Abstract:
A corner web member is disclosed that may be used for making corner structures in building form systems, such as systems used to construct concrete walls. When used for this purpose, the corner web member is preferably at least partially disposed within a side panel that forms a corner section of the form system used to construct walls. The present invention further includes methods of manufacturing the corner structures and methods of using the same to construct buildings. It is noted that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to ascertain quickly the subject matter of the technical disclosure. The abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 1.72( b ).

Description:
[0001]    This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/271,852, which was filed on Feb. 27, 2001, and which is fully incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention encompasses a component that may be used to form a corner panel used in a wall system.  
           [0004]    2. Background Art  
           [0005]    Concrete walls in building construction are often produced by first setting up two parallel form walls and pouring concrete into the space between the forms. After the concrete hardens, the builder then removes the forms, leaving the cured concrete wall.  
           [0006]    This prior art technique has drawbacks. Formation of the concrete walls is inefficient because of the time required to erect the forms, wait until the concrete cures, and take down the forms. This prior art technique, therefore, is an expensive, labor-intensive process.  
           [0007]    Accordingly, techniques have developed for forming concrete walls that use a foam insulating material. The modular form walls are set up parallel to each other and connecting components hold the two form walls in place relative to each other while concrete is poured therebetween. The form walls, however, remain in place after the concrete cures. That is, the modular walls, which are constructed of foam insulating material, are a permanent part of the building after the concrete cures. The concrete walls made using this technique can be stacked on top of each other many stories high to form all of a building&#39;s walls. In addition to the efficiency gained by retaining the form walls as part of the permanent structure, the materials of the form walls often provide adequate insulation for the building.  
           [0008]    In prior art systems, however, the corners for form systems have proven to be difficult to manufacture and construct. Often a specific side panel must be manufactured and used, in which the side panels are non-linear to form an angle equal to that required for the building (i.e., 90 degrees). These corner panels necessary to make a corner structure in the prior art concrete form systems are expensive and structurally weak.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention comprises a corner web member that may be used for making corner structures in building form systems, particularly for systems used to construct concrete walls. The corner web member is preferably at least partially disposed within a side panel that forms a corner section, i.e., a corner side panel.  
           [0010]    The corner web member includes first and second mounting bodies and first and second bridging members. The first mounting body is attached to the second mounting body at a juncture, which is preferably a pivotal connection. The first bridging member is connected to the first mounting body at the edge opposite the edge to which the second mounting body is attached. Likewise, the second bridging member is connected to the second mounting body at the corresponding edge.  
           [0011]    The corner web member is disposed within the corner side panel and advantageously provides structural strength thereto. Although not required, the presently preferred embodiment is designed so that the corner web member is at least partially integrally formed within the corner side panel.  
           [0012]    The corner side panel can by formed to have different angles. The most common angles are substantially 90 and 135 degrees.  
           [0013]    The present invention also includes a method of constructing a portion of a form wall system having at least one corner panel described herein. The present invention further encompasses a method of using the corner web member to manufacture the panel itself.  
           [0014]    These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention shown being used with an exemplary wall system.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of a FIG. 1 taken along line  2 - 2 .  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2A is an alternative view of FIG. 2 showing concrete disposed between the two opposed side panels.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of connector shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of one corner web member of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of FIG. 1 and that uses the corner web member shown in FIG. 4.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]    The present invention is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As used in the specification and in the claims, “a,” “an,” and “the” can mean one or more, depending upon the context in which it is used. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is now described with reference to the figures, in which like numbers indicate like parts throughout the figures.  
         [0022]    As shown in FIGS.  1 - 5 , the present invention comprises a corner web member  60  that is preferably used for constructing the corner wall or panel  10  of buildings and the like. Before describing illustrative embodiments of the present invention, however, exemplary components that are used to form the associated concrete form wall are addressed to provide context.  
         [0023]    As best shown in FIG. 2, side panels  20  are used to form the wall, in which each side panel  20  has a top end  24 , a bottom end  26 , a first end  28 , a secondend  30 , an exterior surface  32 , and an interior surface  34 . The illustrated side panel  20  has a thickness (separation between the interior surface  34  and exterior surface  32 ) of approximately two and a half (2½) inches, a height (separation between the bottom end  26  and the top end  24 ) of sixteen (16) inches, and a length (separation between the first end  28  and second end  30 ) of forty-eight (48) inches. The dimensions may be altered, if desired, for different building projects, such as increasing the thickness of the side panel  20  for more insulation. Half sections of the side panels  20  can be used for footings.  
         [0024]    Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the interior surface  34  of one side panel  20  faces the interior surface  34  of another side panel  20  and the opposed interior surfaces  34  are laterally spaced apart from each other a desired separation distance so that a cavity  38  is formed therebetween. Concrete—in its fluid state—is poured into the cavity  38  and allowed to substantially cure (i.e., harden) therein to form the wall structure, as shown in FIG. 2A. The opposed interior surfaces  34  are usually parallel to each other. The volume of concrete received within the cavity  38  is defined by the separation distance between the interior surfaces  34 , the height of the side panels  20 , and the length of the side panels  20 .  
         [0025]    The illustrated side panels  20  are constructed of expanded polystyrene (“EPS”), which provides thermal insulation and sufficient strength to hold the poured concrete C until it substantially cures. The formed concrete wall using expanded polystyrene with the poured concrete C has a high insulating value so that no additional insulation is usually required. In addition, the formed walls have a high impedance to sound transmission. However, other materials may be used to form the side panels, including, but not limited to, other polystyrene materials, wood, plywood, combined steel frame and plywood center (commonly known as a steel-ply panel), or any other solid material that can be coupled to either a web member  40  or a connector  50  and can withstand the forces exerted by the fluid concrete when poured into the cavity  38  without substantial bowing, warping, breaking, or other type of failure. The opposed side panels may be formed of the same material or different materials.  
         [0026]    As shown in FIG. 2 and disclosed more completely in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,170,220 and 6,336,301 and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/848,398 (all of which are incorporated herein in their entireties), each side panel  20  has at least one web member  40  formed into it. Each web member  40  formed within one side panel  20  is usually separated a predetermined longitudinal distance from other web members  40 , which is typically eight (8) inches. Based on the preferred length of the side panel  20  of forty-eight (48) inches, six web members  40  are formed within each side panel  20 . A portion of each web member  40  is shown integrally formed within one side panel  20  and is to be cured within the concrete C so that the web member  40  strengthens the connection between the side panel  20  and the concrete C. That is, since the web member  40  is an integral part of the side panel  20 , it bonds the side panel  20  to the concrete C once the concrete is poured and substantially cures within the cavity  38 . However, other designs are contemplated to be used with the present invention, such as systems in which the web member is not integrally formed into the side panel and, for example, the web member is slid into slots precut into the side panel at the construction site. Still another design with which the present invention may be used includes systems having the web members, side panels, and connectors shipped to the construction site as an integral unit. Such exemplary designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,901,494, 5,390,459, and 5,497,592, which are also incorporated herein in by reference.  
         [0027]    Referring still to FIG. 2, portions of each web member  40  that extend through the interior surface  34  of the side panel  20  forms one or more attachment points  44 . The attachment points  44  are disposed within the cavity  38  and are spaced apart from the interior surface  34  of the side panels  20 . However, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, the attachment points  44  may take any of a number of alternate designs formed by or independently of the web members  40 , including as examples: slots, channels, grooves, projections or recesses formed in the side panels; hooks or eyelets projecting from or formed into the side panels; twist, compression or snap couplings; or other coupling means for engaging cooperating ends of the connectors.  
         [0028]    The illustrated attachment points  44  of the web members  40  extend into the cavity  38  and the attachment points  44  of each web member  40  formed within one side panel  20  are spaced apart from the attachment points  44  of the web members  40  formed within the opposed side panel  20 . Thus, the web members  40  in this illustrative design do not directly contact each other; instead, each attachment point  44  independently engages the connector  50  that interconnects the web members  40  and, accordingly, the side panels  20 .  
         [0029]    Referring now to FIG. 3, the illustrated connector  50  has opposed ends  52  and a length extending therebetween. The ends  52  of the connectors  50  are each of a shape to engage one attachment point  44  of two respective web members  40  within opposed panels. In conjunction, each end  52  of the connector  50  has a track  54  into which the attachment point  44  is complementarily and slidably received. Thus, the illustrated connectors  50  engage two attachment points  44  on opposed web members  40 , which position the interior surfaces  34  of the side panels  20  at a desired separation distance and support the side panels  20  when the fluid concrete is poured into the cavity  38  The connector  50  thus makes a two-point connection with opposed web members  40  because each connector has two ends  52  that each couple to one attachment point  44 , although it is contemplated making a four-point connection (i.e., each connector  50  engages four attachment points  44  instead of two as illustrated in the figures). As also noted above, however, the web members and connectors can be formed as an integral unit for use with the present invention.  
         [0030]    Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the connectors  50  also define an aperture  56  of a size to complementary receive a re-bar (not shown) therein. The re-bar provides reinforcing strength to the formed wall. The diameter of the re-bar can be one-quarter (¼) inch or other dimension as required for the necessary reinforcement, which depends on the thickness of the concrete wall and the design engineering requirements. The connectors  50  usually have two or more apertures  56  and rebar can be positioned in any of the apertures  56  before the concrete is poured into the cavity  38 . The apertures  56  can be designed so that the re-bar is securably snapped into place for ease of assembly.  
         [0031]    To alter the width of the cavity  38  (i.e., the separation between the interior surfaces  34  of the opposed side panels  20 ), different connectors  50  can have varying lengths. The width of the cavity  38  can be two (2), four (4), six (6), eight (8) inches or other separation. Different connectors  50  are sized accordingly to obtain the desired width of the cavity  38 . Also, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, the fire rating, sound insulation, and thermal insulation increase as the width of the cavity  38 , which is filled with concrete, increases. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the cavity  38  may only be partially filled with concrete, but such an embodiment is usually not desired.  
         [0032]    The web members  40  and connectors  50  are usually constructed of a thermoplastic, but other materials may be used. Factors used in choosing the material include the desired strength of the web member  40  and connector  50 , the compatibility with the material used to form side panels  20  and with the concrete, and cost. Another consideration is that the end plates of the web members (positioned adjacent the exterior surface of the side panel  20 ) should be adapted to receive and frictionally hold a metal fastener, such as a nail or screw, therein, thus providing the “strapping” for a wall system that provides an attachment point for gypsum board (not shown), interior or exterior wall cladding (not shown), or other interior or exterior siding (not shown).  
         [0033]    Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, one skilled in the art will appreciate that a plurality of side panels  20  can be longitudinally aligned to form a predetermined length and be vertically stacked to form a predetermined height. For example, the first end  28  of one side panel  20  abuts the second end  30  of another side panel  20  and the bottom end  26  of one side panel  20  is disposed on the top end  24  of another side panel  20 . Thus, a series of side panels  20  can be aligned and stacked to form the concrete system into which concrete C is poured to complete the construction of the wall. One consideration, however, is that the side panels  20  are not vertically stacked too high and filled at once so that the pressure on the bottom side panel  20  is greater than the yield strength of the web members  40  or side panels  20 . Instead, the stacked wall of panels  20  can be filled and cured in stages so that the static and dynamic pressures are not excessive on the lower side panels  20 .  
         [0034]    Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the side panels  20  are optionally provided with a series of projections  35  and indentations  37  that complementarily receive offset projections  35  and indentations  37  from another side panel  20  (i.e, a tongue-and-groove-type system) to facilitate the stacking of the components. The projections  35  and indentations  37  in the adjacent side panels  20  mate with each other to form a tight seal that prevents leakage of concrete C during wall formation and prevents loss of energy through the formed wall.  
         [0035]    In the context of these exemplary components and referring now to FIGS. 1, 4, and  5 , the present invention is disclosed, which comprises a corner web member  60  and a corner panel  10  formed using the corner web member. The corner web member  60 , shown best in FIG. 4, is illustrated in its preferred environment, namely, for use with a side panel  20  that forms a corner section  10 , as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5.  
         [0036]    The corner web member  60  includes first and second mounting bodies  62 ,  63  and first and second bridging members  70 ,  71 . The corner web member  60  may be integrally formed or, alternatively, some or each of the components may be manufactured or formed separately and subsequently joined together.  
         [0037]    The first mounting body  62  is has an inner edge  64  and an outer edge  65  and, likewise, the second mounting body  63  has an inner edge  64  and an outer edge  65 . It is preferred that the first and second mounting bodies  62 ,  63  are substantially planar and also substantially stiff—as opposed to flimsy—between their respective edges  64 ,  65 . The inner edges  64  of the first and second mounting bodies  62 ,  63  are connected together at a juncture  66 . The juncture  66  may either stationarily position the mounting bodies  62 ,  63  relative to each other or, alternatively, constitute a pivotal connection between the mounting bodies.  
         [0038]    In conjunction, the first bridging member  70  has an exterior edge  72  and an interior edge  74 , which is connected to the outer edge  65  of the first mounting body  62  at a first intersection  76 . Similarly, the second bridging member  71  has an exterior edge  72  and an interior edge  74 , which is similarly connected to the outer edge  65  of the second mounting body  63  at a second intersection  77 . As with the juncture  66 , the respective intersections  76 ,  77  may either stationarily position the components relative to each other or form a pivotal connection therebetween. Likewise, it is preferred that the first and second bridging members  70 ,  71  are substantially planar and substantially stiff between their respective edges  72 ,  74 . Of note, however, it is contemplated using mounting bodies  62 ,  63  and bridging members  70 ,  71  that are arcuate instead of substantially planar, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4, and  5 .  
         [0039]    There may be one side panel  20  or two separate but abutting side panels  20  into which the corner web member  60  is disposed. Regardless of the design, the side panel  20  (or panels) forms a side panel corner  22 , which is a non-linear angle in a portion of the exterior surface  32  of the corner panel  10  in plan view. For a single, integral side panel  20 , the exterior surface  32  may have two linear portions that intersect at the side panel corner  22 . For the two-side panel design, the first side panel is disposed abutting the second side panel to form the side panel corner  22 . For ease of reference, the remaining discussion addresses the single side panel design, although FIGS. 1 and 5 may be construed as showing either design.  
         [0040]    Although the corner web member  60  may be inserted into slots (not shown) formed in a side panel  20 , the corner web member  60  is preferably at least partially embedded within the corner side panel  10 . To that end, at a manufacturing facility, the corner web member  60  is positioned into a mold (not shown) that is used to form the side panel  20 . In conjunction, web members  40 , if used, are also positioned within that mold. Portions of those components that ultimately extend out of the side panel  20 , such as the attachment points  44  of the web members  40  and portions of the bridging members  70 ,  71  (as discussed below), are located at the applicable position so as to avoid being embedded within the materials forming the side panel  20 . The material used to form the side panels  20 —such as polystyrene—is injected or fed into the mold after it is closed via a pipe or other means to form the side panel  20 . Obviously, the components positioned within the interior of the mold before injection are integrally formed into the side panel  20  when the injected material hardens or solidifies.  
         [0041]    As one skilled in the art will appreciate, side panels  20  using different angles in the side panel corner  22  and having different dimensions are contemplated. Nonetheless, it is preferred to use the same corner web member  60  for making these different side panel configurations. To achieve this objective, it is desired that the juncture  66 , first intersection  76 , and the second intersection  77  be pivotally connections. As such, the mounting bodies  62 ,  63  can be positioned at different angles relative to each other and to the respectively attached bridging members  70 ,  71 . The ability to change the angular relationship of the components allows a corner web member  60  of a predetermined dimension to be used in side panels of varying sizes.  
         [0042]    Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 5, one skilled in the art will appreciate that although the side panel corner  22  of substantially 90 degrees (or a right angle) is shown to result in the corner side panel  10  having an “L” shaped exterior surface in plan view, other angular displacements or angles are contemplated, preferably in the range of 45 to 170 degrees and more preferably in the range of 75 to 135 degrees. One skilled in the art will further appreciate that it is more feasible to use the corner web member  60  in forming angles greater than right angles, such as between 100 degrees and 150 degrees, than forming angles of less than 90 degrees.  
         [0043]    Referring still to FIG. 5, the corner web member  60  straddles the side panel corner  22 , in which the first mounting body  62  and the first bridging member  70  are on one side of the side panel corner  22  and the second mounting body  63  and the second bridging member  71  are on the opposite side. Preferably, the inner edges  64  of the respective first and second mounting bodies  62 ,  63  are substantially linear along their height and form a corner panel edge  67  at the juncture  66  and that corner panel edge  67  is disposed within the side panel  20  adjacent the side panel corner  22 . Thus, as one skilled in the art will appreciate by referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, the side panel corner  22  and the corner panel edge  67  extend parallel to each other. Additionally, the corner panel edge  67  forms an angle in plan view that preferably is substantially equal b the non-linear angle formed by the exterior surface  32  of the corner side panel  10 .  
         [0044]    As illustrated best in FIG. 5, the corner panel edge  67  and the side panel edge  22  are both right angles in plan view and disposed parallel to each other, i.e., parallel-along their height dimension. As such, the first and second mounting bodies  62 ,  63  and the exterior surface  32  of the side panels  20  are also parallel to each other.  
         [0045]    Still referring to FIG. 5, the mounting bodies  62 ,  63  are located below the exterior surface of, or recessed within, the side panel  20 , preferably at a distance of approximately one-quarter (¼) on an inch from the exterior surface. Alternatively, the mounting bodies  62 ,  63  may abut the exterior surface of the side panel  20 . In either deign, the mounting bodies  62 ,  63  of the corner web member—similar to the end plate of the exemplary web member  40  described above—may be adapted to receive and frictionally hold a fastener, such as a nail or screw, therein, thus providing “strapping” for a wall system that allows attachment of gypsum board (not shown), interior or exterior wall cladding (not shown), or other siding or wall treatment (not shown).  
         [0046]    In addition to the juncture  66  being angled as discussed above, it is also preferred that the first intersection  76  and the second intersection  77  also form a non-linear angle in plan view, which is illustrated in FIG. 4 and can be appreciated by FIG. 5. It is alternatively contemplated, however, in an another design that the first and second intersections  76 ,  77  are linear. Since the corner web member  60  is used in a non-linear side panel, it is preferred that at least one of the juncture  66  and first and second intersections  76 ,  77  form a non-linear angle and more preferably that all three connections have non-linear angles as illustrated.  
         [0047]    As noted above, it is preferred that portions of the corner web member  60  are integrally formed into the side panel  20  (i.e., using the molding process described above and similar techniques). To assist in forming the bond between the side panel  20  and the corner web member  60 , it is preferred that apertures  80  are formed into at least one of the mounting bodies  62 ,  63  or the bridging members  70 ,  71 , more preferably into all bridging members and mounting bodies.  
         [0048]    To form the apertures  80 , the first and second mounting bodies  62 ,  63  each comprise spaced-apart mounting members  68  interconnected by at least one spacer  69  so that the apertures  80  are formed intermediate the mounting members  68 . Similarly, the first and second bridging members  70 ,  71  comprise at least one strut  78  extending from adjacent the respective first and second intersections  76 ,  77  to the body  79  of the first and second bridging members  70 ,  71 . As such, the apertures  80  are formed intermediate the respective first and second intersections  76 ,  77  and the bodies  79  of the first and second bridging members  70 ,  71 . The spacing between the adjacent spacers  69  and between the adjacent struts  78  and their respective lengths define the dimensions of the apertures  80 . The desired dimensions are determinable by one skilled in the art based on structural strength of the materials, thickness of the components, cost (i.e., larger the apertures  80 , the less expensive), surface area desired, and the like. One skilled in the art will also appreciate that the apertures  80  allow the material forming the side panels to circumscribe more completely the embedded portions of the corner web members to anchor better the corner web member  60  within the respective side panel  20 .  
         [0049]    Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 5, the illustrated embodiment of the corner web member  60  has a portion of both the first bridging member  70  and the second bridging member  71  extending through and out of the interior surface  34  of the corner side panel  10 . As one skilled in the art will appreciate, alternative designs involve only one of the bridging members extending out of the interior surface—as opposed to portions of both the first and second bridging members  70 ,  71  as illustrated.  
         [0050]    In the presently preferred embodiment, only a portion of the both the first and second bridging members  70 ,  71  adjacent their respective exterior edges  72  extend out of the interior surface  34  of the corner side panel  10 . This portion of the corner web member  60  that extends from the interior surface  34  of the corner side panel  10  enhances the bond between and with the concrete poured within the cavity  38  and the side panel. That is, since the corner web member  60  is disposed within the side panel  20  and also a portion extends into the cavity  38 , that portion extending into the cavity “locks” within the concrete once the concrete is poured and substantially cures within the cavity  38  and that portion is already integrally formed into the panel  10 .  
         [0051]    The corner web member  60  is preferably formed from plastic, more preferably high-density plastic such as high-density polyethylene or high-density polypropylene, although other suitable polymers may be used. Other contemplated plastics include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”) and glass-filled polyethylene or polypropylene. Other materials that may be used are other plastics and thermoplastics (including polyvinyl chloride (P.V.C.), polytetrafluoethylene (P.T.F.E.), polyamides such as nylon), metal, and natural and other synthetic materials. Factors used in choosing the material include the desired strength of the corner web member  60 , the compatibility with the material used to form corner side panels  10  and with the concrete C, and cost.  
         [0052]    The present invention also encompasses a method of fabricating or building a wall structure  10 . As one skilled in the art will appreciate, two side panels  20  and the corner side panel  10  are erected in a spaced-apart relationship to form the cavity  38  into which the concrete is poured, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. The two side panels  20  may be abutting structures interconnected by a panel connector, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, or be integrally formed side panels, similar to the corner panel member. The side panels  20  are connected by means known in the art, including the exemplary connectors  50  described above. The corner side panel  10  using the corner web member  60  forms the corner location. To assist interconnecting the corner side panels  10  to the opposed side panels  20 , it is preferred that the portions of the corner web member  60  that extend out of the interior surface  34  of the side panel  20  define at least one opening  82  therethrough. More preferably, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, there are two or more openings  82  in the first and second bridging members  70 ,  71  so that, when the corner web member  60  is disposed upright, the openings  82  are vertically spaced apart from each other. Each opening  82  is of a size to receive a portion of a respective flexible linking member  90  therethrough.  
         [0053]    As further disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/848,398 (which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety), flexible linking members  90  include, by way of example, a zip-tie, plastic tie strap, tie wire, or other similar-component. Although not required, it is preferred that the flexible linking member  90  be contiguous and connect to itself by forming a closed loop. Regardless of the design of the flexible linking member  90 , that linking member  90  may establish or buttress a connection between the opposed side panel  20  and is particularly valuable for situations in which the respective interior surfaces  34  are not parallel to each other. If the opposed side panels  20  are parallel, then connectors  50  or the like may alternatively or supplementally be used.  
         [0054]    Referring to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5, both connectors  50  and flexible linking members  90  are used. A portion of the interior surface  34  of the corner side panel  10  faces a portion of the interior surface  34  of the opposed side panel  20  to form the cavity  38  therebetween. In this illustrated design, the flexible linking member  90  extends to interconnect the openings  82  of the two bridging members  70 ,  71  and a connection point on both opposed side panels  20 . That connection point may include, for example, an extender (not shown) that is connected to the attachment point  44  formed on side panels  20 , a slot formed into the web member  40 , or to a portion of the connector  50 . As such, in this illustrated design, a portion of one flexible linking member  90  traverses through the two openings  82  at a given vertical location in the corner web member  60  and also traverses through the respective extender, slot, or other connection means associated with two web members that are formed with the two side panels  20  to interconnect all of the members together. In fact, there are two flexible linking members  90  illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5—one for each set of openings  82  at a given vertical position—so that the concrete form system is advantageously structurally reinforced.  
         [0055]    Returning to the method of the present invention, after the side panels  20  are interconnected and stationarily positioned relative to each other, concrete is poured into the cavity  38  and allowed to cure. Accordingly, the wall structure is formed using the present invention, in which the corner sections  10  are seamlessly formed and are structurally strong.  
         [0056]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific details of certain embodiments thereof, it is not intended that such details should be regarded as limitations upon the scope of the invention except as and to the extent that they are included in the accompanying claims. For example, as noted above, the present invention is described with reference to a system incorporating the depicted concrete form system, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is applicable to other types of concrete form systems utilizing one or more form panels or other concrete retaining and/or molding elements retained in position by one or more connectors or other relative position-fixing elements. In another variation, the side panels opposed to the corner panel including the corner web member may be formed of plywood or the like, which may optionally be removed after concrete poured into the cavity  38  substantially cures. Additionally, although the present invention is described with reference to the corner web member being used in a system, method and components employed for use in the forming of concrete building walls, the present invention may also find application in the formation of various other types of products of concrete and/or other moldable and curable materials such as, for example, structural and non-structural building components and consumer products of concrete, plastics, and other synthetic and natural materials.