WO2019158170A1 - A building block, a load-bearing structure, and a method for assembling a load-bearing structure - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a building block for load-bearing structures comprising a body, said body comprising a centre plane and at least one plate element extending in a direction substantially parallel to said centre plane, wherein said at least one plate element is of a substantially hexagonal shape, and at least one flange element being disposed along at least a part of the periphery of said body, said at least one flange element being configured to receive connecting means, wherein each of the at least one flange element extends beyond said body in at least a first direction, said first direction being substantially perpendicular to the centre plane. Furthermore, a load-bearing structure comprising a plurality of building blocks interconnected in a honeycomb structure by the flanges using connecting means as well as a method for assembling a load-bearing structure is disclosed.

Description

Title: A building block, a load-bearing structure, and a method for assembling a load-bearing structure Field

The present invention relates to a building block for load-bearing wall constructions, a load-bearing structure, and a method for assembling a load- bearing structure. Background

A building contains a number of walls, of which at least some must be load-bearing. Load-bearing walls are typically made from various types of clay bricks, concrete or steel skeletons.

Clay brick walls are typically used for smaller buildings and may be constructed by one person, but it is typically a time consuming process due to the individual handling of bricks. The same applies to walls may be construct- ed from other building blocks made e.g. from aerated concrete.

Clay bricks and building blocks made from cement-bound materials can be relatively heavy, and due to their rectangular design doors and win- dow openings or even the entire wall structure may need to be reinforced by supporting beams or pillars. Attempts have therefore been made to provide alternative building blocks made from lightweight materials and/or having oth- er shapes. These attempt have, however, all resulted in complex products, which have not been able to penetrate the market.

Load-bearing walls with a steel skeleton or made from concrete re- quire heavy machinery such as a crane, and are therefore typically used for larger buildings.

With the high need of new buildings in many cities, time and econom- ic constraints are increasingly relevant in the construction industry, and there is therefore an object of the invention to provide an alternative construction suitable for use in load-bearing walls. A secondary object of the invention is to provide a system, which lends itself to the construction of temporary shelters in areas that have been hit by disaster.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention the object is achieved with a building block for load-bearing structures comprising a body, said body comprising at least one plate element extending in a direction sub- stantially parallel to a centre plane of the body, wherein said at least one plate element is of a substantially hexagonal shape, and at least one flange ele- ment being disposed along at least a part of the periphery of said body, said at least one flange element being configured to receive connecting means, wherein each of the at least one flange element extends beyond said body in at least a first direction, said first direction being substantially perpendicular to the centre plane.

The building block is intended to be used together with other similar building blocks in a construction, where the centre planes of all building block are arranged in parallel to each other. In other words, the centre plane of the building block will be parallel to the surface of the load-bearing structure.

By having a plate element of substantially hexagonal shape the load- bearing structure in which it is used will have a honeycomb structure and a vertical force acting on one building block of a wall will be distributed on at least two neighbouring building blocks in the wall construction by forces hav- ing a horizontal component. This allows the downward stress on a lower building block in a wall construction consisting of building blocks to be signifi- cantly reduced, thus allowing the formation of an arc structure leading forces around openings in the wall without the need for lintels or like additional load- bearing elements.

The shape of the plate element is preferably that of an equal-sided hexagonal.

The flange element, which is preferably substantially rectangular, provides a connection surface adapted for transmitting forces between build- ing blocks, and when in contact with a neighbouring building block in a load- bearing structure, the flange element will provide a load-bearing surface, which is perpendicular to the surface of the load-bearing structure thereby providing bending stiffness to the construction.

In addition, by extending beyond said body in at least a first direc- tion, the flange elements are configured to receive connecting means, thereby allowing the flange element to be used to connect the building block to anoth- er building block. By connecting several building blocks in this way, a load- bearing structure, such as a wall, may be constructed. Due to the structural simplicity, a single worker can connect the building blocks without the need for welding them together, filling them with poured concrete, or the like, which significantly reduces the need for machinery.

The flange elements and the plate elements may be moulded as a single piece or may be several pieces connected by welding or by using ad- hesive. This may increase the structural rigidity of the building block.

Additionally, the flange elements may allow for an easy assembly, as the aligning the edges of the flange elements may provide a visual indication to the construction worker that the plate elements are aligned correctly.

The building blocks are preferably of a size suitable for handling by one construction worker, such that the length of each of the hexagonal sides of the building block may be between 30 cm and 60 cm, preferably between 40 and 50 cm, more preferred around 45 cm. This allows for easy transporta- tion of the building blocks and easy stacking, as one construction worker may be able to handle the building block.

A sealing element, such as a band or tape, may furthermore be at- tached to the building block, preferably along the periphery. This may improve the air sealing and/or heat insulating properties of the building block in a load- bearing structure built using hexagonally shaped building blocks.

As it will not be immediately possible to provide rectangular openings in a load-bearing structure built using hexagonally shaped building block, the building block according to the invention may form part of a system further including supplementary building blocks of a similar construction but having a plate element of either triangular, rectangular or pentagonal shape. This al- lows for an easy insertion of elements such as doors and/or windows in the load-bearing structure. The building blocks may be arranged such that open- ings in standard dimensions, i.e. where the width and heights of the openings are defined by the formulas w = n x 30 cm and h = n x 30 cm, respectively, where n is a positive integer, are formed.

In a presently preferred embodiment, the building block includes six flange elements, extending one along each of the six sides of the hexagonal plate element. This means that all sides of the building block will be the same. When combined with the use of an equal-sided plate element, this means that it does not matter how the building block is turned when used for the con- struction of a load-bearing structure, unless the building block includes addi- tional components requiring a certain orientation.

The flange elements may be separate elements each attached to the plate element or provided as flange units, including two or more flange ele- ments.

In some embodiments, the body of the building block may comprise two plate elements, each extending in a direction substantially parallel to the centre plane of the body, wherein the two plate elements are distanced sym- metrically from said centre plane of the body. This means that the centre plane is the geometrical centre plane.

By the two plate elements being symmetrically distanced from the centre plane, a weight distribution in the block may also be substantially symmetric. Thereby, the torque at the flanges and/or connecting means con- necting the building block to the adjacent building blocks is significantly re- duced. Hence, the rotational stress on the building block will be reduced.

Additionally, the torque on the at least one flange element at the in- tersection between a plate element and the flange element may be reduced, as the lever arm length may be reduced, as the plate element is disposed closer to the edge of the flange element in the first direction.

Hence, the two plate elements may comprise less material than e.g. one larger plate elements being able to withstand the stress and torque, to which it may be exposed in a load-bearing structure. This may make the building block lighter and the more uniform weight distribution may make the building block easier to handle for a single construction worker.

Moreover, by having two plate elements in the body, a cavity is formed in the centre of the building block by the plate elements and a flange element. This cavity may be used for housing insulating material or material providing stiffness to the building block.

If flange elements are provided at all six sides, the cavity can be closed and provided with a vacuum or near-vacuum providing insulating properties and reducing the need of additional insulating materials in a load- bearing structure comprising these building blocks.

In some embodiments, the body of the building block comprises a fill- ing, preferably a foam filling, and/or a covering.

The filling may be placed along an outer surface of the body of the building block, on a surface of a plate element, or in a cavity between a plural- ity of plate elements. This filling, such as a foam filling, may then provide ad- ditional heat insulating properties. Additionally, the filling may provide further stiffness to the building block and/or protect the at least one plate element from damages caused during e.g. transportation of the building blocks. Fur- thermore, the filling may provide fire-resistance to the building block.

Moreover, the filling may provide horizontal support for the plate ele- ments. This further prohibits the plate elements from arching when in a load- bearing structure. Hence, the plate elements may comprise less material for this to be able to handle the same load, which may make the building block lighter.

According to another embodiment, each of the at least one flange el- ement furthermore extends beyond said body in a second direction, said sec- ond direction being substantially perpendicular to the centre plane and oppo- site the first direction.

Consequently, fastening means may be attached on flanges formed by the flange elements on both sides of the building block. This may further reduce a rotational torque at an intersection between two flange elements of two adjacent building blocks. Furthermore, by having a flange element ex- tending in both the first and second direction, the weight of the building block may be more symmetric, i.e. the centre of gravity comes closer to the centre plane. This may make the building block easier to handle for a construction worker, and when the building block is entirely symmetrical it does not have to be turned to a correct orientation before being mounted.

Moreover, connection means for attaching additional building ele- ments, such as weather shields or decoration panels, may be attached to flanges on both sides of the building block.

According to another embodiment, the at least one flange element is furthermore disposed substantially symmetrically about the centre plane of the body.

This may again provide a centre of gravity of the building block being located closer to the centre plane of the body. Thereby, the handling of the building block may be easier. Furthermore, the flange may be more symmet- rical around the centre plane. Hence, the stacking of the building may be more time-saving as the symmetry may allow for the building block to be ro- tated either way and remain connectable to adjacent building blocks.

According to yet another embodiment, the at least one flange ele- ment of the building block comprises receiving means in the form of one or more holes for receiving connecting means.

By introducing holes in the flange elements, bolts and nuts may be used as connecting means, thereby allowing for a time-saving connection, which one construction worker may perform individually. As bolts and nuts are furthermore very well known, the connection of two adjacent building blocks may be intuitive to the construction worker, who can perform this work indi- vidually, thus saving time during construction. Other sorts of connecting means such as pins with locking mechanisms, screws, strips bands, or the like may, however, also be used.

According to another embodiment, the at least one flange element comprises receiving means in the form of one or more grooves for receiving connecting means.

By introducing grooves in the at least one flange element, connecting means such as clips, clamps, or the like may be used. By using clips as con- necting means, the construction may easily be assembled, as this may allow for e.g. a tool-less connection process. This saves time and allows one work- er to perform the work individually.

The receiving means and connecting means may assist in aligning the building block. For example, a misalignment will be easily detectable if the holes in flange elements to be interconnected are not aligned. This, again, allows for mounting of the building blocks and hence reduces the time needed for the construction.

Receiving means in the form of grooves may also be used for receiv- ing edges of plate elements, thereby contributing to the interconnection of plate elements and flange elements.

In some embodiments, the building block is made from a polymer, preferably polyethylene and more preferably high-density polyethylene.

By using a polymer, such as polyethylene (PE) or high-density poly- ethylene (HDPE), the weight of the building blocks may be kept low, such that each individual worker is able to carry and use it for construction. Hence, the necessary equipment and time for building a load-bearing structure may be significantly reduced. Furthermore, recycled materials may be used to obtain the polymer, reducing the environmental impact of the production of the build- ing block.

The building block according to the invention is intended for forming part of a load-bearing structure comprising a plurality of building blocks, wherein said plurality of building blocks are interconnected in a honeycomb structure by the flanges of flange elements using connecting means.

As described above with reference to the building block this structure allows forces acting downwards on a top surface of a building block to be dis- tributed to two or more lower surfaces, from where it is transmitted to neigh- bouring building blocks. A series of building block thus connected may consti- tute a beam. Hence, the load-bearing structure is able to withstand the stress without the need of support beam or lintels.

Preferably, a building block in the honeycomb structure may be ex- traded laterally to form an opening in the construction for e.g. a window or door opening. This improves the flexibility of the construction and, as the building block may be reused e.g. elsewhere in the construction or in another construction, minimises the waste from this process.

A load-bearing structure may be built from prefabricated modules made from two or more building blocks according to the invention.

According to yet another embodiment, the load-bearing structure fur- ther comprises one or more mounting elements for attaching an additional building element to the construction.

By using the mounting elements, an additional building element such as wall skeletons, decoration panels, or building envelope elements may be attached to the load-bearing structure. This may allow for the wall to be shielded from the outside by a building envelope, as this building envelope may be attached to the wall construction in a time-saving manner. Further- more, inner walls, such as gypsum walls or the like, may be attached to the wall construction by an individual construction worker, which saves time. Moreover, additional heat insulation may be inserted between the load- bearing structure and additional building elements, hence improving the in- door climate of the building.

The additional building element in a mounted condition preferably ex- tends in a direction substantially parallel to the centre plane of the building blocks.

According to yet another embodiment, the connecting means serve as mounting element.

By using the connecting means as mounting elements, the amount of different parts needed is reduced. This reduces the complexity of the con- struction as well as the number of steps that the construction worker will need to perform in order to build the load-bearing structure and attach building el- ements to this. Furthermore, this may reduce the total number parts needed, which reduces the environmental impact of the production of the building.

The specific embodiments of the connecting means mentioned above still applies. According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method for assembling a load-bearing structure comprising the steps of:

- arranging in a honeycomb structure a plurality of building blocks, wherein the building blocks comprise a body, said body comprising at least one plate element extending in a direction substantially parallel to a cen- tre plane of the body, wherein said at least one plate element is of a substan- tially hexagonal shape, and at least one flange element configured to receive connecting means, said at least one flange element being disposed along at least a part of the periphery of said body, wherein

each of the at least one flange element extends beyond said body in at least a first direction, said first direction being substantially perpen- dicular to the centre plane;

- by means of the connecting means, connecting flange elements of at least two adjacent building blocks.

By arranging the building blocks in a honeycomb structure, the load- bearing structure achieves the same advantages as mentioned with reference to the first aspect of the invention. Similarly, the higher flexibility given by the possibility of lateral extraction is achieved.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the building blocks are arranged with the plate elements of building blocks in the same vertical plane.

Consequently, the stress introduced by e.g. the gravitational force of the elements on top of a building block is distributed in the same vertical plane. This reduces the torque on the building blocks in the load-bearing structure, and thus increases the stability of the construction. Furthermore, the building blocks may be aligned visually, thus reducing the time needed for the construction.

According to yet another embodiment, the building blocks are ar- ranged such that they extend substantially symmetrically about a vertical plane. Hence, the centre of gravity of the building blocks as well as the entire wall is in the same vertical plane. This furthermore reduces the torque on the individual building blocks, thus increasing the stability of the load-bearing structure and allowing for a larger load to be applied to the construction with- out the need for supporting lintels or the like.

According to another embodiment, filling, preferably foam filling, pro- vides horizontal support to the building blocks in use.

Consequently, the stability of the plate elements is increased, as arching is hindered by the horizontal support from the filling. This allows for e.g. less material used for the plate elements, making the building block and hence the construction lighter. Furthermore, the filling may also provide im- proved heat insulating properties as also described above.

According to yet another embodiment, the method for assembling a load-bearing structure furthermore comprises the step of:

- by means of mounting elements, attaching additional building elements to the construction.

By attaching additional building elements to the construction, the load-bearing structure may be shielded or supplemented, as mentioned above.

It must be noted that all the advantages of the building block and the load-bearing structure comprising a plurality of said building blocks also apply to the method for assembling a load-bearing structure unless otherwise stat- ed. Similarly, the advantages of the method for assembling the load-bearing structure also apply to in the load-bearing structure.

Brief description of the drawings

The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustra- tive and non-limiting detailed description of embodiments of the present in- vention, with reference to the appended drawings.

Fig. 1a shows an embodiment of a building block according to the present invention in an assembled form.

Fig. 1 b shows the embodiment of the building block of Fig. 1a in an exploded view.

Fig. 2a shows an embodiment of a supplementary building block for use in a load-bearing wall according to the present invention in an assembled form.

Fig. 2b shows the embodiment of the supplementary building block of Fig. 2a in an exploded view.

Fig. 2c illustrates an embodiment of the building block according to the present invention and various embodiments of supplementary building blocks for use in the load-bearing wall according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows an assembly of building blocks according to the present invention.

Fig. 4a shows an embodiment of an assembly for use in a load- bearing wall built using building blocks according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4b shows an embodiment of an assembly for use in a load- bearing wall according to the present invention comprising building blocks and supplementary building blocks.

Fig. 5 shows an assembly of building blocks for use in a load-bearing wall according to an embodiment of the present invention comprising mount- ing elements for attaching additional building elements.

Fig. 6a shows the force distribution in a building block according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6b shows the force distribution in an embodiment of a section of a load-bearing wall according to the present invention.

Fig. 7 illustrates a lateral extraction of a building block from a section of a load-bearing structure according to the present invention.

Detailed description

Fig. 1 a and 1 b show an embodiment of a building block 10 according to the present invention in an assembled form. The building block 10 corn- prises a body, comprising two hexagonal plate elements 110 and 111 , each having the surface area, and a number of flange elements 120 forming a number of flanges 130. All elements are shown as being transparent in order to facilitate the understanding of the figures, but it will be understood that they will rarely be so in real life.

The plate elements 110, 111 extend in parallel to a centre plane C of the body and are arranged symmetrically about the centre plane. Here the body includes two plate element, but other embodiments may comprise an- other number of plate elements, e.g. 1 , 3, 4, 5, 6 or more plate elements.

A cavity 160 is present between the two plate elements 110, 111. This cavity may be filled with mineral wool, a granulate, a foam material, or other insulating material in order to improve the insulating properties of the building block and thus of a load-bearing structure build therewith. Air or a vacuum in the cavity may also provide insulating properties.

A filling of the cavity 160 may also contribute to the strength and/or stiffness of the building block 10 by supporting the plate elements in a direc- tion perpendicular to the centre plane C.

An insulating and/or fire retarding material may also be provided on outer surfaces of the plate elements and/or flange elements, both in the em bodiment in Fig. 1a and 1 b and in embodiments with a different configuration.

The plate elements 110 and 11 1 are made from a rigid material suit- able for withstanding and distribute force applied to an outer surface of the flange elements 120, such as a polymer, such as acrylonitrile butadiene sty- rene (ABS), polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polycarbonate, polyamide (PA), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyamide-imide (PAI), polyure- thane (PU), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), poly- ethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or any combination hereof.

The plate elements 1 10 and 1 11 may furthermore vary in plate thick- ness to ensure sufficient strength of the building block 10 and sufficiently low weight for an individual worker to move and carry the building block 10.

The flange elements 120 are disposed along the periphery of the plate elements 110 and 111 of the body. The flange elements 120 extend in a direction orthogonal to the centre plane and are of a rectangular shape, such that a surface opposite the surface facing towards the body serve as a con- nection surface adapted for coming into contact with a corresponding surface on another building block. Here each flange element 120 has bevelled edges so that they come together at the edges even though arranged at different angles thus forming a continuous outer surface.

The flange elements 120 may be made of the same material as the plate elements 110 and 111 or from a different material, suitable for with- standing and distribute force applied to an outer surface of the flange ele- ments 120, such as a polymer, preferably PE or HDPE. The flange elements 120 may also vary in plate thickness to ensure sufficient strength of the build- ing block 10 and sufficiently low weight for an individual worker to move and carry the building block 10.

Each flange element 120 comprises a number of receiving means 140 in the form of holes for receiving connecting means, for example in the form of bolts, which are secured by nuts.

Fig. 1 b further shows two parallel grooves 141 in the lowermost flange element 127. These grooves are intended to receive the lowermost edges of the plate elements 110, 111 and may further be used as receiving means in which connecting means (not shown) in the form of clips may en- gage. Similar grooves may be present in the other flange elements 120 even though not shown in Fig. 1 b.

By the flange elements 120 and the plate elements 110 and 111 , a number of flanges 130 may be formed along an edge of the body. The receiv- ing means 140 of the flange elements 120 are disposed on the parts of the flange elements 120 that constitute the flanges 130. Flence, the flanges 130 serve as connection points for the building block 10.

The building block 10 should preferably be of a size suitable for being handled by a single person and having a width W being a multiple of 30 cm and/or a height FI being a multiple of 30 cm. The flange elements 120 may have a length of 45 cm and may be arranged such that the maximum width of the building block is 90 cm.

Fig. 2a shows an embodiment of a supplementary building block 20 for use in a load-bearing wall structure according to the present invention. The supplementary building block 20 comprises a body, comprising a number of trapezoidal plate elements 210 and 211 , and a number of flange elements 220, 221 and 222. The plate elements 210 and 211 are disposed symmetri- cally around a centre plane C of the body and may in other embodiments have a different polygonal shape, e.g. triangular, pentagonal, or rectangular. The plate elements 210 and 211 of this supplementary building block have a surface area which is half the surface area of the hexagonal plate elements 110 and 111 shown in Figs 1 a and 1 b.

The flange elements 220, 221 and 222 are identical except for having different dimensions as illustrated by Fig. 2b showing the exploded view of the embodiment of the supplementary building block 20. The flange elements 220, 221 and 222 furthermore comprise receiving means 240 for receiving connecting means as described above with reference to Figs 1 a and 1 b. Flere too, the receiving means 240 are disposed on the part of the flange elements 220, 221 and 222 serving as flanges 230 of the supplementary building block 20.

Fig. 2c illustrates the embodiment of the building block 10 shown in Figs 1 a and 1 b, the supplementary building block 20 shown in Figs 2a and 2b, and various other embodiments of supplementary building blocks 30, 40, 50 and 60 adapted for use in the load-bearing structure according to the pre- sent invention. The building blocks 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 are seen in a view substantially perpendicular to the centre plane of the body of the building block 10 and supplementary building blocks 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60. While the plate element 210 has a trapezoidal shape, the plate elements 310 and 410 have different pentagonal shapes, the plate element 510 has a triangular shape, and the plate element 610 has a rectangular shape. The purpose of these supplementary building blocks is to allows the formation of a load- bearing structure with straight edges as will be described later with reference to Fig. 4b.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of an assembly 1 of building blocks 10a, 10b and 10c according to the present invention. Such an assembly may be used as a pre-made module when building a load-bearing structure ac- cording to the invention. The adjacent building blocks 10a, 10b and 10c are arranged such that the connection surfaces of two flange elements, e.g. 120a and 120b of the building blocks 10a and 10b, respectively, are in contact with each other. In another embodiment, they might be connected such that they are partly in contact with one another or are separated by e.g. washers or plates. The building blocks are aligned such that the receiving means, here in the form of holes 140, of the flange elements 120a and 120b can be assem- bled using connecting means in the form of bolts 150 and nuts 151 as shown. In other embodiments, the receiving means may be e.g. slots, slits, or grooves, or any combination hereof, and/or the connecting means may be e.g. clips, clamps or pins, or any combination hereof. For example, a clip (not shown) may engage with the holes 140.

Fig. 4a shows another embodiment of an assembly 2 of building blocks 10 according to the present invention including a further building block in comparison to Fig. 3. As may be seen, the building blocks 10 are connect- ed in a honeycomb structure in the assembly 2.

Fig. 4b shows yet another embodiment of an assembly 3 of building blocks 10 according to the present invention and supplementary building blocks 20. Due to the use of the supplementary building blocks 20 this as- sembly has two straight edges at the top and bottom.

In the assemblies 2 and 3, the building blocks 10 and supplementary building blocks 20 are interconnected by their flanges 130 and 230, respec- tively, using bolts 150 and nuts 151 as connecting means. In another embod- iment, the connecting means may be e.g. clips, clamps or pins or any combi- nation hereof.

Fig. 5 shows a part of a load-bearing structure according to the pre- sent invention formed by the assembly 2 shown in Fig. 4a. The construction furthermore includes clips 170 serving as mounting elements for attaching additional elements, here a covering B in the form of plates. The covering B here extends in a direction parallel to the centre plane of the building blocks 10.

In another embodiment, further additional building elements, such as insulating material, may be attached to the mounting elements. The additional building elements may furthermore include lists, profiles or sections A, which may attach to the clips 170 instead of or in combination with the covering B.

In another embodiment, the mounting elements may instead be clamps, pins, screws, brackets, or any combination hereof for attaching the additional building elements. In another embodiment, the clips 170 may fur- thermore serve as mounting element as well as connecting means for con- necting the building blocks 10 in the assembly 2. In yet another embodiment, the nuts 150 and bolts 151 , or other connecting means may serve as mount- ing elements for additional building elements, such as a covering B.

Fig. 6a shows the force distribution in a building block 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A force F1 is applied to the con- nection surface of the flange element 121 in a direction parallel to the centre plane (not shown) of the body of the building block 10. When the building block is part of a load-bearing structure, the force F1 will result in the forces F2, F3 and F4 perpendicular to the connection surfaces of the flange ele- ments 123, 124 and 125, respectively, due to the hexagonal shape of the plate elements 110 and 111 (not shown) of the building block 10. Likewise, the flange elements 122 and/or 126 may be subject to forces stemming from other building blocks in the load-bearing structure directed towards the geo- metrical centre of the body in a direction orthogonal to the connection surfac- es of the flange elements 122 and/or 126.

Fig. 6b shows a force distribution in an embodiment of a section of a load-bearing wall 5 according to the present invention. The building blocks 10 are connected by the flanges in a honeycomb structure as described above and the structure comprises an opening 6.

The arrows Fd indicate downward forces and the width of the force lines FI traversing the building blocks 10 indicates the magnitude of the forces at the respective points in the load-bearing wall 5. The force lines FI may indi- cate where supplementary beams and/or lintels may need to be arranged if using the load-bearing structure in a building exposed to very high loads. Usually, however, the building blocks according the invention will have suffi- cient strength and stiffness to be self-supporting.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6b the opening 6 has straight verti- cal edges thanks to the combination of building blocks 10 according to the invention and supplementary triangular building blocks 50. The opening 6 may, however, have another shapes, such as rectangular, and may be fitted with a window or a door.

As will be seen, the forces FI acting on the structure in Fig. 6b is not symmetrical about the vertical centre line. This is due to the fact that an ex- ternal horizontal force has been factored in. Such calculations will have to be done for each individual load-bearing structure used in specific buildings.

Fig. 7 illustrates a lateral extraction of a building block 10d from a load-bearing structure 7 according to the present invention. By the lateral ex- traction an opening is formed in a section of a load-bearing structure 7 corn- prising a number of building blocks 10, where the load-bearing structure fur- thermore may comprise a number of supplementary building blocks 20. Fur- ther building blocks 10 may be extracted in order to generate a larger open- ing. The opening preferably has a width and a height of any integer multiple of 30 cm.

Although some embodiments have been described and shown in de- tail, the invention is not restricted to them, but may also be embodied in other ways within the scope of the subject matter defined by the following claims. In particular, it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilised and that structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It is furthermore to be understand that the fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims or described in different embodiment does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used with advantage.

It should be emphasised that the term“comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

Additionally, it must be emphasised that the features of the product claims may apply to the method claims.

Claims

P A T E N T C L A I M S

1. A building block for load-bearing structures comprising a body, said body comprising at least one plate element extending in a direction substan- tially parallel to a centre plane of the body, wherein said at least one plate element is of a substantially hexagonal shape, and at least one flange ele- ment, which is disposed along at least a part of the periphery of said body, said at least one flange element being configured to receive connecting means, and wherein each of the at least one flange element extends beyond said body in at least a first direction, said first direction being substantially perpendicular to the centre plane.

2. A building block according to claim 1 , wherein the building block in- cludes six flange elements, extending one along each of the six sides of the hexagonal plate element.

3. A building block according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the body compris- es two plate elements, each extending in a direction substantially parallel to the centre plane of the body, wherein the two plate elements are distanced symmetrically from said centre plane of the body.

4. A building block according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the body furthermore comprises a filling, preferably a foam filling, and/or a cover- ing.

5. A building block according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the at least one flange element furthermore extends beyond said body in a second direction, said second direction being substantially perpen- dicular to the centre plane and opposite the first direction.

6. A building block according to claim 5, wherein each of the at least one flange element is disposed substantially symmetrically about the centre plane of the body.

7. A building block according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one flange element comprises receiving means in the form of one or more holes for receiving connecting means.

8. A building block according to any of the claims 1-6, wherein the at least one flange element comprises receiving means in the form of one or more grooves for receiving connecting means.

9. A building block according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one flange element is of a substantially rectangular shape.

10. A building block according to claim any of the preceding claims, wherein the building block is made from a polymer, preferably polyethylene and more preferably high-density polyethylene.

11. A load-bearing structure comprising a plurality of building blocks ac- cording to any of the preceding claims, wherein said plurality of building blocks are interconnected in a honeycomb structure by the flanges using connecting means.

12. A load-bearing structure according to claim 11 further comprising one or more mounting elements for attaching an additional building element to the construction.

13. A load-bearing structure according to claim 12, wherein the addition- al building element in a mounted condition extends in a direction substantially parallel to the centre plane of the building blocks.

14. A load-bearing structure according claim 12 or 13, wherein the con- necting means serve as mounting element.

15. A load-bearing structure according to any of the claims 11-14, wherein the connecting means are bolts and nuts.

16. A load-bearing structure according to any of the claims 11-14, wherein the connecting means are clips.

17. A method for assembling a load-bearing structure comprising the steps of:

- arranging in a honeycomb structure a plurality of building blocks, wherein the building blocks comprise a body, said body comprising at least one plate element extending in a direction substantially parallel to a centre plane of the body, wherein said at least one plate element is of a substantially hexagonal shape, and at least one flange element configured to receive con- necting means, said at least one flange element being disposed along at least a part of the periphery of said body, and wherein each of the at least one flange element extends beyond said body in at least a first direction, said first direction being substantially perpendicular to the centre plane;

- by means of the connecting means, connecting flange elements of at least two adjacent building blocks.

18. A method for assembling a load-bearing structure according to claim 17, wherein the building blocks are arranged with the plate elements of build- ing blocks in the same vertical plane.

19. A method for assembling a load-bearing structure according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the building blocks are arranged such that they extend sub- stantially symmetrically about a vertical plane.

20. A method for assembling a load-bearing structure according to any of the claims 17-20, wherein filling, preferably foam filling, provides support to the plate elements in a direction perpendicular to the centre plane.

21. A method for assembling a load-bearing structure according to any of the claims 17-19 furthermore comprising the step of:

- by means of mounting elements, attaching additional building el- ements to the construction.

22. A method for assembling a load-bearing structure according to claim 21 , wherein said additional building element is attached in a plane substan- tially parallel to the centre plane of the building blocks.

23. A method for assembling a load-bearing structure according to claim

21 or 22, wherein the connecting means are used as mounting elements.

24. A method for assembling a load-bearing structure according to any of the claims 17-23, wherein bolts and nuts are used as connecting means.

25. A method for assembling a load-bearing structure according to any of the claims 17-23, wherein clips are used as connecting means.