Wall Reinforcement System

Abstract

A wall reinforcement system is provided. The wall reinforcement system includes a plurality of spaced apart channels formed in a side of a wall. At least one reinforcement rod is positioned in each of the channels. The at least one reinforcement rod is formed from basalt fibers. An adhesive mixture is positioned in each of the channels and configured to retain the at least one reinforcement rods within the channels.

Description

BACKGROUND

Certain portions of buildings, such as for example, the foundation walls can be constructed of concrete masonry units (commonly called concrete blocks). The concrete blocks are typically stacked in staggered courses and bound together by mortar. Although walls formed from concrete block are strong in compression, they can have little tensile strength and are typically more vulnerable to lateral forces than walls formed from solid concrete materials. As one non-limiting example, when the concrete block wall is located fully or partially below ground, as is often the case with a foundation wall, it can be acted upon by the soil that is typically back-filled against the foundation wall. Considerable lateral forces can be exerted against the foundation wall by the soil during a period of expansion and also by hydrostatic pressure. In certain instances, these lateral forces can cause the foundation wall to bow inwardly and develop cracks, primarily in the horizontal mortar joints that are especially susceptible to damage. In extreme cases, the entire foundation wall can buckle and cause extensive structural damage to the foundation and the overlying building.

In order to overcome this problem, methods have been proposed for strengthening and reinforcing a wall formed from concrete block after the foundation wall and the overlying building have been constructed. Such methods can involve the insertion of steel reinforcement rods into the vertical channels or passages that are formed within the wall by the aligned cavities in the individual blocks. During the initial construction, rods can be installed from the top of the concrete block wall without great difficulty. However, once the building has been completed, it can be necessary to open up the concrete block wall from the basement side in order to gain access to the passages for installation of the reinforcement rods. The need to access the passages in the concrete block units can require considerable time and effort, both in forming openings to the passages and in repairing the opening at the end of the procedure. Even more importantly, the relatively large amount of material that is broken away from the blocks during formation of the openings detracts significantly from the overall strength of the concrete block wall. Therefore, the formation of large access openings in the concrete block wall is highly undesirable and should be avoided if possible.

It would be advantageous if the reinforcement of concrete block walls could be improved.

SUMMARY

It should be appreciated that this Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form, the concepts being further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of this disclosure, not is it intended to limit the scope of the wall reinforcement system.

The above objects as well as other objects not specifically enumerated are achieved by a wall reinforcement system. The wall reinforcement system includes a plurality of spaced apart channels formed in a side of a wall. At least one reinforcement rod is positioned in each of the channels. The at least one reinforcement rod is formed from basalt fibers. An adhesive mixture is positioned in each of the channels and configured to retain the at least one reinforcement rods within the channels.

The above objects as well as other objects not specifically enumerated are also achieved by a method of forming a reinforced wall. The method includes the steps of forming a plurality of channels in a side of a wall, seating at least one reinforcement rod in each of the channels, the at least one reinforcement rod formed from basalt fibers and filling each of the channels with an adhesive mixture positioned in a manner to retain the at least one reinforcement rod within the channels.

Various objects and advantages of the wall reinforcement system will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cutaway perspective view of a concrete masonry unit wall that is conventional in the art.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional lone concrete block forming a portion of the concrete masonry unit wall of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a channeled concrete block.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the concrete masonry unit wall of FIG. 1, illustrating a plurality of reinforcement channels formed therein.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the concrete masonry unit wall of FIG. 4, illustrating a plurality of reinforcement rods positioned within the reinforcement channels.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the concrete masonry unit wall of FIG. 4, illustrating a reinforcement rod positioned within the reinforcement channel and an applied adhesive mixture.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the concrete masonry unit wall of FIG. 4, illustrating a plurality of reinforcement rods positioned within a reinforcement channel and extending below a concrete slab forming a basement floor.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view of a portion of the concrete masonry unit wall of FIG. 4, illustrating a method of anchoring the reinforcement rod to sill plates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The wall reinforcement system will now be described with occasional reference to the specific embodiments. The wall reinforcement system may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the wall reinforcement system to those skilled in the art.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the wall reinforcement system belongs. The terminology used in the description of the wall reinforcement system herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the wall reinforcement system. As used in the description of the wall reinforcement system and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of dimensions such as length, width, height, and so forth as used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical properties set forth in the specification and claims are approximations that may vary depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained in embodiments of the wall reinforcement system. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the wall reinforcement system are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical values, however, inherently contain certain errors necessarily resulting from error found in their respective measurements.

The description and figures disclose a wall reinforcement system configured for use with walls formed from concrete masonry units (commonly referred to as “CMU walls”). Generally, the wall reinforcement system utilizes a plurality of basalt fiber based reinforcement rods positioned in vertically oriented channels formed in an interior face of the wall. The basalt fiber based reinforcement rods are retained in the channels by a structural adhesive mixture.

The term “concrete masonry unit” as used herein, is defined to mean any generally rectangular block used in building construction.

Referring now to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a conventional wall formed from concrete masonry units (hereafter “concrete blocks”) is shown generally at 10. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the wall 10 is a conventional basement wall as can be found in residential structures. However, it should be appreciated that the wall 10 can be found in other structures and used for other purposes.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the wall 10 is, for the most part, located below the level of the adjacent soil 12. A footing 14 supports the wall 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the footing 14 is formed from concrete. However, in other embodiments, the footing 14 can be formed from other materials sufficient to support the wall 10.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a concrete slab 16 extends from a base of the wall 10 and extends to an interior area of a basement in a manner such as to form a basement floor. Typically, a portion of the slab 16 rests on the concrete footing 14 for support.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the wall 10 is formed from a plurality of conventional concrete blocks 18, each having a generally rectangular configuration.

Each concrete block 18 has an outer sidewall 20 and an inner sidewall 22. Each concrete block 18 also has end walls 24 that extend between the sidewalls 20 and 22 at the opposite ends of the concrete block 18. One or more center webs 26 can extend across an internal cavity of each block 18, between the sidewalls 20 and 22. Between the one or more center webs 26 and each end wall 24, a plurality of generally square open cavities 28a, 28b can be formed. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, each concrete block 18 has two of the cavities 28a, 28b located in a side-by-side orientation. However, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments the concrete blocks 18 can have other structures and can have more or less two cavities 28a, 28b.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, in constructing the wall 10, the plurality of concrete blocks 18 are arranged in an end-to-end orientation in rows or courses 29 that are stacked on top of one another. Adjacent concrete block 18 in each course 29 are bound together end-to-end by vertical mortar joints 30. Each concrete block 18 is also bound to adjacent concrete blocks 18 in the underlying and overlying courses 29 by horizontal mortar joints 32. Typically, each course 29 of concrete blocks 18 is staggered relative to the underlying and overlying course 29 by a distance equal to half a length of a concrete block 18.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the bottom course of concrete blocks 18 is designated by reference character 36 and is positioned directly on the footing 14 and partially below the upper surface of the concrete slab 16 forming the basement floor. The top course of concrete blocks 18 is designated by reference character 38 and is provided with one or more overlying sill plates 40. The sill plates 40 cover the inner sidewall 22 of the concrete blocks 18 forming the top course 38. A floor of the building that is supported on the wall 10 can include substantially parallel floor joists 42 secured at their ends by band joists 43.

In certain instances, the expansion of the adjacent soil 12, caused by thermal variations and other natural conditions, including hydrostatic pressure, can cause the wall 10 to bow inwardly and to develop cracks in the vertical and/or horizontal mortar joints 30, 32. The development of cracks can result in the leakage of water through the wall 10 and can significantly impair the structural integrity of the wall 10. The wall reinforcement system provides a structure and method by which the wall 10 can be strengthened and reinforced after the wall 10 and the overlying building have been fully constructed.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, a reinforced wall 110 can be formed by the addition of a plurality of reinforcement rods 50, each positioned in a substantially vertically oriented reinforcement channel 52. The reinforcement rods 50 are retained in the respective reinforcement channels 52 by an adhesive mixture 54. As will be described in more detail below, the vertically oriented reinforcement channels 52 are spaced apart along the reinforced wall 110.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the reinforcement channel 52 is illustrated as formed in the concrete block 18, thereby forming a channeled concrete block 118. The reinforcement channel 52 extends from a bottom face 56 to a top face 58 of the channeled concrete block 118. The reinforcement channel 52 has a depth d and a width w. The depth d is configured in a manner such that the reinforcement rod 50 can be entirely contained within the reinforcement channel 52 without any portion of the reinforcement rod 50 extending beyond a plane defining the inner sidewall 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the depth d is in a range of from about 0.125 inches to about 0.625 inches. However, in other embodiments, the depth d can be less than about 0.125 inches or more than about 0.625 inches, sufficient that the reinforcement rod 50 can be entirely contained within the reinforcement channel 52 without any portion of the reinforcement rod 50 extending beyond a plane defining the inner sidewall 22.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the width w of the reinforcement channel 52 is configured to contain the reinforcement rod 50 and a quantity of adhesive mixture 54 sufficient to retain the reinforcement rod 50 within the reinforcement channel 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the width w is in a range of from about 0.125 inches to about 0.625 inches. However, in other embodiments, the width w can be less than about 0.125 inches or more than about 0.625 inches, sufficient to retain the reinforcement rod 50 within the reinforcement channel 52. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the reinforcement channel 52 has a limited depth d, such as to avoid engagement with the cavities 28a, 28b. Advantageously, the limited depth d of the reinforcement results in retaining the structural integrity of the channeled concrete block 118 after the reinforcement channel 52 has been formed.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the reinforcement channel 52 is formed in the reinforcement block 118 by a cutting mechanism, such as the non-limiting example of a chasing saw (not shown). However, it should be appreciated that the reinforcement channel 52 can be formed in other manners with other forming implements.

Referring again to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the reinforcement channel 52 has the cross-sectional shape of a rectangle. However, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the reinforcement channel 52 can have other cross-sectional shapes, such as the non-limiting examples of an arcuate or semi-circular cross-sectional shape.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the reinforcement rods 50 are illustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcement rods 50 are formed from a plurality of individual basalt fibers 60 that have been wound together into a continuous spiral shape. The individual basalt fibers 60 have been formed from crushing natural volcanic rocks and melting the crushed rocks to high temperatures. The melted basalt is extruded from orifices and subsequently the temperature gradually decreases. The basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 has a diameter di, a density and a fiber 60 diameter. In the illustrated embodiment, the diameter di is in a range of from about 0.25 inches to about 0.50 inches, the density is in a range of from about 150.0 lbs/ft³ to about 190.0 lbs/ft³ and the fiber 60 diameter is in a range of from about 9.0μ to about 23.0μ. In alternate embodiments, the diameter di can be less than about 0.25 inches or more than about 0.50 inches, the density can be less than about 150.0 lbs/ft³ or more than about 190.0 lbs/ft^{3 and} the fiber 60 diameter can be less than about 9.0μ or more than about 23.0μ, sufficient for the functions described herein.

The use of basalt materials to form the basalt fibers 60 and the resulting basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 provides many structural benefits over rods formed from conventional reinforcement materials. First, the basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 provides improved tensile strength. As one non-limiting example, the basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 provides a tensile strength of about 4840.0 megapascals (MPa). Second, the basalt-based reinforcement rod 50 provides a compressive strength of about 3792.0 megapascals (MPa). Third, the basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 provides an Elastic Modulus of about 89.0 megapascals (MPa). Fourth, the basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 provides an elongation at break of about 3.15%. Fifth, the basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 provides a thermal expansion coefficient of about 8.0% parts per million per degree Centigrade (ppm/° C.). Finally, the basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 provides an absorption of humidity rating of <0.1 (65% RAH).

As provided by the qualitative measures described above, the use of basalt materials to form the basalt fibers 60 and the resulting basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 advantageously improves the tensile strength of the reinforcement rod 50, provides thermal stability, is non-reactive with air or water, is non-corrosive and alkali resistant, provides advanced heat and sound insulating properties, is non-combustible, explosion proof and non-toxic.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an enlarged view of a portion of a channeled concrete block 118 is shown with the basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 embedded within the reinforcement channel 52. The basalt fiber based reinforcement rod 50 is retained in the reinforcement channel 52 by the adhesive mixture 54. The adhesive mixture 54 forms a front face 62 that is flush with the inner sidewall 22 of the channeled concrete block 118. The flush front face 62 of the adhesive mixture 54 advantageously maintains an aesthetically pleasing appearance of the reinforced wall 110.

Referring again to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the adhesive mixture 54 is formed from a multi-purpose, two component, 100% solids, and moisture-tolerant structural epoxy adhesive. The adhesive mixture 54 is configured to provide several structural characteristics. First, the adhesive mixture 54 provides improved tensile strength over conventional adhesives. As one non-limiting example, the adhesive mixture 54 provides a tensile strength of about 48.0 megapascals (MPa). Second, the adhesive mixture 54 provides a compressive strength of about 86.9 megapascals (MPa). Third, the adhesive mixture 54 provides an Elastic Modulus of about 3726.0 megapascals (MPa). Fourth, the adhesive mixture 54 provides an elongation at break of about 1.9%. Fifth, the adhesive mixture 54 provides a tensile adhesion strength rating of about 13.8 megapascals (MPa). Finally, the adhesive mixture 54 provides a shear strength rating of about 43 megapascals (MPa).

Referring again to FIG. 6, one non-limiting example of a suitable adhesive mixture is Sikadur®-32 Hi-Mod, manufactured and distributed by Sika Corporation, headquartered in Lyndhurst, N.J. However, in other embodiments, other adhesive mixtures can be used, suitable for the functions described herein.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the reinforcement channels 52 are spaced apart a distance cs. The spaced apart distance cs is a function of the type of adjacent soil 12, an overall wall height wh and a height of the adjacent soil sh.

As a first example, in the instance that the soil type is sandy gravel, the spaced apart distances cs (in inches) of the reinforcement channels 52 are shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1
Distance (cs) Between Reinforcement Channels For Sandy Gravel
Soil
Height	Wall Height (wh) (feet)
(sh) (feet)	10.0	9.0	8.0	7.5	7.0	6.0
6.0	40.0	48.0	48.0	48.0	48.0	48.0
6.5	32.0	32.0	40.0	40.0	40.0
7.0	24.0	32.0	32.0	32.0	32.0
7.5	24.0	24.0	24.0	32.0
8.0	16.0	24.0	24.0
8.5	16.0	16.0
9.0	16.0	16.0
9.5	8.0
10.0	8.0

As a second example, in the instance that the soil type is clayey gravel, the spaced apart distances cs (in inches) of the reinforcement channels 52 are shown in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2
Distance (cs) Between Reinforcement Channels For Clayey Gravel
Soil
Height	Wall Height (wh) (feet)
(sh) (feet)	10.0	9.0	8.0	7.5	7.0	6.0
6.0	40.0	40.0	40.0	40.0	40.0	48.0
6.5	32.0	32.0	32.0	32.0	32.0
7.0	24.0	24.0	24.0	24.0	32.0
7.5	16.0	16.0	24.0	24.0
8.0	16.0	16.0	16.0
8.5	8.0	16.0
9.0	8.0	8.0
9.5	8.0
10.0	8.0

As a final example, in the instance that the soil type is clayey sand, the spaced apart distance cs (in inches) of the reinforcement channels 52 is shown in Table 3 below.

TABLE 3
Distance (cs) Between Reinforcement Channels For Clayey Sand
Soil
Height	Wall Height (wh) (feet)
(sh) (feet)	10.0	9.0	8.0	7.5	7.0	6.0
6.0	32.0	32.0	32.0	32.0	32.0	40.0
6.5	24.0	24.0	24.0	32.0	32.0
7.0	16.0	16.0	24.0	24.0	24.0
7.5	16.0	16.0	16.0	24.0
8.0	8.0	8.0	16.0
8.5	8.0	8.0
9.0	8.0	8.0
9.5	8.0
10.0	8.0

Referring now to FIG. 7, the reinforced wall 110 is illustrated. The reinforced wall 110 includes the reinforcement rod 50 positioned within the reinforcement channel 52. The reinforcement channel 52 extends in a downward direction past the concrete slab 16 to the footing 14. The reinforcement rod 50 also extends past the concrete slab 16, within the reinforcement channel 52 and is fastened to the footing 14 with the adhesive mixture 54.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the reinforcement channel 52 extends in an upward direction to the sill plates 40. The reinforcement rod 50 also extends to the sill plates 40. A support 70 extends in a downward direction from the sill plates 40 and is connected to the reinforcement rod 50. The support 70 is configured to anchor the reinforcement rod 50 to the sill plates 40. In certain instances, the support 70 can extend into the sill plates 40 and the adjacent floor joists 42. In the illustrated embodiment, the support 70 has the form of a lag screw and the support 70 is connected to the reinforcement rod 50 with a connector (not shown for purposes of clarity), such as the non-limiting examples of structural wire, clips, brackets as the like. However, in other embodiments, the support 70 can be other mechanisms, devices and structures, and the support 70 can be connected to the reinforcement rod 50 with other structural mechanisms and/or devices, sufficient to anchor the reinforcement rod 50 to the sill plates 40.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the method of installation of the wall reinforcement system will now be described. In a first step, the inner sidewalls 22 of the concrete blocks 18 are cleaned to achieve a laitance free and contaminant free surface. Conventional non-limiting examples of methods of cleaning the inner sidewall 22 of the concrete block 18 include grinding, shot blasting and water jetting. In a next step, a plurality of spaced apart reinforcement channels 52 are formed in the concrete blocks 18. The reinforcement channels 52 are spaced apart a distance cs as described above.

Referring again to FIG. 4 in a next step, the adhesive mixture 54 is prepared and applied to the reinforcement channels 52. The reinforcement rods 50 are laid out in the reinforcement channels 52 in a manner such as to extend past the concrete slab 16 a distance of at least 3.0 inches. In a next step, the fastener 70 is inserted into the sill plates 40. Finally, the reinforcement rod 50 is connected to the support 70 as described above and shown in FIG. 8, in a manner such as to anchor a top portion of the reinforcement rod 50 to the sill plates 40.

While the wall reinforcement system shown in FIGS. 3-8, is described above in relation to walls formed with concrete blocks, it is contemplated that the wall reinforcement system can be applied to walls formed with other materials, such as the non-limiting examples of poured concrete walls, framework walls and stonewalls.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of the wall reinforcement system have been explained and illustrated in certain embodiments. However, it must be understood that the wall reinforcement system may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.

Claims

1. A wall reinforcement system for an existing wall comprising: a plurality of spaced apart channels formed in an inner sidewall and/or an outer sidewall of a plurality of stacked blocks forming a side of an existing wall, wherein prior to forming the plurality of spaced apart channels in the existing wall, the inner sidewall and/or the outer sidewall of the stacked blocks have smooth, continuous surfaces without channels, wherein each of the plurality of spaced apart channels extends in a downward direction to an existing footing;at least one reinforcement rod positioned in each of the channels, the at least one reinforcement rod formed from basalt fibers, the at least one reinforcement rod extending in a downward direction to the existing footing; andan adhesive mixture positioned in each of the channels and configured to retain the at least one reinforcement rods within the channels in the existing wall and further configured to adhere the at least one reinforcement rods to the existing footing.

2. The wall reinforcement system of claim 1, wherein the side of the wall is an interior side.

3. The wall reinforcement system of claim 1, wherein each of the channels has a depth that avoids engagement with cavities internal to the wall.

4. The wall reinforcement system of claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcement rod is entirely contained within the reinforcement channel without any portion of the reinforcement rod extending beyond a plane defining the side of the wall.

5. The wall reinforcement system of claim 1, wherein each of the channels has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

6. The wall reinforcement system of claim 1, wherein each of the channels has a depth in a range of from about 0.125 inches to about 0.625 inches.

7. The wall reinforcement system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one reinforcement rods has a diameter in a range of from about 0.25 inches to about 0.50 inches.

8. The wall reinforcement system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one reinforcement rods has a density in a range of from about 150.0 lbs/ft3 to about 190.0 lbs/ft3.

9. The wall reinforcement system of claim 1, wherein in an installed position, each of the at least one reinforcement rods extends past a concrete slab forming a basement floor.

10. The wall reinforcement system of claim 1, wherein the adhesive mixture is a two-component structural epoxy.

11. A method of reinforcing an existing wall, the method comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of channels in an inner sidewall and/or an outer sidewall of a plurality of stacked blocks forming a side of an existing wall, wherein prior to forming the plurality of channels in the existing wall, the inner sidewall and/or outer sidewall of the stacked blocks have smooth, continuous surfaces without channels, wherein each of the plurality of spaced apart channels extends in a downward direction to an existing footing;seating at least one reinforcement rod in each of the channels, the at least one reinforcement rod formed from basalt fibers, the at least one reinforcement rod extending in a downward direction to the existing footing; andfilling each of the channel with an adhesive mixture positioned in a manner to retain the at least one reinforcement rod within the channels in the existing wall and further configured to adhere the at least one reinforcement rods to the existing footing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the side of the wall is an interior side.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the channels has a depth that avoids engagement with cavities internal to the wall.

14. The method of claim 11, including the step of containing the at least one reinforcement rods within the reinforcement channels without any portion of the at least one reinforcement rods extending beyond a plane defining the side of the wall.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the channels has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the channels has a depth in a range of from about 0.125 inches to about 0.625 inches.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the at least one reinforcement rods has a diameter in a range of from about 0.25 inches to about 0.50 inches.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the at least one reinforcement rods has a density in a range of from about 150.0 lbs/ft3 to about 190.0 lbs/ft3.

19. The method of claim 11, including the step of extending the at least one reinforcement rods past a concrete slab forming a basement floor.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the adhesive mixture is a two-component structural epoxy.