Method for constructing one-step grout fixed window frames in a concrete-structured building

A construction method for one-step grout fixed window frames on external walls of a concrete-structured building includes the following steps. A window frame including vertical and horizontal sections is fixed with vertical lining boards to the inner side of its vertical sections to form a window frame assembly, and is then supported on an upper supporting board which has been securely attached to a concrete template of an external wall of the building. Template sealing strips are separately attached to an exterior edge and an interior edge of the vertical sections and the upper horizontal section of the window frame assembly, so that a complete moulding cavity is formed. Into this moulding cavity the grouting concrete is grouted and the window frame is inlaid in the concrete after the concrete is set and the concrete templates are removed. With this one-step grout fixed window frame construction method, the periphery of window frames is given good waterproof ability and beautiful appearance, and the construction cost and term are both reduced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a method for constructing one-step grout 
fixed window frames on the external walls of a concrete-structured 
building. The main purpose of the present invention is to provide the 
building with good waterproof ability around the peripheral concrete wall 
of the window frames so that the windows are free of water permeance at 
their periphery. The above construction method is developed based on the 
technical concept that the concrete sets after being grouted, and that 
grouting concrete in one step avoids the overlapped construction joints 
which are usually found in double or repeat grouting of concrete. Based on 
this concept, the templates for forming the concrete external wall of the 
building are so designed that they together with a window frame fixed to 
them in advance form a complete moulding cavity, allowing one-step 
grouting of concrete to directly inlay the window frame or frames into the 
structural concrete external wall of the building, and thereby eliminating 
construction joints of concrete from the exterior of the building. By this 
way, the concrete set in one time may fully extend its sealing effect to 
provide waterproof external walls around the periphery of window frames 
and the windows are free of peripheral water permeance. Moreover, window 
frames can be more conveniently located at any desired positions on the 
building without deformation. 
It is known that the quality, construction cost, and the term of 
construction of a concrete-structured building are influenced by the 
template works, and that, due to some of the not yet overcome technical 
problems concerning the installation of windows of such building, such as 
the window frames are subject to overpressure from the grouting concrete, 
conventional template works of general concrete-structured building need 
to reserve window openings on the external walls so that window frames are 
installed after the completion of the entire concrete structure. 
When mounting a window frame to the opening reserved on the concrete 
external wall, cement-sand grout must be used to fill the gaps between the 
opening and the window frame and the grooves surrounding the widow frame 
and finishing works must be done for several times. Such works cause not 
only overlapped construction joints, but also non-waterproof and 
water-permeable areas around the periphery of windows due to rather loose 
and water-absorbing cement grout which is not a structural material. As a 
result, other water-repelling works, such as paving mosaic or tiles, 
applying PU paint, and applying silicone sealant around the window frames, 
must be additionally done. Although the purpose of such additional works 
are said to upgrade the constructional quality, construction cost and term 
are inevitably increased, forming an unnecessary waste. 
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a new construction 
technique and method to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages existed 
in the conventional concrete building construction so that the 
installation of window frames can be completed at the same time the 
template works proceed, and the additional labor cost and degraded work 
quality that would otherwise occur in the second stage of window frame 
installation can be reduced. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a method for 
constructing one-step grout fixed window frames on the external wall of a 
concrete-structured building. In this method, a window frame is attached 
in advance to the templates for an external wall at where a window is to 
be mounted so that the external wall templates together with the attached 
window frame form a complete moulding cavity that allows the grouting of 
concrete and the fixation of window frame on a structural external wall of 
the building to be done in one single step and therefore, no construction 
joints are left on the exterior wall while the inherited water resistance 
of concrete can be best extended. No additional cement-sand grouting, 
finishing works, and water-repelling works are required at later stage of 
construction. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for 
constructing one-step grout fixed window frames on the external wall of a 
conrete-structured building, in which template sealing strips used at an 
exterior edge of two vertical sections of the window frame are so designed 
that they form a joint of the fixed window frame and the peripheral 
concrete wall having an outward inclined surface which facilitates the 
removal of the templates and the seal strips after the concrete is set, 
and provides smooth and beautiful concrete finish around the window frame. 
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method for 
constructing one-step grout fixed window frames on the external wall of a 
concrete-structured building in which, after the concrete grout is set, 
the interior joint of the window frame and the peripheral concrete wall is 
higher than the exterior joint of the window frame and the peripheral 
concrete wall and therefore, water can be better prevented from 
overflowing into the window.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Please refer to FIG. 1, the main object of the present invention is to 
include a window frame in the concrete templates of the external wall of a 
concrete-structured building so that the concrete templates of the 
building act as a complete moulding cavity for grouting concrete. Since 
the template works for a concrete-structured building is a known art, it 
is not described in details herein. In FIG. 1, a window frame 100 having 
two vertical sections 120, an upper horizontal section 130, and a lower 
horizontal section 130a, together with two vertical lining boards 101 
fixed to an inner side of the two vertical sections 120 and a pair of 
template sealing strips 103,104, respectively fixed to an interior edge 
121 and an exterior edge 122 of the vertical sections 120, form a window 
frame assembly 10 to be attached to a concrete template 109 at where a 
window is to be formed on the external wall of a concrete-structured 
building. An upper frame supporting board 102 is first securely attached 
to the concrete template 109 by means of matching angle brackets 106 which 
are fixed to the concrete template 109 at predetermined positions by bolts 
or nails 108. The window frame assembly 10 is supported on the upper frame 
supporting board 102 and is then fixed to the concrete template 109. Two 
template sealing strips 105 are then disposed on the upper supporting 
board 102 and separately attached to an interior edge 131 and an exterior 
edge 132 of the upper horizontal window section 130, which is now lying on 
the upper supporting board 102, such that the sealing strips 105 fill in 
the gaps between the upper window section 130 and the concrete templates. 
FIG. 2 is an elevational plan view showing the window frame assembly 10 
that has been attached to the concrete template 109 and the positions of 
other mounting members needed to complete such attachment. 
It can also be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the window frame assembly 10 is 
fixed to the concrete template 109 by means of angle brackets 107 which 
are fixed at one leg to the vertical lining boards 101 of the window frame 
assembly 10 and at another leg to the concrete template 109 by bolts or 
nails 108. As it can be clearly seen from FIG. 2, both the upper 
supporting board 102 and the vertical lining boards 101 are flatly fitted 
to the inner side of the horizontal section 130 and the vertical sections 
120 of the window frame 100, respectively. There is not any template 
sealing strip to be attached to either edge of the lower horizontal 
section 130a of the window frame 100, so that an opening 111 is kept at 
the bottom of the window frame 100 acting as a vent or a passage for 
filling more concrete grout in the event the concrete grouted is not 
enough. 
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the window frame assembly 10 attached to the 
concrete template 109 according to the present invention is located just 
below a concrete template 110 of a concrete beam. From FIGS. 3 and 5, the 
window frame assembly 10 attached to the concrete template 109 according 
to the present invention can also be located at some distance from the 
beam. That is, the window frame assembly 10 according to the present 
invention may be freely located at many different places in a 
concrete-structured building. 
From FIGS. 4 and 5, it can be seen that the window frame 100 is positioned 
in place within the enclosing concrete wall templates by means of flexible 
template sealing strips 103, 104, and 105. The space left between the 
whole outer periphery of the window frame 100 and the enclosing templates 
becomes a complete moulding cavity. In the event there is not sufficient 
grouting concrete at the bottom of the window assembly 10, additional 
grouting concrete may be filled through the lower opening or vent 111 left 
at the lower end of the window frame 100. FIG. 6 shows two window frames 
100 fixedly inlaid in a concrete wall after the templates are removed. 
Please now refer to FIGS. 1 and 9, the vertical lining board 101 is 
designed to have a substantially n-shaped lower end having an interior leg 
1011 and an exterior leg 1012 so that the vertical lining board 101 may be 
fitly straddled on the lower horizontal section 130a. The exterior leg 
1012 downward extends longer length than the interior leg 1011. Moreover, 
the vertical lining board 101 has a width wider than that of the vertical 
section 120 of the window frame 100, so that template sealing strips 103 
and 104 may be attached to two outer sides of the vertical lining board 
101 and abut against the interior edge 121 and the exterior edge 122 of 
the vertical section 120, respectively. The attachment of the vertical 
lining boards 101 to the vertical sections 120 and the template sealing 
strips 103, 104 to the vertical lining boards 101 can be achieved by any 
conventional means, such as screws. The template sealing strip 104 is 
specially designed to have an outward inclined side opposite to the 
vertical lining board 101 so that a joint 112 of the peripheral concrete 
wall and the vertical section 120 of the window frame 100 is an outward 
inclined surface, as shown in FIG. 8, which makes the window more 
beautiful in the appearance. The outward inclined side of the template 
sealing strip 104 also allows the templates and the strip itself to be 
more easily removed from the set concrete. 
It can be clearly seen from FIGS. 1, 4, 5, and 7, the vertical lining board 
101 having a longer exterior leg 1012 and shorter interior leg 1011, 
together with the cooperating concrete templates provide an exterior joint 
113 of the lower horizontal section 130a and the peripheral concrete wall 
which is lower than an interior joint 114 of the lower horizontal section 
130a and the peripheral concrete wall. This outward and downward lowered 
bottom design of the window frame 100 prevents water from overflowing 
inward and therefore provides very good water permeance resistance and no 
other water-repelling works are needed around the periphery of the window 
frame 100. 
Due to the upper supporting board 102 and the vertical lining boards 101 
provided at the top and the two vertical inner sides of the window frame 
100, respectively, the window frame 100 is not subject to any deformation 
by the pressure from the grouting concrete. The window frame 100 can 
maintain its straight shape when the concrete is set and the templates are 
removed. 
Moreover, the template sealing strips 103, 104, and 105 are made of 
flexible rubber material and therefore, they can effectively seal the 
periphery of the window frame 100 and prevent the appearance of the window 
frame 100 from being stained, damaged, or corroded by concrete during 
grouting. 
In brief, the advantages of the present invention over the conventional 
construction method for mounting window frames in a concrete-structured 
building include: 
1. The concrete templates and the attached window frame together function 
like a moulding cavity, permitting the window frame to be securely inlaid 
in the concrete at a predetermined position in one-step concrete grouting. 
2. In the event grouting concrete below the window frame is not sufficient, 
the opening left at the bottom of the window frame allows supplementary 
grouting of concrete. 
3. The one-step grout fixed window frame is inlaid in the concrete wall 
which is waterproof. 
4. The interior joint of the window frame and the concrete wall is higher 
than their exterior joint and therefore, water overflowing into the lower 
window frame can be prevented. 
5. The construction method of the present invention can be easily practiced 
and the window frame can be located at any desired position on the 
external wall of the building. 
6. Both the construction cost and term can be reduced. 
It is to be understood that the present invention can also be employed to 
one-step grout fix door frames on the walls of a concrete-structured 
building.