WO1992005322A1

WO1992005322A1 - Building element for erecting external building walls

Info

Publication number: WO1992005322A1
Application number: PCT/SE1991/000630
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roger Ericsson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-09-24
Filing date: 1991-09-19
Publication date: 1992-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 1993-03-24
Also published as: SE9003021D0; AU8546291A; SE9003021L

Abstract

A building element for erecting external building walls, comprising at least one panel (3) of non-yielding cellular plastic serving, together with both an external facing (5) and an internal base panel (2), to form a heat-insulating and sound-absorbing barrier between the inside and outside of the finished wall. A plurality of spaced-apart, vertical sectional elements (6) are secured to the cellular plastic panel (3) and each have at least one flange embedded in and integrated with the cellular plastic panel, and at least one flange projecting or spaced from the outside of the cellular plastic panel to serve as a mounting for the facing (5), compartments for receiving a mineral wool mat (4) or the like being formed between adjoining sectional elements, said mineral wool mat having not only a heat-insulating capacity but also a sound-absorbing capacity superior to that of said cellular plastic panel.

Description

BUILDING ELEMENT FOR ERECTING EXTERNAL BUILDING WALLS

Background of the Invention The present invention relates to a building ele¬ ment for erecting external building walls, comprising at least one panel of non-yielding cellular plastic serving, together with both an external facing and an internal base panel, to form a heat-insulating and sound-absorbing bar- rier between the inside and outside of the finished wall. Prior-Art Technique

In modern house building technology, it has become more and more common to use prefabricated building ele¬ ments of the type described above in so-called infill walls. Such external walls are applied to a house frame usually made of concrete in which, after the erection of the frame, the different room units open outwardly, the building elements serving to cover the openings of these room units. In prior-art building elements of the type involved, the cellular plastic panel has a thickness which is but slightly less than the total thickness of the building element. Thus, the thickness of the cellular plastic panel could, in practice, amount to 140-200 mm, while the thick- ness of the internal base panel was 10-15 mm and the thickness of the external facing board 5-10 mm. The ele¬ ments at issue have several advantages which are appre¬ ciated by experts. Thus, they have an excellent heat-insu¬ lating capacity and a low weight which renders them easy to transport from factory to building site. One disadvan¬ tage, however, is that the cellular plastic panel which dominates in terms of volume has a comparatively poor capacity of absorbing sound, which means that e.g. traffic noise from streets and roads outside the building pene- trates the wall and into the building far too easily. A further drawback is that the mounting of the prior-art elements is complicated and time-consuming. Moreover, the elements have necessitated reinforcing means adapted to absorb pressure loads from superposed elements of the fac¬ ing and having fairly large dimensions and, consequently, an unnecessarily high weight. Objects of the Invention

The present invention aims at eliminating the above- mentioned drawbacks of prior-art building elements of the type discussed above. A first main object of the invention thus is to provide a facing building element which - while maintaining its heat-insulating capacity - has a consider¬ ably improved sound-absorbing capacity as compared to prior-art elements. A further main object is to provide an element which by its construction or design permits the necessary load-bearing reinforcing means to have a very low weight, and in spite of their small dimensions the reinforcing means should have a significant rigidity and load bearing capacity when mounted in the element. A fur¬ ther object is to provide an element which can be mounted in the wall in a simple, quick and smooth manner. One more object of the invention is to provide a building element which can conveniently be prefabricated both in the form of an entirely finished product and in the form of a semi¬ finished product, the latter alternative allowing the builder a great latitude in varying the exterior of the face walls, if required.

Brief Description of the Concept

At least the main objects of the invention are achieved by the element defined in the accompanying claim 1. The other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved by the element defined in the dependent claims. Brief Description of the Accompanying Drawings

In the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building element according to the invention, the element being seen from inside, F.. . 2 is a perspective arrangement of parts of two dif¬ ferent building elements, the arrangement illu¬ strating various details which are characteristic of the invention, FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section of part of the element in Fig. 1, FIG. 4 is a similar horizontal cross-section of the end portions of two adjoining elements according to the invention, and FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-section of two elements mount¬ ed on one another, and each connected to a floor structure included in the frame of a house. Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment of the Invention Fig. 1 illustrates a building element 1 which is designed according to the invention and, seen from the inside of the element, comprises a base panel 2, a cel¬ lular plastic panel 3, a layer 4 of a fibrous insulating material, e.g. mineral wool, and an external sheet or board 5 forming the external facing of the element. More¬ over, the element includes a number of sectional elements of metal generally designated 6. The element can, but need not, be formed with one or more window apertures 7. In practice, the element 1 may have a height of 2.7-3.0 m, i.e. corresponding to the conventional ceiling height in dwelling-houses, whereas the length may vary significant¬ ly. However, in actual practice, the length usually is in the range of 6-10 m, preferably about 8 m.

The coherent panel 3 which in its entirety is desig- nated 3 is in practice made of a plurality of boards 3' which are arranged edge to edge (see e.g. Fig. 3) and the width of which is considerably smaller than the total length of the element 1. In practice, the individual cel¬ lular plastic boards 3' can thus have a width of 600 mm and a length corresponding to the height of the element 1, i.e. 2.7-3.0 m. Analogously, the interal base panel is composed of a plurality of boards 2' which are arranged edge to edge and advantageously consist of plaster boards The plaster boards 2' advantageously have a width which i twice the width of the cellular plastic boards 3', i.e. in practice 1200 mm. The boards 2' and 3' are permanently joined together by gluing. By arranging the boards over¬ lappingly, i.e. placing a joint 8 between two plaster boards midway between two analogous joints 9, 9' between adjoining cellular plastic boards, a comparatively rigid panel unit is obtained in the gluing operation. In this context, it should be mentioned that the internal panel 2, which serves as a base for wallpaper or the like, can also be composed of two layers of plaster boards which are put together and connected by gluing. According to the embodiment illustrated, the metal sections 6 are substantially Z-shaped sections comprising a central web 10, an inner flange 11 and an outer flange 12. The two flanges 11, 12 extend substantially perpen¬ dicular to the web 10 and are, in the Z-shaped design, directed in opposite directions from the web (it is also conceivable to use U-sections, the flanges extending in one and the same direction from the web 10). For securing the individual section 6 to the cellular plastic panel 3, there is formed in one longitudinal side edge of each cel lular plastic panel a groove 13 (see Fig. 2) in which the inner flange 11 of the section can be inserted. In prac¬ tice, the section 6 can be made of a very thin metal sheet, e.g. having a thickness of 1 mm. The groove 13 is then suitably designed with a thickness which is less than the metal sheet thickness of the section 6, whereby the flange 11 will be pressed into the groove 13 with a close fit. When the panels 2 and 3 are glued together as described above, the individual sections 6 will be secur to and integrated with the cellular plastic panel 3 in a stable and firm manner which implies that the sections obtain excellent rigidity despite their comparatively small dimensions. As shown in Figs 1 and 3, a sectional element 6 is mounted in each of the joints between adjoi ing boards 3' , whereby the element in its entirety will include a plurality of sections which are spaced from each other a distance corresponding to the width of the individual cellular plastic boards 3' . In this manner, box-like compartments are formed between adjoining sec¬ tions and the cellular plastic panel. According to a fea¬ ture which is characteristic of the invention, there are arranged in these compartments mats 4 of mineral wool or some other fibrous insulating material whose sound-absorb ing capacity is superior to that of the cellular plastic material. After placing the mineral wool mats 4 in said compartments, the facing board which is designated 5 in its entirety is applied to the outside of the element, said facing board being easily attachable to the external flanges 12 of the se^~_ions 6, e.g. by means of screws (no shown). As a facing board, a number of different board materials can be used, e.g. in the form of cement-based mineral wool boards serving to support plaster. It is als conceivable to apply, as external facing, metal sheeting, boarding or other weatherproof materials. The facing boar 5 can advantageously be slightly spaced from the outside of the mineral wool mats 4, thereby obtaining an air gap 14 between these layers or boards.

As shown in Fig. 4, the vertical edges of the end walls of the element 1 can terminate in U-shaped sections 6' . Also the top of the element 1 terminates in a metal section, viz. the Z-section 6" which in Fig. 2 is illu¬ strated in a horizontal position. The internal flange 11' of the Z-section is secured to a groove 13' in the upper edge of the cellular plastic panel 3. The opposite, exter¬ nal flange 12' is directed upwards and intended to coope¬ rate with downwardly opening slits or recesses 15 in the lower part of each of the Z-sections 6 arranged vertically in a superposed element 1. When an element 1 is mounted on a lower element which is already fixed, this cooperation between the outer flange 12' of the horizontal section 6" and the slits 15 in the vertical sections 6 will lock the lower part of the superposed element relative to the lower element. For locking also the upper part of the individual element, more precisely relative to the frame of the house, there are arranged twisted hoop irons 16 which are connected to at least some of the vertical

Z-sections 6 of each element and whose projecting horizon¬ tal portion can be attached to the floor structure in some suitable manner.

According to a special feature of the invention, one or moire wooden boards 17, 17' can be arranged immediately inside the base panel 2 in corresponding recesses formed in the cellular plastic panel 3. When required, the boards 17, 17' can serve as nailing support for e.g. skirting boards or cornice mouldings which should be applied to the inside of the mounted wall element.

The mounting of the wall building element according to the invention is illustrated in Fig. 5 which shows two elements 1, 1' connected to a floor structure 18 included in the frame of a house and comprising a load-supporting concrete slab 19 and a layer 20 of fine concrete or the like applied thereto. The upper part of the lower element 1 is fixed to the floor structure 18 by means of the hoop irons 16 which have been described above and whose pro¬ jecting portions can be attached to the concrete slab 19, e.g. by nailing, before the layer 20 is applied. After th element 1 has been fixed to the floor structure 18, the element 1' can be positioned on top of the element 1 simply by placing it on the lower element in such a posi¬ tion that the flange 12' of the horizontal section 6" extends into the slits 15 of the horizontal sections 6 of the element . the hoop irons of the element being fixed to the overlying floor structure in the manner described above. The operation of lifting up the element, placing the lower part in engagement with the underlying element and fixing the upper part of the associated floor struc¬ ture can in practice be performed in a very quick and simple manner. Not until the individual element has been mounted, the layer 20 is applied to the concrete slab 19.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the element according to the invention can be manufactured in alterna tive ways, on the one hand as a product which is complete ly finished in the factory and, on the other hand, as a semi-finished product which after delivery from the fac¬ tory can be completed at the building site. According to the first alternative, the factory supplies an element comprising all the units included, i.e. as seen from inside the base panel 2, the cellular plastic panel 2 integrated with the sectional elements 6, the fibre mat 4 and the external facing 5. According to the second alter¬ native, merely the base panel 2 and the cellular plastic panel 3 as well as the sections 6 integrated therewith ar prefabricated, whereas the fibre mat 4 and the final fac¬ ing 5 are applied to the semi-finished product not until at the building site or somewhere else. Possible Modifications of the Invention Of course, the invention is not restricted to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings. Thus, it is possible to vary, within wide limits, the geometric shape of the sections which are integrated with the element, not only U- and Z-sections but also other, optional sections, such as T-shaped sections, being useful. Furthermore, instead of precisely plaster boards other types of base-forming panels can be used, although plaster boards are preferred in practice owing to their excellent qualities in respect of sound-absorb- ing capacity, fire resistance and flatness (shape perma¬ nence). As cellular plastic in the panel 3, use can in practice advantageously be made of expanded polystyrene cellular plastic or polyurethane. The sections 6 can be made of steel, although aluminium may also be used. As sound-absorbing material in the layer 4, in practice mineral wool is preferred, but also in this case other materials such as fibrous insulating material may be used.

In addition to the above-mentioned panel materials, it is possible to use a moulded board as facing. Recently cement-based, mouldable materials have thus been developed which contain polymers and fibres, for example in the form of fibre-glass mats, and which can be moulded in extremely thin layers while forming concrete-like boards of high strength and weather resistance. Thus, the boards may be of a thickness down to 6-10 mm and, all the same, be of excellent rigidity also for large dimensions. Moreover, the surface of the boards can readily be provided with uncovered aggregate by means of which the exterior can be varied and be made aesthetically attractive in many ways. Such polymer concrete boards can, according to the inven¬ tion, be attached to the sectional elements 6, e.g. by being moulded so that the flanges of the sectional ele¬ ments are embedded in the board.

If the facing board is made of a mouldable and hardenable, fibre-reinforced material in the manner indi¬ cated above, it is also possible to make at least the vertical sectional elements of the same material as the facing board and in one piece therewith. For example, thi can be accomplished in that the compound for the facing board is allowed to run down into suitably designed grooves or slits in the cellular plastic panel and betwee the mineral wool mats. However, it is also possible first to mould the facing board and the associated sectional elements and, subsequently, insert the mineral wool mats between the sectional elements and push the cellular plastic panels onto the flanges of the sectional elements whereupon the plaster boards or base panels are glued to the cellular plastic panels.

According to a further modification, the sound- absorbing capacity of the building element according to the invention can be further improved by arranging strips of foamed rubber or some similar elastic material sur- rounding the inner flanges or portions of the metallic, load-supporting sectional elements, said strips insulatin and shielding the sectional elements from the cellular plastic panel, thereby rendering the propagation of sound in the frame to the room more difficult.

It should also be pointed out that the sectional ele¬ ments - even if they are manufactured separately and spac¬ ed from the facing board - may consist of some other mate¬ rial than precisely metal, e.g. plastic.

Claims

1. Building element for erecting external building walls, comprising at least one panel (3) of non-yielding cellular plastic serving, together with both an external facing (5) and an internal base panel (2), to form a heat- insulating and sound-absorbing barrier between the inside and outside of the finished wall, sectional elements (6) being connected with the cellular plastic panel (3) and each having at least one flange or flange-like part (11) embedded in and integrated with said cellular plastic panel (3) and at least one flange or flange-like part (12) projecting or spaced from the outside of said cellular plastic panel, thereby forming between the portions of adjoining sectional elements, which project from said cel¬ lular plastic panel, compartments for receiving a fibrous insulating mat, e.g. a mineral wool mat (4), which has not only a heat-insulating capacity but also a sound-absorbing capacity superior to that of said cellular plastic panel (3), c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that said cellular plastic panel (3) is composed of a plurality of separate, juxtaposed boards (3') which have a smaller width than the actual panel (3) and between which said sectional elements (6) are arranged, viz. secured by one flange (11) to a groove (13) in a longitudinal side edge of the individual cellular plastic board (3' ), and that the base panel (2) comprises at least one layer of boards (2'), e.g. plaster boards, which are joined with said cellular plastic boards (3') by gluing, with the boards arranged overlappingly, i.e. placing a joint (8) between two base boards (2') between two analoguous joints (9, 9') between adjoining cellular plastic boards (3' ), while providing a rigid panel unit in which said cellular plastic boards are kept together by the glue joint against the base boards.

2. Building element as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that it comprises, when supplied i a prefabricated state, the cellular plastic panel (3) in grated with the sectional elements (6), and the internal base panel (2) which is joined with said cellular plastic panel, but not the fibre mat (4) or the facing (5).

3. Building element as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that it comprises, when supplied in a prefabricated state, all the units included, viz. seen from inside, the base panel (2), the cellular plastic panel (3) integrated with the sectional elements (6), the fibre board (4) and the facing (5).

4. Building element as claimed in any one of the pre ceding claims_> c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that at least some of the sectional elements (6) integrated with said cellular plastic panel (3) are substantially Z-shape or U-shaped in cross-section with a flat web (10) and two flanges (11, 12) making an angle therewith, e.g. extendin perpendicular thereto, and positioned at the opposite lon gitudinal side edges of the web.

5. Building element as claimed in any one of the pre ceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the upper edge thereof comprises a lying or horizontal sectio (6"), e.g. a Z-section, having an upwardly extending flange (12') for engaging slits or recesses (15) extendin downwards and formed in the lower edge of each of the vertical sectional elements (6) in a superposed building element.

6. Building element as claimed in any one of the pre ceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that imme¬ diately inside the base panel one or more wooden boards (17, 17') are inserted in a corresponding recess in the cellular plastic panel (3), said boards serving as nailin support for articles such as skirting boards or cornice mouldings which are adapted to be attached to the inside of said element.

7. Building element as claimed in any one of the pre¬ ceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that in the vicinity of the upper edge of the element there is arrang¬ ed a number of hoop irons (16) or the like, serving to connect the upper part of the element with a floor struc¬ ture (18) positioned inwardly thereof.

8. Building element as claimed in any one of the pre- decing claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the facing board is manufactured of a fibre-reinforced, mould- able and hardenable compound, and that at least the ver¬ tical sectional elements are made in one piece with the facing board and of the same material as this.