System of building construction

• US 6,612,083 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William J. Richards
• Original Assignee: William J. Richards
• Inventors: Richards, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amiri, Nahid
• Application Number:
  US10/105,417
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 523/091.2, 523/091.4, 523/091.7, 523/091.1, 521/82, 521/271.2, 523/091, 425/426, 425/431, 425/439, 411/383, 411/392, 411/410, 249/215, 249/42
• US Class Current: 52/309.11
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/161 with vertical and horizontal slabs, both being partially cast in situ
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/8647 with ties going through the forms
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/867 Corner details

Abstract

A system of building construction comprises prefabricated modules with wall sections having finished paneling on both faces, inner foam panels and spacers made from insulating foam, and a steel-reinforced concrete core. The modules come complete with outer and inner finished panels, as well as inner insulating foam so that no on-site mounting of the panels to the wall module is required. The foam panels and facing panels are attached together with a plurality of coilies or rigid spacers, held together with simple screws to create a complete wall system. Concrete is subsequently poured into the module cores to create a monolithic structure. The Inner-wall and outer wall is already in place and needs only to be decorated as desired. All elements stay in place and no forms or heavy external bracing are needed. Since the factory-built modules may be attached to each other on-site with simple hand tools with relatively unskilled labor, this system is well adapted for Do-it-yourself enthusiasts and small general contractors.

Claims

1. A system of building construction comprising prefabricated wall modules that can be assembled with other wall modules, each module comprising:

facing panels removably attached on opposing sides of a wall module, each facing panel having an inner face and an exterior face;

foam panels positioned adjacent to said facing panels within said wall module, with a plurality of bosses formed in each foam panel;

a plurality of coilies span horizontally in spaced relation across the width of the wall module, and each coilie positioned within one of the plurality of bosses of each foam panel, each coilie having coiled ends at opposing distal ends, each of the coiled ends sized and shaped so as to receive a threaded fastening means therein, the coilie and the fastening means holding the facing panels and foam panels in a sandwich type configuration;

a plurality of reinforcing bars positioned between the foam panels and tied to the coilie with a tie wire; and

concrete poured insitu into the space provided between the foam panels, with the concrete penetrating into the bosses surrounding each coilie.

2. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 1, wherein each boss forms a depression that leads away from the concrete core and towards the inner face of each facing panel.

3. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of foam spacers are provided in spaced relation to each other, the foam spacers positioned between the foam panels located adjacent to said facing panels to reduce the amount of concrete required to fill the space between the foam panels.

4. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the coilie and reinforcing bar are made of steel.

5. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the facing panels are selectively disassembled and reassembled on site for ease of finishing, painting, or decoration.

6. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the foam panels are fabricated of extended polystyrene.

7. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of coilies is replaced with a rigid spacer.

8. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 7, wherein the rigid spacer has a transverse central hole for receiving a tie wire therethrough, the tie wire sized to bind a reinforcing bar to the rigid spacer, and the rigid spacer further has two spaced grooves, each spaced groove sized to receive a C-washer therein, the spaced grooves spaced apart to determine the concrete thickness within the prefabricated module, and the C-washers used to space the foam panels within the prefabricated modules.

9. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 1, wherein metal joining strips are used to join adjacent prefabricated modules at assembly.

10. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the metal joining strips are selected to be one of straight metal joining strips and angled metal joining strips.

11. A system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules, each prefabricated module comprising:

facing panels removably attached at opposite sides of the prefabricated module, each facing panel having an inner face and an exterior face;

foam panels positioned inside the prefabricated module adjacent to the inner face of each of the facing panels;

a plurality of bosses formed in each foam panel, each boss forms a depression that leads away from a concrete core and towards the inner face of each facing panel;

a plurality of foam spacers provided in spaced relation to each other, the foam spacers positioned between the foam panels to reduce the amount of concrete required to fill the space between the foam panels;

a plurality of coilies positioned horizontally within the width of the module and extending between said facing panels, each coilie having coiled ends at each end and a center loop at its midpoint, each of the coiled ends being shaped to receive a threaded fastener therein;

the threaded fasteners inserted through each facing panel and into the coiled end of each coilie, the coilie and threaded fasteners holding the facing panels and foam panels together in a sandwich configuration;

a plurality of reinforcing bars, each reinforcing bar located in proximity to the center of the prefabricated module, the reinforcing bar tied with a wire to the center loop of said coilie; and

a concrete core poured insitu into the space provided between the foam panels in the prefabricated modules.

12. A system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 11, wherein the facing panels are selectively disassembled and reassembled on site for ease of finishing, painting or decoration.

13. A system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 11, wherein the foam panels are made of extended polystyrene.

14. A system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 11, wherein the coilie and reinforcing bar are made of steel.

15. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 11, wherein each of the coilies is replaced with a rigid spacer.

16. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 11, wherein the rigid spacer has a central hole for receiving a wire therethrough, the wire sized to bind a reinforcing bar to the rigid spacer, and the rigid spacer further having spaced grooves each sized to receive a C-washer therein, the spaced grooves positioned on the rigid spacer to determine the concrete thickness within the prefabricated module.

17. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 11, wherein the rigid spacer is of a rigid plastic molded construction.

18. A system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules, each prefabricated module comprising:

facing panels removably attached at opposite sides of the prefabricated module, each facing panel having an inner face and an exterior face;

foam panels positioned inside the prefabricated module adjacent to the inner face of each of the facing panels;

a plurality of bosses formed in each foam panel, each boss forms a depression that leads away from a concrete core and towards the inner face of each facing panel;

a plurality of rigid spacers having distal ends positioned horizontally within the width of the module and extending between said facing panels, each rigid spacer with a central hole for receiving a tie wire therethrough, the tie wire sized to secure a reinforcing bar to the rigid spacer, the rigid spacer further having spaced grooves, each groove sized to receive a C-washer therein, the spaced grooves positioned to determine the concrete thickness within the prefabricated module, the C-washer used to space the foam panels within the prefabricated module;

threaded fasteners inserted through each facing panel and into the distal ends of the rigid spacers to secure the facing panels and foam panels together in a sandwich configuration;

a plurality of reinforcing bars, each reinforcing bar located in proximity to the center of the prefabricated module, the reinforcing bar tied with a wire to the center loop of said coilie; and

a concrete core poured insitu into the space provided between the foam panels in the prefabricated modules.

19. A system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 18, wherein the foam panels are made of extended polystyrene.

20. The system of building construction comprising prefabricated modules that can be assembled with other prefabricated modules as disclosed in claim 18, wherein the plurality of rigid spacers are replaced with a plurality of coilies positioned horizontally within the width of the module and extending between said facing panels, each coilie having coiled ends at each distal end, and each of the coiled ends being shaped to receive a threaded fastener therein.