Short title: Method of manufacturing prefabricated building components, prefabricated building components, method of constructing a dwelling from building components of this kind and a dwelling
The invention relates to a method of manufacturing prefa¬ bricated building components or prefab components for constructing a building, such as a dwelling. The invention also relates to a prefabricated building component for constructing a building, such as for example a dwelling, which building component is manufactured from a hardening building material, such as for example concrete. The inven¬ tion furthermore relates to a method of manufacturing a building, for example a dwelling, from prefabricated buil- ding components or prefab components, such as for example roof components, floor components or cladding units, which, for example, are provided with a door or window opening, which building components are manufactured from a hardening building material, such as concrete. Finally, the invention relates to a dwelling built from prefabricated building components made of a hardened building material, such as for example concrete.
Prefabricated building components or prefab building compo- nents are generally known, such as for example clamping panels, floor slabs or roof parts, for building dwellings or commercial and industrial buildings, for example. In this case, standard building components are, as far as possible made by machine in large numbers at a central work station. After manufacture, they are transported in the quantities required to the building site, where they are generally attached to a concrete skeleton or supporting structure. The fastening of the building components, both to one another and to the supporting structure, is comple- ted and sealed with the aid of cement, for example. This makes it possible to build quickly and economically.
A disadvantage of the known building systems using prefab
building components is that the building components gene¬ rally have to be attached to a supporting structure which cannot itself be prefabricated and does not comprise stand¬ ard components which have been manufactured in advance. Since the separate building components have to be fastened to one another in a secure and durable manner, and the seals between the building components have to be finished well, finishing work on a building to be built in this manner is consequently relatively labour-intensive.
Another disadvantage of the existing building methods using prefab components is that these methods lend themselves less well to use in the less industrialised developing countries. In these countries, there are few, if any, factories which are able to manufacture these prefabricated building components. The building sites at which the dwel¬ lings are to be erected are often situated a long way away from the factories where the prefab components have to be manufactured. The building components then have to be transported over great distances, making the transport costs per dwelling to be built high. In addition, the personnel who have to be used in these countries often have little training and are nor specialised. It will therefore not be possible to attach and fasten the building compo- nents and finish the dwelling built in a quick and effi¬ cient manner. Also, the means available to builders in these countries are generally limited, both in quantity and in quality.
Systems have been proposed, for example in French Patent
Application 2,139,755, for building rapidly and economical¬ ly using prefabricated building components, the building components being provided at the side edges with a dove¬ tail-shaped fastening groove. Two building components can be coupled to one another with the aid of a key, which can be pushed so as to fit into two fastening grooves placed next to one another.
A disadvantage of this known system is that the building
components have to cons ist , for example , of wood or plas¬ tic , s ince otherwise , f or example in the case of concrete , the key cannot easily be arranged in the fastening grooves , owing to the increased friction , and since the key is unable to press building components made of non-resilient materials against one another so that they are suff iciently airtight . These known systems are consequently not suitable for , for example , housebuilding .
The object of the invention is a method with which a dwel¬ ling can be manufactured from prefabricated standard buil¬ ding components in a rapid, s imple , economic and ef f icient manner , it being possible to use durable , weather-res istant materials , with a minimum of transport means and speciali- sed labour .
This object is achieved by a method according to the inven¬ tion in which first of all profiles are manufactured having an open side and an internal cavity which is narrower at the open side of the profile than internally; after which a formwork, which delimits a space which is to be filled by pouring, is positioned; after which profiles are placed inside the formwork along its sides, the open side of each profile facing away from the space which is to be filled by pouring; af-.er which a hardening building material, such as for example concrete, is introduced into the formwork. By means of this measure, the building components manufactured in this way can be connected in a very simple and rapid yet strong manner, for example by pushing a key so as to fit into two recesses, placed next to one another, of two building components placed next to one another, while the building components themselves are manufactured from a durable building material. The building components can be manufactured and fastened to one another in a simple man- ner.
Preferably , after the profiles have been placed in the formwork , reinforcement elements are clamped or suspended between the profiles . The reinforcement strengthens the
building components considerably. Fastening the reinforce¬ ment to the profile parts makes it easy to arrange the reinforcement, with the profiles correctly in the formwork in advance.
The object of the invention is furthermore achieved by a building component made of concrete or a similar material which is provided at at least one of the edges with a recess, which is wider internally than near the outer surface of the building component, which recess is formed by a profile with an open side which has been poured or cast into the building component. Building components of this kind can be coupled to one another in a simple manner with the aid of, for example, a key fitting into two reces- ses placed next to one another. Preferably, the building component is manufactured from a lightweight concrete or cellular concrete. Due to the light weight, the building components can easily be transported in large quantities, even over relatively great distances, and it is considera- bly simpler to arrange the building components at the desired location. The profiles are. preferably manufactured from a smooth plastic, so that the keys can be pushed into the recesses easily and with little friction resistance. Furthermore, the profiles preferably comprise projections or ribs which are anchored in the concrete.
Furthermore, the object of the invention is also achieved by means of a method of manufacturing a building, such as a dwelling, from prefabricated concrete building components, in which profiles with an open side are cast or poured near the edges, the profiles each enclosing a recess which is narrower at the outer surface of the building component than internally, and in that a foundation plate is arran¬ ged, which foundation plate is provided with upwardly directed recesses which are narrower near the outer surface than internally, after which building components are placed on the foundation plate such that the recesses adjoin the recesses in the foundation plate, and two adjacent building components are placed against one another, with the reces-
ses directed towards one another, and in that keys are pushed so as to fit into two recesses placed against one another, after which other building components required, such as roof components, are attached. Building can be carried out rapidly and simply by means of personnel with little or no training and using simple means, it being possible to produce a relatively large number of dwellings and other buildings in a short time.
Preferably, the keys are made of a smooth material, such as plastic, and they are provided with ribs. This facilitates the introduction of the key into the recesses.
Preferably, before the keys are pushed into the recesses, sealing elements, such as for example rubber strips, are attached to the middle of the keys. As a result, the buil¬ ding components can be fastened to- one another in a water¬ tight manner.
In an alternative embodiment, the recess runs over part of the longitudinal direction of the edge of the building component and the space between the building components and the recesses being filled with hardening building material, such as for example concrete. In this case, the key has to be arranged only over a short distance. The connections between the building components which are obtained in this manner are extremely robust. In this case, the key is preferably a hollow figure-of-eight profile, for example made of a hard plastic, and in that the key being filled with a hardening building material, such as for example concrete, at the same time as the space between two adja¬ cent building components.
Finally, the object of the invention is also achieved by means of a dwelling, built from concrete building compo¬ nents which are connected together with the aid of keys, which are pushed so as to fit into recesses in the building components, which recesses are enclosed by open-sided profiles cast or poured into the building components.
A dwelling of this kind can be built easily, rapidly and efficiently by untrained and inexpensive labour forces. A dwelling of this kind can also be demolished or altered for example to suit changing requirements, of the occupant, in a simple manner. Damaged or weathered building components can be replaced easily.
The invention will be explained in more detail with refe¬ rence to the drawings, in which: Figure 1: shows a dwelling manufactured from prefabrica¬ ted building components according to the in¬ vention; Figure 2: shows a connection between two prefabricated building components according to the inven- tion;
Figure 3: shows a connection between a floor slab and a cladding unit; Figure 4: shows a floor slab for a dwelling according to the invention; Figure 5: shows a connection between a roof component and a cladding unit; Figure 6: shows a connection between two roof components and a ridge; Figure 7: shows another possible connection between two building components according to the inven¬ tion; Figure 8: shows a third possible connection between two building components according to the inven¬ tion.
Figure 1 shows a dwelling 1, which is built from prefabri¬ cated building components 2, such as cladding units 3 and roof components 4. The cladding units 3 may be provided with windows 5 or doors 6. The dwelling 1 is placed on a floor slab or foundation plate 7. The roof components 4 lie on a ridge beam 8.
Figure 2 shows how two building components 2 are fastened together. The building components 2 comprise concrete slabs
9, a profile 10 being arranged near the edges. These profi¬ les each comprise a recess 11. These recesses 11 are wider internally than near the surface of the building components
2. The recesses 11 are placed against one another and form a more or less diabolo-shaped or dovetail-shaped cavity. A key 12 is pushed into the two recesses 11. In order to be able to be pushed into the recesses 11 easily, the key 12 is provided with ribs 13, so that the frictional surface is minimal. Since the key 12 is made of a slightly resilient material and since the key 12 is pushed so that it fits accurately into the recesses 11, the building components 2 are pressed against one another by the resilience of the key 12.
The profiles 10 which enclose the recesses 11 are provided at their closed end with ribs 14. These are fastened, for example by means of clamping force, to a beam 15, to which a reinforcement 16 is fastened. This reinforcement may, for example, consist of a fabric of glass fibres, aramid fibres or other fibre reinforcement, but may also consist of conventional steel reinforcement.
In the centre, the key 12 is provided on both sides with a groove 17. A covering strip may be pushed into the groove for the purpose of sealing or covering the gap between two building components 2.
Figure 3 shows in detail a cross-section of a connection between a cladding unit 3 and a foundation or floor slab 7. The connection corresponds to the connection according to Figure 2. The foundation plate 7 and the cladding unit 3 are both provided with a more or less dovetail-shaped recess 11, which are arranged in line with one another and form a more or less diabolo-shaped cavity, into which a key 12 is pushed. The recess 11 in the foundation plate is arranged in the bottom of a rectangular recess 18. This recess 18 is wider than the thickness of the cladding unit
3. The space between the cladding unit 3 and the foundation 7 is filled with an amount of, for example, concrete 19, so
that a strong connection is produced.
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a corner of a founda¬ tion plate 7, two grooves 18, with' a recess 11 in each, intersecting one another.
Figure 5 shows the connection between a roof component 4 and a cladding unit 3 by means of a purlin or wall plate 19. The wall plate 19 is provided on its underside with a rectangular recess 20, in which the top end of the cladding unit 3 is received. The top part of the wall plate 19 runs obliquely at the same inclination as the inclination at which the roof component 4 is to be positioned. Furthermo¬ re, the wall plate 19 is provided at the oblique top side with a likewise rectangular recess 21.
A block 21 has been pushed into the recess 11 in the top edge of the cladding unit 3, in which block a bolt 22 is fastened. This bolt 22 runs straight through the wall plate 19 via an opening 23. The wall plate 19 is secured with the aid of a nut 24. After the nut 24 has been screwed tight, the top part of the bolt 22 is bent into a position which is perpendicular to the angle of inclination of the top side of the wall plate 19. The roof component 4 is then attached, the top part of the bolt 22 projecting through the roof component 4 via an opening 25. The roof component 4 is then secured with the aid of a nut 26.
Figure 6 shows how the roof components 4 are fastened to the ridge beam 8 with the aid of bolt connections 27.
Figure 7 shows an alternative possibility for connecting prefabricated building components 2 according to the inven¬ tion. In the centre of their side edges, the building components 2 comprise recesses 11 delimited by profiles 10. A column 28 comprising a profile made, for example, of plastic is placed between the two building components 2. This column 28 comprises a fastening groove 29, which corresponds to the fastening grooves 11 of the building
components 2, on all four sides. The profiles 10 are con¬ nected, with the aid of snap-in connections 30, to a rein¬ forcement 16 which is clamped between the profiles 10 of each building component 2. The building components 2 are connected to the column 28 with the aid of a diabolo-shaped key 12, which on one side is pushed into the recess 11 of a building component 2 and on the other side is pushed into the recess 29 in the column 28. One of the keys 12 compri¬ ses three parts 31, 32, 33. The centre part 31 is pushed in last and may, for example, be slightly wedge-shaped. This makes it easy to push in the key.
Yet another possible connection between two prefabricated building components according to the invention is shown in Figure 8. In this figure, the side edges of two building components are shown in cross-section, at a considerably distance from the corners . The recesses 11 surrounded by the profiles 10 do not run over the entire length of the side edges of the building components 2, but are only arranged in the region of the corners. Between the corners, the side edges of the building components 12 comprise a U- shaped recess 34. A key 35 which is of more or less figure- of-8 shape and has internal spaces 36, and is made for example from a plastic which holds together the two buil- ding components 2, is pushed into the recesses 11. The gap which exists between the two building components 2 is sealed with the aid of sealing elements 37. The recesses 11, 34 and the internal spaces 36 of the key 35 are then filled by pouring or casting with a joining agent, for example concrete.