System for the gravitational fastening of building components to surfaces using a membrane-like support element

Abstract

System for fastening building elements (8) to surfaces (1), in particular flat roofs, comprising a. at least one membrane-like support element (2), preferably a geosynthetic, b. at least one base element (4) which is arranged below the membrane-like support element (2), c. at least one load transfer element (5), wherein the load transfer element (5) is attached to the base element (4), d. at least one head element (7) which is attached to the load transfer element (5) and serves to receive the components (8) to be attached, wherein e. the membrane-like support element (2) can be partially or completely covered by a bulk material (3) in order to increase the load that can be absorbed by the system.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system for fastening at least one building element to surfaces, preferably flat roofs, by means of the weight of a bulk material which is placed over a membrane-like support element.

[0002] The anchoring / fastening of building components or structural elements (e.g., photovoltaic modules) or the point-source introduction of loads (e.g., fall protection devices) on flat roofs, if penetration of the waterproofing layer is to be avoided, is currently achieved either by means of adhesive bonds (DE202010000227U1 or EP000002362428A2) or by means of ballasting. In the latter case, a rail system is usually installed, which is additionally weighted down with ballast (e.g., concrete blocks) dimensioned according to the static requirements (DE202011100947U1). An alternative to the widely used rail systems are trough systems (DE202008009192U1), in which the ballast in the form of bulk materials or fluids is applied to well-defined containers / troughs, to which the superstructure is then attached.

[0003] A disadvantage of installing these existing systems on flat roofs or flat surfaces in general is that the ballasting is usually done in addition to the materials already on the roof. This can be problematic because the ballasting places a significant additional load on the roof structure, which may not be designed to bear this load. Consequently, considerable expense is sometimes required to reinforce the existing structure.

[0004] Furthermore, the aforementioned rail and trough systems require a relatively large amount of material. In practice, new concrete components, specially produced for ballasting purposes, are often used, the production of which releases a correspondingly high amount of greenhouse gases. The production of concrete generates approximately 330 kg of CO2 per ton. Therefore, if a photovoltaic module with an annual energy production of approximately 400 kWh is ballasted with 100 kg of concrete, the production of the ballast alone generates approximately 33 kg of CO2. Based on the current German electricity mix, this corresponds to the CO2 emissions of approximately 100 kWh of electricity, or about 25% of the annual energy production of the ballasted photovoltaic module. Further emissions occur, among other things, during the production of the rail systems and the transport of materials.

[0005] Furthermore, the installation of conventional systems is time-consuming and labor-intensive. For example, with a rail system, the tracks must be carefully laid and the roof membrane protected from damage. These systems also typically offer limited flexibility. Obstacles in the track laying direction (e.g., cable ducts) or uneven surfaces further complicate installation.

[0006] Furthermore, it should be noted that conventional systems lack a physically justifiable method for the planned dissipation of horizontal forces. Moreover, current systems generally lack safety margins. As soon as the applied load (e.g., lifting force due to wind) exceeds the system's load-bearing capacity, which is determined by the ballast's own weight, the system will fail suddenly (e.g., lift off).

[0007] Based on this, one object of the invention is to propose a system for the gravitational fastening of building elements on flat surfaces, preferably flat roofs, with the lowest possible additional load on the surface, significantly reduced material and personnel costs and thus an improved environmental balance, high system flexibility, for example to compensate for unevenness and with the possibility of a planned dissipation of horizontal forces as well as additional safety reserves while simultaneously protecting the sealing plane.

[0008] The problem is solved by a system for the gravitational fastening of building components using a membrane-like support element and a bulk material with the features of claims 1 and 7, respectively. Advantageous embodiments and configurations of this solution are described in the dependent claims relating to these claims.

[0009] To solve this problem, a system for the gravitational fastening of building components to surfaces, particularly flat roofs, is proposed. This system comprises at least one membrane-like support element, preferably a geosynthetic; at least one base element arranged beneath the membrane-like support element; at least one load transfer element attached to the base element; and at least one head element attached to the load transfer element, serving to receive the building components to be fastened (e.g., a photovoltaic module). The membrane-like support element can be partially or completely covered with a loose material (e.g., gravel) to increase the load capacity of the system. The at least one base element is positioned on the surface, and a protective material can be arranged between the base element and the surface to protect the surface.The membrane-like support element lies above the base element and extends over a large area. At least one load transfer element, which penetrates the membrane-like support element, is attached to the base element. At a defined distance from the base element, at least one head element, to which the structural elements to be fixed can be attached, is attached to the load transfer element. The membrane-like support element is covered with a layer of fill material of a defined thickness; in the case of gravel roofs or green roofs, this fill material can be the material already present on the roof.

[0010] However, the covering or ballasting of the membrane-like supporting element can also be done with stones, quarry pieces or similar materials, for example, in addition to or instead of the bulk material.

[0011] In an alternative design, the membrane-like supporting element is connected to the surface at defined points.

[0012] The membrane-like supporting element can be, for example, a geotextile, a geosynthetic, a geogrid, a film, a net, or similar material. The structural elements to be attached can be, for example, photovoltaic modules, solar panels, transmitting or receiving equipment, exhaust ducts, ventilation channels, fall protection systems, or similar structures.

[0013] The load transfer element can optionally and preferably be partially or completely surrounded by a enclosing element, the resulting cavity between the enclosing element and the membrane-like support element also being filled with the bulk material. An advantageous embodiment of the proposed system for the gravitational fastening of structural components using a membrane-like support element is an enclosing element that is in contact with both the base element and the head element and is connected to both elements, for example, by means of a tensioning mechanism through the load transfer element. In this embodiment, the enclosing element contributes an additional and significant amount to the system stiffness.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the load transfer element can be a threaded rod, and the connection to the base element or the head element can be made by means of a screw connection. In a further embodiment, the elements can also be connected by a clamping connection.

[0015] The proposed system for the gravitational fastening of building components using a membrane-like support element is modular in design, and all components can be industrially manufactured and prefabricated. All components can be configured in various versions to meet different requirements.

[0016] The components to be attached using the fastening system (e.g., photovoltaic modules) are fastened to the head element(s). Depending on the component to be fixed, different head element designs can be used.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the system, the orientation of the head elements is independent of the orientation of the base elements. This additional flexibility of the system enables quick and easy assembly.

[0018] When mounting photovoltaic modules, designing end caps with convex and concave shapes is advantageous. The desired tilt of the photovoltaic modules is determined by the end caps. Conventional module clamps can either be attached directly to the end caps, or the end caps can accommodate short or long module mounting rails. An advantageous design involves point mounting of the photovoltaic modules on the end cap, allowing multiple modules, ideally four, to be mounted on each end cap.

[0019] Another embodiment of the invention involves attaching elements to reduce wind stress on the system. These elements could, for example, be metal sheets that can significantly reduce the load on the photovoltaic modules caused by wind.

[0020] To accommodate devices that prevent falls, a stop ring, for example, can be attached to the head element. This stop ring can also be attached to the head element in addition to other components (e.g., photovoltaic modules). The personal fall arrest system can be connected to this stop ring. Due to the system's ability to deform extremely plastically in the event of failure, it implicitly offers the advantage of a certain braking effect (energy absorption) in the event of a fall.

[0021] In one configuration of the system, several components can be attached to a single head element simultaneously. For example, it is possible to attach photovoltaic modules and a fall arrest device to the same head element.

[0022] The greatest advantage of the proposed system for the gravitational fastening of building elements by means of a membrane-like support element and a bulk material on surfaces is that, in the case of gravel roofs or green roofs, the bulk material already present on the roof can be used as the bulk material above the membrane-like support element, thus preventing any additional load on the roof's supporting structure.

[0023] Alternatively, the bulk material can also be applied as additional ballast. Bulk material can generally be obtained with a significantly improved environmental footprint compared to conventional ballast. Furthermore, the material requirements of the proposed fastening system are considerably reduced compared to the rail or trough systems mentioned earlier, and the installation effort is potentially lower. The membrane-like support element can also be attached to the roof structure for the planned transfer of horizontal forces, even at a greater distance from the point of load introduction into the membrane-like support element. By covering a large area or even completely with the bulk material over the membrane-like support element, a considerable safety margin is created for the proposed system, since with increasing deformation due to a load introduction into the system (e.g., tensile load from wind), the resistance of an increasingly larger amount of bulk material is mobilized.This safety margin is inherent in the membrane-like support element and applies regardless of the design, provided the membrane-like support element is covered by the material. In the advantageous design with a surrounding element, it should also be noted that the weight of the bulk material within the surrounding element is mobilized even without deformation of the membrane-like support element. The proposed system can therefore be dimensioned very efficiently in terms of structural design.

[0024] Crucial to the proposed system is the membrane-like support element, which can be, for example, a geotextile, geosynthetic, geogrid, foil, mesh, or similar material. This element is inexpensive and sustainable to produce, easy to transport, and highly flexible to install. Due to the flexibility of the membrane-like support element, the roof membrane or sealing layer is also protected from damage. For example, gravel between the membrane-like support element and the sealing layer does not immediately damage the latter, as would be the case with the aforementioned rail systems. Obstacles encountered during installation can either be spanned by the membrane-like support element or the membrane-like support element can be easily adapted geometrically on-site.Due to its large surface area, the effect of the membrane-like support element is not locally limited, resulting in plastic load-bearing behavior and thus safety reserves within the system. The membrane-like support element therefore represents the unique selling point of the proposed system for the gravitational fastening of structural components to surfaces using a membrane-like support element.

[0025] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the following exemplary embodiments, drawings, and descriptions. All features shown and their combinations are not limited to these exemplary embodiments and their configurations. Rather, they are intended to be considered representative of other possible configurations that are not explicitly shown as exemplary embodiments.

[0026] They show Fig. 1 a schematic top view of the presented system with its basic components without enclosing element, Fig. 2 a schematic sectional view of the presented system with its basic components without an enclosing element, Fig. 3 a schematic top view of the presented system with its basic components including enclosing element, Fig. 4 a schematic sectional view of the presented system with its basic components without enclosing element, Fig. 5 A schematic top view of the presented system in multiple arrangements for mounting several photovoltaic modules, Fig. 6 A schematic sectional view of the presented system in multiple arrangements for mounting several photovoltaic modules using head elements in concave and convex shapes and surrounding elements.

[0027] A system for fastening building components (8), for example photovoltaic modules or fall protection devices, to surfaces (1) as proposed and in Fig. 1 in a top view and in Fig. 2 shown in a sectional view, comprises at least one membrane-like support element (2), preferably a geosynthetic, at least one base element (4) optionally including building protection material (9), at least one load transfer element (5), at least one head element (7) for fastening the building elements (8) to be fastened, wherein the membrane-like support element (2) can be covered by a bulk material (3).

[0028] In another variant, which in Fig. 3 in a top view and in Fig. 4, shown in a sectional view, is already shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. In the system shown in 2, an additional surrounding element (6) is arranged around the load transfer element (5), which is additionally filled with the bulk material (3).

[0029] A variant of the system in multiple arrangements for mounting, for example, several photovoltaic modules, is shown in Fig. 5 in a top view and in Fig. Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view. Each photovoltaic module is supported at each corner by a head element (7). Each head element (7) can accommodate up to four photovoltaic modules at each corner. By having both a convex and a concave shape, the head element (7) can determine the inclination of the modules. Fig. 6 are indicated as enclosing elements (6), which optionally only enclose a part of the load transfer element (5).

[0030] Not shown is a possible design variant in which classic module support profiles are attached to the head elements, and the head elements do not need to be aligned in the grid of the photovoltaic elements.

[0031] Also not shown is a variant design in which elements for wind deflection can be attached to the head element, the surrounding element or the load transfer element.

[0032] Instead of the in Fig. 1 to Fig. In addition to the fastening of photovoltaic elements discussed in section 6, other components can also be fastened to surfaces using the system, as discussed above. Reference symbol list 1 area 2 membrane-like supporting element 3 Bulk goods 4 Basic element 5 Load transfer element 6 Enclosing element 7 Head element 8 Component 9 Building protection material QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 202010000227U1

[0002] EP 000002362428A2

[0002] DE 202011100947U1

[0002] DE 202008009192U1

[0002]

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