CAST WALL WITH MODULAR UNITS

Abstract

A cast wall system comprising at least two modular units, each having a front surface, a back surface, and opposing edge surfaces. A first edge surface (e.g., an upper edge surface) of one modular unit is positioned adjacent to a second edge surface (e.g., a lower edge surface) of another modular unit. A compression system (e.g., a threaded rod under tension) and coupled to elongated beams) provides a force to compress the first edge surface of the one modular unit toward the second edge surface of the other modular unit, and a hardened backing (e.g., concrete) is positioned on the back surface of the at least two modular units. Preferably, the first and second edge surfaces are ground in order to improve the surface contact between those two edge surfaces. When producing the cast wall, the hardened backing is preferably poured onto the back of the modular units. Prior to and during the pouring, it is preferred to support a first end of the one modular unit and a second end of the other modular unit on a common rail. In one embodiment, the common rail includes a base portion and an upright portion (e.g., a T-rail), and the step of supporting includes positioning the base portion on a support surface, and setting the first end of the one modular unit and the second end of the other modular unit on the upright portion. Preferably, the second end of the one modular unit and the first end of the other modular unit are supported on rails different than the common rail.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the field of concrete walls having veneered surfaces.

BACKGROUND

Due to the expense of building a conventional brick wall from brick, block, stone, or other hard modular unit, veneered building panels with a hardened backing (e.g., concrete) arc becoming more popular in building construction. In one common process, thin modular units, such as thin bricks or blocks, are laid out face down, and a concrete backing layer is poured into the track of the units to form a cast wall. The veneered brick building panels can either be pre-cast (i.e., constructed off-site and then transported to the building site) or tilt up (constructed on-site and tilted up into place) to be attached to an exterior wall.

In the past, simulated brick veneered building panels were made of thin modular units that are arranged on an object retention liner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,137 to Scott, et al. shows an object retention form liner that holds and transfers objects, such as thin bricks, to the finished surface of concrete structures. Thin bricks are placed in recesses in the form liner. Concrete is poured into the form liner to completely cover the backs of thin bricks. The concrete fills the spaces along the sides of the thin bricks and additional cavity areas to simulate the grout line in conventional masonry construction. Once the concrete has properly hardened, the wall is raised and the form liner can be pulled away from the outer surface of the concrete wall to expose the outer surface of the bricks having grout lines to give the appearance of a conventional masonry construction.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,387 to Scott, et al. shows a form liner with recesses that are closely sized to fit the face of a standard brick or a thin brick that is about one-half the depth of a standard brick. The recesses are arranged in staggered rows in the surface of the form liner to resemble the normal grout line between bricks. Ridges between the bricks fill the area around each side of the brick to a desired depth to form the grout recesses. Retainers such as clips hold the bricks in position in their individual recesses. The retainers are flexible and resilient enough to maintain proper spacing between bricks by absorbing the vibration that occurs during the cement pouring process.

SUMMARY

Although the systems described above increase efficiency in the construction of walls, the thin modular units do not effectively transfer compressive loads. Therefore, the thin modular units are not able to be taken into account while measuring the load bearing capabilities and structural rigidity of the wall. The result is that the poured concrete must be sufficiently thick to take the full design load of the wall. In addition, some existing pre-cast systems allow concrete to leak between the modular units and into the front face of the modular units and onto the casting deck.

A need exists for a precast wall that is load bearing and can add to the structural rigidity of the wall. A precast wall whereby the concrete modular units act as an integral structure and where the concrete modular units absorb and transfer a compressive load to each other will allow the precast wall to be calculated as a load bearing structure. In addition, there is a need for a precast system that inhibits the leakage of concrete onto the front face of the modular units.

The present invention provides a cast wall system comprising at least two modular units, each having a front surface, a back surface, and opposing edge surfaces. A first edge surface (e.g., an upper edge surface) of one modular unit is positioned adjacent to a second edge surface (e.g., a lower edge surface) of another modular unit. A compression system (e.g., a threaded rod under tension and coupled to elongated beams) provides a force to compress the first edge surface of the one modular unit toward the second edge surface of the other modular unit, and a hardened backing (e.g., concrete) is positioned on the back surface of the at least two modular units. Preferably, the first and second edge surfaces are ground in order to improve the surface contact between those two edge surfaces.

The above-described cast wall system can be produced by positioning the first edge surface of the one modular unit adjacent to the second edge surface of the other modular unit, compressing the first edge surface toward the second edge surface, and pouring a backing (e.g., concrete) on the back surface of the at least two modular units. Preferably, the method also includes grinding the first and second edge surfaces prior to compressing.

In another aspect, the invention provides an improved method of forming a cast wall system that is made up of at least two modular units, each modular unit having at least a first end and a second end, and each end having an edge surface. The method comprises positioning an edge surface of the first end of one modular unit adjacent an edge surface of the second end of the other modular unit, supporting the first end of the one modular unit and the second end of the other modular unit on a common rail, and pouring a backing (e.g., concrete) onto the modular units. In one embodiment, the common rail includes a base portion and an upright portion (e.g., a T-rail), and the step of supporting includes positioning the base portion on a support surface, and setting the first end of the one modular unit and the second end of the other modular unit on the upright portion. Preferably, the second end of the one modular unit and the first end of the other modular unit are supported on rails different than the common rail.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a tray and cast wall with a portion broken away.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a load-bearing modular unit shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the cast wall taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a close-up view of the cross-section of the cast wall shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of a cast wall with a portion broken away.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a first type of a load-bearing modular unit shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of a second type of a load-bearing modular unit shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of the cast wall taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 5 with a portion of the concrete removed for clarity.

FIG. 8 is a close-up view of the cross-section of the cast wall shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a section view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged end view of a T-rail used in the embodiment of FIG. 9,

FIG. 11 is a section view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a section view of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a veneered building panel, or a cast wall 10, embodying the present invention. The cast wall 10 includes load-bearing modular units 14, inserts 18 coupled to some of the modular units 14, and connection bars 22 extending between the inserts 18. The cast wall 10 can be either pre-cast, in which case the cast wall 10 is constructed off-site and then transported to the building site, or tilt up, in which case and the cast wall 10 is constructed on-site and tilted up into place. Whether the cast wall 10 is pre-cast or tilt up, the construction of the cast wall 10 is generally the same for both cases.

In constructing the cast wall 10, a frame 24 having the dimensions of the desired cast wall 10 is placed on a generally horizontal surface, such as the ground. The frame 24 can be constructed of many different of materials, including without limitation steel, wood, rigid plastic, and other types of synthetic or non-synthetic materials, and any blend or combination thereof. The frame 24 should be rigid to withstand any shear or normal forces that may be present once the modular units 14 are placed inside the frame 24 and the concrete backing is poured.

The modular units 14 illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 are constructed of concrete. However, in other embodiments of the invention, the modular units 14 can be constructed of various materials or combinations of materials, including brick or stone. Most of the modular units 14 have a common rectangular size like the unit shown in FIG. 2, but the cast wall 10 also includes smaller modular units 27 to facilitate the construction of a rectangular wall using a staggered pattern. Each modular unit includes a rear surface 26 and a front surface 28 that may include surface roughness or contours not present on the rear surface 26. The front surface 28 and the rear surface 26 are connected by four edge surfaces 30. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the edge surfaces 30 are smaller in area than the front surface 28 and the rear surface 26.

The edge surfaces 30 of the modular units 14 are qualified, or ground, to provide surfaces that will effectively mate with adjacent edge surfaces for transfer of loads. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the top and bottom edge surfaces 30 are ground so that they are substantially parallel to each other, and the side edges are ground so that they are substantially parallel to each other and perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces. Edge surfaces 30 that are not in contact with other surfaces can function properly without grinding. For example, the top edge 34 and left edge 38 of the modular unit 42 at the top left corner of the cast wall 10 may function properly without being ground.

The front surfaces 28 of the illustrated modular units 14 are commonly colored to provide a desired appearance. For example, the front surface 28 can be colored and textured to provide the appearance of brick, granite, and other building materials. The color of the modular units can be mixed throughout the modular units or, alternatively, can be at the surface only.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the front corners 29 of each modular unit 14 are chamfered to give the appearance of a mortar joint when abutted next to another modular unit 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the chamfering is accomplished by grinding the sharp corners, but the chamfering could also be molded into the modular unit 14 or formed in any suitable manner. When combined with surface coloring, the grinding operation will expose the underlying material, which is commonly a gray-colored concrete, resulting in the appearance of a mortar joint having a color different than the front surface 28 of the modular unit 14.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, a top row 46 and a bottom row 50 of modular units 14 of the cast wall 10 have a groove 54 formed in the rear surface 26. In other embodiments, variations in the location and amount of grooves 54 can occur. The groove 54 is precision ground into the modular units 14 and is toleranced square to the edge surfaces 30 of the modular unit 14. As illustrated in FIGS. 2-4, the cross-section of the groove 54 is rectangular with rounded ends 62. In other embodiments, the groove 54 can be square, cylindrical, oval, elliptical, triangular, or any other suitable shape.

The insert 18 includes a tongue portion 66, a stabilizer portion 70, and a receiving portion 74. The tongue portion 66 is dimensioned to fit securely into the groove 54. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the shape of the tongue portion 66 is cylindrical with rounded ends 78, similar to the groove 54. The illustrated tongue portion 66 is slightly smaller than the groove 54 to achieve a snug fit. The size of the tongue portion 66 can be the same as the groove 54 to yield a press-fit for insertion, or the size of the tongue portion 66 can be slightly larger than that of the groove 54 to yield an interference-fit, depending on the material of the insert 18. The insert 18 of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is metal. However, in other embodiments, the material of the insert 18 can include, but is not limited to steel, iron, ceramic, plastic or polymer materials, or a combination of such materials.

The stabilizer portion 70 is coupled to the tongue portion 66 and is designed to be positioned flush with the rear surface 26 of the modular unit 14 when the tongue portion 66 is inserted into the groove 54. The stabilizer 70 serves to inhibit excess bending of or torque on the insert 18 when the insert 18 is coupled to the connection bar 22. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the stabilizer 70 is generally flat, circular, and of a larger size than the receiving portion 74 and tongue portion 66. In other embodiments, the stabilizer 70 can be of a different shape, size, or thickness to inhibit bending or excess torque of the insert 18.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the receiving portion 74 of the insert 18 is cylindrical in shape and has a flat circular face 82 and a cylindrical edge 86. In other embodiments, the shape of the receiving portion 74 can be square, rectangular, oval, elliptical, triangular or any suitable shape. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, upper and lower apertures 90, 94 are present in the receiving portion 74. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the upper apertures 90 in the inserts along the top row 46 of modular units 14 are not threaded and the lower apertures 94 in the inserts 18 along the bottom row 50 of modular units 14 are threaded. The size of each lower aperture 94 is large enough to receive a first end 106 of a connection bar 22. The first end 106 of connection bar 22 is threaded to screw into the threaded lower aperture 94. A second end 114 of the connection bar 22 is not threaded and has a stopper 110. The stopper 110 is of a size larger than that of the upper aperture 90. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the stopper 110 is a threaded nut. In other embodiments, the stopper 110 can be welded or otherwise secured to the second end 114 of the connection bar 22. In other embodiments, both apertures 94, 90 can be threaded in opposite directions to provide insertion of a connection bar 22 having two threaded ends 106, 114 within the apertures 94, 90, respectively. Alternatively, both of the apertures 94, 90 can be smooth, while both ends 106, 114 of the connection bar 22 can be threaded with threaded nuts securing the connection bar 22 through the apertures 94, 90.

In constructing the cast wall 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, the modular units 14 with ground edge surfaces 30 are placed inside the frame 24 and arranged in staggered rows. The modular units 14 placed in the top row 46 and the bottom row 50 have grooves 54 for receiving the inserts 18. The inserts 18 can be placed in the modular units 14 prior to being placed in the frame. Alternatively, the inserts 18 can be placed in the grooves 54 of the modular units 14 after the modular units 14 have been arranged in the frame.

After the top row 46, bottom row 50, and middle rows 118 have been arranged in the frame, the connection bars 22 can be installed. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the first end 106 of the connection bar 22 is inserted through the aperture 94 in the insert 18 in the bottom row 50. The second end 114 of the connection bar 22 is inserted into the aperture 90 of the insert 18 in the top row 46 of modular units 14. The stopper 110 is connected onto the second end 114 of the connection bar 22, and the connection bar 22 is then rotated to engage the threads in the aperture 94. The connection bar 22 is rotated until a desired tension is achieved in the connection bar 22.

In embodiments wherein both ends 106, 114 of the connection bar 22 are threaded and both apertures 94, 90 are threaded, a first end 106 of the connection bar 22 is inserted into a first aperture 94 and the second end 114 of the connection bar 22 is inserted into a second aperture 90. Because the first aperture 94 is threaded opposite to that of the second aperture 90, when the connection bar 22 is rotated, both ends 106, 114 of the connection bar 22 will engage the respective threads and thereby tighten and compress the cast wall 10. In this embodiment, the connection bar 22 can be threaded partially into the inserts 18 before the inserts 18 are engaged with the grooves 54.

In other embodiments of the invention wherein both ends 106, 114 of the connection bar 22 are threaded and the apertures 94, 90 are not threaded, the first end 106 of the connection bar 22 can be inserted into a first aperture 94 independent from or simultaneously with the second end 114 of the connection bar 22 being inserted into a second aperture 90. Stoppers 110 can then be screwed onto the threaded ends 106, 114 of the connection bar 22 until the modular units 14 are compressed. Other methods of compressing the modular units 14 are available in alternative arrangements of the connection bar 22 and inserts 18.

After compressing the modular units 14 with the connection bar 22, concrete 88 is poured into the frame 24 and onto the back of the assembled modular units 24. The concrete 88 is evenly spread on the rows 46, 50, 118 of modular units 14. The concrete 88 sits for a time period until the concrete 88 is hardened to a desired drying point. The cast wall 10 can then be tilted up to be used as a structural building wall. It should be understood that any other suitable hardened backing can be used instead of concrete.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5-8. FIG. 5 illustrates a veneered building panel, or a cast wall 210, made up of load-bearing modular units 214 having a similar arrangement to the cast wall 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. Analogous to the cast wall 10 of FIGS. 1-4, the cast wall 210 of FIGS. 5-8 can be either pre-cast or tilt up in construction. The illustrated modular units 214 are constructed of concrete, but can be constructed of other materials or various combinations of material as described for the modular units 14 of FIGS. 1-4. The modular units 214 also have a similar shape, edge characteristics, corner design, and surface features as the modular units 14 of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. The cast wall can also include smaller modular units 227, similar to the smaller modular units 27, to facilitate the construction of a rectangular cast wall 210 using a staggered pattern.

The modular units 214 have chamfered edges 229 that are aligned with the chamfered edges 229 of the adjacent modular unit 214. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5-8, the chamfered edges 229 are squared off to form a rectangular chamfer. In other embodiments, the chamfered edges 229 can be round, oval, beveled, triangular, or square.

The chamfered edges 229 allow for a U-shaped chair, or riser 236, to be inserted into the chamfered edges 229. The riser 236 has two arms 240 that each fit within the chamfered edge 229 of a modular unit 214. A base portion 244 of the riser 236 rests on a flat surface 245 (e.g., the ground G) within a frame 252. As illustrated in FIGS. 7-8, a front surface 256 of the modular units 214 is not entirely smooth. The risers 236 allow for the modular units 214 to be at an equal height off the ground, or other flat surface, and aligned with one another during construction of the cast wall 210. The illustrated risers 236 include a solid base portion 244 that helps to capture any concrete that may leak between the joints and keep the concrete off of the casting deck. In an alternative embodiment, the base portion 244 can be semi solid.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5-8, the modular units 214 are arranged in the frame 224 similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. The modular unit 214 for insertion into a top row 246 or a bottom row 250 of the cast wall 210 is illustrated in FIG. 6A. The modular unit 214 has a horizontal groove 254 formed in a rear surface 226, similar to the groove 54 of the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-4. The horizontal groove 254 is precision ground to be parallel to the top and bottom edges 256. The modular unit 214 shown in FIG. 6A also has a set of vertical grooves 326, 330 formed in the rear surface 226 that extend perpendicular to the horizontal groove 254. The modular unit 214 (shown in FIG. 6B) used for middle rows 318 of the cast wall 210 also has vertical grooves 326, 330. One vertical groove 326 is located one-quarter of the length of the modular unit 214 in from a first parallel side edge 334 of the modular unit 214. The other vertical groove 330 is located one-quarter of the length of the modular unit 214 in from a second parallel side edge 338 of the modular unit 214. As shown in FIG. 5, when the modular units 214 are arranged into staggered rows, a top edge 342 of a first modular unit 346 contacts one half of a lower edge 350 of second and third modular units 354, 358. One vertical groove 326 of the first modular unit 346 is aligned with a vertical groove 330 of the second modular unit 354, and the other vertical groove 330 of the first modular unit 346 is aligned with a vertical groove 326 of third modular unit 358.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7-8, an L-shaped elongated beam 218 is inserted into the groove 254 of the top row 246 such that a first face 220 of the elongated beam 218 engages a bottom sidewall 221 of the groove 254. A second face 222 of the elongated beam 218 engages a back wall 223 of horizontal groove 254. Another elongated beam 218 is inserted into the bottom row 250 such that a first face 220 of the elongated beam 218 engages a top side wall 225 of the horizontal groove 254, and a second face 222 engages the back wall 223 of the horizontal groove 254. In other embodiments, the first face 220 of the elongated beam 218 can engage the bottom sidewall 221 and the second face 222 can engage the rear surface 226 of the modular units 214 of the top row 246. Likewise, for the bottom row 250, the first face 220 can engage the top sidewall 225 of the horizontal groove 254, and the second face 222 can engage the rear surface 226 of the modular units 214. With any arrangement of the elongated beam 218, adhesive (e.g., epoxy—not shown) can be added between any surface of the modular unit 214 and the elongated beam 218 to keep the elongated beam 218 from moving prior to concrete 288 being poured onto the rear surface 226 of the cast wall 210.

The elongated beam 218 has apertures 294 that are spaced to align with the grooves 326, 330. The apertures 294 are located on either the first face 220 or the second face 222 of the elongated beam 218, depending on which face 220, 222 is adjacent the grooves 326, 330. The apertures 294 are large enough to receive a first end 306 or a second end 314 of the connection bar 322. The first end 306 and second end 314 of the connection bar 322 are threaded and can be connected to a threaded nut 310. In other embodiments, variations in the connection between the elongated beam 218 and the connection bar 322 can exist as long as the construction allows for compression of the modular units 214 by the connection bar 322.

The cross-section of the connection bar 322 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7-8 is generally round. The vertical grooves 326, 330 for receiving the connection bar 322 are of a round shape, or a shape that can fully accommodate the round connection bar 322. In other embodiments, the shape of the connection bar 322 and grooves 326, 330 can vary. The horizontal groove 254 has a more squared shape to receive at least one face 220, 222 of the elongated beam 218. However, the horizontal groove 254 can be shaped in various ways to receive alternative shapes of the faces 220, 222 of the elongated beam 218.

In constructing the cast wall 210 of FIG. 5, the modular units 214 are arranged in the frame 224 in staggered rows 246, 250, 318. The too row 246 and bottom row 250 include the modular units 214 having the vertical and horizontal grooves 254, 326, 330 (shown in FIG. 6A), and the middle rows 318 include the modular units 214 having only the vertical grooves 226, 330 (shown in FIG. 6B). The connection bars 322 are placed in the aligned vertical grooves 326, 330 such that the first end 306 and the second end 314 of the connection bar 322 extend into horizontal grooves 254 of the top and bottom rows 246, 250. One of the elongated beams 218 is placed into the horizontal groove 254 of the top row 246 of modular units 214 such that the first end 306 of the connection bar 322 is received within the corresponding aperture 294 of the elongated beam 218. The second elongated beam 218 is placed into the horizontal groove 254 of the bottom row 250 of modular units 214 to receive the bottom end 314 of the connection bar 322 within the corresponding aperture 294 of the elongated beam 218. Other variations and sequences for constructing the cast wall 210 are possible.

Upon the connection bar 322 being fully inserted within the vertical grooves 326, 330 of the modular units 214 and into the apertures 294 in the elongated beams 218, the threaded nuts 310 can now be screwed onto the first or second ends 306, 314 of the connection bar 322 to cause the connection bar 322 to compress the modular units 214 together. When the modular units 214 are compressed by the connection bar 322 to the desired force, the cast wall 210 is ready for concrete 288 to be poured. The concrete 288 is not shown to be entering grooves 326, 330 of cast wall 210 in FIGS. 7-8 for purposes of clarity and viewing of the interaction between components of the assembled cast wall 210. However, in practice, concrete 288 will seep into the grooves 326, 330. The concrete 288 sits for a time period until the concrete 288 is at a specific drying point, similar to the cast wall 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. The cast wall 210 is then tilted up to be used as a structural building wall.

In should be understood that the vertical compression of the modular units structurally integrates the modular units as a structural component of the building wall, and further inhibits leakage of concrete between the top and bottom edges of adjacent modular units. The modular units can also be compressed in the horizontal direction in order to inhibit the leakage of concrete between the side edges of adjacent modular units. Because the side edges are precision ground, horizontal compression of the modular units will provide the desired seal to deter concrete leakage. The horizontal compression is not illustrated in the drawings, but can be performed in a manner similar to that described above for the vertical compression. For example, the horizontal compression can be performed using an apparatus similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 (with appropriate vertical slots formed in the modular units), and the vertical compression can be performed using the apparatus of FIGS. 5-8. Alternatively, the horizontal compression can be performed using a carpenter's pipe clamp engaging the side edges of each row.

In one embodiment, the horizontal compression is performed first, followed by the vertical compression. After the vertical compression is added, the apparatus for creating the horizontal compression can be removed. Due to the overlapping nature of the modular units, the vertical compression will maintain at least a portion of the horizontal compression. In this manner, only the apparatus that creates the vertical compression will be embedded into the concrete backing.

In a modification of this embodiment, a small vertical compression is applied first, followed by horizontal compression of each row (either simultaneously or sequentially). The horizontal compression of each row is strong enough to overcome the friction created by the vertical compression and move the units horizontally into intimate contact with each other. The horizontal compression is then removed, and the small vertical compression will hold the units in place. Concrete can then be poured into the back of the assembled units.

In another embodiment of the invention, the compression of the units can be performed by the frame 24. More specifically, the side rails of the frame can be designed to be movable so that a compressive force can be applied by the rails on the assembled units. For example, a pipe clamp can be applied to force the rails into contact with the units, or some other system (e.g., manual, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc.) can be used to move the rails and apply a compressive force to the units.

FIG. 9 illustrates a third embodiment of the present invention including a cast wall 400 having a mixture of split face blocks 402 and smooth face blocks 404 (for clarity, the blocks 402,404 are not shown in section) and a concrete backing 405. As with the previously-described embodiments, the system of FIG. 9 utilizes a frame 406 that forms the outer periphery of the cast wall 400. In addition, the illustrated system is design to work with modular units having ground edges.

The embodiment of FIG. 9 utilizes a compression system that applies a compressive force to the blocks. The illustrated compression system includes L-shaped beams 410 and threaded compression rods 412 (for clarity, the rod 412 is not shown in section). The L-shaped beams 410 fit into horizontal grooves 414 in the blocks, and one leg 416 of each beam 410 extends beyond the back surface 418 of the corresponding modular unit. The long leg 416 of each beam 410 is provided with a hole (not shown) that receives a compression rod 412, which positions the rod 412 slightly spaced from the back surface 418 of the modular units. This alleviates the need for the vertical grooves in the back surface of the modular units.

The embodiment of FIG. 9 further includes T-rails 420 in place of the riser 236 of the previous embodiment. Referring to FIG. 10, each T-rail 420 includes a base portion 422 having a width W1 of about 1.50 inches and an upright portion 424 having a height H of about 1.188 inches from the bottom of the base portion 422. The upright portion 424 of the illustrated T-rail 420 includes a narrow section 426 having a width W2 of about 0.19 inches and a wide section 428 having a width W3 of about 0.31 inches. Referring back to FIG. 9, a series of T-rails 420 are used to support the edges of the modular units. On each end of the wall 400 adjacent the frame 406, L-rails 430 are used to support the end of the top and bottom rows of modular units.

FIG. 11 shows the use of the compression system concept of the present invention with a more conventional cast brick system (for clarity, the concrete backing is omitted from FIG. 11). The illustrated system will produce a cast wall 500 having three rows of split face block 502 on the top, six rows of brick 504 in the middle, and one row of split face block 506 on the bottom (for clarity, the blocks 502,504,506 are not shown in section). The top three rows of block 502 are set up in the manner described above with respect to FIGS. 9 and 10. The rows of brick are set using a foam riser 508 that supports brides having brick snaps 510 to reduce concrete leakage between the bricks 504, as is known in the art. The bottom row of block 506 is supported on rails 512, but no vertical compression is applied. With the system of FIG. 11, the blocks 502,506 and bricks 504 can be integrated into the same wall, and the relative depths of the blocks 502,506 and bricks 505 can be adjusted by changing the heights of the rails 512 and the foam riser 508.

FIG. 12 illustrates application of some of the concepts of the present invention to a cast wall 600 that is formed upside down from the conventional manner. More specifically, in the embodiment of FIG. 12, the concrete 602 is poured into the frame 604 before the blocks 606 are set in place. The blocks 606 are then place right side up onto the concrete 602 with an appropriate compression system. In this embodiment, the threaded rods 608 (for clarity, the threaded rod 608 is not shown in section) of the compression system are accessible through tubes 610 that extend through holes in the sidewall of the frame 604 and engage the beams 612. Due to the close fit of the frame 604, the rods 608, the tubes 610, and the beams 612, only a small amount of concrete is likely to leak out of the holes in the frame 604.

Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a cast wall having a veneered surface that is load bearing and able to transfer compressive loads. The invention further provides a system for building a cast wall wherein the amount of concrete leaking between the modular units is reduced. In addition, the invention provides a rail system that supports the modular units while a backing is being poured. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A cast wall system comprising:

at least two modular units, each modular unit having a front surface, a back surface, and opposing edge surfaces, wherein a first edge surface of one modular unit is positioned adjacent to a second edge surface of another modular unit;

a compression system providing a force to compress the first edge surface of the one modular unit toward the second edge surface of the other modular unit; and

a hardened backing distributed on the back surface of the at least two modular units.

2. The cast wall system of claim 1, wherein the first edge surface is an upper edge surface and the second edge surface is a lower edge surface.

3. The cast wall system of claim 1 wherein the first edge surface is a left side edge surface and the second edge surface is a right side edge surface.

4. The cast wall system of claim 1, wherein the first edge surface comprises a ground surface.

5. The cast wall system of claim 1, wherein both the first and second edge surfaces comprise ground surfaces.

6. The cast wall system of claim 1, wherein the compression system includes a connection bar under tension.

7. The cast wall system of claim 6, wherein the connection bar comprises a threaded rod.

8. The cast wall system of claim 6, wherein the compression system further includes an elongated beam coupled to at least one modular unit and coupled to the connection bar.

9. The cast wall system of claim 1, wherein the hardened backing comprises concrete.

10. A method of forming a cast wall system, the cast wall system made up of at least two modular units, each modular unit having a front surface, a back surface, an upper edge surface, and a lower edge surface, the method comprising:

positioning a first edge surface of one modular unit adjacent to a second edge surface of another modular unit;

compressing the first edge surface of one modular unit toward the second edge surface of the other modular unit; and

pouring a backing on the back surface of the at least two modular units.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising grinding the first edge surface prior to compressing.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising grinding both the first and second edge surfaces prior to compressing.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising supporting a portion of each modular unit on a common rail.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein compressing includes forcing the modular units toward each other.

15. A method of forming a cast wall system, the cast wall system made up of at least two modular units, each modular unit having at least a first end and a second end, each end having an edge surface, the method comprising:

positioning an edge surface of the first end of one modular unit adjacent an edge surface of the second end of the other modular unit;

supporting the first end of the one modular unit and the second end of the other modular unit on a common rail; and

pouring a backing onto the modular units.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the common rail includes a base portion and an upright portion, and wherein supporting includes:

positioning the base portion on a support surface; and

setting the first end of the one modular unit and the second end of the other modular unit on the upright portion.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the common rail is a first rail, and wherein the method further comprises:

supporting the second end of the one modular unit on a second rail; and

supporting the first end of the other modular unit on a third rail.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the backing comprises concrete, and wherein the method further includes hardening the concrete.