The field of the invention relates to building structures, and more particularly, to composite wall structures, and to methods of constructing composite wall structures, comprising a lattice structure with interstitial material contained therein.
Conventional building wall structures are usually constructed using a variety of materials such as wood, steel, masonry, or concrete, and are formed on site by well known construction methods. The construction of building wall structures using conventional materials and construction methods has certain disadvantages. For example, conventional building wall structures often require significant time to construct, which may increase the overall construction cost of the building. Moreover, since conventional building wall structures must be constructed on site, inclement weather or other factors may result in construction delays or increased construction costs.
In addition, conventional building wall structures are often poor insulators. Thus, buildings constructed using conventional building wall structures often require large heating and/or cooling systems to maintain interior temperatures that are comfortable for the building's occupants. Moreover, the energy requirements and costs needed to operate these heating and/or cooling systems can be significant, particularly if the building is not located in a temperate climate.
In an attempt to overcome some of the problems associated with conventional building wall structures, modular walls or wall panels have been developed for use as building wall structures. For example, building wall structures have been constructed with modular building panels of plastic foam material reinforced by a lattice of light gauge rod or wire. Building wall structures have also been constructed by erecting a lattice having wall boards attached to both sides thereof. The space between these wall boards is filled with a resin material. Similarly, building wall structures have been constructed using foamed plastic panels having a series of spaced-apart flanges held in position by transversely connected wires. The space between these plastic panels is filled with foam, and the exterior surface of the panels is plastic coated.
Modular walls or wall panels have a number of advantages over conventional building wall structures. For example, the modular walls or wall panels can be manufactured in a controlled environment, such as a factory. These components can then be delivered to the job site where they can be quickly assembled to form the completed building wall structure. As such, they are generally a less time-consuming alternative to conventional building wall structures.
In addition, the above-described modular wall structures are generally better insulators than conventional building wall structures. For example, many of the these modular wall structures utilize plastic or foam materials that are poorer heat conductors as compared to conventional building materials such as steel or concrete. However, these modular wall structures typically utilize structural elements that compromise the insulating capacity of the finished wall. For example, modular wall structures typically utilize metal ties, bars or wires to hold the inside and outside panels together. These metal components provide pathways for heat to pass through the walls, thereby compromising the insulating capacity of the wall structure.
The modular walls or wall panels that have been previously developed also have a number of disadvantages or limitations that make them impractical or unsuitable for many applications. For example, many of the above-described modular wall structures lack the strength necessary to function as load bearing walls. Many of the above-described modular wall structures also lack the resilience necessary to withstand the rigors of weather. In addition, the materials, such as the resins and high strength plastics utilized in many of these modular wall structures, are often expensive and difficult to apply. As a consequence, the cost of these modular wall structures often compare unfavorably to the cost of conventional building wall structures.
In view of the above, it is therefore highly desirable to provide a building structure having the advantages of modular wall structures, with the low-cost, strength and resilience of conventional building walls. It is also highly desirable to provide a building wall structure having an improved insulating capacity. It is also desirable to provide a method of constructing a building wall structure having the above-described features.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved building structure which overcomes the problems or limitations of the conventional and modular building structures discussed above. In particular, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved building structure for use as the exterior walls or roof of a building structure. It is another object of this invention to provide an improved building structure having superior insulating qualities as compared with modular and conventional building wall structures. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved building structure having superior load bearing capacities. Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved building structure and building method that is relatively inexpensive to assemble at the construction site.
In preferred aspects, the present invention is embodied in a composite building wall or roof structure comprising a lattice structure with interstitial material contained therein. In particular, and as described in connection with the illustrative embodiment depicted herein, the present invention comprises a composite building wall structure having a plurality of vertically disposed stud members positioned in a spaced-apart and generally parallel fashion. Interstitial blocks formed of good insulating materials are positioned between adjacent stud members and are held together by a plurality of horizontal bar members extending between stud members. The interior and exterior surfaces of the wall structure are then covered with a strong and durable material such a concrete.
In one aspect of the invention, each of the stud members comprises a pair of rod members connected together by a number of composite wall ties. The composite wall ties are each formed of a composite material having a low rate of thermal transfer that reduces the amount of heat transferred between the interior and exterior surface of the wall structure. The resulting building wall or roof structure exhibits a superior insulating capacity.
In another aspect of the invention, the above-described composite building wall and roof structures are incorporated into an earth coupled geo-thermal energy free building. In particular, the earth coupled geo-thermal energy free building utilizes composite building wall and roof structures constructed according to the present invention. A lower portion of the earth coupled geo-thermal energy free building extends into the ground so as to utilize the geo-thermal energy of the ground. Windows, doors and other areas that typically have lower insulating capacities are kept to a minimum. Air-lock entries are also used to minimize the exchange of heat between the interior of the building and the ambient surroundings.
The earth coupled geo-thermal energy free building according to the present invention tends to maintain a constant interior environment. Consequently, minimal heating and/or cooling systems are required to maintain interior temperatures that are comfortable for the building's occupants. The energy demands for the heating and/or cooling systems are likewise minimal.
These and other advantages, as well as the invention itself, will become apparent in the details of the structure and method of construction as more fully described and claimed below. Moreover, it should be appreciated that several aspects of the invention can be used with other types of building structures and methods.
The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to
Referring to
The rod members 22, 24 are connected together by a series of composite wall ties 26. As best seen in
As will be explained in greater detail below, the rod members 22, 24 and wall ties 26 of the stud members 20 act as an internal truss for supporting wall structures 11, 12. Moreover, because these components can slide or move with respect to each other, the exterior 90 and interior 92 surfaces of the wall structures 11, 12 can expand or contract without causing damage or a loss of structural integrity thereto. This is particularly important for locations where the outside air temperature is significantly higher or lower that the interior temperature of the building structure 10, thereby causing the exterior 90 and interior 92 surfaces of the wall structures 11, 12 to expand or contract with respect to each other.
In the specific embodiment illustrated herein, wall ties 26 each comprise a composite material made of metal and plastic. The composite material of the preferred embodiment exhibits low heat transmission to prevent the exchange of heat between the interior bar member 22 and the exterior bar member 24. This prevents heat (or cold) from being transferred between the exterior surface 90, 94 and the interior surface 92, 96 of the wall 11, 12 and roof 14 structures. The composite material of the preferred embodiment should also exhibits a sufficient flexibility to permit the exterior 90, 94 and the interior surface 92, 96 of the wall 11, 12 and roof 14 structures to expand or contract with respect to each other. Nevertheless, the composite material must be sufficiently strong to hold rod members 22, 24, and consequently exterior 90, 94 and the interior surface 92, 96, together.
In the preferred embodiment, wall ties 26 each comprise a composite material with a grade of dielectric 44-10 HG, which is a chemical and weather resistant molding compound with higher strength than 44-10, good corrosion resistance, and good electrical properties including flame and track resistance.
Of course, it should be appreciated that wall ties 26 can have any number of shapes, and comprise any number of materials, so long as the above-described parameters of sufficient strength and low heat transfer are satified.
As best seen in
As best seen in
As best seen in
The embodiment shown in
It should be understood that that the embodiments of
In the specific embodiment illustrated herein, interstitial columns 32 are made of polystyrene foamed material. The advantage of this material is that it is readily available at a reasonable cost. However, other filler materials of similar density and insulating capabilities can also be used. In the specific embodiment in which polystyrene foam is utilized, the building structure of the invention provides a wall structure and a roof structure that has better insulating properties than wall and roof structures of conventional design. While all of the plastic foam materials being used in modular building panels can be utilized, the invention contemplates that these materials would also be provided in block form or column foam and would be constructed on the site as above described. Columns 32 can also comprise hollow boxes of plastic, wood or other rigid materials, either empty or filled with conventional insulating materials. The invention contemplates and the words “block” and “column” and derivatives thereof are used herein to include all of these structures.
The alternating stud members 20 and interstitial columns 32 of building structure 18 are bound together to form an integral load bearing wall or roof structure by a plurality of transversely extending rods 48. In the preferred embodiment shown, transverse rods 48 comprise conventional ⅜″ reinforcing rods. As best seen in
Ties 50 may also be used to hold the transverse rods 48 to the rods 22, 24. In addition, and depending on the spacing of the wall ties 26, the transverse rods 48 may also be positioned so as to rest upon the upper surface of the wall ties 26. In the preferred embodiment shown, transverse rods 48 are alternatively spaced at 4′ intervals along the interior 42 and exterior 44 surfaces, respectively, of columns 32.
As set forth above, transverse rods 48 preferably comprise standard reinforcing bars. Conventional reinforcing bars are manufactured in finite lengths that are often less than the length of the building wall 11, 12 or roof structure 14. As best seen in
Similarly, stud members 20 may be constructed and delivered at the job site in manageable lengths. However, since stud members 20 typically extend the entire height of the building shell 10, separate stud members 20 may have to be connected together in an end-to-end relationship to provide a continuous stud member 20 of the length desired. This is typically achieved by overlapping rod members 22, 24 a sufficient length to “hold” these components together by frictional forces. Alternatively, the ends of rod members 22, 24 can be fitted with threaded connectors (not shown).
It should be appreciated that the size and shape of interstitial columns 32, the size and spacing of stud members 20, and the size and spacing of transverse rods 48 will vary depending upon the design characteristics of the building shell 10. Likewise, the number, size and spacing of these components will vary depending upon local building codes, the design load to be carried by the wall structure, or the span of the roof structure. Consequently, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are merely illustrative, and that the present invention can be incorporated into any number of variations utilizing the same basic design structure.
By way of example,
In the preferred embodiments shown, the shape and thickness of interstitial columns 32, the size of rod members 22, 24, the length of composite wall ties 26, the spacing of stud members 20, the size and spacing of transverse rods 48, and the thickness surface coatings 90, 92, 94, 96 (described below) are selected from a design table. The design table of the preferred embodiment provides certain attributes, such as load capacities and allowable heights or spans, for various combinations of these components. Design tables for various building structures, such as wall and roof structures, are not uncommon in the building industry, and provide a simple and quick tool for designing these structures.
Referring now to
The anchor bars 52 are joined with the rod members 24 by overlapping the ends thereof for a length sufficient to “hold” these components together by frictional forces. In the preferred embodiment shown, anchor bars 52 project 30″ above the top of the footing 13, thereby resulting in an overlap of approximately 30″ with the rod members 24. Ties 50 are typically used to hold the rod members 24 to the anchor bars 52 until the surface coating 90, 92 has been applied to the wall structure 11.
The anchor bars 52 are typically positioned in the footing 13 at the time the footing 13 is constructed. For example, a typical concrete footing 13 is constructed by placing forms (not shown) directly on the ground on which the footing 13 is to be constructed. These forms define the outside walls 56 of the footing 13. Once the forms are in place, then reinforcement 58 may be positioned within the interior volume of the forms. The reinforcement 58 holds the concrete 60 together and adds strength to the footing 13. The anchor bars 52 are also positioned within the interior volume of the forms at this time. The concrete 60 is then poured into the form and allowed to cure.
Although the embodiment shown only utilizes anchor bars 52 connected to the exterior rod members 24 of each stud member 20, it should be appreciated that anchor bars 52 could also be positioned so as to connect to the interior rod members 22. These additional anchor bars 52 may be necessary depending on the building design and/or building loads.
Other methods of attaching the wall structure 11 to the floor or footing 13 are also contemplated. For example, the anchor bars 52 could be installed into the footing 13 after the footing 13 has been constructed. This could be accomplished by drilling holes (not shown) into the footing and subsequently securing the anchor bars 52 in the holes with an epoxy or some other adhesive.
Although the wall structure 11 is preferably connected to the floor or footing 13 by an anchor device similar to the type described above (i.e., anchor bars 52), anchor devices may be unnecessary for smaller or lightly loaded building structures. In these types of building structures, it may be sufficient to form a channel (not shown) in the top of the footing 13 into which the lower end of the stud members 20 can be positioned. Additional details pertaining to some of these alternative methods of connecting the wall structure 11 to the floor or footing 13 are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,993, issued Dec. 11, 1984, and titled “Building Structure and Method of Construction”, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
As wall structures 11, 12 are being constructed, modifications may be made to the wall structures 11, 12 to accommodate floor and/or roof structures. For example, and as shown in
Each end of the truss member 64 is connected to the wall structure 11 by an attachment structure 62. In the preferred embodiment shown in
In the preferred embodiment shown, the joist bearing channels 66 are also supported by the interior of the wall structure 11. More specifically, and as best seen in
It should be appreciated that other types of roof structures 14 could also be utilized in the building structure 10 of the present invention. For example, and as shown in
Anchoring this type of roof structure 14 to the wall structures 11, 12 would preferably be accomplished in the same manner as anchoring the wall structures 11, 12 to the footing 13. For example, and as shown in
In addition to above, other types of roof structures 14, and methods of connecting these roof structures 14 to the wall structures 11, 12, are also contemplated. Details pertaining to some of these alternative roof structures 14, and methods of connecting these roof structures 14 to the wall structures 11, 12, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,993, issued Dec. 11, 1984, and titled “Building Structure and Method of Construction”, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
While the roof structure 14 is shown to form a relatively flat roof, it is well within the scope of those skilled in the art of building construction to utilize wall structures 11 and 12 to support a conventional sloped roof. A conventional sloped roof can be constructed on and supported by wall structures 11 and 12 in any of the above-described methods.
As mentioned above, modifications may be made to the wall structures 11, 12 to accommodate the connection of floor structures 16, 17. As the walls 11 and 12 are being constructed, floor supports 76 are assembled on the studs 20. As shown in
Similar to the above described manner of supporting the joist bearing channels 66, the floor supports 76 are likewise supported by the interior of the wall structure 11. More specifically, and as best seen in
As shown in
Floor 17 is constructed in a more conventional manner having floor joists 80 extending from the floor support 76 of wall structure 11 to the floor support in the opposite wall (not shown). As shown in the drawing, each of the floor joists 80 extends in a spaced-apart and generally parallel manner. The most remote floor joists 80 are also supported by floor supports 76 in the wall structure 12. Plywood sub-flooring 82 and conventional flooring materials (not shown) are applied over the floor joists as desired.
In addition to above, other types of floor structures 16, 17, and methods of connecting these floor structures 16, 17 to the wall structures 11, 12, are also contemplated. Details pertaining to some of these alternative floor structures 16, 17, and methods of connecting these floor structures 16, 17 to the wall structures 11, 12, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,993, issued Dec. 11, 1984, and titled “Building Structure and Method of Construction”, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
As above described, the building shell 10 is complete except for exterior 90 and interior 92 surface coatings on walls 11, 12, and exterior 94 and interior 96 surface coatings on roof structure 14 (with respect to the embodiment of
In the specific embodiment in which concrete is utilized, the concrete is preferably sprayed onto the surfaces 42, 44 of interstitial columns 32 to the desired thickness. As best seen in
It should be appreciated that the control joints 98 can comprise any number of shapes depending on the required depth and location within the wall structure 11, 12.
Although the above-described procedure involves spraying the concrete onto the surfaces 42, 44 of interstitial columns 32 to form surface coatings 90, 92, 94, 96, it should be appreciated that the concrete can alternatively be poured into forms. For example, concrete forms would be spaced away from the surfaces 42, 44 of interstitial columns 32 and positioned so as to define the outer surface of the surface coatings 90, 92, 94, 96. Concrete is then poured into the gap between the forms and the interstitial columns 32 and allowed to cure. Once the concrete has cured, the forms can be removed. This method of concrete forming is particularly common for constructing the foundation walls of smaller buildings and houses.
Embedding the rod members 22, 24 and most of the transverse bars 48 in concrete (or a similarly durable material) results in the construction of a wall structure 11, 12 (or the roof structure 14 of the embodiment of
To facilitate the attachment of surface materials to the wall structure 11, 12 (or the roof structure 14 of the embodiment of
The wall tie 26 shown in
It should be appreciated that wall ties 26 having other types and shapes of attachment structures can also be utilized depending on the nature of the material to be attached thereto.
It should also be appreciated that the present invention contemplates other types of surface materials in addition to those described above. While conventional building materials are preferable inasmuch as their characteristics are well known and they are readily available at low cost, other more exotic surface materials such as plastic, epoxies or the like can also be utilized.
As shown representatively in
A lower portion of the earth coupled geo-thermal energy free building 104 extends into the ground 106 so as to utilize the geo-thermal energy of the ground 106. In particular, the foundation 112 and/or floor 114 of the building 104 generally extends beneath the frost line of the ground 106, and similarly has an insulating rating of at least R-35. Moreover, and as will be explained below, the area of the foundation 112 and/or floor 114 of the building 104 which extends below the frost line of the ground 106 should be maximized to increase the geo-thermal coupling of the building 104 with the ground 106. In addition, that portion of the foundation 112 and/or floor 114 that extends below the frost line of the ground 106 should not be insulated from the ground 106.
Windows 108, doors 110, and other building components that typically have lower insulating capacities are kept to a minimum. To the extent that windows 108 and doors 11 must be incorporated into the wall 11, 12 and roof 14 structures of the building 104, these elements should be energy efficient and have proper weather stripping. In the preferred embodiment shown, the doors 110 comprise air-lock entries to minimize the exchange of heat between the interior of the building 104 and the ambient surroundings that is ordinarily created by the opening of the doors 110.
As explained above, the earth coupled geo-thermal energy free building 104 of the present invention utilizes the geo-thermal energy of the ground 106, which tends to remain at a constant temperature. For example, the ground 106 in most areas of the continental United States has a relatively constant temperature below the frost line that measures in the range of 50° F. to 70° F., depending on the geographic location. Thus, the thermal mass of the building 104, as well as the interior thereof, will similarly tend to maintain a constant temperature equal to that of the ground 106 below the frost line (i.e., in the range of 50° F. to 70° F., depending on the geographic location of the building 104).
In addition, because of the superior insulating capacity of the building 104, the interior of the building 104 will tend to maintain a constant temperature irrespective of any fluctuations in the air temperature of the ambient surroundings. This is because the thermal mass of the building 104 has been isolated from the outside environment. The thermal mass of the building 104 generally includes all of the internal structural elements or components of the building 104 such as interior walls, furniture, machinery, etc. Because these elements have a mass, they tend to maintain a constant temperature absent exposure to hotter or colder temperatures. Moreover, because these elements are isolated from the outside, they should maintain a constant temperature irrespective of the outside air temperature.
Of course, and depending on the type of working conditions desired for the interior of the building 104, it is usually desirable to maintain an interior temperature of approximately 70° F., or at least in the range of 65° F. to 75° F. Accordingly, additional energy (BTU's) must be added to increase the interior temperature of the building 104 to the desired temperature (e.g., 70° F.). This additional energy is ordinarily supplied by people, lighting, machinery, and any other heat producing equipment operating within the building 104.
Although the interior of the building 104 will tend to maintain a constant temperature irrespective of any fluctuations in the air temperature of the ambient surroundings, it should be appreciated that the interior temperature of the building 104 may vary as a result the internal use of the building 104. For example, the interior temperature of the building 104 may be increased as a result of heat supplied by people, lighting, machinery, and any other heat producing equipment operating within the building 104. To the extent that such uses result in excess heat (BTU's), then such heat is preferably dissipated or vented from the building 104 by air exchangers 116.
To the extent that additional energy (BTU's) is still required to maintain the desired interior temperature of the building 104, then an HVAC system 118 may be provided to either raise or lower the temperature thereof. However, it should be appreciated that the size of, or requirements for, an HVAC system 118 would be minimal in view of the design and function of the earth coupled geo-thermal coupling building 104 of the present invention, and would instead be more dependent on the nature of the usage of the building.
The earth coupled geo-thermal energy free building 104 of the preferred embodiment further comprises air exchangers 116 to provide proper ventilation and ensure that the air inside the building 104 remains clean. In particular, air exchangers 116 are used to change the interior air from stale to fresh. Air exchangers 116 are also used to move energy (BTU's) between different areas of the building 104 so as to equalize the temperatures throughout. For example, heat exchangers 116 could be used to move warm air from near the roof structure 14 of the building 104 downwardly so as to increase the temperature (i.e., warm) near the floor 114 of the building 104. Although some of these functions could be accomplished by manually opening windows 108 or doors 110, windows 108 and doors 110 typically lack the controls or monitors necessary for effective energy management. Accordingly, air exchangers 116 are preferably controlled by a computerized environmental control system 120. The computerized environmental control system 120 would also operate the HVAC system 118.
The improved building structure of the invention provides a building structure having many of the properties of modular building panels, yet retaining many of the advantages of conventional on-site construction. The improved building structure of the invention can be used for both exterior and interior walls and roof structures. In addition, the improved building structure of the invention can be used as a load bearing wall structure.
While there have been described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention.
This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional Application Serial No. 10,190,006, filed Jul. 3, 2002.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10190006 | Jul 2002 | US |
Child | 11211832 | Aug 2005 | US |