Patent Publication Number: US-2023160207-A1

Title: Thermal break product and solution

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/281,386, filed on Nov. 19, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to construction materials, and more particularly to building insulation technologies. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A thermal bridge is an instance of heat transfer that occurs where an insulation layer is penetrated by a highly conductive or non-insulating material, resulting in thermal loss. This occurs for example in separation between the interior (or conditioned space) and exterior environments of a building assembly (also known as the building envelope). Thermal losses can be a result of component geometry or by the localized inclusion of the materials with a higher thermal conductivity in the component. Thermal bridges result in energy losses and localized temperature changes and are generally undesirable. 
     Thermal bridging occurs when materials that are poor thermal insulators come into contact, and thereby allow heat to flow through the path of least thermal resistance. 
     Temperature changes due to thermal bridging can result in heat loss (and therefore increased heating or cooling costs, and negative environmental impact) and also (A) mold formation, (B) health risks (allergies, etc.), (C) condensation, (D) loss of comfort of living space, and the like. 
     Examples of construction elements where thermal bridging occurs include balconies. Balconies are not insulated, and are typically made of reinforced concrete or structural steel elements, and materials can penetrate through the building envelope, and resulting in potentially significant thermal losses. 
     Placing insulation around components generally does not provide a sufficiently effect solution, and therefore existing solutions include techniques such as (A) rebuilding the construction element with a reduced cross-section or with materials that have better insulating properties, and/or (B) adding a section of material with low thermal conductivity between the conducting components (such as metal sections) in order to decrease heat transfer. Solution (B) is otherwise known as a “thermal break”. An example of a thermal break, is the insertion of thick insulating material in between the components which are producing the thermal bridge. This type of thermal break, which also meet structural requirements, can be expensive and in some cases their effectiveness may nevertheless be limited. 
     One example thermal bridging solution suitable for balconies is described in DE 3403240 A1, and includes a bearing element which divides the continuously reinforced concrete slab at the balcony connection. The bearing elements include an insulating body and reinforcing steel. The basic components disclosed have since been improved by adding, for example, reinforcing elements or compression elements. However, the composition of this component has been remained much the same, which is generally expanded polystyrene for the insulation body and reinforcing steel and/or studs for reinforcing elements. Further examples include US 7823352 B2, US 4959940 A, US 6308478 B1, EP 0657592 A1, etc. 
     These solutions, however, have a number of disadvantages associated therewith. Generally speaking, they add deflections to the structure, which need to be addressed at the construction site, usually using concrete forms pre-camber. This results in additional labor costs, and in some cases fragile compositions that can be damaged during delivery, and therefore cause delays. Additional reinforcement around the bearing element is generally required during installation in order to integrate the bearing elements structurally into the main reinforcement, and this may result in further deflections in some cases. Additional reinforcements that may be required introduce further additional material and labor costs during construction. Also, the bearing element might not have any fire protection, and therefore may require special fire resisting plates on top and bottom of the element, which are generally added during the manufacturing stage, further adding to the associated costs. The main body of the bearing element consists generally of extruded polystyrene and it limits its use in compression applications. Installation on the construction site is usually time consuming, as reinforcing bars generally need to be tied to main reinforcement in order to avoid floating during concrete pouring. Also, in order to address deflection in many cases it is recommended to introduce expansion joints with shear dowels on the external construction part to accommodate movements due to temperature changes and to avoid concrete cracking, which may result in additional material and labor costs. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods that reduce or eliminate some of these deficiencies. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a construction element for placement between a first side and a second side of a structure, comprising: one or more compression/shear elements, wherein the one or more compression/shear elements each support at least a top reinforcing element and a bottom reinforcing element, said construction element configured to function as a thermal break between said first side and said second side . 
     In another aspect, the construction element is pre-fabricated and does not require construction on site of additional reinforcing elements. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, the insulating blocks may include a rigid insulation material. 
     In yet another aspect, the compression/shear elements comprise expanded glass. 
     It will be appreciated that this disclosure describes various example embodiments of the invention, but is not limited only to the embodiments described herein. Various modifications to the embodiments described herein will be contemplated by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, it will be appreciated that the phraseology and terminology employed in this disclosure are for the purposes of ease of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. 
       Various example embodiments are described herein with reference to the drawings. The description and drawings are only for the purposes of illustration and to aid with understanding, and that the invention is not limited to the embodiments explicitly described herein. 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an example construction element for heat insulation; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of an example construction element for heat insulation with reinforcing elements omitted; 
         FIG.  3    depicts example arrangements of insulating load bearing elements; 
         FIG.  4 A  depicts an example use case in which an example embodiment of a construction element connects a balcony and an interior of a building; 
         FIG.  4 B  is a side view of an example embodiment of a construction element at the interface between an exterior and an interior of a building; 
         FIG.  5 A  is a perspective view of yet another example construction element having six reinforcing elements per compression/shear block; 
         FIG.  5 B  is a perspective view of yet another example construction element similar to that depicted in  FIG.  5 A  but having a full body of compression/shear elements and no insulating block elements; 
         FIG.  5 C  is a perspective view of an example construction element which has four reinforcing elements per compression/shear block; 
         FIG.  5 D  is a perspective view of an example construction element similar to that depicted in  FIG.  5 C  but having a full body of compression/shear elements and no insulating block elements; 
         FIG.  5 E  is a perspective view of yet another example construction element having  7  reinforcement elements per compression/shear block; 
         FIG.  5 F  is a perspective view of an example construction element similar to that depicted in  FIG.  5 E  but having a full body of compression/shear elements and no insulating block elements; 
         FIG.  6    depicts different example configurations having different positions of reinforcement depending on the geometric shapes of the construction parts; and 
         FIG.  7    is an illustration of a configuration in which two separate example construction elements can be used in combination. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Some embodiments relate to a construction element which may be used as a thermal break.  FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an example construction element  100  which may be used as a thermal break. 
     In some embodiments, the thermal break is made of a material not previously used in this type of application. In some embodiments, the material composition and design of the thermal break may address a number of the disadvantages associated with existing solutions. Some embodiments of the thermal break solution and construction element described herein may reduce costs while providing the same or improved insulating performance. 
     Construction element  100  may be used in construction applications and act as a thermal break.  FIG.  4 A  is a simplified rendering of construction element  100 ,  500  being used in between a building exterior (e.g. balcony  300 ) and a building interior  200 .  FIG.  4 B  is a simplified view of the interface between the exterior (e.g. balcony  300 ) of a building and the interior  200 , and the positioning of construction element  100 ,  500 . As depicted, reinforcement members  6  of construction element  100 ,  500  extend through compression/shear elements  2  from interior  200  to exterior  300  of the building. 
     As depicted in  FIG.  1   , the construction element  100  may include a thermal break which includes an insulating body. In some embodiments, the insulating body includes two principal components: an insulating block  1  and a low thermal conductivity compression/shear block  2 . The insulating block  1  and compression/shear block  2  components can be arranged in a number of ways and combinations to accommodate desired energy performance and/or load bearing capacity. Some embodiments of the construction element may include an insulating body which includes compression/shear blocks  2  without any insulating blocks  1 . These various different types of embodiments are described below. 
     In some embodiments, compression/shear elements  2  may be made of polymer concrete composite, light weight concrete, and/or compression block with recycled glass content. 
     As depicted in  FIG.  1   , construction element  100  further includes a plurality of reinforcing elements  6 . In some embodiments, reinforcement element  6  may include fiber reinforced polymer bars. In some embodiments, reinforcement element  6  may include a combination of fiber reinforced polymer bars and steel rebar. In some embodiments, reinforcement element may use a glass base (GFRP), a carbon base (CFRP), or other suitable basis. 
       FIG.  3    depicts example embodiments of construction element  100 . In example construction element  100   a , total Load bearing element has length of 1 meter. As depicted, construction element  100   a  includes four compression/shear elements  2  which are 100 mm wide and 100 mm thick. As depicted in  FIG.  3   , construction element  100   a  includes five insulating blocks  1 , four of which have 100 mm width and 100 mm thickness, and the other one having 200 mm width with 100 mm thickness. Compression blocks  2  may support reinforcing elements. Each compression element may have one top reinforcing element and one bottom reinforcing element. As depicted, both reinforcing elements  6  in this example arrangement  100   a  are Glass Fibre Reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcing bars. 
     It should be appreciated that the number, spacing, and location of reinforcement members  6  can vary in different embodiments depending on numerous factors including desired load. 
       FIG.  5 A  depicts another example embodiment of a construction element  500   a . As depicted, element  500   a  includes four compression/shear elements  2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c ,  2   d , and five insulating elements  1   a ,  1   b ,  1   c ,  1   d ,  1   e . In some embodiments, each compression/shear element  2  is 120 mm wide and 80 mm thick. In some embodiments, each insulating element is 125 mm wide and 80 mm thick. In some embodiments, construction element  500   a  has a total length of 1.125 meters. As depicted, each compression/shear block  2  supports six total reinforcement elements  6 . In the configuration depicted, there are  3  top reinforcing elements  6   a ,  6   b ,  6   c  and  3  bottom reinforcing  6   d ,  6   e ,  6   f . In some embodiments, all of the reinforcement elements  6  are fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcing bars. 
       FIG.  5 B  depicts an alternative embodiment of a construction element  500   b . As depicted, element  500   b  does not include any insulating elements  1  and instead the entire body of element  500   b  is a load bearing compression/shear block  502 . In some embodiments, compression/shear block  502  may be made of one or more of: lightweight concrete with expanded glass, ceramic beads, and combinations thereof, lightweight polymer concrete composite and any type of concrete mix combinations possessing the minimum desired strength and thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, element  500   b  may have a total length of around 1 meter. 
     It will be appreciated that although  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  depict embodiments having  3  top reinforcement elements  6  and  3  bottom reinforcements, other embodiments of construction element  100 ,  500  may include different numbers of reinforcement elements  6 , and may be chosen based on the requirements of the specific application. 
     As depicted in  FIG.  3   , another example construction element  100   b  has a total length of around 1 meter, and may include three compression/shear elements  2  that are 150 mm wide and 100 mm thick. In other embodiments, compression/shear elements may be 150 mm wide and 80 mm thick. Element  100   b  may, for example, include be four insulating blocks  1 , two of which have 150 mm width and 100 mm thickness and two of said blocks  1  have 125 mm width with 100 mm thickness. In other embodiments, two of the insulating blocks may be 150 mm wide and 80 mm thick, and the two other insulating blocks may be 125 mm wide and 80 mm thick. Compression blocks or elements may be provided to support the reinforcing elements  6 . In element  100   b , each compression element  2  may have two top reinforcing elements  6  and two bottom reinforcing elements  3 , for six top reinforcing elements in total. In this example configuration  100   b , three reinforcing elements  6  may have stainless steel reinforcing bars and the other three may have Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer reinforcing bars  6 . In some embodiments, bottom reinforcing elements may consist of Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer reinforcing bars. 
     As depicted in  FIG.  3   , another example construction element  100   c  the total length may be about 1 meter. Example element  100   c  has four compression/shear elements  2  that are 100 mm wide and 120 mm thick. Example element  100   c  further includes five insulating blocks  1 , four of which have 100 mm width and 120 mm thickness and one having a 200 mm width with 120 mm thickness. In this example structure also, compression blocks or elements  2  may support the reinforcing elements  6 . As depicted, each compression element can have one top reinforcing element  6  and one bottom reinforcing element  6 . In some embodiments, top reinforcing element in this arrangement may be tainless steel or regular carbon steel reinforcing bars. A bottom reinforcing element can be a Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer reinforcing bar. 
     The width and thickness of the compression/shear blocks  2  and insulation elements  1  may vary depending on desired properties and/or performance characteristics. 
     In some embodiments, one or more reinforcing elements  6  can be embedded in the compression element  2 . In one aspect of the present invention, reinforcing elements  6  are Fiber Reinforced Polymer (“FRP”) reinforcing bars. In some embodiments, the FRP reinforcing bars may incorporate any of carbon, aramid, glass, or any other base suitable for the application and desired characteristics. In some embodiments, reinforcing bars  6  may be used in combination with steel reinforcement for different case scenarios of energy performance, cost and structural or architectural restrictions. 
     In another example embodiment, Arrangement  1  of element  100   a  in  FIG.  3    shows the example of a simple cantilever balcony construction. Reinforcing elements can be GFRP reinforcing bars  6 , which have very low thermal conductivity and therefore this configuration may give superior energy performance. In some embodiments, replacing 50% of the top reinforcing elements  6  with carbon steel, which has very high conductivity, then the entire construction element  100   a  may have lower energy performance, and also lower material costs. It will be appreciated that depending on the specific construction application, in some cases there may not be a great need for superior energy performance as the rest of the wall assembly of the building will not have the same superior performance, and replacement of GFRP with Carbon steel reinforcing elements  6  may be useful in reducing overall costs associated with the construction element  100   a , and therefore reduce overall construction costs. 
     Arrangement  3  of element  100   c  on  FIG.  3    represents an example configuration similar to element  100   a , but with the presence of a possible structural restriction. In this case, for example, there may be a wall on one side of a load bearing insulating element  1 , which will require reinforcing elements  6  to be bent. As will be appreciated, steel reinforcement elements  6  can be bent on site to accommodate different on-site restrictions, unlike Glass Fibre Reinforcement which generally can only be bent during production. Thus, the choice of the material used for reinforcing elements  6  may be varied depending on delivery expectations or requirements. 
     Various example configurations of reinforcing elements  6  are contemplated. For example, one or more of Glass Fibre Reinforced polymer bars and dowels, Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer bars and dowels, Aramid Fibre Reinforced Polymer bars and dowels, stainless steel bars, dowels or plates, carbon steel reinforcing bars, dowels, plates, and combinations thereof may be contemplated for use as reinforcing elements  6 . 
       FIG.  6    depicts different possible configurations  601 ,  602 ,  603 ,  604 ,  605 ,  606 ,  607 ,  608  having different positions of reinforcement depending on the geometric shapes of the construction parts. The number and/or particular design of the reinforcement elements  6  may vary depending on the specific application. For example, compression/shear of the reinforcement element  6  may be varied according to the required structural capacity.  FIG.  6    shows possible arrangements of the insulating  1  and low thermal conductivity compression/shear blocks  2 , and also different associated reinforcement elements  6  in an elevation construction. 
     Returning to  FIG.  1    shows further details of an example embodiment of a construction element  100  which includes a thermal bridge including a thermal break, embodied as an arrangement of insulating blocks  1  and compression/shear blocks  2 , and a plurality of reinforcement elements  6 . 
     An example embodiment of construction element  100 , depicted in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , may include one or more loops  4  on the bottom railing  5  of construction element  100 . In some embodiments, loops  5  and bottom railing  5  may speed up the installation process by allowing for the screwing/nailing/fastening of elements to the formwork. It will be appreciated that embodiments are contemplated and described herein which do not include the use of loops  4  or a bottom railing  5 . In embodiments including loops  4  and bottom railing  5 , a possible advantage is that deformations due to temperature change may be reduced, and therefore expansion joints with shear dowels might not be required. 
     In some embodiments, insulating block  1  can be made of rigid insulation. In some embodiments, low thermal conductivity compression/shear block  2  and/or insulating block  1  may be made with expanded glass as the main component, ceramic beads, and may also be made of polymeric concrete composite, or any other concrete mixture which provides the minimum required compression strength and thermal conductivity required for the particular construction application. Expanded glass may be light weight, has high compressive strength, alkali resistance, long term durability, provides good thermal insulation, sound absorption, and is non-combustible, anti-allergen, and mold growth resistant. An additional benefit associated with expanded glass is that it may be made from post-consumer recycling glass, which is environmentally friendly. In some embodiments, grain sizes can vary from 0.04 mm to 16 mm. It will be appreciated that other size ranges are possible, depending on various parameters and desired characteristics associated with the particular construction application or desired properties. 
     Polymer concrete is a composite material in which aggregate is bound together in a matrix with a polymer binder. In some embodiments, the composites do not contain a hydrated cement phase. However, in some embodiments, Portland cement may be used as an aggregate or filler. Polymer concrete composites may be tailored to have unique combinations of properties depending on the particular formulations and constituent parts. For example, such properties may include rapid curing at ambient temperatures between -18 and +40° C., high tensile, flexural and compressive strengths, low permeability to water and aggressive solutions, and low thermal conductivity. 
     In some embodiments, the compression block  2 ,  502  will generally be made of expanded glass. In some embodiments, compression block  2 ,  502  may be made of the aforementioned materials. Optionally, construction element  100 ,  500  may include railings  5 , which may be made of a variety of materials suitable to hold the assembly together, such as plastic. It will be appreciated that embodiments are contemplated in which railings  5  are not present. 
     In some embodiments, compression/shear block  2  including embedded reinforcing elements  6  may be produced using a suitable manufacturing process. In one example manufacturing process, plastic railings  5  are made and may be cut in 1 m long pieces. Insulating elements  1  may be custom produced using a special mold, or cut from larger standard pieces. The various components may then be assembled together, and the various blocks  1 , 2  may be placed inside the bottom railing, and then secured by the top railing. Of course, embodiments are contemplated in which railings  5  are not present. For example, rather than using railings, it is contemplated that construction element  100 ,  500  may be assembled together using longitudinal rebar (e.g. steel or FRP). 
     This insulating load bearing element is suitable for any reinforced concrete thermal bridge.  FIG.  6   , sections  1  to  8  shows different structural elements produced using the technology of the present invention. Examples of structural elements that may be produced using the technology of the present invention include foundation walls, balconies, lintels, canopies, terraces, loggias, corbels, foundation slabs, etc. 
     The configuration and dimensions of the insulating block  1  and/or the compression block  2  may vary to accommodate structural capacity requirements. Low thermal conductivity compression element  2  may have reinforcing elements going through from an exterior side  300  to an interior side  200 , as depicted in, for example,  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B . Reinforcing elements  6  may be made of FRP reinforcing bars/dowels alone, or in combination with steel reinforcing bars/dowels. In some embodiments, reinforcing bars  6  can be straight or bend depending on the application and dimensions of connecting construction parts.  FIG.  6    depicts different example scenarios of construction parts connection with construction elements. FRP reinforcing bars have low thermal conductivity, similar to rigid reinforcement. Different ratios of FRP and steel reinforcement bars  6  can result in different thermal conductivity characteristics and performance of the construction element  100 ,  500  and make it possible to adjust for different requirements. In some embodiments, the position and amounts of the reinforcing elements within low thermal conductivity compression/shear block  2  can be selected in accordance with to the structural performance requirements. 
     In some embodiments, insulating body  1  can be arranged between the two construction parts (as depicted in  FIG.  1   ), with tension and/or shear reinforcement elements  6  that are embedded in the compression/shear component  2  of the insulation body and can be connected to the two construction parts. Reinforcement elements  6  are arranged from FRP reinforcing bars alone, or a combination of steel and FRP reinforcing bars. 
     Some embodiments of the thermal bridging solution described herein may address a number of disadvantages associated with known solutions. Some embodiments may (A) eliminate or reduce additional deflections associated with previously known solutions based on the material composition and structural design theory of construction element  100 ,  500 ; (B) are less prone to damage due in part to the embedded reinforcing elements  6 ; (C) might not require, or require less, additional reinforcement outside of the thermal bridge; (D) be fire resistant, as fire resistant aggregate may be used in the low thermal conductivity compression/shear component  2 ; and (E) be suitable for compression applications. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variations and configurations of the embodiments described herein may also be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention. Other modifications are therefore possible. 
     For example,  FIG.  5 C  depicts another example embodiment of a construction element  500   c . As depicted, element  500   c  includes four compression/shear elements  2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c ,  2   d , and five insulating elements  1   a ,  1   b ,  1   c ,  1   d ,  1   e . In some embodiments, each compression/shear element  2  is 120 mm wide and 80 mm thick. In some embodiments, each insulating element is 125 mm wide and 80 mm thick. In some embodiments, construction element  500   c  has a total length of 1.125 meters. As depicted, each compression/shear block  2  supports four total reinforcement elements  6 . In the configuration depicted, there are  2  top reinforcing elements  6   a ,  6   b  and  2  bottom reinforcing elements  6   d ,  6   e . In some embodiments, all of the reinforcement elements  6  are fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcing bars. 
       FIG.  5 D  depicts an alternative embodiment of a construction element  500   d . As depicted, element  500   d  does not include any insulating elements  1  and instead the entire body of element  500   d  is a load bearing compression/shear block  502 . In some embodiments, compression/shear block  502  may be made of one or more of: lightweight concrete with expanded glass, ceramic beads, and combinations thereof, lightweight polymer concrete composite and any type of concrete mix combinations possessing the minimum desired strength and thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, element  500   d  may have a total length of around 1 meter. 
       FIG.  5 E  depicts yet another example embodiment of a construction element  500   e . As depicted, element  500   e  includes four compression/shear elements  2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c ,  2   d , and five insulating elements  1   a ,  1   b ,  1   c ,  1   d ,  1   e . In some embodiments, each compression/shear element  2  is 120 mm wide and 80 mm thick. In some embodiments, each insulating element is 125 mm wide and 80 mm thick. In some embodiments, construction element  500   e  has a total length of 1.125 meters. As depicted, each compression/shear block  2  supports seven total reinforcement elements  6 . In the configuration depicted, there are  3  top reinforcing elements  6   a ,  6   b ,  6   c  and  3  bottom reinforcing elements  6   d ,  6   e ,  6   f , as well as an additional middle elevation reinforcement bar  6   g . Middle elevation reinforcement bar 6g may provide, for example, additional structural support and may be suitable in some applications. In some embodiments, all of the reinforcement elements  6  are fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcing bars. 
       FIG.  5 F  depicts an alternative embodiment of a construction element  500   f . As depicted, element  500   f  does not include any insulating elements  1  and instead the entire body of element  500   f  is a load bearing compression/shear block  502 . In some embodiments, compression/shear block  502  may be made of one or more of: lightweight concrete with expanded glass, ceramic beads, and combinations thereof, lightweight polymer concrete composite and any type of concrete mix combinations possessing the minimum desired strength and thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, element  500   b  may have a total length of around 1 meter. 
     It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, a plurality of construction elements  100 ,  500  may be combined to provide additional support. For example,  FIG.  7    depicts a configuration in which two construction elements  700   a ,  700   b  are arranged in a perpendicular fashion and reinforcement elements  6  of each respective construction element overlap and form a grid of reinforcement elements  6 . Such configurations may be suitable in, for example, corner balconies in which more than one side of the building has an interface between exterior  300  and interior  200  of the building. Such overlapping reinforcement elements may, in some embodiments, enhance both the thermal conductivity and the structural stability of the overall construction element. 
     Although the disclosure has been described and illustrated in exemplary forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is noted that the description and illustrations have been made by way of example only. Numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts and steps may be made. Accordingly, such changes are intended to be included in the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims. 
     Except to the extent explicitly stated or inherent within the processes described, including any optional steps or components thereof, no required order, sequence, or combination is intended or implied. As will be will be understood by those skilled in the relevant arts, with respect to both processes and any systems, devices, etc., described herein, a wide range of variations is possible, and even advantageous, in various circumstances, without departing from the scope of the invention, which is to be limited only by the claims.