Building element

Abstract

Construction element (1), in particular a concrete block, for the construction of masonry where the construction elements are superimposed and juxtaposed with each other and separated by joints, which construction element has an extra thickness (6) applied to one face of the construction element which extends substantially horizontally when the construction element is part of the masonry, which construction element has at least two cavities (9, 10) which extend essentially vertically when the construction element is part of the masonry, which extra thickness (6) extends substantially around the perimeter of the construction element and is arranged offset from at least the outer longitudinal faces (2) of the construction element.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a construction element made of concrete, for the production of masonry where the construction elements are superimposed and juxtaposed with each other and separated by joints, which construction element comprises an excess thickness applied to one face of the construction element which extends substantially horizontally when the construction element is part of the masonry, which construction element comprises at least two cells which extend essentially vertically when the construction element is part of the masonry, which excess thickness is arranged offset relative to at least the external longitudinal faces of the construction element.

[0002] Such a building element is known from patent application WO2011 / 014865. The known building element comprises extra thicknesses applied to a face of the building element that extends substantially horizontally when the building element is part of the masonry. The extra thicknesses are located on a face that forms the upper face of the building element, when the latter is part of the masonry. The different extra thicknesses of the known building element have different heights, because they must delimit different regions of different heights on this upper face. The function of the extra thicknesses is to allow a construction that allows the building elements to be stacked and self-aligned during the construction of the masonry.To enable this, it is essential that known construction elements are polished and adjusted in height during their manufacture, in order to meet strict standards in terms of dimensional tolerance.

[0003] Such a construction element is also known from patent application EP 0 262 712. This latter known construction element comprises at least two extra thicknesses applied to a face of the construction element which extends substantially horizontally when the construction element is part of the masonry. The extra thicknesses are formed by tabs which extend from the longitudinal external faces towards the center of the construction element. The presence of the extra thicknesses allows, during the execution of the masonry, that the construction elements joined together by mortar rest on each other at least partially by means of the extra thicknesses. Thus the mortar is less crushed during construction which increases the stability of the masonry.

[0004] Patent application DE 37 27 584 also describes a construction element which appears to have an extra thickness, but in reality it is a recess applied to the side faces of the construction element to accommodate a mortar joint.

[0005] Patent application DE 23 44 335 describes a construction element which comprises cells opening onto an upper face raised relative to the side faces. A channel is applied on each side of this raised face.

[0006] A disadvantage of the construction element known from WO2011 / 014865 is that the height adjustment of the construction elements is an operation that requires high precision in the work and is therefore expensive. In addition, the geometry at different heights of the excess thickness not only complicates the manufacturing of the manufacturing tool for producing such construction elements, but also imposes high precision during the construction of the masonry.

[0007] A disadvantage of the building element known from EP 0 262 712 is that the overthicknesses extend to the longitudinal outer faces of the building element and are therefore visible in the masonry. Not only do the overthicknesses interrupt the joint between two superimposed building elements each time, but they also prevent the mason from applying the mortar in a single stroke to the building element. This therefore not only affects the aesthetic appearance of the masonry, but also slows down the speed of construction of the masonry and thus increases the labor costs. In addition, the interruption of the joint, caused by the overthicknesses, can also cause water infiltration between the overthickness and the joint and thus negatively affect the service life of the masonry.

[0008] The invention aims to improve the buoyancy of building elements on the freshly laid horizontal mortar bed. The invention also aims to produce a building element that uses extra thicknesses without interrupting the joint and slowing down the speed of construction of the masonry.

[0009] To this end, a construction element according to the invention is characterized in that the excess thickness has a ribbon-shaped geometry which extends substantially around the perimeter of the construction element, which excess thickness is located on a face which corresponds to the lower face of the construction element when the construction element is part of the masonry. Since the excess thickness has a ribbon-shaped geometry, it allows for a simple manufacturing of the construction element. Since the excess thickness extends substantially around the perimeter of the construction element, it allows for a reduction in the quantity of mortar used to apply the joint at the excess thickness.The fact that the extra thickness is located on a face that corresponds to the lower face of the building element when the building element is part of the masonry will facilitate the construction of the masonry since the extra thickness will directly penetrate into the mortar used to join the building elements. Since, moreover, the extra thickness is arranged offset from at least the longitudinal outer faces of the building element, the space left between the extra thickness and the longitudinal outer face of the building element allows the traditional aesthetics of the masonry to be maintained.

[0010] A first embodiment of a construction element according to the invention is characterized in that for a height (h) of the masonry joint, the excess thickness extends over a height which is less than or equal to 70%, more particularly less than or equal to 50%, even more particularly less than or equal to 40%, of the height of the joint. This offers a good compromise between the fluidity of the mortar for making the joints and the buoyancy of the construction elements.

[0011] A second embodiment of a construction element according to the invention is characterized in that the excess thickness takes up the geometry of the face of the construction element on which it is applied. This facilitates the finishing of the joints.

[0012] A third embodiment of a construction element according to the invention is characterized in that the cells are separated by an internal wall, which extra thickness also extends over an external face of the internal wall. The geometry of the extra thickness is thus adapted to that of the external face of the construction element.

[0013] The invention will now be described in more detail with the aid of the drawings which show preferred embodiments of the construction elements according to the invention. In the drawings: There figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a construction element according to the invention; The figures 2 And 3 respectively show a second and a third embodiment of a construction element according to the invention; The figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view along line IV-IV' through two building elements of the first embodiment, which building elements are superimposed on each other and connected by means of joints; and The figure 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view along line VV' through three building elements of the first embodiment, which building elements are superimposed on each other and connected using joints.

[0014] In the drawings the same reference sign has been attributed to the same element or to a similar element.

[0015] It is well known to masons that building masonry, such as a wall, using construction elements, particularly hollow concrete elements, and mortar requires undeniable manual know-how. This is even more the case when the construction element has at least two cells that extend essentially vertically when the construction element is part of the masonry. The main difficulty is managing the buoyancy of the construction elements on their mortar bed which will form the joints between two superimposed elements. This buoyancy allows the adjustment of the plumb, horizontality, and height of the construction element on its mortar bed. This buoyancy is directly linked to the fluidity of the mortar, the weight of the construction element, the bearing surface of the construction element on the mortar bed and the height of the mortar joint to be made.The thickness of the horizontal mortar joint to be obtained, in particular to ensure a conventional aesthetic appearance of the masonry, will of course also depend on these different criteria.

[0016] The thicker the horizontal mortar joint between two superimposed building elements, the more difficult the masonry will be to build. Indeed, the stability of the masonry will be reduced as the lines of building elements are stacked on top of each other above in a masonry where the mortar joints are not yet dry and have not hardened. The invention consists of improving the buoyancy of the building elements on the freshly laid horizontal mortar bed.

[0017] There figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a building element 1 according to the invention. The building element 1 is illustrated in a tumbled form, i.e. where the face which will be the lower face of the building element when it is part of the masonry is shown as the upper surface. The building element 1 is preferably made of vibro-compressed concrete. The building element 1 has two longitudinal outer faces 2 and 2', the longitudinal outer face 2' not being visible on the figure 1 . The building element 1 also comprises two outer transverse faces 3 and 3' (not visible). The outer longitudinal faces each form an angle, preferably 90°, with the outer transverse faces. The building element also comprises a lower face 4 and an upper face 5. The expression lower face and upper face refers to the position of these faces when they are part of the masonry. The lower and upper faces extend substantially horizontally when the building element is part of the masonry. The upper face 5 is substantially flat. The building element 1 comprises at least two cells 9 and 10 which extend essentially vertically when the building element is part of the masonry. The cells 9 are separated by an internal wall 11 which extends over the entire depth of the cells.

[0018] The lower face 4 comprises an excess thickness 6 which has a ribbon-shaped geometry and extends substantially around the perimeter of the construction element and is arranged offset relative to at least the longitudinal outer faces 2 and 2' of the construction element. The space 7 thus left between the excess thickness 6 and the outer faces 2 and 2' of the construction element makes it possible not to change the aesthetics of the masonry. Preferably, the excess thickness is also applied offset relative to the outer transverse faces 3 and 3'. The thickness of the excess thickness is substantially the same over the entire length of the latter.

[0019] Preferably the excess thickness takes up the geometry of the face of the construction element on which it is applied. As illustrated in figure 1 the excess thickness 6 follows the contour of the external longitudinal and transverse faces. The excess thickness preferably also follows the contour of the cells 9 and 10. Thus the excess thickness also extends over an external face of the internal wall 11 of the construction element which is in contact with the mortar. The excess thickness is made from the same material as that from which the construction element is made and is therefore an integral part thereof. Preferably the excess thickness is vibro-compressed at the same time as the material from which the construction element is made.

[0020] The excess thickness preferably extends over a height which is less than or equal to 70%, more particularly less than or equal to 50%, even more particularly less than or equal to 40%, of the height (h) of the masonry joint. More particularly for a joint of h=10mm, the excess thickness has a height between 0.5mm and 7mm, preferably 5mm, and this depending on the final height of the mortar joint which will be applied. This offers a good compromise between the fluidity of the mortar for making the joints and the buoyancy of the construction elements on the mortar.

[0021] The second, respectively the third, embodiment of the construction element according to the invention taken from the figure 2 , respectively 3, differs from the first embodiment by the number of cells 9,9', 10, 10' and the dimension of the width of the construction element. Thus the second embodiment has four cells and the third nine cells. In addition, the third embodiment is a concrete block type construction element.

[0022] There figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI' through two building elements of the first embodiment, which building elements are superimposed on each other and connected to each other by means of a joint 8. It can be seen that the joint is applied as two mortar strips, one along and in the direction of the outer longitudinal face 2 and the other along and in the direction of the outer longitudinal face 2'. The mortar strips are applied to the upper face 5 of the building element on which a building element 1 will be superimposed. The strips are applied following the direction of the upper edges of the outer faces 2 and 2'. Preferably, an application device described in EP 3 192 944 will be used, which allows for correct dosing of the mortar strips to be applied.Preferably, for a joint of, for example, 10 mm, a strip between 12 and 15 mm thick will be applied, i.e. approximately 25% greater than the height of the joint. After applying the mortar strips, the building element will be laid with its lower face, where the excess thickness 6 is applied, facing the mortar strips. When laying the building element on the upper face of the building element already laid, the excess thickness 6 will sink into the mortar strips, thus driving out part of the mortar around the excess thickness and leaving another part of the mortar strip between the excess thickness and the building element located below. Thus, the mortar will correctly envelop the excess thickness, ensuring good adhesion between two superimposed elements. Since only two mortar strips are applied, the quantity of mortar used will be reduced without affecting the strength of the masonry.In addition, the presence of the extra thickness allows for further mortar savings since it fills part of the joint space between two superimposed construction elements.

[0023] There figure 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view along line VV' through three construction elements of the first embodiment, which construction elements are superimposed on each other and connected using joints. It shows the mortar 8 applied between two external transverse faces 3 and 3' of two construction elements juxtaposed to each other. It also shows that the mortar is driven into the space 7 and envelops the excess thickness 6.

[0024] The number of mortar strips to be applied is of course a function of the type of construction element. Thus, for the embodiment illustrated in figure 2 three strips of mortar will be applied and for the one illustrated in the figure 3four strips of mortar will be applied in the direction of the longitudinal walls 2 and 2' of the building element. In these latter embodiments the strips of mortar are applied in such a way that the parts of the excess thickness which extend in the longitudinal direction can come into contact with the mortar when the building element is placed on the building element already present in the masonry.

Claims

1. Construction element made of concrete, for the construction of masonry where the construction elements are superimposed and juxtaposed with each other and separated by joints, which construction element comprises an excess thickness applied to one face of the construction element which extends substantially horizontally when the construction element is part of the masonry, which construction element comprises at least two cells which extend essentially vertically when the construction element is part of the masonry, which excess thickness is arranged offset from at least the external longitudinal faces of the construction element, characterized in thatthe excess thickness has a ribbon-shaped geometry which extends substantially around the perimeter of the construction element, which excess thickness is located on a face which corresponds to the lower face of the construction element when the construction element is part of the masonry.

2. Construction element according to claim 1, characterized in that for a height (h) of the masonry joint, the excess thickness extends over a height which is less than or equal to 70%, more particularly less than or equal to 50%, even more particularly less than or equal to 40%, of the height (h) of the joint.

3. Construction element according to claim 2, characterized in that the excess thickness has a height between 0.5mm and 7mm, preferably 5mm for a joint height (h) of 10mm.

4. Construction element according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in thatthe excess thickness takes up the geometry of the face of the construction element on which it is applied.

5. Construction element according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the excess thickness is arranged offset from the external transverse faces of the construction element.

6. Construction element according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cells are separated by at least one internal wall, which extra thickness also extends over an external face of the internal wall.

7. Construction element according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the extra thickness is made of the same material as that of the construction element and is an integral part of the construction element.

8. Method of constructing masonry manufactured using a construction element according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in thatthe construction elements are superimposed by each time placing their excess thickness on a strip of mortar applied to a substantially flat surface of the construction element located below the element to be laid.

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