Concrete panel

Abstract

A building panel system includes a plurality of full size panels and half-size panels mountable to each other for building a wall. The panels each include a longitudinally extending rectangular parallelepiped elongate horizontal member. The full size and half-size panels have substantially equivalent height and depth dimensions. The full size panels each include a longitudinally spaced apart pair of vertically extending hollow pilaster columns formed on a rear face of the horizontal member. The pair is spaced apart so as to position each column of the pair towards opposite ends of the horizontal member. The half-size panels each include a single vertically extending hollow pilaster column formed on a rear face of the horizontal member. The pilaster columns extend vertically by the height dimension.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of modular wall construction, and in particular to improved wall forming panels which interlock by the use of vertically aligning hollow columns which, when concrete filled, form reinforced cores within the vertical columns.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The prior art is replete with the use of construction blocks forming walls. In the prior art, conventional brick and mortar construction of walls has now been joined by the use of hollow building blocks, whether formed as parallelepipeds or other curvi-linear shapes which allow for the construction of arcuately curved retaining walls and the like.

By way of example, applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 1,428,470 which issued Sep. 5, 1922, to Brainerd for a Wall Construction. Brainerd discloses the use of oppositely disposed dove-tailed channels and corresponding projections for use on elongated studs so as to provide an interlocking means adapted to be employed in building construction to rigidly unite various elements of the structure.

Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 1,578,861 which issued Mar. 30, 1926 to Squire for a Composite Wall and Method of Construction of Same. Squire discloses providing adjustable abutment members for adjustably mounting precast concrete panels onto pilings driven into the ground. Adjustment is provided by the use of oversized diameter apertures in the precast abutment members where the diameter of the aperture exceeds the diameter of the pilings thereby allowing the abutment members to be adjusted about the pilings to bring the members into accurate alignment and position.

Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,031 which issued Oct. 14, 1969, to Kelso for a Precast Concrete Body. Kelso discloses a precast concrete body having a configuration to form bulk heads, retaining walls, pilings and other similar structures, and utilizes a cross sectional shape having a relatively minimal volume of precast concrete. The pre-cast body may be joined with similar bodies in an end to end relation so as to form a piling or retaining wall. One embodiment is taught to be an enclosed equilateral triangle so as to define main side surfaces each inwardly curved to define concave surfaces. Openings are provided for reinforcing means such as cables or rods. A central opening is formed in the body.

Applicant is also aware of Canadian patent number 949,767 which issued Jun. 25, 1974, to Campbell for a Concrete Block Wall Panel. Campbell discloses a concrete block panel which includes a plurality of rows of concrete blocks where each block has flat top and bottom surfaces and inter engaging projections and recesses at opposite side edges thereof.

Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,707 which issued Apr. 30, 1991, to Nelson et al for a Retaining Block Module. Nelson discloses the use of a plurality of interlocking blocks to form a retaining wall, where each block includes at least one vertical side, a leg connecting means attached to a vertical side and a central passage way. In one embodiment the leg extended laterally from the body. A connecting means is formed on the end surface of the leg which interconnects with a leg connecting means located on the body. The block modules are positioned side by side and are interconnected in a horizontal row so that the horizontal rows of blocked modules may be stacked one above the other to provide the wall. The aligning of the central passageways on stacked block modules create a column space into which is poured concrete to form vertical concrete columns.

The applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,913 which issued May 18, 2004, to Saunders et al for a Block Wall System. Saunders discloses the use of a plurality of piers positioned at pre determined intervals. A pilaster is mounted on each of the piers. The pilasters are formed by vertically stacked masonry blocks that are attached to the corresponding pier by a reinforcing rod extending upwardly from the pier through a vertical mortarless void in the blocks. Courses of masonry blocks form wall panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention may be characterised in one aspect as providing a system for constructing a wall of building panels, each of the panels being elongated and adapted to stack in rows so as to form horizontal tiers in a vertically extended wall. Each panel has at least one hollow rearward projection on the rear face of the panel formed by a vertically extending hollow column or pilaster which extends vertically the entire height of the panel when the panel is laid horizontally in its operative orientation. The hollow vertical columns are aligned between panels in adjacent tiers so as to form hollow cavities' which extends the entire vertical height of the wall. Advantageously the panels are staggered between adjacent tiers. Once the plurality of tiers of the horizontal adjacent panels are constructed rigidly setting fill such as concrete is poured into the vertical hollow columns to thereby brace the wall once the fill sets.

Horizontal and vertical steel reinforcement bar is integrated into the precast panels. The reinforcing bar extends around, embedded in, the hollow columns or pilasters so as to form reinforced cages surrounding the fill columns. Horizontal reinforcement bar is also used to form lifting bars or lugs extending across the cavity in the vertical columns. Vertical reinforcement bars are inserted into the hollow vertical columns so as to reinforce the rigidly setting fill used to fill the vertical cavities in the columns.

It is one object of the present invention to provide such a system to replace for example poured-in-place concrete walls formed between constructed forms which are removed once the concrete walls have set, and to provide multiple structure reinforced concrete columns in a precast wall system that tie the precast wall components together, wherein staggering wall panels provides structural strength to entire wall system.

In summary then, the building panel system according to one aspect of the present invention may be characterized as including plurality of full size panels and half-sized panels mountable to each other for building a wall, wherein the full size panels include a longitudinally extending rectangular parallelepiped elongate first horizontal member having a first longitudinally length, and the half-size panels include a longitudinally extending elongate rectangular parallelepiped second horizontal member having a second longitudinal length.

The full size and half-size panels have substantially equivalent height and depth dimensions. The full size panels each include a longitudinally spaced apart pair of vertically extending first hollow pilaster columns formed on a rear face of the first horizontal member. The pair is spaced apart so as to position each column of the pair towards opposite ends of the first horizontal member. The columns extend vertically by the height dimension and are inset from opposite ends of the first horizontal member by a first inset distance from each opposite end of the first horizontal member,

The half-size panels each include a vertically extending second hollow pilaster column formed on a rear face of the second horizontal member. The second hollow pilaster column extends vertically the height dimension and is inset from the opposite ends of the second horizontal member by a second inset distance from each opposite end of the opposite end of said second horizontal member.

Advantageously, the pair of vertically extending first hollow pilaster columns are spaced apart by a third distance, where the sum of the first and second inset distances substantially equals said third distance.

The plurality of full size and half-size panels are adapted to be mounted side-by-side in horizontal tiers wherein the half-size panels are adapted to be mounted in staggered relation, staggered as between adjacent tiers. Anti-rotation plates may be provided for mounting so as to extend between adjacent half-size and full size panels to thereby inhibit rotation of the half-size panels relative to the full size panels.

The pilaster columns each define a vertical hollow cavity adapted for filling with rigidly setting fill. The horizontal tiers of adjacent the full size blocks, when staggered between adjacent tiers, are adapted to be staggered so as to vertically align the pilaster columns between adjacent tiers. The half-size panels are adapted to be staggered relative to the full size panels at alternating ends of the tiers so as to align the pilaster columns on the half-size panels with corresponding pilaster columns on the full size panels in adjacent tiers.

Elongate lifting lugs may be mounted in the pilaster columns as to extend across the cavities. The lugs extend, so as to cantilever lug ends of the lugs, rearwardly from the pilaster columns. The lug ends may be adapted to mount to stabilizing support means such as ground anchors for stabilizing the tiers during assembly of the tiers. The lugs may be substantially horizontal and positioned substantially medially along the height of each pilaster column.

In one embodiment each cavity has upper and lower portions which are each substantially in a frustoconical shape so that each cavity is formed as a substantially waisted shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is, in front elevation view, a full sized precast concrete wall panel according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2, in rear elevation view, the full size panel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is, in plan view, the full sized wall panel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is, in front elevation view, a half-sized precast concrete wall panel according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is, in rear elevation view, the half size wall of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view through a wall panel according to the present invention illustrating lifting rod location, joint grouting, and core fill.

FIG. 7 in, an cross sectional view, a wall panel showing a wall panel unit connection plate and fastening means for connecting a half size wall panel to a full size wall panel

FIG. 8 is sectional view of a completed wall according to the present invention serving as a retainer wall and illustrating a ground anchor anchoring the retaining wall into the surrounding earth.

FIG. 9 is, in perspective view, a building wall embodiment using the full sized and half size wall panels according to the present invention mounted on a concrete strip footing, illustrating how walls according to present invention are strengthened by the use of core fill forming parallel vertical reinforcing columns along the rear surface of the walls, and the staggering offset of arrays of half size and full sized panels forming the completed walls.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As seen in the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts in each view, a full size pre-cast concrete wall panel 8, which may in one embodiment have a longitudinal dimension of substantially eight feet and a height dimension of substantially two feet, and as better described below, includes an exterior face 10 on a front side of the wall panel 8, and on the reverse, rear face, a spaced apart parallel pair of concrete wall projections 10a. Rear wall projections 10a define vertical hollow cavities which extend the full height of the wall projections and wall panel. When a complete wall has been assembled using the wall panels according to the present invention, including full size wall panels 8 and half size wall panels 8a, the vertical hollow cavities extend in vertical columns aligned between adjacent wall panels The hollow vertical columns are filled, as better described below, with rigidly setting fill, for example cast-in-place reinforced concrete core fill 11.

On half inch diameter rigid lifting rods 12 are cast into precast concrete wall 12, and also into the corresponding wall projections 10a in half size precast wall panels 8a. Rods 12 extend laterally and substantially horizontally across the vertical hollow cavities of wall projections 10a. A distal end 12a of the lifting rods 12 extend cantilevered out from the exposed face of the wall projections 10a so as to extend substantionaly orthogonally from the back of the wall units. In one embodiment, each distal end 12a extends approximately 3 inches from the rear surface of the corresponding wall projection 10a so as to provide an anchor for temporary wall bracing (not shown). The temporary wall bracing may be used until core fill 11 has been poured into, so as to fill, the hollow cavities of wall projections 10a. Once the core fill has set, and the structural strength thereby added by the rigid vertical columns formed by the set core fill, the wall panels as assembled are stabilized so that the temporary wall bracing anchors and wall bracing may be removed.

Alignment stud anchors 13 are also cast into the precast wall panels during their manufacture. Alignment stud anchors 13 are used where half size wall panels 8a are installed adjacent to full size precast wall panels 8. Alignment stud anchors 13 align the half size wall panels 8a with the adjacent full size wall panels 8. For example, alignment stud anchors 13 prevent the half size wall panels 8a from rotating or twisting in a horizontal plane out of planer vertical alignment with the wall being constructed, where such rotation or twisting may be possible due to the half size wall panels 8a only having a single wall projection 10a and corresponding single column of core fill 11.

Alignment anchor plates 14 are employed to maintain the half size wall panels 8a in their co-planer alignment with the adjacent full size wall panel 8 during instillation of the wall panel. Fasteners 15, which may for example be one half inch diameter bolts and corresponding fastening nuts and washers, fasten the anchor plates 14b to the adjacent edges of a half size wall panel 8a on one side, and a full size wall panel 8 on the other, so that the anchor plate 14 ridges the joint between the wall panels. By way of example, anchor plate 14 may be eight inches long by three inches wide and be of ¼ inch steel plate. Wall caps 16, which are also precast, are installed along the top edge of the walls constructed of wall panels 8 and 8a. Wall caps 16 may be secured in place by the use of pin anchors and mortar as would be known to one skilled in the art.

Joints 17 between adjacent wall units 8, 8a, may be either filled with a concrete mortar or caulking. Mortar may be installed before or after the construction of the wall from wall panels 8, 8a. Caulked joints may be similarly installed. Alternatively, a combination of mortar and joints and caulked joints may be used. In colder climates, joints 17 in retaining walls may be left open to allow water drainage through the joints as would be known to one skilled in the art.

Reinforcing bars 18 provide reinforcing for core fill 11 within the vertically extending, hollow cavities in wall projections 10a. The reinforcing is installed down along the length of the cavity once wall panels 8, 8a are installed. The core fill 11 is used to fill the cavities around the reinforcing bars 18.

A conventional retaining wall anchor may be mounted to wall units 8, or 8a in wall 6 by, for example, drilling holes through the rear wall of wall projections 10a and mounting therethrough anchor rods 20 so as to secure by means of anchor plate 19, the rod to wall 6. The opposite end of rods 20 are secured by anchor units 21 as would be known to one skilled in the art. Plates 19 and anchor units 21 may be secured to the opposite ends of rods 20 by means of nuts 22 mounted onto the threaded ends of the rods.

In a preferred embodiment, retaining wall footings 23 are constructed before the construction of wall 6 by means of casting in place a strip footing 23 of concrete incorporating reinforcing bars 24. Footing 23 extends around the circumference of the walls 6 to be built of wall panels 8 and 8a.

As would be known to one skilled in the art, advantageously at the foot of the rear surface of wall 6, weeping tile or like drainage means 25 are mounted along the foot of the wall, for example held in place by means of a gravel berm, which provides additional drainage.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A building panel system comprising:

a full size panel and a half-size panel wherein said full size panel includes a longitudinally extending rectangular parallelepiped elongate first horizontal member having a first longitudinally length, said half-size panel including a longitudinally extending elongate rectangular parallelepiped second horizontal member having a second longitudinal length, said full size and half-size panel having substantially equivalent height and depth dimensions,

wherein said full size panel includes a longitudinally spaced apart pair of vertically extending first hollow pilaster columns formed on a rear face of said first horizontal member, said pair spaced apart so as to position each said column of said pair towards opposite ends of said first horizontal member, said columns extending vertically by said height dimension and inset from said opposite ends of said first horizontal member by a first inset distance from each said opposite end of said first horizontal member,

and wherein said half-size panel includes a vertically extending second hollow pilaster column formed on a rear face of said second horizontal member, said second hollow pilaster column extending vertically said height dimension and inset from opposite ends of said second horizontal member by a second inset distance from each said opposite end of said second horizontal member.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said pair of vertically extending first hollow pilaster columns are spaced apart by a third distance, and wherein the sum of said first and second inset distances substantially equals said third distance.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a plurality of said full size and half-size panel adapted to be mounted side-by-side in horizontal tiers wherein said half-size panels are adapted to be mounted in staggered relation, staggered as between adjacent said tiers.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising anti-rotation plates for mounting so as to extend between adjacent said half-size and full size panels to thereby inhibit rotation of said half-size panels relative to said full size panels.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said pilaster columns each define a vertical hollow cavity adapted for filling with rigidly setting fill, and wherein horizontal tiers of adjacent said full size blocks, when staggered between adjacent said tiers, are adapted to be staggered so as to vertically align said pilaster columns between adjacent said tiers.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said half-size panels are adapted to be staggered relative to said full size panels at alternating ends of said tiers so as to align said pilaster columns on said half-size panels with corresponding said pilaster columns on said full size panels in adjacent said tiers.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising elongate lifting lugs mounted in said pilaster columns across said cavities.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said lugs extend, so as to cantilever lug ends of said lugs, rearwardly from said pilaster columns, and wherein said lug ends are adapted to mount to stabilizing support means stabilizing said tiers during assembly of said tiers.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said lugs are substantially horizontal and positioned substantially medially along said height of said pilaster column.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein each said cavity has upper and lower portions and wherein each said upper and lower portion is formed substantially in a frustoconical shape so that each said cavity is formed as a substantially waisted shape.