WALL SLAB

Abstract: A wall unit which is included in an exterior wall in a house and has both load-bearing and heat-insulating functions. The wall unit consists of a slab (1) of insulating material to a height of more than one storey. Studs (2) are arranged in the slab and are firmly united with it. The wall unit is adapted for extending as an unbroken unit as an outer wall above the ground floor structure (3) and also as building footing below the floor structure and down below ground level. The bottom of wall unit is carried by a horizontal Z-beam (4) fixed to the building foundations.

Description: DESCRIPTION Wall slab The invention relates to a wall unit included in an exterior wall in a building and has both load-bearing and heat-insultating functions. Such wall units are already known in a variety of embodiments, although as with exterior building walls pro¬ duced in other ways, they have in common that they are distinct ly separated from the foundation wall forming the footing of the house. The separate erection of foundation wall and outer wall, as well as providing a damp course and air infiltration sealing in joints between them is complicated and laborious. The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a labour-saving and cheapening simplification of the wall and footing structures. The intended result is obtained by the wall unit being given the characterizing features apparent from the following claim 1. Some embodiments of the invention are described in the following in detail and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a vertical, partial section through a building without a cellar provided with a wall unit in accor¬ dance with the invention. Figure 2 is a horisontal partial section along the line II-II in Figure l,at the building footing level through the wall unit and a fixing post included in the foundations of the building. Figure 3 is a vertical partial section similar to the one illustrated in Figure 1, but with the wall unit also utilized as a cellar wall and supplemented by an interior structural wall. Figure 4 is a horisontal partial section through the wall unit and the interior structural wall including to IV-IV in Figure 3, and is taken at a level below ground. " KEXIJ OMPI *^_o Figures 5a, 5b and 5c illustrate vertical partial sections through the wall unit, with carrying beams for these in some alternative embodiments. Figure 6 is a plan view of a complete structural frame for carrying the wall units. Figure 7 is a partial section through a beam for carry¬ ing the wall unit, when the beam is used as a form for a foundation slab before erecting the wall unit. Figure 8 is a vertical partial section, similar to the one illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, but with the wall unit clad with facade brickwork. The exterior wall illustrated in Figure 1 is built up from wall units, each of which primarily consists of a slab 1 of heat-insulating material with vertical recesses for accommodating studs 2 , which are firmly united with the insulat¬ ing material in the slab, e.g. by glueing along the sides and bottoms of the recesses. The slab 1 has sufficient length for extension over more than one storey, and forms with its studs 2 a unit which serves without a break as both exterior wall above the bottom floor structure 3 and also down to the founda¬ tion below the latter, under ground level also. The wall unit is downwardly carried by a horisontal beam 4, which replaces the normalbuilding footing and is fixed to the foundations. In the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2, this beam is a Z-section and has its web 5 engaging against the inside of the insulating slab 1 , in which the studs 2 are accommodated in this case, the web thus engaging against the studs also, and being connected to them with the aid of conventional fixing elements 6. The bottom edge of the wall unit bears against the lower, horisontal, outwardly directed flange 7 of the beam 4. This flange has its end portion up¬ wardly folded to form an end flange 8 for coaction with a slot in the insulating slab 1, in which the end flange 8 thrusts. The slot is situated in relation to the studs 2, the bottom ends of which bear against the flange 7, such that one side is gripped by the end flange 8, whereby the lower portion of the wall unit is effectively fixed- OMl-l 3 The wall unit is upwardly provided with a notch for the whole of its width, one surface of the notch being horisontal and provided with a slot running through the in¬ sulating slab 1 and the upper end surfaces of the studs. The downwardly directed leg 9 of an angle section 10 thrusts into this slot, the section itself serving as a top plate for supporting roof trusses an attic floor structure 11 or the like, and also for fixing the position of the upper portion of the wall unit. In the illustrated embodiments the studs 2 are situated on the inside of the insulating slab 1, and they extend substantially to the full height of the slab. Figure 1 may be regarded as a depiction of a single-storey building or a building with several storeys. The wall unit serving as a combination of footing and outer wall may extend, in height over several storeys, or only up through the bottom storey height, possbile upper storeys having their own similar separate wall units. The insulating slab 1 may suitable be produced from cellular plastics or similar material, particularly foamed styrene plastics, and the studs 2 can be made from wood, metal or plastics with appropriate strength properties. A suitable material is multi-laminated wood. The wall units consisting of the insulating slab 1 with the studs 2 have low weight even for considerable for- mats, if they are made from cellular plastics and wood, for example, and are therefore easy to handle. Exterior and interior claddings 12 and 13 are therefore suitably erected after the wall units. o avoid the joints between the wall units coinciding with the joints in interior cladding 13, such as building board, the latter are made at the studs 2 situated at the distance from the side edges of the insulating slab 1. Figures 1 and 2 give examples on how the beams 4 carrying the wall units are arranged on posts 14, e.g. steel piping, cast into spot foundations 15. The beams 4 are put together from previously determined beam lengths to form a frame structure, such as the one illustrated in Figure 6, representing the building foundation area and configuration 4 in plan. Ready-manufactured coupling elements, e.g. corner elements 16, are suitably used for putting the structure together. The frame is put into position, and setting-out can be reduced to one reference point and a reference direc- tion, or two reference points, these points or point having counterpart on the frame. In the embodiment according to Figure 1, the posts 14 are also fixed to the beams 4 or the corner elements 16, and the frame adjusted to the right height before the spot foundations 15 are poudred round the lower ends of the posts. Suitably, the frame is then finely adjusted before the concrete has set. The beams carrying the wall units may be incorporated in a structure including a foundation slab, and in this case the beam framework may be used (see Figure 7) as a form when the slab is poured. Here it is suitable to reinforce the frame, e.g. with tension rods 17 provided with threads and nuts 18 at either end, the rods being arranged between opposing beams. The excess portions of the threaded ends can be cut off after the concrete ahs set in order to minimize the indentations made in the wall unit. The frame is also used first as an aid in setting-out and may have been provided with the wall units as well. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the wall unit used in a building with a cellar. The Z beam 4 is here illustrated as placed on a foundation slab, but may of course be placed as illustrated in Figure 7. In order that earth pressure maybe taken into account, the wall unit is reinforced with an interior structure which simultaneously affords protection against ground radon. This structure consists, apart from the Z beam 4, of further sheet metal beams 19 having a C- shaped section with mutally opposing and flanges. Between the chief flanges of each such C-beam 19, as well as between the upper flange of the beam 4 and the substructure there are • spaced vertical struts, e.g. of wood, plastics or metal, provided as reinforcing. The upper chief flange of the upper beam 19 is used here as bearing for the bottom floor struc ¬ ture 20. - -PO 5 The interior wall structure may be used for reinforcing the wall unit to an optional height, e.g. corresponding only to the cellar depth or corresponding substantially to the full height of the wall unit, where the building may be of any kind at all, e.g. an industrial building with great height to its eaves and no basement. Instead of several beams 4, 19, it is possible to use a single high Z beam (not shown) , e.g. with a welded-in web, extending up to the desired height. Similarly it is possible to use an entirely optional number of C beams 19. Instead of the sheet metal Z beams carrying the wall units, other beams can be conceived as utilizable, e.g. con¬ crete beams 21 with cross sections according to Figures 5a, 5b or 5c. In these cases as well, the wall unit studs 2 are fixed to the beams with conventional fixing elements 6. The portions of the insulating slab 1 (Figures 1-4 and 8) under ground and immediately above ground are provided with a damp insulating exterior layer 22, possibly contoured, for providing an air space between the exterior layer 22 and the insulating slab 1. Figure 8 illustrates the wall unit clad with facade brickwork. A damp insulating and surface-reinforcing material, e.g. a slab 23 of concrete, is placed against the wall unit 1 such as to form a footing for the brickwork 24. There is also schematically illustrated in Figure 1 means for the mentioned adjustment in height of the structural frames 4, 16. The spot foundations 15 are poured in tubular forms, down into which the posts 14 are thrust. Adjusting screws 25 bear against the ends of the tubular walls at each foundation, these screws being mounted in a yoke, a plate 26, which is in turn attached to the post 14 or lifts it via the beam 4. Strips 27 of heat-insulating material are inserted in edge slots in the joints, between the wall units, see Figures 2 and 4, covering and sealing the joint.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Wall unit included in an outer wall in a house and having both load-bearing and heat-insulating functions, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that i compris.es a slab (1) of insulating material to a height of more than one storey, there being studs rigidly united with the insulating slab, the wall element being adapted such that it extends as an unbroken unit to form an exterior wall above a bottom floor structure (3) and also as a building footing thereunder down to and preferably under the ground level, the wall unit being carried at its bottom edge by a horisontal beam (4) fixed to the foundation. 2. Wall unit as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r¬ i z e d in that the studs (2) extend substantially to the full height of the insulation slab (1) and are situated on the in- side of the slab. 3. Wall unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r¬ i z e d in that the bottom edge of the insulating slab (1) has a slot which runs through or in edge contact with the studs- (2) for fixing coaction between the slab (1) and the studs (2) and an upwardly directed edge flange (8) on the horisontal ^ bearn (4) , with the bottom ends of the studs (2) bearing directly or via an intermediate element on a horisontal, outwardly directed bottom flange (7) of the beam, which has the upwardly directed edge flange (8) , and in that the top edge of the slab (1) has a slot, preferably through the studs (2) , said slot being adapted for fixing coaction between the slab (1) , studs (2) and a downwardly directedleg (9) on an angle section (10) having the function of a wall plate. 4. ' Wall unit as claimed in any of the claims 1 - 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the insulating slab (1) is made with recesses and produced from styrene cellular plastics and that the studs (2) are produced from multi-ply laminate and glued to the bottoms and sides of the recesses in the slab. 5. Wall unit as claimed in any of claims 1 - 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the slab (1) downwardly and on its exterior, preferably in a portion of lesser thickness, accommodates exterior damp-insulating and surface- protecting cladding (22, 23), at least under ground level. 6. Wall comprising wall units as claimed in claim 1, arranged side by side, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the wall units are carried by the sheet metal beam (4) arranged as a footing along the wall, implemented as a Z- section and placed on building foundations (14) , e.g. spot foundations or a foundation slab, with its web oriented vertically along the inside of the wall unit and having the studs (2) bearing directly or via an intermediate element, on the bottom outwardly directed flange (7) of the beam (4) . 7. Wall as claimed in claim 6, particularly such a cellar or basement wall which is adapted to serve as a founda¬ tion wall and protection against ground radon, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the Z-section beam (4) carries with its top inwardly directed flange a second sheet metal beam (19) having a C-section with mutually opposing end flanges and resting on its bottom chief flange, as well as one or more further sheet metal C-beams (19) , stacked one on the other in a similar manne to the desired height, the webs of the beams being attached to the studs (2) so that the studs together with the flanges of the beams form a latice frame. 8. Wall as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that vertical struts are placed between a substructure fixed to the foundations and the top flange of the Z-section beam (4) and between the chief flanges on each of the second and the furter beams (19. 9. Wall as claimed in claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the top chief flange of the upper beam (19) constitutes bearing for a floor structure (20) forming a cellar ceiling. 10. Wall as claimed in any of claims 6 - 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the Z-section beam (4) is included in a frame structure made up from such beams and kept together with coupling elements, e.g. corner elements (16), said frame concurring with OMPI 8. the plane configuration of the building foundation and as a unit may be laid out before erecting the wall units for setting-out of the building foundation, and is furthermore utilizable as a form in pouring the foundation slab.

Inventors: HELLGREN DAVID ALFRED, KULLBERG BENGT GUSTAF ADOLF ER, SUNDSTROEM BENGT ARVID TORSTEN, HELLGREN, DAVID, ALFRED, KULLBERG, BENGT, GUSTAF, ADOLF, ERNFRID, SUNDSTROEM, BENGT, ARVID, TORSTEN
Applicants: HELLGREN DAVID ALFRED, KULLBERG BENGT GUSTAV ADOLF E, SUNDSTROEM BENGT A T, HELLGREN, DAVID, ALFRED, KULLBERG, BENGT, GUSTAF, ADOLF, ERNFRID, SUNDSTROEM, BENGT, ARVID, TORSTEN
Application year: 1983
Main classification: E04B2
IPC codes: E02D27, E04B1, E04B2