SPACER FOR BRICK FORMWORK ELEMENTS

Abstract

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a spacer adapted for keeping brick formwork elements at a distance, comprising at least one beam and at least two uprights provided substantially perpendicular to it, wherein the uprights and beams have a width between 5 mm and 40 mm, and wherein all the uprights have a length substantially equal between 30 mm and 100 mm, and characterized in that the sides of the uprights and the at least one beam are straight along their longitudinal direction and together form at least one U shape, and wherein the uprights have a section over at least part of their length with a curvature which forms a circle or is part of a circle, wherein the circle has a diameter between 5 mm and 15 mm, and wherein the uprights and beams are made of a material having a maximum elastic modulus of 3 GPa.Such a spacer prevents the brick formwork elements from being damaged and the concrete from escaping from the formwork elements during drying.According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a lintel composed of brick formwork elements and prestressed concrete, in which the brick formwork elements have a section with at least one U-shape, and in which the brick formwork elements are positioned in extension of one another, in which the U-shapes of the brick formwork elements positioned in extension of one another form an extended beam shape, in which said extended beam shape comprises concrete and in which a tensioned cable crosses the extended beam shape in its longitudinal direction, characterized in that the brick formwork elements being aligned with one another, the adjacent brick formwork elements are separated by a spacer according to the first aspect of the invention.Such a lintel with spacers presents greater solidity because the brick formwork elements are not damaged and the whole presents a more coherent structure without weak points because the concrete is substantially located inside the beam-shaped volume.

Description

2 uprights have a substantially equal length between 30mm and 100mm, and characterized in that the sides of the uprights and at least one beam are straight along their longitudinal direction and together form at least one U-shape, and where the uprights along at least a part of their length encompass a cross-section with a curvature that forms a circle or a part of a circle, where the circle has a diameter between 5mm and 15mm, and where the uprights and beams are manufactured from a material with an elastic modulus of maximum 3GPa. This spacer is specifically designed for use with U-shaped brick formwork elements,whereby the space between adjacent formwork elements10 is effectively sealed and a significant portion of the concrete is prevented from leaking out of the lintel during curing. The length of the uprights is precisely matched to the dimensions of lintels used in floors. The width of the spacer ensures that sufficient material is present between the adjacent formwork elements to absorb the stresses and prevent15 damage to the formwork elements. Thanks to the material with an elastic modulus of up to 3 GPa, the uprights and beams can effectively absorb the stress forces in the lintel during curing, which further contributes to absorbing the stresses. Moreover, the specific curvature in the cross-section of the uprights provides extra elasticity, which helps to absorb the stresses20 in the lintel even better. In a second aspect, the invention concerns a lintel composed of brick formwork elements and prestressed concrete, where the brick formwork elements have a cross-section with at least one U-shape,and where the 25 brick formwork elements are positioned extended one another, where the U-shapes of the positioned extended brick formwork elements form an extended beam shape, where the said extended beam shape encloses concrete, where a tensioned cable runs through the extended beam shape in its longitudinal direction, with the characteristic that the adjacent brick formwork elements of the 30 positioned extended brick formwork elements are separated by a spacer in accordance with claims 1 to 11, where the U-shape or U-shapes of the spacer overlap with the U-shape or U-shapes of the brick formwork elements, where the U-shaped sides of the spacer closely align with the U-shaped sides of the 35 adjacent brick formwork elements,where the spacer defines the distance between the aforementioned brick formwork elements. BE2024 / 5769 3 Such a lintel with spacers has greater strength because the brick formwork elements are not damaged and the whole has a more consistent structure without weak points because the concrete is substantially located within the beam-shaped volume. 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The figures are non-limiting examples illustrating the invention, and which are not intended or should not be interpreted to limit the scope of the invention.10 FIG.1 illustrates a front view of brick formwork elements with one, two or three U-shapes, filled with prestressed concrete. FIG.2 illustrates a side view of a lintel formed from several brick formwork elements placed in series15 filled with prestressed concrete. FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of brick formwork elements with two U-shapes, filled with prestressed concrete,where the position of the spacer (9) is shown.20 FIG.4 illustrates a front view of a spacer with two U-shaped segments. FIG.5 illustrates a top view of a spacer with two U-shaped segments. FIG.6 illustrates a front view of a spacer with three U-shaped segments. FIG.7 illustrates a bottom view of a spacer with three U-shaped segments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in the description of the invention, including technical and scientific terms, have the meaning as they are generally understood by the skilled professional in the technical field of the invention. BE2024 / 5769 4 For a better assessment of the description of the invention, the following terms are explicitly explained. “A”, “the” and “it” in this document refer to both the singular and the plural unless the context clearly implies otherwise. For example, “a segment” means one or more than a segment. The terms “comprising”, “comprising”, “consisting of”, “consisting of”, “provided with”, “contain”,“containing”, “encompassing”, “comprising”, “content”, “containing” are synonyms and are inclusive or open terms that indicate the presence of what follows10, and that do not exclude or prevent the presence of other components, features, elements, members, steps, known from or described in the standard technique. A lintel is a long-load-bearing structural element that is often used above openings, such as windows and doors, but can also be used as a bridging structure when constructing floors. A lintel can be formed from brick formwork elements and prestressed concrete. The brick formwork elements are placed in series so that together they form a long hollow space into which concrete is poured. The entire assembly is placed under tension by pulling a tensioned cable through the formwork elements placed in series. This cable ensures that the concrete hardens under tension, making the lintel stronger. In such a lintel, the brick formwork thus forms part of the structure. However, because the entire assembly is placed under tension with a cable,The formwork elements are pressed against each other. Since these elements are naturally brittle, they can be susceptible to cracking or splintering. When the lintel is subjected to stress during the hardening of the concrete, this can lead to damage in the brick formwork elements, which causes weak points in the lintel and thereby undermines the strength of the entire structure. To prevent this, adjacent formwork elements must be kept at a certain distance from each other. The problem here, however, is that this required spacing allows concrete to leak between the walls of the formwork elements. As soon as this leaked concrete hardens, unwanted stresses can arise at random spots in the lintel. This also results in weak points, which can cause the compressive and tensile strength of the lintel to be locally insufficient, jeopardizing the overall durability and safety of the structure. This BE2024 / 5769 5 can have serious consequences,given that a lintel fulfills an essential load-bearing function in a building. In a first aspect, the invention concerns a spacer suitable for keeping brick formwork elements at a distance, comprising at least one beam and providing at least two uprights substantially perpendicular to it, where the uprights and beams have a width between 5mm and 40mm, and where all uprights have a substantially equal length between 30mm and 100mm, and characterized by the fact that the sides of the uprights and at least one beam are straight along their longitudinal direction and together form at least one U-shape, and where the uprights along at least a part of their length comprise a cross-section with a curvature that forms a circle or a part of a circle, where the circle has a diameter between 5mm and 15mm, and where the uprights and beams are manufactured from a material with an elastic modulus of maximum 3GPa. 15 This spacer is specifically designed for use with U-shaped brick formwork elements,whereby the space between adjacent formwork elements is effectively sealed and a significant portion of the concrete is prevented from leaking out of the lintel during curing. The length of the uprights is precisely matched to the dimensions of lintels used in floors. The width of the spacer ensures that sufficient material is present between the adjacent formwork elements to absorb stresses and prevent damage to the formwork elements. Thanks to the material with an elastic modulus of up to 3 GPa, the uprights and beams can effectively absorb the stress forces in the lintel during curing, which further contributes to absorbing the stresses. Moreover, the specific curvature in the cross-section of the uprights provides extra elasticity, which helps to absorb stresses in the lintel even better. In one design form, the beam has a width of maximum 30 mm, and for 30 preferably a maximum of 20 mm, and for a further preferably a maximum of 10 mm. In one design form, uprights have a width of maximum 30 mm, and preferably a maximum of 23 mm,and with a further preference maximum 18mm. 35 In a design form, the upright encloses along at least part of its length a cross-section with a curvature that forms a circle or part of a circle, where the circle has a diameter between 6mm and 10mm. BE2024 / 5769 6 In a design form, uprights have a greater width than the beam. This design ensures that the initial stress is mainly absorbed by beams, which thereby deform slightly and in turn effectively seal the gap between the adjacent brick formwork elements. This leads to the uprights being placed under greater stress, which results in a better seal between the beam-shaped volumes of the formwork elements. It is crucial to prevent concrete from running from one beam-shaped volume to the other,because this can lead to undesirable connecting bridges between different lintels. Connecting bridges between the concrete are undesirable because they undermine the structural independence of the individual lintels or beams. This independence is essential to ensure that each beam or lintel can carry stresses and loads in the correct manner. In a further design, the uprights are at least 1 mm wider than the girders. In a design, the spacer is made of a material with an elastic modulus of maximum 2.5 GPa, preferably maximum 2 GPa. A material with this elastic modulus ensures effective force absorption when the lintel is subjected to stress during the curing of the concrete. In one design, the spacer is manufactured from polypropylene or polyolefin, which ensures good elasticity and thereby the ability to effectively withstand stresses in the lintel during the curing of the concrete. These materials also offer high corrosion resistance.making them resistant to the alkaline nature of concrete. Moreover, polypropylene and polyolefin are easy to process, which simplifies the production of spacers and reduces costs. This makes them not only more efficient to produce, but also more economically attractive for large-scale applications in construction. In one design form, the spacer comprises at least two U-shapes, where each U-shape is connected by at least one upright to an upright of another U-shape, and where the attached uprights are oriented parallel to each other. This design yields a modular system, whereby the number of U-shapes can be easily adjusted depending on the U-shaped structure of the brick formwork. This modularity offers greater flexibility, because the spacers can be quickly adapted to different dimensions and patterns of the formwork without requiring unique parts for every configuration. At the same time, production is simplified.because the same basic element can be used multiple times. This lowers production costs and makes the system more efficient to use. Additionally, the connection between the uprights BE2024 / 5769 7 can be broken, allowing the spacers to be quickly and efficiently adapted to the specific requirements of the application. This offers a high degree of flexibility in various constructions, without the need for a new spacer for every application, which reduces both the costs and the complexity of forming a lintel.5 In a further execution form, the attached uprights are fastened to each other at a mutual distance of 0.8 mm to 4 mm. This distance offers more clearance to allow for deformation, enabling the spacer to better absorb stresses during the hardening of the concrete. At the same time, the distance is small enough to prevent a substantial amount of concrete penetrates between the attached uprights. This prevents the concrete from deforming or breaking the connection between the uprights during the hardening spacer.which could undermine the integrity of the structure. 15 In a further design, the said distance is smaller on the side of the upright attached to a beam than at the other end. By reducing the distance between the attached uprights at the base, or the end with which the uprights are attached to a beam, and increasing this distance towards the other end, the spacer becomes stronger without compromising the advantages of this distance described above. In a further design, this distance at the base of the upright is a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 mm, and at the other end of the uprights a minimum of 1.8 mm and a maximum of 2.5 mm. 25 In a design, one of the two attached uprights comprises a flat segment at the end that is not attached to a beam,where this flat segment extends on both sides of the spacer in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the beam. This design makes it possible to use the spacer with multiple U-shapes for parallel lintels formed from 30 brick formwork sections with a single U-shape. The flat segment firmly anchors the spacer between the adjacent sides of the parallel-oriented formwork elements, so that the spacer cannot shift. This prevents unwanted displacement of the spacer, which would affect the location of the concrete in the lintel. This thereby preserves the symmetry of the lintel.what is essential35 for ensuring the structural integrity of the construction. BE2024 / 5769 8 In a further form of execution, the flat segment has a length and width between 15mm and 40mm. With these dimensions, the segment has the minimum required surface area to be able to effectively anchor itself and to bridge any variations in the spacing between the said parallel formwork elements. In a further form of execution, the flat segment has a length5 between 20 and 30mm, and a width between 15 and 25mm. In a single form, uprights have a cross-section in the shape of a semicircle along almost their entire length. This shape is simple to produce and offers the uprights the necessary flexibility to effectively absorb stresses in the lintel during the hardening of the concrete. Moreover, this form ensures that the long sides of the uprights fit more closely to the adjacent brick formwork elements, which reduces the amount of concrete that can leak outside the beam-shaped volume of the formwork elements during drying.minimizes. This contributes to better control over the shape of the lintel and prevents unwanted deformations or leakage of concrete, which benefits the integrity of the structure. In a further design, the uprights are oriented such that in every U-shape the two concave sides of the uprights face each other. In a design, uprights have a cross-section over substantially the entire length. This shape provides the necessary strength, preventing the bending of the uprights caused by the forces arising from the expansion and contraction of the concrete and stresses in the lintel. In addition, this shape is easier to produce because it aligns well with standard extrusion or injection molding processes, which reduces manufacturing costs and increases production speed. In one design, the upright at the end attached to a beam has a square cross-section. This square shape offers the spacer a stable base,whereby the uprights can be more easily oriented vertically during installation. This minimizes variations in the positioning of the spacers within the lintel, which ensures greater structural consistency and thereby improves the strength and integrity of the lintel. In a further design form, the square cross-section includes a round passage in the center. This passage increases the elasticity of the upright by allowing it to indent or deform more easily, enabling the spacer to better absorb stresses in the lintel. Additionally, this passage saves material, resulting in lower production costs. In a design form, the beam encloses a splint along its entire length, which is provided standing in the middle of the beam. This splint provides the spacer with the necessary strength, enabling the beam to withstand the forces arising from the expansion and contraction of the concrete and the stresses in the lintel. In a design form, the beam has a thickness of maximum 10 mm, and preferably maximum 5 mm.and preferably a maximum of 3mm. In one design form, the splint has a thickness of maximum 10mm, and preferably a maximum of 5mm, and preferably a maximum of 3mm. In one design form, the splint has a width of maximum 20mm, and preferably a maximum of 10mm, and preferably a maximum of 8mm. In one design form, some uprights include one or more notches along their length, and some uprights include one or more protrusions along their length, whereby the said notches are suitable for connecting to the said protrusions to form a secure attachment. This design enables a modular construction, whereby multiple U-shapes can be coupled together in a simple and efficient manner to form a spacer according to the requirements of the application. 25 In a second aspect, the invention concerns a lintel composed of brick formwork elements and prestressed concrete, where the brick formwork elements have a cross-section with at least one U-shape, and where the brick formwork elements are positioned in line with each other,where the U-shapes of the positioned brick formwork elements extended into one another30 form an extended beam shape, where the said extended beam shape encloses concrete whereby a tensioned cable runs through the extended beam shape in its longitudinal direction, with the characteristic that at the positioned brick formwork elements extended into one another the adjacent brick formwork elements are separated by a spacer in accordance with claims 135 to 11, where the U-shape or the U-shapes of the spacer overlap with the U-shape or the U-shapes of the brick formwork elements, where the U-shaped sides of the spacer closely align with the U-shaped sides of the BE2024 / 5769 10 adjacent brick formwork elements,where the spacer defines the distance between the said adjacent brick formwork elements. As mentioned earlier, such a lintel with spacers has greater strength because the brick formwork elements are not damaged and the whole has a more consistent structure without weak points because the concrete is located substantially within the beam-shaped volume. In what follows, the invention is described by means of non-limiting examples that illustrate the invention, and which are not intended or should not be interpreted to limit the scope of the invention. EXAMPLES FIG.1 illustrates a front view of a brick formwork element(4) with one U-shape(1), with two U-shapes(2) and with three U-shapes(3), formed from horizontal (12) and vertical (11) segments. The brick formwork element(4) defines a beam-shaped volume(5) into which concrete(8) can be poured. FIG.2 shows several formwork elements(4) placed in series. The beam-shaped volumes of the brick formwork elements(4) align,and resulting continuous volume 20 concrete(5) is poured. The concrete(8) in the said continuous volume forms a beam, which, when hardened, together with the brick formwork elements(4) forms a lintel(7). In Fig. 2 the distance between a brick formwork element(4) and a spacer(9) is exaggerated so that the area where the concrete(8) is located can be indicated. However, this distance is small25 enough to prevent a significant part of the concrete(8) from leaking out of the brick formwork element(4) during drying. With the help of a tensioned cable(6), the concrete(8) is prestressed. This cable(6) runs through the length of the said continuous volume,as shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 1 it can be seen how this tensioned cable (6) runs substantially through the middle of the beam-shaped volume 30 (5). Spacers (9) are provided between adjacent brick formwork elements (4). These spacers prevent the brick formwork elements (4) from being damaged during drying by the tension forces acting on the lintel (7) caused by the tensioned cable (6). In Fig. 3 it can be seen in a front view of the brick formwork element (4) how the spacer (9) is positioned. The U-shapes of the brick formwork (4) and of the spacer (9) overlap, so that adjacent brick formwork elements are kept at a distance without a significant amount of the concrete (8) leaking out of the brick formwork element (4). By varying the U-shape of the brick formwork elements (4), the dimensions of the beam formed by the concrete (8) can be varied to adapt the lintel (7) to the requirements of the application. The formwork element with three U-shapes (1), for example, comprises three beam-shaped volumes (5),and one smaller beam-shaped volume(10).Furthermore, in addition to the aforementioned designs of one U-shape(3) and two U-shapes(2), the brick formwork element can also have four or more U-shapes, which, for example, all contain different, all the same10 or an alternating pattern of beam-shaped volumes(5). Fig. 4 and 5 illustrate respectively a front view and top view of a spacer with two U-shaped segments, which are formed from four uprights (13) and two beams (14). The length of the uprights (13) is no longer than the length of the upright segments (11) of the brick formwork elements (4). The uprights (13) have substantially the same length as the upright segments (11), so that the spacers (9), when they rest on the same bearing surface as the brick formwork elements (9), substantially close off the entire length of the space between adjacent brick formwork elements (24).as shown in Fig. 2. The length of the spacer (16) and the length of one segment of the spacer (17) correspond to the dimensions of the front of the brick formwork element (4) respectively, so that the U-shapes of the spacer (9) and the brick formwork element (4) correspond, as shown in Fig. 3. In this design, the uprights (13) have a cross-section with a semicircular shape with a diameter (23) of 10 mm, the ends of which (25) protrude 1.6 mm in the direction perpendicular to the sides of the spacer (9). However, this cross-section can also be made in other shapes such as an M-shape, N-shape or V-shape. These shapes provide an elastic spring force which allows stresses in the lintel (7) to be better absorbed. The diameter (23) can be varied depending on the distance between adjacent brick formwork elements(24). Show the left segment of the spacer(9) in Fig. 4 and 5,at the end of the right upright(18) includes a segment(19) that extends at a right angle on both sides of the spacer(9). In this design, this segment has a width(21) of 25mm and a height(32) of 20mm. However, this distance may vary depending on the required distance between adjacent bricks BE2024 / 5769 12 formwork elements(24). This segment serves as an extra precautionary measure to prevent concrete(8) from leaking from a beam-shaped volume(5) into a neighboring beam-shaped volume(5). The distance between the middle uprights(22) is 1mm. The beam(14) has a width of less than 7 mm, a thickness(31) of 1 mm and 5 includes a splint(20) that runs along the middle of the beam(14) along its entire length. This splint has a thickness(27) of 1 mm and a width of 5 mm(27), so that the total width of the splint together with the beam(26) is 6 mm. This splint prevents the spacer(9) from bending easily. 10,