Patent Application
20220341159
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The disclosure relates to concrete block devices and more particularly pertains to a new concrete block device for constructing a building with high wind shear strength and high seismic tolerance. The device includes a plurality of blocks, each constructed of a propriety mixture of Portland cement and polystyrene, and a fluid insulation that is poured into the blocks when the blocks are stacked to from a wall. Additionally, a plurality of tensioning cables are anchored to a foundation and extended through the blocks for anchoring a roof structure to the foundation.
The prior art relates to concrete block devices including a variety of concrete mixtures that involve various ratios of concrete and polystyrene. The prior art discloses a concrete form for forming building blocks with voids. The prior art also discloses a composite masonry block that includes protrusions and correlating depressions for stacking the masonry blocks on top of each other.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of blocks is provided and each of the blocks is comprised of a mixture of 60.0 percent Portland cement, 30.0 percent expanded polystyrene foam and 10.0 percent lime. The blocks are stackable on each other to define an exterior wall of a building. A fluid insulation is pourable into each of the voids in each of the blocks when the blocks are stacked, and the fluid insulation is comprised of 70.0 percent polystyrene foam. 25.0 percent Portland cement and 5.0 percent lime. A tensioning cable is provided and a base of the tensioning cable is embedded into a foundation upon which the blocks are stacked. The tensioning cable is tensioned to a pre-determined tension load when the tensioning cable is routed through the voids of the blocks that are stacked.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each of the blocks 12 has an outer wall 18, and the outer wall 18 has a front side 20, a back side 22, a first lateral side 24 and a second lateral side 26, and each of the blocks 12 is elongated between the first lateral side 24 and the second lateral side 26. The outer wall 18 has a top edge 28 and a bottom edge 30, and each of the blocks 12 has a plurality of dividing walls 32 each extending between the front side 20 and the back side 22. The dividing walls 32 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed between the first lateral side 24 and the second lateral side 26 to define the plurality of voids 14.
Each of the dividing walls 32 has an upper edge 34 and a lower edge 36. The upper edge 34 of each of the dividing walls 32 is aligned with the top edge 28 of the outer wall 18, and the lower edge 36 of each of the dividing walls 32 is aligned with the bottom edge 30 of the outer wall 18. The top edge 28 associated with each of the first lateral side 24 and the second lateral side 26 has a channel 38 extending downwardly in the outer wall 18. The channel 38 is oriented to extend along a line which extends through the first lateral side 24 and the second lateral side 26, and the channel 38 is centrally positioned between the front side 20 and the back side 22. Additionally, the channel 38 has a bounding surface 40 and the bounding surface 40 is concavely arcuate with respect to the top edge 28.
The upper edge 34 of each of the dividing walls 32 has a channel 42 extending downwardly in the upper edge 34, and the channel 42 in the upper edge 34 is oriented to extend along the line that extends through the first lateral side 24 and the second lateral side 26. The channel 42 in the upper edge 34 has a bounding surface 44, and the bounding surface 44 of the channel 42 in the upper edge 34 is concavely arcuate with respect to the upper edge 34. The channel 42 in the upper edge 34 of each of the dividing walls 32 is aligned with each of the channels 38 in the top edge 28. In this way the channels 42 in each of the dividing walls 32 and the channels 38 in the outer wall 18 can accommodate rebar 45 when the blocks 12 are stacked. The rebar 45 may be #3 rebar, #4 rebar, #5 rebar or any rebar that is required per building code for the location in which the building is being constructed. The blocks 12 are stackable such that the bottom edge 30 of a respective block 12 rests on the top edge 28 of a respective block 12. The blocks 12 may be stacked in the convention of masonry construction practices, including the use of grout and other approved methods for constructing block walls.
A fluid insulation 46 is provided and the fluid insulation 46 is pourable into each of the voids 14 in each of the blocks 12 when the blocks 12 are stacked. In this way the fluid insulation 46 increases the thermal mass of the blocks 12 thereby enhancing the thermal performance of the building. Additionally, the fluid insulation 46 reduces the amount of sound that can pass through the blocks 12, thereby insulating an interior of the building from exterior noises. The fluid insulation 46 is comprised of 70.0 percent polystyrene foam, 25.0 percent Portland cement and 5.0 percent lime. Additionally, the polystyrene foam in the fluid insulation 46 is at least 95.0 percent recycled polystyrene.
A plurality of tensioning cables 48 is provided and each of the tensioning cables 48 includes a base 50 that is embedded into a foundation 52 upon which the blocks 12 are stacked to anchor the tensioning cables 48 to the foundation 52. The foundation 52 may be a monolithic concrete foundation and each of the tensioning cables 48 may be located prior to pouring the monolithic concrete foundation. In this way each of the tensioning cables 48 can be integrated into the foundation 52. The tensioning cables 48 are extended upwardly through the voids 14 of the blocks 12 that are stacked on each other. In this way the tensioning cables 48 can be attached to a roof structure thereby facilitating the roof structure to be anchored to the foundation 52. Thus, the tensioning cables 48 enhance the ability of the building to withstand excessive wind shear forces and seismic forces that would damage conventional wood framed buildings.
Each of the tensioning cables 48 is tensioned to a pre-determined tension load when the tensioning cables 48 are routed through the voids 14 of the blocks 12 that are stacked. In this way the tensioning cables 48 enhance the structural rigidity of the exterior wall 16 defined by the stacked blocks 12. The tensioning cables 48 may be tightened to a load ranging between approximately 15.0 kip and 20.0 kip. Each of the tensioning cables 48 has a first end 54 and a second end 56, and the base 50 has an upper surface 58. The first end 54 of each of the tensioning cables 48 is coupled to the upper surface 58 of the respective base 50. Each of the tensioning cables 48 extends upwardly out of the exterior wall 16 defined by the stacked blocks 12 having the second end 56 of each of the tensioning cables 48 being exposed for attaching to the roof structure. The base 50 may be a steel plate that has a width of approximately 4.0 inches and a length of approximately 8.0 inches. Each of the tensioning cables 48 may have a diameter ranging between approximately 0.025 inches and 1.0 inch, depending on structural codes pertaining to seismic activity and wind shear.
In an alternative embodiment 60 as is most clearly shown in
In use, each of the tensioning cables 48 is integrated into the foundation 52 according to best practices and according to engineering requirements. The blocks 12 are stacked to build the exterior wall 16 and rebar 45 is positioned in the blocks 12 as is required by building code. The voids 14 in the blocks 12 are filled with the fluid insulation 46 as the blocks 12 are being stacked until the entire height of the exterior wall 16 is filled with the fluid insulation 46. Additionally, the roof structure of the building is anchored to each of the tensioning cables 48. In this way the building can be constructed in manner the produces exception wind shear resistance and exceptional seismic tolerance. Moreover, the blocks 12 and fluid insulation 46 inhibit the formation of mold, facilitate a high thermal mass for exceptional thermal efficiency and facilitate a high degree of sound insulation.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
