GB2333534A - Portable building structure comprising connected blocks - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable building structure comprises a plurality of building blocks 102 - 114 etc and a plurality of elongate connection members 106 - 108 etc wherein the elongate connection members pass through the blocks, which may be aerated blocks, e.g. thermal insulation blocks. The structure is made by passing the elongate members through the blocks, e.g. at a factory to create a portable floor for a shower, greenhouse, shed or conservatory for conveyance to the use site.

Description

PORTABLE BUILDING STRUCTURE Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable building structure and a method of constructing a portable building structure.

Background to the Invention Building structures are known such as for example walls and floors of buildings of various types. Traditional methods of construction are generally labour intensive, requiring for example a builder to first transport bulky and heavy materials to a building site prior to commencement of construction. Such materials generally require assembly on-site, due to their weight and bulk when assembled being difficult to handle. Additionally in certain circumstances it is required to assemble a structure such as a wall or a floor, for example of a shower unit, in a time period which is not sufficient to allow for preparation of building materials, construction and drying of cement etc. Thus if a shower floor is required to be constructed within a day then traditionally the floor will in general have to be levelled, compacted and filled with packing material. Following these steps a floor may be laid in the traditional manner using for example biicks and cement, whereafter said cement is required to be allowed to set so as to ensure that a strong and undisturbed surface results. Ordering of materials, floor preparation and floor construction is thus considerably involved and may require a greater length of time than that which is available. Thus there is a need for an improved method of constructing a structure such as a floor or wall which involves the use of lighter, more manageable materials and which in addition may be easily assembled on site or pre-assembled at a factory.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a portable building structure comprising a plurality of building blocks and a plurality of elongate connection members, wherein said elongate connection members pass through said blocks.

Preferably the building structure is manually portable.

Preferably said building blocks comprise aerated building bricks and said aerated building bricks preferably comprise thermal insulation bricks. In an alternative embodiment said bricks may be made of a refractory material such as a standard ceramic based refractory material, a carbon foam, a silicon based material or a carbide type material Furthermore the blocks preferably have two faces incorporating a groove and a groove on a first block preferably adjoins to a said groove on an adjacent face of a second block to form an orifice through which said elongate connection member passes through. Preferably the building blocks are arranged in rows and each row is off-set from neighbouring rows in a direction parallel with the rows. The elongate connection members may be rods or bars or altematively they may be tubes or wire bundles. In the preferred embodiment the elongate connection members are made of plastics or polymeric material and in an alternative embodiment the elongate connection members are made of metal, the preferred metal being steel. In a further preferred embodiment the rods or bars are made of concrete which may have a polymeric component. In yet a further preferred embodiment the rods or bars are made of a refractory material such as a ceramic based refractory material, a carbon foam, a silicon based material or a carbide type material.

Suitably the elongate connection members are anchored to one or more of the building blocks and the anchoring is suitably provided by means comprising a screw or pin passing through a surface of a building block into a connection member.

Preferably, portable building structures in accordance with the present invention comprise floors or a section of a floor, such as a shower floor, a conservatory floor, or a floor of a garden shed or greenhouse.

In a preferred embodiment, a building structure in accordance with the present invention is convex.

In an altemative embodiment, a building structure in accordance with the present invention is a wall or a section of a wall and suitably the wall may be a shower wall, a conservatory wall, or a garden shed wall.

A further embodiment of the present invention is a structure which is a roof of a building.

In certain applications, preferably the building blocks have recesses and the recesses suitably incorporate tiles or stone slips. Suitably the tiles may be bathroom or kitchen type tiles or alternatively roof tiles.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of construction of a building structure comprising elongate connection members and building blocks wherein the elongate connection members are passed through the building blocks and the building structure is portable.

Preferably the building structure is manually portable.

Preferably the structure is made at a factory or other facility suitable for construction of the structures.

Preferably, the building blocks are made of an aerated building material and preferably the blocks comprise thermal insulation building bricks.

Preferably, the elongate connection members are rods or bars or altematively tubes.

In a preferred embodiment, elongate connections members comprising rods or bars which pass through the building blocks are formed by a liquified material solidifying inside the structure.

Preferably, the elongate connection members are made of a metal such as steel or plastics or polymeric material. The polymeric material may be a urethane as used in the construction industry.

Brief Description of the Drawings For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, there will now be described by way of example only, specific embodiments, methods and processes according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 illustrates schematically a portable building structure suitable for use as a floor in accordance with the present invention and comprises building blocks and elongate connection members; Fig. 2 illustrates schematically a structure similar to that shown in Fig. 1 which is suitable for use as a wall; Fig. 3 details a portion of the floor identified in Fig. 1 showing orifices both inside and created by building blocks comprising said floor; Fig. 4 illustrates an altemative embodiment for the building blocks identified in the preceding figures; Fig. 5 illustrates an altemative embodiment for the elongate connection members identified in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; Fig. 6 shows a cross-section of a building block of the type identified in Figs.

1,2 and 3; Fig. 7 schematically illustrates a floor constructed in accordance with the present invention and laid in an environment suitable for the present invention to be applied to; and Figs. 8A and 8B illustrate in cross-section a modified surface of a structure constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Best Module for Carrying Out the Invention There will now be described by way of example the best mode contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention. In the following description numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practised without using these specific details. In other instances, well known methods and structures have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.

Fig. 1 illustrates a portable building structure 101 made in accordance with the present invention. Structure 101 is intended for use as a floor and comprises a plurality of building blocks such as building block 102 in a first row, building block 103 in a second row and building block 104 in a third row.

Blocks in the first row are offset from blocks in the second row by a proportion of the length of a block in the direction x, said direction being indicated by axis 109. In the preferred embodiment the offset is 50%. Alternating rows are aligned such as for example the first and third rows. Blocks of structure 101 are connected by elongate connection members, such as connection members 106,107 and 108 passing through the centre of structure 101 in direction y, said direction being indicated by axis 109. In relation to a first identified row and a second identified row, connection member 106 is in contact with building blocks 110, 111 and 112. Similarly connection member 107 is in contact with blocks 111, 112 and 113. Connection member 108 is in contact with blocks 111, 113 and 114.

Fig. 2 illustrates schematically a portable building structure 201 similar to that shown in Fig. 1 which is suitable for use as a wall. Structure 201 comprises building blocks of the type identified in Fig. 1 and elongate connection members such as members 202, 203 and 204. The structures identified in Figs. 1 and 2, are suitable for a wide range of applications. Thus for example structure 101 may be suitable for use as a shower floor, a conservatory floor, a floor of a garden shed or a floor of a greenhouse for example. Similarly, structure 201 is suitable for use as either a wall or a portion of wall, for example a wall for use in a shower unit or a wall of a garden shed or conservatory. The range of applications of structures constructed in accordance with the present invention are not restricted to walls and floors and may also be used for example in structures such as the roof of a building.

Fig. 3 details a portion of the floor identified in Fig. 1 showing orifices both inside blocks 111 and 114, and created by adjoining blocks such as building blocks 111 and 114. Additionally, elongate connection member 108 is schematically illustrated wherein in the particular embodiment shown, said elongate connection member is in the form of a rod or bar. Only a portion of the connection member is shown, as indicated by broken surface 301, for illustrative purposes. Thus strictly member 108 passes through all rows of structure 101. Building block 111, in accordance with the present invention, is symmetrical with respect to rotations about an axis passing through the centre of a given face and the centre of the building block. Thus there are three pairs of identical faces, said pairs of faces being on opposite sides of said building block. Face 302 is a grooved face, having groove 303 and groove edges 304 and 305 respectively. Face 306 is substantially similar to face 302. Face 307 is substantially a flat face suitable for forming either a lower surface or an upper surface of a structure such as structure 101. Three small orifices 308, 309 and 310 are located on surface 307. These represent the fact that in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, block 111 is a block located in a first row of structure 101. Orifices 309, 310 and 311 enable a screw or pin to be inserted for the purposes of holding or anchoring elongate connection members in place. Face 311 comprises a central orifice 312 passing through the central point of the block through to a substantially similar face on the other side of said block. Face 311 also comprises two arc shaped orifices or cavities, 313 and 314. Thus orifice 314, arcuate in shape, is present by virtue of groove 303 on face 302 terminating at face 311. A second block, block 114 is also shown and is substantially similar to block 111. Again, the upper surface face 315 possesses small orifices 316, 317 and 318 for anchoring elongate connection members. Additionally block 114 has grooved faces such as groove 319, located on a surface substantially similar to that shown for face 302 on block 111. Elongate connection member 108 locates inside an orifice formed from the adjoining of surfaces comprises groove 303 and groove 319 respectively.

Similarly, orifice 312 located within block 111 and orifice 320 located within block 114 also hold an elongate connection member (not shown) of the same type as connection member 108.

Fig. 3 illustrates aspects of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, regarding the shape of the building blocks employed and the form of the elongate connection members. This shape enables elongate connection members to be used sparingly, in that they are only required to be inserted in one direction. The combination of altemate building block rows being offset by half a block length, elongate connection members being inserted through the centre of blocks in a first row and through the centre of two adjoining faces of two blocks in an adjacent row essentially provides connection of all said blocks into a portable building structure.

In an altemative embodiment, building blocks may comprise two orifices as identified in Fig. 4. A structure may be comprised of blocks of various designs, but the block in Fig. 4 is advantageous in that it is substantially regular in shape with flat faces. A first face 401 comprises orifice 402, offcentre from the centre of face 401 and said orifice passes through said block to the corresponding surface on the other side of said block. Similarly, face 403 comprises orifice 404, again off-centre from the centre of surface 403 and again passing through said block to the corresponding surface on the other side of said block. Orifices 402 and 404 are off-set from the centre of faces 401 and 403 in opposite directions from the central point of each face. A block of this kind may be held to a second block in one direction by an elongate connection member passing through orifice 402 and similarly may be held to another block in a second direction by virtue of an elongate connection member passing through orifice 404. Further blocks may be inserted on said elongate connection members as required to build up a structure, since all said blocks possess two orifices as described.

As an altemative to elongate connection member 108 identified in Figs.

1, 2 and 3, an altemative embodiment is that of a hollow tube or pipe as shown in Fig. 5. Tube 501 essentially comprises tube wall 502 and tube lumen 503.

Fig. 6 illustrates in cross section a vertical slice through block 111 shown in Fig. 3 through the plane defined by small orifices 308, 309 and 310. Orifice 308 in the centre of surface 307 passes down to central orifice 312, as indicated by broken lines 601 and 602. Similarly, small orifice 310 passes down to orifice 313 as indicated by broken lines 603 and 604. Finally small orifice 309 passes down to orifice 303 as indicated at by broken lines 605 and 606. Figs. 3 and 6 illustrate a preferred embodiment of building blocks utilised in the present invention, but it should be stressed that the blocks described in Figs. 3 and 6 are end blocks such as blocks 110, 111 or 114 shown in Fig. 1. These blocks are used to anchor elongate connection members, small orifices 308, 309 and 310 being required to enable a screw or pin to be employed in securing an elongate connection member located in an orifice. Blocks not concemed with anchoring said elongate connection members are substantially similar to those shown in Figs. 3 and 6, but with small orifices being either absent or redundant. In certain applications it may be suitable to anchor a said connection member at more than one point or to a plurality of building blocks, such as for example to blocks located in the first and last rows.

Building blocks identified in Figs. 1 to 6 may be made of any suitable building material, however in accordance with the present invention the preferred material is a thermal insulation building material. The preferred building blocks are ThenmaliteE bricks or Celcon( D bricks. A variety of sizes of said bricks may be obtained, but in the preferred embodiment the preferred size is approximately 100 millimetres thickness, 450 millimetres length and 225 millimetres width (ie 4 inches by 18 inches by 9 inches) respectively.

These types of bricks have an aerated substructure. Their normal use in the building trade is for insulation inside traditional brick walling. An advantage of using these bricks is that they are pre-fabricated and readily available.

However, to incorporate pre-fabricated blocks of this type said blocks require modification so as to create edge face grooves, such as groove 303 in Fig. 3, and central orifices, such as central orifice 312. Modification of this kind is rendered possible by appropriate configuration of suitable drilling equipment.

A convenient method of drilling involves using a wooden saddle type structure fitting over an unmodified brick and drilling down a tube like structure attached to said saddle so as to create the appropriate alignment for drilling a central orifice with drilling equipment. In the case of grooves, the saddle is placed over two adjacent bricks so that the central drilling alignment mechanism is directly above the abutting faces of the two said bricks. Thermal insulation bricks of the type identified are relatively light compared with traditional building bricks. Furthermore the insulation properties of the above identified thermal insulation bricks is such that grouting inserted between said bricks is found to dry at a faster rate than with traditional building bricks.

A wide variety of materials may be suitable for the building blocks identified in Figs. 1 to 6, further examples being refractory bricks made of, for example, a standard ceramic based refractory material, a carbon foam, a silicon based material or a carbide type material. The invention is not limited to any specific material or group of materials, the above examples merely being illustrative in relation to differing environments in which a given building structure may be located. In particular a refractory material is suitable for environments experiencing high temperatures.

Elongate connection members of the type identified in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 may take a variety of forms. In a preferred embodiment said elongate connection members are rods or bars or altematively tubes. In either case the material used depends on the strength requirements of the final structure being constructed. Thus for more heavy duty applications metal bars may be most suitable, preferably being made of steel. However, for applications requiring less strength, tubes may be more appropriate, either comprising metallic tubes such as for example steel tubes or tubes made from plastics of polymeric material. Similarly elongate connection members in the form of rods or bars may be made of plastics or polymeric material. In certain situations it may be appropriate to use a combination of a plastics tube and a metal rod or alternatively a member comprising a bundle of wires comprising one or a plurality of material for example. For applications such as a shower wall, a particularly lightweight structure may be constructed enhanced using plastics connection members. Such a structure may be assembled either in the building requiring use of said structure or at a suitable factory or other facility for producing said structures. Shower walls and the like constructed in this manner are manually portable. Thus a typical structure constructed in accordance with the present invention, having a surface area of approximately 12 to 15 metres square, is found to be conveniently portable by either one or two people. Thus in this way the present invention provides a portable building structure, comprising a plurality of building blocks and a plurality of elongate connection members, wherein the elongate connection members pass through the blocks. Thus in a suitable production facility a collection of suitably prepared thermal insulation bricks are inserted on a chosen form of elongate connection member, resulting in a portable structure.

The structure made in accordance with the present invention may be manually portable or may comprise larger structures which have improved portability as compared with similar structures made in accordance with traditional methods and materials.

As with the building blocks, elongate connection members identified in the foregoing Figs. may comprise a wide variety of materials depending on the particular application a given building structure is being used for. The elongate connection members may be made of a refractory material for example, such as a standard ceramic based refractory material, a carbon foam, a silicon based material or a carbide type material. Similarly the elongate connection members may be made of concrete comprising a polymeric component. A wide range of materials may be suitable for particular applications and the above examples are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention in any way.

The invention is not restricted to the applications identified above, the above applications merely being indicative of a certain usage. Larger structures may benefit from the present invention, such as for example structures relating to roads and highways and general building structures such as roofs, floors and walls. These applications may require larger versions of the structures identified in Figs. 1 to 6, thus possibly negating portability by one or two people. However, such applications will still benefit from the present invention due to considerable reduction in weight and thus improving portability, transportation and manoeuvrability of such structures.

The present invention has further advantages in respect of structural stability.

For example any ground disturbance, including earthquakes, may be rendered less devastating than in traditionally constructed structures by virtue of the substructure of connection members providing some degree of flexibility in said structures.

Elongate connection members identified in the preceding figures may be created "in-situ" by pumping suitable liquefied material into the orifices and grooves formed in and around the building blocks. It is known in the building trade to pump polymeric material into concrete, as for example is known in road construction. This generally involves a urethane material which is liquefied and pumped into the structure whereafter solidification occurs inside the said structure. Concrete is a further substance which may be suitably employed in this manner. Thus in an alternative embodiment, elongate connection members of the type identified may be created by insertion of a liquid material in blocks positioned as required which then solidifies thereafter.

Fig. 7 illustrates a cross section through a floor and subsurface, said floor being constructed and laid in accordance with the present invention. An uneven surface 701 is prepared by insertion of packing material 702, such as for example sand or other suitable material. Layer 702 is then covered with a suitable final layer of material such as cement. Following layer 703 a floor or a portion of a floor constructed in accordance with the present invention may be laid directly on top of layer 703. Thus structure 704 is quickly positioned having been pre-constructed either at a factory or on-site. The thermal properties of the bricks allows enhanced drying of layer 703 and similarly enhances drying of any grouting that may be inserted in between faces of abutting bricks or of plastering or tiling of the like. A further advantage of the present invention is that a resultant structure such as floor 704 may take a slightly convex shape as indicated in Fig. 7 (floor 704 is convex, that is it has a central area which is slightly raised in comparison to the edges). This has the advantage of providing a natural drainage and is especially suitable for a shower floor, the effect being created by virtue of use of connection members providing flexibility when laying said floor on a centrally positional cement bolus.

Fig. 8A illustrates a cross section through the type of the building block identified in Fig. 3, wherein said block has been modified so as to incorporate recesses for locating tiles, said tiles being required for example in a shower unit. Altematively, said recesses may hold stone facing slips or other required surface decoration. Block 801 comprises a central orifice and grooves of the type identified in Fig. 3, as indicated by broken lines 802 and 803. Recesses are located on the upper surface, as indicated at 804, 805, 806 and 807.

Each said recess is surrounded by edges, such as edges 808 and 809 encasing recess 804. Fig. 8B illustrates modified building block 801 following incorporation of tiles suitable for use in a shower unit for example. Traditional tiling adhesive is inserted in the aforementioned said recesses and suitable tiles are placed in said recesses thereafter; thus tile 810 occupies recess 804, tile 811 occupies recess 805, tile 812 occupies recess 806 and tile 813 occupies recess 807. Suitably it is found that with appropriate depth of recess, the tile adhesive material (or grout) is squeezed upwards on placement of said tiles such that a smooth surface is obtained as indicated at 814 wherein said grout has suitably squeezed up and over the edge identified at 809 in Fig. 8A.

In terms of costs it is found that although materials required may be slightly more expensive than more traditional materials, the overall reduction in labour and transport costs renders structures produced in accordance with the present invention to be cost-effective. A typical time for completion of a shower floor constructed in accordance with the present invention is of the order of one day and thus the invention significantly improves upon known completion times.

Claims (57)

Claims:

1. A portable building structure comprising a plurality of building blocks and a plurality of elongate connection members, wherein said elongate connection members pass through said blocks.

2. A building structure according to claim 1, wherein said building blocks comprise aerated building bricks.

3. A building structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said building blocks comprise thermal insulation bricks.

4. A building structure according to any preceding claim, wherein a said block comprises two faces incorporating a groove.

5. A building structure according to Claim 4, wherein said grooves are located on opposite faces of said block.

6. A building structure according to Claim 4, wherein said orifice is central and passes through the central point of said block.

7. A building structure according to claim 4, wherein a said groove on a face of a first block adjoins to a said groove on an adjacent face of a second block to form an orifice through which a said elongate connection member passes through.

8. A building structure according to any preceding claim, wherein said blocks are arranged in rows and each said row is offset from neighbouring rows in a direction parallel with said rows.

9. A building structure according to claims 1 or 7 wherein said elongate connection members are rods or bars.

10. A building structure according to any of claims 1, 7 or 9, wherein said elongate connection members are tubes.

11. A building structure according to claims 9 or 10, wherein said elongate connection members are made of plastics or polymeric material.

12. A building structure according to claims 9 or 10, wherein said elongate connection members are made of metal.

13. A building structure according to claim 12, wherein said metal is steel.

14. A building structure according to claim 9, wherein said rods or bars are made of concrete.

15. A building structure according to any of claims 1, 7, 9, 10, 11 or 12, wherein a said elongate connection member is anchored to one or more of said building blocks.

16. A building structure according to claim 15, wherein said anchoring means comprises a screw or pin passing through a surface of a said building block into said connection member.

17. A building structure according to any preceding claim, wherein said structure comprises a floor or a section of a floor.

18. A building structure according to claim 17, wherein said floor comprises a shower floor.

19. A building structure according to claim 17, wherein said floor comprises a conservatory floor.

20. A building structure according to claim 17, wherein said floor comprises a floor of a garden shed or greenhouse.

21. A building structure according to claims 1 to 16 wherein said structure comprises a structure relating to a road.

22. A building structure according to any preceding claim which comprises a convex surface.

23. A building structure according to any of claims 1 to 16, wherein said building structure comprises a wall or a section of a wall.

24. A building structure according to claim 23, wherein said wall comprises a shower wall.

25. A building structure according to claim 23, wherein said wall comprises a conservatory wall.

26. A building structure according to claim 23, wherein said wall comprises a garden shed wall.

27. A building structure according to any of claims 1 to 16, wherein said structure comprises a roof of a building.

28. A building structure according to any preceding claim, wherein said blocks have recesses.

29. A building structure according to claim 28, wherein said recesses incorporate tiles or stone slips.

30. A building structure according to claim 29, wherein said tiles are bathroom or kitchen type tiles.

31. A building structure according to claim 29, wherein said tiles are roof tiles.

32. A building structure according to any preceding claim, wherein said structure is manually portable.

33. A method of construction of a building structure comprising elongate connection members and building blocks wherein said elongate connection members are passed through said building blocks and said building structure is portable.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein said structure is made at a factory or other facility suitable for construction of said structures.

35. A method according to claims 33 or 34, wherein said building blocks are made of an aerated building material.

36. A method according to claim 35, wherein said building blocks comprise thermal insulation building bricks.

37. A method according to any of claims 34 to 36, wherein said building blocks comprise at least two faces incorporating a groove; and an orifice passing through said block.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein a grooved face of a first block is positioned next to a grooved face of a second block and said grooved faces form an orifice for one of said elongate connection members to pass through.

39. A method according to any of claims 33 to 38, wherein said building blocks are arranged in rows, each row being offset from an adjacent row by a proportion of the length of a said block.

40. A method according to any of claims 33 to 39, wherein said elongate connection members are anchored to one or more of said building blocks.

41. A method according to any of claims 33 to 40, wherein said elongate connection members are rods or bars.

42. A method according to any of claims 33 to 40, wherein said elongate connection members are tubes.

43. A method according to claim 41, wherein said rods or bars which pass through said building blocks are formed by a liquefied material solidifying inside said structure.

44. A method according to daim 43, wherein said material comprises a plastics or polymeric material.

45. A method according to claim 43, wherein said polymeric material comprises a urethane as used in the construction industry.

46. A method according to claim 43, wherein said material is concrete.

47. A method according to claim 41 or 42, wherein said elongate connection members are made of a metal.

48. A method according to claim 4, wherein said metal comprises steel.

49. A method according to claims 43 or 44, wherein said material comprises a plastics or polymeric material.

50. A method according to any of claims 33 to 49, wherein said structure comprises a section of a floor.

51. A method according to claim 50, wherein said floor comprises a shower floor.

52. A method according to claim 50, wherein said floor comprises a conservatory floor.

53. A method according to any of claims 33 to 49, wherein said structure comprises a portion of a wall.

54. A method according to any of claims 33 to 49, wherein said structure comprises a portion of a roof of a building.

55. A method according to any of claims 30 to 51, wherein said building blocks incorporate tiles or stone slips.

56. A method according to any of claims 37 to 49, wherein said structure comprises a structure relating to a road.

57. A method according to any of claims 33 to 56, wherein said building structure is manually portable.