Structural wall apparatuses, systems, and methods
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for a foundation wall.
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This invention is related to building construction, and more particularly to the construction of walls that may be prefabricated and may be foundation walls 302 or other walls that are positioned partially or fully underground.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONConcrete block and poured concrete foundation walls are thought to account for over 97 percent of existing building foundation walls. Most of the remaining 3 percent of foundation walls are thought to be constructed from precast concrete. Thus, there is thought to be a need for a cost effective multi-material wall that is designed to support earth and that may be prefabricated and quickly erected on a building site.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are employed to designate like components, are included to provide a further understanding of foundation wall apparatuses, systems, and methods, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, and illustrate embodiments of a foundation wall apparatuses, systems, and methods that together with the description serve to explain the principles of foundation wall apparatuses, systems and methods.
Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent according to the following description exemplified by the drawings, which are shown by way of example only, wherein:
Reference will now be made to embodiments of foundation wall apparatuses, systems, and methods, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Details, features, and advantages of the foundation wall apparatuses, systems, and methods will become further apparent in the following detailed description of embodiments thereof.
As used herein, a “foundation wall” refers to a wall that is positioned partially or fully underground. A “foundation wall” may comprise a portion or all of a basement wall, frost wall, garage wall, and/or other partially or fully underground wall. The foundation wall may include one or more components described herein with respect to foundation walls, such as, for example, support elements including foundations, footers, elements that secure or facilitate the securing of portions of the foundation wall to other structures, and/or elements that accommodate the inclusion of elements of a structure, such as, for example, doors, windows, driveways, brick and other facades, supports such as support beams, the extension of wiring or pipes through the foundation wall, and/or other elements.
Any reference in the specification to “one embodiment,” “a certain embodiment,” or a similar reference to an embodiment is intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such terms in various places in the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. References to “or” are furthermore intended as inclusive, so “or” may indicate one or another of the ored terms or more than one ored term.
Concrete block foundation walls are generally constructed using preformed masonry units assembled on site by masons or bricklayers. Poured concrete foundation walls are generally “poured” on site into a removable set of panels called forms. Both concrete block foundation walls and poured concrete foundation walls may include internal steel reinforcing bars to add tensile strength. Likewise, both of these types of foundation walls may be coated with a waterproofing layer or insulated. Both concrete block and poured concrete foundation walls, however, are thought to have significant drawbacks including a high cost and time consuming formation. Construction of such concrete block or poured concrete foundation walls during cold weather can also add significant delays and subsequent cost to the installation of these types of foundation walls, and temperatures near or below freezing can halt all work.
Unlike other components such as windows, lumber, and other building materials that are purchased on national accounts, concrete block and concrete foundation wall components are typically purchased from local installers, which can also cause their construction to be expensive.
Foundation walls may be constructed by pouring concrete into formwork that stays in place as part of the foundation walls. The formwork may be either an insulation component or hollow PVC sleeves. These foundation walls may take as long as two weeks to construct at the construction site, are typically more expensive, and offer few advantages.
Embodiments of foundation wall apparatuses, systems, and methods are described below. The foundation wall apparatuses, systems, and methods may pertain to a foundation wall, may be fully engineered, and may be factory built. The foundation wall apparatuses, systems, and methods may be included or employed in a basement of a residential building, light commercial building, and/or another structure. Embodiments may use readily available materials and manufacturing techniques to construct a foundation wall that may be partially or completely waterproof and internally insulated. Embodiments may meet all building codes and may be ordered to be custom fabricated, and installed in hours or days, rather than weeks. Embodiments may facilitate the building of a foundation wall for each specific building at regional assembly facilities. Each foundation wall or wall panel may be engineered and constructed to withstand both the axial load of the building in which it is installed and the transverse load of ground or other loads incident thereon.
The foundation wall 302 may be shaped such that it encloses a rectangular area or another shaped area. For example, the foundation wall 302 may be shaped with various angles or curves, as desired. In one embodiment, the foundation wall 302 in
The foundation wall 302 may, in various embodiments, be further or alternatively shaped to accommodate the inclusion of various building items, such as windows and doors. For example, the foundation wall 302 may be formed with openings 312 and 314 into which windows and window sills may be installed. The foundation wall 302 may also or alternatively be formed to surround an opening 316 into which a door and door sill may be installed.
The foundation wall 302, in one embodiment, includes first through fourth surfaces 320, 322, 324, and-326, respectively, which, in the embodiment illustrated in
The inner surface 324 may be formed for attachment of finish material, such as paneling, dry wall, or plaster to create a finished interior surface. Where a portion of the foundation wall extends through the interior 310 of the structure 300, the exterior surface may also be fitted for attachment of finish materials.
In the embodiment illustrated in
The studs 330 may also be dimensioned as desired. For example, in one embodiment, one or more of the studs 330 are each 8 feet, 2 inches long and have a rectangular cross section, such as shown in
Each stud 330 may comprise concrete and may be precast or extruded. The concrete may be, for example, a concrete composite. For example, each stud 330 may be a concrete/steel composite in which steel, such as steel reinforcement bar, is embedded or otherwise formed with the concrete. The steel may include one or more reinforcing elements, such as one or more vertically embedded reinforcing elements 332 that reinforce the stud 330. In one embodiment, the one or more reinforcing elements 332 are elongated, and may be cylindrical, or “rod” shaped. The one or more reinforcing elements 332 may comprise or consist of a metal, such as #3, #4, or #5 rebar, for example, and may be pretensioned to facilitate support of a compressive axial load to the one or more reinforcing elements 332.
In one embodiment, the one or more reinforcing elements 332 of the stud 330 protrude from the bottom surface 322. The protruding portion of each reinforcing element 332 may be formed with the foundation 304 and/or a footer element, such as the footer element 360 described below. The protruding portion or portions may facilitate carrying and transporting the stud 330 by hand or by other means.
The studs 330 may be spaced apart, as shown in
In another example, as shown in the embodiment of
The concrete portion 702 may have a stepped configuration, such that the foam layer 704 and/or nailer is set atop the lower step of the concrete portion 702. In one embodiment where the concrete portion 702 has a stepped configuration, the foam layer 704 may be not included or removed such that the lower step may be employed as a shelf for placement of brick fascia, for example. The corner support element 700 may also include one or more finishes and/or other layers, such as finish layers 368 and/or protective layer 366 described herein. The corner support element 700 may also be formed with an element that secures the corner support element 700 to the studs 330, such as an anchor bolt 708. The studs 330 may include apertures through which the anchor bolt 708 may extend, or the anchor bolt 708 may be formed with one or both of the studs 330 and the corner support element 700.
In the embodiment illustrated in
In another embodiment, as shown in
The foam layers 714 and 716 may be coupled with the concrete portion 712 with an adhesive, by mechanical connection such as a screw, or by another method. The foam layer 716 may provide flexibility of the foundation wall 302 when subject to external or internal stresses, and may reduce the weight of the corner support element 710 while retaining its corner shape. The concrete portion 712 may have a stepped configuration, such that the foam layer 714 and/or the foam layer 716 is set atop a lower step of the concrete portion 712. In one embodiment where the concrete portion 712 has a stepped configuration, the foam layer 714 may be not included or removed such that the lower step may be employed as a shelf, for example.
In another embodiment, as shown in
In one embodiment where the concrete portion 722 has a stepped configuration, the foam layer 724 may be not included or removed such that the lower step may be employed as a shelf or ledge, such as a brick ledge, for example. In another embodiment, the foam layer 724 may be included, but its top portion may be lower in height than the top portion of the concrete portion 722 such that the corner support element 720 has a stepped configuration. In either embodiment, brick ledge studs, such as the brick ledge studs 640 as described herein with respect to
The corner support element 720 may also be formed with an element that secures the corner support element 720 to the brick ledge studs 640, such as an anchor bolt 726. The brick ledge studs 640 may include apertures through which the anchor bolt 726 may extend, or the anchor bolt 726 may be formed with the brick ledge studs 640 and the corner support element 720.
In another embodiment, a corner support element, such as any described herein, may be an element such as a “U” or “V” channel or clip, either of which may be made, for example, with steel or another metal in sheet or other form. For example, as shown in
The footer element 360 may comprise compacted stone or concrete, may include reinforcing elements, such as one or more rods of #4 or #5 rebar, and may be configured to support and secure the foundation wall 302. The footer element 360 may, in one embodiment, be a continuous piece that extends along the foundation wall 302 near or below the bottom surface 322. In another embodiment, the footer element 360 may include pieces that may be formed or secured together, such as by a butt joint or lap joint or other connection, or may include spacing between one or more of the pieces. For example, the footer element 360 may comprise pieces that are 2.5 or 3 inches by 8 or 10 inches and are up to 20 feet in length. The footer element 360 may be contoured to have a footprint that conforms to the footprint of the wall 302. In one embodiment, the footer element 360 includes a channel the studs 330 may be inserted into.
The foundation wall 302 may be secured by its studs 330, with or without a footer element, near or through the bottom surface 322 of the studs 330. For example, one or more foundation anchor bolts 362 may be formed in or attached to one or more of the foundation wall 302 studs 330 and those foundation anchor bolts may be secured to the foundation. Alternately, one or more foundation anchor bolts 362 may be formed in or attached to the foundation such that they protrude through a footer element 360 portion of the foundation wall 302 to be secured thereto or such that they protrude into studs 330 of the foundation wall 302 to be secured thereto. The foundation anchor bolt 362 may be positioned, during production of the wall 302, footer element 360, or foundation 304, such that when one or more of the foundation wall 302, footer element 360, and foundation 304 is constructed, it or they are formed around part of the foundation anchor bolt 362. Alternately or in addition, the various components described herein may be coupled by way of brackets, welding, adhesives, or as otherwise desired.
In an embodiment where the footer element 360 is not formed around the foundation anchor bolt 362, the footer element 360 may be formed with holes that may each receive one or more foundation anchor bolts 362, which may be secured with a compression fit washer fit into the hole, for example. The hole may then be further or completely filled with a water resistant element. In an embodiment, a stud 330 includes a keyway that protrudes from its base, and may be integral with the stud 330, such as by casting the stud 330 and keyway together. In this embodiment, the footer element 360 may include a reverse keyway in which the keyway of the stud 330 may be inserted. Such a configuration may provide some resistance in stud 330 and wall 302 to an imposed shear load. The keyway of the stud 330 may include concrete and may be a concrete composite.
The footer element 360 may also be secured to the floor 306, such as with the floor anchor bolt 364. The floor anchor bolt 364 may positioned such that when each of the footer element 360 and floor 306 is formed, each is formed around part of the floor anchor bolt 364. For example, the footer element 360 may be formed around part of the anchor bolt 364, the footer element 360 may be positioned on-site as shown in
In another embodiment, the footer element 360 may be secured to the foundation 304 via a snap fit attachment. The embodiment of
The joining element 372 may be symmetrical such that the end portions 378 and 380 are identically shaped, or the joining element 372 may be asymmetrical.
The footer element 360 may be formed with the joining element 372. For example, the footer element 360 may have an end portion 378 of the joining element 372 inserted therein when the footer element 360 is cast. In one embodiment, the foundation 304 of
In another embodiment, the foundation wall 302 may be formed with the joining element 372, such as by forming the foundation wall 302, near its bottom surface 322 at a stud 330, around the end portion 376 of the joining element 372 such that the end portion 378 protrudes below the bottom surface 322 of the stud 330. In this embodiment, where the foundation 304 is formed with the mating element 374 such as described above, the foundation wall 302 may be secured to the foundation 304 via the joining element 372 and mating element 374, as described with respect to the footer element 360 and foundation 304, above. Multiple joining elements 372 (each formed with a stud 330) and multiple mating elements 374 may be formed in the foundation wall 302 and foundation 304, respectively. In this embodiment, the footer element 360 may not be included in the structure in which the foundation wall 302 is secured. In another embodiment, the footer element 360, instead of the foundation 304, may be formed with the mating element 374 such that the foundation wall 302 may be secured to the footer element 360 via one or more sets of joining and mating elements 372 and 374.
The joining element 372 and mating element 374 may be designed as desired. In one embodiment, the joining element 372 is an elongated member, and the mating element 374 is a channel that secures the joining element 372 therein. For example, one or more studs 330 of a foundation wall 302 may each be formed with a joining element 372 that is a rod-shaped elongated member that protrudes below the bottom surface 322 of the stud 330. In this example, the footer element 360 may be formed with a mating element 374 that is a channel into which the rod-shaped elongated members may be inserted and secured. The elongated member and channel may be made of any desired materials, such as PVC or another polymer, or metal.
The foundation wall 302 may include a component that insulates the foundation wall 302. Returning to the
The foundation wall 302 may include a protective layer that may provide protection from backfilling operations and the weather and other elements, and may partially or fully waterproof the foundation wall 302. In the
In one embodiment, the protective layer 366 is positioned such that it comprises some or all of the outer surface 326 and some or all of the bottom 322 of the foundation wall 302. In an embodiment that includes a footer element 360, the protective layer 366 may comprise some or all of the outer surface 326 of the foundation wall 302 and may surround some or all of the footer element 360. In either embodiment, the protective layer 366 may further extend such that it comprises a portion of the inner surface 324 of the foundation wall 302, and may further extend out from the inner surface 324 and couple with another element, such as with the floor 306 in which case the floor 306 may be poured around the portion of the protective layer 366 extending out from the inner surface 324. In either embodiment, the protective layer 366 may prevent some or all water or other liquid or gas that contacts it from penetrating it, and thus penetrating the foundation wall 302 and/or entering the interior 310 of a structure in which the foundation wall 302 is included, such as the structure 300.
In an embodiment in which one or both of the anchor bolts 362 and 364 are included, the protective layer 366 may include one or more holes or other apertures through which the one or both anchor bolts 362 and 364 may extend. In an embodiment in which the one or more reinforcing elements 332 of the stud 330 each protrudes from the bottom surface 322 of the stud 330 as described above, the protective layer 366 may include a hole or aperture through which each protruding portion of the reinforcing element 332 may extend.
In the
In the
In one embodiment, each stud 330 includes along its outer surface 422 a channel 426 that extends some distance between the bottom surface 322 and the top surface 320 of the foundation wall 302. The channel 426 may be integrally formed, such as by casting, with the stud 330. In this embodiment, a portion of each of the two stud coupling elements 420 adjacent the stud 330 is inserted into and secured in the channel 426, such as by interference fit and/or by spot welding the two stud coupling elements 420 together at one or more positions along the channel 426. In one embodiment, the channel 426 includes a channel insert, which may be a material positioned adjacent the wall of the channel 426 to facilitate securing portions of the two stud coupling elements 420.
Each stud coupling element 420 may further or alternatively have a curved configuration. For example, as shown in
In one embodiment, each stud coupling element 420 extends from near or at the top surface 320 of the foundation wall 302, such as shown in
Each stud coupling element 420 may include one or more layers that are shaped and configured within the foundation wall 302 as described above, and may include a material such that the stud coupling element 420 provides structural support to the foundation wall 302 for one or more compressive and/or shear loads, that may be provided by a structure above the foundation wall 302 such as a first floor, a lateral and/or shear load, such as provided by earth pressing against the outer surface 326 of the foundation wall 302, elements such as wind, and/or other matter and forces in space 328 exterior to the foundation wall 302. The material each stud coupling element 420 comprises may be an amount and type of material that may provide such structural support. In one embodiment, this layer includes a thin layer of light gauge galvanized steel. In another embodiment, this layer includes a plastic. The layer may have a thickness such that the stud coupling element 420 will provide a desired structural support to the foundation wall 302.
In one embodiment, an interior steel skin (not shown) is included in the foundation wall 302 and extends along the wall near the inner surface 324 or outer surface 326 to provide additional structural support to the foundation wall 302.
In one embodiment, the foundation wall 302 includes insulating material, such as one or more wall insulating elements 440 illustrated in
The foundation wall 302, in one embodiment, does not include material in some or much of the space between the stud coupling elements 420 and the inner surface 324 of the foundation wall 302, such that this area without material may be used as a mechanical chase 442. In another embodiment, each stud 330 is shaped to delineate one or more apertures 444 that extend through the stud 330. In this embodiment, wires, cables and/or other elements may extend through the interior of the foundation wall 302 in the mechanical chase and threaded the elements through the one or more apertures 444 of each stud 330.
As described above, a foundation wall, such as the foundation wall 302 or foundation wall 902, may have various shapes and configurations. The foundation wall 302 may include portions that include studs, legs, and sills having different sizes, shapes, and configurations to accommodate various constructions and structural loads of a structure, such as described below with respect to
A window leg, such as the window leg 610, may be included in a foundation wall 302 for supporting a window positioned within, near, or adjacent the wall. The window leg 610 may be dimensioned, for example, with a length of 5 feet, 8.5 inches or 6 feet, 8.5 inches, and may have a cross section such as described with respect to the stud 330, or another dimension.
The window leg 610 may be included in the foundation wall 302 in a configuration such as shown in the embodiment of
A window sill 614, which may be configured with concrete and one or more reinforcing elements like a stud 330 but with a length spanning the spacing between the studs 330 of
As shown in
Returning to
The beam pocket leg 620 may be included in the foundation wall 302 in a configuration such as shown in the embodiment of
The beam pockets 622 may each include a beam pocket sill 624, which may be configured like a stud 330 but with a length spanning the spacing between neighboring studs 330 as illustrated in
The stud 330, beam pocket leg 620, and beam pocket sill 624 may be configured such that the beam pocket sill 624 is secured to the studs 330 and beam pocket leg 620, the studs 330 are secured to the header 400 or sill plate 402, and the studs 330 and beam pocket leg 620 are secured to the footer element 360 or the foundation 304. The stud 330, beam pocket leg 620, and beam pocket sill 624 may be secured in any way described herein, such as by including apertures through which anchor bolts or screws may extend, by use of brackets, or in another way.
As shown in
In another embodiment as shown in
A door leg 630, as illustrated in
A brick ledge stud 640, also illustrated in
In one embodiment as shown in
A frost wall stud 650, as illustrated in
Each of the studs and legs 530, 600, 610, 620, 630, 640, and 650 may include, in various embodiments, one or more elements and/or characteristics described herein with respect to the stud 330, such as, for example, concrete as one material included in the stud; one or more reinforcing elements, such as one or more reinforcing elements 332, sized for the stud or leg; one or more securing elements such as an anchor bolt 362 or a snap fit attachment 370 for securing the stud or leg, such as to a foundation, footer element, or floor, and one or more other elements, such as a header, sill, other stud, and/or other leg.
These elements and/or characteristics may be designed or modified as desired, and characteristics described herein may be formed in or used with other elements of a foundation wall, such as the foundation wall 302 or 902 described herein. For example, as shown in the embodiment of
In another example, as shown in the embodiment of
In another embodiment, a foundation wall or portion thereof as described herein is employed as an above ground wall or other wall that is not a foundation wall.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternations would be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. For example, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that, although the present invention is described primarily with respect to the construction of a residential home building, the composite foundation walls of the present invention can be used for commercial building construction as well. Accordingly, the particular arrangements, apparatuses, systems, and methods disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A foundation wall, comprising:
- two studs that each comprise concrete; and
- a stud coupling element in sheet form, the stud coupling element extending between the two studs.
2. The foundation wall of claim 1, wherein the two studs each further comprise a channel and the stud coupling element further comprises a first end and a second end, the first and second ends each secured by one of the two studs.
3. The foundation wall of claim 2, wherein the two studs each further comprise a channel and the first and second ends of the stud coupling element are each secured within the channel of one of the two studs.
4. The foundation wall of claim 1, further comprising first through fourth surfaces, the fourth surface comprising a protective layer.
5. The foundation wall of claim 4, wherein the protective layer comprises polymer.
6. The foundation wall of claim 5, wherein the polymer comprises a heavy duty polymer.
7. The foundation wall of claim 4, wherein second and third surfaces comprise the protective layer.
8. The foundation wall of claim 4, further comprising a wall insulating element that is disposed between the stud coupling element and the protective layer.
9. The foundation wall of claim 1, further comprising a wall insulating element.
10. The foundation wall of claim 1, wherein the stud coupling element comprises steel.
11. The foundation wall of claim 1, wherein the stud coupling element comprises polymer.
12. The foundation wall of claim 1, wherein the stud coupling element comprises wood.
13. The foundation wall of claim 1, the stud coupling element further extends along the first surface of each stud.
14. The foundation wall of claim 13, wherein the studs each comprise a side surface that faces the interior of the foundation wall, the stud coupling element further extending along each side surface.
15. The foundation wall of claim 1, wherein the stud coupling element is positioned upright and further extends at least partway between the first and second surfaces of the foundation wall.
16. The foundation wall of claim 1, wherein the stud coupling element is positioned upright and extends substantially straight between the two studs.
17. The foundation wall of claim 1, wherein the stud coupling element is positioned upright and extends between the two studs along a curve.
18. The foundation wall of claim 1, wherein the stud coupling element is positioned upright and is bent between the two studs.
19. The foundation wall of claim 18, wherein the stud coupling is bent between the two studs in a “V” shape.
20. The foundation wall of claim 1, wherein the stud coupling element is notched between the two studs.
21. The foundation wall of claim 1, further comprising first through fourth surfaces and a footer element, the footer element coupled with the two studs.
22. The foundation wall of claim 1, wherein the two studs are reinforced.
23. The foundation wall of claim 1, further comprising a corner support element that is coupled with one of the two studs.
24. The foundation wall of claim 23, wherein the corner support element includes a foam portion.
25. The foundation wall of claim 1, further comprising a third stud, the third stud coupled with one of the two studs.
26. A structure comprising a foundation wall, the foundation wall comprising:
- two studs; and
- a stud coupling element, the stud coupling element extending between the two studs and being secured to the two studs.
27. The structure of claim 26, wherein the foundation wall further comprises a top surface, bottom surface, inner surface that faces an interior portion of a structure, and an outer surface that faces space exterior to the structure, the outer surface comprising a protective layer.
28. The structure of claim 27, wherein the bottom surface of the foundation wall comprises the protective layer.
29. The structure of claim 27, wherein the top surface of the foundation wall comprises the protective layer.
30. The structure of claim 27, further comprising a wall insulating element disposed between the outer surface of the foundation wall and the stud coupling element.
31. The structure of claim 26, wherein the two studs each comprise a ledge.
32. The structure of claim 31, wherein the structure comprises a brick facade supported by the ledges of the two studs.
33. The structure of claim 31, wherein the structure comprises a garage that includes a garage foundation, a portion of the garage foundation supported by the ledges of the two studs.
34. The structure of claim 26, wherein the structure is a house.
35. The structure of claim 26, wherein the structure is a commercial building.
36. A foundation wall, comprising:
- first and second studs;
- a leg positioned between the first and second studs; and
- first and second stud coupling elements, the first stud coupling element extending between the first stud and the leg, and the second stud coupling element extending between the second stud and the leg.
37. The foundation wall of claim 36, further comprising a sill extending between the first and second studs.
38. The foundation wall of claim 36, wherein the leg is a window leg for supporting a window positioned within the foundation wall.
39. The foundation wall of claim 36, wherein the leg is a beam pocket leg for supporting a support beam.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 7, 2005
Publication Date: May 11, 2006
Applicant:
Inventors: Clark Martens (East Aurora, NY), David Martens (Pittsburgh, PA)
Application Number: 11/268,954
International Classification: E02D 27/00 (20060101);