Patent Publication Number: US-2009217613-A1

Title: Wall Element

Description:
This invention regards a wall element. More particularly it regards a wall element manufactured from a thermal insulation material, comprising an outside board, an inside board and at least two intermediate pillars arranged between the outside plate and the inside plate. A lower duct is formed below the intermediate pillars and between the outside board and the inside board. 
     All directional specifications such as up and down refer to the position of use of the wall element. 
     The use of thermal insulation materials as casting moulds for walls is a well known technique, which is widely used abroad. 
     Due to the relatively large size of a wall, the thermal insulation material is normally manufactured in the form of “construction bricks” which are assembled in the horizontal and vertical directions to form an entire wall at a building site. Such an element is disclosed in GB 1 094 108. 
     Furthermore, DE 2 835 849 discloses an insulation element provided with a tongue and groove. 
     Walls of this type require relatively accurate levelling of the foundation. Otherwise, the construction bricks will tend to displace out of the intended engagement with the adjacent construction brick, resulting in insufficient flatness of the wall. Thus such construction brick systems require the use of relatively extensive strutting means during concreting, normally in the form of wooden beams and formwork pins. 
     The object of the invention is to remedy or reduce at least one of the drawbacks of prior art. 
     The object is achieved in accordance with the invention, by the characteristics stated in the description below and in the following claims. 
     A wall element according to the invention is manufactured from a thermal insulating material, and comprises an outside board, an inside board and at least two intermediate pillars arranged between the outside board and the inside board. The wall element is arranged to be filled with grouting compound. The wall element according to the invention is characterized in that a lower duct is formed below the intermediate pillar and between the outside board and the inside board. These ducts are well suited for reinforcement and filling with concrete. 
     Advantageously, part of an intermediate pillar protrudes from at least one of the outside board and the inside board, the protruding part of the intermediate pillar being a complementary fit to the space between the outside board and the inside board of an adjacent wall element. 
     Thus, the protruding portion of an intermediate pillar forms a tongue that fits into a groove formed between the outside board and the inside board of the adjacent wall element. 
     The thermal insulation material is a synthetic material, advantageously constituted by EPS (expandable polystyrene), possibly with added flame retardants. 
     The outside board and the inside board are glued to the intermediate pillar, e.g. by use of standard polyurethane adhesive. 
     In a preferred embodiment, a wall element of the invention has a height corresponding to a standard height between floors (storey height), but it may of course be constructed with any practical height. 
     When joining several wall elements to form a wall, it is of crucial importance that adjacent wall elements be joined in an accurate manner and with sufficient strength. When a wall element of the invention is to be joined to an adjacent wall element, the first step is to apply polyurethane adhesive to the lateral edges of the outside and inside boards facing the adjacent wall element. Then the outside and inside boards of the adjacent wall element are displaced in along the protruding portion of the intermediate pillar, whereby there is formed a reliable tongue-and-groove connection, the applied adhesive hardening and binding adjacent inside boards and adjacent outside boards together. 
     The tongue-forming intermediate pillar may be a loose element to be displaced in between the wall elements. 
     Advantageously the inside plate is provided with at least partially recessed vertical nailing strips. The nailing strips may also be arranged in any other appropriate direction. 
     The device according to the invention provides a thermal insulation wall element which is easy to erect at the building site, while the wall exhibits a satisfactory flatness. With the appropriate dimensioning, relatively strong walls can be manufactured, with very good thermal insulating properties. 
    
    
     
       The following describes a non-limiting example of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wall element according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the wall element of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of a wall element which is ready to be joined to an adjacent wall element; and 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the wall elements of  FIG. 3  after they have been joined. 
     
    
    
     In the drawings, reference number  1  denotes a wall element arranged to be joined to an adjacent wall element  2 . The wall element  1  comprises an outside board  4  and an inside board  6 , the boards being glued to four intermediate pillars  8  by means of a polyurethane adhesive (not shown). 
     In the embodiment shown, see  FIG. 1 , the outside board  4  projects slightly higher than the inside board  6 , the upper part  10  of the outside board  4  forming a boundary for e.g. a floor (not shown). 
     The intermediate pillars  8  are distributed along the longitudinal direction of the wall element  1 , with appropriate spacing  12 . The vertical length of the intermediate pillars  8  is slightly smaller than the height of the inside board  6 , whereby a horizontal upper duct  14  and a horizontal lower duct  16  are formed between the outside board  4  and the inside board  6 , above and below the intermediate pillars  8 , respectively. 
     One of the intermediate pillars  8  protrudes slightly in the horizontal direction from the outside plate  4  and the inside plate  6 . The protruding portion  18  of the intermediate pillar  8  forms a tongue which fits in between the outside board  4  and the inside board  6  of the adjacent wall element  2 . 
     Thus the outside board  4  and the inside board  6  forms a groove  20  for the tongue  18 . 
     The inside board  6  is provided with partially recessed vertical wooden nailing strips  22 . The nailing strips  22  do not extend all the way down the inside board  6 , as it would be inexpedient for the nailing strips  22  to be embedded in e.g. a floor (not shown). 
     When wall elements  1 ,  2  of the invention are to be erected, the wall element  1  is aligned to the desired position and underpinned in a manner that is known per se. Polyurethane adhesive is then applied to the wall element  1  on the lateral edges  24  facing the adjacent wall element  2 . 
     The groove  20  of the adjacent wall element  2  is then displaced in over the tongue  18  of the wall element  1  until the outside boards  4  and inside boards  6 , respectively, come into mutual abutment. 
     More wall elements  2  are then assembled, whereupon reinforcements (not shown) can be placed in the spaces  12  and the ducts  14  and  16  prior to grouting compound in the form of concrete being filled in the same cavities  12 ,  14  and  16 .