Patent Grant
8091308
The present invention relates to dry stack construction blocks, i.e., blocks that may be stacked in running courses to erect a free-standing wall without the use of mortar. More particularly, the present invention relates to dry stack construction blocks with insulation inserts.
The use of masonry blocks in the construction industry has been widespread for many years. Masonry blocks are constructed of various materials, lightweight concrete being the most prevalent. Various designs of blocks have also been utilized, many attempting to minimize the weight of the block while preserving as much structural strength as possible. Common block designs incorporate exterior walls connected by webs of various designs, creating interior cores of air space. In addition to reducing the weight of the block, the air space provides for decreasing the overall thermal conductivity of the block. Insulation inserts are also used in the cores to further decrease the thermal conductivity of the blocks.
Historically, most masonry block wall construction has consisted of staggered block construction with mortar joints between blocks of each course and between successive courses of blocks. The mortar joints provide for leveling and maintaining uniform dimensions for each course of block despite variations in the dimensions of individual blocks.
Dry stack block construction, masonry block construction without the use of mortar between adjacent block, has not achieved widespread use to date. However, some of the principal advantages of dry stack block, in comparison to mortared block construction, are the increased speed of construction and the decreased labor costs. A lesser skill level is required for workmen that merely stack block along a desired wall alignment. Further, hod tenders are not needed. As with a common mortared block wall, the primary structural strength of the dry stack wall is derived from the horizontal bond beams and vertical grout columns, each with one or more reinforcing bars (“rebar”) grouted in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,782 (Johnson '782) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,964 (Johnson '964) to Johnson disclose a dry stack block and methods for using a dry stack block to construct a wall. The present inventors' experience with the block of Johnson '964 and Johnson '782 has led them to conclude that the block is neither self-aligning nor self-leveling. The inherent difficulty in manufacturing the dry stack block and the cell cores disclosed by Johnson '964 and Johnson '782 to precise dimensions, the variability, albeit lesser, in the dimensions of the cell cores, and the compressibility of the cell cores, albeit slight but variable depending on the density of the cell core, of the cell cores, provides for inadequate and inconsistent alignment and leveling of the block courses. Further the intended extension under Johnson '964 and Johnson '782 of the top of the cell core above the top of each block and each block course, purportedly to provide for horizontal alignment of the block of each course and for uniform vertical spacing between the block of adjacent courses, has been found by the present inventors to be ineffective. The experience of the present inventors has further led them to conclude that the transfer of vertical load from one course to another, during construction or thereafter, through the cell cores, is undesirable. The foregoing limitations of the block, the block wall, and the method of Johnson '964 and Johnson '782 appear to be due primarily to lack of dimensional uniformity of the block, and variations in the dimensions and density of the cell cores.
Another particular problem noted with the dry stack block of Johnson '964 and Johnson '782 is that crumbing inherently occurs in the block manufacturing process causing crumbing to be deposited in and cemented in the notch bottom (“crotch”) of web notches in the block intended to receive the ears of the insulating, aligning, and leveling cell cores. This causes the ears of the cell cores to fit poorly in the corresponding block web notches, further inhibiting the intended aligning and leveling function of the cell cores.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a dry stack block cell core and dry stack block assembly that are practical to use for the construction of a block wall, reduce the required skill and cost of labor used to construct the wall, and provide for the construction of a block wall with enhanced thermal resistivity and good structural characteristics.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for constructing a dry stack block wall for which the required skill and cost of labor used to construct the wall is reduced, and the thermal resistivity is enhanced.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dry stack block cell core, dry stack block assembly, dry stack block wall, and method for constructing a dry stack block which will address some of the deficiencies of the dry stack block of Johnson '964 and Johnson '782, and in particular with the cell core.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dry stack block cell core and dry stack block assembly which will improve the ability of the cell core to accommodate crumbing in the notch bottom of the block web notches.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dry stack block cell core and dry stack block assembly which will improve the ability of the cell core to accommodate variations in the dimensions of the dry stack block.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dry stack block cell core and dry stack block assembly which will improve the ability of the cell core to accommodate variations in the dimensions and density of the cell core.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dry stack block cell core, dry stack block assembly, dry stack block wall, and method for constructing a dry stack block which will provide for reducing and ameliorating the alignment and leveling problems of the block, the wall, and the method of Johnson '964 and Johnson '782.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dry stack block cell core, dry stack block assembly, dry stack block wall, and method for constructing a dry stack block wall providing for an improvement in the manner and method of accommodating rebar for the horizontal bond beams and the vertical grout columns.
A preferred embodiment of a dry stack construction block of the present invention comprises a first and a second side wall and a central web interposed between the first side wall and the second side wall. The blocks may be arranged in running courses in a symmetrical staggered stack configuration or may be stacked in other configurations that will be known to persons skilled in the art.
The first side wall, the central web, and the first and second end transverse webs define the longitudinal bounds of a first cell. The space between the central web and the second side wall can contain two open-ended third cells separated by a central second cell. Intermediate transverse webs, each having reduced height, are disposed at each end of the second cell and define the boundary between the second cell and each of the third cells.
First and second end transverse webs are disposed outwardly from first and second intermediate transverse webs respectively so that a single transverse plane does not pass between the end transverse webs and the intermediate transverse webs. The height of transverse webs is deliberately reduced and typically stands slightly more than one-half the height of block. The transverse webs are especially designed to enable the block to have the strength necessary to meet the various building codes while the reduced height of the webs reduces the volume of the thermal conduction path and hence the thermal transfer between the first side wall and the second side wall. Each transverse web is provided with a V- or U-shaped notch or hyper-extended draw which converges to a curvilinear notch bottom.
A first cell core is disposed within the first cell while a second cell core is disposed in the second cell and a third cell core is disposed in each of the third cells. The second cell cores and the third cell cores may be identical in size and shape, thereby limiting the number of types of cell cores to two. In a preferred embodiment the cores will be formed of an insulating material such as, for example, a low-density foam such as expanded polystyrene, thereby reducing the rate of thermal conduction through the resultant block wall.
Each of the first cell cores, the second cell cores, and the third cell cores has an ear member attached to each end of the body portion of the cell core. For preferred embodiments, the ear members will be integrally molded with the body portion of the cell cores, but other embodiments may provide for the ear members to be affixed to the body portion of the cell cores in some other manner which will be known to persons skilled in the art.
Each of the cell cores may be fluted on the surfaces that contact the block surfaces in the respective cells. The fluting may provide an interlocking relationship with the adjacent surface of the receiving cell to create a “custom fit” of the core with the receiving cell. Alternatively the surfaces of the cores may be smooth.
For the present invention, each ear member has a generally trapezoidal shape, i.e. a generally trapezoidal cross section, having its widest dimension in substantially co-planar relationship with the core top surface and its narrowest dimension at the ear base. The term “trapezoidal shaped” when used to describe the ear members, shall be defined to include having a generally trapezoidal cross section and a generally trapezoidal shape as observed from an end view. The ear member extends, when the cell core is inserted in a block, downwardly for a distance not reaching the notch bottom of the U- or V-shaped notch defined in each of transverse webs. When a cell core is inserted in a block, a notch gap is formed between the ear member base and the notch bottom of the corresponding notch. Because the ear member base does not mate with the notch bottom, the typical compressibility, albeit limited, of the cell core material, allows the cell core to be urged into a proper position in the cell, thereby providing that the core top surface is at or below the top of the block when installed. The cell core is dimensioned so that the cell core will not extend beyond the block top surface or block bottom surface when installed, except for spurs on embodiments having spurs as described herein. Unlike the cell core of Johnson ‘782’, the cell core of the present invention is not intended to provide for leveling of the blocks in each course or for the creation of a gap between the blocks of successive courses. The trapezoidal shaped ear of the present invention provides the benefit of a tight fit between the ear and the notch of the transverse web while providing the further benefit of accommodating, by the notch gap of unoccupied space between the ear base and the notch bottom, an accumulation of crumbing in the notch bottom of the transverse web which inherently accumulates during the manufacturing process for the block.
Despite attempts to manufacture blocks with uniform dimensions, variations in the block dimension, including the dimension between the notch bottom in the U- or V-shaped notch and the bottom surface of the block, are inevitable. Accordingly, since the present invention provides that when the ear members are seated in their corresponding U- or V-shaped notch, the distance from the ear base to the notch bottom can be adjusted during the insertion of the cell core to provide for an appropriate fit of the cell core, the top of the cell core being at or below the block top surface and the bottom of the cell core being at or above the block bottom surface.
As previously mentioned, one of the more imprecise dimensions of a molded construction block is the height of the block. The height of the block varies with the amount of material impressed into the mold from which the block is manufactured. Molded construction block therefore has a tendency to run slightly undersized from a standard height dimension, for example, eight inches. Further, this inaccuracy generally cannot be effectively compensated for by the ability to maintain more uniform control of the height of the cores and the dimensions of the ear members integrally formed thereupon. Thus, a fixed and precise height dimension generally cannot be established for the combination of a block and one or more cores when inserted therein, even with trapezoidal shaped ear members firmly seated within the corresponding U- or V-shaped notch provided in each transverse web. The cell cores are dimensioned to be inserted into the cells while leaving an unoccupied volume of space as a notch gap between the ear base of the cell core trapezoidal shaped ear member and the notch bottom.
The cell cores are each disposed in the receiving cell and trapezoidal shaped first ear members are firmly seated in the U- or V-shaped notch defined in the corresponding transverse web while still leaving a notch gap. Third cell cores are disposed into each of the open-ended cells as well as extending into intimate abutting contact with a portion of an adjacent second cell core. When a third cell core is disposed in one of the open-ended cells, approximately one-half of the third cell core will extend beyond the bounds of the associated cell into the open-ended cell of the concrete block adjacent thereto and in registry therewith in a block course.
By extending selected third cell cores beyond the longitudinal bounds of the principal block into the adjacent block, a block gap is preferably produced between the facing ends of adjacent blocks which serves to provide that the molded cores will help compensate for the longitudinal dimension (length) variations of the block. For a preferred embodiment, the block gap between adjacent concrete blocks will be approximately one-eighth of an inch when the blocks are set in running courses to erect a standing wall.
Since dry stacked blocks employed in the erection of a standing wall are preferably coated, after erection of the wall, with a surface bond of cementious material, the block gap between blocks, as described above, will readily accept the surface bond of cementious material to provide a strong gapless interlock and enhance the shear strength and lateral strength of the standing wall. The surface bond can also provide the additional benefits of obscuring vertical, longitudinal and lateral variations in the alignment of the blocks in running courses and variations between adjacent courses.
Cores may be optionally provided with a pair of nodes or spurs on the top thereof and complementary recesses on the bottom thereof, which coact with one another to create an interlock when a structure is assembled. When blocks with cores inserted therein are laid in running courses, each spur will matingly interlock with a complementary recess. The interlocking of the several spurs with their corresponding recesses reduces the misalignment or skewing of individual blocks. Further, the interlocking of the spurs and recesses complements the stabilizing action of cores which extends from the open cells in one block into the contiguous open cell in the block adjacent thereto.
When local building codes or structural design requirements dictate that there be continuous vertical grout columns spaced along the running length of the wall, such a column is readily created by selectively omitting second or third cell cores in a vertically aligned series of short cells to create a continuous vertical void in the standing wall so erected. Thereafter one or more vertically extending reinforcing bars can be readily placed within the void and grouted in place to form a grout column. Likewise horizontal bond beams can be readily formed by omitting all second and third cell cores from a given running course of block, laying one or more horizontally-extending reinforcing bars in the curved notch bottom of the several intermediate transverse webs and thereafter filling the void remaining with grout. Preferably the first cell cores are also omitted from the same running course and one or more reinforcing bars are laid in the curved notch bottom of the several end transverse webs so as to extend across several first cells and thereafter filling the void remaining with grout. Additional horizontal bars can also be installed in a bond beam by running them through the second and third cells of a running course and through the first cells of a running course after partial filling of the cells of the course with grout.
Despite the interlocking of the cell cores and substantial uniformity in the manufacturing of the cell cores, depending on the level of uniformity in the manufacture of the blocks and on the skill and care exercised in the building of the dry stack block wall, the dry stack block wall system may display substantial variations in vertical, longitudinal and lateral alignment. The vertical and longitudinal alignment irregularities can be compensated for at least partially as the dry stack block wall is being built through the selective use of block shims for individual blocks or the use of mortar joints between selected blocks or courses. Leveling and finishing of the wall at a design height or design top of wall elevation, can be accomplished by a leveling cap.
In another embodiment of the wall system, an alternative block with no central web and an alternative block configuration may be used. The first and second side walls are connected by two transverse block webs. First and second end cells are formed on opposite sides of the central cell in the center of each of the blocks. When these alternative blocks are placed end-to-end, the void formed between the transverse webs of adjacent blocks can be identical in shape and configuration to the central cell formed through the center of each of the blocks. This permits the construction in a running bond configuration when the insulation cores are placed in either of these locations. The cores can be formed with ribs or fluting extending vertically, along the sides of the inserts. Each of the insulating cores has a pair of downwardly extending trapezoidal shaped projections on opposite ends. These projections are formed to fit within the V- or U-shaped openings in the transverse webs. As with the preferred embodiment of the block described above, this alternative block provides, through the omission of cell cores, for the insertion and grouting of vertical rebar for grout cells and for the insertion and grouting of horizontal rebar for bond beams.
While the terminology used in this application is standard within the art, the following definitions of certain terms are provided to assure clarity. Units, prefixes, and symbols may be denoted in their SI accepted form. Numeric ranges recited herein are inclusive of the numbers defining the range and include and are supportive of each integer within the defined range. Unless otherwise noted, the terms “a” or “an” are to be construed as meaning “at least one of.” The section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described. All documents, or portions of documents, cited in this application, including but not limited to patents, patent applications, articles, books, and treatises, are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety for any purpose.
Referring first to
First side wall 21, central web 23, and first and second end transverse webs 27 and 28, respectively, define the longitudinal bounds of first cell 26. As is seen in
The space between central web 23 and second side wall 22 can contain two open-ended third cells 31 and 32 separated by a central second cell 33. The walls of the individual cells are created by forming the inwardly facing surfaces of central web 23 and second side wall 22. Intermediate transverse webs 34 and 35, each having reduced height, are disposed at each end of the second cell 33 and define the boundary between the second cell 33 and third cells 31 and 32, respectively.
As shown in
Having thus described a construction block 20 whose interior dimensions can be effectively replicated throughout long manufacturing runs, refer now to
As shown in
Referring to
Hence, respective pairs of opposing first ear members 6, second ear members 7, and third ear members 8, are integrally molded with or otherwise integrally affixed to the first end surface and the second end surface respectively of the respective first, second and third cell cores. For the preferred embodiment shown, the axial length of first cell core 11 is about one-half the axial length of the second cell cores 12 and the third cell cores 13 for reasons to be hereinafter described.
Referring to
In an alternative form, second cell core 12 and third cell cores 13 as shown in
For the preferred embodiment shown, each ear member 6,7,8 is trapezoidal shaped, having its widest dimension 51 in substantially co-planar relationship with core top surface 48, the ear member extending, when the cell core is inserted in a block, downwardly to the ear base 52 for a distance not reaching notch bottom 37 of the U- or V-shaped notch 36 defined in each of transverse webs 27, 28, 34 and 35 of the block 20, thereby creating a notch gap 1. Because the ear member base does not mate with the notch bottom, the typical compressibility, albeit typically limited, of the cell core material, allows the cell core to be urged into a proper position in the cell, thereby providing that the core top surface 48 is at or below the block top surface when the core is installed. The cell core is dimensioned so that the cell core will not extend beyond the block top surface or block bottom surface when installed, except for spurs on embodiments having spurs as described herein. When a cell core is inserted in a block, a notch gap 1 between the ear base 52 of the ear member 6,7,8 and the notch bottom 37 of its corresponding notch 36. The cell core of the present invention is not intended to provide for leveling of the blocks in each course or for the creation of a block gap between the blocks of successive courses. The trapezoidal shaped ear of the present invention provides the benefit of a tight fit between the ear and the notch 36 of the transverse web while providing the further benefit of accommodating an accumulation of crumbing in the notch bottom 37 of the transverse web which inherently accumulates during the manufacturing process for the block.
Despite attempts to manufacture blocks with uniform dimensions, variations in the block dimensions, including the dimension between the notch bottom 37 in the U- or V-shaped notch and the block bottom surface 25, are inevitable. Accordingly, since the present invention provides that when the ear members are seated in their corresponding U- or V-shaped notch, the distance from the ear base to the notch bottom can be adjusted during the insertion of the cell core to provide for an appropriate fit of the cell core, the top of the cell core being at or below the block top surface and the bottom of the cell core being at or above the block bottom surface.
As shown in
As earlier described, each improved building block 20 has first and second side walls 21, 22 and a central web 23 operatively disposed between the side walls in spaced generally parallel relationship to side walls 21, 22. Central web 23 and first side wall 21 define core receiving cells 26 while central web 23 and second side wall 22 define cells 31, 32 and 33 during the molding of the blocks.
As previously mentioned, one of the more imprecise dimensions of a molded construction block is the height of the block. The height of the block varies with the amount of material impressed into the mold from which the block is manufactured. Molded construction block therefore has a tendency to run slightly undersized from a standard height dimension, for example, eight inches. The variations in the dimensions of the block generally cannot be effectively compensated for by the ability to maintain more uniform control of the height of cores 11, 12 and 13 and the dimension of ear members 6, 7, 8 integrally formed thereupon. Thus, a fixed and precise height dimension generally cannot be established for the combination of a block 20 and one or more cores 11, 12, 13 when inserted therein with trapezoidal shaped ear members 42 and 43 firmly seated within the corresponding U- or V-shaped notch 36 provided in each transverse web 27, 28, 34 and 35. However, the walls of the individual cells 26, 31, 32 and 33 in block 20 can be produced with interior dimensions of sufficient uniformity so that the more uniformly dimensioned cores 11, 12 and 13 will fit the cells with sufficient intimacy for leaving an unoccupied volume of space as a notch gap 1 between the ear base 52 of the cell core trapezoidal shaped ear member and the notch bottom 37, and providing for the top of the cell cores to be at or below the top of the block.
With reference to
By extending selected third cell cores 13 beyond the longitudinal bounds of the principal block 20 into the adjacent block, a block gap 70 is preferably produced between the facing ends of adjacent blocks 20 which serves to provide that the cell cores will substantially control the horizontal dimensions of each course and thereby compensate for length variations in the block arising from the manufacture of the block. For a preferred embodiment, the block gap between adjacent concrete blocks will be approximately one-eighth of an inch when the blocks are set in running courses 19 to erect a standing wall. In one preferred embodiment, first cell core 11 will measure sixteen inches and second and third cell cores 12,13 will measure eight inches in length.
Since dry stacked blocks employed in the erection of a standing wall are preferably coated with a surface bond 9 of cementious material as shown in
The intimate line contact maintained between adjacent first cell cores 11 and between adjacent second and third cell cores 12, 13 within a running course 19 of blocks 20 further enhances the thermal resistivity of a standing wall system 18 constructed from the blocks with cell cores installed, especially when the cores are made of an insulative material.
Referring now to
Sectional view of the standing wall shown in
Many local building codes or structural design requirements also dictate that a bond beam be established, for example at a vertical spacing of four feet of height of the standing wall. Such a bond beam 58 (see
As shown in
As previously indicated,
Despite the interlocking of the cell cores and substantial uniformity in the manufacturing of the cell cores, depending on the level of uniformity in the manufacture of the blocks and on the skill and care exercised in the building of the dry stack block wall, the dry stack block wall system may display substantial variations in vertical, longitudinal and lateral alignment. The vertical and longitudinal alignment irregularities can be compensated for at least partially as the dry stack block wall is being built through the use of block shims. These building code approved shims can be constructed of stainless steel, galvanized steel or other materials, and can be used to correct the vertical or longitudinal alignment of individual blocks. For instances where excessive vertical or longitudinal alignment irregularities occur, mortar joints between block or courses of block can be used on a selective basis. Leveling and finishing of the wall at a design height or design top of wall elevation, can be accomplished by a leveling cap 39 as shown in
Although preferred embodiments of the wall system of the present invention, do not utilize mortar joints between blocks, mortar joints can be used between adjacent blocks of a running course or between successive running courses to assist in alignment or leveling of the courses of block. For example, mortar joints can be used between successive courses at a pre-determined or field determined spacing to control the leveling of the courses within a minimum variation, thereby reducing the amount of correction that is required from the leveling cap 39 as shown in
Another aspect of this disclosure is illustrated in
Referring to
The half block 220 shown in
Referring now to
In another embodiment of the wall system, an alternative block and alternative block configuration may be used. Referring now to
The first and second side walls 312 and 314 are connected by two transverse block webs 316 and 317, as shown in
Referring also to
As seen in
First and second end cells 322 and 323 are formed on opposite sides of the central cell 321 in the center of each of the blocks 310, as seen in
To provide improved thermal insulation qualities for a wall constructed of the alternative embodiment blocks 310, insulation cores 340 (
The cell cores 340 can be manufactured of a low density foam insulation, such as polystyrene or the like. Insulation foam cores can be used to fill the voids 321, and the voids between adjacent blocks, as described above. These insulation cores enhance the insulation qualities of the blocks 310 used in the wall to significantly decrease thermal conduction from one of the wall faces 312 or 314 to the other.
Each of the insulating cell cores 340 has a pair of opposing, downwardly extending trapezoidal shaped ear members 341 and 342, one on each end. These projections are formed to fit within the V- shaped or U-shaped notches in the transverse webs 316 and 317, while leaving a notch gap between the ear base 352 and the notch bottom 359. The notch gap for this embodiment is substantially illustrated by the notch gap 1 shown in
The cell cores 340 may also have a pair of spurs 345 and 346 located in its top, midway between the center and the outer edge of the corresponding ear members 341 and 342. Similarly shaped recesses 350 and 351 can be located in the bottoms of each of the cell cores 340. The recesses 350 and 351 receive the projections 345 and 346 of an insulating cell core 340 located in a lower block 310. The projections 345 and 346 and recesses 350 and 351 provide some assistance in aligning the blocks 310, in which the insulating cell cores 340 are placed, to facilitate the construction of the wall in which they are used. Thus, the projections 345 and 346 and recesses 350 and 351 permit interlock between the various insulating cell cores when they are placed atop one another as the blocks 310 are assembled to create a wall.
For walls constructed with this alternative block, local building codes may also require, as described above for preferred embodiments, vertical grout columns with structural reinforcement to be placed at regularly spaced intervals along the length of the wall. Typically, these intervals may be approximately every four feet. As with a conventional concrete block wall, these grout columns are constructed by placing reinforcing bar within vertically aligned open and un-insulated cells through all of the blocks in this position, such that voids align to form a continuous vertical void. After the reinforcing bar 330 is inserted into such voids, grout is poured into the voids to establish the required reinforced grout column. Such a construction may be employed with the blocks shown in
Referring to
Preferred and alternative methods of using the preferred and alternative embodiments of the dry stack insulated block and the wall system of the present invention, for the construction of standing walls and structures constructed from the standing walls, are described in or will be apparent from the foregoing description, to persons skilled in the art. However, for clarification, a summary description of preferred methods of using the block and wall system is presented below.
A construction block having one or more novel cell cores, each of the cell cores featuring a pair of trapezoidal shaped ear members, is used for the preferred method of the present invention. The shape of the cell cores and the integral ear members may be obtained from molds. Insertable cell cores with substantially uniform dimensions may fit intimately within such cells and may come into intimate contact with like cell cores in adjacent blocks in a running course of blocks, and may further come into intimate contact with similar cells in adjacent blocks in adjacent courses. The intimate contact of the insertable cell cores permit the formation of open joint gaps between blocks of running courses, which open gaps may be converted to closed gaps by coating the wall erected with the blocks with a surface bond of cementious material.
The foregoing blocks and cores are readily transformed into a dry stacked structure by providing a base surface. The base surface may be leveled. A plurality of hollow cell blocks are placed end-to-end on a first row forming a course. The blocks may be of a pre-selected length, width, and height, with first and second side walls and a central web. The central web may be operatively interposed between the first and second side walls. The first and second side walls present first and second planar surfaces to define first, second, and third cells between the first and second planar surfaces.
The first core receiving cell may have first and second end transverse webs disposed transversely across from the first and second planar surfaces at each end of the planar surfaces. The first and second end transverse webs may be spaced parallel to each other. The second cell may have first and second intermediate transverse webs disposed transversely across in parallel relationship to each other at intermediate ends thereof. The intermediate transverse webs define a second cell which is interposed between the first and second intermediate transverse webs and also define a pair of open ended third cells adjacent to the intermediate transverse webs. When the free standing block is adjacent to two other blocks forming a three block course, the open ended third cells of the block are now enclosed by the intermediate transverse webs of the adjacent blocks.
Each of the transverse webs may have a V- or U-shaped notch defined therein. The notch may have a curvilinear notch bottom disposed in a fixed pre-selected spatial relationship to the bottom surface of the block. A plurality of blocks may be oriented in a course with the open ended third cells of adjacent blocks being in registered communication with each other, the blocks in the course, together with vertically adjacent courses, defining the interior and exterior surfaces of the standing wall.
The standing wall may be assembled by placing a first cell core in each first cell. The first cell core may have a body portion substantially equal in size to the first cell with a trapezoidal shaped ear member integrally formed with the body portion at each end of the body member. The trapezoidal shaped ear members may complementary seat into the V- or U-shaped notch of the transverse web which is contiguous.
A second cell core is placed in the relatively closed second cell. Each second cell core may have a body portion substantially equal in size to the relatively closed second cell, the second cell core having a trapezoidal shaped ear member integrally formed with the body portion at each end for complementary seated engagement within the V- or U-shaped notch of the transverse web contiguous thereto. The ear members may extend outwardly from the body portion at a distance equal to one-half the notch axial length of V- or U-shaped slot.
A third cell core may be placed in one of the open ended third cells and the registered open ended third cell in the block adjacent thereto to interlock the adjacent blocks in fixed axial relationship to each other. The third cell core may be substantially identical in shape and size to the second cell core and the trapezoidal shaped ear members may be seated in V- or U-shaped slots of the contiguous transverse webs.
The foregoing steps may be repeated until an entire first row of blocks and cell cores are in place along an entire course and repeating the entire sequence for as many subsequent rows of blocks until the pre-selected length and height of the wall is achieved. Cell cores are omitted in running courses to provide for the insertion and grouting of horizontal rebar to form bond beams. Likewise cell cores or portions of cell cores, preferably second and third cell cores, are omitted from vertically adjacent cells to provide for the insertion and grouting of vertical rebar to form grout columns. A cap of grout or other structural cementious material can be poured on the top running course to compensate for accumulated elevation variations in the top running course, thereby providing a standing wall with a uniform, desired top elevation. Alignment and elevation variations of the running courses that comprise the wall may be addressed by the application of a surface bond that can be finished to a uniform and plumb finish. The penetration of the surface bond cementious material into the gaps between the blocks of a running course also may significantly strengthen the standing wall against sheer and lateral forces.
Other embodiments and other variations of the embodiments described above will be obvious to a person skilled in the art. Therefore, the foregoing is intended to be merely illustrative of the invention and the invention is limited only by the following claims and the doctrine of equivalents.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20080060300 A1 | Mar 2008 | US |
