WO2023012480A1

WO2023012480A1 - Assembly for use in the construction industry

Info

Publication number: WO2023012480A1
Application number: PCT/GB2022/052050
Authority: WO
Inventors: Iain Fairnington; Pamela HOWAT; Graeme BERRY; Sue MENMUIR
Original assignee: A. Proctor Group Limited
Priority date: 2021-08-03
Filing date: 2022-08-03
Publication date: 2023-02-09
Also published as: GB202111192D0

Abstract

An assembly for use in the construction industry is described. The assembly comprises at least two profiled members, each comprising a wave-like profile and two elements arranged with respect to the at least two profiled members such that the at least two profiled members are laterally spaced from each other. A first one of the two elements is connected to each of the profiled members at a plurality of discrete locations along a first face of each profiled member and an opposing second face of each of the profiled members is provided on a second one of the two elements. At least one chamber is defined between the two elements and the at least two profiled members. A method of assembling the assembly is also described.

Description

Assembly for use in the Construction Industry Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an assembly for use in the construction industry. More specifically, the invention relates to an assembly comprising a member configured for acoustic insulation. Background In standard construction, lengths of timber or steel joists are used to frame open spaces and support floorboards within a building. The joists are arranged in a horizontal plane to span gaps between vertical supporting members, such as stumps or foundation platforms at ground level; or vertical walls of a storey below when used above ground level. By such provision, the joists are supported at their ends, creating a horizontal structure, and any loads applied to this horizontal structure are transferred to the vertical supports. Multiple joists are typically arranged in parallel to support a floor or ceiling. Surfaces, such as floorboards, may then be attached to the joists to create a solid platform. In some cases, a secondary surface is provided, spaced apart from the joists, or this solid platform, for example, for the installation of insulation or building services. This can be achieved with the use of battens. Battens are typically elongated strips of a rectilinear cross-sectional profile, made of solid material, such as timber, plastic or steel. Battens are commonly used in building construction, typically in flooring, roofing and wall construction as raisers or spacers to separate surfaces, or as a framework, onto which a secondary surface may be fixed. Typically the battens are not attached but create a floating floor above the joists, or floorboards, and the secondary surface is then attached to the battens. The battens serve to separate the secondary surface from the joists and do not carry the same structural loading as the joists. Consequently, battens do not need to be manufactured to the same structural requirements as joists. As a result, battens are typically manufactured as thin, elongate strips. The battens are typically installed in a similar parallel arrangement to the joists, but may be oriented at 90 degrees to the joists for optimum structural integrity and to ensure that the joists provide adequate and even support for the battens. Accordingly, the joists and battens may form an intersecting arrangement creating a series of adjacent voids or bays between the primary and secondary surfaces, which are bounded by the parallel battens. These voids may provide space for water drainage, ventilation and air movement between the primary and secondary surfaces; and building services such as electrical cables, and gas, water and sewerage pipework. While the building services may be disposed along a void in a direction generally parallel to the battens, if they are required to pass between adjacent voids, or travel in a direction perpendicular or oblique to the battens, holes must be drilled or cut, or gaps left between the ends of battens to permit the passage of the building services. Failure to do this will limit the location of the building services, and also prevent adequate ventilation throughout the structure, since any water, vapour or air will be restricted to each separate void or bay. This can cause damp, mould, or mildew to develop, which, overtime, could cause the battens, floorboards and joists to rot or otherwise degrade. Drilling or cutting holes in the battens may weaken the battens; and leaving gaps between the ends of the battens may affect the rigidity of the structure. Consequently, the structural integrity of the building may be compromised. Furthermore, drilling or cutting holes in the battens requires careful planning, design and measurement to ensure that the holes are drilled in the appropriate locations, adding further complexity and effort to the installation process and restricting future flexibility. The use of battens in this way is well-known and is a standardised construction technique around the world. Battens are also commonly used to offer additional insulation, in particular acoustic insulation. It is well-known to reduce sound transmission through or along walls and floors by making use of a compressive material, such as foam or fibre components, in contact with the battens to absorb sound and/or to prevent transmission along or through hard components such as floorboards, joists or the like. The use of a compressive material in this way breaks an otherwise solid connection between hard components, and, for example, one layer of flooring may be separated from another layer by a foam or fibre acoustic layer, or by an array of battens containing foam or fibre components. It is also known for such acoustic battens to be formed in a laminate structure, comprising layers of wood and foam. However, there is a balance to be met between compressibility and rigidity of the flooring. A soft and compressible material will absorb acoustic emission, vibrations and noise, but will create flexible flooring. Conversely, a stiff material (e.g. comprising little or no compressive material), will create rigid flooring, but will offer little acoustic insulation. In the construction of floors, battens can be used in the manner described above to create a surface which is isolated from the joists. This is referred to as a floating floor, and this structure limits vibrations travelling through the floor and along the joists throughout the building. This structure therefore limits the noise and acoustic excitation caused by, for example, footfall or contact noise on the flooring from being transferred through the building. A disadvantage of this form of construction is that there is extensive timber to timber contact throughout the structure, for example, between the flooring and the battens and the battens and the joists. Accordingly any movement between these timber components may result in a characteristic floorboard “squeak” which may become a nuisance for any inhabitants. Battens can also be used in wall construction to permit services between walls and a secondary wall surface such as plasterboard, and can be used to fix cladding materials such as tiles or shingles. Conventional rectilinear battens are typically very large, with standard lengths in excess of 2.4m, resulting in a heavy batten and limiting the number of battens that can be safely carried by a single person at one time. The rectilinear profile further means that for stacking multiple battens, each batten must be placed directly on top of the one below. This limits the number that can be fit onto a standard truck or heavy goods vehicle. This therefore impacts on the convenience of the battens during transport and installation when on a building site. There is therefore a requirement for alternative structures and/or construction techniques which offer advantages over conventional battens. One such method is to use corrugated sheets which offer good acoustic properties, whilst meeting the strength and rigidity requirements of a structure. This typically comprises a plurality of abutting corrugated sheets to form part of a floor or roof structure. FR2220638 discloses a lightweight plate for panelling, partitions or decks or the like, which comprises a skeleton corrugated framework, in which the voids disposed between the wave- shaped corrugations are filled with a solid mass, such as resins or foams or the like. This has the effect of increasing the strength of the plates, in particular, under bending loading; and further increasing the thermal and acoustic insulation. The panels may be used for flooring without the use of joists. DE19954955 discloses a translucent plastic plate, comprising outer and inner plates which are joined together by web elements formed by a single corrugated, fiber reinforced plastic support plate, joined in an alternating manner to the outer and inner plates. EP0536078 discloses a panel comprising either one or two corrugated sheets with parallel cavities open on both faces, at least one of which is covered by a sheet. It is also possible that the panel consists of two juxtaposed corrugated sheets. The panel possesses a certain amount of elasticity to increase its ability to absorb sound waves and thermal radiation incident transversely thereon. At the same time the panel is strong in the longitudinal direction in order to withstand the forces to which it is subjected once fitted. US2010300024 discloses an insulating plate/studded plate with moisture absorbing/capillary absorbent properties, or alternatively sound absorbing and/or energy reflecting/converting properties. The plate comprises a layer of moisture absorbing/moisture channelling/converting material such as felt or a felt-like woven or non-woven material or a foamed material which is adhered to a waterproof or impermeable material. CN203794393 discloses a noise-reducing sound-absorbing device applicable to an elevator shaft, which comprises a square sound-absorbing passage arranged on the inner side of the elevator shaft. The sound-absorbing passage is formed by assembling a plurality of noise- reducing sound-absorbing boards; composed of a layer of sound-absorbing substrate and a layer of wave-shaped sound-insulating board. The sound-absorbing substrate is made of glass fiber cotton, and is adhered to the wave shaped sound-insulating board. Vermiculite particles are then composited on the sound absorbing substrate such that they take the shape of the undulant waves. However, none of the above easily allow for the provision of building services. It is therefore an aim of the present invention to obviate and/or mitigate the limitations and/or disadvantages associated with the prior art. Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided, an assembly for use in the construction industry comprising: at least two profiled members, each comprising a wave-like profile; and two elements connected to the at least two profiled members such that the at least two profiled members are laterally spaced from each other; wherein a first one of the two elements is connected to each of the profiled members at a plurality of discrete locations along a first face of each profiled member; and wherein an opposing second face of each of the profiled members is provided on a second one of the two elements; wherein at least one chamber is defined between the two elements and the at least two profiled members. Thus, embodiments of the invention provide an assembly for use in the construction industry which creates and/or defines an open volume or cavity between the profiled members and the elements, thereby allowing the installation of services between voids and/or chambers without compromising the structural integrity of the battens. The assembly comprises a profiled member which provides space for the installation of building services, and allows positioning around existing services, thereby reducing the installation effort, obviating the requirement to pre-plan the positioning and installation of services and removing the need to cut or drill holes in the structure or components of the assembly. The open cavities permit airflow throughout the structure, and provide open and direct access to at least one chamber, thereby minimising moisture and reducing the risk and/or preventing damp, mould, mildew or the like within the structure. The wave-like profile of the profiled member may comprise one of more of an undulating, corrugated, sinusoidal, square wave, rectangular wave, triangular wave, saw-tooth form or the like. The wave-like profile of the profiled member may comprise a plurality of antinodes; and a plurality of intervening portions disposed between the antinodes. The antinodes and intervening portions may define a plurality of voids where each void is bounded by one of the at least two elements. The profiled member may comprise a plurality of troughs, which may be disposed on a first plane. The first plane may be located at the antinodes on a first side of the batten. The profiled member may comprise a plurality of peaks, which may be disposed a second plane. The second plane may be located at the antinodes on a second side of the batten. The first and second planes may be offset. The first and second planes may be parallel. Alternatively, the first and second planes may be non-parallel. The intervening portion may be straight, or may be arcuate. The voids may define a continuous and open volume interposed between the at least two profiled members and the at least two elements. The voids of the at least two profiled members may be contiguous with the at least one chamber. The voids of the profiled member may provide open and direct access to the at least one chamber. The at least two profiled members may be connected to the at least two elements. The at least two profiled members may be connected to the at least two elements at the antinodes which may be disposed on the first and second faces of each profiled member. The at least two profiled members may be connected to the at least two elements by one or more of an abutment, a screw, a nails, a fuse or a bond, or the like. In an embodiment, the at least two profiled members may be parallel. Alternatively, the at least two profiled members may be non-parallel. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the at least two profiled members may be orthogonal to another of the at least two profiled members. The at least two elements may comprise one or more of a floor-board, a joist, a lath, a slat, or the like. The at least two profiled members may each constitute an elongate batten. Alternatively or additionally, the profiled member may be a joist, lath, slat, rafter, purlin, truss or the like. The at least two profiled members may act in place of a conventional batten(s) as a raiser, and/or to separate a plurality of surfaces, and/or at least one surface and joists. The profiled member may be used as a non-structural material and may be used in place of, for example, battens or the like. In particular, the profiled member may replace a conventional, rectilinear profile, wood, plastic or metal batten, for example in a floating floor. The profiled member may comprise a first cross sectional profile and a second cross sectional profile. The first cross sectional profile may be located at the antinodes; and the second cross sectional profile may be located at the intervening portions. The first and second cross sectional profiles may be different. Alternatively, the first and second cross sectional profiles may be the same, or substantially the same. The profiled member may comprise a number, for example, 3, 4, 5, 6 or more different cross sectional profiles. The profiled member may comprise a first face and a second face. The first and second faces may be parallel. Alternatively, the first and second faces may be non-parallel. The thickness of the profiled member may be constant along its length. Alternatively, the thickness of the profiled member may vary along its length. The thickness of the profiled member may be constant along its width. Alternatively, the thickness of the profiled member may vary along its width. The cross-sectional profile of the profiled member may be rectilinear. Alternatively, the cross- sectional profile may be curved or arcuate. The cross sectional profile and/or thickness of the profiled member may vary at different locations along the batten. For example, the thickness of the profiled member may be greater at the antinodes, than the intervening regions. The first and second planes may be parallel. Alternatively, the first and second planes may be disposed at an oblique angle and/or the first and second planes may taper or diverge. By such provision, the amplitude of the wave-like profile at the antinodes may vary. The amplitude at a first antinode may be different to the amplitude at a second antinode. The length and/or amplitude and/or frequency of the wave form pattern may be constant, or may vary along the length of the batten. The profile of the profiled member may create a plurality of discrete contact locations between the at least two profiled members and the at least two elements, for example, at the antinodes of the at least two profiled members and the at least two elements. By such provision, the contact surface area between the at least two profiled members and the at least two elements is reduced when compared to a conventional rectilinear profile batten. This may act to decouple and/or isolate a first of the at least two elements from the at least two members and/or any connecting elements and/or members, thereby minimising or preventing vibrations transmitting from a surface through the at least two profiled members. By such provision, the acoustic insulation properties may be improved when compared to a conventional batten. Any noise generated above the floor, for example, within the room of a building, caused by, for example, foot fall on the floor surface, may be isolated to the floor, and will not transmit to the joists and throughout the building structure. Accordingly, the profiled member may significantly increase the acoustic insulation within a building, whilst maintaining the structural requirements of the batten. The profiled member may comprise at least one attachment zone. A plurality of attachment zones may be disposed on the first plane, and/or a plurality of attachment zones may be disposed on the second plane of the profiled member. The attachment zones on the first plane, i.e. the troughs, may be configured for attachment, fixing, or connection to a first surface. The first surface may be floor boards, joists, beams, concrete foundation or the like. The attachment zones on the second plane may be configured for attachment, fixing, or connection to a second surface. The second surface may be floor boards; plywood, chipboard, oriented strand board or hardwood sheets or the like. The attachment zones may allow connection, attachment or fixing to other building materials, for example, joists, floorboards or the like. The attachment zones may allow attachment to one of the at least two elements. The attachment zones may be a surface suitable for attachment, connection or fixing to a surface by a suitable fixing means. The suitable fixing means may comprise a threaded connection means, for example, screws or nuts and bolts; a non-threaded connection means, for example nails or staples; or adhesive or bonded connection means or the like. The attachment zones may comprise holes suitable for the insertion of threaded fixing means, such as nuts and bolts; or screws. The profiled member may comprise a plurality of intervening portions which may be disposed between the antinodes. The intervening portions may have a resilient section. The attachment zones may have a first stiffness. The intervening portions may have a second stiffness. The first stiffness and the second stiffness may be different. For example, the resilient sections may be formed from a more resilient material than other sections and/or the resilient sections may comprise a ‘kink’ or z-profile to increase flexibility. The voids or gaps disposed between the peaks and troughs may provide and/or permit multi- directional movement of air and/or vapour and/or water. The corrugated profile may provide multidirectional flow paths which may flow between the voids or gaps; and/or may flow, for example parallel, oblique, perpendicular and/or inclined to the direction of the battens. This multidirectional flow path may permit multidirectional flow of air and/or fluid and/or vapour. By such provision, adequate air and/or vapour flow and/or ventilation is ensured, limiting and/or preventing damp and/or mould and/or mildew or the like. The corrugated profile may provide adequate space for the installation of building services, including, for example, gas pipes, water pipes, sewage pipes, electrical cabling, conduits and the like, without the requirement to drill and/or cut holes in the battens; and/or leave space between the ends of battens. By such provision, installation of services is permitted without any compromise to the structural integrity of the battens. Building services, and/or at least one component of a building service and/or ventilation system may be disposed through, and/or positioned underneath, at least one void and/or undulating profile of the profiled member and/or may be disposed through at least one of the voids into the at least one chamber. By such provision, the building services, and/or at least one component of a building service and/or ventilation system may pass between adjacent and/or contiguous chambers and voids. Alternatively, or additionally, the at least one void, and the at least one chamber may form or define a conduit, without requiring pipes to transport ventilation or moisture. The at least one void and at least one chamber may act as a conduit to permit air flow, and may act in addition to other building services and/or ventilation systems. The profiled member and/or the assembly comprising a profiled member may be positioned around existing services. The profiled member may reduce acoustic noise and/or limit and/or prevent the transmission of sound waves and/or vibrations between adjacent materials, for example floorboards and battens, or battens and joists. By such provision, impact sound and/or foot fall noise can be minimised. The corrugated profile of the profiled member may provide adequate space for the installation and/or inclusion of underfloor heating systems, for example, by permitting pipes to be run under the peaks in the corrugated profile. The corrugated profile may provide adequate space for the inclusion of insulation, for example, foam, glass wool, insulation boards, insulation foil, cavity wall insulation or the like. The batten may provide a resilient floor and/or wall and/or ceiling structure. The structure may be lighter in weight and/or may have an acoustic performance similar to that of flooring using conventional timber/foam acoustic battens. The profiled member may be used and/or act in place of a conventional acoustic batten(s). An insulating layer may be disposed between the at least two profiled members and the at least two elements. The profiled member(s) may comprise an insulating layer, which may be integrated into the construction, or may be separate. The profiled member may be used to isolate the floor from the joists or supports, absorbing foot fall noise whilst maintaining rigidity of the floor. The profiled member may be disposed between timber components. By such provision, timber to timber contact in the structure is avoided or reduced, thereby preventing or limiting noises such as squeaking or creaking or the like. The profiled member may provide the same strength and/or stiffness as a conventional rectilinear profile batten, but may have significantly less weight. By such provision, a single user may carry more profiled members at one time, than corresponding conventional rectilinear profile battens. By such provision, transport, carrying and installation effort may be reduced. Accordingly, safety may be increased and/or risk of injury and/or repetitive strain injury may be reduced. The corrugated profile may permit a plurality of profiled members to interlock, stack or fit together for storage and/or transport. By such provision, the space occupied by a plurality of profiled members is reduced when compared to a conventional batten. By such provision, more profiled members may fit into a specific volume than conventional rectilinear battens. Accordingly, for example, more profiled members can be transported by a single truck heavy goods vehicle; and/or more profiled members may be stored in a given area than conventional rectilinear profile battens. The profiled members may be constructed or formed of non-organic material, for example, plastic, polymer, metal or the like. By such provision, there is no requirement to include an expansion gap as is required when using timber, to account for swell or warp of the wood. Alternatively or additionally, the profiled members may be constructed or formed of organic materials, for example, wood, plant fibre or the like. The profiled member may be constructed or formed of composite materials. The profiled members may be manufactured, formed or constructed of carbon fibre, glass fibre or the like. The profiled members may be manufactured, formed or constructed of plastic. In a preferred embodiment, the profiled members are manufactured, formed or constructed of recycled plastic (e.g. polypropylene or polyvinylchloride). Ideally, the material of the profiled members can be recycled or re-used at an end of a lifespan of the profiled members such that the profiled members are sustainable. The profiled members may be made or formed of a laminate structure or construction, wherein a plurality of laminate layers are attached, e.g. bonded or fused together. The profiled members may comprise layers or laminates of dissimilar materials. Alternatively, the profiled members may comprise one or more layers of similar or identical materials. The profiled members may be manufactured, formed or constructed of robust, and/or strong, and/or resilient materials. The profiled members may be manufactured, formed or constructed of sustainable and/or recycled and/or reused materials. The profiled members may be manufactured or formed of a waterproof material. By such provision, the members may be stored outside without the risk of distorting, swelling or warping when wet. The profiled members may be significantly lighter than conventional timber or foam battens. The corrugated profile may use up to 90% less material than a corresponding conventional rectilinear profile batten of the same strength specification. The profiled member may be manufactured using suitable forming techniques, for example, injection moulding, form moulding, 3D printing or the like. The profiled member may be resilient and its resilience may be tuned or adjusted by material selection and/or thickness and/or width and/or weave. In some embodiments, a separate resilient layer may be attached (e.g. glued) to a surface of the profiled member, for example, to enhance acoustic performance. The resilient layer may comprise foam, fibre or both. The wave shape or profile of the profiled member may define the resilience of the profiled member. The wave shape or profile may be manufactured with the thickness and/or weave of the fibre composite configured to allow deformation under loading, and/or to provide similar acoustic performance to traditional foam or fibre based acoustic systems. The profiled member may have a profile thickness of less than 50mm, or less than 25mm or less than 10mm. In a particular embodiment, the profiled member has a profile thickness of 20mm. The corrugated profile may have an amplitude of less than 50mm, or less than 40mm, or less than 30mm, or less than 20mm. In a particular embodiment, the corrugated profile has an amplitude of 35mm. By such provision, the corrugated profile has a total height, i.e. distance from peak to trough of 70mm. The corrugated profile may have a wavelength, i.e. distance between antinodes, or from peak to peak, or trough to trough, of less than 500mm, or less than 400mm, or less than 300mm, or less than 200mm, or less than 100mm, or less than 50mm. In a particular embodiment, the corrugated profile has a wavelength of 200mm. The width of the profiled member may be equal to or less than 200mm, equal to or less than 100mm, equal to or less than 50mm, equal to or less than 25mm, or equal to or less than 10mm. In a particular embodiment, the width of the profiled member is 45mm. The profiled member may have a length of, for example, 3600mm, 2400mm or 1800mm. The profiled members may be used singly, or as an array of a plurality of profiled members. The profiled members may be provided individually and/or as an assembly. The profiled members may comprise an engaging portion and may be configured such that multiple profiled members may mutually engage and/or slot and/or fit together. For example, this may be achieved by the engaging portions having profiles allowing a locking or interlocking at a junction between respective profiled members, e.g. similar to a finger jointing. The assembly may be configured as a prefabricated unit for use in construction, for example, walls, floors and ceilings etc. The profiled members may be assembled into a cassette module, for example a floor cassette, or wall cassette, comprising for example, joists, battens and floor boards in a prefabricated unit or module. By such provision, the assembly or cassette may be constructed off-site and then positioned and/or installed on-site as a pre-fabricated unit. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembly for use in the construction industry comprising: a profiled member having a wave-like profile; and two elements, wherein a first one of the two elements is connected to the profiled member at a plurality of discrete locations along a first face of the profiled member; and wherein an opposing second face of the profiled member is provided on a second one of the two elements; and wherein a resilient layer is provided between the profiled member and at least one of the two elements. The resilient layer may comprise a resilient foam or fibre layer. For example, the resilient layer may comprise a vertically orientated fibre (VOF) layer. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a profiled member for use in the assembly of the first aspect, the profiled member comprising an elongate batten, having a wave-like profile. Thus, embodiments of the second aspect of the invention provide a profiled member for use in an assembly which may be lighter and may use up to 90% less material than a corresponding conventional rectilinear profile batten of the same strength specification. By such provision, transport, carrying and installation effort may be reduced. Accordingly, safety may be increased and/or risk of injury and repetitive strain injury may be reduced. The profiled member may be manufactured from plastic. Plastic will not swell, distort, warp or expand when wet. As such, there is no requirement to include an expansion gap between the at least two profiled members and the first element and second element. Expansion gaps may be required when using timber, to account for swell or warp of the wood. Additionally, the profiled members may be stored outside without the risk of distorting, swelling or warping when wet. The wave-like profile of the profiled member may allow multiple members to be stacked together into a stack. By such provision, more profiled members may fit into a specific volume than conventional rectilinear battens. Accordingly, for example, more profiled members can be transported by a single truck heavy goods vehicle; and/or more profiled members may be stored in a given area than conventional rectilinear profile battens. The profiled member may take the form of a discontinuous strip. The profiled member may have a specific strength and/or a rigidity which may be suitable for supporting an applied load. The profiled member may be suitable for connecting to at least one element. The wave-like profile of the profiled member may comprise an undulating, corrugated, sinusoidal, square wave, rectangular wave, triangular wave, saw-tooth form, flattened waveform or alternating sinusoidal and flattened waveform. The wave-like profile of the profiled member may comprise a plurality of antinodes; and intervening portions disposed between the antinodes. The antinodes may each comprise an attachment zone, for attachment to the at least one element; and the intervening portions may each comprise a resilient section. The attachment points may have a first stiffness; and the intervening portions may have a second stiffness; and the first stiffness and the second stiffness may be different. Alternatively, the first and second stiffness may be the same, or substantially the same. The profiled members may comprise a first cross sectional profile at the antinodes; and may comprise a second cross sectional profile at the intervening portions; and the first and second cross sectional profiles may be different. Alternatively, the first and second cross sectional profiles may be the same, or substantially the same. The profiled member may be formed in whole or in part of wood, plastic, metal, fibre-glass or composite materials. Alternatively, or additionally, the profiled member may comprise or be formed of a plurality of different materials. The profiled member may be formed of a laminate construction. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of assembling the assembly of the first aspect, comprising: connecting the profiled member to the first one of the two elements at antinodes disposed on the first face of the profiled member; providing the resilient layer on the second one of the two elements; and arranging the profiled member, when connected to the first one of the two elements, on the resilient layer such that the resilient layer and the profiled member are located between the first one of the two elements and the second one of the two elements. The profiled member may be connected to the first one of the two elements by way of screws or glue. The resilient layer may be screwed, glued or stapled to the second one of the two elements. The profiled member may be screwed, glued or stapled to the resilient layer. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of assembling the assembly of the first aspect, comprising: connecting the at least two profiled members to the first one of the two elements at antinodes disposed on the first face of each profiled member; and arranging a second one of the two elements adjacent the at least two profiled members at antinodes disposed on the second face of each profiled member, opposing the first face, such that the at least two profiled members are laterally spaced from each other. Thus, embodiments of the third aspect of the invention provide a method of assembling the assembly according to the first aspect, which may be constructed off-site and then positioned and/or installed on-site as a pre-fabricated unit. By such provision, installation time and/or effort may be reduced. The profiled member and/or the assembly comprising a profiled member may provide space for the installation of building services, and/or may be positioned around existing services, thereby reducing the installation effort, and/or obviating the requirement to pre-plan the positioning and installation of services and/or removing the need to cut or drill holes in the structure or components of the structure. The method of assembly may comprise an additional step of: installing a building service component between the at least two profiled members and the two elements, such that the building service component passes through the wave-like profile of the at least two profiled members; and into the at least one chamber. The building service component(s) may comprise building services such as electrical cables, and/or gas, water or sewerage pipes and/or conduits; and/or may comprise ventilation system(s). The building services and/or building service component and/or ventilation system(s) may be positioned, and/or may travel in a direction parallel, transverse or oblique to the at least two profiled members. Alternatively or additionally, the assembly may be assembled, positioned or fitted around existing services. The building services and/or building service component and/or ventilation system may comprise a pipe, cable, or conduit. Alternatively, or additionally, the at least one void, and the at least one chamber may form or define a conduit, without requiring pipes to transport ventilation or moisture. The at least one void and at least one chamber may act as a conduit to permit air flow, and may act in addition to other building services and/or ventilation systems. The two elements may comprise floor boards; joists or beams; plywood, chipboard, oriented strand board, hardwood sheets or the like. The two elements may be the same. Alternatively, the two elements may be different components. For the avoidance of doubt, any feature described in respect of any aspect of the invention may be applied to any other aspect of the invention, in any appropriate combination. Brief of the

Certain embodiments of the present invention will now be further described in detail and with reference to the figures in which: FIG.1 is a sectional view of a typical assembly of a cassette as known in the art. FIG. 2 is a perspective cutaway view of a typical assembly as known in the art, in which building services have been installed. FIG.3 is an end perspective view of a profiled member according to the first aspect of the present invention. FIG.4 is a close up side perspective view of a portion of the profiled member of FIG.3. FIG.5 is a sectional view of the assembly of the present invention, similar to FIG.1 but with a conventional batten replaced with the profiled member of FIG.3. FIG.6 is a perspective cutaway view of part of the assembly of FIG.5. FIG.7 is a perspective view of part of the assembly of FIG.5. FIG.8 is a side perspective view of a portion of the profiled member of FIG.3 showing resilient sections and fixing regions. FIG.9 is a side view of a portion of the profiled member of FIG.3. FIG.s 10a, b, c, d, e, f are lateral cross-sectional views of the profiled member of FIG.3, according to various embodiments of the present invention, viewed along the section line A-A of FIG.9. FIG.11 is side view showing five of the profiled members of FIG.3 stacked for storage or transport. FIG.12 is a perspective view of part of the assembly of FIG.5, in which building services have been installed. The second surface and joists have been omitted for clarity. FIG.13 is a side view of part of the assembly of FIG.5, in which building services have been installed. The second surface and joists have been omitted for clarity. FIG.14A and FIG.14B show examples of an assembly for use in the construction industry, according to an aspect of the disclosure. FIG.15A, 15B and 15C show three different profiled members on which tests were carried out. FIG.16 shows a graph of measured impact sound insulation for each test. Detailed Description of the Drawings FIG.1 shows a building cassette 2 for use in, for example walls, floors or ceilings, using a conventional batten 1 of solid rectilinear wood, as known in the art. A plurality of joists 6, of which two are shown, are attached to a lower surface 8, which may be, for example, concrete foundation or floorboards etc. The lower surface 8 is shown here as spanning the full width between the joists 6. However, a person skilled in the art will understand that the joists 6 may be supported by discrete points such as concrete or steel pillars, lintels or girders etc. A primary surface 3 is disposed on top of the joists 6, thereby encapsulating a region 7 between the primary surface 3, the lower surface 8 and the joists 6. This region 7 may be used for the installation of building insulation. Alternatively, it may be left vacant. Battens 1 are then attached to the primary surface 3, and may be parallel, or orthogonal to the joists 6 below. The battens 1 are shown in FIG. 1 as parallel to the joists 6. An optional compressive layer 9, for example, foam, is disposed between the primary surface 3, and the batten 1 to act as acoustic insulation between the batten 1 and primary surface 3. In an alternative arrangement (not shown), the battens 1 may be attached directly to the joists 6 such that no primary surface 3 is used. A secondary surface 4, for example, floorboards, plasterboard etc., is then attached to the battens 1. A further region 5 is thereby encapsulated between the secondary surface 4, the primary surface 3 and the battens 1. Building services, for example, ventilation, electrical cables, gas, water and sewer pipes may be installed in this region 5, such that all services are hidden from view, e.g. below the floorboards, or behind the plasterboard. FIG. 2 shows a typical construction of a building cassette 2 similar to that of FIG. 1 but including three battens 1, with the secondary surface 4, joists 6 and lower surface 8 removed for clarity, and in which building services have been installed. The building services in this case comprise pipes 101 and cables 102 (shown dashed) may be positioned between the battens 1 when running in a direction parallel to the battens 1. However, if they are to travel in a direction perpendicular or transverse to the battens 1, as shows in FIG.2, holes 100 must be cut or drilled in the battens 1 to allow for the passage of the building services 101, 102. This requires careful planning, design and measurement to ensure that the holes 100 are drilled in appropriate locations. Cutting such holes 100 may also compromise the structural integrity of the battens 1. FIG.3 shows a perspective view of a profiled member 10 suitable for use in an assembly, according to a first aspect of the present invention. The profiled member 10 is in the form of an elongate batten having a wave-like form. Notably, the profiled member 10 has a length that is significantly greater than its width (e.g. having a length of up to 3600mm and a width of no more than 300mm). Such dimensions permit effective stacking, transport and handling. In this embodiment, the profiled member 10 is formed of recycled plastic that can be reused or recycled after use. However, a person of skill in the art would understand that other materials may be used in addition or instead. Such materials may include wood, plant fibre, metal, fibre-glass, carbon fibre or composite materials. In this embodiment, the profiled member 10 is formed of a solid construction. However, a person of skill in the art would understand that the profiled member 10 may be formed of a laminate construction. FIG.4 shows an enlarged view of a small portion 10a of the profiled member 10, showing voids 11 disposed between antinodes 10b, 10c and intervening portions 10d of the profiled member’s 10 undulating wave-like form. FIG.5 shows the construction of an assembly 12 comprising the profiled member 10 according to a first aspect of the present invention. The assembly 12 is generally similar to the building cassette 2 of FIG.1, with like parts being denoted by like numerals, but incremented by ‘10’. In this embodiment, the profiled member 10 replaces a conventional, rectilinear profile batten. In particular, FIG.5 shows a building cassette 12 for use in construction, for example walls, floors or ceilings, using the profiled member 10. A plurality of joists 16, of which two are shown, are attached to a lower surface 18, which may be, for example, concrete foundation or floorboards etc. The lower surface 18 is shown here as spanning the full width between the joists 16. However, the joists 16 may be supported by discrete points such as concrete or steel pillars, lintels or girders etc. A primary surface 13 is disposed on top of the joists 16, thereby encapsulating a region 17 between the primary surface 13, the lower surface 18 and the joists 16. This region 17 may be used for the installation of building insulation. Alternatively, it may be left vacant. The profiled members 10 are then attached to the primary surface 13, and may be parallel, or orthogonal to the joists 16 below. The profiled members 10 are shown in FIG.5 as parallel to the joists 16. An optional compressive layer 19, for example, foam, is disposed between the primary surface 13, and the profiled member 10 to provide (additional) acoustic insulation between the profiled members 10 and primary surface 13. In an alternative arrangement (not shown), the profiled members 10 may be attached directly to the joists 16 such that no primary surface 13 is used. A secondary surface 14, for example, floorboards, plasterboard etc., is then attached to the profiled members 10. A further region 15 is thereby encapsulated between the secondary surface 14, the primary surface 13 and the profiled members 10. Building services, for example, ventilation, electrical cables, gas, water and sewer pipes may be installed in this region 15, such that all services are hidden from view, e.g. below the floorboards, or behind the plasterboard. The assembly of FIG.5 may be constructed, and/or installed by connecting the two profiled members 10 to the first one of the primary surface 13 at antinodes disposed on the first face of each profiled member 10; and connecting the secondary surface 14 to the profiled members 10 at antinodes disposed on the second face of each profiled member 10, opposing the first face, such that the two profiled members 10 are laterally spaced from each other. FIG.6 shows a side perspective and enlarged view of a typical construction, in which the profiled member 10, is connected to the primary surface 13 using a suitable fixing means 15, which, in this case, is a nut and bolt. In other embodiments, the fixing means 15 may comprise a nail, screw, adhesive or fusion means. The secondary surface 14 is connected to the profiled member 10 on an opposing side or face of the profiled member 10, using another suitable fixing means 15. The fixing means 15 is secured at the antinodes 10b of the undulating wave-like form of the profiled member 10. Thus, the primary surface 13 is connected to the profiled member 10 at a first set of antinodes 10b, and the secondary surface 14 is connected to the profiled member 10 at a second set of antinodes 10c which are disposed on the opposing side of the profiled member 10. By such provision, the primary surface 13 and secondary surface 14 are secured in an offset position. Voids 11 are defined between the antinodes 10b, 10c and intervening portions 10d of the profiled member 10, and the primary and secondary surfaces 13, 14. FIG.7 shows a perspective view of an assembly similar to that of FIG.5 in which the secondary surface has been removed for clarity. In this case, five joists 16 are attached to the lower surface 18. The joists 16 are shown here as I-beams, however, a person of skill in the art will understand that the joists 16 may be of solid rectilinear or other cross-section. The primary surface 13 is disposed on top of the joists 16, thereby encapsulating four regions 20 between the lower surface 18, the primary surface 13, and the joists 16, which may be used for the installation of building insulation (not shown). Five profiled members 10 are attached to the primary surface 13 and may be parallel, or orthogonal to the joists 16 below, although this embodiment shows them in a direction parallel to and vertically aligned with the joists 16. An optional compressive layer (not shown), for example, foam, may be disposed between the lower surface 13 and the profiled member 10 to act as acoustic insulation between the profiled members 10 and the lower surface 13. In another embodiment (not shown), the profiled members 10 may be attached directly to the joists 16 such that no primary surface 13 is used. FIG.8 shows a perspective view of a small portion 10a of the profiled member 10, comprising four resilient intervening portions 22; and fixing zones or regions 24. Voids 11 are defined between the antinodes 10b, 10c and intervening portions 22 of the undulating profile of the profiled member 10. Notably, the fixing zones 24 are made to be stiffer than the intervening portions 22 (e.g. by using more a flexible material in the intervening portions 22 or by incorporating a ‘kink’ or z-profile to provide desired acoustic damping in the intervening portions 22). FIG.9 shows a side view of a portion of the profiled member 10, showing antinodes 10b on a first side or face of the profiled member 10, and antinodes 10c on a second opposing side or face of the profiled member 10. FIG 10(a) to FIG.10(f) show the cross sectional profile of the profiled member 10 according to different embodiments of the present invention, viewed along section line A-A of FIG.9. FIG.10(a) shows an embodiment in which the cross sectional profile of the profiled member 10 is rectilinear, which may be for example, square, or rectangular. FIG. 10(b) and FIG. 10(c) show embodiments in which the cross sectional profile of the profiled member 10 is arcuate, in which and the upper and lower surfaces are parallel 10(b); and in which the top surface of the profile is arcuate, and the lower surface is flat 10(c). FIG. 10(d) and FIG. 10(e) show embodiments in which the cross sectional profile of the profiled member 10 has a generally bell curve shape, in which and the upper and lower surfaces are parallel 10(d); and the upper surface is generally bell curve shaped, and the lower surface is flat 10(e). FIG.10(f) shows an embodiment in which the upper and lower faces of the cross sectional profile of the profiled member 10 are generally bell curve shaped, but which each follow a different curve such that the upper and lower faces are not parallel and the shape is thicker at its centre than at its ends. FIG. 11 shows an exemplary embodiment, in which five of the profiled members 10 according to embodiments of the present invention are stacked together in a stack 30 suitable for transport or storage. The corrugated profile permits a close fit between adjacent profiled members 10. FIG.12 shows part of an assembly 12 similar to that of FIG.5 with the secondary surface, joists and lower surface removed for clarity, and in which building services have been installed. The building services in this case comprise a pipe 101 and a cable 102 (shown dashed) which are positioned through the chamber(s) 20 between the profiled members 10 when running in a direction parallel to the profiled members 10 and pass underneath the undulating profile of the profiled member 10 where necessary, thereby a multidirectional flow path is possible without the requirement to drill or cut holes in the profiled members 10. FIG. 13 shows a cross section view of an embodiment similar to that of FIG.12 in which building services comprising pipes 101 and cables 102 pass underneath the undulating profile and through the voids 11 defined by the antinodes 10b, 10c and intervening portions 22 of the profiled member 10; and the primary surface 13. In FIG.12 and FIG.13, the construction of an assembly similar to FIG.5 further comprises an additional step of installing a building service component 101, 102 between the profiled members 10 and the two elements 13, 14 such that the building service component 101, 102 passes through the wave-like profile of the profiled members 10 and the chamber 20. The building service component 101, 102 is disposed in directions parallel, transverse and oblique to the profiled members 10. The building service components here include pipes 101 and cables 102. Building services 101, 102, and/or at least one component of a building service and/or ventilation system may be disposed through, and/or positioned underneath and/or through, at least one void 11 and/or undulating profile of the profiled member 10 and/or may be disposed through at least one of the voids 11 into the chamber 20. By such provision, the building services 101, 102, and/or at least one component of a building service and/or ventilation system may pass between adjacent and/or contiguous chambers 20 and voids 11. Alternatively, or additionally, the at least one void 11, and the at least one chamber 20 may form or define a conduit, without requiring pipes to transport ventilation or moisture. The at least one void 11 and at least one chamber 20 may act as a conduit to permit air flow, and may act in addition to other building services and/or ventilation systems. FIG.14A and FIG.14B show examples of an assembly for use in the construction industry which comprises: a profiled member 10 having a wave-like profile and two elements 13, 14, wherein a first one of the two elements 13, 14 is connected to the profiled member 10 at a plurality of discrete locations along a first face of the profiled member 10; and wherein an opposing second face of the profiled member 10 is provided on a second one of the two elements 13, 14; and wherein a resilient layer 40 is provided between the profiled member 10 and at least one of the two elements 13, 14. The resilient layer 40 may comprise, for example, a resilient foam or fibre layer. In FIG.14A the resilient layer 40 comprises vertically orientated fibre (VOF) 40a. The VOF 40a is provided between the lower element 13 and the profiled member 10. The VOF 40a may be batten grade and may have an uncompressed thickness of 15mm and a density in the region of 36kg/m³ (e.g. +/- 15kg/m³). In FIG.14B the resilient layer 40 comprises Recon Foam Hi-Load underlay (Recon Foam) 40b. The Recon Foam 40b is provided between the lower element 13 and the profiled member 10. The Recon Foam 40b may have an uncompressed thickness of 8mm and a density in the region of 86kg/m³ to 138 kg/m³. In the present embodiments, the resilient layer 40 is configured to provide full blanket coverage of the lower element 13. However, in other embodiments, the resilient layer 40 may be provided in strips, either under the entire length of each profiled member 10 or only under the troughs of the profiled member 10, where the profiled member 10 would otherwise contact the lower element 13. In some embodiments, the resilient layer 40 may additionally or alternatively be provided between the upper element 14 and the profiled member 10, when in use. In some embodiments the resilient layer 40 may be comprised of other materials and the resilient layer 40 adjacent the lower element 13 may be the same as or different to the resilient layer 40 adjacent the upper element 14. The profiled member 10 may be screwed to the upper and/or lower elements 13, 14. In some embodiments, the profiled member 10 may be glued (e.g. using foam glue) to the upper and/or lower elements 13, 14 and/or glued (e.g. using foam glue) to the resilient layer 40. In embodiments where the resilient layer 40 is provided on the lower element 13, there may be no fixed attachment (e.g. by way of screws or glue) between the lower element 13 and the resilient layer 40. Additionally or alternatively, there may be no fixed attachment (e.g. by way of screws or glue) between the resilient layer 40 and the profiled member 10. A series of acoustic impact tests were carried out to compare the performance of a number of sample floor assemblies similar to those depicted in FIG.14A and FIG.14B. The sample floor assemblies each included an upper element 14 made of 18mm thick chipboard (measuring approximately 1.2 m x 0.6 m) fixed to a 33mm deep profiled member 10 at 400mm centres. The profiled member 10 was then laid on a resilient layer 40 loose laid on a “Base” timber floor comprising the lower element 13. In other embodiments, the resilient layer 40 may be glued or stapled to the lower element 13 and/or the profiled member 10. Notably, the resilient layer 40 may or may not extend over a larger footprint than the profiled member 10. For example, the resilient layer 40 may extend over the entire surface of the lower element 13 to provide a continuous absorbent surface, which may be beneficial in reducing acoustic airborne transmission. Alternatively the resilient layer 40 may be provided in strips under the troughs of the profiled member 10. The “Base” timber floor comprised a lower element 13 of 22mm thick tongue and grooved 2.4m x 0.6 m chipboard, screw fixed to 254mm Space Joists^TM at 300mm centres, resilient bars and 15mm SoundBloc^TM plasterboard. The Space Joists^TM have a 47 x 72 mm chord size and are made from galvanized mild steel. The “Base” timber floor comprised a walking surface and an apertured edge shielding detail comprising 140 x 38 mm timbers around the perimeter and sealed with a non-hardening acoustic sealant. The “Base” timber floor was constructed to provide a base for a floating floor in a vertical transmission test suite that consisted of an upper source room (61.4 m³) over a lower receiving room (55.9 m³). The “Base” timber floor was situated within a connecting aperture of 3.00m x 3.65 m (10.95 m²) between the upper source room and lower receiving room. The aim of the testing schedule was to provide an impact sound insulation comparison of sub- system materials and fixing options. The tests were carried out on three different profiled members 10. These are depicted in FIG. 15A, 15B and 15C and comprise, respectively, profiled members 10 referred to as Single Wiggle 150a, Flat Single Wiggle 150b and Double Wiggle 150c. The Single Wiggle 150a is in the form of a continuous sine wave. The Flat Single Wiggle 150b comprises flattened peaks 152 along one face of the profiled member 10. When assembled, the flattened peaks 152 are positioned adjacent to the resilient layer 40 on the lower element 13. The Double Wiggle 150c has a series comprising a first peak 154 in the form of a sine wave similar to those of the Single Wiggle 150a followed by a flattened peak 152 similar to those of the Flat Single Wiggle 150b. For each of the profiled members 150a, 150b, 150c four tests were carried out. These comprised using a resilient layer 40 of either Recon Foam 40b or VOF 40a and using either a screw or foam glue fixing to the upper element 14. Prior to the start of the acoustic impact testing, the airborne sound insulation of the “Base” timber floor was measured. This was to determine the limits of the laboratory setup for the acoustic impact sound testing i.e. how well an airborne tapping noise generated within the source room would be contained and not interfere with structural transmission noise measured within the receiver room. Accordingly, this checked the completeness of the “Base” timber floor construction. The following measurement procedure was followed for airborne testing of the “Base” timber floor construction as set out in BS EN ISO 140-3:1995 “Acoustics – Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements – Part 3: Laboratory measurement of airborne sound insulation of building elements”: L1 5 static (spatially disparate) measurements of the sound pressure level within the source room, each of 6 seconds duration (total average of 30 s), of continuous pink noise generated by two (incoherent) source room loudspeakers. L₂ 5 static (spatially disparate) measurements of the sound pressure level within the receiver room, each of 6 seconds duration (total average of 30 s), of transmitted continuous pink noise from two (incoherent) source room loudspeakers. T₂ 6 receiver room reverberation time measurements using interrupted pink noise (2 speaker positions). B₂ 5 static (spatially disparate) measurements of the sound pressure level within the receiver room, each of 6 seconds duration (total average of 30 s), with no loudspeakers active. A shortened version of the acoustic impact test method set out in BS EN ISO 140-6:1998 “Acoustics – Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements – Part 6: Laboratory measurements of impact sound insulation of floors” was adopted to provide indicative results for comparison. As such, the following measurement procedure was followed for the acoustic impact testing on each sample: L2 2 static (spatially disparate) measurements of the sound pressure level within the receiver room, each of 6 seconds duration, per tapping machine location (2 tapping machine locations used per sample) T₂ 6 receiver room reverberation time measurements using interrupted pink noise (2 speaker positions). B₂ 5 static (spatially disparate) measurements of the sound pressure level within the receiver room, each of 6 seconds duration (total average of 30 s), with no loudspeakers active. Test samples were placed on the “Base” timber floor in two separate locations. Care was taken to replicate this for each sample, and to use the same tapping machine positions on the samples. The background noise levels, B2, in the 4kHz and 5kHz third-octave bands were within 10 dB below the measured receiver room measurements, due to the high performance of the materials at these frequencies, and a background correction was applied as a result. This did not affect the single figure results due to the frequency range of consideration (100 Hz – 3150 Hz). The sound level meter underwent field calibration measurements before and after the testing (using a calibration tone of 93.9 dB re 2 x 10^-5 Pa at 1000 Hz). Deviations between calibration levels were consistently less than 0.1 dB. The result spectrum was calculated for each one-third octave band between 50 Hz and 5000 Hz. This takes into consideration the size of the test floor, the volume of the receiving room, its reverberation time, and background noise levels. The single-figure weighted sound reduction index (Rw) of the “Base” timber floor, evaluated from the one-third octave band measurements (between the range 100 Hz to 3150 Hz) in accordance with BS EN ISO 717-1:2013 “Rating of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements. Part 1: Airborne sound insulation”, is 50 dB. The overall weighted result, the normalised impact sound pressure level, Ln,w, is evaluated from the one-third octave band measurements (between the range 100 Hz to 3150 Hz) in accordance with BS EN ISO 717-2:2013 “Rating of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements. Part 2: Impact sound insulation”. The weighted standardised impact sound pressure level and spectrum adaptation term, L’nT,w + Ci, were also obtained. However, it should be noted that L’nT,w is a measure of the field-tested performance of the “Base” timber floor construction which includes flanking sound transmission. Flanking is suppressed in laboratory conditions and as a result the L’nT,w + Ci values presented here are unlikely to be achieved in practice. The impact sound insulation performance of each of the samples is expressed as the reduction in impact sound transmission, Δ Lw, as a result of applying each sample assembly to the “Base” timber floor construction. For comparison, test 2 was carried using an 81mm traditional solid timber batten (known a Profloor Dynamic Batten) to set a benchmark against which the remaining samples with the described profiled members 10 could be compared. Summary results are reproduced (for frequency range 100 – 3150 Hz) in Table 1 and FIG.16 shows a graph of the measured impact sound insulation Ln,w (dB) for each test.

1^{Site parameter measured in laboratory.} Accordingly, it can be seen that most of the samples performed well against the benchmark, with the lower measured impact sound insulation figure representing a greater improvement when compared to the “Base” timber floor. In particular, the samples with the VOF resilient layer out-performed the benchmark, whilst the samples with the Recon Foam resilient layer had a performance comparable to the benchmark. The screw or foam glue fixing appears to make little difference to the overall performance. Deflection under load tests have also been carried out on the samples and the initial results indicate similarly good performance against the benchmark. Consequently, it appears that the assemblies described above can be used to produce a floor that is not too “bouncy” and that can spread loads laterally thereby balancing the need to provide a floor that performs well acoustically and with good walkability. Although the profiled member of the embodiment shown here is made of plastic, it may alternatively be made of metal, wood, plant fibres, carbon fibre, alloys, composite materials or the like. The profiled member is also not to be limited by the dimensions disclosed in a particular embodiment. Whilst the foregoing description has described exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many variations of the embodiments can be made within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. Moreover, features of one or more embodiments may be mixed and matched with features of one or more other embodiments.

Claims

Claims 1. An assembly for use in the construction industry comprising: a profiled member having a wave-like profile; and two elements, wherein a first one of the two elements is connected to the profiled member at a plurality of discrete locations along a first face of the profiled member; and wherein an opposing second face of the profiled member is provided on a second one of the two elements; and wherein a resilient layer is provided between the profiled member and at least one of the two elements.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the resilient layer comprises a resilient foam or fibre layer.

3. The assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the resilient layer comprises a vertically orientated fibre (VOF) layer.

4. The assembly of any preceding claim, comprising at least two profiled members, each comprising a wave-like profile; and wherein the two elements are arranged with respect to the at least two profiled members such that the at least two profiled members are laterally spaced from each other; wherein the first one of the two elements is connected to each of the profiled members at a plurality of discrete locations along a first face of each profiled member; and wherein an opposing second face of each of the profiled members is provided on a second one of the two elements; and wherein at least one chamber is defined between the two elements and the at least two profiled members.

5. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the profiled members each constitute an elongate batten.

6. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the profiled members each have a width of less than 100mm.

7. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the wave-like profile of each profiled member comprises one of more of an undulating, corrugated, sinusoidal, square wave, rectangular wave, triangular wave, saw-tooth form, flattened waveform or alternating sinusoidal and flattened waveform.

8. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the wave-like profile comprises a plurality of antinodes and intervening portions disposed between the antinodes; wherein the antinodes and intervening portions define a plurality of voids where each void is bounded by one of the two elements.

9. The assembly of claim 8, when dependent on claim 4, wherein the voids are contiguous with the at least one chamber.

10. The assembly of claim 9, further comprising at least one component of a building service or ventilation system disposed through at least one of the voids into the at least one chamber.

11. The assembly of claim 8, when dependent on claim 4, wherein the at least two profiled members are connected to the two elements at the antinodes which are disposed on the first and second faces of each profiled member.

12. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the two elements comprise one or more of a floorboard, joist, lath or slat.

13. The assembly of any preceding claim, configured as a prefabricated unit for use in construction.

14. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the profiled members have a first cross- sectional profile at the antinodes; and a second cross-sectional profile at the intervening portions; wherein the first and second cross-sectional profiles are different.

15. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the first and second faces are parallel.

16. The assembly of any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the first and second faces are non-parallel.

17. A profiled member for use in the assembly of any preceding claim, the profiled member comprising an elongate batten, having a wave-like profile.

18. The profiled member of claim 17, wherein the wave-like profile comprises one of more of an undulating, corrugated, sinusoidal, square wave, rectangular wave, triangular wave, saw-tooth form, flattened waveform or alternating sinusoidal and flattened waveform.

19. The profiled member of claim 17 or 18, wherein the wave-like profile comprises a plurality of antinodes and intervening portions disposed between the antinodes.

20. The profiled member of claim 19, wherein the antinodes each comprise an attachment zone, for attachment to one of the two elements; and the intervening portions each comprise a resilient section.

21. The profiled member of claim 20, wherein the attachment zones have a first stiffness; and the intervening portions have a second stiffness; wherein the first stiffness and the second stiffness are different.

22. The profiled member of any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein a first cross-sectional profile is provided at the antinodes; and a second cross-sectional profile is provided at the intervening portions; wherein the first and second cross-sectional profiles are different.

23. The profiled member of any one of claims 17 to 22, formed in whole or in part of wood, plastic, metal, fibre-glass or composite materials.

24. The profiled member of any one of claims 17 to 23, wherein the profiled member is formed of a laminate construction.

25. A method of assembling the assembly of any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: connecting the profiled member to the first one of the two elements at antinodes disposed on the first face of the profiled member; providing the resilient layer on the second one of the two elements; and arranging the profiled member, when connected to the first one of the two elements, on the resilient layer such that the resilient layer and the profiled member are located between the first one of the two elements and the second one of the two elements.

26. A method of assembling the assembly of any one of claims 4 to 16, comprising: connecting the at least two profiled members to the first one of the two elements at antinodes disposed on the first face of each profiled member; and arranging a second one of the two elements adjacent the at least two profiled members at antinodes disposed on the second face of each profiled member, opposing the first face, such that the at least two profiled members are laterally spaced from each other.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising an additional step of: installing a building service component between the at least two profiled members and the two elements, such that the building service component passes through the wave-like profile of the at least two profiled members and the at least one chamber.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the building service component is disposed in a direction parallel, transverse or oblique to the at least two profiled members.