MASONRY BUILDING ELEMENT PROVIDED WITH INTERMEDIATE PANEL MADE OF THERMALLY INSULATED AND SOUND ABSORBING MATERIAL

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a building element (1) for making a wall. The element according to the invention comprises at least a first block (2) and at least a second block (3) made of concrete, and an intermediate insulating panel arranged between the first block (2) and the second block (3) and fixed thereto so as to form a single compact element. The building element (1) further comprises a plurality of fastening elements (5) which mechanically fix the insulating panel (4) to the first block (2) and to the second block (3). Such fastening elements (5) are placed inside said building element (1) and comprise at least one portion (5') which crosses said insulating panel (4) and at least a further portion (5", 5"') which penetrates the aforesaid blocks (2, 3).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a masonry building element with insulating panel made of thermally insulated and sound absorbing material interposed between two outer blocks. In particular, the present invention relates to such a masonry building element, consisting of the three aforesaid elements rigidly assembled with one another.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] The use is known of building elements consisting of two outer blocks made with various brick materials, having an insulating panel interposed therebetween. Such an intermediate insulating panel typically is made of high-density polystyrene of various types, while the two outer blocks are made of brick material or alternatively of clay concrete or again of formwork wood.

[0003] The connection between the intermediate polystyrene insulating panel and the two outer blocks in such building elements typically is achieved by means of gluing or joining between the parts or mechanically by means of external fastening brackets or similar accessories, often consisting of angular clips which mechanically lock the concrete blocks with the insulating panel.

[0004] Such a fastening system by means of gluing or joining has drawbacks, in particular in terms of durability and resistance to the atmospheric agents; moreover, such a fastening system does not allow a compact masonry building element in which the components are rigidly connected to one another, to be obtained.

[0005] However, currently it is not possible to make masonry building elements having an intermediate insulating panel different from polystyrene because a fastening system capable of reliably fixing an intermediate panel of material different from polystyrene to the two outer blocks has not been found in the current prior art.

[0006] The Applicant of the present application has therefore identified the need to make a masonry building element in which the intermediate insulating panel may also be made of a material different from polystyrene and in which such an insulating panel is reliably fixed to the two outer blocks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is the main task of the present invention to provide a building element which meets the above-indicated need. Within this task, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a masonry building element in which the insulating panel is rigidly fixed to the outer blocks in a more reliable manner than the traditional solutions. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a building element which is reliable and ready for placement. Not last, it is the object of the present invention to provide a building element which is reliable and easy to be manufactured at competitive costs.

[0008] This task and these objects are achieved by means of a masonry building element according to claim 1. The present invention indeed results from the general consideration according to which the technical problem noted above may be effectively and reliably solved by means of a masonry building element which comprises at least a first block and a second block, made of concrete, and an intermediate insulating panel arranged between said first block and said second block and fixed thereto so as to form a single compact element. According to the present invention, the building element is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of fastening elements which mechanically fix the intermediate insulating panel to the first and to the second block.

[0009] Such fastening elements are placed inside said building element and comprise a middle portion which completely crosses the intermediate insulating panel, and other two portions which are inserted in the two outer blocks. Namely, the fastening elements comprise a first side portion which penetrates the first block and a second side portion which penetrates the second block, in which the second side portion is opposite to the first side portion with respect to the middle portion.

[0010] In any case, the building element according to the invention is compact, ready for placement, and the two blocks are rigidly fixed to the intermediate insulating panel through a strictly mechanical connection, i.e. without the use of adhesive substances. Moreover, the fastening elements advantageously are placed inside and not outside the building element, as provided in traditional solutions. Based on the different production types, the masonry building element of the present invention may be used to make interior or exterior curtain or loadbearing walls (also in a seismic zone).

[0011] According to one embodiment, the intermediate insulating panel is made of a thermally insulated and sound absorbing material selected from the group comprising EPS, glass wool, rock wool, expanded cork or other thermally insulated and sound absorbing material. The arrangement of the fastening elements inside the building element and the configuration thereof indeed makes the use of various materials (with specific thermally insulating and/or sound absorbing properties) other than normal polystyrene (EPS) possible for the intermediate insulated layer.

[0012] According to one embodiment, said fastening elements are in the form of nails made of a material selected from a group consisting of galvanized steel, stainless steel, ribbed and galvanized tempered steel. Such nails have at least one widened head corresponding to an end of the portion of the fastening element penetrating the corresponding concrete block. Preferably, the fastening elements in the form of nails comprise a first end with widened head and a second arrow-headed end, each corresponding to an end of one of the side portions penetrating one of the concrete blocks.

[0013] The fastening elements in the form of nail are made integral with the concrete forming each external block following the seasoning thereof. The friction between the ribbed nails and the concrete and the locking force provided by the ends (widened head and/or arrow-headed) thereof buried in the concrete result in a solid, rigid, compact element ready for placement.

[0014] According to one embodiment, said plurality of fastening elements in the form of nails consists of a suitable number, preferably at least 4, or at least 6, for each intermediate panel, according to the needs and the dimensions of the insulating panel itself.

[0015] Again according to a possible embodiment, the intermediate insulating panel has a thickness comprised between 20 and 100 mm, preferably between 40 and 80 mm, according to the heat transfer value required for the wall to be made.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the concrete with which said first and second block are made is made with expanded clay aggregates, perlite, pumice and similar materials.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the first block has a loadbearing or curtain function and is partly holed and provided with at least two chambers having cross section and variable dimensions. Such a first block in particular is used to define the outer side of a wall of a building. Again according to a possible embodiment, said second block is provided with one or two chambers having variable cross section and dimensions, with function of double wall, in particular for the inner side of a building. Preferably, said first block has a greater thickness than said second block.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the first block, the second block and the intermediate insulating panel substantially are parallelepiped with substantially flat and parallel opposite faces, so that a first face of said intermediate insulating panel substantially is in contact with a corresponding face of said first block and so that a second face of said intermediate insulating panel, opposite to said first face, substantially is in contact with a corresponding face of said second block.

[0019] It is another task of the present invention to provide a method for making a building element which is reliable and easy to implement at competitive costs. This task is achieved by a method according to claim 9.

[0020] The present invention indeed results from the general consideration according to which the technical problem noted above may be effectively and reliably solved by means of a method for making a masonry building element, which comprises the steps of:

a) inserting a plurality of fastening elements into an insulating panel so that a middle portion of each of said fastening elements crosses said insulating panel, at least a first side portion of each of such fastening elements comes out of a first face of said insulating panel and at least a second side portion of each of such fastening elements comes out of a second face of said insulating panel, opposite to said first face;

b) positioning said insulating panel thus provided with said plurality of fastening elements in a specific mold so that said insulating panel occupies, in said mold, a middle part thereof so as to leave empty a first side part of the mold between said insulating panel and a first end of the mold, and so as to leave empty a second side part of the mold between said insulating panel and a second end of the mold, opposite to said first end of the mold, in which said empty side parts are partly occupied by said side portions of said fastening elements;

c) pouring concrete into said mold according to various specific and suitable recipes, up to filling said side parts in the desired manner so as to make a first block made of concrete at said first side part of said mold, and a second block made of concrete at said second side part of said mold, in which (following the hardening of said concrete) said first block is fixed to said insulating panel on the side of said first face and/or in which said second block is fixed to said insulating panel on the side of said second face in order to form said masonry building element, by means of said side portions of said fastening elements;

d) removing the masonry building element thus obtained through the steps from a) to c), from said mold.

[0021] According to one embodiment, said masonry building element is subjected to drying and controlled seasoning. Thereby, a single block is created once the concrete seasoning is complete, which may sustain all the stresses resulting from packaging, transport and placement.

[0022] The method according to the invention thus allows a building element which is immediately ready for use, to be arranged. Thereby, walls consisting of thermally insulating intermediate double walls rigidly interposed therebetween may be made through one operating building step alone. The building element according to the invention may be placed like a traditional wall block with the interposition of suitable traditional or thermal mortar in the horizontal and vertical joints. The placement operation may be very simple and provides the possibility of obtaining walls with large thermal insulation and sound absorption requirements with contained costs.

[0023] Possible further embodiments of the present invention are specified in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present invention is disclosed below in greater detail through a detailed description of non-limiting embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which

• Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the masonry building element of the present invention, for use as loadbearing wall;
• Figure 2 shows a plan view of the masonry building element in Figure 1;
• Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the intermediate insulating panel of the masonry building element in Figure 1, provided with fastening elements;
• Figure 4 shows a cut-out perspective view of the masonry building element in Figure 1 in which the first block and the intermediate panel provided with fastening elements are shown;
• Figure 5 shows a cut-out perspective view of the masonry building element in Figure 1, in which the intermediate panel was removed for descriptive simplicity;
• Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a portion of loadbearing wall made using certain building elements (shown in Figure 1) according to the present invention;
• Figure 7 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the masonry building element of the present invention, for use as curtain wall;
• Figure 8 shows a plan view of the masonry building element in Figure 7;
• Figures 9 and 10 are views related to a possible embodiment of a mold for making a building element according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] With reference to figures 1 to 6, a first embodiment of the masonry building element 1 of the present invention and its related use are described below. With particular reference to Figures 1 and 2, the masonry building element 1 comprises a first block 2 and a second block 3, both made of concrete, for example using expanded clay aggregate. The two blocks 2, 3 have a prismatic configuration which defines a base on a reference plane X-Y and a height measured along a direction Z orthogonal to plane X-Y (see Figure 1).

[0026] The first block 2 is partly holed and is provided with a plurality of chambers 9 (empty spaces) arranged on several levels evaluated along a first direction X of plane X-Y Preferably, each level is provided with two chambers 9. In one possible embodiment, the second block 3 is provided with two chambers 10 arranged adjacent to each other on a same single level. Preferably, the chambers 9, 10 extend for the whole height (assessed along z) of the corresponding blocks 2, 3. The first block 2 has a greater thickness than the second block 3, in which said thickness is assessed according to the first direction Y The two blocks 2, 3 may have the same width, assessed with respect to the second direction Y of plane X-Y, at certain levels (assessed along X), while such a width may be different at other levels. The two blocks 2, 3 instead preferably have the same height assessed according to direction Z indicated above.

[0027] An intermediate insulating panel 4 (hereinafter also indicated as insulating panel 4) is interposed between the first block 2 and the second block 3, the panel being made of material with high thermal insulation and sound absorbing properties, for example EPS, glass wool, rock wool or expanded cork. The insulating panel 4 has a height substantially corresponding to the one of the two blocks 2, 3. According to the geometry of the building element 1, the width (along Y) of the insulating panel 4 may be different from the one of the two blocks 2, 3, but such as in any case to give continuity to the insulating layer when two building elements 1 are joined when a wall is being made. In order to fix the insulating panel 4 to the first block 2 and to the second block 3, the masonry building element 1 of the present invention is further provided with a plurality of fastening elements 5 in the form of rectilinear nails. Such fastening elements 5 serve the function of mechanically fixing the insulating panel 4 to the first block 2 and to the second block 3. Such fastening elements 5 preferably are made of ribbed tempered and galvanized steel or of ribbed stainless steel.

[0028] The fastening elements 5 are placed inside the building element and comprise a middle portion 5' which crosses the insulating panel 4. The fastening elements 5 also comprise two side portions 5", 5"' which are respectively opposed with respect to the middle portion 5'. A first side portion 5" penetrates the first block 2, while a second side portion 5"' penetrates the second block 3.

[0029] In the embodiment shown in the drawings, there are provided six fastening elements 5, which side portions 5", 5"' each come out of two opposite flat surfaces 6a and 6b of the intermediate insulating panel 4, thus penetrating the corresponding concrete block 2, 3; however, the number of nails may vary according to the sizes of the blocks 2, 3 and more in general, to the final sizes provided for the building element.

[0030] Preferably, the fastening elements 5 in the form of nails are fixed along the first direction X defined above, that is according to a direction orthogonal to the two main faces 6a, 6b of the insulating panel 4. Preferably, the fastening elements 5 comprise a first end defining a widened head 11 and a second end 11', opposite to the first, shaped like an arrowhead, or similar methods capable of ensuring adequate anchoring in the concrete. Each of these ends corresponds to an end of one of the side portions 5", 5"' of the fastening elements 5 so as to ensure an improved fixing of the blocks 2, 3 to the insulating panel 4. The term fastening nails 5 will also be used below to indicate the fastening elements 5.

[0031] The first block 2, the second block 3 and the insulating panel 4 substantially all have a parallelepiped shape with substantially flat and parallel opposed faces. Preferably, there is defined, between one face 6a, 6b of the insulating panel 4 and one face 7, 8 of one of the two blocks 2, 3, an interface chamber 9A, 10A (that is an empty space) delimited by contact zones 80 along a first direction X, in which face 6a, 6b of the intermediate insulating panel is in contact with the face of the corresponding two faces 6a-7, 6b-8. Advantageously, the fastening nails 5 cross the insulating panel 4 at such contact zones 80.

[0032] According to one embodiment shown in the drawings, face 6a of the intermediate insulating panel 4 is spaced apart by about 8 mm with respect to the corresponding face 7 of the first block 2 at two regions delimited between two contact regions 80. Thereby, two interface chambers 9A are defined between the first face 6a of the insulating panel 4 on face 7 of the first block. Similarly, face 6b, opposite to face 6a of the intermediate insulating panel 4, substantially is also spaced apart by about 8 mm with respect to the corresponding face 8 of the second block 3 at two regions delimited between two contact zones 80. Therefore, two interface chambers 10A are also defined between the first face 6a of the intermediate insulating panel 4 and face 7 of the second block 3 in which the interface chambers 9A mirror the interface chambers 10A. As already indicated above, the aforesaid faces 7, 8 of the blocks 2, 3 enclosed about the fastening nails 5 coincide with the faces 6b, 6a of the insulating panel 4 in the contact zones 80.

[0033] Similarly to that provided for the chambers 9, 10 of the blocks 2, 3, also the interface chambers 9A, 10A extend for the whole height (measured along the direction Z) of the insulating panel 4, i.e. of the two blocks 2, 3. The thickness of the interface chambers 9A, 10A, assessed along the first direction X may be equal to or different from the one of the chambers 9, 10 defined through the two blocks 2,3.

[0034] According to another aspect, the chambers 9, 10 of the blocks 2, 3 and the possible interface chambers 9A, 10A have a substantially rectangular cross section with respect to a sectional plane substantially parallel to plane X-Y.

[0035] The masonry building element 1 shown in Figures 1 to 5 is particularly useful for making loadbearing walls, in which the first block 2, the one with the greatest thickness, is used for the exterior wall of the loadbearing wall, while the second block 3 is used for the interior wall of the loadbearing wall. Figure 6 indeed shows a portion of loadbearing wall in which a series of such masonry building elements 1 as described in Figures 1 to 5 are placed side-by side and are arranged on successive layers developed in height.

[0036] With reference to figures 7 to 8, a second embodiment of the masonry building element 1 of the present invention and its related use is described below, respectively with a perspective and a plane view. As may be noted, the masonry building element 1 of the second embodiment is entirely similar to the one of the first embodiment. The building elements in Figures 7 to 8 differ from the one shown in Figures 1 to 2 only in that the first block 3 consists of a smaller number of levels (two) of adjacent chambers 9. For this reason, the masonry building element 1 shown in Figures 7 to 8 of the second embodiment is particularly useful for making exterior or interior infills walls.

[0037] The building element of the present invention may be made through a manufacturing method which is another aspect of the present invention. Such a method provides preparing a mold 100, made of metal material, preferably to be inserted in a machine for producing building elements (e.g. block-forming pressing machine for concrete items). Such a mold 100 provides a middle housing in which the already made insulating panel 4 can be inserted. The term "middle" generically means a position comprised between two opposite ends of mold 100.

[0038] In one possible embodiment, the metal mold 100 is prepared so that a panel 4 made of insulating material having thickness of about 40 mm may be inserted into said middle housing 105, through which panel a given number of fastening elements 5 in the form of nails was preventatively inserted. In particular, the fastening elements 5 cross panel 4 so that a corresponding side portion 5", 5"' comes out of one of the corresponding opposed flat surfaces 6a and 6b of panel 4 itself, as clearly shown in Figure 3. The insulating panel 4 advantageously has the same width as the mold, in which such a width is assessed along a direction Y parallel to the main surfaces of the panel itself when the panel is inserted in the middle housing 105.

[0039] Panel 4, provided with the fastening elements 5 fixed therein, is therefore inserted into the mold (not shown in the drawings) preferably using an automated operating machine, in a predetermined position (defined by said middle housing) so as to leave empty a first portion 110 of the mold between face 6a of the insulating panel 4 and a first end 101 of mold 100, and to leave empty a second portion 120 of mold 100 between face 6b, opposite to face 6a, of the intermediate insulating panel 4 and a second end of mold 100.

[0040] Then panel 4 is subjected to concrete casting, prepared according to suitable specific recipes, up to filling the parts 110, 120 of mold 100 which were previously left empty. Therefore, the finished concrete block having the consistency of moist, vibrated and pressed soil, is removed from the block-forming pressing machine and is positioned on specific platforms to be seasoned.

[0041] With the hardening and seasoning of the concrete, the three components forming the masonry building element 1 of the present invention - i.e. the first block 2, the intermediate insulating panel 4 and the second block 3 - stably and rigidly remain restrained and assembled by means of the fastening elements 5 to make a single compact wall also having a loadbearing function.

[0042] All the steps listed above may advantageously be managed with an automated industrial manufacturing, sorting, seasoning and packaging plant and with digitalized automatic control.

[0043] If for the building element 1 there are provided chambers 9, 10 through the blocks 2, 3 and/or interface chambers 9A, 10A like the ones defined above, filler elements 115 (also called crowns), preferably made of metal material, geometrically shaped to the chambers 9, 10, 9A, 10A, are placed in the two empty portions of the mold before the concrete casting. Such filler elements 115 are arranged in the two portions of mold 100 in a manner corresponding to the arrangement assigned to the chambers 9, 10, 9A, 10A in the design step of the building element 1.

[0044] Figures 9 and 10 show two images related to a mold 100 which can be used for a method according to the present invention, respectively before and after the insertion of the insulating panel 4 into the middle housing 105. In particular, Figure 10 shows how once inserted, the insulating panel 4 has the same width as the mold (assessed according to Y). Emerging from the two main surfaces 6a, 6b of the insulating panel 4 are the fastening elements 5 which allow connecting the insulating panel 4 with the two blocks 2, 3 so as to form a compact building element. In this regard, the fastening elements 5 allow a "layered" conformation to be obtained in which the insulating panel 4 crosses the whole width (along Y) of the building element 1.

[0045] Fig. 4 shows a cut-out view of the finished masonry building element 1, in which it is clear how the first outer block 2 is fixed in a compact manner to the intermediate insulating panel 4 (the side portions 5' of the fastening elements 5 which have allowed such fixing are not shown), and how the second side portion 5"' of the fastening elements 5 - which comes out of the insulating panel 4 on the opposite side of the first block 2 - is used to fix the second inner block 3 to the intermediate insulating panel 4.

[0046] Fig. 5, in which the intermediate insulating panel was removed for descriptive simplicity, notes how the fastening elements 5 serve to fix the first block 2 and the second block 3 at the end of the concrete casting action in the block-forming pressing machine.

[0047] Fig. 6 is a view of a wall made through a plurality of building elements according to the present invention. Such elements allow making a double wall with an interposed layer of insulating material (defined by the panels 4), with thermal insulating or thermal-insulating and sound-absorbing features, through one building step alone. Such a building step provides using traditional or thermal mortar for vertically or horizontally connecting the building elements to one another.

[0048] Therefore, the present invention was described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, but it is also understood that equivalent modifications may be made without departing from the scope of protection granted thereto. Accordingly, the scope of protection of the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments described only by way of example but is to be considered according to the claims appended herein.

Claims

1. A masonry building element (1) which comprises at least a first block (2) and a second block (3) made of concrete, and an intermediate insulating panel (4) arranged between said first block (2) and said second block (3) and fixed thereto so as to form a single compact element,
characterized in that said masonry building element (1) further comprises a plurality of nail-shaped fastening elements (5) made in a single piece, said nail-shaped elements being made of galvanized or stainless steel and comprising a widened head (11) and an arrow-headed end (11') opposite to said widened head (11), in which said fastening elements mechanically fasten the insulating panel (4) to said first block (2) and to said second block (3), wherein said fastening elements (5) are positioned inside said building element (1) and comprise a middle portion (5') which crosses the intermediate panel, a first side portion (5") which penetrates the first block (2) and a second side portion (5") which penetrates the second block (3), wherein said second side portion (5"') is opposite to the first portion (5") with respect to said middle portion (5') and wherein said building element (1) comprises one or more empty chambers (9, 10) which cross said first block (2) and/or said second block (3).

2. A building element (1) according to claim 1, wherein said insulating panel (4) is made of a thermally insulated and sound absorbing material selected from a group consisting of EPS, glass wool, rock wool, expanded cork or of other thermally insulated and sound absorbing material.

3. A building element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said first block (2), said second block (3) and said insulating panel (4) substantially are parallelepiped with substantially flat and parallel opposite faces, so that a first face (6a) of said intermediate insulating panel (4) substantially is in contact with a corresponding face (7) of said first block (2) and so that a second face (6b), opposite to said first face (6a), of said intermediate insulating panel (4) is substantially in contact with a corresponding face (8) of said second block (3).

4. A building element (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said building element (1) comprises at least one interface chamber (9A, 10A) defined between said insulating panel (4) and one of said blocks (2, 3).

5. A building element (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said building element (1) comprises at least two chambers (9, 10) for each of said blocks (2, 3).

6. A building element (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said chambers (9, 10) cross the corresponding block for the whole height thereof.

7. A building element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first block (2) has a greater thickness than said second block (3).

8. A method for making a masonry building element (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

a) inserting a plurality of fastening elements (5) into an insulating panel (4) so that a middle portion (5') of said fastening elements (5) crosses said insulating panel (4), and at least a first side portion (5") of each of such fastening elements (5) comes out of a first face (6a) of said insulating panel (4) and at least a second side portion (5"') of each of such fastening elements comes out of a second face (6b), opposite to said first face (6a), of said insulating panel (4);

b) positioning said insulating panel (4) thus provided with said plurality of fastening elements (5) in a mold (100) so that said insulating panel (4) occupies, in said mold, a middle part (105) thereof so as to leave empty a first side part (110) of the mold (100) between said insulating panel (4) and a first end (101) of the mold (10), and so as to leave empty a second side part (120) of the mold (100) between said insulating panel (4) and a second end (102) of the mold (100), opposite to said first end (101) of the mold (100), wherein said empty portions are partly occupied by said side portions (5", 5"') of said fastening elements (5);

c) pouring concrete into said mold up to filling said side parts (110, 120) of the mold (100) in the desired manner so as to make a first block (2) made of concrete, at said first side part (101) of said mold (100), and a second block (3) made of concrete, at said second side part (102) of said mold (100), wherein said first block (2) is fixed to said insulating panel (4) on the side of said first face (6a) and wherein said second block (3) is fixed to said insulating panel (4) on the side of said second face (6b) in order to form said masonry building element (1), by means of said side portions (5", 5"') of fastening elements (5);

d) removing the building element (1) obtained through the steps from a) to c), from said mold.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said masonry building element (1) is subjected to controlled drying and ageing.

10. A method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein before said step c), said method comprises the further step b1) of positioning filler elements (115) inside said first side part (110) and/or inside said second side part (120) of said mold (100) so that the building element itself has empty chambers (9, 9A, 10, 10A) following the removal of the building element (1) from the mold.

Drawing