WO2010122291A1

WO2010122291A1 - Structural couplings and a method of constructing a building

Info

Publication number: WO2010122291A1
Application number: PCT/GB2010/000786
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Singleton
Original assignee: Ms Associates
Priority date: 2009-04-23
Filing date: 2010-04-21
Publication date: 2010-10-28
Also published as: GB201119913D0; GB2484417A; GB0906944D0

Abstract

A structural coupling comprising a plurality of interconnected pultruded profiles (3, 5) for forming a structural component of a building such as its floors, sides and roof. Dowelling elements (15, 16) are incorporated in and/or between the profiles to strengthen the coupling and thus the building as a whole.

Description

STRUCTURAL COUPLINGS AND A METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A BUILDING

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates broadly to building construction and particularly to structural couplings for buildings formed from interconnected pultruded profiles.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Weak man-made <> composites, such as adobe and fibre reinforced plaster, have been used in building construction for many years.

The use of much stronger composites became possible after the

Second World War when glass reinforced polyester (GRP) fabricated by hand was employed in the building industry to make bespoke ornamental or 'one-off cladding. 'Bucket and brush' GRP gave building designers the facility to tailor building artefacts to any desired surface colour, shape or geometrical configuration. Previously, this had only been possible by casting in metal, plaster, formulated concrete or by installing purpose- designed, moulded and vitrified terra-cotta.

Basic GRP also offered a cheap and convenient alternative to the expensive and labour-intensive process of bending and bossing malleable metals to fit round awkward shapes and corners. However, GRP fabrication by hand is still labour-intensive, slow and costly. Consequently, applications requiring advanced composites and sophisticated engineering tended to by-pass building, ending up in less cost-sensitive markets such as Formula One racing.

i Faster production methods were introduced to reduce labour costs but they came at the expense of requiring short reinforcing fibres, thus compromising structural capability.

The invention of pultrusion bestowed the benefits of mass production on to composite manufacture in a different way. The technique optimised fibre length, so that the automated production of structurally competent composite profiles with a high fibre content to give a predictable and reliable engineering material with outstanding properties at modest cost became feasible for the first time.

With pultrusion, the fibre volume fraction is most advantageous, which has the beneficial effects of enhancing stiffness and reducing thermal movement. In theory, stiff, dimensionally stable components made of pultruded GRP (an innately thermally resistant material) can be used to construct well-insulated, air-tight buildings without thermal bridges.

Moreover the pultruded profiles emerge fully cured and can be cut and drilled online to produce finished components at minimal cost.

Startlink Systems Ltd has exploited these physical and material properties of thin-section GRP to advantage in the building industry, instead of attempting to copy sections more appropriate for conventional 'strong' materials.

The necessary stiffness and strength which is imparted by the facility pultrusion offers to make hollow sections cheaply, using the least possible material has been exploited in the Startlink™ system.

Jointing has been achieved between the panel sections by forming opposing concave and convex panel edges that interlock and can be 'snap- fitted' together. Only pultmsion can produce continuous 'snap-fit' profiles in composites.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved technique for use with the Startlink™ system to increase and enhance the strength and/or stiffness of the pultruded profiles heretofore held together by the snap-fit action referred to above by incorporating means acting to transfer and more equally distribute the loading throughout the coupled profiles when assembled together to form the particular building construction in hand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a structural coupling comprising a plurality of pultruded profiles for forming a structural component of a building such as a wall, floor, ceiling, roof and support beam, connecting means between the profiles to hold the profiles together in assembly and dowelling elements incorporated in and/or between the pultruded profiles to stiffen and/or strengthen the coupling in assembly.

Preferably the dowelling means is in the form of pultruded rods of constant cross-section throughout their length.

Other features and advantages of the invention will now become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof made with reference to accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;

Figure 1 and l(a), (b), (c) show in perspective view and exploded detail respectively a series of pultruded wall and floor studs each formed of a pair of pultruded profiles joined back-to-back and incorporating stiffening dowels in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 and 2(a) show in perspective view and exploded detail thereof respectively a series of pultruded profiles joined by dowels in accordance with the invention to provide a three-component beam for a building;

Figure 3 illustrates in perspective view a floor beam formed of a pultruded profile drilled to accept connecting dowels in accordance with the invention to provide the support of the floor of a building;

Figure 4 shows the construction of a hand rail formed of pultruded partly circular sections strengthened with dowels in accordance with invention.

Figure 5 shows in exploded and isometric view an arrangement of pultruded profiles for mounting on poltruded support beams using dowels designed in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 6 shows a pultruded floor panel mounted on support dowels designed in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention. PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The Startlink™ system as referred to above is a modular building system that uses pultruded profiles to construct a house for example, without using concrete or structural steel above ground.

With reference to the drawings the main elements of the Startlink™ building system comprise a pultruded floor panel 1, see Figure 3, a pultruded universal panel 2, see Figure 1 and complementary pultruded profiles 3, see Figures 1 and 2 having lightweight or hollow cores.

The universal panel 2 see Fig l(b) has short return legs 4 along each side that hold extruded gaskets 5.

Pairs of gasketed legs 4 slot into a single recess 6 on either side edge of the connecting profiles 3 to form studs or trusses 7 to make waterproof seals in the walls and the roof of a building being constructed (not shown).

The sides 8¹ of a channel section 8 engage the recesses 6 by snap fit action to lock the panels 2 and studs 7 in place and links the wall studs or roof trusses together, see also Fig l(c).

Pultruded beam profiles 9 for the floor of the building shown in Figure 3 have two purposes that are to stiffen the floor panel 1 and when cut in two, to form the upper and lower cords of a roof truss.

The beam profiles 9 may be bonded to the floor panels 1 to form a floor and provide support for the universal panel 2 to make a ceiling below and it is worthy of note that the floor and universal panels 1, 2 are light enough to be carried by two people. To illustrate the invention incorporated in a structure formed of Startlink™ structural components as previously described, Figure 1 shows an assembly of the pultruded profiles 3 in the form of the studs 7 for use in constructing the walls, floors and openings of a building such as a house and incorporating the modification and improvement according to the present invention.

The studs 7 are made up of two single pultruded profiles 3 of hollow box construction provided with a pair of interengagable leg formations 10, 11 along the outer most corners of their opposed side edges which nestle together in assembly as show in Fig l(a).

Further leg formations 12, 13 spaced from the leg formation 10, 1 1 on the opposing profiles respectively, depend from the side edges of the profiles 3, to form longitudinally extending recesses 14 into which elongated circular hollowed dowels 15 are inserted in close fit relationship to complete the connections between the profiles 3.

To further strengthen and stiffen the studs 7 when used for example as lintels and floor studs, elongated circular hollowed dowels 16 are passed through the box sectioned interior of the profiles 3 as shown to fit within existing pre-drilled holes 17 in the profiles 3 of other similar wall studs 7 forming the structure.

With this arrangement as above described no pre-drilling is necessary to make a secure connection and it will be appreciated that a multiplicity of such studs 7 may be interconnected to form, walls, floors and openings of a building in a simple, easy and cost effective manner.

In Figure 2 and 2(a) dowel securing elements 18 according to the invention are used in the formation of a beam 19 for a building formed of pultruded profiles. The profiles 20 forming the beam are channel shaped in section with pre-drillings 21, 22 being provided in their bases to receive the cylindrical dowels 18 passing through pre-drilled holes 23 in a single pultruded profile 3 as shown.

In Figure 3 cylindrical dowels 24 according to the invention may be used to support a floor panel 1 by means of the dowels 24 passing through pre-drilled holes 25 in the pultruded profile 9 as discussed earlier forming a floor beam with legs 26 of the floor panel 1 resting on the dowels 24.

In Figure 4 there is illustrated the use of hollow dowels 27 according to the invention to rigidise and strengthen a circular hand rail 28 formed of pultruded profiles.

Although not shown in the drawing the pultruded profiles of the hand rail 28 are and provided with means (not shown in detail) for snap fit engagement along their split lengthwise edges with the cylindrical dowel 27 dimensioned to fit within the circumferential opening so formed.

The coupling constructions previously described all relate to the use of cylindrical dowels inserted into and located in rectangular hollow sections of one profile connected to another profile by drilling circular holes for the dowels to pass through.

Cylindrical dowels however are difficult to bond to adjacent flat surfaces and also distribute loads through a contact point instead of spreading the loads over a wider area.

Polygonal, preferably rectangular, dowels are stiffer and they provide a flat surface for bonding to other flat surfaces. They transfer loads more evenly than point loads from cylindrical dowels to other profiles but rectangular holes to accommodate them are more difficult to manufacture. Rectangular dowels with circular hollow centres can be bonded into or located in larger profiles provided with rectangular hollow interior chambers for example in box structured profiles.

Cylindrical dowels can then be inserted into the rectangular interior chambers to transfer loads through circular holes drilled in other profiles. Rectangular dowels can also be turned to make the outer profile circular to fit circular holes in other profile sections.

Cylindrical dowels with rectangular shaped hollow interiors can then be mounted around rectangular dowels of corresponding size to strengthen them and to transfer loads through circular holes drilled in other profiles.

Components capable of locating dowels as above described can be bonded to other profiled sections to form stronger profiles such as grounds beams. The ground beams can then be assembled into a structural rectangle or frame by using a combination of rectangular dowels and cylindrical dowels inserted in circular drillings in the rectangular dowels at each corner of the structural frame.

Thus dowels from one side of the rectangle are arranged to enter holes drilled in an adjacent side of the rectangle and by opposing the direction of insertion of the dowels the corner joint is mechanically locked together.

These ideas are illustrated with reference to Figures 5 and 6. In Figure 5 there is shown an assembly of pultruded universal panels 2 as aforedescribed and a profile section 3 forming a connecting stud wall 7, an arrangement of which has been described with reference to Figure 1. The universal panels 2 and stud walls 7 are secured to a rectangularly arranged frame of interconnected ground beams 19, as will be explained below.

The stud profile 3 is of box construction providing lengthwise corner box chambers forming rectangular openings 30 as shown. Composite dowel pieces 31 formed of an upper section 32 of rectangular cross-section and a lower section 33 of circular cross-section are provided with the upper section 32 arranged for insertion in the corner box chambers 30 of the stud profile 3.

The lower sections 33 of the dowel pieces 31 are inserted in circular drillings 34 formed in edge portions 35 of the ground beams 19 which have box section chambers 36 of axial extent and forming rectangular openings at their corners as shown.

The upper and lower sections 32, 33 of the dowel pieces 31 are provided with circular drillings 37, 38 the axis of which are at 90° to one another.

Inserted within the corner box sections 36 of the ground beams 19 are dowel shells 37 of rectangular cross-section provided with circular open-ended drillings 38 for receiving cylindrical dowels 39.

At appropriate locations along the sides of the beams 19 are circular drillings 40 for receiving cylindrical dowels 41 which when the drillings 40 and 38 of the lower section 33 of the composite dowel pieces 31 are in alignment pass therethrough to secure the dowel pieces 31 to the beams 19. To complete the connecting procedure and thus connection of the stud wall 7 to the beams 29 cylindrical dowels 42 are inserted through drillings 43 in the side face of the profile 3 and through the circular drillings 37 in the upper rectangular section 32 of the dowel pieces 31. One end of each of the ground beams 19 of the rectangular ground beam frame is offset cut to form a leading end closure section 44 which fits over the end of an adjacent beam of the rectangular frame with a trailing section 45 which abuts the side surface of that adjacent beam in assembly.

To secure the leading end closure section 44 to the end of an adjacent beam 19 the circular dowels 39 are inserted through circular drillings 47 in the section 44 and the drillings 38 in the box chamber 36 with the drillings 47 in alignment with the drillings 38 in the rectangular dowel shells 37 as shown.

To secure the trailing section 45 to the adjacent beam 19 the cylindrical dowels 39 as previously described are inserted in the drillings 38 in the rectangular dowel shells 37 positioned in the box section corners 36 of the trailing section 45 and the drillings 48 of an adjacent corner beam 19 to mechanically lock the corner joint together.

As shown in Figure 6 the idea of a composite stiffening dowel comprising rectangular sections 49 and cylindrical sections 50 mounted over or formed with the section 50 is further developed to provide a support for the floor panel 1 as described with reference to Figure 3.

In this arrangement the support legs 26, see Figure 3, of the panel 1 rest on the exposed rectangular sections 49 and the cylindrical sections 50 of the composite dowel are inserted in circular drillings 52 in the depending major support leg 9 of the universal floor panel 1.

Claims

1. A structural coupling comprising a plurality of pultruded profiles for use in forming a structural component of a building such as a wall, floor, ceiling, roof and support beam and dowelling elements incorporated in and/or between the pultruded profiles to stiffen and/or strengthen the coupling in assembly.

2. A structural coupling as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pultruded profiles are studs used in forming the walls of a building, the profiles being of hollow boxed construction, said dowelling elements being in the form of a cylindrical rod or rods passing internally of said box construction.

3. A structural coupling as claimed in claim 2 wherein said cylindrical rods are received in pre-drillings provided in one or more similar pultruded profiles positioned in vertical end alignment to form an opening in a wall of the building.

4. A structural coupling as claimed in any preceding claim including connecting means between two or more profiles in assembly, said . connecting means being formed along the longitudinally extending side edges of the profiles and comprise complementary interengagable extending legs which form boxed channels between the profiles, a said dowelling elements being located in said boxed channels.

5. A structural coupling as claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural component is a universal beam composed of one or more support pultruded profiles and two opposed channel shaped pultruded profiles forming the horizontal part of the beam, said dowelling elements being in the form of cylindrical rods passing through the support profiles and being receiving in pre-drillings formed in the channel profiles.

6. A structural coupling as claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural component is a hollow rail formed of separate rail sections with a said dowelling element in the form of a cylindrical rod inserted within the hollow rail.

7. A structure incorporating a structural coupling as claimed in any preceding claim.

8. A structural coupling as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said cylindrical rods are inserted in circular drillings formed in outer dowels shells of polygonal cross-section, said outer dowel shells being located in box chambers of corresponding internal cross section of said boxed construction profiles.

9. A structural coupling as claimed in claim 1 including composite dowel elements of part circular and part polygonal cross-section, the part circular section being inserted in a beam member of a rectangularly arranged beam frame, and the polygonal section in the box chambers of corresponding internal cross-section of a representative pultruded profile being supported by the beam frame.

10. A structural coupling as claimed in claim 9 wherein the composite dowels are provided with circular drillings axially opposed to the axis of the outer polygonal dowel shells for receiving said cylindrical do welling elements passing through circular drillings in the sides of the beams of said frame and the sides of said representative pultruded profile to secure the profile to the beam frame by means of the composite dowels.

11.A structural coupling as claimed in claim 10 wherein the beams of the frame are provided with internal box chambers of polygonal cross- section to receive dowelling rod shells of corresponding polygonal cross-section, said dowelling rod shells being provided with internal lengthwise circular drillings to receive said cylindrical dowelling elements to secure corners of the beam frame together.

12.A structural coupling as claimed in claim 11 wherein the beams of the frame are provided with corner beam portions having off-set cut end sections providing one shorter trailing half section for abutting the side face of an adjacent corner beam of the frame and a leading half section for abutting the end of said adjacent corner beam of the frame, with ones of said cylindrical dowelling elements inserted in the circular interiors of the dowel shells located in the box chambers of the shorter trailing half section and circular drillings in the side faces of an opposing corner beam, and ones of said cylindrical dowelling elements through circular drillings formed in the outer side face of said leading half section into the circular interiors of the box chambers of said opposing corner beam such that cylindrical dowelling elements are in opposed relationship to lock the corners of the beam frame together.

13. A structural coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1-12 wherein said polygonal cross-section of the dowelling elements is rectangular.

14.A method of constructing a building using building components formed by pultrusion including

providing pultruded panels to form the inner and outer skins of walls, roof and floors of the building;

locating studs formed of pultruded profiles of hollow construction between the panels to form a cavity therebetween;

fastening the panels to the studs in assembly; and

inserting connecting dowels within and/or between the pultruded profiles to stiffen and/or strengthen the profiles and consequently the building as a whole.