Abstract:
A building-structure seal ensures water-tight sealing of joints or other building-structure regions which are susceptible to moisture. A strip-like intermediate layer is disposed on or between floors, ceilings and walls. The intermediate layer is constructed as a sealing profile with at least one profiled surface having positive profile portions and negative profile portions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention relates to a building-structure seal made of strip-like intermediate layers disposed on or between floors, ceilings and walls.  
           [0003]    Known building-structure seals made of strip-like intermediate layers disposed on or between floors, ceilings and walls usually include asphalt sheets.  
           [0004]    The disadvantage with such asphalt sheets is that moisture can penetrate, above and beneath the intermediate layers, into the masonry-work structure of a building and is difficult to remove again once such a building has been completed. It is possible for that process of moisture penetration to last months or even years. In that case, the moisture may stem from water standing in a foundation pit or trench or else from rainwater which has accumulated, for example, on a floor slab during the building phase.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a building-structure seal, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and which ensures water-tight sealing, in particular of joints or other building-structure regions, that are sensitive to moisture.  
           [0006]    With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a building-structure seal, comprising strip-like intermediate layers to be disposed on or between floors, ceilings and walls. The intermediate layers are each constructed as a sealing profile with at least one profiled surface having positive profile portions and negative profile portions.  
           [0007]    Since the strip-like intermediate layer is constructed as a sealing profile with at least one profiled surface having positive and negative profile portions, an optimal moisture-impermeable layer is provided. As a result, it is no longer possible for any ground-water or surface water standing in a foundation pit or trench or rainwater standing on a poured or cast floor slab to penetrate into a wall structure.  
           [0008]    Such a sealing profile may, for example, have a height of a few millimeters and a width of from ten to thirty centimeters and be provided in strips of from two to six meters in length, or else in such a way that it can be unwound from a roll. The sealing profile may be disposed entirely as desired, for example just as an interlayer between a cast floor slab made of water-impermeable concrete and a wall, which is to be erected thereabove, made of masonry-work or prefabricated units or a building of a wooden or wooden-frame structure erected thereon. However, it is also possible for the sealing profile to be disposed in a joint region from the outside and/or from the inside. As a result, such a wall can also be protected against penetrating moisture over a large surface area, for example an entire splash-protection region up to approximately 30 cm above a floor slab. Accordingly, it is thus also suitable for placement beneath clinker bricks provided as a frost-proof facing on a wall structure.  
           [0009]    Furthermore, the inventive sealing profile may advantageously be used as a replacement for screed border strips. It is possible for the protection in the upward, downward or widthwise directions which is achieved by this sealing profile to be increased as desired by virtue of as many sealing profiles as desired being disposed parallel to one another. The sealing profile is also advantageous because, when it is installed on a planar surface with a lateral projection beyond a building corner, it is possible for further sealing profiles to be connected in a water-tight manner to the projecting part, in the vertical direction on a wall which is to be erected on that planar surface. As a result, it is not possible for moisture to penetrate either into the horizontal joint or into the adjacent wall region.  
           [0010]    In accordance with another feature of the invention, the negative sealing-profile portions directed toward a floor, a ceiling or a wall surface are filled with an adhesive which cures in a water-tight manner and wets a large surface area of the adjoining wall or floor structure. Use is advantageously made of an adhesive which also penetrates at least slightly into the associated wall structure. As a result, the moisture proofing that is achieved is further optimized. The adhesive preferably is formed of a material having one or more components which is optimized for this application and is injected into the negative profile portions in beads or is applied over the entire surface of the sealing profile through the use of a blade. It is also advantageously possible, however, for the adhesive to have already been introduced into the negative profile portions when a sealing profile is supplied to a building site. In that case, the adhesive is covered over by a sheet which either can be removed before installation of the sealing profile or is destroyed, and releases the adhesive, as the masonry-work is constructed on the sealing profile. It is thus possible for the working steps which are to be carried out on a building site to be reduced to a considerable extent and for an improved working result to be achieved.  
           [0011]    In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the sealing profile has, in cross section, a serrated, corrugated or trapezoidal end side. It is possible for the top side and the underside of the sealing profile to be correspondingly constructed differently and for the positive profile portions or the positive and the negative profile portions of the top side and the underside to be located opposite one another. Depending on requirements, it is thus possible to provide a sealing profile which can bear loads to a greater or lesser extent. For this purpose, it is likewise possible to utilize the selection of material of the sealing profile, which may be produced as desired from more or less flexible or rigid plastic.  
           [0012]    In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the sealing profile is coextruded, in which case it is provided with an elastic section in its central part and in border regions is formed of less elastic material. The elastic central part serves for absorbing movement if it is disposed optimally centrally above a region of a joint of a building structure. As a result, it is ensured that the sealing profile according to the invention cannot be torn partially or even right through and optimal protection against moisture continues to be ensured throughout the service life of a building structure. Accordingly, compressive or tensile forces produced in the region of a joint, for example due to heat expansion, are not conducted into an adhesive location between joint sides. Instead, the expansion is absorbed by the flexible profile, which is adhesively bonded in a more or less extension-free region to the side of the joint. Tearing of the joint is thus effectively prevented throughout the service life of a building structure.  
           [0013]    In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the inventive sealing profile is one which has a constant cross-sectional shape extending over its length. As a result, the sealing profile can be extruded by straightforward tools and no follow-up treatment is required. The thus parallel positive profile portions and the beads of adhesive disposed therebetween produce multi-stage sealing against penetrating moisture in the transverse direction of a sealing profile. That is because if a first adhesive joint fails, the following regions can still reliably prevent the penetration of moisture. It would also be possible, however, for the profiled surface to be constructed to be corrugated or similar to the profile of a motor-vehicle tire, in which case the above-described multi-stage protection against penetrating moisture would be maintained.  
           [0014]    In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the sealing profile has profiled surfaces on both sides. As a result, it is possible to ensure sealing against moisture in the upward and downward directions or, depending on the installation position, to the right or left as well.  
           [0015]    In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, at least the positive profile portions each have the same height. On one hand, that results in the sealing profile being subjected to uniform loading and, on the other hand, it assists reliable sealing against penetrating moisture.  
           [0016]    In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the sealing profile, which is advantageously produced from plastic, may be formed of very rigid material. As a result, no significant deformation of the sealing profile takes place even in the case of multi-story construction. However, it is also possible for the sealing profile to be produced from flexible plastic, with the result that it deforms slightly when subjected to surface loading, and the adhesive located in the negative profile is pressed against or into the associated wall surfaces. A sealing profile with a coextruded elastic central part and non-elastic border regions may advantageously be disposed in the region of wall joints. As a result, temperature-induced expansion and signs of settling can be absorbed in a destruction-free manner.  
           [0017]    In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, which is particularly important, the sealing profiles have shortened sub-surfaces in their border regions, through the use of which it is possible for two sealing profiles disposed parallel one beside the other to be coupled to one another. That is because the oppositely disposed sub-surfaces can latch to one another and are connected to one another with a form-locking connection at least in the installation plane. A form-locking connection is one which connects two elements together due to the shape of the elements themselves, as opposed to a force-locking connection, which locks the elements together by force external to the elements.  
           [0018]    In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the sealing profiles are advantageously bonded in the end-side region, or in the region to the side of the latter, of a relatively large structural part or prefabricated unit during prefabrication, with the laterally disposed sealing profiles projecting beyond those parts by approximately half of their width. As a result, a joint produced by an adjacent part is reliably bridged. This makes it possible for the task of erecting a building structure to be speeded up significantly and for the quality of the sealing which is achieved, even depending on the day-to-day performance of the workers, to be increased to a considerable extent.  
           [0019]    In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, a plurality of sealing profiles are disposed one above the other and adhesively bonded to one another, in order to bridge gaps between walls.  
           [0020]    Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.  
           [0021]    Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a building-structure seal, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.  
           [0022]    The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic, perspective view of part of a zigzag-shaped sealing profile;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing a further zigzag-shaped sealing profile;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing a sealing profile in the form of a corrugated sheet;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing a sealing profile with right-angled profiling;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing a trapezoidal sealing profile;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing a sealing profile with notches on both sides;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing a sealing profile with grooves on both sides;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of part of a building-structure seal;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, sectional view of a further building-structure seal;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 10 is a fragmentary, plan view of a prefabricated unit;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 11 is a fragmentary, side view of the prefabricated unit according to FIG. 10; and  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 12 is a fragmentary, plan view of a gap between walls being bridged by a number of sealing profiles disposed one above the other. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0035]    Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings as a whole, there is seen a sealing profile  1 - 7  which serves as an intermediate layer or as a replacement for a screed border strip in the construction of walls on ceiling or floor slabs or foundations. The sealing profile is used in order to prevent moisture from being transmitted from water standing in a foundation pit or trench, or water accumulated on a foundation during a building phase, into masonry work or into wall elements constructed from prefabricated units or as a wooden structure.  
         [0036]    All of the illustrated sealing profiles  1 - 7  have two profiled surfaces each with positive profile portions  11 - 17 ;  61 - 67  and negative profile portions  21 - 27 ;  71 - 77 . In an installed state of the sealing profile  1 - 7 , the negative profile portions  2127 ;  71 - 77  are filled with adhesive  8  which is configured as an adhesive having one or more components and is able not just to wet a contact surface but, if appropriate, to penetrate slightly into the surface as well and to enhance the sealing action of the sealing profile. The adhesive  8  may be applied to a sealing profile through injecting devices, as quantities introduced in beads of adhesive into the negative profile portions  21 - 27 ;  71 - 77 . The adhesive  8  may also be applied to a sealing profile  1 - 7  over a large surface area and be introduced into the negative profile portions  21 - 27 ;  71 - 77  through the use of a blade. It is also conceivable for the adhesive  8  to have been applied already to the sealing profile  1 - 7  at the factory and to be provided with a sheet  9  which can be destroyed or removed during installation. As a result, the installation of the building-structure seal is simplified significantly and possible error sources are eliminated.  
         [0037]    As is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a sealing profile  1 ,  2  may have a zigzag-shaped end side  51 ,  52 . This sealing profile  1 ,  2  is made up, in cross section, of regular sub-surfaces which can alternately assume angles α and α′=(180°−α) in relation to the horizontal. In this case, the sub-surfaces have preferred angles in the region of α=45° as is seen in FIG. 1, or α=30 as is seen in FIG. 2, although these angles may, overall, be between 25° and 55°. It is furthermore possible for the sealing profile  3  to have a corrugated-sheet-like end side  53 , as is illustrated in FIG. 3. It is also possible for the sealing profile  4 ,  5  illustrated in FIGS.  4  and  5  to have a rectangular end side  54  or a trapezoidal end side  55 . In addition, the sealing profile  6  shown in FIG. 6 has a serrated end side  56  and the sealing profile  7  shown in FIG. 7 has a rack-shaped end side  57 .  
         [0038]    The sealing profile  1 - 7  is essentially formed of a plastic, but may also be coextruded from more than one plastic. It is possible, in particular, for central parts  41 - 47  of the sealing profiles  1 - 7  to be produced from an elastic plastic material. As a result, the sealing profiles  1 - 7 , when disposed over a joint of a building structure by way of a central region, can absorb movement there without it being possible for the building-structure seal to be destroyed as a result.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 8 shows one building-structure part having a vertical portion  39  extending above the ground  48  and another L-shaped building-structure part having both a vertical portion  39  and a horizontal portion  40  disposed below the ground  48 . As is illustrated in FIG. 8, it is possible for a sealing profile  17 , when disposed between two building-structure parts, to be laid in such a way that it has a lateral projection projecting beyond a joint  18 , so that further sealing profiles  1 - 7  may be connected at right angles thereto. In this case, such sealing profiles  1 - 7  may be connected on the outside  19  of a building, both in the downward direction, in the direction of a foundation pit or trench  28 , and in the upward direction, in the direction of a splash-protection zone  29 . It is likewise possible for the sealing profile  1 - 7  to be connected, on the inside  20  of a building, to a sealing profile  1 - 7  projecting from the joint  18 , in order to prevent moisture from a puddle standing on a foundation or floor slab during the building phase from penetrating into a wall structure.  
         [0040]    As is illustrated in FIG. 9 in particular, the sealing profiles  1 - 7  may have shortened ends  31  to  37  which are constructed in such a way that, with the sealing profiles  1 - 7  disposed parallel, they can engage one inside the other. As a result, form-locking latching of the sealing profiles  1 - 7  can take place in a corresponding plane. It is possible for shortened ends  31 - 37  projecting from the joint  18  to extend, beneath sealing profiles  1 - 7  disposed transversely thereto over a joint  18 , into the negative profile portions  21 - 27  of the associated sealing profiles  1 - 7 . As a result, a form-locking connection is likewise achieved in this case in addition to the connection through the associated adhesives  8 .  
         [0041]    As is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, if a building structure is prefabricated to a greater extent, it is also possible for the sealing profiles  1 - 7  to have already been disposed on end sides  30  of prefabricated units  38  or firmly adhesively bonded to the prefabricated units  38  at the side of the end sides.  
         [0042]    This is done in such a way that the sealing profiles  1 - 7  project beyond the ends sides  30  and a joint  18  which is to be bridged.  
         [0043]    As is illustrated by way of example in FIG. 12, in order to bridge gaps, it is likewise possible for a plurality of sealing profiles  1 - 7  to be disposed one above the other and adhesively bonded to one another.