WO2011094178A1

WO2011094178A1 - Composite buildings and methods of construction

Info

Publication number: WO2011094178A1
Application number: PCT/US2011/022329
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nasser Saebi
Original assignee: Nasser Saebi
Priority date: 2010-01-30
Filing date: 2011-01-25
Publication date: 2011-08-04

Abstract

A method of constructing a composite building from a composite material of a foam plastic core having a higher strength coating on major surfaces by constructing walls of a first story from wall foam pieces by positioning the wall pieces and bonding adjacent wall pieces to each other, placing ceiling foam pieces on the top portions of the wall pieces and bonding the ceiling foam pieces to the top portions of the wall, placing shores under the ceiling foam pieces at selected locations, constructing walls of a second story from wall foam pieces by positioning the wall pieces on the ceiling foam pieces of the first story and bonding adjacent wall pieces to each other, placing ceiling foam pieces on the top portions of the second story wall pieces and bonding the ceiling foam pieces to the top portions of the wall and to each other.

Description

COMPOSITE BUILDINGS AND METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority from provisional patent application SN 61/337,014 filed 1/30/2010 by Nasser Saebi for Composite Buildings and Methods of Construction.

INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The following references are incorporated by reference: USPN 6,308,490 issued 10/30/01 and USPN 6,912,488 issued 6/28/05 to Nasser Saebi for Method of Constructing Curved Structures as Part of a Habitable Building, USPN 6,721 ,684 issued 4/13/04 and USPN 6,985,832 issued 1/10/06 to Nasser Saebi for Method of Manufacturing and Analyzing a Composite Building.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to composite buildings and the methods of constructing such buildings. The composite material used to construct the buildings can be a foam plastic core having a High Strength Coating (HSC), such as a Fiber Reinforced Coating (FRC) such as Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC), on the opposing surfaces of the core.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a method of constructing a composite building by using shores, props or other temporary supports. The invention also provides a method of providing controlled expansion and cracking along a predetermined area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS Figures 1 - 14 are perspective views of the building of the invention during construction. Figure 14A is a perspective view of the building of the invention when finished. Figures 15 - 17 are perspective views of the shoring during construction. Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the shoring during construction of Figs. 15 - 17.

Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the shoring during construction. Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the shoring during construction. Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of the coatings on the foam pieces.

Figures 22A - 22D are perspective views of another embodiment of the shoring during construction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a foundation 10 formed from concrete or foam coated with a High Strength Coating (HSC), such as a Fiber Reinforced Coating (FRC) such as Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC). The foundation 10 has slabs 11 at different heights. A sidewalk 12 and driveway 13 are shown.

Figure 2 shows the addition of stem walls 20 to the foundation 10. The stem walls 20 are formed from plastic foam and provide a connection between a concrete foundation and the plastic foam of the composite walls. The foam stem wall 20 is connected to the foundation by rebar or metal stock that is embedded in the foundation 10 and in the stem wall 20. The rebar is connected to the foam of the stem wall by a bonding agent such as GFRC. The rebar can be connected to the foundation by being bonded to concrete if added to the foundation during the creation of the concrete foundation. Alternatively, the rebar can be attached to the foundation by using a bonding agent or mechanical connection after drilling a hole in the foundation or after providing a hole using a dummy which is removable later when the foundation has set. The black portions in the stem wall top side indicate location of the rebar connection. Figure 3 shows the construction of the staircase 30 for the building. The staircase 30 having stairs 31 and foam panel walls 40 is formed on its side from plastic foam pieces connected by a suitable bonding agent.

Figure 4 shows the under portion of the staircase 30 with a FRC 100 coating. By coating the underside of the stairway with FRC, the stairs 31 can be used in the construction process to reach the second floor.

Figure 5 shows the position of the constructed stairway of Fig. 4 relative to the whole foundation 10.

Figure 6 shows the stairway 30 positioned on the stem wall 20 and the slab 11. A suitable bonding agent is added to the top surface of the stem wall 20, and the stairway 30 is then placed on the stem wall 20.

Figure 7 shows plastic foam panel walls 40 added to the plastic foam stem wall 20. The walls 40 are connected to the stem wall 20 and to each other by a bonding agent.

Figure 8 shows shores, props or temporary supports 50 positioned to support foam ceiling / floor panels which will be added. The shores 50 can have a flat plate on the top and bottom surfaces and a pole in between. The flat plate on the top and the bottom of the shores functions as a load distributor. The shores 50 can be adjustable. Shores 50 are commercially available.

Figure 9 shows the foam ceiling / floor panels 41 added. A bonding agent is applied to the top surface of the walls 40. Then, the ceiling / floor panels 41 are connected to the top surface of the walls 40 and to each other 41 by a bonding agent.

Figure 10 shows the second floor walls 40 added to the top surface of the first floor walls 40. The second floor walls 40 are connected to the ceiling / floor panels 41 of the second floor and to each other by a bonding agent. The second floor wall panels 40 can be erected by workers standing on the second floor ceiling / floor panels 41. Those panels 41 are supported by the first floor walls 40 and the shores 50. The workers can access the second floor by using the stairs 31.

Figure 11 shows shores, props or temporary supports 50 positioned to support foam ceiling panels or pieces which will be added. The shores 50 can have a flat plate on the top and bottom surfaces and a pole in between. The flat plate on the top and bottom surfaces of the shore functions as a load distributor. The shores 50 can be adjustable. Shores 50 are commercially available.

Figure 12 shows the foam roof / ceiling panels 41 added. A bonding agent is applied to the top surface of the walls 40. Then, the roof / ceiling panels 41 are connected to the top surface of the walls 40 and to each other 41 by a bonding agent. Those panels 41 are supported by the second floor walls 40 and the shores 50.

Figure 13 shows the parapet wall panels 40 A added to form the complete building 1 of plastic foam. The parapet wall panels 40A are connected to the top surface of the ceiling panels 41 and to each other by a bonding agent. The workers can access the roof by leaving off a roof ceiling panel 41 and using a ladder.

Figure 14 shows scaffolding 70 positioned around the building for applying a strengthening coating, such as a FRC (Fiber Reinforced Coating), such as GFRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Coating) to the outer vertical surfaces of the building 1. The parapet wall panels 40A can be added after the scaffolding has been erected.

Figure 14A shows the building 1 coated with strengthening coating 60.

Figure 15-17 show an alternate embodiment of the shoring method to the use of commercially available shores 50.

Figure 15 shows removing a portion 42 of a ceiling panel 41 which creates a hole 43 with a bottom in the ceiling panel 41. The ceiling portion 42 can be removed by a hot wire or other cutting device.

Once the portion 42 has been removed, a load distributor can be connected to the bottom of the hole 43 by a bonding agent. Alternatively, the portion 42 can have a load distributor added to it and can be reinserted in the hole 43 and connected to the sides and / or bottom of the hole by a bonding agent. The portion 42 can have a hole in the central area for receiving the shore.

Figure 16 shows the portion 42 with a hole 44 for receiving the shore before its insertion into ceiling hole 43. Figure 17 shows a shore 50 inserted into hole 44.

Figure 18 shows the shore 50 and the portion 42 inserted into and bonded to the hole 43 by a bonding agent 48. The portion 42 has a foam portion 42A and a load distributor 45 which can be plywood, wood, plastic, metal, etc. The portion 42 can be cut to form foam portion 42 A and provide room for the load distributor 45. The plywood load distributor 45 can have a steel plate 46, such as a washer which is held in place by a nail 46. The nail 46 can extend beyond the distributor 45 so that it can be used to hold portion 42A and the load distributor 45 in the hole 43 until the bonding agent 48 has set. The load distributor can be 4 - 12 inches or larger in diameter or major dimension depending on the loading of the ceiling during construction. Also, more shores can be used with smaller load distributors, or fewer shores with larger load distributors.

The shore 50 can have a post 51 formed from a hollow metal tube, a threaded portion 52 which can move relative to the post and a nut 53 on the threaded portion 52 for adjusting the height of the shore 50. The threaded portion 52 has a centering portion 52A on the bottom which slides in the tube forming the post 51. A protective covering 54 covers threaded portion 52, nut 53 and post 51 and protects the shore 50 from any FRC that may accidentally come into contact with the shore during the coating process. The protective cover 54 can be made from plastic film or sheet or other similar material.

The portion 42A is bonded to the load distributor 45 and can be placed into the panel 41 before the panel is added to the ceiling or it can be added after the panel is in place.

The reason for providing the load distributor 45 within the ceiling panel or piece is to provide a stronger, more unified FRC coating. When the load distributor is in contact with the ceiling surface as in Figs. 8 and 11, the FRC coating cannot be applied where the load distributor contacts the ceiling. The areas of foam covered by the load distributor of the shores 50 must be coated later. When those areas are covered with FRC, the reinforcing fibers do not extend across the joint between the first coating of FRC and the coating of FRC that covers the bare surface formed by the load distributor. The lack of fibers at the joint reduces the strength of the ceiling. Placing the load distributor within the ceiling panel / piece, allows the imprint of the shore on the ceiling surface to be greatly diminished, thereby increasing the ceiling strength by reducing the area of the second or covering coat for the bare surface area left by the shore. The hole 44 left by removal of the shore 50 can be filled with FRC or filled with plastic foam and then covered with FRC. Where the floor is made of foam, the load distributor 45 would be created in the floor also or another method of shoring could be used.

Figure 19 shows a conventional shore 50 having a load distributor 55 positioned beneath and in contact with a ceiling panel 41. In this arrangement, a layer of FRC 60 has been applied to the ceiling panel 41 leaving an uncoated or bare spot 61 on the foam ceiling 41 where the load distributor is positioned. Where the floor is made of foam, the bare spot would be created on the floor also.

Figure 20 shows another alternative for shoring which uses conventional shoring 50 with a load distributor 55 and an additional larger load distributor 56, such as plywood or foam cut into a 9 inch circle. The additional load distributor 56 is placed between the load distributor 55 of the shore and the ceiling foam 41. A circular shape for the load distributor decreases stress along the perimeter in the coating that is applied to the ceiling. This embodiment provides a larger load distributor to a conventional shore so that heavier loads on the ceiling can be accommodated during construction. Where the floor is made of foam, the bare spot would be created on the floor also.

Figure 21 shows the next step for both of the embodiments of Figs. 19 and 20. The shores can be removed after the coatings on the top and bottom of the foam, the floor and the ceiling coatings respectively, have cured or sufficiently strengthened to support the construction loading, then a second coat of FRC 60A can be added to the first ceiling coat 60 and to the bare spots 61 left by the shoring load distributor. Each coat can be 1/4 inches thick. The second coat 60A also provides assurance that the ceiling FRC will be at least 1/4 inches thick everywhere. The second coat also builds a laminate of two layers of FRC in most areas and provides a complete coat over the ceiling. The second coat can cover less than the whole ceiling and can be localized to an area around the bare spot 61. The FRC can take 6-7 days to cure if Portland cement Type I or II is used. Where the floor is made of foam, the bare spot would be created on the floor also.

Thus, the second strengthening coating 60A can be used to cover the ceiling for added strength and to insure minimum coverage when using any of the shoring embodiments. Figures 22A - 22D show another embodiment, in which a mesh of glass fiber 62 is adhered or stapled to the foam 41 where the load distributor 55 is to contact the foam. The mesh or fibrous mat 62 is of a size to cover more than the bare spot 61 made by the load distributor 55. Then, when the distributor 55 is removed after the first coat of FRC 60 is strong enough and the bare spot 61 formed by the distributor is coated with FRC 60 A, the glass fiber mesh 62 provides added strength in the joint area between the first coat of FRC 60 and a second coat 60 A that fills bare spot 61. In this embodiment, the second coating 60 A does not need to extend beyond the bare spot 61. The mesh 62 can be made from the same type of glass fibers used in the GFRC or other suitable fibers. The mesh or mat 62 can take many forms including a mass of randomly oriented long fibers which can be stapled or bonded to the foam at spaced points. Where the floor is made of foam, the bare spot would be created on the floor also.

Several FEAs were run to check the embodiment of Figs. 15 to 18. The result of a Finite Element Analysis of the von Mises stress in the foam from the loading of five 300 pound workers on the panels was 9.739 pounds of force per square inch.

The result of a Finite Element Analysis of the von Mises stress in the shore from the loading of five 300 pound workers and the weight of 1/4 inch of fresh GFRC on the panels was 9,573.7 pounds of force per square inch.

The result of a Finite Element Analysis of the displacement of the foam from the loading of five 300 pound workers and the weight of 1/4 inch of fresh GFRC on the panels was a maximum displacement 0.659 inches. The number of shores used in this FEA is nine shores.

A FEA or other stress and displacement analysis must be completed for each building to guarantee the safety of the workers and the building during construction using the inventive method. The FEA can be performed using the method set forth in applicant's patent USPN 6,721,684.

Once the FEA or other analysis is performed, the sites of the shores can be determined. Then, the pieces of foam which make up the ceiling of the building can either have the shore locations marked by a suitable marking device or the load distributor for the shore as shown in Fig. 18 can be added to the ceiling piece. To aid in the correct positioning of the ceiling pieces, the pieces can have indicia on them, such as numbers and / or letters (1,2,3, etc., A,B,C, etc) to indicate the placement of the pieces relative to a plan of the building. The orientation can be provided by arrows or markings on pieces that mate with markings on adjacent pieces. Alternatively, a "shop drawing" of the positioning of the shores can be used to place the shores after the analysis is done.

Once the building has been erected from foam and scaffolding erected, the outer walls can be more easily coated.

Preferably, the roof is coated first and allowed to set till the coating achieves acceptable strength. Then, the ceiling below the roof can be coated and allowed to set. Then, the floor of the second floor can be coated and allowed to set. Then, the ceiling below the floor can be coated and allowed to set. The first floor of this building has a concrete slab and, therefore, does not need a coating. If the first story floor were made of foam, the floor would be coated and allowed to set. The outer and inner walls can be coated after the roof, ceiling and floors are coated, and the coatings have set to the point of acceptable strength.

The utilities, such as plumbing, electrical wiring, optical cables, telephone lines, other wiring, etc., can be run through the walls and/or floors. The foam can be cut with a hot wire or other cutter. The utilities are placed in the void, and some of the foam is added back and bonded the walls of the void to cover the void and receive the interior FRC.

The roof, ceiling and floor can be coated since the shoring will maintain the building shape while the FRC is added from the top down. The shores can be arranged directly under each other so that their loads are transferred from one to the other down to the concrete floor.

When applying the FRC to the outer surface of the building, a corner bead or a corner aid is used to create uniform corners. The corner aid provides a screed or guide for the coating thickness. A suitable corner aid is V TRUSS CORNER TM made by the Structa Wire Corp.

Various changes and modifications to the embodiments herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. The FRC can be a Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) or a Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP). The fibers can be plastic, glass, carbon, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs or Buckytubes), Aramid or other fibers. The Polymer can be Epoxies, Polyesters, Vinlyesters or other materials. The strengthening coating also can be without fibers if the design loading is low enough. For the strongest structure, fibers should be added to the coating. The number of coats of the coating and the composition of those coats can be varied. The strengthening coating can be stopped short of the concrete foundation and a sealant provided between the foundation and the coating. The walls can be connected to the foundation without a stemwall. In that case, the walls are joined to the foundation by a suitable bonding agent such as grout or concrete.

Bonding agents that bond foam to foam, foam to concrete and concrete to concrete can be structural or non- structural as certified by International Code Council (ICC). One structural bonding agent is Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC). A thickness of 0.25 - 0.50 inches is suitable.

A formula for GFRC is:

1 bag of cement ( Portland Cement Type I or II ) - 94.5 pounds,

No. 20/30 silica sand - 100 pounds, water - 21 pounds, polymer (Forton™ VF-774) - 12 pounds, retarder (Daratard™ 17) - 8 ounces,

20 mm glass fibers (Cem-FIL™ or Nippon AR™) - 3.0 pounds.

A non-structural bonding agent can be expansive plastic foams, such as Expansive PolyUrethane (EPU), etc. The type of plastic foam can be different from Expanded PolyStyrene (EPS). The EPS can have a density of 1.5 pounds per cu. ft. (nominal) which is actually 1.35 pounds per cu. ft. (actual). EPS was used because a Finite Element Analysis was done using EPS and GFRC. Suitable plastic foam could be PU, EPS, etc. The specific materials used to build the structure may be varied, such as the type of plastic foam, the bonding agents, the coatings, etc. The structural members that create a composite building will vary with the geographical requirements (earthquake, tornado, etc.), the height and loading requirements of the building and the applicable building codes.

Various changes and modifications to the embodiments herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. For example, the order of the steps required to build the house can be changed. The number of steps required to build the house may be varied. The number of coats of concrete and the composition of those coats can be varied. The specific materials used to build the house or the curved structure may be varied, such as the type of plastic foam, bonding agents, etc. To the extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof which is assessed only by a fair interpretation of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a composite building, the composite building being made from a composite material of a foam plastic core having a high strength coating or HSC on major surfaces comprising the following steps, constructing walls of a first story from wall foam pieces by positioning the wall pieces and bonding adjacent wall pieces to each other, the wall foam pieces having top portions, placing ceiling foam pieces on the top portions of the wall pieces and bonding the ceiling foam pieces to the top portions of the wall and to each other, placing shores under the ceiling foam pieces at selected locations, selecting the locations of the shores by analyzing the building, constructing walls of a second story from wall foam pieces by positioning the wall pieces on the ceiling foam pieces of the first story and bonding adjacent wall pieces to each other, the wall foam pieces having top portions, placing ceiling foam pieces on the top portions of the second story wall pieces and bonding the ceiling foam pieces to the top portions of the wall and to each other, placing shores under the ceiling foam pieces at selected locations, selecting the locations of the shores by analyzing the building and coating ceiling foam pieces of the first story and the second story with a HSC.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of providing a mesh mat of reinforcing fibers on the ceiling foam in the contact area where the shore contacts the foam pieces and farther out from the contact area.

3. The method of claim 2 including the step of coating the area where the shore contacts the foam pieces with a HSC after the shore has been removed.

4. The method of claim 1 including the step of coating the area where the shore contacts the foam pieces and most of the other areas of the foam pieces with a HSC after the shore has been removed.

5. The method of claim 1 including the step of providing a load distributor on the shore where the shore contacts the foam pieces.

6. The method of claim 5 including the step of providing the load distributor within the foam pieces.

7. The method of claim 5 including the step of providing the load distributor of the shore with a secondary larger load distributor.

8. A method of constructing a composite building, the composite building being made from a composite material of a foam plastic core having a higher strength strengthening coating on major surfaces comprising the following steps, constructing walls of a first story from wall foam pieces by positioning the wall pieces and bonding adjacent wall pieces to each other, the wall foam pieces having top portions, placing ceiling foam pieces on the top portions of the wall pieces and bonding the ceiling foam pieces to the top portions of the wall and to each other, placing shores under the ceiling foam pieces at selected locations, selecting the locations of the shores by analyzing the building and coating ceiling foam pieces with a strengthening coating.

9. The method of claim 8 including the step of providing a mesh mat of reinforcing fibers on the ceiling foam in the contact area where the shore contacts the foam pieces and farther out from the contact area.

10. The method of claim 9 including the step of coating the area where the shore contacts the foam pieces with a HSC after the shore has been removed.

11. The method of claim 8 including the step of coating the area where the shore contacts the foam pieces and most of the other areas of the foam pieces with a HSC after the shore has been removed.

12. The method of claim 8 including the step of providing a load distributor on the shore where the shore contacts the foam pieces.

13. The method of claim 12 including the step of providing the load distributor within the foam pieces.

14. The method of claim 12 including the step of providing the load distributor of the shore with a secondary larger load distributor.