Modular form for building a preinsulated, roughly finished concrete wall and method of building a structure therewith

Abstract

A system of building modules that may readily be assembled into wall structures that, when filled with concrete, form an insulated, roughly-finished wall structure ready to receive both exterior and interior wall treatments. The building modules may be readily assembled by relatively untrained personnel and form walls typically having an overall R-value in the range of approximately 30. The novel building modules eliminate the need for setting traditional concrete forms and of finishing a bare concrete wall. The modules are provided in various lengths, the lengths typically being multiples of 16 inches.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a Continuation-in-Part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 288,114 filed Oct. 17, 2008 which is included in its entirety herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention pertains to forms for forming concrete-filled walls and, more particularly, to modular, preinsulated forms readily assembled and adapted to receive concrete therein. The modular forms create a concrete-filled wall having a rough finish on both an interior and exterior surface, thereby allowing ready finishing of these surfaces.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The process of forming vertical walls from poured concrete has been known for centuries. The process, while theoretically simple, typically requires highly skilled laborers and expensive forms to accomplish. Forms may be either built for single use or may be formed from modular sections assembled to the required configuration. Upon curing of the concrete poured therein, the reusable forms...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0029]In accordance with the present invention there is provided a novel system of building modules that may readily be assembled into wall structures that, when filled with concrete, form a roughly-finished wall structure ready to receive both exterior and interior wall treatments. The modules may readily be assembled by relatively untrained personnel. Finished walls constructed using the novel building modules typically have an overall R-value in the range of approximately 30. The novel building modules eliminate the need for setting traditional concrete forms and for finishing bare concrete walls.

[0030]In an alternate embodiment, the outer walls of the building modules may be shipped to a building site where they may be assembled using metal width bars in lieu of solid top and bottom members. This may reduce the bulk and weight of the building modules being delivered to a construction site.

[0033]It is an additional object of the invention to provide a building module for constructing a pre-insulated, lost form concrete wall that is readily finishable on both an interior and an exterior surface.

[0035]It is an additional object of the invention to provide a building module for constructing a pre-insulated, lost form concrete wall that achieves high R-values using a combination of insulating materials and air spaces while minimizing the amount of insulating material.

Problems solved by technology

Regardless of the type of form utilized to construct a poured concrete wall, two major problems remain.

First, the construction or assembly of forms typically requires skilled labor and is time intensive.

When forms are not properly constructed or set, finished walls may be out of square or plumb, be of the wrong dimension, and / or have bulges or other abnormalities.

This results in further expense as well as delays in the construction project.

The second problem is that poured concrete walls constructed using forms of the prior art are notoriously difficult to finish.

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