A SLAB AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SLAB

Abstract

 A slab (1) includes a concrete front layer (2), a back structure (3), a rigid insulation segment (4) being sandwiched between the front layer (2) and the back structure (3) and concrete webs (5) at opposite sides of the segment (4). The webs (5) connect the front layer (2) and the back structure (3) to each other. A portion of the outer surface of the segment (4) is provided with a slot (6) and/or a portion of the outer surface directed away from the front layer (2) is provided with a plurality of recesses (10) for sound dampening.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a slab including a concrete front layer, a back structure, a rigid insulation segment being sandwiched between the front layer and the back structure and concrete webs at opposite sides of the segment which webs connect the front layer and the back structure to each other.

[0002] A slab as described above is known from NL 2015062. The known slab is used as a floor slab.

[0003] An object of the invention is to provide an improved slab.

[0004] This object is accomplished with the slab according to the invention, wherein a portion of the outer surface of the segment is provided with a slot and/or a portion of the outer surface directed away from the front layer is provided with a plurality of recesses for sound dampening.

[0005] An advantage of the slab according to the invention is that a slot in the outer surface and the plurality of recesses can be created easily in the outer surface before moulding the slab.

[0006] The rigid insulation segment may be made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam or the like. It may be a block shaped body. The slot is elongate and can be made by cutting out material from the outer surface, for example by means of a heated cutting knife.

[0007] The slot may be inclined with respect to a plane in which the front layer lies. This means that when the slab is used in a horizontal orientation such that the concrete front layer forms an upper side of the slab, the slot has a drainage slope and can be used for discharging liquid, such as sewage.

[0008] In a particular embodiment an open side of the slot faces the front layer and the depth of the slot is inclined with respect to the plane in which the front layer lies. In this case a connection between the slot and the outer side of the slab can be made by creating a hole in the front layer at the slot.

[0009] Furthermore, a tube may be received by the slot. In this case the slab can be manufactured by preparing a mould in which one or more insulation segments are placed wherein the at least one segment is provided with a slot, after which the tube is mounted into the slot prior to pouring concrete into the mould. Mounting the tube in the slot rather than at a location where a concrete web is intended is advantageous since at the intended location of the web the tube has to be fixed separately with respect to the mould in order to avoid its displacement during the pouring process. In case of mounting the tube in the slot it can be fixed immediately to the insulation segment, which improves the efficiency of the manufacturing process.

[0010] The tube may clamp in the slot such that during manufacturing the slab by pouring concrete in a mould in which the insulation segment and the tube are present, the tube remains in place.

[0011] In an alternative embodiment a layer of concrete is present between the tube and the slot. This is advantageous in terms of sound insulation when liquid flows through the tube.

[0012] The slab may be a floor slab. In this case the concrete front layer may form an upper layer of a floor and the back structure may form a ceiling of the space below the floor.

[0013] The recesses for sound dampening may comprise cylindrical holes, but alternative shapes are conceivable.

[0014] The back structure may comprise at least one panel which is fixed to at least one of the concrete webs. Such a panel may be a light-weight panel or a panel which needs little or no treatment for using it as a ceiling.

[0015] Nevertheless, the back structure may also be a concrete layer.

[0016] The invention is also related to a method of manufacturing a slab according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the slot is applied by cutting away a portion of an outer surface of a block-shaped insulation segment and/or wherein the recesses are drilled in an outer surface of a block-shaped insulation segment, wherein the insulation segment is located in a mould before pouring concrete into the mould.

[0017] The back structure may also be located in the mould before pouring concrete into the mould, such that the front layer and the webs of the resulting slab are integrally formed by the concrete, whereas the back structure forms a separate layer. Nevertheless, in the latter case, the back structure may be fixed to the webs during moulding, for example through anchors of the back structure which are embedded in the webs.

[0018] The invention will hereafter be elucidated with reference to very schematic drawings showing an embodiment of the invention by way of example.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of a slab according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line II-II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view along the line III-III in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view as Fig. 2, but showing an alternative embodiment.

Figs. 1-3 show an embodiment of a slab according to the invention in the form of a floor slab 1. The floor slab 1 has a concrete front layer 2, a back structure in the form of a concrete back layer 3 and two rigid insulation segments 4 made from EPS. The insulation segments 4 are block-shaped and are sandwiched between the front layer 2 and the back layer 3. The front layer 2 and the back layer 3 are fixed to each other through concrete webs 5 which extend at opposite sides of the segments 4. In the embodiment as shown in Figs. 1-3 the floor slab 1 is manufactured by means of moulding such that the concrete front layer 2, the back layer 3 and the webs 5 are formed integrally.

[0019] One of the insulation segments 4 is provided with a slot 6 which is cut in an outer surface of the segment 4 that faces the upper layer 2. In the slot 6 is a tube 7 which is clamped in the slot 6 before the step of moulding. Figs. 2 and 3 show that a lower portion of the tube 7 fits in the insulation segment 4 whereas an upper portion of the tube 7 is covered by the concrete upper layer 2. One end of the tube 7 is located at an edge of the floor slab 1 whereas an opposite end is connected to a vertical pipe 8. The vertical pipe 8 and the tube 7 may form a sewer pipe after installing the floor slab 1 in a building. A toilet can be connected to the vertical pipe 8 and the end of the tube 7 at the edge of the floor slab 1 can be connected to a discharge pipe of the building.

[0020] In the embodiment as shown in Figs. 1-3 an open side of the slot 6 faces the front layer 2, whereas the bottom of the slot 6 is inclined by an angle α with respect to the plane in which the front layer 2 lies, for example 2°. As a consequence the slot 6 and the tube 7 are inclined with respect to that plane, hence creating a drainage slope when the floor slab 1 is installed in a building. The desired orientation of the tube 7 can be achieved easily by cutting the slot 6 in the insulation segment 4 and placing the tube 7 in the slot 6, which is much easier than locating the tube 7 between the segments 5 before moulding, for example. Locating the tube 7 between the segments 5 requires specific means to fix the tube in the mould such that it does not displace due to pouring concrete during manufacturing.

[0021] In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the tube 7 is placed in the slot 6 such that after moulding a layer of concrete is present between the tube 7 and the slot 6. This minimizes sound emission caused by a flow through the tube 7.

[0022] Fig. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a floor slab 1. Similar to the previous embodiment the floor slab 1 has a concrete front layer 2, but its back structure is in the form of separate supporting beams 9. The insulation segments 4 are sandwiched between the supporting beams 9 and the front layer 2. In this embodiment a portion of the outer surface of each segment 4 directed away from the front layer 2 is provided with a plurality of recesses 10 for sound dampening. Furthermore, the supporting beams 9 are covered by a material 11 which takes away a view on the insulation segments 4 but which allows sound waves to pass.

[0023] The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings and described hereinbefore, which may be varied in different manners within the scope of the claims and their technical equivalents.

Claims

1. A slab (1) including a concrete front layer (2), a back structure (3), a rigid insulation segment (4) being sandwiched between the front layer (2) and the back structure (3) and concrete webs (5) at opposite sides of the segment (4) which webs (5) connect the front layer (2) and the back structure (3) to each other, wherein a portion of the outer surface of the segment (4) is provided with a slot (6) and/or a portion of the outer surface directed away from the front layer (2) is provided with a plurality of recesses (10) for sound dampening.

2. A slab (1) according to claim 1, wherein the slot (6) is inclined with respect to a plane in which the front layer (2) lies.

3. A slab (1) according to claim 2, wherein an open side of the slot (6) faces the front layer (2) and the depth of the slot (6) is inclined with respect to the plane in which the front layer (2) lies.

4. A slab (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a tube (7) is received by the slot (6).

5. A slab (1) according to claim 4, wherein the tube (7) clamps in the slot (6).

6. A slab (1) according to claim 4, wherein a layer of concrete is present between the tube (7) and the slot (6).

7. A slab (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the slab is a floor slab (1).

8. A slab (1) according to claim 7, wherein the recesses (10) for sound dampening comprise cylindrical holes.

9. A slab (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the back structure comprises at least one panel which is fixed to at least one of the concrete webs (5).

10. A slab (1) according to one of the claims 1-8, wherein the back structure is also a concrete layer (3).

11. A method of manufacturing a slab (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the slot (6) is applied by cutting away a portion of an outer surface of a block-shaped insulation segment (4) and/or wherein the recesses (10) are drilled in an outer surface of a block-shaped insulation segment (4), wherein the insulation segment is located in a mould before pouring concrete into the mould.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the back structure is also located in the mould before pouring concrete into the mould.

Drawing