Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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EXTERIOR WALL STRUCTURE OF A BUILDING
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to exterior wall structures of residential,
commercial or other
buildings.
BACKGROUND
An exterior wall structure of a residential, commercial or other building
often comprises an
inner wall and an outer wall that are separated from each other so as to
define a cavity
therebetween. The cavity contributes to impeding moisture intrusion into the
inner wall,
equalizing pressure on either side of the outer wall, and insulating the
exterior wall structure.
The outer wall typically comprises masonry units (e.g., bricks or concrete
blocks) stacked and
arranged into courses (rows) with mortar holding the masonry units together
and filling their
interfaces. The inner wall is usually linked to the outer wall by wall ties
(e.g., corrugated wall
ties) that are individually fastened to the inner wall and anchored in the
mortar of the outer
wall.
During construction of this type of exterior wall structure, it is not
uncommon for excess
mortar to bridge the outer wall and the inner wall and/or fall and clog weep
holes of the wall
structure that are provided for water drainage. This detrimentally affects the
exterior wall
structure's ability to impede moisture intrusion and allow pressure
equalization.
These detrimental effects may be encountered whenever mortar is used to hold
and fill
interfaces of the masonry units of the outer wall. In particular, this applies
when the masonry
units are concrete blocks vvith a natural stone appearance that are used to
provide a natural and
aesthetic look to the exterior wall structure. For production considerations,
the concrete blocks
are typically cast in such a. way that their height is oriented generally
vertically during casting.
This casting process often results in the concrete blocks having significantly
different heights,
thereby requiring mortar to compensate for differences in height of the
concrete blocks when
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they are placed in the outer wall. Furthermore, in order to have their natural
stone appearance,
the concrete blocks may be subjected after casting to a mechanical artificial
aging/weathering
process (e.g., tumbling, object impacting, etc.) to realize desired natural
stone characteristics.
This process can damage lateral surfaces of the concrete blocks which can end
up forming
gaps in the interfaces of the concrete blocks when placed in the outer wall,
thereby requiring
mortar to fill these gaps.
There is therefore a need for improvements in exterior wall structures with
inner and outer
walls separated by a cavity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a system for
interconnecting an outer wall and an inner wall of an exterior wall structure,
the outer wall and
the inner wall being separated from each other to define a cavity
therebetween, the outer wall
comprising a plurality of' concrete blocks. The system comprises a plurality
of elongated
structural members, each elongated structural member being adapted to be
fastened to the
inner wall. The system also comprises a plurality of connecting elements, each
connecting
element being adapted to be connected to a given one of the elongated
structural elements and
to a given one of the concrete blocks. Each of the elongated structural
members is adapted to
be connected to plural ones of the concrete blocks via plural ones of the
connecting elements.
The invention also provides a system for use in constructing an exterior wall
structure, the
exterior wall structure comprising an inner wall. The system comprises a
plurality of concrete
blocks adapted to be stacked to erect an outer wall of the exterior wall
structure, the outer wall
and the inner wall intended to be separated from each other to define a cavity
therebetween.
The system also comprises a plurality of elongated structural members, each
elongated
structural member being adapted to be fastened to the inner wall. The system
also comprises
a plurality of connecting elements, each connecting element being adapted to
be connected to
a given one of the elongated structural elements and to a given one of the
concrete blocks.
Each of the elongated structural members is adapted to be connected to plural
ones of the
concrete blocks via plural ones of the connecting elements.
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The invention also provides an exterior wall structure. The exterior wall
structure comprises
an inner wall and an outer wall comprising a plurality of concrete blocks. The
inner wall and
the outer wall are separated from each other to define a cavity therebetween.
The exterior wall
structure also comprises a plurality of elongated structural members, each
elongated structural
member being fastened to the inner wall. The exterior wall structure also
comprises a plurality
of connecting elements, each connecting element being connected to a given one
of the
elongated structural elements and to a given one of the concrete blocks. Each
of the elongated
structural members is connected to plural ones of the concrete blocks via
plural ones of the
connecting elements.
The invention also provides a method for use in constructing an exterior wall
structure, the
exterior wall structure comprising an inner wall. The method comprises
securing at least one
elongated structural member to the inner wall. The method also comprises
placing a plurality
of concrete blocks horizontally adjacent to each other to form a course. The
method further
comprises, for each of the concrete blocks, connecting each of at least one
connecting element
to the concrete block and. to one of the at least one elongated structural
member secured to the
inner wall in alignment with the course.
The invention also provides a plurality of dry-cast concrete blocks for use in
constructing an
outer wall of an exterior wall structure, the exterior wall structure
comprising an inner wall,
the outer wall and the inner wall intended to be separated to define a cavity
therebetween.
Each of the dry-cast concrete blocks comprises: a front surface comprising at
least one portion
having a cast texture with a natural stone appearance; a rear surface defining
with the front
surface a thickness of the dry-cast concrete block; two lateral surfaces
defining a height of the
dry-cast concrete block; and two lateral surfaces defining a width of the dry-
cast concrete
block. A difference in height between different ones of the dry-cast concrete
blocks is less than
about 1 mm.
These and other aspects of the invention will now become apparent to those of
ordinary skill
in the art upon review of the following description of embodiments of the
invention in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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85729-31 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A detailed description of embodiments of the invention is provided below, by
way of example
only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a portion of an exterior wall structure of a building, in
accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 shows an inner wall, an outer wall, and a connection system of the
exterior wall
structure, with certain concrete blocks of the outer wall being removed;
Figure 3 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the exterior wall structure;
Figure 4 shows a horizontal cross-sectional view of the exterior wall
structure;
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a given one of the concrete blocks of the
outer wall of
the exterior wall structure;
Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the given one of the concrete blocks
shown in Figure
5, taken along line 6-6;
Figure 7 shows a portion of one of a plurality of elongated structural members
of the
connection system of the exterior wall structure;
Figures 8A to 8D respectively show a perspective view, a front elevation view,
a side
elevation view, and a top view of one of a plurality of connecting elements of
the connection
system of the exterior wall structure;
Figure 9 is a flowchart illtistrating an example of a method for advancing
construction of the
exterior wall structure;
Figure 10 shows an embodiment of the exterior wall structure in which mortar
is optionally
provided on an external side of the outer wall;
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Figure 11 shows an embodiment of the exterior wall structure in which a band
of sealant
material is optionally applied to lateral surfaces of certain ones of the
concrete blocks of the
outer wall; and
Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for
manufacturing concrete blocks
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only
for the purpose of
illustrating certain embodiments of the invention and are an aid for
understanding. They are
not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention.
DET'AILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Figures 1 and 2 show a portion of an exterior wall structure 10 of a building
(e.g., a house or
other residential building, a commercial building, etc.), in accordance with
an embodiment of
the invention. The wall structure 10 comprises an inner wall 11 and an outer
wall 15 that are
separated from each other so as to define a cavity 17 therebetween. The wall
structure 10 also
comprises a connection system 50 interconnecting the inner wall 11 and the
outer wall 15. The
wall structure 10 is further provided with flashing (not shown) and weep holes
(not shown)
for water drainage.
The cavity 17 forms an air space between the inner wall 11 and the outer wall
15 and may
have any suitable width (e.g., about 25 mm, 50 mm or any other suitable
width). The cavity
17 contributes to impeding moisture intrusion into the inner wall 11,
equalizing pressure on
either side of the outer wall 15, and insulating the wall structure 10.
With additional reference to Figures 3 and 4, the inner wall 11 may comprise a
frame 19 (e.g.,
wood framing members such as studs, metal framing members, etc.), insulation
material (e.g.,
fiberglass, cellulose, etc.) placed within space defined by the frame 19, a
paneling layer 21
(e.g., drywall boards, etc.), a vapor barrier (retarder) layer 25 (e.g.,
plastic sheet such as
polyethylene sheet, etc.), an outer sheathing layer 29 (e.g., plywood,
oriented strand board
(OSB), etc.), and an air and water barrier layer 31 (e.g., housewrap such as
TyvekTM
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housewrap, etc.). It will be appreciated that the inner wall 11 may be
constructed using various
other materials and components.
The outer wall 15 comprises a plurality of concrete blocks 121-12N. The
concrete blocks 121-
12N are stacked and arranged into a plurality of courses (rows). Each course
includes given
ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N positioned horizontally adjacent to one
another. For
solidity considerations, the given ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N in one
course are offset
relative to the given ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N in an adjacent
course.
As shown in Figure 10, mortar 33 can optionally be provided on an external
side of the outer
wall 15. The mortar 33 may be a mixture of cement, lime, or gypsum plaster
with sand and
water, or any other suitable plastic building material that hardens. The
mortar 33 is purely
optional (i.e., it can be omitted) and can be provided on the external side of
the outer wall 15
primarily for aesthetic purposes. Indeed, as further described below, the
concrete blocks 121-
12N enable the outer wall 15 to be built without requiring mortar to hold
(bond) them together
or fill their interface. That is, no mortar needs to be provided between
lateral surfaces of
adjacent ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N in order to hold the concrete
blocks 121-12N
together or fill their interface. This absence of mortar between lateral
surfaces of adjacent ones
of the concrete blocks 121-12N results in the cavity 17 being free of mortar.
By avoiding
mortar bridging the outer wall 15 and the inner wall 11 or falling and
clogging the weep holes,
this contributes to the cavity 17 impeding moisture intrusion in the inner
wall 11 and
promoting pressure equalization between either side of the outer wall 15.
With additional reference to Figure 5, a given concrete block 12j of the
concrete blocks 121-
12N (1 <_ j<_N) will be described in further detail. It will be appreciated
that this description
similarly applies to other ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N.
The concrete block 12j is a dry-cast concrete block, i.e., it is made of no-
slump concrete. No-
slump concrete (also known as zero-slump concrete) can be viewed as concrete
with a slump
of 6 mm or less. It will be appreciated that various types of no-slump
concrete are possible and
may be used. It will also be appreciated that other types of concrete (e.g.,
measurable-slump
concrete) may be used in other embodiments.
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The concrete block 12j can be said to have a generally rectangular prism
configuration with
a front surface 141, a rear surface 142, and four lateral surfaces 143-146.
The lateral surfaces
143 and 144 define a height of the concrete block 12J, the lateral surfaces
145 and 146 define a
width of the concrete block 12j, and the front surface 14, and the rear
surface 142 define a
thickness of the concrete block 12j.
The front surface 141 is intended to be exposed when the concrete block 12j is
placed in the
outer wall 15. In this example, the front surface 141 comprises seven portions
201-207 with a
cast texture having a natural stone appearance, i.e., an aged, worn, or
weathered appearance
that resembles natural stone. As described later on, this cast texture is
realized during casting
of the concrete block 12j and may be based on a natural stone's surface which
has been used
to produce a mold for casting the concrete block 12j. For ease of reference,
the portions 201-
207 of the front surface 14, and their cast texture with a natural stone
appearance will
hereinafter be referred to as the "natural stone-like surface portions" 201-
207.
The natural stone-like surface portions 201-207 are separated from each other
by depressions
301-305 of the front surface 141 that can serve as false joints. When the
concrete block 12j is
placed in the outer wall 15, the natural stone-like surface portions 201-207
results in an area
of the outer wall 15 being perceivable as including several (in this case,
seven) natural stones
of different sizes and configurations.
Although the front surface 141 comprises a plurality of natural stone-like
surface portions (in
this case, seven), it is to be understood that, in other embodiments, any
number of natural
stone-like surface portions may be provided. For example, in Figure 1, some of
the concrete
blocks 121-12N are provided with five or six natural stone-like surface
portions. As another
example, in a particular case, the front surface 141 may comprise only one
natural stone-like
surface portion, which may be an entirety of the front surface 141 (i.e., all
of that surface) or
a limited portion of the front surface 141 (i.e., not all of that surface). It
is also to be
understood that, in some embodiments, the front surface 14, may not comprise
any natural
stone-like surface portion.
With additional reference to Figure 6, a given natural stone-like surface
portion 20k of the
natural stone-like surface portions 201-207 (1 <_ k<_ 7) will be described in
further detail. It will
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be appreciated that this description similarly applies to other ones of the
natural stone-like
surface portions 201-207.
The natural stone-like sur=face portion 20k has a visually discernible
boundary 22. In cases
where the natural stone-like surface portion 20k would be contiguous to a
chamfered, rounded,
or otherwise non-natural stone looking edge portion of the concrete block 12j
(e.g., an edge
portion serving as a joint), the boundary 22 of that natural stone-like
surface portion would be
considered to be configured such that the chamfered, rounded or otherwise non-
natural stone
looking edge portion is not part of that natural stone-like surface portion.
The natural stone-like surface portion 20k includes a pattern of cast relief
elements 231-23M
formed during casting of 1:he concrete block 12j. This pattern of cast relief
elements 231-23M
includes a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys, which are sized so
as to be visually
distinguishable when the concrete block 12j is placed in the wall structure
10. It is to be
understood that various other patterns of cast relief elements are possible.
The cast texture of the natural stone-like surface portion 20k defines a
"surface level
difference" AL, which refers to the normal distance between a maximum level
Lõ,,,, of that
surface portion and a minimum level Ln,in of that surface portion. As shown in
Figure 6, the
concrete block 12j can be: viewed as defining orthogonal X, Y and Z axes,
where the X-Y
plane is parallel to a plane that would be formed by the natural stone-like
surface portion 20k
if that surface portion was flat, i.e., the plane in which lies the boundary
22 of the natural
stone-like surface portion 20k. A level L at a given point of the natural
stone-like surface
portion 20k can be viewed as a plane parallel to the X-Y plane, and the
surface level difference
AL can be viewed as being measured along the Z axis.
In this example, the minimum level L,,õz of the natural stone-like surface
portion 20k is located
at its boundary 22. Generally, the minimum level L/z,,, of a natural stone-
like surface portion
may be located anywhere on that surface portion, including not at its
boundary. The maximum
level L,n,_, of a natural stone-like surface portion may also be located
anywhere on that surface
portion, including at its boundary 22.
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The surface level difference AL may be greater than 10 mm, for example,
between 10 mm and
30 mm. For instance, in one embodiment, the surface level difference AL may be
about 20
mm. This enables the natural stone-like surface portion 20k to exhibit desired
natural stone
appearance characteristics for a wall structure. It is generally contemplated
that a surface level
difference AL of greater than 4 mm achieves satisfactory results in terms of
natural stone
appearance of a surface portion of a concrete block since it enables presence
of visually
distinguishable cast texture features mimicking surface texture of natural
stone.
It is to be noted that different ones of the natural stone-like surface
portions 201-207 of the
concrete block 12j may define a common or distinct surface level difference AL
and may have
common or distinct maximum levels Ln,ax and minimum levels Lmin=
Each of the cast relief elements 231-23M of the natural stone-like surface
portion 20k reaches
a respective level L that is the maximum level Lm,, the minimum level Lmin, or
a level
therebetween. In this embodiment, a plurality of the cast relief elements
231...23M are seen in
Figure 6 as extending to the maximum level Lm,_, of the natural stone-like
surface portion 20k
and separated from each other by other ones of the cast relief elements 23,
...23M that only
extend to lower levels
Also, in this embodiment, each of the cast relief elements 231...23M of the
natural stone-like
surface portion 20k that is a valley (e.g., the cast relief element 232) can
be viewed as having
a respective depth D, which refers to the normal distance between the maximum
level Ln,,,, of
that surface portion and that valley's deepest point. Depending on the surface
level difference
AL, in some embodiments, the respective depth D of each of one or more valleys
of the natural
stone-like surface portion 20k may be greater than 4 mm, for example, between
4 mm and 10
mm. This may further enhance natural stone appearance characteristics
exhibited by the
natural stone-like surface portion 20k.
The natural stone-like surface portion 20k is capable of interacting with
ambient light to create
shadows that further contribute to its natural stone appearance. More
particularly, as shown
in Figure 6, each point of the cast texture of the natural stone-like surface
portion 20k defines
a respective "texture angle" 0, which refers to the angle between a plane
parallel to the X-Y
plane and a plane tangent to the natural stone-like surface portion 20k at
that point. In one
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embodiment, the respective texture angle 0 of each of a plurality of points of
the natural stone-
like surface portion 20k may be between about 75 and about 90 . This may
contribute to
creation of shadows on the natural stone-like surface portion 20k that further
enhance its
natural stone appearance. Configuring a dry-cast concrete block with a surface
level difference
AL in the above-mentioned ranges has been found to facilitate formation of
such texture angles
0 during casting. It is noted, however, that the above-mentioned values of
texture angle 0 are
presented for example purposes only and are not to be considered limiting in
any respect.
In this embodiment, the depression 303 of the front surface 14, that separates
the natural stone-
like surface portions 20, and 202 can be viewed as having a respective depth,
which refers to
the normal distance between the maximum level L,nax of either of these surface
portions and
that depression's deepest point. Similar comments apply in respect of each of
the depressions
301, 302, 304 and 305 of the front surface 141. Depending on the surface level
difference AL,
in some embodiments, the respective depth of each of the depressions 301-305
may be at least
10 mm, for example, between 10 mm and 30 mm. For example, in a particular
case, the
respective depth of each of the depressions 301-305 may be about 20 mm. This
may further
enhance natural stone appearance characteristics exhibited by the natural
stone-like surface
portions 201-205 of the concrete block 12j.
Continuing with Figures 5 and 6, the rear surface 142 of the concrete block
12j is adapted to
allow the concrete block 12j to be connected to the inner wall 11 by the
connection system 50.
More particularly, in this embodiment, the rear surface 142 has a plurality of
grooves 371-373.
Each of the grooves 371-373 extends between the lateral surfaces 143 and 144
and has a curved
configuration tapering or closing towards its opening. In other embodiments,
the rear surface
142 may be provided with one or more grooves having any suitable
configuration. As
described later on, each of the grooves 371-373 is adapted to receive a
component of the
connection system 50 that anchors the concrete block 12j and contributes to
interconnecting
the inner wall 11 and the outer wall 15.
Each of the lateral surfaces 143-146 of the concrete block 12j will normally
face a lateral
surface of another one of the concrete blocks 121-12N (except for certain ones
of the concrete
blocks 121-12N that are located at extremities of the outer wall 15). Since
the natural stone-like
surface portions 201-207 are realized during casting of the concrete block 12j
without requiring
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any subsequent mechanical artificial aging/weathering process (e.g., tumbling,
object
impacting, etc.) that could otherwise damage the lateral surfaces 143-146,
each of these lateral
surfaces is relatively flat and smooth. These flatness characteristics of the
concrete blocks 121-
12N are such that any gap which may exist between lateral surfaces of adjacent
ones of the
concrete blocks 121-12N can be viewed as being negligible. As a result,
lateral surfaces of
adjacent ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N form interfaces that can prevent
water from easily
passing between these coricrete blocks and reaching the cavity 17.
In addition, and as further discussed below, the concrete block 12j is cast
with its thickness
oriented generally vertically, i.e., with its height and width oriented
generally horizontally.
This casting process helps to render negligible any difference in height
between different ones
of the concrete blocks 1.21-12N and to render negligible any difference in
width between
different ones of the conci-ete blocks 121-12N. For example, the difference in
height between
different ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N may be less than about 1 mm, and
in some cases
less than about 0.5 mm. Similar comments apply with respect to the difference
in width
between different ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N. The negligible
difference in height
between adjacent ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N is such that no mortar is
required to
compensate for it when these concrete blocks are placed in the outer wall 15.
The negligible
difference in width between different ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N
enables accurate
alignment of one or more of the grooves 371-373 of each of these concrete
blocks with one or
more of the grooves 371-373 of other ones of these concrete blocks when they
are stacked on
one another to form the outer wall 15.
Flatness characteristics and height tolerances of the concrete blocks 121-12N
thus enable the
outer wall 15 to be built without requiring mortar to hold these concrete
blocks together or fill
their interface. As mentioried above, not having to use mortar to hold the
concrete blocks 121-
12N together or fill their interface allows the cavity 17 to be free of
mortar, which contributes
to impeding moisture intrusion in the inner wall 11 and promoting pressure
equalization
between either side of the outer wall 15.
With reference now to Figures 2 to 4, the connection system 50 interconnects
the inner wall
11 and the outer wall 15. More particularly, the connection system 50
comprises a plurality
of elongated structural members 521-52P secured to the inner wall 11 and a
plurality of
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connecting elements 541-54T connected to different ones of the elongated
structural members
521-52P and to different ones of the concrete blocks 121...12N.
The elongated structural members 521-52p are disposed substantially
horizontally on the inner
wall 11 so as to be aligned with the courses of concrete blocks 121...12N.
More particularly,
each of the elongated structural members 521-52P is disposed on the inner wall
11 so as to be
aligned with given ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N forming a course and is
connected to
these concrete blocks via certain ones of the connecting elements 541-54T.
Thus, each of the
elongated structural members 521-52p is connected to plural ones of the
concrete blocks 121-
12N that are part of a course via plural ones of the connecting elements 541-
54T. In addition,
a particular one of the elongated structural members 521-52P may be disposed
on the inner wall
11 so as to be proximate to the lateral surface 143 of each of the concrete
blocks 121-12N
forming a first course aricl to the lateral surface 144 of each of the
concrete blocks 121-12N
forming a second course immediately above the first course. This allows each
of the
connecting elements 541-54T that is connected to the particular one of the
elongated structural
members 521-52p to be connected to one of the concrete blocks 121-12N forming
the first
course and one of the concrete blocks 121-12N forming the second course. Also,
in some
cases, two or more of the elongated structural members 521-52P may be disposed
on the inner
wall 11 so as to be aligned with given ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N
forming a course
and may be connected to these concrete blocks via certain ones of the
connecting elements
541-54T. It will thus be appreciated that the elongated structural members 521-
52P and the
connecting elements 541-54T cooperate to interconnect the inner wall 11 and
the outer wall 15
at various points that are distributed in the wall structure 10. They also
cooperate to
interconnect individual ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N, thereby enhancing
strength and
solidity of the outer wall 15.
Referring additionally to Figure 7, a given elongated structural member 52g of
the elongated
structural members 521-52P (1 <_ g<_P) will be described in further detail. It
will be
appreciated that this description similarly applies to other ones of the
elongated structural
members 521-52P.
In this embodiment, the elongated structural member 52g comprises a first
portion 57 and a
second portion 59 angled relative to the first portion 57. In this case, the
angle is
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approximately a right angle such that the elongated structural member 52g has
an L-shaped
configuration. The elongated structural member 52g may be made of metallic
material (e.g.,
galvanized steel) and has a length that facilitates its transportation,
handling and installation
on the inner wall 11. For example, it may have a length of at least 1 m (e.g.,
about 10 ft or
3.048 m).
The first portion 57 is adapted to be fastened to the inner wall 11. In this
embodiment, this is
achieved by providing the first portion 57 with a plurality of apertures 60
adapted to receive
fasteners that are used to fasten the elongated structural member 52g to the
inner wall 11 (e.g.,
to the frame 19 of the inner wall 11). The fasteners may be screws, nails, or
any other suitable
fasteners. The apertures 60 are sized to accommodate the fasteners they are
intended to receive
(e.g., they may have a (liameter of about 7/32 in or 5.56 mm). The apertures
60 are
longitudinally distributed on the first portion 57 and spaced from each other
so as to facilitate
securing of the elongated structural member 52g to the inner wall 11. For
example, adjacent
ones of the apertures 60 may be spaced by a distance of at least 0.2 m (e.g.,
about 16 in or
0.406 m). When the elongated structural member 52g is fastened to the inner
wall 11, the
fasteners in the apertures 60 and the first portion 571ying against the inner
wall 11 cooperate
to plug holes in the inner wall 11 that receive the fasteners, thereby
preventing air and water
infiltration into the inner wall I 1 via these holes and promoting pressure
equalization between
either side of the outer wall 15.
The second portion 59 is adapted to be connected to individual ones of the
connecting
elements 541-54T. In this embodiment, this is achieved by providing the second
portion 59
with a series of apertures 62 each adapted to receive a portion of one of the
connecting
elemerits 541-54T. Each of'the apertures 62 is sized to accommodate the
portion of the one of
the connecting elements 541-54T it is intended to receive (e.g., it may have a
diameter of about
7/32 in or 5.56 mm). The apertures 62 are longitudinally distributed on the
second portion 59
and spaced from each other so as to enable individual ones of the connecting
elements 541-54T
to be connected to the elongated structural member 52g at different locations.
This allows an
individual one of the connecting elements 541-54T to be connected to the
elongated structural
member 52g at a location where it registers with one of the grooves 371-373 of
a given one of
the concrete blocks 121-12N in order to interconnect that concrete block and
that elongated
structural member. For instance, adjacent ones of the apertures 62 may be
spaced by a distance
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of at least 7mm (e.g., about 3/8 in or 9.525 mm). The second portion 59 has a
width that is
such that it does not reach the outer wall 15 when the elongated structural
member 52g is
secured to the inner wall 11 (e.g., about 0.625 in or 15.875 mm), thereby not
bridging the
cavity 17.
While in this embodiment each of the elongated structural members 521-52p has
a certain
configuration, it is to be understood that each of the elongated structural
members 521-52P may
have various other configurations in other embodiments. For example, each of
the elongated
structural members 521-52 P may have a C-shaped configuration including two
portions, each
similar to the second portion 59 of the elongated structural member 52g with
its series of
apertures 62, such that a portion of one of the connecting elements 541-54T
can be received
in apertures of these two portions.
With additional reference to Figures 8A to 8D, a given connecting element 54b
of the
connecting elements 54,--54T (1 < b<_T) will be described in further detail.
It will be
appreciated that this description similarly applies to other ones of the
connecting elements 541-
54T.
In this embodiment, the connecting element 54b comprises a first portion 61
for connection
to one of the elongated structural members 521-52P and a second portion 63 for
connection to
one of the concrete blocks 121-12N. In this example, the connecting element
54b comprises a
rod bent to form the first portion 61 and the second portion 63. The rod may
have a circular
cross-section (e.g., with a diameter of about 4.75 mm) and may be made of
metallic material
(e.g., galvanized steel). This bent configuration allows economic production
of the connecting
elements 541-54T and facilitates their installation. The connecting element
54b may have any
suitable dimensions (e.g., in this case, it may have an overall height of
about 3 in or 76.2 mm,
an overall width of about 2.25 in or 57.15 mm, and an overall depth of about
1.27 in or 32.26
mm).
The first portion 61 is adapted to be connected to a given one of the
elongated structural
members 521-52P. In this case, the first portion 61 is configured so as to be
insertable into one
of the apertures 62 of the given one of the elongated structural members 521-
52P. When the
first portion 61 is inserted into one of the apertures 62 of the given one of
the elongated
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structural members 521-52P, the connecting element 54b is connected to that
elongated
structural member.
The second portion 63 is adapted to be connected to a given one of the
concrete blocks 121-
12N. In this case, the second portion 63 is configured so as to fit and be
retained in one of the
grooves 371-373 of the given one of the concrete blocks 121-12N. To that end,
the second
portion 63 comprises a first part 65 and a second part 67 that can be pressed
and displaced
towards each other to allow the second portion 63 to be positioned in one of
the grooves 371-
373 of the given one of the concrete blocks 121-12N. When the second portion
63 is positioned
in one of the grooves 371-373 of the given one of the concrete blocks 121-12N,
the second
portion 63 engages that groove and is retained therein, thereby anchoring the
connecting
element 54b to that concrete block. The connecting element 54b is thus
connected to the given
one of the concrete blocks 121-12N.
While in this embodiment each of the connecting elements 541-54T has a certain
configuration,
it is to be understood that each of the connecting elements 541-54T may have
various other
configurations in other embodiments. In particular, the connecting elements
541-54T may be
connected to the elongated structural members 521-52P and to given ones of the
concrete
blocks 121-12N in various other ways in other embodiments.
By virtue of their cooperation, the elongated structural members 521-52P and
the connecting
elements 541-54T therefore interconnect the inner wall 11 and the outer wall
15 at various
points.
It will thus be appreciated that the wall structure 10, and particularly the
outer wall 15 and the
connection system 50, present several desirable features.
For example, in this embodiment, natural stone-like surface portions of the
concrete blocks
12, ...12N (such as the natural stone-like surface portions 201-207 of the
concrete block 12j)
contribute to providing a natural and aesthetic look to the outer wall 15.
In addition, the natural stone appearance of each of the concrete blocks
121...12N is realized
during casting of these concrete blocks, without requiring any subsequent
mechanical artificial
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aging/weathering process (e.g., tumbling, object impacting, etc.). Also, since
they are made
of no-slump concrete, production time for the concrete blocks 12,...12N may be
significantly
less than that required for wet-cast concrete blocks. Concrete blocks such as
the concrete
blocks 121...12N may therefore be mass-produced with high efficiency. An
example of
implementation of a process for manufacturing concrete blocks such as the
concrete blocks
12, ...12N will be presented later on.
Furthermore, owing to this casting process, any difference in height and width
between
different ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N is negligible and lateral
surfaces of adjacent ones
of the concrete blocks 12;1-12N form interfaces that can prevent water from
easily passing
between these concrete blocks and reaching the cavity 17. This enables the
outer wall 15 to
be built without requiring mortar to hold the concrete blocks 121-12N together
or fill their
interfaces, resulting in the cavity 17 being free of mortar. As mentioned
above, this mortarless
nature of the cavity 17 avoids mortar bridging the outer wall 15 and the inner
wall 11 or falling
and clogging the weep holes, thereby enabling the cavity 17 to impede moisture
intrusion in
the inner wall 11 and promote pressure equalization between either side of the
outer wall 15.
Moreover, the connection system 50, through cooperation between the elongated
structural
members 521-52P and the connecting elements 541-54T, strengthens the wall
structure 10 by
interconnecting the inner wall 11 and the outer wall 15 at various points that
are distributed
in the wall structure 10. The elongated structural members 521-52P and the
connecting
elements 541-54T also cooperate to interconnect individual ones of the
concrete blocks 121-
12N, thereby enhancing strength and solidity of the outer wall 15. By being
exposed to air in
the cavity 17 and not being in contact with mortar, the elongated structural
members 521-52p
and the connecting elements 541-54T remain dry and are thus less prone to
rusting then
conventional wall ties.
Construction of the wall structure 10 can also be effected conveniently and
efficiently. For
instance, assuming that the inner wall 11 has been constructed using
conventional methods,
an example of a method for advancing construction of the wall structure 10
will now be
described with reference to Figure 9.
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At step 400, one or more of the elongated structural members 521-52P are
secured to the inner
wall 11. Each of the one or more of the elongated structural members 52] -52P
is secured to the
inner wall 11 so as to be aligned with given ones of the concrete blocks 121-
12N that will be
placed to form a course of'the outer wall 15. This is effected using knowledge
of the height
of the concrete blocks 121-12N. In this example, each of the one or more of
the elongated
structural members 521-52p is fastened to the inner wall 11 by using fasteners
in its apertures
60.
At step 410, given ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N are placed horizontally
adjacent to one
each other so as to form a course.
At step 420, for each of the given ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N that
have been placed
to form the course, each of one or more of the connecting elements 541-54T is
connected to
that concrete block and to one of the one or more of the elongated structural
members 521-52P
that have been secured to the inner wall I 1 in alignment with the course. In
this example, a
given one of the connecting elements 541-54T is connected to a given one of
concrete blocks
121-12N that has been placed to form the course and to a given one of the one
or more of the
elongated structural members 521-52P that have been secured to the inner wall
11 in alignment
with the course by inserting its first portion 61 into one of the apertures 62
of that given
elongated structural member and by positioning its second portion 63 in one of
the grooves
371-373 of that given concrete block so as that it fits and is retained
therein.
In this example, steps 400 to 420 are repeated to form each new course of
concrete blocks in
order to progressively erect the outer wall 15.
It will be appreciated that this method is presented for example purposes only
as various
modifications and enhancements are possible. For example, flashing, weep holes
and other
elements can be provided using conventional means during construction of the
wall structure
10. As another example, as shown in Figure 10 and as mentioned previously,
mortar 33 may
optionally be provided on the external side of the outer wall 15 for aesthetic
purposes. As yet
another example, as shown in Figure 11, a band of sealant material 70 may be
applied to
lateral surfaces of certain ones of the concrete block 121-12N in order to
further contribute to
impermeability of the outer wall 15. Any suitable sealant material may be
used. The band of
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sealant material 70 has a width that is significantly less (e.g., a quarter)
of the width of the
lateral surfaces of the certain ones of the concrete block 121-12N on which it
is applied. That
is, the band of sealant materia170 is such that, when it is compressed by
lateral surfaces of
adjacent ones of the concrete blocks 121-12N, no excess sealant material can
reach and go into
the cavity 17. While it may be used in some cases, it is to be understood that
the band of
sealant material 70 is entirely optional and may be omitted.
The concrete blocks 121-12N and the connection system 50 thus enable the outer
wall 15 to be
efficiently and conveniently constructed and connected to the inner wall 11.
In particular, since
no mortar is required to hold the concrete blocks 121-12N together or fill
their interfaces,
construction of the outer wall 15 is practically insensitive to weather
conditions and does not
require time to allow mortar to dry. Structural solidity of the outer wall 15
is immediate owing
to the connection system 50. Installation of the connection system 50 is rapid
and easy and
requires no special skill.
Turning now to Figure 12, there is shown a flowchart illustrating an example
of a process for
manufacturing concrete blocks such as the concrete blocks 121...12N.
At step 200, no-slump concrete is placed into a mold. To facilitate mass-
production, in one
embodiment, the mold has a plurality of cavities. In other embodiments, a
plurality of molds
each with a single cavity or each with a respective plurality of cavities may
be used. To further
facilitate mass-production., the mold may be located such that concrete blocks
are placed on
a production board when removed therefrom.
Each cavity of the mold is configured to form a respective concrete block
comprising a surface
with one or more natural stone-like surface portions (e.g., the front surface
141 of the concrete
block 12j with its seven natural stone-like surface portions 201-207). To that
end, each cavity
is defined in part by a surface of the mold that includes at least one portion
with a surface
texture corresponding to the desired natural stone appearance (hereinafter
referred to as "the
at least one natural stone-like surface portion of the mold"). In embodiments
directed to
producing concrete blocks with a plurality of natural stone-like surface
portions (such as those
shown in Figure 1), each cavity of the mold that is intended to form such
concrete blocks
defines a corresponding plurality of natural stone-like surface portions. Each
of the at least one
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natural stone-like surface portion of the mold thus defines a surface level
difference AL ' that
corresponds to the desired surface level difference AL (Figure 6) of the
corresponding natural
stone-like surface portion of the concrete block to be formed. Each point of
this surface
portion also defines a respective texture angle 6' corresponding to the
desired texture angle
B(Figure 6) of each point of the corresponding natural stone-like surface
portion of the
concrete block to be formed.
In order to closely simulate natural stone, in one embodiment, each given
natural stone-like
surface portion of the mold, and thus the corresponding natural stone-like
surface portion of
concrete blocks to be formed by the mold, is based on a natural stone's
surface. In one
example of implementation, data representative of at least a portion of the
natural stone's
surface is obtained, for instance, via three-dimensional scanning of the
natural stone's surface.
The obtained data may then be computer processed using software in order to
generate data
representative of the given. natural stone-like surface portion of the mold.
In some cases, this
processing may include modifying the obtained data representative of at least
a portion of the
natural stone's surface to set the desired surface level difference AL' and
texture angles 0' of
the given natural stone-like surface portion. This processing may also ensure
that the data
representative of the at least one natural stone-like surface portion of the
mold will result in
the at least one corresponding natural stone-like surface portion of concrete
blocks to be
formed by the mold providing at least three points that are located relative
to each other such
that at least one other concrete block may be supported thereon in a stable
manner.
As another possible consideration, in embodiments where individual ones of the
cavities of
the mold are intended to form concrete blocks of similar overall dimensions
but with natural
stone-like surface portions that have different configurations (e.g.,
different patterns of cast
relief elements), these individual cavities may be designed to each have a
common volume in
order to facilitate production. In other words, a first cavity intended to
form concrete blocks
with natural stone-like surface portions having a first configuration may have
a first volume,
and a second cavity intended to form concrete blocks with natural stone-like
surface portions
having a second configuration different from the first configuration may have
a second volume
substantially corresponding to the first volume. This facilitates provision of
substantially the
same quantity of concrete into each cavity of the mold, which in turn
facilitates efficient
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casting of concrete blocks in the mold and subsequent removal of the concrete
blocks
therefrom.
In embodiments where individual ones of the cavities of the mold are intended
to form
concrete blocks of significantly different overall dimensions and with natural
stone-like
surface portions that have different configurations (e.g., different patterns
of cast relief
elements), similar production benefits may be achieved by designing these
individual cavities
to each have a conunon volume per unit area.
Each cavity of the mold is configured such that a concrete block that is cast
therein has its
thickness oriented generally vertically, i.e., has its height and width
oriented generally
horizontally. This helps to render negligible any difference in height and
width between
different concrete blocks that are cast.
The mold may be manufactured via computer-aided. manufacturing based on the
data
representative of each given natural stone-like surface portion of the mold.
With no-slump
concrete being used, the mold may be made of metal or other rigid material.
There is no
requirement for one or more portions of the mold to be made of elastomeric
material (e.g.,
rubber), which is typically used in molds for casting wet-cast concrete blocks
with a natural
stone appearance.
Thus, during step 200, each cavity of the mold is filled with no-slump
concrete in order to
form a concrete block comprising a surface with one or more natural stone-like
surface
portions.
At step 202, the no-slump concrete in the mold is consolidated. Consolidation
may include
inducing vibration of the no-slump concrete in the mold so as to cause it to
compact itself and
closely conform to each cavity of the mold. A pre-vibration phase may be
effected during step
200 to facilitate filling of the no-slump concrete in the mold and its
eventual consolidation.
Consolidation may also include application of pressure on the concrete in
combination with
its vibration. It will be appreciated that consolidation may be effected using
various other
techniques.
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Upon completion of step 202, the no-slump concrete in each cavity of the mold
has formed
into a concrete block comprising a surface with one or more natural stone-like
surface
portions.
At step 204, the concrete block in each cavity of the mold is removed
therefrom and continues
on the production board. The concrete blocks may be directly stored for curing
purposes. Since
provision of a natural stone appearance is effected during casting, the
concrete blocks do not
require a subsequent mechanical artificial aging/weathering process (e.g.,
tumbling, object
impacting, etc.) to impart them with such an appearance. Also, this absence of
a mechanical
artificial aging/weathering process that could otherwise damage lateral
surfaces of the concrete
blocks results in these lateral surfaces being relatively flat and smooth. In
addition, with each
concrete block having been cast with its height and width oriented generally
horizontally, any
difference in height and width between different concrete blocks is
negligible.
The concrete blocks may directly be stacked or palletized in a stable manner
since the at least
one natural stone-like surface portion of each concrete block may have been
configured to
provide at least three points that are located relative to each other to
ensure such stable
supporting. With the concrete blocks being made of no-slump concrete, curing
times are
relatively short such that they are available for use within a short period of
time (e.g., one day).
At step 206, each cavity of the mold is cleaned such that casting of new
concrete blocks may
be effected. In one embodiment, a cleaning unit uses a fluid to clean each
cavity of the mold.
The fluid may be a gas (e.g., compressed air) or a liquid whose flow relative
to each cavity of
the mold, and particularly each natural stone-like area of the mold, removes
therefrom
substantially any remaining no-slump concrete. Such a fluid-based cleaning
action
advantageously enables rapid cleaning of each cavity of the mold, thereby
increasing
production efficiency. In some cases, the cleaning unit may also use, in
addition to the fluid,
one or more brushes to clean each cavity of the mold, whereby the fluid-based
cleaning action
is combined with a brushing cleaning action. It will be appreciated that other
embodiments
may employ various othei- types of cleaning action.
In this example, the process returns to step 200 where a new production cycle
begins. In some
embodiments, utilization of no-slump concrete in combination with rapid
cleaning of the mold
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and other elements of the process may enable a production cycle to take a
relatively short
period of time (e.g., 15 to 20 seconds per square meter of finished products
in some cases).
Although various embodiments and examples have been presented, this was for
the purpose
of describing, but not limiting, the invention. Various modifications and
enhancements will
become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and are within the scope
of the present
invention, which is defined by the attached claims.
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