formations extending along the operatively horizontal surfaces and vertical end surfaces to be as defined above in relation to the building construction; for the two major operatively vertical faces of the building unit to be defined by sheets of cladding material that may be made of any required material having desired properties, such material generally being selected from metal, plastic, in particular extruded plastic sheet material such as that consisting of two thin spaced sheets interconnected by integral parallel webs of material, fibre reinforced cement, and reconstituted

IP 1408 2002-12-06 cellulosic fibre products such as a fibreboard; for the operatively vertically extending formations to be defined by elongate extrusions moulded into the light weight foam material; and for various configurations of building unit to be formed for defining walls junctions, corners, blind ends to wall sections etc.

The light weight foam material used for producing the preferred building units of the invention may be any suitable material such as, for example, a foamed plastics material such as a foamed polystyrene or a foamed polyurethane in which case an integral skin can be formed on the outer surface in well known manner that could serve as the surfacing material indicated above. However, it is presently preferred, to use a suitable expanded, naturally occurring mineral material that is typically a vitreous material such as perlite and similar materials. Such a material may be provided with a desired finished colour with the material itself forming the said two major operatively vertical faces, no surfacing sheets being required in such an instance. One particular material that is presently preferred is that sold under the trademark "PRATLIPERLE" by Pratley Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd of South Africa.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention there is provided a wall panel constructed of an operatively lower frame member from which extends said series of uprights the ends of which are secured to the frame member, a series of courses of building units as defined above operatively above the lower frame member, and an upper frame member secured to the uprights to hold the building units firmly between the lower and upper frame members.

A further feature of this aspect of the invention provides for the upper and lower frame members to have a generally channel shape with the web of the channel positioned adjacent the lower or upper surfaces of the lower or upper courses of building units with the flanges of the channel being directed away from the building units in the plane of the panel and having outwardly directed lips for attachment to a supporting surface or a roof structure respectively.

IP 1408 2002-12-06 In order that the invention may be more fully understood an expanded description thereof will now follow with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 illustrates schematically, in isometric view, a building construction according to one form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation illustrating the lower end of one of the uprights of the building construction illustrated in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is an end view of one end of one embodiment of building unit according to the invention;

Figure 4 is an end view from the other end thereof;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the building unit;

Figure 6 is a plan view detail showing one particular construction of the operatively vertical groove in the end surface of a building unit;

Figure 7 is a similar view of the opposite end of the building unit;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showing a somewhat thicker building unit for constructing a thicker wall;

Figure 9 is a schematic plan view showing one form of corner unit according to the invention;

IP 1408 2002-12-06 Figure 10 is a similar view of one form of building unit for forming an intersection between two walls crossing each other;

Figure 11 is a similar view of one form of building unit for forming an intersection between a continuing wall and a branch wall extending at right angles thereto;

Figure 12 is a plan view of a termination unit for terminating a wall section ending in a vertically extending tongue;

Figure 13 is a similar view of a termination unit for terminating a wall section ending in a vertically extending groove;

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing an alternative building construction according to the invention; and,

Figure 15 is a schematic end view of a wall panel formed utilizing the construction of Figure 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings a building is constructed by casting a concrete slab (1) that may have slab thickening for foundation purposes where walls are to be constructed, if this is considered to be necessary. Cast into the slab are the lower ends (2) of vertical uprights (3) that are conveniently in the form of galvanized tubular members having a foot (4), typically in the form of a plate, fixed to the lower end thereof for embedding in the concrete.

The walls are constructed of building units (5) that each have a vertical hole extending through it to accommodate a vertical upright. The uprights are thus positioned at spaced intervals corresponding to the effective length of a

IP 14082002-12-06 building unit and a hole through each building unit is preferably positioned at the centre of the length of the building unit. Additional holes could also be provided at positions symmetrically located relative to the central and the effective ends of the building unit.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 3 to 5, each building unit (5) consists of a light weight core (6) on each of the major operatively vertical faces of which is carried, in appropriate instances, a facing sheet (7). The facing sheet could be of any suitable material such as a metal sheet; a plastics sheet, in particular one made by an extrusion process and consisting of two thin sheets interconnected by a series of parallel integral webs of material, typically made of polypropylene; or any other suitable material capable of carrying a coat of finishing and / or waterproofing material such as paint or the like. Also, as indicated above, the facing sheet could be constituted by an integral skin, for example, in the case of a polyurethane foam material be used. As indicated above the light weight core is preferably an expanded naturally occurring mineral such as perlite bonded utilizing a suitable quantity of cement, water, and any waterproofing or other agents that are known to those skilled in the art and in such an instance no surfacing sheets is required and any talents can be mixed into the material prior to casting it to form the product block.

As shown in Figure 5 the block has a vertically extending hole (8) through it located midway along its effective length. The one end surface has a tongue (9) extending up its height whilst the corresponding opposite end surface has a complementarily shaped groove (10). The tongue has an enlarged head (11) and the groove a corresponding shape so that, in the horizontal plane, the two cooperating ends of two building units become positively located relative to each other in consequence of the inter-engagement of the tongue and groove.

IP 1408 2002-12-06 Also, the operatively upper edge surface (12) has a longitudinally extending ridge (13) extending along the length of the building unit and the operatively lower edge surface (14) and has a complementary groove (15).

It will be appreciated that in order to construct a wall utilizing the blocks described above the blocks can be located one after the other on an upright and slid down the upright whilst a tongue or groove on the end surfaces is or are aligned with co-operating grooves and tongues on blocks already in place. The building units may be adhesively secured together, if required, and joints between the outer surface sheets can be sealed as may be required and finished off as indicated above.

Referring more particularly to Figures 6 and 7, one preferred expedient that can be used to form the terms and grooves in the operatively vertical edges of the building units include elongate extrusions (16) of any suitable extrudable material such as plastic or aluminium for forming a tongue and a different extrusion (17) for forming a complementary groove. The extrusions (16) for forming the tongue simply have an integral stem (18) with suitable locking grooves therein that becomes embedded in the light weight material when it is formed.

Figure 8 illustrates a somewhat thicker building unit (19) formed utilizing the same extrusion (17) as that illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 9 illustrates a building unit (20) for forming a right angled corner in a wall and this unit could be configured in four different ways, namely, a groove on one operatively vertical end surface and a tongue on the other; the reverse situation in view of the fact that the building unit cannot be used upside-down; a unit with a groove in both vertical end surfaces; and, a unit with a tongue on each of the vertical end surfaces. The exact configurations to be made available would be determined according to the extent of

IP 1408 2002-12-06 variations required of floor plans of buildings to be constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 10 illustrates, in plan view, a building unit for constructing an intersection between two walls crossing each other and similarly such a unit can be made in different configurations according to requirements.

Figure 11 illustrates, in plan view, a building unit for forming a tee junction in a wall and such a unit could also could be made in various configurations.

At positions where walls are to terminate building units as illustrated in Figures 12 and 13 would be made available simply to cover the exposed vertically aligned tongues or grooves of building units where they define apertures, for example, for windows and doors and to provide a square reveal.

Turning now to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 14 and 15, there is illustrated a building construction in which the lower ends (30) of the uprights (31) of fixed to a lower anchorage (32) in the form of a generally horizontal frame following the past of the required wall. The frame can be fastened to a suitable supporting surface any suitable manner.

As illustrated in Figure 15, the frame member could have a channel shape in cross-section with the web (33) of the channel in contact with the adjacent building unit (34) and the flanges (36) extending away from the wall in the general plane thereof. In this case outwardly directed lips (37) to the channel can be provided for supporting the wall on a support surface and for attaching it to that surface. The arrangement provides space for fasteners (38) as may be used for securing the uprights to the frame member.

An identical frame member (39) can be fitted to the top of the wall panel and secured to it by means of fasteners (40) so that a family assembled

IP 1408 2002-12-06 lightweight wall panel is provided. Still further, the upper frame member (39) can be employed for fastening roof trusses or other parts of any roof assembly to the wall panel.

It will be understood that numerous variations may be made to the embodiment of the invention described above without departing from the scope hereof, the described embodiment simply being illustrative of the principles of the invention.

IP 140R 2001-12-06

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A building construction comprising a series of building units (5) arranged in courses thereof to define walls to the building and wherein adjacent building units are located, at least in part, relative to each other, by complementary inter-engaging formations (9, 10) at the operatively vertical ends thereof, the building construction being characterized in that building units in successive courses thereof are located relative to each other, at least in part, by a series of uprights (3, 31) positioned at predetermined spaced centres and secured at their operatively lower ends to a common anchorage selected from a slab (1), a foundation, and a generally horizontal frame member (32), and wherein each of the building units has at least one generally vertical hole (8) through it receiving at least one of said uprights in a manner serving directly to locate the building unit relative to the upright in a horizontal plane.

2. A building construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the operatively top and bottom generally horizontal surfaces (12) of the building units are provided with complementary inter-engaging formations (13, 15).

3. A building construction as claimed in claim 2 in which the complementary inter-engaging formations are at least one longitudinally extending ridge on the operatively upper surface and at least one complementary groove in the under surface.

4. A building construction as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the inter-engaging formations at the operatively vertical ends of the building units are a vertically extending tongue (9) projecting from one vertical end surface of a building unit and a complementary groove

(10) in the other end surface of the building unit.

I

IP 14082002-12-06

5. A building construction as claimed in claim 4 in which with the tongue has an enlarged head (11) necessitating inter-engagement of the tongue and groove by means of relative vertical movement thereof to introduce a tongue into a groove or vice versa.

6. A building construction as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the uprights are tubular or solid metal uprights having their lower ends fitted to an anchor plate that may be selected from individual anchor plates (4), cast into a slab or foundation and a common anchor plate (32) in the form of an elongate generally horizontal frame member.

7. A building construction as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which an upper frame member (39) is secured to the operatively upper ends of the uprights.

8. A building construction as claimed in claim 7 in which the operatively lower ends of the uprights are secured to a lower generally horizontal frame member and the upper ends to an upper generally horizontal frame member to form a wall the panel.

9. A building unit (5) assuming the general form of a block, the building unit having an operatively vertically extending core (6) made of a lightweight foam material having two major operatively vertical faces, at least one operatively vertically extending hole through the block and generally centrally located along the length of the block for accommodating an upright, in use, and complementary formations extending along at least the two end surfaces for cooperating with co- operant formations on adjacent blocks to locate one relative to the other.

10. A building unit as claimed in claim 9 in which the two major operatively vertical faces are in substantially finished form.

IP 1408 2002-12-06

11. A building unit as claimed in claim 10 in which the two major operatively vertical faces are those of a layer (7) of surfacing material in the form of cladding having required properties and selected from metal, plastic, fibre reinforced cement, and reconstituted cellulosic fibre products..

12. A building unit as claimed in claim 11 in which the sheet of cladding material is an extruded plastic sheet material consisting of two thin spaced sheets interconnected by integral parallel webs of material.

13. A building unit as claimed in claim 10 in which the two major operatively vertical faces are faces of the core material that has required properties.

14. A building unit as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13 in which the operatively top and bottom generally horizontal surfaces (12) of the building units are provided with complementary inter-engaging formations (13, 15).

15. A building unit as claimed in claim 14 in which the complementary inter- engaging formations are at least one longitudinally extending ridge on the operatively upper surface and at least one complementary groove in the under surface.

16. A building unit as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 15 in which the inter- engaging formations at the operatively vertical ends of the building units are a vertically extending tongue (9) projecting from one vertical end surface of a building unit and a complementary groove (10) in the other end surface of the building unit.

17. A building unit as claimed in claim 16 in which with the tongue has an enlarged head (11) necessitating inter-engagement of the tongue and groove by means of relative vertical movement thereof to introduce a tongue into a groove or vice versa.

TP 1408 9002-12-06

18. A building unit as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 17 in which the operatively vertically extending formations are defined by elongate extrusions moulded into the light weight foam material.

19. A building unit as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 18 in which the light weight foam material is selected from a foamed polystyrene material, a foamed polyurethane optionally having an integral skin formed on the outer surface, and a suitable expanded, naturally occurring mineral material.

20. A building unit as claimed in claim 19 in which the naturally occurring mineral material is a vitreous material.

21. A wall panel constructed of an operatively lower frame member from which extends said series of uprights the ends of which are secured to the frame member, a series of courses of building units as defined above operatively above the lower frame member, and an upper frame member secured to the uprights to hold the building units firmly between the lower and upper frame members.

22. A wall panel as claimed in claim 21 in which the upper and lower frame members have a generally channel shape with the web (33) of the channel positioned adjacent the lower or upper surfaces of the lower or upper courses of building units with the flanges (36) of the channel being directed away from the building units in the plane of the panel and having outwardly directed lips (37) for attachment to a supporting surface or a roof structure respectively.

IP 1408 2002-12-06