WO2002035020A2

WO2002035020A2 - Composite construction element, in particular for the manufacture of covering structures or wall structures of buildings

Info

Publication number: WO2002035020A2
Application number: PCT/EP2001/012428
Authority: WO
Inventors: Piero Cretti
Original assignee: Plastedil S.A.
Priority date: 2000-10-27
Filing date: 2001-10-25
Publication date: 2002-05-02
Also published as: ITMI20002332A1; DE10196810T5; WO2002035020A3; CN1471604A; CN1270039C; WO2002035020A8; AU2002224801A1; IT1319246B1

Abstract

A composite construction element (1, 101) is described which may be used in the manufacture of covering structures or wall structures of industrial warehouses, housing and buildings in general, comprising a body (2) made of expanded plastics material provided with opposite faces (2a, 2b) and a slab-shaped coating element (5, 105a, 105b) associated to at least one of the faces (2a, 2b) of the body (2). The slab-shaped coating element (5, 105a, 105b) comprises a plurality of substantially adjoining and substantially U-shaped adjacent sections (6) provided with respective means for mechanically clinching (11) the slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) to the expanded plastics material. Advantageously, the slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) is stably associated to the mass of expanded plastics material by means of the mechanical clinching means forming part of the slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) itself.

Description

Title: Composite construction element, in particular for the manufacture of covering structures or wall structures of buildings

DESCRIPTION

Technical Field

In its general aspect, the present invention relates to a composite construction element, which has a preferred although not exclusive use in the manufacture of covering structures or wall structures of industrial warehouses, housing and buildings in general.

The present invention relates, more particularly, to a composite construction element comprising:

a) a body made of expanded plastics material provided with opposite faces;

b) a slab-shaped coating element associated to at least one of said opposite faces of the body.

Background Art

As is known, construction elements made of expanded plastics material, preferably expanded polystyrene in the form of slabs or profiles of a suitable size and shape, with the function of a thermo-acoustic insulator have been used for a long time in the field of building construction in general.

It is also known that in order to impart adequate finishing characteristics to such construction elements it is necessary to associate to the mass of expanded plastics material a suitable coating material or element, such as a plaster layer supported by a mesh, or a plurality of panels or slab-shaped elements made of a suitable finishing material such as wood, plasterboard or metal.

While construction ^' elements of this kind have on the one hand a light weight, a comparative ease of installation and a low cost, on the other hand their application in the art and flexibility of use have been restrained heretofore by the difficulty of stably and durably associating the coating materials to the mass of expanded plastics material, which is per se hardly or not at all capable of holding such materials.

The composite construction elements currently present on the market try to overcome this difficulty either by recurring to fixing, for example by welding, the mesh and/or other suitable supporting elements of the coating material to one or more reinforcing profiles embedded in the mass of expanded plastics material - as is described, for example, in International patent application WO 98/16703 - or by gluing slab-shaped coating elements to the expanded plastics material.

Both of these techniques, however, show some drawbacks for which no adequate solution has been found so far.

The technique of fixing the mesh or the supporting element of the coating material to one or more reinforcing profiles, in fact, if on the one hand is suitable for the purpose, on the other hand entails the need of inserting

^•the reinforcing profile (s) into the mass of plastics material and thus of stably fixing, for example by welding or by screwing, the mesh or the coating element to the reinforcing profile previously inserted into the plastics material.

These operations are effected in series and may be carried out either automatically, by using considerably complex and highly costly molding apparatuses, or manually, by employing a suitable manpower.

In both cases there is an increase in the production costs which may render the final cost of the composite element to be produced out of the limits imposed by the market for this type of product.

The technique of gluing the finishing slabs to the expanded plastics material, moreover, is not totally reliable: as time goes by, in fact, an undesired detachment of the layers or of the outer coating elements, mainly due to phenomena of "aging" of the plastics material surface to which such layers are stuck and/or of the adhesive used, is observed in some cases. These phenomena are observed in particular when the construction elements are exposed to the action of atmospheric agents, heat sources, dust, smoke, vapors or aggressive chemical agents coming from a source close to the construction elements themselves.

Disclosure of the Invention

The technical problem underlying the present invention is therefore that of providing a composite construction element which allows to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the cited prior art and, more particularly, a composite construction element which allows to stably and durably associate a slab-shaped finishing element to the expanded plastics material in a simple, reliable and cheap way.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, this problem is solved by a composite construction element of the type indicated above, which is characterized in that the slab-shaped coating element comprises a plurality of substantially adjoining substantially U-shaped adjacent sections having:

a base portion extending flush with and substantially parallel to said at least one face of said body, and

- a pair of opposite wings embedded in said body and provided with respective means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element to said expanded plastics material.

In the following description and in the appended claims, the term: slab-shaped element, is used to indicate not just a finishing element per se, but also any slab-like or sheet-like element adapted to support an additional layer or panel of a different and suitable material for surface finishing.

Thanks to the aforementioned combination of features, the composite construction element of the invention not only allows an effective mechanical clinching of the slab-shaped element to the mass of expanded plastics material without using glue and adhesives, but also substantially reduces the production costs.

Since the means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element to the mass of expanded plastics material constitutes an integral part of the slab-shaped element itself, the construction element of the invention may in fact be directly manufactured by integrating the slab- shaped element in the plastics material in a single operating step, i.e. at the molding stage.

In other words, the slab-shaped element may be mechanically clinched to the plastics material without the need neither of intermediate connection elements, nor of any additional fixing operation thereto.

In this connection, it should be observed that the substantially adjoining wings of the adjacent sections which constitute the slab-shaped element carry out a plurality of advantageous functions: that of allowing the slab-shaped element to be mechanically clinched to the mass of expanded plastics material,

- that of mechanically stiffening the slab-shaped element easing its transport and handling before the element is integrated in the expanded plastics material and, finally

- the equally important function of imparting adequate self-supporting characteristics to the construction element.

These adjacent wings, in fact, form a sort of reinforcing profile integrated in the mass of expanded plastics material which profile contributes to increase the mechanical resistance of the construction element up to the point of rendering the same substantially self-supporting and, as such, capable of withstanding without any structural yielding the stresses which the construction element undergoes during its transport and installation.

Preferably, the slab-shaped element is made of a material having suitable structural characteristics such as, for example, steel which has been cold-rolled and preferably zinc-coated.

In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, the slab-shaped element consists of a single sheet of a metal band shaped so as to define the aforementioned substantially adjoining adjacent sections which are substantially U-shaped. In accordance with this embodiment, therefore, the wings of the adjacent U-shaped sections are essentially constituted by substantially adjoining branches of a portion of the slab-shaped element folded so as to form an upside-down U.

The slab-shaped ^' element possesses in such a case characteristics of high mechanical resistance which greatly favors the corresponding strength and self-supporting characteristics of the composite construction element.

A slab-shaped element of a suitable length may be obtained by means of conventional bending and punching operations, known per se, from a thin metal band having a width of from 300 to 1200 mm and a thickness of from 0.4 to 1.5 mm and, even more preferably, of from 0.5 to 0.8 mm.

In an alternative embodiment, the slab-shaped element consists of a plurality of adjacent sections, structurally independent from each other, mechanically clinched to the mass of expanded plastics material and, preferably, also mechanically connected to each other.

Also in this case, the structurally independent adjacent sections of the slab-shaped element may be obtained by means of conventional bending and punching operations, known per se, from a metal band having a width and thickness within the aforementioned ranges of preferred values .

In both the embodiments of the construction element of the invention, the base portion of the U-shaped sections which extends flush with respect to the construction element is visible and may either constitute a finishing surface per se, or serve as a supporting surface to which a different finishing element which is structurally independent from the slab-shaped element may be fixed.

Preferably, the base portion of the U-shaped sections has a width of from 100 to 200 mm, while the opposite wings of the U-shaped sections are perpendicularly extending to the aforementioned base portion and have a height preferably comprised between 30 and 150 mm as a function of the height of the expanded plastics material body of the construction element .

In a preferred embodiment, the composite construction element of the invention is provided with a slab-shaped element comprising substantially C-shaped opposite end portions which are embedded in the expanded plastics material .

Advantageously, the thus conformed end portions contribute to mechanically clinch the slab-shaped element to the mass of expanded plastics material in an even more secure manner.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element to the mass of expanded plastics material comprises a plurality of fins extending in a cantilevered fashion from each of the opposite wings of the adjacent sections which constitute the slab-shaped element.

In a preferred embodiment, the fins are alternatively extending in a cantilevered fashion from opposite sides of the adjacent wings and are formed by punching from the wings of the U-shaped sections which constitute the slab- shaped element.

Advantageously, the fins carry out in this case the dual function of mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element to the mass of expanded plastics material and of mechanically connecting together the wings of adjacent U- shaped sections, preventing their mutual separation under a load.

Preferably, the fins are extending in a cantilevered fashion from an edge of respective .mating openings formed in a central portion of said wings.

Advantageously, this arrangement of the fins allows to increase and distribute across the whole width of the sections both the mechanical clinching action of the slab- shaped element to the mass of expanded plastics material, and the action of mechanical connection between the wings of adjacent sections. The formation of the fins by punching, moreover, allows to form in the body of the wings of the sections a corresponding plurality of openings which advantageously constitute an additional means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element to the mass of expanded plastics material .

Thanks to the presence of such openings, in fact, the mass of expanded plastics material is capable of interpenetrating with the wings of the U-shaped sections of the slab-shaped element during molding, thereby integrating and holding the slab-shaped element itself in position even more stably within the body of the construction element.

This intimate integration of the slab-shaped element in the mass of expanded plastics material, moreover, prevents any deformation or transversal bending of the corresponding wings of the U-shaped sections also when they are constituted, as stated above, by quite a thin metallic band.

Although the fins may have any form suitable for preventing the mutual separation of the wings of adjacent sections, a particularly preferred and advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that such fins and the corresponding openings extending therefrom are substantially trapezoidal in shape.

In such a way, the fins define a dovetail mechanical connection between the wings of adjacent U-shaped sections which allows an effective mechanical connection of the wings themselves.

In a preferred embodiment, the fins are extending in a cantilevered fashion from a lower edge of the openings formed in the wings of the adjacent U-shaped sections which constitute the slab-shaped element, advantageously increasing both the effectiveness of the aforementioned mechanical connection of the wings, and the strength along a transversal direction of the wings thus connected.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention - which is preferably applied when the adjacent sections which constitute the slab-shaped element are structurally independent from each other - the means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element comprises a plurality of openings formed in each of the opposite wings of the aforementioned sections.

Advantageously, such openings carry out not only the function of allowing an effective mechanical clinching of the slab-shaped element to the mass of expanded plastics material, as described above, but also the function of lightening the wings of the U-shaped sections thereby improving the self-supporting characteristics of the construction element.

Also in this case, this intimate integration of a relevant portion of the slab-shaped element in the mass of expanded plastics material prevents any deformation or transversal bending of the adjoining wings of the U-shaped sections.

In the various embodiments of the invention, that is, with or without the fins, the aforementioned openings preferably have an overall area of from 10 to 60% of the total area of each of the wings of the adjacent sections of the slab- shaped element.

Even more preferably, the openings formed in each of the opposite wings of the adjacent sections of the slab-shaped element have an overall area of from 30 to 50% of the element's total area.

If the means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element are solely constituted by the openings, it should be noted that the shape of the openings - obtainable in a way known per se, e.g. by punching - is not critical; however, it is preferably circular for obvious reasons of ease of production.

In a preferred embodiment, the openings are arranged in the central portions of the wings of the U-shaped section according to three parallel rows: a first central row of circular openings, having a prevailing diameter, pitchwise arranged along the median plane of the wings, and two side rows of circular openings, having a smaller diameter, pitchwise arranged on opposite parts of the central row.

Preferably, the circular openings in the side rows have parallel axes and are interposed between two consecutive openings of the central row, as explained hereinafter.

Advantageously, it is possible in this way to more evenly distribute the so-called void areas throughout the central portion of the wings of the U-shaped sections, in order to lighten their structure without detracting from their mechanical strength, and to uniformly spread the contact surface between the reinforcing section bar and the expanded plastics.

Preferably, the pitch between the openings of the central row is equal to the pitch of the side rows and ranges between 80 and 100 mm and, still more preferably, is equal to about 90 mm.

In order to further increase this contact surface and, along therewith, improve the adhesion of the reinforcing section bar to the expanded plastics, the openings formed in the wings of the U-shaped sections may advantageously be provided with a protruding lip along their peripheral edge, or, in the alternative, with one or more protrusions, distributed along their peripheral edge and angularly offset from one another.

Advantageously, the protruding lip and the protrusions constitute an additional means for clinching the slab- shaped element to the mass of expanded plastics material.

These protrusions may either be extending from one side of the wings of the ^■ U-shaped sections or from both sides thereof.

In an embodiment, the composite construction element of the invention may be used as a covering element for buildings, for example of industrial warehouses.

In this embodiment, one of the faces of the construction element and in particular the face which in operation is the upper face thereof, is preferably provided with a plurality of substantially trapezium-shaped ridges substantially extending for the entire width of the element ' s body.

Preferably, an additional slab-shaped coating element is conveniently associated to the upper face of the construction element to protect the substantially trapezium-shaped ridges, while the slab-shaped coating element, in such a case, is associated to the lower face of the construction element.

Should the slab-shaped element function as a support for an additional finishing element, the composite construction element of the invention may comprise a rigid coating element associated to the slab-shaped element.

Preferably, such a coating and finishing element is a panel of plasterboard, wood, rigid plastics, or any other suitable material having decorating and/or- structural functions .

Depending upon the choice of the coating element, provided or not with structural characteristics, the construction elements of the invention may also achieve advantageous load-bearing characteristics, i.e. be capable of autonomously withstanding possible static loads applied thereon ..

In accordance with a second aspect thereof, the invention also relates to a covering structure for covering buildings comprising a plurality of composite construction elements of the type previously described arranged side-by-side on a supporting structure.

Finally, in accordance with a third aspect thereof, the- invention relates to a wall structure for buildings comprising a plurality of composite construction elements of the type previously described arranged side-by-side.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description of some preferred embodiments of a composite construction element according to the invention, given by way of non- limitative examples with reference to the accompanying drawings .

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings :

- Fig. 1 shows a perspective view, in partial section, of a first embodiment of a composite construction element according to the invention;

- Fig. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of some details of the composite construction element of figure 1;

- Fig. 3 shows a perspective view, in partial section, of a second embodiment of a composite construction element according to the invention;

- Fig. 4 shows a perspective view, in partial section, of a third embodiment of a composite construction element according to the invention;

- Fig. 5 shows an enlarged perspective view of some details of the composite construction element of figure 4.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

With reference to figures 1 and 2, a first embodiment of the composite construction element according to the present invention is generally indicated at 1.

In this first embodiment, the construction element 1 is a covering panel intended for the construction of a roof of a building, for example an industrial warehouse.

The panel 1 comprises a body 2 of expanded plastics material, for example made of expanded polystyrene, having a substantially planar lower face 2a and an upper face 2b provided with a plurality of substantially trapezium-shaped ridges 3 substantially extending for the _ entire width W of the body 2.

In this embodiment, the panel 1 is provided on its upper surface with a slab-shaped coating element, for example consisting of a zinc-coated metal sheet having a shape mating with that of the upper face 2b of the body 2.

Conveniently, the slab-shaped coating element 4 has a thickness comprised between 0.4 and O.β mm and may be either associated to the upper face 2b of the body 2 by gluing or fixed by means of screws - not shown - to the supporting structure of the panel 1, also not shown.

The panel 1 also comprises a slab-shaped coating element 5 associated to the lower face 2a of the body 2 which also constitutes, in this embodiment, a surface finishing element of the panel 1.

The slab-shaped element 5 consists of a single sheet of cold-rolled and suitably shaped steel which has been zinc- coated and painted, and having a thickness of about 0.5 mm, a width W of about 1200 mm and a length L of about 2400 mm. The slab-shaped element 5 comprises a plurality of substantially adjoining and substantially U-shaped adjacent sections 6 having a base portion 8 extending flush with and substantially parallel to the lower face 2a of the body 2 and a pair of opposite wings 7a, 7b embedded in the body 2 and provided with respective means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element 5 to the expanded plastics material.

According to this embodiment and as illustrated in figure 2, the opposite wings 7a, 7b of the sections 6 are essentially integral with the slab-shaped element 5 and are constituted by substantially adjoining branches of a portion of the slab-shaped element 5 folded as an upside- down U .

Preferably, the opposite wings 7a, 7b of the sections 6 have a height equal to about 100 mm.

Advantageously, the base portions 8 of the sections 6 define a visible surface of the panel 1, imparting thereto a particularly pleasant aesthetic effect of side-by-side splines.

In this embodiment, furthermore, the slab-shaped element 5 comprises substantially C-shaped opposite end portions which are embedded in the expanded plastics material.

As may be gathered from figures 1 and 2, such end portions of the slab-shaped element 5 respectively constitute the external fins 7a, 7b of the- end sections 6a, 6b, of the slab-shaped element itself.

Advantageously, the end portions thus conformed contribute to mechanically clinch the slab-shaped element 5 to the mass of expanded plastics material in an even more secure manner.

Advantageously, the panel 1 described above has adequate self-supporting characteristics, imparted thereto by the wings 7a, 7b of the sections 6 and may be easily assembled with other panels 1 to give a covering structure for covering buildings.

Preferably, the panel 1 is an element of a modular system comprising a plurality of panels 1 arranged side-by-side on the aforementioned supporting structure (not shown) arranged in the roof of the building.

To this end, the panel 1 is advantageously provided with means which allows to facilitate the interlocking of adjacent panels 1.

In the case of the panel 1 illustrated in figures 1 and 2, such means are constituted by a lip 9 laterally outwardly extending from the wing 7b of the end section 6b, and by a recess 10 having a shape mating with the shape of the lip 9 formed at an outer end of the base portion 8 of the opposite end section 6a.

Advantageously, the lip 9 of the panel 1 cooperates with the recess 10 of an adjacent panel 1 so as to facilitate the assembly operations of the panels to give a substantially continuous covering structure.

Still in order to facilitate the interlocking of adjacent panels 1, the opposite longitudinal walls 2c, 2d of the body 2 may advantageously have a mating shape as shown in figures 1 and 2, while the slab-shaped coating element 4 may have a length greater than that of the panel 1 so as to be joined to the upper face 2a of the body 2 of an adjacent panel 1.

In the illustrated example, the means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element 5 to the mass of expanded polystyrene comprises a plurality of fins 11 extending in a cantilevered fashion from each of the opposite wings 7a, 7b of the sections 6 which constitute the slab-shaped element More particularly, and as may be better seen in figure 2, each of the wings 7a, 7b is provided with a respective fin - indicated with 11a, lib in such a figure - adjoining with and parallel to the fin extending from the adjacent wing.

Preferably, the fins 11 are formed by punching from the wings 7a, 7b of the sections 6 which constitute the slab- shaped element 5 and are alternatively extending in a cantilevered fashion from opposite sides of the same wings 7a, 7b.

The fins 11 advantageously carry out the dual function of mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element 5 to the mass of expanded plastics material and of mechanically connecting together the wings 7a, 7b of adjacent sections 6 preventing their mutual separation under a load.

In the illustrated embodiment, the fins 11 are extending in a cantilevered fashion from a lower edge of respective openings 12 of mating shape formed in a central portion of the wings 7a, 7b.

In this embodiment, therefore, the means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element 5 to the mass of expanded polystyrene also comprises the openings 12 which advantageously allow to increase the interpenetration of the expanded plastics material in the wings 7a, 7b, thus improving the effectiveness of such a mechanical clinching.

Preferably, the openings 12 and the corresponding fins 11 extending from the same are substantially trapezoidal in shape so as to define an effective dovetail mechanical connection between the wings 7a, 7b of adjacent sections 6. Advantageously, such a dovetail mechanical connection allows to prevent a possible separation of the wings themselves under a load. Advantageously, the panel 1 described above may be manufactured by means of conventional molding operations carried out either semi-continuously or intermittently at a competitive cost since it does not have additional connection elements between the slab-shaped element 5 and the mass of expanded plastics material.

In figures 3-4, additional embodiments of the composite construction element according to the present invention are schematically illustrated.

In the following description and in these figures, components of the composite construction element which are structurally or functionally equivalent to those illustrated in connection with the previous embodiment will be indicated by the same reference numerals and will not be further described.

In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, illustrated in figure 3, the covering panel 1 is provided with a slab-shaped element 5 consisting of a plurality of sections 6 which are structurally independent from each other.

In this alternative embodiment, the means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element 5 to the mass of expanded plastics material comprises - in addition to the opposite C-shaped ends of the end sections 6a, ^'6b of the slab-shaped element 5 - a plurality of openings 14, preferably circular holes obtained by punching, formed in the wings 7a, 7b.

The holes 14 carry out the advantageous dual function of lightening the wings 7a, 7b and of clinching each section 6 of the slab-shaped element 5 to the mass of expanded plastics material as firmly as possible.

Preferably, the holes 14 are arranged in the wings 7a, 7b according to three parallel rows: a first central row of circular holes 14a, having a prevailing diameter, pitchwise arranged along a median plane x-x of the wings 7a, 7b, and two side rows of circular holes 14b, 14c having smaller diameter, arranged on opposite parts with respect to the central row.

Preferably, the circular holes 14b, 14c in the side rows have parallel axes and are arranged between two consecutive holes 14a of the central row, as shown in Figure 3.

The aforementioned holes 14, therefore, define a perforated area or void area which accounts for about 30% of the overall area of the wings 7a, 7b.

In order to further increase the contact surface between the wings 7a, 7b and the expanded plastics material, the holes 14 may be advantageously provided, along their peripheral edge, with a protruding lip - not shown - adapted to be completely embedded in the mass of expanded plastics material so as to clinch the slab-shaped element 5 even more stably.

Alternatively, the same advantageous function may be carried out by one or more protrusions, also not shown, distributed along the peripheral edge of the holes 14 and angularly offset from each other.

In accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, illustrated in figures 4 and 5, a wall element, for example for the manufacture of supporting walls and dividers for buildings, is generally indicated at 101.

The wall element 101 comprises in this case a pair of slab- shaped coating elements indicated with the reference numbers 105a, 105b associated to the opposite faces 2a, 2b of the body 2.

Each of the slab-shaped elements 105a, 105b is structurally identical to the slab-shaped element 5 of the panel 1 described hereinbefore and is arranged in a mirror-like relationship with respect to the other slab-shaped element 105a, 105b with reference to a longitudinal median plane π of the wall element 101.

In this embodiment, therefore, both the opposite faces of the wall element 101 are provided with a coating element, which may or may not have characteristics of finishing, constituted by the base portions 8 of the sections 6 of the slab-shaped elements 105a, 105b.

In an alternative embodiment, one or both the opposite faces of the wall element 101 may be provided with a slab- shaped element 105 constituting the support for an additional slab-shaped finishing element, such as a panel 13 made of plasterboard, wood, rigid plastics or another suitable material having a decorative and/or structural function.

Such a panel 13 is schematically illustrated in figure 4 with dashed lines and is associated to the slab-shaped element 105b in a way known per se, for example by means of a series of screws or pegs, which are not shown.

Depending upon the predetermined coating element 13, be it with or without structural characteristics, the wall elements 101 of the invention may also achieve advantageous characteristics of load-bearing capacity, i.e. of being able by itself to support possible static loads applied thereto.

Obviously, a man skilled in the art may introduce variants and modifications to the above described invention, in order to satisfy specific and contingent requirements, variants and modifications which fall anyhow within the scope of protection as is defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. Composite construction element (1, 101) comprising:

a) a body (2) made of expanded plastics material provided with opposite faces (2a, 2b) ;

b) a slab-shaped coating element (5, 105a, 105b) associated to at least one of said opposite faces (2a, 2b) of the body (2),

characterized in that the slab-shaped coating element (5, 105a, 105b) comprises a plurality of substantially adjoining substantially U-shaped adjacent sections (6) having:

a base portion (8) extending flush with and substantially parallel to said at least one face (2a, 2b) of said body (2) , and

- a pair of opposite wings (7a, 7b) embedded in said body (2) and provided with respective means for mechanically clinching the slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) to said expanded plastics material.

2. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 1, wherein said adjacent sections (6) of the slab- shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) are integral with said slab- shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) .

3. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 1, wherein said adjacent sections (6) of the slab- shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) are structurally independent from each other.

4. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 1, wherein said slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) comprises opposite substantially C-shaped end portions embedded in said expanded plastics material.

5. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical clinching means comprises a plurality of fins (11) extending in a cantilevered fashion from the opposite wings (7a, 7b) of said adjacent sections (6) of the slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) .

6.. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 5, wherein said fins (11) are alternatively extending in a cantilevered fashion from opposite sides of side-by- side wings (7a, 7b) of said adjacent sections (6) of the slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) .

7. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 5, wherein said fins (11) are formed by punching in the opposite wings (7a, 7b) of said adjacent sections (6) of the slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) and are extending in a cantilevered fashion from an edge of respective mating openings (12) formed in a central portion of said wings (7a, 7b) .

8. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 5 or 7, wherein said fins (11) and said openings (12) are substantially trapezoidal in shape.

9. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 7, wherein said fins (11) are extending in a cantilevered fashion from a lower edge of said openings (12) .

10. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical clinching means comprises a plurality of openings (12, 14) formed in each of the opposite wings (7a, 7b) of said adjacent sections (6) of the slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) .

11. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 1 or 10, wherein said openings (12, 14) have an overall area of between 10 and 60% of the total area of each of the opposite wings (7a, 7b) of said adjacent sections (6) of the slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b).

12. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 10, wherein said openings (14) have a circular section.

13. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 10, wherein said openings (14) are peripherally provided with a lip protruding from said wings (7a, 7b) and completely embedded in said expanded plastics material.

14. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 10 wherein said openings (14) are provided with one or more protrusions, distributed along the peripheral edge and angularly offset from each other, said protrusions being completely embedded in said expanded plastics material .

15. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 1, wherein a first (2b) of said opposite faces (2a, 2b) of the body (2) made of expanded plastics material is provided with a plurality of substantially trapezium-shaped ridges (3) extending for substantially the entire width (W) of said body (2) .

16. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 15, wherein an additional slab-shaped coating element (4) is associated to said first face (2b) of the body (2) made of expanded plastics material and wherein said slab- shaped coating element (5, 105a, 105b) is associated to the opposite face (2a) of the body (2) .

17. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 1, further comprising a coating element (13) associated to said slab-shaped element (5, 105a, 105b) .

18. Composite construction element (1, 101) according to claim 17, wherein said coating element (13) is a rigid panel of plasterboard, wood, plastics material or another suitable material.

19. Covering structure for buildings comprising a plurality of composite construction elements (1) according to anyone of the preceding claims arranged side-by-side on a supporting structure.

20. Wall structure for buildings comprising a plurality of composite construction elements (101) according to anyone of claims 1-18 arranged side-by-side.