GB2597711A

GB2597711A - Improvements relating to insulated concrete formwork construction

Info

Publication number: GB2597711A
Application number: GB2011877.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Harris Hackett Simon
Original assignee: Balanced Earth Homes Ltd
Current assignee: Balanced Earth Homes Ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-30
Filing date: 2020-07-30
Publication date: 2022-02-09
Also published as: GB202011877D0

Abstract

The wall panel 100 comprises an insulation panel 110 with at least one channel 117 within which at least one profile insert 120 is retained, the insert comprising a slot 121 and at least one engagement portion 122 for receiving a rail to allow connection of the wall panel to an adjacent wall panel. The channel and insert are preferably shaped to provide an interference fit of the profile within the channel, with the insert preferably retained entirely within the channel. The engagement portion of the profile preferably comprises a cavity for receiving a protrusion on the rail. The profile is preferably formed of a rigid polymeric material. Each panel preferably comprises two channels, each with a insert retained within it. Also claimed is a wall section, a method of assembling a wall section, an insulated concrete formwork and a rail for use in joining adjacent wall panels.

Description

Improvements Relating to Insulated Concrete Formwork Construction The present invention relates to a wall panel for forming a wall section of an insulated concrete formwork structure. The present invention also relates to such a wall section, to a rail for use with said wall panels, to an insulated concrete formwork structure comprising said wall panels and wall sections and to a method of assembling such an insulated concrete formwork structure. In particular, the present invention relates to wall panels which securely retain rails to enable assembly of wall sections for the construction of insulated concrete formwork structures.

Background

Insulated concrete formwork (ICF) construction is a method of constructing a building involving the use of hollow lightweight block components, preferably formed of an insulation material, which fit together to create a cavity into which a settable material such as concrete can be poured. Once the settable material has cured, a high strength, continuous and insulated frame structure is provided which may have superior insulation properties (and therefore superior energy efficiency) compared to similar buildings constructed using traditional brick or timber-based methods. The placement of a liquid flow-able setting material also tends to provide a superior level of airtightness which contributes to the energy efficiency of said ICF structure.

Known ICF constructions methods involve using standard sheets of insulation, cutting and forming these sheets on site to form a desired shape, forming an upstand of insulation to contain concrete when placed. These are generally not robust enough to support the placement of concrete without the need for additional shuttering or support provided by timber or metal formwork to buttress the insulation, which adds time and expense. A foundation so formed is then built off with said hollow lightweight block components to form a hollow wall structure for pouring a settable material into. The walling units may be referred to as ICF blocks and the pre-assembled floor units may be referred to as an insulated raft foundation.

There are some difficulties associated with ICF structures which have reduced the uptake of this construction method. The assembly process is slow, since the insulated concrete formwork must be assembled to form a cavity into which concrete may be poured, and this cavity must be well-sealed to avert leakage of liquid concrete mixture. As such, the ICF structures must be assembled meticulously.

Buttressing of the ICF structures may also be required, and this is typically provided by proprietary propping and alignment systems which sometimes double-up as a working platform, many of which are not compliant with current health and safety law in the UK.

There are also many difficulties in the provision of apertures in the building, primarily for windows and doors, since any openings must be provided before the concrete is added, and the exact shape of the openings must therefore be determined in advance. Furthermore, such openings are weak points in the ICF structure, which can further result in concrete defects or blowouts.

The entire process can be more expensive than traditional building techniques in initial set-up, not least because the aesthetic appearance of the exposed insulation material is not that which is likely to be desired, and as such further external layers, such as render or similar, must also be applied following construction Therefore there is a need for improvements in ICF methods and components which will address some of the problems associated with ICF construction discussed herein, in order for ICF to be more widely adopted by the construction industry so that more building owners and users can benefit from the potential advantages provided by ICF construction.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide improvements to components and methods used in ICF construction, in particular relating to wall panels for the formation of wall sections for ICF structures.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention specifically relates to wall panels which are used to form wall sections for the formation of walls in an ICF construction. The wall panels are suitably elongate cuboids in shape with a longest dimension approximate to the height intended for the walls of an ICF structure. A plurality of such wall panels are used to form the wall sections, with the wall panels arranged with their longest dimension vertical. The wall sections are formed to comprise first and second wall layers held in a spaced-apart relationship by a plurality of rails to define a wall-section cavity therebetween. Such wall sections suitably provide a part of a wall (or a complete length of wall) of an ICF structure and can be interfaced with one another to form the walls of an ICF structure. This system can vastly simplify the construction process for an ICF structure. Such wall sections can be prepared off-site, and then be simply connected at the construction location to form the walls of the ICF structure. In doing so, an ICF structure can be assembled in a matter of days, and the number of potential concrete leak paths can be limited.

In such wall sections, the plurality of rails join together adjacent wall panels to form the first and second wall layers and also hold the opposing wall panels in the respective first and second wall layers in a fixed position relative to each other. The wall panels are suitably formed from a thermally-insulafive material such as expanded polystyrene ([PS) and the rails are suitably formed from a rigid structural material such as steel or a suitable polymeric material. The rails are inserted into the wall panels in order to form the wall sections as described above. The interface of such rails, for example formed of steel, into such wall panels, for example formed of EPS, may provide a weak connection which causes problems for the assembly of wall sections and therefore ICF structures comprising them.

It is one aim of the present invention, amongst others, to provide a wall panel, wall section, rail, ICF structure and method that addresses at least one disadvantage of the prior art, whether identified here or elsewhere, or to provide an alternative to existing wall panels, wall sections, ICF structures and methods. For instance, it may be an aim of the present invention to provide a wall panel which provides a secure connection with adjacent wall panels to facilitate the assembly of wall sections comprising a plurality of such wall panels and therefore the assembly of an ICF structure.

According to aspects of the present invention, there is provided a wall panel, wall section, rail, ICF structure and method as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and from the description which follows.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wall panel for an insulated concrete formwork structure, the wall panel comprising an insulation panel and at least one profile insert; wherein the insulation panel comprises at least one channel in which the profile insert is retained; and wherein the profile insert comprises a slot and at least one engagement portion for receiving a rail to allow connection of the wall panel to an adjacent wall panel.

The profile insert is securely retained in the channel of the wall panel and provides a slot into which a rail can be inserted in order to assemble a wall section as described above. The profile insert is suitably formed of a rigid structural material, for example a rigid polymeric material such as high impact polystyrene (HIP). The profile insert is a separate part to the insulation panel and provides a surface, inside the slot, which is intended to receive and engage with another part, for example a "rail" to connect adjacent wall panels together. The profile insert is suitably an elongate member comprising an elongate slot and is suitably formed of a more rigid and hard-wearing material than the insulation panel, in order to provide an improved mechanical connection between the rail and the insulation panel.

The inventors have found that providing the wall panel of this first aspect with the profile insert allows a more secure connection of rails to the wall panel (through the profile insert) which facilitates assembly of wall sections having sufficient strength and stability to form walls of an ICF structure suitable for the pouring and setting of a settable construction material. Suitably the secure connection between the wall panels helps to resist potential failure of the wall sections which may otherwise occur under the hydrostatic load of a settable construction material, for example concrete, when poured into the cavity of the walls / wall sections.

Also, if an adhesive is used during manufacture of wall sections to attach interfacing side faces of adjacent wall panels together, the secure connection of rails to the profile inserts allows the adjacent wall panels to be secured in place whilst the adhesive cures, without the need for additional clamping of the wall panels. Such an adhesive may be used between interfacing side faces of adjacent wall panels in order to dissipate loads across the side faces of the wall panels, rather than point loading the interface of the profile inserts and the rails.

The wall panel is suitably cuboid in shape and comprises an outer face, an inner face, two side faces, a top face and a bottom face (therefore the insulation panel of the wall panel suitably has this shape). These descriptions are in reference to the intended orientation of the wall panel in a wall section and therefore a wall of an ICE structure. The outer face is intended to be exposed on the outside of the wall section and the inner face is intended to face into the cavity of the wall section between the first and second wall layers. The side faces are intended to be vertically arranged and abutted to adjacent wall panels in the assembly of wall sections. The top and bottom faces are intended to be arranged at the top and bottom of the wall section. Suitably the top and bottom faces are shorter than the side faces.

The channel is suitably an elongate channel, suitably provided across one face of the insulation panel. Suitably the channel is provided across a side face of the insulation panel, the side face suitably being the face which is to be mated to an adjacent wall panel, through a rail, to form the wall sections described above. Suitably the channel extends across the side face of the insulation panel from the bottom face to the top face. The channel is of course open at the side face in which it is provided, which may be termed the front of the channel. The channel is also suitably open at the top and bottom faces.

Suitably the channel and the profile insert are shaped to provide an interference fit of the profile insert into the channel, to prevent the profile insert being pulled out of the wall panel away from the channel. For example, the channel may comprise grooves which are arranged substantially perpendicular to the channel and the profile insert may comprise complementary flanges for engaging with the grooves. Suitably the channel comprises two such grooves arranged opposite each other, suitably at a bottom end of the channel. Therefore the profile insert suitably comprises two such flanges, suitably arranged at a bottom end of the profile insert. The interaction of the flanges and the grooves may therefore resist the removal of the profile insert from the channel, out of the front opening of the channel.

Suitably the grooves extend along the channel from the bottom face to the top face. Suitably the grooves co-extend with the channel. Suitably the grooves and the channel are open at the top and bottom faces of the insulation panel.

The channel may be integrally formed in the insulation panel when the insulation panel is manufactured, for example by moulding. Alternatively, the channel may be cut into the insulation panel after formation.

Suitably the profile insert can be slid into the channel from the top and/or bottom face of the insulation panel, due to the open sides of the channels (and the grooves when present) at the top and bottom faces of the insulation panel, to form the wall panel of this first aspect. The profile insert may be bonded to the insulation panel with adhesive after insertion into the channel. Alternatively, the profile insert may be integrally formed inside the wall panel, for example by forming the insulation panel onto the profile insert. This may be done by over-moulding the insulation panel onto the profile insert.

Suitably the profile insert is retained entirely within the channel. Therefore suitably no part of the profile insert protrudes from the front or side openings of the channel, past the side, top or bottom faces of the insulation panel.

The profile insert comprises a slot and at least one engagement portion for receiving a rail to allow connection of the wall panel to an adjacent wall panel. The slot is suitably an elongate slot, suitably provided across the length of the profile insert. Suitably the slot co-extends with the profile insert and suitably substantially co-extends with the channel, therefore substantially from the bottom face of the insulation panel to the top face of the insulation panel. Suitably the slot is open at the side face of the insulation panel in which the channel and profile insert are arranged. The slot is also suitably open at the top and bottom faces of the insulation panel, as is the channel in which it is arranged.

The engagement portion of the profile insert is suitably configured to provide an interference fit of the profile insert with said rail, to prevent said rail being pulled out of the wall panel away from the channel. Suitably the engagement portion is arranged in the slot. The engagement portion may be a protrusion, for example a barb or tooth, configured to engage with a cavity of said rail, when said rail is inserted into the slot of the profile insert. The engagement portion may comprise a plurality of protrusions for engaging with a plurality of cavities of said rail. The engagement portion may be a flange extending along the slot for engaging with a groove on said rail.

In some embodiments, the engagement portion of the profile insert is a cavity configured to engage with a protrusion of said rail, when said rail is inserted into the slot of the profile insert. The engagement portion may comprise a plurality of such cavities for engaging with a plurality of protrusions of said rail. The engagement portion may be a groove extending along the slot for engaging with a flange on said rail.

Suitably the engagement portion of the profile insert comprises a cavity for receiving a protrusion on said rail. Suitably the cavity and said protrusion comprise faces which are substantially perpendicular to the sides of the channel, for abutting each other to retain said rail in the slot of the profile insert.

In some embodiments, the engagement portion of the profile insert is arranged outside of the slot. For example, the engagement portion may be arranged adjacent to the slot, suitably on an outer part of the profile insert. In such embodiments, the engagement portion is suitably a mating profile on the profile insert, for example a notch or a protrusion, suitable for engaging with a complementary shaped engagement portion on said rail. Suitably the engagement of the mating profile on the profile insert with said complementary shaped engagement portion on said rail provides an interference fit of the profile insert with said rail, to prevent said rail being pulled out of the wall panel away from the channel.

Suitably the profile insert is formed of a rigid structural material, suitably a rigid polymeric material. Suitable rigid polymeric materials include high impact polystyrene (HIP). In some embodiments, the profile insert is formed of steel or aluminium.

Suitably the insulation panel of the wall panel of this first aspect is formed from a thermally insulating material. Suitably the insulation panel is formed from a polymeric insulating material, suitably expanded polystyrene (EPS).

Suitably the profile insert is formed of high impact polystyrene (HIP) and the insulation panel is formed of EPS.

Suitably the insulation panel comprises two of the channels and the wall panel comprises two of the profile inserts, one of the profile inserts being retained within each channel. Suitably the two channels and profile inserts are arranged in opposite side faces of the wall panel and allow the wall panel to be connected to two similar wall panels with a suitable rail inserted into each profile insert. Therefore the two channels and profile inserts are suitably arranged at a 180° angle with respect to each other. This arrangement would provide a straight part of a wall or wall section.

The wall panels of this first aspect may also be used to provide a corner of a wall section. In such embodiments, one of the two channels and profile inserts are provided in a side face of the insulation panel and the other of the two channels and profile inserts is provided on the inner face of the insulation panel. Therefore the two channels and profile inserts are suitably arranged at a 90° angle with respect to each other, which can therefore provide a corner of a wall or wall section. Alternatively, a corner or L-shaped insulation panel may be provided, comprising the two channels and profile inserts which are suitably arranged along side faces which are at a 900 angle with respect to each other, in order to form a corner of a wall or wall section.

The wall panel of this first aspect suitably comprises engagement portions on the top and bottom faces of the wall panel which are intended to engage with complementary engagement portions on a flooring element or on an upper or lower storey wall panel. In some embodiments, suitable engagement portions are provided by the wall panel comprising a tongue portion on one of the top or bottom face of the wall panel and a groove portion on the other of the top or bottom face of the wall panel. Suitably the tongue portion and the groove portion are complementary in size and shape so that the tongue portion of a first wall panel can engage with a groove portion of a second wall panel, for example when the first and second wall panels are intended to be connected to each other vertically in an ICF structure. Suitably the wall panel comprises a tongue portion on the top face and a groove portion on the bottom face, suitably wherein the tongue portion and groove portion are configured to have a complementary size and shape to allow mutual engagement (to connect vertically adjacent wall panels together). Suitably the tongue and groove portions extend across the respective faces of the wall panel, suitably across the entire length of the respective faces of the wall panel, such that a continuous tongue and a continuous groove are formed on the respective faces of a wall layer of a wall section comprising a plurality of such wall panels connected together, in order to facilitate connection of such wall sections to flooring elements and/or to other vertically adjacent wall sections.

The wall panel of this first aspect suitably comprises mating profiles on the side faces adjacent to the outer face of the wall panel. Suitably such mating profiles extend along the side faces of the wall panel, suitably substantially along the entire length/height of the side faces. The mating profiles on the side faces of the wall panel are suitably configured to mate with complementary mating profiles on adjacent wall panels. For example, the wall panel may comprise a tongue profile for mating with a suitable groove profile on an adjacent wall panel. The wall panel may suitably comprise a tongue profile on one side face and a groove profile on the opposite side face, the tongue and groove profiles being complementary. This arrangement suitably allows the tongue profile and the groove profile to mate with groove and tongue profiles respectively on adjacent, identical wall panels when a plurality of such wall panels are fitted together to form a wall section. This arrangement of complementary mating profiles on the side faces of the wall panel, adjacent to the outer face of the wall panel, suitably hinders ingress of rainwater between a join formed between adjacent wall panels, when a plurality of such wall panels are fitted together to form a wall section. Therefore the mating profiles can assist in forming a water-tight ICF structure before a permanent exterior cladding is added to the ICF structure. Suitably the mating profiles of the wall panel are arranged on each of the side faces of the wall panel between the outer face and the channel.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wall section for an insulated concrete formwork structure, the wall section comprising a plurality of wall panels according to the first aspect and a plurality of rails; wherein the plurality of rails comprise engagement portions; wherein the plurality of rails are received in the slots of the profile inserts in the plurality of wall panels to join together adjacent wall panels; and wherein the engagement portions of the rails co-operate with the engagement portions of the profile inserts to retain the rails in the profile inserts.

The wall panels of the wall section of this second aspect may have any of the suitable features and advantages described above in relation to the first aspect.

Suitably the plurality of wall panels of the wall section are arranged side-by-side (and connected to adjacent wall panels by the rails) and are aligned to form a desired wall shape, such as a straight wall section or a corner wall section.

As with the wall panels which form the wall section, the wall section is suitably cuboid in shape and comprises an outer face, an inner face, two side faces, a top face and a bottom face.

These descriptions are in reference to the intended orientation of the wall section in an ICF structure. The outer face is intended to be exposed on the outside of an ICF structure and the inner face is intended to face into said ICF structure. The side faces are intended to be vertically arranged and abutted to adjacent wall sections in the assembly of an ICF structure. The top and bottom faces are intended to be arranged at the top and bottom of the wall section. Suitably the top and bottom faces are longer than the side faces.

In the wall section of this second aspect, the plurality of wall panels and the plurality of rails are suitably arranged to form an inner wall layer and an outer wall layer, wherein the inner wall layer and the outer wall layer are held in a spaced-apart relationship by the rails to define a cavity therebetween. Therefore the plurality of wall panels of this wall section suitably comprises a plurality of outer wall layer wall panels and a plurality of inner wall layer wall panels, which are connected together by the rails to form the inner wall layer and the outer wall layer respectively. This arrangement means that a continuous cavity between the inner and outer wall layers can be formed in an ICF structure comprising the wall sections, the continuous cavity being suitable for receiving an unset settable material as discussed above.

Suitably the inner wall layer and the outer wall layer are parallel and co-extending in order to provide a wall section (and cavity) of consistent thickness.

Suitably the rails comprise two pairs of side-arms joined by at least one strut; wherein the sidearms are received in the slots of the profile inserts in the plurality of wall panels to join together adjacent wall panels. Suitably the side-arms are arranged at a 180° angle to each other for connection with adjacent wall panels which abut each other on their side faces. Suitably the side-arms are arranged at a 900 angle to the at least one strut. Suitably the two pairs of sidearms are parallel to each other Suitably the at least one strut spans the cavity between the inner wall layer and the outer wall layer, suitably without segregating the cavity into sections between the rails. Therefore the strut or struts suitably do not extend along the entire height of the rails. Suitably the rails each comprise a plurality of struts joining the two pairs of side-arms, the struts being spaced apart in a vertical direction along the height of the rails (when orientated vertically in normal usage to form such wall sections). The struts being spaced apart suitably allows a continuous cavity between the inner and outer wall layers to be maintained, to allow an unset settable building material, such as concrete, to flow around and between the struts and completely fill the cavity.

Suitably the rails comprise a reinforcement between the at least one strut and the side-arms. This reinforcement may be provided by a thickened portion where the at least one strut meets the side-arms. The thickened portion is "thickened" with respect to the thickness of the remainder of the strut. The thickened portion is suitably thinner than the "thickness" of the side-arms. Suitably the thickened portion extends substantially along the length/height of the rails, suitably along the entire length/height of the rails.

Suitably the side-arms of the rails comprise the engagement portions for co-operating with the engagement portions of the profile inserts to retain the rails in the profile inserts.

In order to provide the required engagement portions, the rails suitably comprise a protrusion for engaging with the engagement portions of the profile inserts to retain the rails in the profile inserts. This protrusion may provide an interference fit with the engagement portions of the profile inserts. In such embodiments, the engagement portions of the profile inserts may be a cavity configured to engage with a protrusion of a corresponding rail, for example a barb or tooth. The engagement portions of the profile inserts may comprise a plurality of such cavities for engaging with a plurality of protrusions of the corresponding rail. The engagement portions of the profile inserts may be a groove extending along the slot for engaging with a flange on the rail.

In some embodiments, the engagement portions of the rails may be cavities configured to engage with a protrusion, for example a barb or tooth, of the corresponding profile insert. The engagement portions of the rails may comprise a plurality of cavities for engaging with a plurality of protrusions, for example barbs or teeth, of the corresponding profile insert. The engagement portions of the rails may be grooves for engaging with a flange extending along the slot of the corresponding profile insert.

Suitably the engagement portion of the profile insert is a groove extending along the slot for engaging with a flange which extends along the rail.

A suitable barb-shaped protrusion as an engagement portion on either the rail or the profile insert has a shape which facilitates entry of the rail into the slot of the profile insert, for example by having a sloped face with a thin end orientated towards the rail or profile insert, and has a shape which restricts or prevents removal of the rail from the profile insert, for example by having a substantially perpendicular face orientated away from the rail or profile insert for abutting a similar substantially perpendicular face of the other of the rail or profile insert In some embodiments, the engagement portions are arranged on the rail spaced-apart from the side-arms. For example, the engagement portions may be provided by a second set of side-arms, which may be termed "engagement arms". Suitably the rails comprise two pairs of such engagement arms joined by at the least one strut/strut section. Suitably the engagement arms comprise a mating profile on a surface facing towards the side-arms for engagement with a complementary engagement portion on the profile insert arranged outside of the slot on the profile insert. Suitably the engagement arms are arranged on the rail inward from the side-arms.

In such embodiments, the side-arms and engagement arms of the engagement portion of the rail are spaced apart with a rail slot therebetween. Suitably the rail slots are defined by the side-arms and the engagement arms. Therefore the rail comprises the rails comprise two pairs of side-arms, two pairs of engagement arms and two pairs of rail slots, arranged at either end of and joined by the at least one strut/strut section.

Suitably the rail and the profile insert are configured so that the side-arms of the rail fit into the slot of the profile insert, so that part of the profile insert fits into the rail slot and so that the mating profiles of the engagement arms and the profile insert engage with each other to connect the rail and the profile insert (and so the wall panel) together. Suitably the engagement with each other of the mating profiles of the engagement arms and the profile insert resists the separation of the rail and the wall panel and therefore retain the rail in the profile insert.

In embodiments wherein the arrangement of the side-arms and the engagement arms of the rail form a rail slot therebetween, the rail slot may provide a further benefit on enabling a plurality of such rails to be stacked on top of each other wherein at one end of the rails a side-arm of a lower rail is located in the rail slot of an upper rail and at the other end of the rails a side-arm of the upper rail is located in the rail slot of the lower rail. The side-arms and rail slots are suitably configured to be a complementary size and shape to allow a snug fit of the side arms into the rail slots. This arrangement may provide a stable stacking of rails wherein the rails are prevented from moving horizontally with respect to each other by the side-arms being snugly located in the rail slot of the adjacent rail. Therefore a plurality of such rails can be safely stored and transported in such a stack without damaging the rails or presenting a risk of injury due to unstable stacking.

In such embodiments, the rails suitably comprise the reinforcement between the at least one strut and the side-arms provided by a thickened portion (relative to the thickness of the strut) where the at least one strut meets the side-arms discussed above. Suitably the thickened portion is arranged at the rail slot, between the side-arms and the engagement arms. This thickened portion suitably increases the rigidity of the rail and therefore may further stabilise a stacking of a plurality of such rails as discussed above. Furthermore, the thickened portions may also provide a sufficiently substantial mass of rigid material which can be used to attach fixings from the outer face of the wall section in the ICF structure, for example screw or bolts.

This may be useful for securely attaching cladding to the outer surface of the wall sections in an ICF structure, in order to complete the facade of such an ICF structure. Attaching such fixings to the thickened portions of the rails may provide an improved mechanical attachment compared to that achieved when using a rail without the thickened portions or when attaching such fixings to the insulation panel. Also, using the thickened portions of the rails for attaching such fixings may be more convenient than using the concrete in the cavity of an ICF structure which is much deeper into the wall section and therefore would require deeper drilling into the wall section and longer fixings.

Suitably the rails comprise two elongate end panels, which provide the side-arms, joined by a plurality of the struts, the struts being spaced apart from each other. Therefore in plan view the rails suitably have an H shape, with the struts providing the cross bar of the H. Therefore the two elongate end panels are suitably parallel to each other, in order to provide parallel inner and outer wall layers. Suitably the struts are spaced apart vertically as described above. The engagement arms discussed above, when present, are suitably similarly arranged.

Suitably each rail therefore comprises four side-arms which each can be connected to a different wall panel of the plurality of wall panels. When a rail is not arranged at an end of the wall section, which may therefore be considered to be an internal rail, the rail is suitably connected to four different wall panels, two from the inner wall layer and two from the outer wall layer. When a rail is arranged at an end of the wall section, which may therefore be considered to be an end rail, the rail is suitably connected to two different wall panels, one from the inner wall layer and one from the outer wall layer, with two side-arms being available for connection to wall panels of a further wall section.

Suitably the plurality of rails have substantially the same height as the plurality of wall panels so that when connected to form the wall section of this second aspect the rails can be located in the slots of the wall panels without protruding from the top faces or the bottom faces of the wall panels.

The wall section of this second aspect may be formed by providing a plurality of wall panels according to the first aspect and a plurality of rails as described above, and then connecting the wall panels to the rails by locating the rails in the slots of the profile inserts in the wall panels so that the engagement portions on the rails and the wall panels co-operate to retain the rails in the profile inserts of the wall panels.

As discussed in relation to the first aspect, the wall layers of the wall section suitably comprise engagement portions for connecting the wall section to flooring elements and/or to vertically adjacent wall sections. The wall section suitably comprises a tongue and a groove on the top and bottom faces of the wall section, provided by tongue portions and groove portions of the plurality of wall panels. Suitably the wall section comprises a continuous tongue on one of the top or bottom face of the wall section and a groove portion on the other of the top or bottom face of the wall panel. Suitably the wall section comprises a continuous tongue on the top face of the wall section and a continuous groove on the bottom face of the wall section in order to facilitate connection of such wall sections to flooring elements and/or to other vertically adjacent wall sections.

The inner and outer wall layers suitably each comprise a tongue and a groove on the top and bottom faces of the wall section, respectively, which are suitably provided by tongue portions and groove portions of the plurality of wall panels, as described above. Therefore the wall section suitably comprises two such continuous tongues and two such continuous grooves.

Suitably the continuous tongue and the continuous groove are complementary in size and shape so that the continuous tongue of a first wall section can engage with a continuous groove of a second wall section, for example when the first and second wall sections are intended to be connected to each other vertically in an ICF structure. Suitably the continuous tongue and the continuous groove extend entirely across the respective faces of the wall section.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rail for use in joining together adjacent wall panels in an insulated concrete formwork structure, the rail comprising two wall panel-connecting ends which are joined by a strut section for spanning a wall cavity of said insulated concrete formwork structure; wherein the wall panel-connecting ends each comprise: a pair of side-arms arranged approximately perpendicularly to and either side of the strut section for locating in slots of said wall panels; a pair of engagement arms arranged either side of and approximately perpendicularly to the strut section for engaging with complementary engagement portions of said wall panels, and a pair of rail slots arranged approximately perpendicularly to and either side of the strut section between each side arm and each engagement arm.

The rail of this aspect may have any of the suitable features and advantages described herein.

Suitably the rail slots have a width which is approximately equal to a thickness of the side-arms in order for the side-arms to be received in the rail slots when a plurality of rails are stacked on top of each other.

Suitably the side-arms and/or the engagement arms are elongate flanges extending approximately the entire height of the rail. Suitably the side-arms form ends of the rail.

Suitably the pair of engagement arms form or comprise the engagements portions of the rail discussed above in relation to the first aspect. Suitably the engagement arms are arranged inward of the side-arms on the rail.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of assembling a wall section for an insulated concrete formwork structure, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality of wall panels according to the first aspect and a plurality of rails as described in relation to the second aspect; and b) connecting the plurality of wall panels to the plurality of rails by locating the rails in the slots of the profile inserts in the wall panels so that the engagement portions on the rails and the engagement portions on the wall panels co-operate to retain the rails in the profile inserts of the wall panels.

The wall panels and rails may have any of the suitable features and advantages described in relation to the first and second aspects.

Suitably the wall section formed by the method of this third aspect is a wall section according to the second aspect. Suitably the plurality of wall panels each comprise two of the profile inserts arranged in opposite side faces of the wall panel to allow each wall panel to be connected to two adjacent wall panels. Suitably the plurality of rails each comprise two pairs of side-arms joined by at least one strut; wherein the side-arms are for inserting in the slots of the profile inserts in the plurality of wall panels in step b) to join together adjacent wall panels. Therefore in step b) an inner wall layer and an outer wall layer are suitably formed and held in a spaced-apart relationship by the struts of the rails to define a cavity therebetween. Suitably the at least one strut spans the cavity between the inner wall layer and the outer wall layer, suitably without segregating the cavity into sections between the rails.

The method of this third aspect suitably provides a simple and reliable method of forming a desired size and shape of wall section for an insulated concrete formwork structure which can be carried out off-site without requiring advanced carpentry, engineering or construction skills. Therefore the method of this third aspect may provide a cost-effective and efficient way of assembling wall sections for the construction of insulated concrete formwork structures and which may lower the cost and increase the speed of such constructions relative to known methods.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an insulated concrete formwork structure comprising a plurality of wall sections according to the second aspect joined together to form a continuous cavity for receiving an unset settable building material.

The wall sections which are part of the same floor of the insulated concrete formwork structure may be joined together by end rails of one wall section connecting to profile inserts of an adjacent wall section. These wall sections are also suitably attached to a flooring element (such as a floor slab or raft foundation) and an upper floor cassette or a roof cassette for additional buttressing. The wall sections which are arranged on top of each other as part of different floors of the insulated concrete formwork structure, for example a first floor wall section arranged on top of a ground floor wall section, are suitably joined together by complementary engagement portions on the top and bottom faces of the wall panels which form the wall sections, for example a tongue and groove arrangement as discussed above.

Specifically, the wall panels which form the wall sections suitably comprise a groove on the bottom face and a tongue on the top face. The tongues and grooves of the wall panels suitably form a continuous tongue and groove across the top and bottom faces of the wall sections, respectively. Suitably the tongues and grooves are configured to engage with each other such that the tongues on the top faces of wall sections which form a ground floor of insulated concrete formwork structure securely engage with the grooves on the bottom faces of the wall sections which form a first floor of the insulated concrete formwork structure. Also, the grooves on the bottom face of the wall sections which form a ground floor of insulated concrete formwork structure suitably securely engage with a complementary tongue on a flooring element (such as a floor slab or raft foundation) on which the ground floor wall sections are arranged.

The arrangement of tongues and grooves on the top and bottom faces of the wall panels described above may be reversed to achieve the same function.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of assembling an insulated concrete formwork structure, the method comprising the steps of: 1) providing a plurality of wall sections according to the second aspect; 2) joining together the plurality of wall sections to form a continuous cavity for receiving a sellable building material; 3) applying an unset sellable building material to the cavity; 4) allowing the unset settable building material to set, the plurality of rails holding the wall panels of the wall sections together through the engagement of the rails with the profile inserts of the wall panels.

The wall section, and the wall panels from which it is formed, may have any of the suitable features and advantages described in relation to the first and second aspects.

Suitably the insulated concrete formwork structure formed by the method of this fifth aspect is an insulated concrete formwork structure according to the fourth aspect.

Suitably step 1) is a method according to the third aspect.

The method of this fifth aspect suitably provides a simple and reliable method of forming a desired insulated concrete formwork structure by using wall sections and wall panels according to the present invention to facilitate assembly of the wall section and ICF structure.

Brief Description Of The Drawings

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how example embodiments may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure la is a plan view of a wall panel 100 according to the first aspect of the present invention, with a close-up of a profile insert 120.

Figure lb is a side view of a wall panel 100 according to the first aspect of the present invention.

Figure 2a is a plan view of a rail 200 used in assembling a wall section 300 according to the second aspect of the present invention, with a close-up of one end.

Figure 2b is a side view of the rail 200.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a wall section 300 according to the second aspect of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a wall panel 1000 according to the first aspect of the present invention, with a close-up of a profile insert 1020.

Figure 5 is a plan view from above of a rail 2000 according to the present invention.

Figure 6 show perspective views of rail 2000.

Figure 7 is a plan view from above of a wall panel 1000 connected to a rail 2000. Figure 8 is a side view of a plurality of rails 2000 in a stack 8000.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of an insulated concrete formwork structure 400 according to the fourth aspect of the present invention.

Detailed Description Of The Example Embodiments

Figures la and lb show a wall panel 100 for use in assembling a wall section for an insulated concrete formwork structure. The wall panel 100 comprises insulation panel 110 and two profile inserts 120 arranged in channels 117 in opposite side faces 113 and 114 of insulation panel 110. The insulation panel 110 is formed of expanded polystyrene and therefore has good insulative properties and structural integrity. The profile inserts 120 are formed of high density polystyrene and therefore are relatively lightweight and rigid.

The insulation panel 110 is approximately cuboid in shape having an outer face 111, an inner face 112, two side faces 113 and 114, top face 115 and bottom face 116 (see Figure lb). The outer face 111 is intended to face outwards from a wall section formed from such wall panels comprising two wall layers separated by a cavity, and inner face 112 is intended to face into the cavity. The plan view of Figure la shows the length and width of the wall panel 100 and the side view of Figure lb shows the height and width of the wall panel 100. The insulation panel 110 has a length as shown horizontally in Figure la which is greater than its width as shown vertically in Figure la. Suitably the height of the insulation panel 110 (shown vertically in Figure 1b) is greater than both the length and the width. For example, the insulation panel may have a length of approximately 300 mm, a width of approximately 120 mm and a height of approximately 2625 mm. The insulation panel 110 comprises a tongue portion 118 projecting from top face 115 of the insulation panel 110 for engaging with a further wall section or roofing component arranged on top of a wall section formed from a plurality of these wall panels 100.

The tongue portion 118 has chamfered edges 1181 which assist with fitting a wall section comprising a complementary shaped groove portion onto the tongue portion 118 to locate the tongue portion 118 into said groove. The insulation panel 110 also comprises a groove portion 119 in bottom face 116 for engaging with a further wall section or flooring component arranged beneath a wall section formed from a plurality of these wall panels 100. Specifically, the groove portion 119 in bottom face 116 is shaped and sized to engage with a complementary shaped tongue on such wall sections, such as a tongue portion 118 on a similar wall panel within a vertically adjacent wall section, or a similar tongue portion on flooring elements.

The insulation panel 110 comprises channels 117, shown in the close-up of Figure 1a, in which are arranged profile inserts 120. The profile inserts 120 comprise flanges 123 which are closely fitted to complementary grooves in the channels 117 to securely retain the profile inserts in the channels 117. The profile inserts 120 also comprise slots 121 which are open at the respective side faces 113 and 114 of the insulation panel 110 and are intended to receive rails in the assembly of wall sections described herein. The profile inserts 120 also comprise, in the slots 121, cavities 122 for engaging with complementary protrusions on said rails. The cavities 122 are elongate, extending along the height of the profile inserts, and are approximately hemispherical in cross-section.

Figures 2a and 2b show a rail 200 which is configured to be inserted into the profile inserts 120 of the wall panel 100 of Figures la and lb to form a wall section for an ICF structure, as described below. The rail is formed of a rigid UPVC material. The rail 200 has an elongated H-shape in plan view, as shown in Figure 2a, comprising two pairs of side-arms 210 arranged at either end of strut section 220, at 900 to the strut section 220. As shown in the close-up of Figure 2a, the side-arms 210 comprise protrusions 211 on upper and lower faces of the side-arms 210. The protrusions 211 are elongate, extending along the height of the rails, and are approximately hemispherical in cross-section and are complementary to the shape of the cavities 122 of the profile inserts 120 of the wall panel 100, in order for the protrusions 211 to engage with the cavities 122 when the rail 200 is inserted into the profile inserts 120 to securely retain the rail 200 in the profile inserts 120.

The strut section 220 is not continuous throughout the rail 200. The strut section 220 comprises a plurality of struts 221 which define a plurality of openings 222. The openings 222 allow the formation of a continuous cavity in a wall section formed with rails 200 and wall panels 100 and the struts 221 maintain sufficient rigidity of rail 200 to maintain its required structural performance.

Figure 3 shows wall section 300 formed from six wall panels 100 of Figures la and lb and four rails 200 of Figures 2a and 2b. Three of the wall panels 100 form an outer wall layer 310 intended to face outward from an ICF structure formed using the wall section 300; and the other three wall sections 100 form an inner wall layer 320 intended to face inwards into said ICF structure. The outer and inner wall layers 310 and 320 are held spaced-apart by rails 200 to provide a continuous cavity 330 into which an unset settable building material will be poured in an ICF construction.

To form the wall section 300, two side-arms 210 on one side of a rail 200 are inserted into profile inserts 120 of wall panels 100 arranged opposite each other so that their inner faces 112 face into the cavity 330. This engages the protrusions 211 of the rail 200 with the cavities 122 of the profile inserts to securely connect the wall panels 100 to the rail 200. The two side arms 210 on the other side of the rail 200 are then similarly inserted into profile inserts 120 of two further wall panels 100, so that all four side arms 210 of rail 200 are connected to different wall panels 100. Then further rails 200 are similarly inserted into the second profile inserts on those wall panels 100 to further build up the outer and inner wall layers 310 and 320. This process is repeated until the wall section 100 comprising the required number of wall panels (and therefore having the required size and configuration) is complete. This process may be readily carried out off-site and the prepared wall sections 300 then brought to the building site where an ICF structure is being constructed Rails 200 may be arranged in the profile inserts 120 of the wall panels 100 at either end of the wall section 300 and have two free side-arms, as shown in Figure 3, for connection to wall panels of adjacent wall sections 300 when assembling said ICF structure on-site. The profile inserts 120 and rails 200 therefore also facilitate the connection of pre-prepared wall sections to form said ICF structure. The tongue portion 118 and groove portion 119 of the wall panels 100 provide the wall section 300 with continuous tongues 311 and 321 on the upper faces of the outer 310 and inner 320 wall layers respectively, and continuous grooves on the lower faces of the outer 310 and inner 320 wall layers (not shown). The continuous tongues 311 and 321 and continuous grooves are complementary in size and shape so that the continuous tongues of a first wall section can engage with continuous grooves of a second wall section when the first and second wall sections are intended to be connected to each other vertically in an ICF structure. Therefore the continuous tongues 311 and 321 and the continuous grooves also facilitate the placement of the wall sections 300 with flooring components of the ICF and the connection of upper storeys or roofing components of the ICF. The wall panels 100 and wall sections 300 of the present invention therefore may provide an efficient and cost-effective construction of ICF structures.

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of wall panel in wall panel 1000 which is as described above in relation to the wall panel 100 aside from the following differences. The profile inserts 1020 arranged in channels 1017 have an uneven u-shape with arm 1022 being longer than arm 1023 (see close-up of Figure 4). The profile inserts 1020 comprise slots 1021 for receiving the side arms of the rails. The channel 1017 is configured so that there is a cavity 1024 adjacent to arm 1023. The cavity 1024 provides a space into which a suitably configured engagement arm of a rail can be located when said rail is connected to the wall panel 1000.

Arm 1023 comprises on its outer side a mating profile comprising an elongate tooth 1025 which is configured to engage with a complementary engagement portion on the engagement arm of a rail in order to retain said rail in connection with the profile insert 1020 and therefore with the wall panel 1000, in order to join adjacent wall panels together. The elongate tooth 1025 extends along the entire height of the profile insert 1020.

The wall panel 1000 also comprises mating profiles 1031 and 1032 having tapered tongue and groove shapes respectively. These mating profiles 1031 and 1032 are configured to engage with the mating profiles 1032 and 1031 respectively on adjacent wall panels, in order to resist the ingress of rain water through the join of adjacent wall panels during construction of an ICF structure by providing a tortuous path for said rainwater.

The wall panel 1000 also comprises tongue portion 1018 (as shown) and groove portion 1019 (not shown but is equivalent to groove portion 119 of wall panel 100 as shown in Figure la) which are intended to function as described above in relation to tongue portion 118 and portion groove portion 119 of wall panel 100 to engage with complementary groove or tongue portions of further wall sections, roofing components or flooring components, as appropriate.

Figures 5 and 6 show an alternative embodiment of rail 200 in rail 2000 which comprises two wall panel-connecting ends 2001 and 2002 which are joined by a strut section 2020 for spanning a wall cavity of said insulated concrete formwork structure. The rail 2000 is as described above for rail 200, therefore comprising side-arms 2010 and strut section 2020, which comprises a plurality of struts 2021 which define a plurality of openings 2022, aside from the following details. To provide the engagement portions, rail 2000 comprises engagement arms 2030 arranged either side of and approximately perpendicularly to the strut section 2020 for engaging with complementary engagement portions of said wall panels. The engagement arms 2030 are spaced apart from side-arms 2010 to define rail slots 2040. The engagement arms 2030 extend along the length of the rail 2000 and co-extend with the side-arms 2010. The rail slots 2040 are arranged approximately perpendicularly to and either side of the strut section 2020 between each side-arm 2010 and each engagement arm 2030. The engagement arms 2030 have a mating profile facing into the rail slot 2040 towards the side-arms 2010, the mating profile comprising an elongate tooth 2031 and an elongate recess 2032 adjacent to the tooth 2031. These can be seen in more detail in the close-up of the engagement arms 2030 in Figure 5. The elongate tooth 2031 and elongate recess 2032 are configured to engage with the mating profile 1025 of the profile insert 1020 in wall panel 1000 shown in Figure 4, when the rail 2000 is inserted into the profile insert 1020 so that the side-arms 2010 are received in the slot 1021 and the engagement arms 2030 are receiving in cavity 1024, to connect the rail 2000 and the wall panel 1000 together.

Therefore the engagement arms 2030 are of a suitable size and shape to fit snugly into the cavities 1024 of wall panel 1000. The rail slot 2040 is of a suitable size and shape to receive arm 1023 of the profile insert in a close fit 1020. Figure 7 shows the above-mentioned parts of the rail 2000 connecting two wall panels 1000 of Figure 4 together to form wall section 3000.

Also, the side-arms 2010 are of a suitable size and shape to fit into the rail slot 2040 of another identical rail 2000, when a plurality of rails 2000 are stacked together for storage and/or transport.

The rail 2000 also comprises thickened portions 2050 between the side-arms 2010 and the engagement arms 2030. The thickened portions 2050 form the base of the rails slots 2040 which is therefore raised with respect to the strut section 2020. The thickened portions 2050 provide a reinforcement of the rail 2000 such that flexing of the side-arms 2010 relative to the strut section 2020 is substantially prevented. The thickened portions 2050 may therefore provide structural stability of the rail 2000 during use and also in storage and transport.

Figure 6 also shows the upper tongues 2023 and lower grooves 2024 of the rail 2000. These tongues 2023 and grooves 2024 are configured to align with the tongue portion 1018 and groove portion 1019 of wall panel 1000 in order to engage with complementary groove or tongue portions of further wall sections, roofing components or flooring components, as described above.

Figure 8 shows a stack 8000 of a plurality of rails 2000 stacked on top of each other for storage and/or transport. The stacking is stabilised by the engagement of the side-arms 2010 of one rail 2000 with the rail slots 2040 of another to provide the off-set stacking arrangement shown in Figure 8. Specifically, a lower rail 2000a engages with an upper rail 2000b by having a side-arm 2010a on one end of the lower rail 2000a received in a rail slot 2040b of one end of the upper rail 2000b (see the right hand side of the rails in Figure 8) and having a rail slot 2040a on the other end of the lower rail 2000a receive a side-arm 2010b of the upper rail 2000b (see the left hand side of the rails in Figure 8). This arrangement is repeated for the further rails 2000 to provide the stable, off-set stack. This arrangement prevents the horizontal movement of the rails 2000 relative to each other that would otherwise destabilise the stack, as the side-arms 2010 are held in the rail slots 2040 against lateral movement.

Also, as the side-arms 2010 are received in the rail slots 2040, the side-arms 2010 contact the adjacent rails 2000 at the thickened portions 2050 (see thickened portions 2050a and b in Figure 8) which are reinforced with respect to the rest of the strut sections 2020. This enables the rail 2000 to resist deformation caused by the weight of the rails 2000 stacked above, which may further stabilise the stack 9000.

Figure 9 shows an insulated concrete formwork structure 400 (before the addition of an unset sellable structural material into the wall cavities). The ICF structure 400 comprises insulated raft foundation 500 formed of floor slabs covered by a layer of set concrete 510. The ICF structure 400 comprises wall sections 300, as described in relation to Figure 3, which are formed of a plurality of wall sections 100 according to the first aspect and a plurality of rails 200. The wall sections 300 are arranged on the raft foundation 500 and secured in place by the engagement of an upstanding tongue portion of the raft foundation 500 with the complementary groove portion 119 on the bottom face of the wall panels 100 which form the wall sections 300. The wall sections 300 comprise inner wall layer 320, outer wall layer 310 and a cavity 330 therebetween suitably for pouring into an unset settable structural material such as concrete.

The wall sections 300 are connected to each other through end rails 200 on end wall panels 100 of a wall section 300 engaging with the slot 121 of a profile insert 120 in an end wall panel 100 of an adjacent wall section 300. This provides the ICF structure with structural stability. This secure connection of rails 200 to the wall panels 100 to form wall sections 300 and to connect adjacent wall sections 300 through the profile inserts 120 suitably provides the ICF structure 400 with sufficient strength and stability to allow the pouring and setting of a settable construction material into the cavity 330 whilst resisting potential failure of the wall sections which may otherwise occur under the hydrostatic load of a settable construction material.

The wall sections 300 comprise hangers (not shown) for attaching and supporting upper floor cassettes 440. The structure 400 is also provided with internal timber framework 430 which defines and will become the internal walls of the structure 400, once construction is complete. The internal framework 430 provides additional support for upper floor cassettes 440. The upper floor cassettes 440 provide a floor base for a first storey of structure 400. The upper floor cassettes may be provided with handrails to improve the safety of users working on top of the upper floor, for example when the unset settable structural material is being poured into the cavity 330. The internal timber framework 430 and the attachment of the upper floor cassettes 440 to the wall sections 300 suitably provide additional stability to structure 400 so that deformation of the wall sections 300 is resisted and prevented before, during and after an unset settable structural material is poured into the cavity 330.

Therefore structure 400 may be constructed without the need for external bracing of the wall sections 300, which may speed up and reduce the cost of the construction process, compared to known insulated concrete formwork structures.

In summary, the present invention provides a wall panel for an insulated concrete formwork (ICF) structure. The wall panel comprises an insulation panel and at least one profile insert.

The profile insert is housed in the insulation panel in a channel. The profile insert comprises a slot and at least one engagement portion for receiving and securely connecting to a rail to allow connection of the wall panel to an adjacent wall panel, through the rail. The profile insert suitably provides a secure, tight fit between the adjacent wall panels to allow the reliable and efficient formation of walls of an insulated concrete formwork structure with sufficient structural strength to receive an unset flowable building material in a cavity in said walls. A wall section comprising a plurality of such wall panels, a rail for use with such wall panels and an ICF structure comprising a plurality of such wall sections are also provided. Related methods of assembling a wall section for an ICF structure and of assembling an ICF structure are also provided.

Although a few preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Throughout this specification, the term "comprising" or "comprises" means including the component(s) specified but not to the exclusion of the presence of other components. The term "consisting essentially of' or "consists essentially of" means including the components specified but excluding other components except for materials present as impurities, unavoidable materials present as a result of processes used to provide the components, and components added for a purpose other than achieving the technical effect of the invention.

The term "consisting of or "consists of' means including the components specified but excluding addition of other components.

Whenever appropriate, depending upon the context, the use of the term "comprises" or "comprising" may also be taken to encompass or include the meaning "consists essentially of' or "consisting essentially of, and may also be taken to include the meaning "consists of or "consisting of.

The optional features set out herein may be used either individually or in combination with each other where appropriate and particularly in the combinations as set out in the accompanying claims. The optional features for each aspect or exemplary embodiment of the invention as set out herein are also to be read as applicable to any other aspect or exemplary embodiments of the invention, where appropriate. In other words, the skilled person reading this specification should consider the optional features for each exemplary embodiment of the invention as interchangeable and combinable between different exemplary embodiments.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

Claims 1. A wall panel for an insulated concrete formwork structure, the wall panel comprising an insulation panel and at least one profile insert; wherein the insulation panel comprises at least one channel in which the profile insert is retained; and wherein the profile insert comprises a slot and at least one engagement portion for receiving a rail to allow connection of the wall panel to an adjacent wall panel.
2. The wall panel according to claim 1, wherein the channel and the profile insert are shaped to provide an interference fit of the profile insert into the channel, to prevent the profile insert being pulled out of the wall panel away from the channel.
3. The wall panel according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the channel is arranged across one face of the insulation panel.
4. The wall panel according any preceding claim, wherein the profile insert is retained entirely within the channel.
5. The wall panel according any preceding claim, wherein the engagement portion of the profile insert comprises a cavity for receiving a protrusion on said rail.
6. The wall panel according to any preceding claim, wherein the profile insert is formed of a rigid polymeric material.
7. The wall panel according any preceding claim, wherein the insulation panel comprises two of the channels and the wall panel comprises two of the profile inserts, one of the profile inserts being retained within each channel.
8. A wall section for an insulated concrete formwork structure, the wall section comprising a plurality of wall panels according to any one of claims Ito 7 and a plurality of rails; wherein the plurality of rails comprise engagement portions; wherein the plurality of rails are received in the slots of the profile inserts in the plurality of wall panels to join together adjacent wall panels; and wherein the engagement portions of the rails co-operate with the engagement portions of the profile inserts to retain the rails in the profile inserts.
9. The wall section according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of wall panels and the plurality of rails are arranged to form an inner wall layer and an outer wall layer, wherein the inner wall layer and the outer wall layer are held in a spaced-apart relationship by the rails to define a cavity therebetween.
10. The wall section according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the rails comprise two pairs of side-arms joined by at least one strut; wherein the side-arms are received in the slots of the plurality of the profile inserts to join together adjacent wall panels.
11. The wall section according to claim 10, wherein the rails comprise a reinforcement between the at least one strut and the side-arms.
12. The wall section according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the rails comprise two elongate end panels, which provide the side-arms, joined by a plurality of the struts, the struts being spaced apart from each other.
13. The wall section according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the rails comprise a protrusion for engaging with the engagement portions of the profile inserts to retain the rails in the profile inserts.
14. A method of assembling a wall section for an insulated concrete formwork structure, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality of wall panels according to the first aspect and a plurality of rails as described in relation to the second aspect; and b) connecting the plurality of wall panels to the plurality of rails by locating the rails in the slots of the profile inserts in the wall panels so that the engagement portions on the rails and the engagement portions on the wall panels co-operate to retain the rails in the profile inserts of the wall panels.
15. A insulated concrete formwork structure comprising a plurality of wall sections according to any one of claims 8 to 13 joined together to form a continuous cavity for receiving an unset settable building material.
16. A method of assembling an insulated concrete formwork structure, the method comprising the steps of: 1) providing a plurality of wall sections according to any one of claims 8 to 13; 2) joining together the plurality of wall sections to form a continuous cavity for receiving a sellable building material; 3) applying an unset sellable building material to the cavity; 4) allowing the unset settable building material to set, the plurality of rails holding the wall panels of the wall sections together through the engagement of the rails with the profile inserts of the wall panels.
17. A rail for use in joining together adjacent wall panels in an insulated concrete formwork structure, the rail comprising two wall panel-connecting ends which are joined by a strut section for spanning a wall cavity of said insulated concrete formwork structure; wherein the wall panel-connecting ends each comprise: a pair of side-arms arranged approximately perpendicularly to and either side of the strut section for locating in slots of said wall panels; a pair of engagement arms arranged either side of and approximately perpendicularly to the strut section for engaging with complementary engagement portions of said wall panels, and a pair of rail slots arranged approximately perpendicularly to and either side of the strut section between each side arm and each engagement arm