STRUCTURAL ELEMENT
A structural element is disclosed that is shaped as at least one of a plank, a post, and a board. The structural element comprises a fiber reinforced ceramic cement body having at least an outer layer having a hardness and ductility suitable for receiving and holding a nail. Also disclosed is a structural element having a body at least partially shaped as at least one of a plank, a post, and a board. The body comprises at least an internal layer comprising fiber reinforced ceramic cement, and at least an external layer comprising a material suitable for receiving and holding a nail.
This document relates to structural elements, including structural elements shaped as at least one of a plank, post and a board.
BACKGROUNDWooden posts are susceptible to rotting, insect infestation, fire damage, and may leach hazardous treating chemicals into the environment. In addition, the strength of wood as a structural element is limited, and wood may fray or crack under heavy loads. Further, wood structural elements generally have a short lifetime after which they must be replaced in order to maintain structural stability.
Ceramic structural elements are typically brittle and tend to crack or break when a sufficient force is imparted unto them.
SUMMARYA structural element is disclosed that is shaped as at least one of a plank, a post, and a board. The structural element comprises a fiber reinforced ceramic cement body having at least an outer layer having a hardness and ductility suitable for receiving and holding a nail.
In some embodiments, the fiber reinforced ceramic cement body comprises magnesium oxide and a binder. In further embodiments, the binder comprises magnesium chloride.
In some embodiments, at least the outer layer of the fiber reinforced ceramic cement body comprises a filler.
Also disclosed is a structural element having a body at least partially shaped as at least one of a plank, a post, and a board. The body comprises at least an internal layer comprising fiber reinforced ceramic cement, and at least an external layer comprising a material suitable for receiving and holding a nail.
In some embodiments, the external layer comprises ceramic cement.
In some embodiments, the external layer has a hardness and ductility suitable for receiving and holding a nail.
In some embodiments, the fiber reinforced ceramic cement comprises magnesium oxide and a binder. In further embodiments, the binder comprises magnesium chloride.
In some embodiments, the external layer comprises ceramic cement and a filler.
These and other aspects of the device are set out in the claims, which are incorporated here by reference.
In some embodiments, the structural elements disclosed herein may be wood mimicking structures, which are longer-lasting, stronger, and cheaper than traditional wood products.
Embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures, in which like reference characters denote like elements, by way of example, and in which:
Immaterial modifications may be made to the embodiments described here without departing from what is covered by the claims.
Many structures employ structural elements made of wood, plastic, and metal, among other types of materials, in order to maintain shape and support weight and structure. Wood structural elements are typically cheap, and easy to obtain, but have limited strength and weather resistance. In addition, wood structural elements may be susceptible to infestations by insects, which may also weaken and destroy the structural element over time. Wood may be chemically treated to resist insects and weather, but, as these types of chemical treatment are often applied in the form of hazardous chemicals, such structural elements may pose an environmental hazard. However, wood has a pleasant aesthetic appeal. Plastic structural elements are less prone to environmental or insect degradation, but are far more expensive than wood, and often appear very different from wood aesthetically. Metal structural elements, such as steel structural elements, are extremely strong and durable, but are typically prohibitively more expensive than wood structural elements. Despite the high cost, in some instances steel structural elements may be required, as a wood structural element may not have the structural load capacity required to accomplish the desired goal. Further, steel structural elements may be susceptible to rusting, and may also have to be chemically treated in order to withstand various weather conditions. Steel structural elements by themselves may not have a pleasant aesthetic appeal, and may need to be painted or covered in order to appeal to the eye.
Structural elements will often form the backbone of a structure, such as by inclusion in the frame of a house, for example. In other cases, structural elements may stand alone, such as in the case of fence posts, where individual structural elements cooperate to define a fence surrounding a desired area.
Referring to
Referring to
Structural element 10 may further comprise a core 20. Referring to
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As illustrated in
Referring to
In some embodiments, outer layer 14 may comprise at least one pigment. In some embodiments, the external layer 18 may comprise at least one pigment. The at least one pigment may be, for example, ferric oxide pigments. Various pigments may be used, in order to give structural element 10 different colors, such as dark brown, natural, and red for example. Referring to
Referring to
The desired structural element 10 made may be, for example, a 3″×8′ round post (illustrated in
Referring to
The mixture of MgO, MgCl, and water may then be split up to make the various compositions of the, as desired, layers 14, 16, 18, 24, 26, and 28, and core 20, that may contain ceramic cement. Each layer in structural element 10 may have a different composition, such as for example a different percentage of filler, or a different type of ceramic cement. In other embodiments, the mixture may be used to make one composition that is used for each layer in structural element 10. Either way, if filler is required, filler is added to at least a portion of the mixture as desired. The filler may be, for example, ground fiber such as sawdust, straw, or wood fiber. As mentioned above, the filler may be ground into fine powder between 120-270 US standard mesh, for example. The amount of filler added to the mixture may be varied in order to achieve the desired level of hardness. In some embodiments, the filler will effectively soften the ceramic cement, making it more ductile in order to receive and hold a nail or staple, for example. In general, for some types of filler, if the percentage of filler exceeds 30%, the water resistance of the resulting ceramic cement may be negatively affected, and the material may not be stable.
The at least one pigment may be added to the mixture that will make up the external layer 18 and/or outer layer 14. However, the pH level may need to be approximately 7, or adjusted to approximately 7.
Referring to
The core 20, if made by ceramic cement, may be moulded in a fashion similar to the above described procedure prior to making the structural element 10.
Test Results
Flexural Testing. ASTM D195-05a modified. 3.0 mm/minute crosshead speed. Tests performed using a third point loading rectangular beam (modified) edge apparatus over a 1219 mm span. Test performed on round posts as received but calculations performed assuming rectangular dimension (using post diameter). Posts tested at full diameter as received. For round posts with two and six layers 24, the posts showed an average modulus of elongation of 3.77 and 8.34 GPa, respectively. Modulus of elongation refers to the deflection (amount of bend) for a given unit of load per area of material. For round posts with two and six layers 24, the posts showed an average modulus of rupture of 16.1 and 39.6 MPa, respectively. Modulus of rupture refers to the break strength of the material per unit area. The test method and equipment used was designed for evaluation of rectangular materials. Since the posts were in a round configuration, the reported strength values will have some degree of error since the modulus values are calculated using rectangular dimensions (with the diameter of the post being the width and depth of material). The results reported should still be valid for comparison of different post materials tested using the same sample configuration
Impact Testing. ASTM D6110-06 modified. Specimens cut approximately 13 mm×13 mm×125 mm long along the length of post. Test specimens cut from an area from ¼″ to ¾″ below the outer surface of the posts so as to allow segments of both mineral layers (of different composition) to be contained in the test specimens. No post core material was contained in the test specimens. No notching of specimens. 16 foot/pound pendulum and 100 mm span used for testing. For round posts with two and six layers 24, the posts showed an average impact resistance of 26±16.0 and 34.3±12.8 kJ/m2, respectively. Average impact resistance refers to the amount of energy required to break a given area of test material.
Tensile Testing. ASTM D638-03. 5.0 mm/minute crosshead speed. Test specimens cut from an area from ¼″ to ¾″ below the outer surface of the posts so as to allow segments of both mineral layers (of different composition) to be contained in the test specimens. No post core material was contained in the test specimens. For round posts with two and six layers 24, the posts showed an average modulus of elongation of 7.0 and 15.8 GPa, respectively. Modulus of elongation refers to the deflection (amount of stretch) for a given unit of load per area of material. For round posts with two and six layers 24, the posts showed an average maximum stress (break strength) of 11.3 and 88.5 MPa, respectively.
Compression Ratio. A structural element 10, shaped as a hollow post (illustrated in
Ceramic cement may refer to any type of ceramic material that is suitable for use in the structural elements 10 disclosed herein. Examples include structural, refractory, technical, earthenware, whiteware, porcelain, bone china, stoneware, clay-based, alumina or zirconia oxides, carbides, borides, nitrides, silicides, pottery, and glass-based ceramics. In further embodiments, ceramic cement refers to MgO-based ceramics, such as in the example disclosed herein.
At least one of external layer 18 and outer layer 14 may require a thickness suitable to receive a nail, in the event that the drive of a nail may fracture internal layers of more brittle material in structural element 10.
The structural element 10 disclosed herein is environmentally friendly, rot resistant, insect resistant, fire resistant, aesthetically appealing, and lasts far longer than traditional wood structural elements. Structural element 10 may be used like wood, allowing a user to nail, staple, cut and/or pound element 10 into the ground, for example. Structural elements 10 may be used in, for example, vineyards, homes and gardens, fences, and in commercial, industrial, and residential settings. Structural elements 10 may be made from natural earth mineral and fiber, and contain no toxic chemicals required for the preservation of the product. In addition, structural element 10 may not require painting, as the appearance of structural element 10 may be complete upon removal from the mould 32 (shown in
In the claims, the word “comprising” is used in its inclusive sense and does not exclude other elements being present. The indefinite article “a” before a claim feature does not exclude more than one of the feature being present. Each one of the individual features described here may be used in one or more embodiments and is not, by virtue only of being described here, to be construed as essential to all embodiments as defined by the claims.
Claims
1. A structural element shaped as at least one of a plank, a post, and a board, comprising:
- a fiber reinforced ceramic cement body having at least an outer layer having a hardness and ductility suitable for receiving and holding a nail.
2. The structural element of claim 1 in which the fiber reinforced ceramic cement body comprises magnesium oxide and a binder.
3. The structural element of claim 2 in which the binder comprises magnesium chloride.
4. The structural element of claim 1 in which at least the outer layer of the fiber reinforced ceramic cement body comprises a filler.
5. The structural material of claim 3 in which the filler comprises at least one of sawdust, straw, wood fiber, and particulate matter.
6. The structural material of claim 4 in which at least the outer layer comprises less than or equal to 30% by weight of filler.
7. The structural material of claim 4 in which the filler comprises a fine powder between 120 and 270 mesh.
8. The structural element of claim 1 in which the outer layer is water resistant.
9. The structural element of claim 1, further comprising a core.
10. The structural element of claim 9 in which the core is a hollow core.
11. The structural element of claim 10 in which the hollow core is formed within a tube of material.
12. The structural element of claim 9 in which the core comprises at least one of ceramic cement, wood, plant material, bamboo, paper, plastic fragments, and particulates.
13. The structural element of claim 1 in which the fiber reinforced ceramic cement body further comprises at least a fiber reinforced layer and a ceramic cement layer.
14. The structural element of claim 1 in which the fiber reinforced ceramic cement body comprises at least one of fiberglass and hemp.
15. The structural element of claim 1 in which the outer layer comprises at least one pigment.
16. The structural element of claim 1 further comprising a protective overlayer comprising at least one of plastic, rubber, hemp, and fiberglass.
17. The structural element of claim 1 in which the fiber reinforced ceramic cement body is cylindrical.
18. The structural element of claim 17 in which fiber within the fiber re-inforced ceramic cement body is formed in one or more tubular layers.
19. A structural element having a body at least partially shaped as at least one of a plank, a post, and a board, the body comprising:
- at least an internal layer comprising fiber reinforced ceramic cement; and
- at least an external layer comprising a material suitable for receiving and holding a nail.
20. The structural element of claim 19 in which the external layer comprises ceramic cement.
21. The structural element of claim 20 in which at least the external layer comprises a filler.
22. The structural material of claim 21 in which the filler comprises at least one of sawdust, straw, wood fiber, and particulate matter.
23. The structural material of claim 21 in which at least the ceramic cement comprises less than or equal to 30% by weight of filler.
24. The structural material of claim 21 in which the filler comprises a fine powder between 120 and 270 mesh.
25. The structural element of claim 19 in which the external layer has a hardness and ductility suitable for receiving and holding a nail.
26. The structural element of claims 19 in which the fiber reinforced ceramic cement comprises magnesium oxide and a binder.
27. The structural element of claim 26 in which the binder comprises magnesium chloride.
28. The structural element of claim 19 in which the external layer is water resistant.
29. The structural element of claim 19, further comprising a core.
30. The structural element of claim 29 in which the core is a hollow core.
31. The structural element of claim 30 in which the hollow core is formed within a tube of material.
32. The structural element of claim 29 in which the core comprises at least one of ceramic cement, wood, plant material, bamboo, paper, plastic fragments, and particulates
33. The structural element of claim 19 in which the internal layer comprises at least a fiber reinforced layer and a ceramic cement layer.
34. The structural element of claim 19 in which at least the internal layer comprises at least one of fiberglass and hemp.
35. The structural element of claim 19 in which the external layer comprises at least one pigment.
36. The structural element of claim 19 in which the external layer further comprises at least one of plastic, rubber, hemp, and fiberglass.
37. The structural element of claim 19 in which the body is cylindrical.
38. The structural element of claim 17 in which fiber within at least the internal layer is formed in one or more tubular layers.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 16, 2008
Publication Date: Dec 17, 2009
Inventor: THOMAS LAM (COQUITLAM)
Application Number: 12/140,046
International Classification: E04C 3/29 (20060101);