Modular ventilation system for dehumidifying underground parts of buildings, and building provided with said ventilation system

Abstract

 The modular ventilation system (1) for reducing moisture in underground walls or other underground parts of buildings (P), according to the invention comprises at least one panel element (3) which in turn comprises:
A) a panel portion (5) which forms a containing wall suitable for resting on the ground (T) which surrounds or at least faces the underground part of the building (P) to be dehumidified;
B) one or more spacer elements (7, 7') through which the panel portion (5) and/or the containing wall may lean against the wall, or other at least partly underground portion of the building (P) to be dehumidified.

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention regards a system and a method for reducing moisture from underground walls and other underground structures, such as for example foundation walls and underground garages.

State of the art

[0002] In the past systems for reducing moisture in underground foundation walls or garages were conceived, with the aim of creating air currents around the same wall. The system of the type described in document GB 1 057 642 comprises a set of prefabricated components that can be assembled in a modular manner so as to form a second wall interposed between the ground and the wall underground of the actual building. The second wall forms therein a plurality of internal ventilation conduits which, in the intentions of the designer, should be crossed by convective air flows so as to remove the moisture in the walls of the building.

[0003] This assemblable system however reveals various drawbacks, including the following. The internally perforated blocks are made of cement, and thus the interior ventilation conduits thereof are provided with inevitably limited passage sections. Furthermore, the cement the internally perforated blocks are made of is porous so as to purposely make them permeable both to air and water.
In addition, document GB 1 057 642 discloses the assembly of the second wall without mortar, so as to be able to easily dismount it in case of need.
These three factors make the modular system of GB 1 057 642 poorly efficient at eliminating the moisture on one hand and extremely expensive on the other hand. Thus, it did not gain much popularity and it is not commonly used currently.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the system for reducing moisture in underground walls known from document GB 1 057 642, with particular reference to the efficiency at removing moisture as well production and installation costs.

Summary of the invention

[0005] This object is attained, in a first aspect of the present invention, through a modular ventilation system having the features according to claim 1.
In a second aspect of the invention, this object is attained through a building having the features of claim 12.
Further characteristics of the device are subject of the dependent claims.

[0006] The advantages that can be obtained through the present invention shall be more evident, to the man skilled in the art, from the following detailed description of an example of a particular non-limiting embodiment, illustrated with reference to the following schematic drawings.

List of drawings

[0007] 

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of four panel elements, hooked to each other, of a modular ventilation system according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a baffle element of the modular ventilation system of Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 respectively show a first and a second perspective view of an angular element of the modular ventilation system of Figure 1;

Figure 5 shows a sectional view, according to the vertical sectional plane VI-VI, of a portion of the foundations of a building covered by a part of the modular ventilation system of Figure 1;

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the foundations and ventilation system of Figure 5;

Figure 7 shows a sectional view, according to the horizontal sectional plane VII-VII, of the foundations and ventilation system of Figure 5, with a baffle element which cooperates to form a first labyrinth ventilation path;

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a second variant of a baffle element, that can be used in a modular ventilation system according to the invention;

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of a portion of the foundations of a building covered by a part of a modular ventilation system according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of a detail of the modular system of Figure 9.

Detailed description

[0008] Figures 1-7 refer to a modular ventilation system for reducing moisture in underground walls and other underground parts of buildings, according to a particular embodiment of the invention. According to an aspect of the invention, the modular ventilation system, indicated in its entirety with reference number 1, comprises a plurality of panel elements 3, each of which in turn comprises:

• a panel portion 5 which forms a containing wall suitable for resting on the ground T which surrounds or at least faces the underground part of the building to be dehumidified;
• one or more spacer elements (7, 7') through which the panel portion and/or the containing wall can lean against the wall, or other at least partially underground portion of the building (P) to be dehumidified.
  As shown in Figure 1, each panel portion 5 may, in its entirety have the shape of a flat sheet, preferably square or rectangular.
  Advantageously, as shown in the attached Figures, the perimeter edges of each panel portion have shapes such to be mechanically connected, for example by hooking or interlocking, to the perimeter edges of another panel portion.

[0009] As shown in Figure 1, each spacer element 7, 7' may be formed or comprise for example a cylindrical leg, which extends perpendicularly to the surface on which the panel portion 5 lies. More generally, the legs of the spacer elements 7, 7' may be shaped as bars or beams which extend perpendicularly, or at least transverse to the surfaces whereon the panel portion 5 lies and/or to the wall of the building to be covered and dehumidified.
Preferably the legs are internally hollow, so as to simplify the production of the panel element 3 by injection moulding, in particular allowing for moulding an entire panel element 3 of plastic material using a mould without mobile drawers; even this latter solution contributes to considerably reduce the production costs of the panel 3.

[0010] Preferably, as shown in figures 1, 5 each leg 7, 7' has a free end suitable for leaning against the wall P or other part of the building to be dehumidified.
The presence of such free ends simplifies the mechanical structure of the panel elements 3, allows for facilitating the ventilation airflow through the legs 7, 7' and reduce the production costs of the same elements 3, both reducing the amount of required material and for example simplifying the injection moulding thereof.
Preferably such free ends are closed or however substantially impermeable to water and moisture.

[0011] Preferably the legs 7, 7' are provided with circular, oval, elliptical or at least rounded cross-sections so as to reduce head losses in the air flow that touches said legs. However, alternatively the cross-sections of the legs may be regular polygon-shaped, convex polygon-shaped, square-shaped, rectangular-shaped, rhomboid-shaped, T- or H-shaped. Preferably the modular system 1 further comprises one or more baffle elements 9 and/or one or more angular elements 11.

[0012] Each baffle element 9 may comprise a panel or flat wall preferably oblong, for example rectangular (Figure 2). Preferably one of the longitudinal edges 90 of the element 9 - also referred to as fixing edge 90 - is shaped in such a manner to be mechanically fastened, for example by hooking to or interlocking with the perimeter edges of a panel portion 3 (Figures 5, 7). Advantageously along the other longitudinal edge 92 of the element 9 - also referred to as sealing edge 92 - a sealing gasket 94 is present whose function shall be described hereinafter (Figures 2, 7). As in figures 2, 7, the gasket 94 may be substantially tubular-shaped. The overall shape of each angular element 11 is preferably oblong, and the longitudinal edges 110, 112 thereof are shaped such as to be mechanically fastened, for example by hooking to or interlocking with the perimeter edges of a panel portion 3 (Figures 3, 4).

[0013] For such purpose, the longitudinal edges 110, 112 of the angular element 11, as well as one of the longitudinal edges 90 of the element 9, may form longitudinal folds having constant substantially U or S-shaped cross-sections (Figure 2-5, 7).
The angular elements 11 may possibly be reinforced by suitable longitudinal 114 and transverse 116 ribs.
As exemplified in Figure 4, advantageously on the inner side of each angular element 11 a suitable seat is obtained arranged for receiving and leaning against the corner of the wall MA, or any other masonry element to be covered. Preferably, as in Figure 4, such seat is substantially the negative replica of the corner of the wall MA.

[0014] Advantageously each angular element 11 is provided with a plurality of spacer legs 7", 7^III arranged to rest against the two or more faces MA of the corner area of the wall, or another portion of the building to be dehumidified. Advantageously, the spacer legs 7", 7^III are aligned or however arranged so as to form channels or preferential paths 120 along which the convection flows of the air which ventilates and dehumidifies the walls P, MA of the building is conveyed. Preferably, such channels or preferential paths 120 are perpendicular, or at least transverse to the angular element 11, so as to allow the dehumidification airflow to pass from one side of the underground building to the other (Figure 9). Advantageously the spacer legs 7", 7^III are formed by the same longitudinal 114 and transverse 116 ribs.

[0015] Each panel element 3 has a width L1 preferably comprised between 6 and 12 dm, more preferably between 7 and 10 dm and even more preferably comprised between 8 and 10 dm.
The length L2 of each panel element 3 is preferably comprised between 7 and 20 dm, more preferably between 16 and 20 dm and even more preferably comprised between 18 and 19 dm.

[0016] Such dimensions L1, L2 make the panels smaller and easier to manage, thus allowing for considerably reducing the costs of the moulds without jeopardising the panel performances. The particular choice of the length L2, if comprised particularly between 18 and 19 dm, allows for minimize wastes obtained by trimming that part of the panels which, once installed, exceeds the desired height. Preferably at least part of the legs, or other spacer elements 7, projects from the containing wall of the panel portion 5 for a height HG equal to or greater than 6 cm, more preferably equal to or greater than 1 dm, or even more preferably equal to or greater than 2 dm,and even more preferably, equal to or greater than 3 dm. A height HG comprised between 3 and 3.5 dm revealed a particularly efficient choice for ventilating underground walls and simultaneously sufficiently resistant to the ground thrust.

[0017] Such heights allow for obtaining good heat insulation and sufficient ventilation between the ground and the wall of the building.
The diameter or the maximum width or length of the cross-sections of each leg or another spacer element 7, is preferably comprised between a fifth and a third of the height HG of the respective leg or any other spacer element 7, and more preferably between a third and a fourth of the height HG.

[0018] The lengths L3 and L4 of the baffle elements 9 and of the angular elements 11 respectively may be approximately equal to the lengths L2 of the panel elements 3. In such case, the panel elements 3, if shaped to form an oblong elongated rectangular shape or more generally an elongated shape may be mounted longitudinally to the angular elements 11, as shown for example in Figure 6
The width L5 of the baffle elements 9 preferably varies between a third and an eighth of the length L3 of the baffle elements, and more preferably it is equivalent to about a sixth of the length L3.

[0019] The legs, or more generally the spacer elements 7, 7' have dimensions such, that the ratio between A) the volume that can be occupied in its entirety by the air flowing through a panel element 3, and B) the volume obtained by multiplying the surface area of a panel portion 5 for the height HG of the spacer elements 7, 7' is sufficiently close to 1, for example preferably comprised between 0.6 and 1, more preferably comprised between 0.7 and 1 and, even more preferably, comprised between 0.8 and 1.
The volume obtained by multiplying the surface area of a panel portion 5 for the height HG of the spacer elements 7, 7' indicates the outer overall dimensions of a panel element 3.

[0020] Advantageously the various panel elements 3, the baffle elements 9, the angular elements 11 are made of substantially waterproof materials, such as for example polyethylene, polypropylene or other non-foamed and substantially non-perforated plastic materials. Advantageously, such plastic materials are selected so as to provide the panel with sufficient flexibility so as to adapt to possible irregularities and geometric imperfections of the walls they are applied to.

[0021] Following is a description of an exemplary assembly and operation of the modular ventilation system 1 described previously.
More panel elements 3 are vertically inserted in a suitable hollow space obtained between the underground building portion P intended to be kept drier and the ground T surrounding or however facing it (Figures 5, 6). The underground building portion P may for example be the wall of the foundations of the building, the wall of an underground store unit, warehouse, garage or any other underground room. The panel portions 5 are leaned against, or however faced towards, the ground T while the legs or other spacer elements 7, 7' are leaned against the wall or other portions of building P. The panel elements 3 thus form a support and a containment barrier against the ground, guaranteeing the presence of an empty hollow -or occupied at least mainly by air- space 15 between the outermost walls of the building P and the ground. Such hollow space 15 is closed at the lower and upper part by a suitable number of baffle elements 9 so as to form an air chamber capable of sufficiently reducing seepage. The various panel elements 3 are interconnected by hooking the respective longitudinal and/or transverse perimeter edges together.

[0022] Possibly the baffle element or elements 9' that close at the top the empty hollow space 15 are protected and covered by a layer of soil, by a cement slab or any other structural element capable of bearing the required loads.
Advantageously, as shown in figures 6, 7, one or more baffle elements 9 are mounted so as to extend into the hollow space 15 inside the spacer elements 7, 7' so as to suitably guide the air flow in the hollow space.

[0023] In the example of Figure 6 a plurality of baffle elements 9 are arranged so as to form a substantially serpentine path followed by most of the air flowing in the hollow space 15, where the loops of the serpentine extend in substantially vertical directions.
The sealing gaskets 94 of the various baffle elements 9, 9', if present, improve the sealing and the efficiency of the system leaning against the wall P -or the walls P. The section of Figure 7 shows a particularly advantageous example for fitting the folded U-shaped edge of a baffle element 9 with the folded edges of two adjacent panel elements 3: the fitting edge 90 is interposed between the folded edges of the panel elements 3. The corners, in particular the right corners of the various edges advantageously allow for constraining not only (at least) some translations, but also the rotation of the baffle element 9 with respect to the adjacent panel elements with which it is fitted.
The possible corners and dihedrons of the underground portion of the building P may be covered by one or more angular elements 11 hooked, or mechanically connected, to a suitable number of panel elements 3.

[0024] Preferably the ventilation system 1' is provided with one or more air intakes 17, and one or more air delivery mouths 19.
As shown in Figure 6, the air intakes 17 and delivery mouths 19 may respectively be the inlet and outlet of suitable tubular conduits 21, 23 respectively. Advantageously the air intake/s 17, and the delivery mouth/s 19 are located in positions such to facilitate the formation of airflows by natural convection through the hollow space 15.
For such purpose, still as shown in Figure 6, the delivery mouth or mouths 19 may be at a height considerably greater than the air intake or air intakes 17, for example at at least 0.2 metres, and more preferably at at least 0.4 metres above the air intakes 17.

[0025] Alternatively, the delivery mouth or mouths 19 may be arranged on one side or façade of the building, different from the side or façade in which one or more air intakes 17 are arranged, positioning for example a delivery mouth 19 on a south-facing façade of the building and an air intake 17 on a north-facing façade. An example of possible operation of the ventilation system 1' of Figures 5-7 is as follows.
In Figure 6 the dash and dot arrows indicate the path of the air in the serpentine of the ventilated hollow space.

[0026] Due to the temperature difference of the external air in the proximity of the delivery mouth 19 and the air intake 17, the air of the external environment is suctioned by natural convection into the latter and reaches the hollow space 15 between the wall P of the building and the panel portions 5 of the various elements 3 that cover it. After passing through the serpentine formed by the baffle elements 9, the ventilation air exits from the delivery mouth 19. Passing through the underground hollow space, the convective air current efficiently removes the moisture present in the ground T or in the building P releasing it into the external environment.

[0027] The various elements 5, 7, 7' of the modular ventilation system 1 previously described are particularly suitable for being made of plastic material, for example by injection moulding, with relatively low wall thicknesses, for example variable between 4 and 8 mm and more preferably around 5 mm, and thus implying equally low production costs.

[0028] The various elements 3, 9, 11, 13 of the modular ventilation system 1 may have a very simple mechanical arrangement, and thus they may be made of plastic material at very low costs.

[0029] The panel elements 3 may be obtained with a considerably high ratio between A) the overall volume that may be occupied by the air passing within the portion of hollow space 15 within a panel element 3, and B) the volume of the overall dimensions of the panel element 3, considerably reducing the head losses of the air which flows between the legs 7 of the panel element and thus considerably increasing the draught and the dehumidifying capacity of the ventilation system 1.

[0030] The fact of making at least the panel elements 3 of substantially waterproof materials makes the elements 3 form a mechanical barrier against the water infiltrations of the ground. More in particular, the ground water stops against the walls of the panel elements 3 and drips therealong downwards, solely partly penetrating through the joints, not necessarily airtight, between the edges of the various panel elements 3. The water and the aqueous vapour that however manage to penetrate into the empty hollow space between the building P and the panel portions 5 of the various elements 3 is evacuated into the external environment by the previously described convective airflows.

[0031] By creating relatively low turbulences, the circular, or rounded and smoothened cross-sections of the legs 7, 7' or the other spacer elements 7, 7' contribute to reducing the head losses of the air flowing through the empty hollow space 15. The previously described fitting edges allow for rapidly mounting the ventilation system 1, firmly fastening the various panel elements 3 to each other.
In conclusion, the previous teachings allow for providing a modular ventilation system according to the invention that offers good compromise between operating efficiency and production costs as well as start-up.

[0032] The above-described embodiments can be subjected to various modifications and variations without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. For example, in embodiments not shown, the panel portions may form shell portions which may not be flat in their entirety. The panel portions 5 may rest, at the lower part, not only on horizontally arranged baffle elements 9, but also for example on the bare ground. A modular ventilation system according to the invention may comprise one or more angular elements 11' whose length L4 is approximately equal to the width L1 of the panel elements 3. In such case, the panel elements 3, if shaped to form an elongated rectangular shape or more generally oblong shape may be mounted horizontally or transversely to the angular elements 11, as shown for example in Figures 9, 10. Simultaneously mounting a plurality of baffle elements 9 and/or 9' longitudinally to the panel elements 3, allows obtaining a series of ducts which guide the ventilation airflow along a serpentine-like path with substantially horizontal loops (dash and dot arrows of Figure 9).

[0033] Installing the panel elements 3 horizontally allows the water proofing and ventilating underground building portions for relatively low depths, for example about half a metre or one metre. For such purpose, the length L4 of each angular element 11 may also be comprised between 5 and 10 dm. Installing the panel elements 6 vertically, as exemplified in Figure 6, may often be advantageous for water proofing and ventilating the walls of entire underground floors which, at least in Italy, have heights equal to about 3-3.5 metres per each floor, thus allowing reducing scrap material to the minimum as mentioned previously.

[0034] As exemplified in Figure 8, a modular ventilation system according to the invention may comprise one or more baffle elements 9' whose respective sealing edges 92' are substantially folded to form an L, which - besides advantageously stiffening the same baffle element 9'- also allows fixing a sealing gasket 94' more easily and firmly. Furthermore all details can be replaced by technically elements. For example the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may vary depending on the technical requirements. Examples and lists of possible variants of the present application shall be deemed as non-exhaustive lists.

Claims

1. Modular ventilation system (1) for reducing moisture in underground walls or other underground parts of buildings (P), wherein the system (1) comprises at least one panel element (3) which in its turn comprises:

- a panel portion (5) which forms a containing wall suitable for resting on the ground (T) which surrounds or at least faces the underground part of the building (P) to be dehumidified;

- one or more spacer elements (7, 7') through which the panel portion (5) and/or the containing wall can lean against the wall, or other at least partially underground portion of the building (P) to be dehumidified, where at least part of the spacer elements (7, 7') projects from the containing wall of the panel portion for a height (HG) equal to or greater than 0.6 dm.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the containing wall is substantially plane.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein each spacer element (7, 7') comprises a leg which extends perpendicularly, or at least not parallel, to the plane or other surface whereon the containing wall lies.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the spacer elements (7, 7') protrudes from the containing wall of the panel portion by a height (HG) equal to or greater than 1 dm.

5. System according to claim 1 or 3, wherein at least a part of the spacer elements (7, 7') and/or of their legs are provided with cross sections of a shape chosen from the following: circular, oval, elliptical, regular polygon, convex polygon, squared, rectangular, rhomboidal, T or H shape.

6. System according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the spacer elements (7, 7') are each of a shape chosen from the following: cylindrical, conical, frustoconical, pyramidal, truncated pyramid, prismatic, the shape of a beam or of a substantially oblong revolution solid.

7. System according to claim 1, wherein the panel portion (5) has a substantially rectangular or squared perimeter.

8. System according to claim 4, wherein the spacer element or the spacer elements (7, 7') have dimensions such that the ratio between:

A) the volume overall employable by the air that flows through a panel element (3); and

B) the volume obtained by multiplying the surface of a panel portion 5 by the height (HG) of the spacer elements (7, 7');
is comprised between 0.6 and 1.

9. System according to claim 1, wherein each panel element (3) is provided with a plurality of spacer elements (7, 7') aligned along at least two directions orthogonal or transverse to each other, for example arranged according to a squared, a rectangular, a diamond, a triangular or a staggered-mesh grid.

10. System according to claim 1, wherein at least one panel element (3) is provided with perimetrical edges suitable for fixing by hooking or interlocking with the perimetrical edges of other analogous panel elements (3), and the cross sections of the perimetrical edges of the at least one panel element (3) are substantially S or U folded.

11. System according to claim 1, wherein the cross sections of the perimetrical edges of the at least one panel element (3) form substantially right angle folds.

12. Building at least partially underground, comprising a modular ventilation system (1) according to claim 1, wherein:

- the containing wall of the at least one panel element (3) rests on the ground (T) that surrounds or anyway faces the underground part of the building (P) to be dehumidified;

- the plurality of spacer elements (7, 7') rests on the at least partly underground portion of the building (P) to be dehumidified;

- the at least one panel element (3) forms and contributes to maintain a hollow space (15) occupied at least mainly by air between the ground (T) and the underground part of the building (P) to be dehumidified.

13. Building according to claim 12, wherein the one or more panel elements (3) concur to form a serpentine duct inside the modular ventilation system, wherein through the at least one serpentine duct air can flow, so as to ventilate the underground part of the building (P) to be dehumidified.

14. Building according to claim 12, wherein the modular ventilation system (1) is provided with:

- at least one air intake (17) suitable for allowing or facilitating the inflow of air from the external environment into the hollow space (15); and
at least a delivery mouth (19) suitable for allowing or facilitating the outflow of air from the hollow space towards the external environment;
wherein the at least one air intake (17) and the at least one delivery mouth (19) are arranged so as to produce or facilitate, at least mainly by natural convection, an air flow through the hollow space (15).

15. Building according to claim 14, wherein the at least one delivery mouth (19) is placed at least 0,2 meters higher than the air intake (17).

Drawing