WO2014193312A1

WO2014193312A1 - Process of installing a load-bearing wall with bilateral thermal insulation

Info

Publication number: WO2014193312A1
Application number: PCT/SI2013/000062
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roman KUNIČ
Original assignee: Intech-Les, Razvojni Center, D.O.O.
Priority date: 2013-05-30
Filing date: 2013-10-25
Publication date: 2014-12-04
Also published as: SI24399A

Abstract

The process of installing a load-bearing wall with bilateral thermal insulation, in which case thermal insulation on both sides serves as formwork for the installation of internal supporting concrete core, provides a faster and more economical production of thermal insulation walls, reduces energy consumption and environmental effects. In addition, the process as well provides simple installation of the necessary reinforcing equipment, piping systems for electricity and water supply and general piping sets for heating or cooling purposes. The process includes spacers, which provide fixation of thermal insulation panels by using metal tab washer screws, which are only required during the installation period and during the process of concrete hardening - while a concrete core is forming. After the wall is made, the tab washer screws are removed and can be re-used, whereas the spacers remain permanently placed into a concrete core. Thermal insulation panels, forming formwork, fundamentally have regular prismatic shape, and are primarily made from hard polystyrene panels (EPS or XPS), which are cut or shaped on the construction site, if necessary.

Description

Process of installing a load-bearing wall with bilateral thermal insulation Field of invention

The invention refers to the process of installing a load-bearing wall with bilateral thermal insulation, in which case bilateral thermal insulation serves as construction formwork, hereinafter formwork, in order to install internal concrete core, which is a load-bearing component. The invention falls within the branch of construction.

Technical problem

The speed of building different structures is often a bottleneck, when it comes to an investment decision and final construction. This is not only the case because of all the pressures imposed by the banks and other financial providers, who wish the cycle to be as short as possible; this is also common in cases of natural disasters and other major adverse events, when efforts are made to drastically shorten the cycle of building a structure.

Particularly accelerated or faster construction of a load-bearing wall, which to a small extent also includes other elements of the particular building, makes it possible for the building cycle to be shorter. The time therefore saved is then spent on finishing works, which have recently become a matter of some debate due to bad quality, caused by fast construction works. Shorter period of a load-bearing wall construction and simplified construction procedures also include making fewer mistakes and repairs and furthermore involve considerable financial savings.

By placing considerably thickened thermal insulation on both sides i.e. bilaterally, in which case thermal insulation simultaneously serves as formwork for the installation of concrete core and provides the possibility of placing heating-cooling elements into it, we contribute significantly to reducing energy consumption and environmental damage. The aforementioned simplifications and construction acceleration suggestions also contribute to cutting costs in terms of comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) and reduce carbon footprint and all other emissions; this therefore contributes greatly to reducing environmental effects in the form of global warming, denoted in the C0₂ equivalent.

State of the art

Commonly known construction of load-bearing walls with regular bricks, aerated-concrete tiles or other bricks requires a longer construction cycle and in most cases an additional thermal insulation layer is needed in order to meet the requirements regarding rules and regulations on thermal protection; furthermore, the aforementioned types of building individual elements make it impossible to simultaneously place piping system, which would heat or cool the massive elements of construction in order to increase energy efficiency.

Besides commonly known installation of concrete walls with removable formwork, a few solutions are known, using brick elements, made from thermal insulation. However, such brick elements in almost every case:

make it impossible to install heating-cooling pipes in the intermediate space, which is later on covered with concrete

require a large number of individual bricks, i.e. initial, final and corner element, solutions used for openings etc.,

the construction itself does not include regular prismatic EPS or XPS panels (expanded or extruded polystyrene), but rather special elements, as disclosed for example in US patents No. . 6,083,334, 7,827,752, 7,748,192, 7,739,846, 7,415,804, 7,409,801, 6,820,384, 6,698,710, 6,536,172, 5,086,600, 4,706,429 and DE patent No. 26 18 125.

In order to avoid the aforementioned deficiencies, a new process of installing the load- bearing walls with bilateral thermal insulation was developed, which enables also the installation of the necessary piping system during the production of load-bearing walls. Description of the invention

According to this invention the technical problem is solved by following a process of installing load-bearing walls with bilateral thermal insulation, in which case bilateral thermal insulation serves as formwork for the installation of internal load-bearing concrete core and enables the installation of the necessary piping system.

Formwork on internal and external side of a load-bearing wall is made from thermal insulation, which consists of simple prismatic panels or blocks, primarily from EPS or XPS. This process requires simple cutting or shaping of thermal insulation by using a saw or a filament. For maintaining the distance between thermal insulation panels on the internal and external side of a load-bearing wall when making formwork, specially designed spacers are used. For connecting and temporary fixation of bilateral formwork made from thermal insulation panels and spacers, screws with tab washers are used, which are removed after the concrete hardens; they can afterwards be re-used.

In this case commonly known or standard formwork, which is mandatory for making the concrete construction, is not necessary. Only the supporting elements, which are commonly used also to stabilize formwork, are required and are usually metal supporting elements, which are installed in oblique manner and are fixed in the surrounding area. Thermal insulation panels in this case serve as formwork and at the same time function as thermal protection agents.

All this provides a faster and more economical construction:

placing and removing of standard formwork is not necessary; it is therefore both time and cost effective

load-bearing wall has bilateral thermal insulation, a massive and thermally capacitated concrete core and installed piping of a heating-cooling system, which in turn saves considerably more energy both for individual constructional complex and the whole construction in general

due to fundamental reductions in thermal loss, a faster and energy-saving construction positively affects LCA or LCCA, furthermore reducing a carbon footprint, i.e. global warming effect, denoted in C0₂ equivalent flexibility of the system: assembly requires simple spacers, temporary and reusable screws with tab washer, simple prismatic thermal insulation panels, primarily made from polystyrene (expanded, i.e. EPS or extruded, i.e. XPS polystyrene)

finishing works, corners, window and door openings etc., are simply made with spacers, screws and thermal insulation panels, which are specifically cut out to a defined thickness; it is recommended and more adequate if cutting and shaping of thermal insulation panels are made at the construction site

by following the aforementioned process of installing, bases or lower floors for wooden construction or prefabricated construction, solid wood construction, etc., can be built.

The invention will be described by using implementing examples and figures, which represent the following:

Figure 1: Axonometric view of a spacer with a tab washer and a screw

Figure 2: View of a regular and a corner spacer

Figure 3: View showing the installation of various piping systems and supporting reinforced steel, i.e. reinforcing poles or nets

Figure 4: View of individual installation phases - longitudinal section

Figure 5: View of installation phases - axonometric view

Firstly, the external thermal insulation panels (5) are placed on external side of a concrete core; the panels are stabilized and supported. When the panels (5) are set, they form a single-sided formwork; on the internal side of the external thermal insulation panels (5), the side, facing the future concrete core (7), reinforcement net or reinforcing poles can easily be installed; all reinforcing elements and different piping systems can be connected as well, but above all, a heating-cooling piping system can be installed with the function to warm up concrete core (7) in the winter time and cool it in the season, as shown on Figure 3. After installing all the piping systems, the screws (2) are pushed through from the external side of thermal insulation panels (5) as shown on Figure 4-Phase 1. Screws (2) have a tab washer (3) with a larger surface, in which case the function of a tab washer (3) is preventing a screw (2) from sinking in thermal insulation panels (5, 6) during the screwing procedure. The number of screws depends on the height of a one-time concreting process and on the consistency and specific concrete weight, forming a concrete core (7); it furthermore depends on the thickness and mechanical properties of thermal insulation panels (5, 6), the desired safety factor and other influences. Screws (2) may simultaneously be used for fixating the supporting elements, serving to provide stability of a load-bearing wall before and during the concreting process. The spacers (1) are placed on the screws (2), which are then screwed on one side.

The size and shape of spacers (1) may vary, as shown on Figure 2. The material the spacers

(1) are made of can vary as well: it is recommended to use artificial, i.e. plastic materials, such as polyethylene, polystyrene and recycled plastic materials. It is also recommended to widen the orifice (4) for the screws (2) to enter the spacer (1); in this way the screws (2), pushed through thermal insulation panels (5, 6) can enter the hole in spacer (1). It is also recommended that a placed anchor surface, i.e. the surface of a tab washer (3) on thermal insulation, be as big as possible in order to avoid deformities during the process of installing or tight screwing.

Inner and' outer corner spacers or initial and final spacers are different, because they connect two, three or even four planes apart from a regular spacer (1), which interconnects and tightly binds only two opposing thermal layers (5, 6). The dimension of screws (2) and tab washers (3) must be adjusted to the purpose and to a bearing strength. The length of screws (2) is adjusted to correspond with potentially variable thickness of thermal insulation panels (5, 6). Normally, the internal insulation panel (6) is thinner and external thermal insulation panel (5) is thicker.

Afterwards, installing of internal thermal insulation panels (6) on the internal side of a concrete core (7) is started, as shown on Figure 5-Phase 1 and Figure 4-Phase 2; generally these panels are smaller, mostly because of easier installation and placing of the screws (2), which are pushed through thermal insulation panels (6). Simultaneously, the screws (2) are put through thermal insulation panels (6) and screwed into spacers (1), in which case a screw

(2) must lay directly into the hole of the spacer (1). Thus formed formwork, made of bilaterally placed thermal insulation panels (5, 6) with intermediate spacers (1) and temporary fixating screws (2) with the tab washers (3), including the reinforcement and installations, is then consolidated and adjusted both vertically and horizontally with the supporting construction, as shown on Figure 5-Phase 2. Screws (2) may be used to fixate stabilizing supporting elements, which are used to prevent shifting or even wall crashing during the concreting process.

The concrete is then poured into intermediate space in order to form concrete core (7), as shown on Figure 4-Phase 3.This can either be done on the whole floor or in segments of defined height, all in accordance with the bearing strength of bilateral thermal insulation panels (5, 6), the bearing strength of spacers (1) including the screws (2), the consistency and specific weight of concrete.

It depends on the type and mechanical properties of bilateral thermal insulation panels (5, 6), the consistency and specific weight of concrete, the quality and number of spacers (1), including the screws (2), to determine how high the concrete core (7) can be placed in a particular phase. Under specific conditions it is possible to concrete the whole height of the wall in one floor, including the intermediate panel, made of reinforced concrete. In other cases segmental concreting must be performed, i.e. concreting every time in the height of 100 cm.

After the concrete hardens, the screws (2) are removed, as shown on Figure 4-Phase 4 and Figure 5-Phase 3. Screws (2) and tab washers (3) are removed immediately after the concrete binding phase, as they are only required during forming, concreting and concrete binding. By doing so, point thermal bridges are avoided, which would form on the spots on highly conductible screws (2). Spacers (1) are not removed, as they are poured with concrete and remain embedded in the concrete core (7).

In thermal insulation panels (5, 6), which are made of expanded or extruded polystyrene and forming a load-bearing wall niches shaped as loops can easily be formed by using a heated string. The niches are scooped out for all additional piping systems, i.e. for electricity, water supply etc.

When a load-bearing wall is made, it can be finalized in different ways, i.e. by putting basic roughcast on both sides, the net and final roughcasting, as is the case with ETICS facade systems, fixating fibre reinforced plaster panels or plaster-cardboard panels, wooden panels, wood-fibre panels or other coverings.

Both internal and external surface of thermal insulation panels (5, 6) can be relief-shaped with dent, grooves etc., in order to increase agglutination of thermal insulation panels (5, 6) with the concrete, forming a concrete core (7), roughcasts or adhesives.

Laterally, thermal insulation panels (5, 6) on some or even on all four sides can be formed with switches or can be tongue and groove shaped, as this improves water permeability during the concreting process and helps us avoid potential thermal bridges.

Claims

1. Process of installing load-bearing walls with bilateral thermal insulation, characterized in that thermal insulation panels (5, 6), which are simple prismatic panels or blocks, primarily made from EPS or XPS are used to make formwork on both internal and external side of a load-bearing wall, formed by a concrete core (7); in order to maintain the distance between thermal insulation panels (5, 6) when making formwork, specially designed spacers (1) are used; for connecting and temporary fixation of bilateral formwork made from thermal insulation panels (5, 6) and spacers (1), the screws (2) with tab washers (3) are used; when formwork is ready, it is poured with concrete in order to form a concrete core (7); after the hardening of the concrete, the screws (2) with tab washers (3) are removed and the spacers (1) remain embedded in the concrete core (7), which is covered with thermal insulation panels (5, 6) on both sides.

2. Process of installing load-bearing walls with bilateral thermal insulation according to claim 1, characterized in that the external thermal insulation panels (5) are positioned first, then the screws (2) with tab washers (3) are pushed from the external side of thermal insulation panels (5) through said panels; the spacers (1) are then adjusted onto the screws (2), which are then screwed in from the external side of the panels (5); the positioning of the internal thermal insulation panels (6) follows, whereby the screws (2) with the tab washers (3) are pushed through the thermal insulation panels (6) and simultaneously screwed in the spacers (1); thus formed formwork, from thermal insulation panels (5, 6), placed on both sides with intermediate spacers (1) and the screws (2) with tab washers (3), is then - with the use of supporting construction - adjusted and straightened both vertically and horizontally and then poured with concrete; after hardening of the concrete, the screws (2) with tab washers (3) are removed, so as to avoid formation of point thermal bridges.

3. Process of installing load-bearing walls with bilateral thermal insulation according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that before positioning of the thermal insulation panels (6) and before pouring in the concrete, on previously set external thermal insulation panels (5), at the side facing a concrete core (7), the reinforcement nets or poles are placed and installed, all reinforcing elements and piping systems are connected and heating-cooling pipes to warm the concrete core (7) are installed.

4. The load-bearing wall with bilateral thermal insulation produced by the process according to claims 1-3, characterized in that it consists of a concrete core (7), external thermal insulation panels (5), internal thermal insulation panels (6) and spacers (1), which are embedded in the concrete, forming a concrete core (7).