The present disclosure generally relates to cement forms used to create cement structures such as building foundations.
Traditionally, cement forms are held in place with an arrangement of metal stakes, kickers and other supporting structure. The traditional methods for forming a monolithic building foundation are particularly time intensive to set up and take down after the cement monolithic foundation is poured. After the form is removed, dirt is backfilled around the foundation to provide support and soil grading. In certain cold climates, foam insulation sheets are positioned against the sidewall of the foundation and extending laterally from the sidewall after the form is removed and before dirt is backfilled around the foundation. The foam insulation provide a desired R value that helps hold in heat from the building within the foundation, thereby providing protection again extreme expansion and contraction of the foundation resulting from outside temperature changes.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a cement form includes a first surface arranged vertically and configured to support a volume of cement, a second surface arranged horizontally and configured to contact a ground support surface, and at least one of a foam material and a polymer material.
The cement form may have a wedge-shaped cross-section. The cement form may have a triangular cross-section shape. The cement form may further include a weight bearing surface facing at least in part in a vertical direction. The cement form may include a connector groove extending along at least a portion of a length of the cement form. The connector groove may be configured to receive a connecting member that extends between adjacent positioned cement forms. The cement form may include at least one aperture sized to receive a support stake extending through the cement form.
Another aspect of the present disclosure related to a cement form that includes an elongate member having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape and is formed from a foam material. The elongate member may include a connector groove sized to receive a connecting member that spans between adjacent positioned cement forms. The elongate member may be configured to receive a support stake through the foam material to connect the cement form to a ground surface without pre-forming a pass-through bore in the elongate member sized to receive the support stake. The cement form may be configured to be at least partially covered with backfill dirt prior to forming a cement structure using the cement form. The elongate member may include a first surface arranged vertically and configured to support a volume of cement, and a second surface arranged horizontally and configured to contact a ground support surface. The foam material may include at least one of expanded polyethylene and high density foam.
A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a cement form assembly that includes at least two cement forms each comprising at least one of a foam material and a polymer material, and each having at least one connector groove formed therein. The cement form assembly also includes at least one connecting member positioned in the connector grooves and spanning between the at least two cement forms to interconnect the at least two cement forms, and a plurality of support stakes extending through the at least two cement forms and into a ground support.
The at least two cement forms may each have a wedge-shaped cross-section. The cement form assembly may also include an inner insert configured to be spaced inward from the at least two cement forms and arranged to be positioned under a cement structure formed using the cement form. The at least two cement forms each include at least one pass-through bore sized to receive one of the plurality of support stakes.
Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of forming a monolithic foundation. The method includes providing a plurality of cement forms each comprising a foam material, staking the plurality of cement forms to a ground surface, interconnecting at least some of the plurality of cement forms, covering at least a portion of the plurality of cement forms with backfill dirt, thereafter, pouring cement into contact with the plurality of cement forms to form a monolithic foundation, and leaving the plurality of cement forms covered and in contact with the monolithic foundation after the cement cures to provide insulation for the monolithic foundation.
Staking the plurality of cement forms may include driving a stake through the foam material, and driving the stake through the foam material concurrently forms a pass-through aperture through the foam material. Interconnecting the plurality of cement forms may include removably inserting a connecting member into connector grooves of adjacent positioned cement forms. The method may include removing the connecting member from the connector grooves after the cement is cured. The method may include inserting a foam strip into the connector grooves after removing the connecting member.
The above summary is not intended to describe each embodiment or every implementation of embodiments of the present disclosure. The Figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify one or more preferred embodiments.
The accompanying drawings and figures illustrate a number of exemplary embodiments and are part of the specification. Together with the present description, these drawings demonstrate and explain various principles of this disclosure. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the following drawings. In the appended figures, similar components or features may have the same reference label.
While the embodiments described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the instant disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.
The present disclosure generally relates to cement forms used to form cement structures such as cement foundations. The apparatuses and methods of the present disclosure are particularly useful for forming monolithic foundations in which the footings and floor are poured as a single, monolithic structure. The apparatuses and methods of the present disclosure are also particularly useful for forming The disclosed cement forms, cement form assemblies, methods of making cement forms/cement form components, and methods of forming cement structures using the disclosed cement forms may be used in place of traditional wood/metal cement forms that are labor intensive to set up and must be removed after pouring the cement, and foam insulation sheets that are required in cold climates to be buried adjacent to the cement structure (e.g., cement foundation) to limit frost damage to the cement structure.
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a cement form that is comprised substantially of a foam material such as, for example, expanded polyethylene or high density foam (e.g., known as Blue Board). The foam cement form may be used to form a cement structure by containing the cement while being poured and cured. The cement form remains in contact with the cement structure to later provide an insulating function to insulate the cured cement. The foam cement form may be at least partially buried prior to pouring the cement. The backfill material used to at least partially bury the foam cement form may help hold the form in place while the cement is being poured and cured.
Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to cement forms formed from a polymer material such as, for example, polyethylene or other polymer. Various molding processes may be used to form the polymer cement form including, for example, blow molding, drape forming, injection molding, and the like. A polymer cement form may include additional intricate features such as support ribs, pass-through bores, grooves, internal cavities, and the like which may be more difficult to form in a foam cement form. Further, a polymer cement form in accordance with the present disclosure may be reusable for forming a plurality of cement structures, wherein the polymer cement form is removed from the cement structure after curing of the cement.
Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to methods of forming a cement structure such as a monolithic foundation. Such methods may include use of a foam cement form or a polymer cement form in accordance with the present disclosure. Such methods may also include the use of an internal insert that is positioned under or internal the cement structure. The internal insert may comprise a foam material, a polymer material, or the like. Typically, the internal insert is provided to help minimize the amount of cement that is needed to create the cement structure. The cost and labor associated with using an internal insert is usually less than the extra amount of cement that may otherwise be required to create the cement structure. In at least some examples, the internal insert may provide an additional insulating property that increases the R value associated with protecting the cement structure from fluctuations in temperature.
A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to methods of forming foam cement forms and polymer cement forms. Such methods may be implemented to provide cost-effective, efficient production of cement forms. The cement forms may be structured as part of such manufacturing methods to facilitate assembly, storage, and shipping that is more efficient and cost-effective than those available for existing cement forms.
Referring to
Referring to
The ground support 20 is pre-shaped to match the desired dimensions for a slab 26 and footings 28 of a foundation 24. The increased depth required for the footings 28 requires a tapering of the ground support 20 from the area of the slab 26 to the area of the footings 28. Because the ground support 20 comprises dirt, gravel, or other fill material that is generally loose, it is difficult to form the transition between the slab support area and foundation support area of the ground support 20 in a square shape represented by feature 25 in
Referring to
The traditional structures and methods of forming monolithic foundations and other cement structures as represented in
Referring again to
The first surface 34 may be arranged generally vertical or aligned parallel with a vertical plane. First surface 34 may support a volume of concrete that is poured into a space between cement form 12 and inner insert 14. First surface 34 may have any desired shape, size and orientation to provide the desired shape, size and orientation of a resulting surface of a cement structure supported by cement form 12. First surface 34 is shown having a height H1. The height H1 may be in the range of, for example, about 4 inches to about 60 inches, and more preferably in the range of about 12 inches to about 24 inches, which is common for standard monolithic foundations. First surface 34 may include a decorative pattern that results in a decorative pattern formed on the side surface of the cement structure (e.g., foundation). Such a decorative pattern may be visible in the event that cement form 12 is removed and the side surface of the cement structure is exposed for viewing.
Second surface 36 typically is oriented generally horizontally or aligned parallel with a horizontal plane. Second surface 36 rests upon a ground support 20. Typically, the ground support 20 is generally planer or arranged in a horizontal plane at least in the area where the cement form 12 is positioned. Second surface 36 may have a width W1 that is in the range of, for example, about 6 inches to about 48 inches and more particularly in the range of about 12 inches to about 24 inches. In at least some embodiments, the width W1 is substantially equal to the height H1 of first surface 34. The width W1 is typically equal to or greater than the height H1 to provide balance and support for the cement structure being formed. However, the ratio between weight W1 and height H1 may vary based upon a variety of factors including, for example, materials used for cement form 12, the amount of cement supported by cement form 12 and other structural features of cement form 12 such as, for example, the size and shape of connector groove 42, an angle θ that defines an orientation of weight bearing surface 38, the amount of backfill that is possible to cover weight bearing surface 38 prior to pouring the cement structure, and the like.
The weight bearing surface 38 is substantially planer and extends from an outermost edge of second surface 36 toward the first surface 34. A plurality of stake openings 44 may be formed in the weight bearing surface 38. In at least some examples, cement form 12 comprises a material that permits driving a stake through the cement form 12 without preforming a stake opening 44. Driving a stake through the cement form 12 may concurrently form a stake opening. Such materials are commonly foam materials as described above, but may include other materials that can be punctured without cracking or otherwise failing structurally. The use of certain foam materials permits driving stakes through cement form 12 at any desired location along the weight bearing surface 38, within connector groove 42, or through top surface 40. In some embodiments, stakes may be driven into ground support 20 at an outer edge of cement form 12 at the interface between second surface 36 and weight bearing surface 38 to prevent sliding of the cement form 12 in at least one direction along ground support 20. Stakes may be temporarily driven into ground support 20 along an opposite edge of cement form 12 at the interface between first and second surfaces 34, 36 prior to pouring the cement structure. Such temporarily position stakes may remain in place while taking other steps related to setting up the cement form assembly 10 such as, for example, inserting connecting members into connector groove 42, driving stakes through stake openings 44 or along the outer edge of cement form 12, and/or at least partially covering weight bearing surface 38 with a backfill dirt or gravel material.
The connector groove 42 may be positioned along the weight bearing surface 38. Connector groove 42 may be accessible along a top side of cement form 12. Connector groove 42 may be open facing in a generally vertical or upward direction. In at least some examples, connector groove 42 is formed in top surface 40 rather than in weight bearing surface 38, or a combination of the two. Connector groove 42 is shown having a maximum height H3 and a width W3. In at least some examples, connector groove 42 is dimensioned to receive a standard board size such as a 2″×4″, 2″×6″ or 2″×8″ board. Such a board may be referred to as a connecting member 16 (see
Typically, connectors are inserted into connector groove 42 prior to pouring cement to form a cement structure, and are later removed after the cement cures so that the connecting members may be reused for other cement form assemblies. The connector groove 42 may have any desired shape and size to accommodate connecting members of different shapes and sizes. In one example, the connecting members are in the form of a sheet of material, a clip structure, a bracket, or the like. Connector groove 42 may be customized in its shape, size and orientation to accommodate such connecting members. In some embodiments, connector groove 42 may extend along the entire length L1. In other examples, the connector groove 42 extends along only a portion of the length L1 such as, for example, along portions directly adjacent to the first and second ends 30, 32.
The material of cement form 12 that is removed in order to form connector groove 42 may be saved and then reinserted in connector groove 42 after removal of the connecting members. This inserted material may help fill connector groove 42 to prevent backfill dirt or other objects from collecting in connector groove 42, which may otherwise reduce the R value of cement form 12 when cement form 12 is left in the ground and used to insulate the cement structure.
The cement form 12 may be used alone or in combination with inner insert 14. Inner insert 14 may eliminate the need for the extra cement 25 shown in
Inner insert 14 includes a cement surface 60, a ground support surface 62, and a backfill support surface 64. Cement surface 60 has a height H2 and is arranged generally vertically and/or in parallel with a vertical plane. Ground support surface 62 has a width W2 and is arranged horizontally and/or parallel with a horizontal plane. Backfill support surface 64 extends from the ground support surface 62 to the cement surface 60 and may be arranged at an angle α is directly dependent on the height H2 and width W2. Inner insert 14 also has a length L2 (see
Inner insert 14 may include a plurality of stake openings 66 positioned along the length L2 (see
Referring to
The backfill dirt 22 is typically grated to the top edge of inner insert 14 as shown in
Referring to
In at least some examples, the cement structure (e.g., foundation 24) may be poured without first covering at least a portion of cement form 12 with backfill 22. For example, the connecting member 16 and stakes 18 may provide sufficient support and connection between cement form 12 and ground support 20 that no backfill 22 is needed. However, in at least some examples, backfill 22 is used to cover at least portions of cement form 12 to provide additional support for cement form 12 during pouring of the cement. Applying backfill 22 may also make it easier for a cement truck to move close to cement form 12 for purposes of delivering the cement as part of the cement pouring process. An additional benefit of pre-filling the backfill 22 before pouring the cement is that most, if not all of the grading associated with the cement structure (e.g., foundation 24) may be completed prior to pouring the cement without requiring a further follow-up grading step.
Referring now to
The cement form 112 may be formed from any desired material. In at least some examples, the stake openings 144 are formed concurrently with forming the cement form 112 via, for example, a molding/forming process. In other examples, the stake openings 144 are formed in a separate step after the cement form 112 has been formed (e.g., using a drilling, cutting, stamping or other method for removing material to create the stake openings 144).
Cement form 312 may also include a connector groove 342 and a first face 334. The hollow interior 352 may provide for a relatively constant wall thickness Ti that define each of the first and second surfaces 334, 336 and the weight bearing surface 338.
Cement form 312 is shown as a integrally formed, single piece. In other embodiments, cement form 312, along with other cement form embodiments disclosed herein, may comprise a plurality of parts that are separately formed and then later assembled together. In other embodiments, the cement form 312 may be formed as a wedge-shaped structure having a solid construction. In a later manufacturing step, portions of the wedge-shaped structure may be removed to form at least some of the features shown in
Referring to
The cement form 412 and inner insert 414 may include a plurality of stake openings 444, 466, respectively. The cement form 412 may include a top surface 440, and the inner insert 414 may include a top surface 468. The stake openings may be formed in the top surfaces 440, 468. Alternatively, the stake openings 444, 466 may be formed on other surfaces such as, for example, the weight bearing surface 438 and backfill support surface 464, respectively. The stake openings may be pre-formed or formed concurrently as stakes are driven through the cement form 412 and inner inserts 414 and into a ground support. The cement form 412 and inner insert 414 may comprise materials that permit such forming of the stake openings as the stakes are driven through the structure of the cement form 412 and inner insert 414.
The top surface 440 may provide a planer surface that provides an improved transition between cement form 412 and a top surface of a cement structure that is formed using the cement form 412. In at least some examples, the cement structure is created to be flush with the top surface 440. The inner insert 414 may include a top surface 468 to provide improved support of the resulting cement structure at the inner insert 414 as used to form and later support an underside surface of the cement structure. The top surface 468 may also provide improved ease of grading the backfill to the top edge of inner insert 414. Providing the top surface 468 as at least a partial planer surface may reduce the chance of damaging the top edge of the inner insert 414 during the grading process.
The brace portion 658 may extend in equal parts to the vertical leg 654 and the horizontal leg 656. In other examples, the brace portion 658 may have a non-uniform, non-symmetrical construction. The brace portion 658 may extend along an entire length of the cement form 612. In other embodiments, the brace portion 658 may be provided as rib features that extend along only portions of the length of the cement form 612.
The cement form 712 has a greater thickness throughout that provides an improved R rating as compared to other embodiments such as the embodiments of
Cement form 712 may include first and second surfaces 734, 736 and a weight bearing surface 738. A top surface 740 may extend along a top edge thereof. A connector groove 742 may be formed, for example, the top surface 740 and/or the weight bearing surface 738. Cement form 712 may include a plurality of stake openings pre-formed therein. In at least some examples, cement form 712 may comprise of materials that permit concurrent forming of a stake opening as the stake is driven through the material of the cement form 712.
Many other triangular shapes are possible for the cement form 812 by modifying the relative lengths between surfaces 834 and 836. Maintaining a right angle relationship between surfaces 834, 836 may be a constant feature among all of the various triangular shapes that are possible. The triangular shape of the cement form 812 may provide improved stacking of cement forms for purposes of storage, shipping, etc. Providing cement forms 812 having mirrored shapes maximizes storage space and may provide compact, efficient storage and/or shipping. Other designs disclosed herein provide similar benefits including, for example, the cement form 712 and inner insert 14 shown in
The forming method described with reference to
A single connecting member 16 may span multiple cement forms 12 such as three or more cement forms. In some arrangements, the connecting member 16 has a length that is substantially the same as the length L1 of cement form 12. Positioning a plurality of connecting members 16 end-to-end within the connector grooves of a plurality of aligned cement forms 12 may completely fill the connector grooves of all of the cement forms. In other examples, a relatively short cement form may be used within the connector groove 42 at or adjacent at the mating first and second ends 30, 32 of adjacent positioned cement forms 12 as shown in
In other embodiments, the adjacent position cement forms 12 may be interconnected with different structured connecting members providing different functions. For example, the connecting members may include claws or barb features that grasp the material of the cement forms 12 without the need for a pre-forming groove or other apertures sized to receive the claw/barb features.
The resulting sidewalls of the inner insert 814 may have a generally constant thickness associated with the cement surface 860, ground support surface 862 and backfill support surface 864. The hollow interior feature may be used in any of the inner insert embodiments shown with reference to
The apparatuses and methods disclosed herein provide numerous advantages as compared to the traditional cement form structures and related methods of forming cement structures such as monolithic cement foundations described above with reference to
At least some of the methods of manufacturing disclosed herein may provide for improved ease in creating the cement forms. The structure of the cement forms may provide improved storing, shipping, and handling with increased efficiency. Still further, at least some of the materials possible for use in the cement forms (e.g., foam materials) are significantly lighter weight than traditional cement forms. As a result, the cost of shipping and the amount of effort and/or energy required in maneuvering these cement forms of the present disclosure is significantly reduced thereby increasing the overall efficiency for using the cement form assemblies disclosed herein. Further, the use of foam as a primary material for the cement forms provides for a lighter weight object to be manually maneuvered at a work site, which may provide reduced incidence of workplace injuries such as back strains, pulled muscles, foot or leg crushing/bruising, and the like due that may otherwise occur when using traditional material for the cement forms.
Another advantage related to using foam or polymer materials as the primary (if not exclusive) material for the cement form is that such materials typically do not absorb moisture from the cement as the cement cures. Avoiding moisture absorption leads to improved consistency in how the cement cures as compared to using other materials for the cement forms such as wood. Wood cement forms have a high rate of moisture absorption, and are typically sprayed with a petroleum product such as diesel fuel just prior to pouring the cement in an effort to limit the moisture absorption properties of the wood. An improved consistency in how the cement cures may lead to reduced incidence of later cracking in the cement structure.
A further advantage relates to the ability to backfill around and/or over the cement forms prior to pouring cement. The pre-backing filling (i.e., prior to pouring cement) makes it possible to have excavation equipment on site just for digging and set up of the cement forms (i.e., the equipment does not have to return after pouring cement and removing the cement forms according to traditional methods), thereby decreasing costs and overall time for completing formation of a cement structure such as a monolithic foundation. Increasing the speed of forming a cement foundation typically results in an over decrease in the overall time for completion of a construction project, which leads to reduced costs and improved efficiencies. Providing a backfill prior to pouring also may involve grading the ground surface surrounding the cement forms. A graded surface may improve safety for workers during pouring of cement because the workers can work on a graded rather than having to work on uneven surface and/or working around kickers, stakes and brace boards as is required in traditional methods.
The present description provides examples, and is not limiting of the scope, applicability, or configuration set forth in the claims. Thus, it will be understood that changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements discussed without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, and various embodiments may omit, substitute, or add other procedures or components as appropriate. For instance, the methods described may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Also, features described with respect to certain embodiments may be combined in other embodiments.
Various inventions have been described herein with reference to certain specific embodiments and examples. However, they will be recognized by those skilled in the art that many variations are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventions disclosed herein, in that those inventions set forth in the claims below are intended to cover all variations and modifications of the inventions disclosed without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The terms “including:” and “having” come as used in the specification and claims shall have the same meaning as the term “comprising.”
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/967,259, filed on 30 Apr. 2018, and entitled CEMENT FORM APPARATUS AND METHOD, pending, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/698,674, filed on 28 Apr. 2015, and entitled CEMENT FORM APPARATUS AND METHOD, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,024,023 on 17 Jul. 2018, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15967259 | Apr 2018 | US |
Child | 16713517 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14698674 | Apr 2015 | US |
Child | 15967259 | US |