Building construction system with joinable hollow load-bearing elements and production method

Abstract

The invention proposes a building construction system with joinable hollow load-bearing elements, the system comprising a plurality of load-bearing elements such as beams, posts or joists, each load-bearing element having a polyhedral shape that extends along a longitudinal axis between two open ends to define a peripheral wall that comprises four parallelogram-shaped side faces, two of the four side faces comprising two longitudinal recesses in the form of grooves that run parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, the recesses having dimensions outside the peripheral wall that are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall so as to form female means that are able to accommodate the male means of another element of a construction system. The load-bearing element comprises a cavity that extends from one of the open ends to the other so as to form a sleeve capable of accommodating another structural or reinforcing element of the construction system.

Description

[0001] Building construction system with assemblable hollow load-bearing elements and manufacturing method

[0002] The present invention relates to a beam or post of a construction system, in particular for a module of a building, a dwelling or a garage, or other premises, the main elements of which may be made of plastic, in particular recycled plastic or recycled wood, or any other object constructed by the assembly of this construction system the elements of which may be made of plastic and / or composites.

[0003] The present invention provides a construction system for buildings comprising assemblable hollow load-bearing elements, as well as various load-bearing elements, various reinforcements and various assembly accessories.

[0004] The present invention therefore makes it possible to optimize and rationalize the use of load-bearing elements (beams, posts, girders, etc.) and benefit from the best ratio for architectural modularity, as well as for structural forces.

[0005] Another aim of the present invention is to propose a beam or a post making it possible to create a lightweight construction system whose assembly, for a large number of buildings, is simplified and even more rigid with a reduced number of standardized and complementary parts to constitute the construction elements.

[0006] In this application, the terms “beam”, “post” or “joist” are used to designate the load-bearing elements but they are not limiting because they concern any type of structural element of a construction, intended to support a load and ensure the stability of the construction or building.

[0007] One of the aims of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a modular construction system making it possible to consolidate the various structural elements of the system simply, at low cost, while guaranteeing optimum reliability and stability, as well as a wide variety of possible configurations of the system.

[0008] This object is achieved by a building construction system, with assemblable hollow load-bearing elements, comprising a plurality of load-bearing elements, such as beams, posts, girders, which are hollow and assemblable, each load-bearing element having a polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends by defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least two of the four lateral faces comprise at least two longitudinal recesses in the form of grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, said recesses having dimensions outside said peripheral wall which are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall, to form female means capable of receiving male means of another element of a construction system,said supporting element being characterized in that it comprises at least one housing extending from one of said open ends to the other to form a sleeve capable of accommodating at least one other structural or reinforcing element (EP, F, B, A, D) of the construction system.,

[0009] According to another feature, the housing forms a parallelepiped sleeve, with a section of dimensions smaller than those of the supporting element, defining an inner wall of the supporting element connected to said outer wall by longitudinal crosspieces.

[0010] According to another feature, the housing forms a polyhedral sleeve whose peripheral faces are delimited by longitudinal crosspieces connecting the internal surface of one face of the peripheral wall to the internal surface of another face.

[0011] According to another feature, the housing has an orientation turned by a determined angle relative to the orientation of the peripheral walls of the supporting element.

[0012] According to another feature, the housing of the load-bearing element is open on one face or an angle of the peripheral walls, to accommodate another load-bearing element of reduced dimensions and complementary to those of the housing for assembly with at least one other structural or reinforcement element (EP, F, B, A, D) of the construction system.

[0013] According to another feature, the open housing turned by a determined angle is configured to receive a load-bearing element capable of being assembled with at least one other structural or reinforcing element (EP, F, B, A, D) of the construction system, oriented according to this determined angle.

[0014] According to another feature, the system comprises at least one reinforcing profile of polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends, defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the shape of parallelograms, at least one of the four lateral faces having longitudinal protuberances of shapes and dimensions complementary to those of the recesses of the load-bearing elements, so that the reinforcing profile is capable of being juxtaposed with at least one of the latter, by sliding along the longitudinal axis, in order to reinforce the system in at least one direction of space.

[0015] According to another feature, the reinforcing profile comprises, on the face opposite that comprising the protuberances, at least one longitudinal recess of shapes and dimensions similar or identical to the recesses of the load-bearing elements.

[0016] According to another feature, the system comprises at least one interior reinforcement of polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends, defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the shape of parallelograms.

[0017] According to another feature, the shapes and dimensions of the internal reinforcement are complementary to at least one housing of at least one load-bearing element or to an internal space present in the polyhedron of at least one reinforcement profile of the system.

[0018] According to another feature, the internal reinforcement comprises longitudinal crosspieces defining fixing housings at each of the two open ends of the internal reinforcement capable of receiving fixing lugs of an internal reinforcement fixing shoe configured to receive tenons capable of fixing this shoe and the internal reinforcement in at least one recess of at least one supporting element.

[0019] According to another feature, at least some of the structural or reinforcing elements of the construction system are filled, during their assembly with each other and the construction of the building, with expanded foam, hardened earth, ceramic, mineral aggregate, reinforced or unreinforced concrete, or any material or combination of materials, solidified to reinforce the whole.

[0020] One of the aims of the invention is to propose a load-bearing element for building construction which allows for easier assembly with improved reinforcement.

[0021] This aim is achieved by a load-bearing element, for example a beam or post, hollow and modular for a building construction system according to the invention, allowing several elements to be fitted together, said load-bearing element having a polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends by defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least two of the four lateral faces comprise at least two longitudinal recesses in the form of grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, said recesses having dimensions outside said peripheral wall which are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall, to form female means capable of receiving male means of another element of a construction system,said supporting element being characterized in that it comprises at least one housing extending from one of said open ends to the other to form a sleeve capable of receiving another element capable of receiving at least one other structural element of the construction system.,

[0022] One of the aims of the invention is to propose a load-bearing element for building construction which allows easy assembly in the three dimensions of space, by limiting the number of elements required while guaranteeing good stability of the construction.

[0023] This aim is achieved by a load-bearing element, for example a beam or post, hollow and assemblable for a construction system, said load-bearing element having a polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends by defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least two of the four lateral faces having at least two longitudinal recesses in the form of grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, said recesses having dimensions outside said peripheral wall which are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall, to form female means capable of receiving male means of another element of a construction system,characterized in that at least two of said recesses are arranged symmetrically on either side of the longitudinal median line of said lateral face.,

[0024] The present invention also relates to a set of several hollow beams or posts of a construction system, comprising a plurality of beams all of the same length and a plurality of posts all of the same length. It is during assembly, in particular for the posts, that the dimensions will be adjusted according to the structure to be assembled.

[0025] The invention also relates to an assembly of several hollow beams or columns of a building system, in which at least one beam or at least one column is reinforced by the use of another beam or column inside.

[0026] The invention also relates to a beam or post, whether single-piece or not, reinforced by a sleeve slipped around this beam or post.

[0027] The invention also relates to a beam or post, assembled in several complementary elements and stabilized and reinforced by a corner reinforcement or a lateral reinforcement, in the same material (for example fibered PET) or a different material (for example metal). Preferably, the beams and / or posts are assembled end-to-end by inserts inserted into the ends of the openings at the ends of the beams or posts. Some load-bearing elements comprise blocks or surrounding elements assembled together by cooperative means.

[0028] In multi-story structures, two adjacent sides of a central post are each attached to another post, with the height of the building being determined by the length of the central post.

[0029] According to the present invention, constructions can be made in 6 directions (up, down, left, right, front, back).

[0030] Another object of the present invention is to enable the manufacture of structural elements of a construction system which are sufficiently stable and reliable (eg, strong, resistant, durable) from plastic material, preferably recycled.

[0031] This aim is achieved by a method of manufacturing structural elements for a building construction system comprising a plurality of load-bearing elements (EP), such as beams, posts, girders, which are hollow and can be assembled together from a plastic material, characterized in that it comprises:

[0032] - at least one step of preparing the material by mixing PET and / or PEF with at least one filler, preferably fibrous, and generally at least one additive,

[0033] - at least one step of selecting at least one profile whose shape is determined on the one hand according to the characteristics of the structural elements and the density of said material so as to obtain a weight of less than 15 kg per linear meter of profile,

[0034] - at least one compounding step from this mixture with application of a vacuum between -30 and -90 kPa so as to obtain an MFI of less than 10,

[0035] - at least one step of extrusion of the compound and cooling to obtain said elements. According to another feature, the vacuum applied is between -40 and -80 kPa and preferably of the order of -60 kPa and the MFI is less than 8.

[0036] According to another feature, said filler is mineral and comprises glass and / or carbon and / or basalt.

[0037] According to another feature, said selection of the profile shape is carried out to obtain a weight of less than 10 kg per linear meter of material.

[0038] According to another particularity, the extrusion stage of the compound is carried out with a flow rate between 800 and 1000 kg / h and a speed between 300 and 400 rpm.

[0039] The characteristics of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of several embodiments given solely by way of example with reference to the schematic figures, in which:

[0040] - Figures 1A, 1C and 1D represent schematic wireframe views of the cross-section of a load-bearing element according to various embodiments and Figure 1B represents a schematic wireframe view of the cross-section of a load-bearing element according to Figure 1A containing another identical load-bearing element but of smaller size;

[0041] - Figures 2A and 2B represent, respectively, a cross-sectional view and a schematic wireframe view of a sleeve according to certain embodiments and Figures 2C and 2D represent, respectively, a cross-sectional view and a schematic wireframe view of a carrier element forming a sleeve according to other embodiments;

[0042] - Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E and 3F represent schematic wireframe views of the cross-section of load-bearing elements according to various embodiments; - Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E represent schematic wireframe views of the cross-section of load-bearing elements according to various embodiments;

[0043] - Figure 5A shows a schematic wireframe view of the cross-section of a reinforcement profile according to certain embodiments, Figure 5B shows a schematic wireframe view of the cross-section of an interior reinforcement according to certain embodiments, Figures 5C and 5D show schematic wireframe views of the cross-section of reinforcement profiles containing an interior reinforcement according to various embodiments and Figure 5E shows a schematic wireframe view of the cross-section of a load-bearing element containing interior reinforcements according to certain embodiments;

[0044] - Figures 6A and 6B represent perspective views of assembly supports for load-bearing elements according to various embodiments, Figure 6C represents perspective views of two assembly supports for load-bearing elements according to certain embodiments, in two different orientations allowing their assembly shown in Figure 6D;

[0045] - Figures 7A, 7B and 7C represent perspective views of bases for load-bearing elements according to various embodiments;

[0046] - Figures 8A and 8B show perspective views of profile end pieces for fixing load-bearing elements or brackets, Figure 8C shows a perspective view of an insert for assembling a load-bearing element, Figure 8D shows a perspective view of a fixing tenon, Figure 8E shows a perspective view of a fixing shoe for internal reinforcement and Figure 8F shows a perspective view of two variants of fixing shoes for beams; - Figure 9A shows a schematic wireframe view of the cross-section of two load-bearing elements fitted into each other according to certain embodiments and Figure 9B shows a perspective view of a set of assembly accessories for load-bearing elements, with two assembly supports, a base for the load-bearing element, two reinforcing brackets and fixing tenons;

[0047] - Figure 10A represents a perspective view of a part of an assembly of load-bearing elements, showing three load-bearing elements, with a reinforcing profile arranged juxtaposed parallel to a load-bearing element and several internal reinforcements arranged perpendicular to a load-bearing element, Figure 10B represents a perspective view of a part of an assembly of load-bearing elements such as in Figure 10A, but comprising an additional load-bearing element with beams assembled between this additional load-bearing element and another load-bearing element.

[0048] The invention provides a construction system for buildings, such as dwellings or other premises, generally on one or more levels. This system is advantageously composed of hollow load-bearing elements (EP) which can be assembled together, as well as various structural elements such as reinforcing profiles (F), internal reinforcements (D) and beams (P) as well as consolidation elements such as sleeves (M), corner reinforcements (RC) and lateral reinforcements (RL), but also various assembly accessories such as bases (21) or supports (26), reinforcing brackets (27) or profile end caps (28) for fixing the load-bearing elements (EP) and / or brackets (27) on the supports (26).

[0049] The hollow load-bearing elements (EP) can be composed of various materials, in particular composites. They are generally obtained by extrusion, preferably using the "compounding" technique, allowing various components to be mixed to form granules that can be easily used in an extruder. Some elements of the system can be made of metal (various alloys), such as in particular the assembly and / or reinforcement accessories (21, 26, 27, 28), but most of the structural elements (EP, D, F, P, A, B) are generally made of polymer or composite material, based on plastics and / or wood. In certain embodiments, at least the structural elements of the system are formed from polyethylene (PET), preferably recycled, which is preferably combined with glass fibers to consolidate the final product obtained.PET (or Polyethylene terephthalate) is a chemical compound better known by the English name of polyethylene terephthalate (hence its most common acronym PET), which is also found with the acronym PETE. It is a thermoplastic saturated polyester polymer, as opposed to thermosetting polyesters. It is a prime candidate for the applications of the present application but not the only one and other polymers such as Polyethylene furanoate (PEF) which already constitutes a competitor to classic polyethylene (PET). Indeed, PEF is made up of monoethylene glycol, derived from the processing of sugar cane, and a furanic acid: FDCA, synthesized from plants or agricultural residues. 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is an organic chemical compound made up of two carboxylic acid groups attached to a central furan ring.The manufacturing process detailed later in this application can therefore be applied to various polymers based on ethylene monomers, but other monomers are also conceivable. On the other hand, most of the other plastics known in the field of extrusion (such as PEHC or PVC to name but two) do not have physicochemical properties, in particular mechanical strength, compatible with the applications provided for in this application. PET (or PEF), preferably reinforced with at least one “filler”, for example mineral and preferably fibrous, therefore remains preferred at least for the manufacture of the load-bearing elements (EP) but also for all the structural elements (EP, D, F, P, A, B).The term "filler" is used in the present application (when it concerns the materials used, but not when it concerns a force or stress exerted) to designate, in a conventional manner, an additional material added in solid form (agglomerates or particles, such as beads, or in the form of fibers or flakes for example) and resistant to the manufacturing process (to retain its solid form) and provide the final product with its mechanical properties (elasticity, strength, fire resistance, etc.). In various embodiments of the present invention, this filler preferably comprises at least one mineral material, but may (as an alternative or in addition) comprise a metallic and / or polymer-based and / or plant-based material, with a preference for mineral-based fibers.The present application therefore sometimes describes the physicochemical characteristics (in particular mechanical) and / or the method of manufacturing the load-bearing elements (EP) only to simplify the explanations, but the scope is not limited to these elements alone and in fact also extends to all structural elements (EP, D, F, P, A, B). Similarly, the present application describes the process with reference to PET, but in fact also covers PEF, or even other polymers, preferably based on Ethylene. In particular, certain embodiments relate to the process or method of manufacturing these elements because this manufacturing with a material such as PET (or PEF) poses technical problems, in particular in terms of dimensions and weight which arise from the applications targeted by the present application (in particular buildings).Indeed, the extrusion of PET is generally limited to small-sized wires, such as for example sizes such as those used in 3D printers, while the carrier elements (PE) of the present application have lengths of the order of a meter (a little less than a meter up to several meters) and sections of the order of ten centimeters (a little less than ten centimeters up to several tens of centimeters). However, the invention provides that the section of the carrier elements (PE) is not solid and advantageously hollow with walls whose thickness is of the order of a centimeter (a little less than a centimeter up to a few centimeters), which makes it possible to manufacture them by compounding and extrusion, as detailed below.Indeed, the manufacture of load-bearing elements (EP) formed from a single block instead of being composed of several complementary elements assembled together as in the present application, poses too many technical problems, because the extrusion of such elements does not result in solid elements usable for the intended applications. Compounding is an extrusion-granulation process allowing the melt mixing of a polymer (thermoplastic resin) with one or more additives in order to obtain a plastic material in the form of masterbatches (or "compounds" in English) with specific physical or thermal characteristics (antistatic, slippery, anti-UV, antioxidant, etc.). These additives can be solid, liquid, powder and polymer mixtures, sometimes in the form of granules or balls (of rubber or elastomers), are generally part of the know-how.The plastic granules obtained by compounding can be "loaded" with fibers or beads, that is to say, they can be supplemented with at least one "filler" to reinforce certain mechanical properties of the final product. This "filler" is preferably fibrous and generally mineral, for example carbon or glass, or basalt, but can also include fibers or beads of at least one polymer (identical to or at least compatible with the main polymer of the compound) and / or at least one metallic component (such as flakes or fibers of a metal or alloy), or even at least one plant component (for example the rare plant fibers capable of withstanding the temperatures involved in the manufacturing process).Certain embodiments of the present invention therefore relate to the manufacture of such assemblable load-bearing elements (EP), by this type of extrusion-granulation technique (or “compounding-extrusion”), preferably with compounds of the type described below but above all according to a method as detailed below.

[0050] Indeed, various additives are preferably added to the composition to ensure optimal performance, particularly with regard to extrusion and stability over time. Thus, a preferred composition for these hollow elements comprises:

[0051] - 50 to 70% PET (and / or PEF), preferably 60% (total)

[0052] - 30 to 50% fiberglass, preferably around 38%

[0053] - 0.1 to 2%, preferably about 0.2 to 1%, of multifunctional polymer reagent, preferably a polymerization extender, for example such as Joncryl or possibly PDMA (Pyromellitic anhydride according to English terminology). - At least one antioxidant, for example such as Irganox (for example Irganox 561 B) and / or Thinuvin (for example Tinuvin 5617 and / or Tinuvin 1577), for protection in particular against ultraviolet rays, with an overall percentage of between 0.1 and 2%, preferably 0.2 to 1%.

[0054] - Possibly at least one fire-resistant or fire-retardant additive to make the product flame-retardant or less flammable, but the use of fire-resistant coatings on a product not containing such an additive is also effective while being easier to implement,

[0055] - Optionally at least one other additive such as an impact modifier, known to improve the performance of materials, such as strength for example, through the ability to chemically or mechanically bond to the matrix polymer. Studies on basic blends of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) have been conducted by various researchers over the past decades and certain embodiments take advantage of such impact modifiers.

[0056] Regarding the multifunctional polymer reagent, different types of compounds are possible and a Joncryl-type compound is generally preferred. In addition, it is possible to use one or more Joncryls among those available on the market, such as Joncryl 4400 and / or Joncryl 4468, with for example an individual percentage of 0.1 to 0.5% of each of them and therefore an overall percentage of 0.2 to 1%).

[0057] Regarding the antioxidant compound(s), Irganox is known to be composed of sterically hindered phenols and thioethers as well as mixtures of different antioxidant technologies. Tinuvin belongs to the class of hydroxyphenylbenzotriazoles, conferring good light stability to a wide variety of polymers. Different antioxidants and anti-ultraviolet agents are possible, but these two compounds have been observed in the context of the present application to be particularly advantageous in combination with each other, in particular with a percentage of Tinuvin (or sometimes "Thinuvin") of 0.1 to 0.5% and a percentage of Irganox of 0.2 to 0.8%.

[0058] An advantageous feature of the system is that it comprises load-bearing elements (LEs), such as beams, columns, girders, etc., which are hollow and can be assembled together. An advantageous feature of the method is that these load-bearing elements (LEs) are obtained by modifying known compounding-extrusion techniques and taking advantage of the fact that they are hollow.

[0059] Generally speaking, the load-bearing elements (EP) are polyhedral in shape, preferably parallelepipedal, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends communicating with each other (due to the fact that the load-bearing elements are hollow) and comprise at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms forming an external or peripheral wall of the load-bearing element (EP). The section (transversely to the longitudinal axis) of the load-bearing elements (EP) may be square or rectangular, but possibly hexagonal or any type of polygon. The schematic wireframe figures are therefore used in the present application to illustrate more simply the non-limiting examples of profiles and the possible configurations. In particular, these illustrations make it possible to show two advantages of the configurations presented in the present application.In some configurations, advantage is taken of the fact that the load-bearing elements (EP) are hollow and have a longitudinal interior housing (extending from one end of the element to the other) for receiving another element of the system, as detailed below. In addition, some configurations take advantage of the fact that at least two of the four lateral faces have at least two longitudinal recesses (10) in the form of grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, said recesses (10) having dimensions outside said peripheral wall which are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall, to form female means capable of receiving male means of another element of a construction system.Preferably, these recesses are dovetail-shaped, in order to ensure good stability of the assembly between the female means formed by these recesses (10) and the complementary male means of the other elements of the system. Thus, these groove- or rail-shaped recesses (10) allow the load-bearing elements to be assembled by sliding (translation parallel to the longitudinal axis) which facilitates assembly while ensuring good reliability unlike assemblies by deformable (clip-on) means as in certain systems of the prior art. Indeed, the shapes and dimensions of these grooves require assembly by sliding only and prevent the elements thus assembled from being torn off.Furthermore, since the peripheral walls are provided with these recesses (10), the rest of the faces of these walls provide a sufficient bearing surface to stabilize the elements between them, which is particularly advantageous in the case of the building constructions covered by the present invention, the dimensions of which impose significant constraints. Indeed, the forces exerted on the elements require that their configuration allows significant stability. Thus, the beams (EP) have two symmetrical rails, or recesses (10) in their lengths used to slide other elements of the system, such as for example reinforcements or accessories or assembly or support tools.Thus, the fact that at least one or two of the faces of the supporting elements comprise two parallel grooves allows two supporting elements (EP) assembled perpendicularly to each other to serve as a holding structure for a lattice composed of profiles (P) such as beams for example, arranged perpendicularly to each other. Indeed, one of the grooves (10) of one of the two supporting elements (EP) allows the fixing of a first profile (P) in a first direction and the groove (10) of the other perpendicular supporting element (EP) allows the fixing of a second profile (P) in a second direction perpendicular to the first, for example as illustrated in Figure 10B.Such profiles or beams (P) have a reduced section dimension compared to those of the load-bearing elements (EP) on which they are fixed for example using shoes (18) as illustrated in figure 8F, thanks to tenons (19) fixed on these shoes (18) and capable of cooperating with the recesses (10) of the load-bearing elements (EP). Figure 8F shows two variants of such shoes (18) which comprise a support frame with a plate (180) for retaining the end of a beam vertically, two side plates arranged perpendicularly on either side of the support plate (180) and a fixing plate provided with holes for fixing tenons (19). Figure 10B illustrates the use of these shoes (18) for assembling the beams (P) on the beams or posts (EP). The beam fixing shoes (18) are preferably made of metal.Such tenons (19) are for example configured as illustrated in figure 8D and comprise a parallelepiped element (19) open on one face, forming a U-shaped section in which is inserted a chamfered wedge (22) whose tightening in the housing of the tenon makes it possible to deform the U and obtain a complementary shape of the recesses (10) in order to ensure reliable fixing. In addition, various sizes of tenons are provided, in order to be able to match the shapes of the various sizes of recesses (10) provided on the load-bearing elements, for example in the case where the load-bearing element is fitted into a hollow sleeve (M) also having recesses matching those of the load-bearing element or in corner reinforcements (RC) or even lateral reinforcements (RL) when these have recesses (10) matching those of the load-bearing element, as detailed below for the assemblies of load-bearing elements (EP) fitted together.

[0060] Certain embodiments of the invention therefore relate to a load-bearing element (EP), for example a beam or post, hollow and assemblable for a building construction system, said load-bearing element (EP) having a polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends by defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least two of the four lateral faces comprise at least two longitudinal recesses (10) in the form of grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, said recesses (10) having dimensions outside said peripheral wall which are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall, to form female means capable of receiving male means of another element of a construction system,characterized in that at least two of said recesses (10) are arranged symmetrically on either side of the longitudinal center line of said lateral face. By the symmetrical arrangement of the two recesses (10) on either side of the longitudinal center line of the load-bearing element, profiles can therefore be arranged perpendicular to each other in a plane parallel to that in which two load-bearing elements are assembled, which ensures an assembly that is easy to assemble and inexpensive, while guaranteeing good stability. Such an assembly can serve, for example, as a (horizontal) floor or a (vertical) wall for construction. In addition, if the profiles (P) have dimensions, in a direction perpendicular to the plane containing the recesses (10) of two assembled load-bearing elements (EP), which are less than or equal to half the dimensions of the faces of these load-bearing elements in this same direction,a structure is obtained forming a surface suitable for receiving a floor or partition covering, while leaving space for the passage of technical equipment such as electrical wires, plumbing, etc. In addition to constituting floors and / or ceilings, the posts, beams or joists, according to various configurations, can be arranged so as to produce internal partitions to delimit spaces and rooms, the partitions being orthogonal to a floor or a ceiling. Thus, certain embodiments relate to a construction system comprising at least two load-bearing elements as described above, associated with at least two beams (P) assembled on these load-bearing elements (EP) using shoes (18) fixed to the load-bearing elements, for example by tenons.,

[0061] Furthermore, various embodiments of the present application relate to assemblies of load-bearing elements (EP) complementary to each other, making it possible to fit certain load-bearing elements or various reinforcements (F) inside other load-bearing elements (EP) or sleeves (M) or even in external reinforcements such as lateral reinforcements (RL) or corner reinforcements (RC). Such reinforcements may be made of the same material as the load-bearing elements but are preferably made of metal. Thus, certain embodiments relate to a construction system with assemblable hollow load-bearing elements, comprising a plurality of load-bearing elements (EP), such as beams, posts, girders, which are hollow and assemblable, each load-bearing element (EP) having a polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped,extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least two of the four lateral faces comprise at least two longitudinal recesses (10) in the form of grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, said recesses (10) having dimensions outside said peripheral wall which are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall, to form female means capable of receiving male means of another element of a construction system, said carrier element (EP) being characterized in that it comprises at least one housing (L) extending from one of said open ends to the other to form a sleeve (M) capable of receiving at least one other carrier element (EP, F, B, A) of the construction system.,

[0062] For example, the load-bearing elements (EP), such as hollow posts or hollow beams, can receive in their housing (L) in the form of a sleeve (M) reinforcements whose section can have a variable shape, for example such as metal, wood, plastic, composite protrusion tubes, whether hollow or solid, but also accommodate other load-bearing elements (EP) of similar configuration but of reduced dimensions complementary to the dimensions of the housing (L).

[0063] On the other hand, the load-bearing elements (EP) can have their housing (L) reinforced by filling with expanded foam, hardened earth, ceramic, mineral aggregate, reinforced concrete or not, or any solidified materials allowing the assembly to be reinforced and a hybrid (combined) use of these materials and means is also possible.

[0064] The section of the housing (L) forming the sleeve (M) may be circular, or polygonal, for example hexagonal as in Figure 3D or square as in Figures 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 3A and 3B or rectangular as in Figure 1D for example which has the particularity of comprising two housings, but it is clear that a single rectangular housing may be provided and, as the supporting elements may themselves be of rectangular section, numerous variants are within the scope of the present application. In addition, the housing (L) forming the sleeve (M) may have walls having the same orientation as the peripheral walls of the supporting elements, but it is also possible for their orientation to be rotated by a determined angle relative to that of the peripheral walls.For example, Figures 3A and 3B represent the case of an orientation of the housing at 45° relative to the peripheral walls, which allows the load-bearing elements thus nested within each other to have increased resistance in the various directions of space.

[0065] Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the housing (L) may be open to the outside, for example on one of the faces of the supporting element (EP) or at an angle (a corner) of the supporting element in the case of a housing turned by a determined angle. This type of embodiment makes it possible to assemble supporting elements (EP) whose sections are different by using tenons of different sizes. Furthermore, in the case of a housing with an orientation turned relative to the peripheral walls, as illustrated for example in Figure 3C, this assembly of elements of different sections can be carried out with angles other than 90°. Indeed, in Figure 3C, it is clear that the illustrated configuration makes it possible to assemble elements at 45°, but other angles are of course envisaged. Thus, in certain embodiments, the housing has an orientation turned by a determined angle relative to the orientation of the peripheral walls of the supporting element.Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the housing of the carrier element is open on a face or an angle of the peripheral walls, to accommodate another carrier element of reduced dimensions and complementary to those of the housing (L) for assembly with other carrier elements. Finally, in certain embodiments combining the characteristics of the two previous ones, the open housing turned by a determined angle is configured to receive a carrier element (EP) capable of being assembled with other carrier elements oriented according to this determined angle.

[0066] Thus, certain embodiments of the present invention relate to a load-bearing element (EP), for example a beam or post, hollow and modular for a building construction system, said load-bearing element (EP) having a polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends by defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least two of the four lateral faces comprise at least two longitudinal recesses (10) in the form of grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, said recesses (10) having dimensions outside said peripheral wall which are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall, to form female means capable of receiving male means of another element of a construction system,said supporting element (EP) being characterized in that it comprises at least one housing (L) extending from one of said open ends to the other to form a sleeve (M) capable of accommodating another element capable of accommodating at least one other structural element (EP, F, B, A) of the construction system.,

[0067] In some embodiments, the housing (L) forms a parallelepiped sleeve (M), with a section of dimensions smaller than those of the carrier element (EP), defining an inner wall of the carrier element (EP) connected to said outer wall by longitudinal crosspieces (25). For example, Figures 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2D, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, etc. Some of these longitudinal crosspieces (25) form the walls of the housing (L) forming the sleeve (M) while others serve only as structural reinforcement. In other embodiments, the sleeve (M) is formed directly by the peripheral walls alone of the carrier element, for example as shown in Figures 2A, 2B, 4B and 4E and / or an internal reinforcement of the peripheral walls, for example as shown in Figures 2C and 2D.It will also be noted that with such a configuration, two carrier elements forming a sleeve (M) with only their peripheral walls and their recesses (10) can be fitted into one another as long as the dimensions of their sections are complementary, for example as shown in Figure 3E. In certain embodiments, the housing (L) forms a polyhedral sleeve (M) whose peripheral faces are delimited by longitudinal crosspieces (25) connecting the internal surface of one face of the peripheral wall to the internal surface of another face, for example as illustrated in Figures 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D. In certain embodiments of the system, a sleeve (M) is formed simply by peripheral walls of a parallelepiped extending longitudinally between two open ends, for example as shown in Figures 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D.This type of sleeve can accommodate a load-bearing element and consolidate it, for example as in the case of Figure 4B where it is intended to accommodate the load-bearing element formed by the assembly of elements (A, B) of Figure 4A, or in the case of Figure 4E where it accommodates another sleeve of identical configuration but whose section has reduced dimensions, complementary to the interior of the outer sleeve or in the case of Figure 3F where it accommodates an assembly of blocks B) to form a stable load-bearing element (EP). In the example of Figure 1D, the load-bearing element (EP) comprises two housings (L) of rectangular section, capable of accommodating two internal reinforcements for example such as those of Figure 5B, in order to obtain a reinforced load-bearing element as illustrated in Figure 5E.

[0068] In certain embodiments, for example shown in Figures 3E, 3F, and 4A-4B, the sleeve (M) formed by the inner housing (L) is intended to accommodate blocks (B) complementary to each other to form a post. Such blocks preferably comprise means (8A, 9A) of cooperation between them to be assemblable. Such cooperation means may for example be female means (9A) of one block cooperating with male means (8A) of another block. Preferably, each block comprises one of the two male and female means on one of its faces, so as to be able to be assembled with an adjacent identical block, for example as illustrated in Figures 4D and 4E. In addition, it is possible to use an additional central block or “core” (A), for example as illustrated in Figure 4A.In this case, the central block (A) comprises a central body (7) and protrusions (1) while the surrounding blocks (B) have an inner surface which fits this central element (7) and recesses (6) which fit the protrusions (1) of the central core (A). These elements (A, B) can therefore be assembled together and a sleeve, such as that of figure 4B for example, can contain them and form a stable supporting element (EP). It should be noted that the block (A) is optional thanks to the support by the sleeve (M). Furthermore, when the blocks (B) cooperate with each other by their male and female means (8A, 9A), the central core (A) is optional, even in the absence of a sleeve, even if it remains preferred to contain the set of blocks in a sleeve. In this spirit, the example of figure 4C shows that such an assembly of blocks (B) cooperating with male and female means (8A, 9A), the sleeve (M) can be replaced by corner reinforcements (RC) which stabilize the assembly of the blocks (B).Similarly, it is possible to provide, instead of the corner reinforcements or the sleeve, lateral reinforcements, with a generally U-shaped section (but with recesses matching the recesses (10) present on the blocks), in order to obtain a stable structure, as for example illustrated in figure 4D.

[0069] In some embodiments, the load-bearing function of the load-bearing elements of the building construction system is improved by the addition of reinforcing profiles (D). Such profiles are configured in the form of parallelepipeds whose cross-section has dimensions smaller than those of the load-bearing elements in one direction, but preferably identical dimensions in the other directions. Thus, these reinforcing profiles (D) fit the load-bearing elements and provide additional support, particularly useful during vertical assembly. Preferably, these reinforcing profiles also comprise recesses (10) and protrusions of shapes complementary to the recesses (therefore male and female rails) to fit those of the load-bearing elements. Thus, they are assembled by sliding along the axis of these recesses and protrusions and the structure is consolidated.Examples of such reinforcement profiles (D) are illustrated in Figures 5A, 5C and 5D, among which Figures 5C and 5D illustrate the fact that they can also include a housing in which internal reinforcements (F) can be fitted, for example of the type usable in load-bearing elements (EP) of Figure 1D, as shown in Figure 5E. In addition, Figures 10A and 10B show examples of use of such reinforcement profiles (D) for vertical support and the possible use of the internal reinforcements (F) as a reinforcement structure for a frame formed by several load-bearing elements (EP) assembled together.In the example of figures 10A and 10B, the internal reinforcements (F) arranged between the load-bearing elements are assembled on the latter thanks to the fact that these internal reinforcements (F) are also hollow and comprise longitudinal crosspieces (25) delimiting compartments capable of receiving protuberances (PF) of an internal reinforcement fixing shoe (SP), for example as illustrated in figure 8E showing the use of a tenon on such a shoe for fixing in the recesses or grooves or rails (10) of the load-bearing elements.

[0070] Various interesting aspects of the present application relate not only to the nesting of various structural or reinforcing elements into each other, but also to the assembly of these elements with others. Thus, specific assembly accessories have also been developed for use in such a construction system. Certain embodiments therefore also relate to such accessories (21, 26, 28, 12, SP, 18) for load-bearing elements (EP) and / or a system according to the invention. These accessories are therefore within the scope of the invention but can be considered alone, independently of the technical characteristics of the structural elements which they fix, insofar as certain characteristics are not specific for these accessories. Figures 7A, 7B, 7C illustrate examples of a base (21) for a load-bearing element (EP).Such bases make it possible to form a base for fitting a load-bearing element onto it to start a construction or to connect two load-bearing elements end to end together. The figures do not represent the possible fixing means for such bases, but it is understood that they may include, for example, holes or any other known means. On the other hand, these figures illustrate the fact that these bases (21) include blades (211) capable of being threaded into openings (11) to stabilize the assembly. In addition, these bases may include a central reinforcement (210), for example cylindrical as in Figure 7A or square sections as in Figure 7B or any other shape.This central reinforcement can be hollow or solid and it is intended to cooperate with a recess in a load-bearing element (EP), such as for example the hole in the central element of a core (A) in Figure 4A, for the example in Figure 7A or as for example in the square housing (L) of a load-bearing element (EP) as in Figures 1A, 1C, 2C, etc. or even Figures 3A, 3B, 3C if the reinforcement is turned by an appropriate angle. Alternatively, the base may instead have an opening, for example as illustrated in Figure 7C, instead of this reinforcement, so as to accommodate reinforcements or load-bearing elements (EP) inside this base (21). Figures 8A and 8B illustrate examples of end caps (28) of profiles for load-bearing elements (EP) or reinforcement brackets (27). These profile tips (28) are used for assembly, thanks to blades (281) configured to match the contours of the peripheral walls of the load-bearing elements (EP), by matching the edges of the recesses (10).In addition, these end pieces (28) may include fixing means, such as for example holes for screwing them onto other elements or accessories. In particular, these profile end pieces (28) inserted on the open ends of the load-bearing elements may be screwed onto assembly supports (26), for example like those illustrated in Figures 6A, 6B and 6C, sometimes assembled in pairs as illustrated in Figure 6D. These supports (26) are used to assemble load-bearing elements together using the profile end pieces (28), the tenons (19) and the reinforcing brackets (27), for example as illustrated in Figure 9B. Like the bases (21), these supports (26) may include openings of a shape complementary to the structural elements of the construction system. For example, in Figure 6A, the support includes a housing (260) matching the shape of the core (A) of Figure 4A.In the example of Figure 6B, the support is solid and therefore forms a bearing surface, while in Figure 6C, the supports have a square housing (260) capable of receiving load-bearing elements (EP) of the same section. The person skilled in the art understands from this the multitude of possible variants which are within the scope of the invention. In general, the structural or reinforcing elements, such as the load-bearing elements (EP) and / or the beams (P) and / or the internal reinforcements (F) and / or the reinforcing profiles (D) comprise (in addition to their housing) openings (11) at the open ends of the parallelepipeds, not confused with the housings (L).These openings (11) are configured to accommodate blades (211) of the reinforcing bases (21) (for example as shown in Figures 7A, 7B and 7C) and / or blades (281) of the profile end pieces (28) (for example as shown in Figures 8A and 8B) and / or to accommodate inserts (12) making it possible to assemble these structural or reinforcing elements end to end (i.e., coaxially aligned: with their collinear longitudinal axes). Such inserts, for example as shown in Figure 8C, comprise at least one stop making it possible to prevent the insert from completely penetrating into the openings (11) of the elements which they join end to end, the latter preferably comprising at the entrance to their opening (11) at least one notch receiving this stop (13), generally formed by a simple rib.

[0071] The assembly supports (26) are generally used in two copies as illustrated in figure 6C and assembled as shown in figures 6D to allow the assembly of various elements in the three dimensions of space, in particular thanks to the bases (21), profile end pieces (28), using the tenons (19) and chamfered wedges (22).

[0072] In general, the profile end pieces (28) are fixed, via their fasteners (for example such as the chamfered tenons (19) and wedges (22)) on the assembly supports (26) which form junction pieces between various load-bearing elements (EP) and each have an H shape (seen from the front or from the side). This H-shaped junction piece (26) makes it possible to fix various suitable profile end pieces (28), of various sections and / or various configurations, in particular with regard to the internal housings (L) of the load-bearing elements (EP) (as illustrated for example in figures 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 7A, 7B, 7C, 8A and 8B), but it also makes it possible to fix posts and beams made of metal or wood by adapting the end piece to be fixed on the H-shaped junction piece (26).

[0073] Some load-bearing elements (EP) are composed of blocks or surrounding elements (B) assembled together by cooperation means (8A, 8B), as for example illustrated in Figures 3E, 3F, 4A, 4C and 4D. In these examples, the use of a sleeve (M) or a corner reinforcement (RC) or a lateral reinforcement (RL) is particularly advantageous for forming a stable load-bearing element (EP).

[0074] In the example of Figure 4A, the beam or column comprises a core element A formed of a rectilinear hollow central element (7) provided in section with four diametrically opposed external hollow protrusions (1) in the form of a dovetail flared outwards and arranged in a cross, these four external hollow protrusions (1) having close internal ends which are spaced from the close internal ends of the adjacent external hollow protrusions and are connected by segments of the hollow central element.

[0075] The beam or column comprises four rectilinear hollow surrounding elements B which are assembled around the core element A forming a square which surrounds the core element A, the four surrounding elements B having in cross-section an internal shape complementary to the four diametrically opposed external protrusions 1 of the core element A. The sleeve (M) of figure 4B advantageously makes it possible to stabilize this element, even in the absence of the core (A). In addition, in the absence of the core (A), the cooperation means (8A, 9A) of the surroundings (B) make it possible to hold them together, without any other complementary element. Nevertheless, figures 4C and 4D illustrate that corner reinforcements (RC) or U-shaped lateral reinforcements (RL) make it possible to stabilize the structure. Figures 3E and 3F show alternatives of surrounding element B which can be assembled together and can be inserted into a sleeve (M) to form a supporting element (EP).

[0076] Figures 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D show examples of reinforcing profiles (D) which can be assembled to the load-bearing elements (EP) to reinforce the structure, as illustrated in Figure 10. Such reinforcing profiles (D) can themselves be reinforced by inserting a reinforcement (F) inside, as illustrated in Figures 5C and 5D. The reinforcing profile D, of essentially rectangular cross-sectional shape, is provided with projections and recesses on their opposite faces, for assembling with the recesses 10A, 10B of the load-bearing elements (EP).

[0077] The recesses 10 are preferably dovetailed to optimize assembly. The figures presented on plates 1 to 10 demonstrate that the invention allows a wide variety of configurations with stable load-bearing elements, complementary to each other or composed of complementary elements such as reinforcements. Of course, all the figures are purely illustrative and not limiting. The reference made to the figures in the present description therefore generally relates to functional means and the invention is not limited to the particular examples provided. Generally speaking, the construction system uses the elements of the present application to obtain a building and therefore uses a set of several hollow beams or posts all of the same length and a plurality of posts all of the same length, with different standardized lengths for ease. However, the elements can be resized at will.For example, when using beams or posts for a home, it is important to take into account that the standard spacing between two posts is 325 cm, and the standard spacing between the beams, thus defining the height, is 280 cm. Thus, for example, a constructed module can be a 740 cm square to which 15 cm of external insulation should be added, i.e. 755 cm on each side, with a central intermediate post under the beams 325 cm from the corner posts. This configuration provides a living area of ​​50.4 m2 with a single central post in the space, the other posts and beams being in the walls.However, with the various interlocking configurations of the system elements, specific dimensioning of the interlocks and assemblies is required to take into account the various dimensions of all the elements, but allows great flexibility on the elements used, depending on the load constraints at the different locations of the construction. In one example, the standard module is built with ten 680 cm beams and nine columns (five intermediate columns of 280 cm and four columns of 340 cm) which represents a total of 95.6 meters of A-profiles.

[0078] 382.4 meters of B profiles (or EP profiles with or without blocks (B) inside and 22.4 meters of D profiles (and / or P beams). Thus, a neighboring standard module sharing a face represents 77.8 meters of A profiles, 311.2 meters of B profiles and 16.8 meters of D profiles. In the same way, the ratio improves as surfaces are shared, so that a standard module on a floor sharing a ceiling / floor represents 61.6 meters of A profiles,

[0079] 246.4 meters of B profiles and 22.4 meters of D profiles. Based on the above information, a construction, for example a house of 151.2 m2 made up of three standard modules, two side by side and the third on the upper floor represents: 235 meters of A profiles, 940 meters of B profiles and 61.6 meters of D profiles, which represents a total of 1236.6 linear meters of profiles. This standard configuration is given only as an example and the dimensions can vary without causing any structural problem.

[0080] In the various variants, the construction can be self-supporting on piles, pillars or raft, for example with bases (21) or not. The construction system induces standard lengths of profiles A, B and D allowing pre-assembly in units of posts, intermediate posts, beams, beams for faster assembly, but this pre-assembly is mainly suitable for structures with two levels (Ground floor + one floor).

[0081] For taller configurations, or requiring posts and / or beams longer than a 340 cm beam, the assembly can be designed with various combinations of the various embodiments detailed in this application.

[0082] In all embodiments, plastic material should be understood to mean any material that can be recycled (HDPE, LDPE, PP, PET, PEF, PS, ABS, etc.). Preferably, the recovered plastic parts can be crushed and shredded. Once shredded, the plastic is washed and then dried before being prepared for an extrusion operation. The polymers are melted by heat and a uniform paste is then obtained. After a succession of conventional steps, a grain is obtained. The granules are then extracted from the extruder. Finally, the grains can be used for the manufacture of the construction elements according to the present invention. Similarly, shredded, crushed and recycled wood or recycled plastic / wood composite materials can be used.

[0083] Building elements can be manufactured by extrusion, 3D printing, injection molding, or other means. Building elements can also be made of composite materials.

[0084] In some embodiments, the system comprises at least one reinforcing profile (D) of polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends, defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least one of the four lateral faces having longitudinal protrusions of shapes and dimensions complementary to those of the recesses (10) of the supporting elements (EP), so that the reinforcing profile (D) is capable of being juxtaposed with at least one of the latter, by sliding along the longitudinal axis, in order to reinforce the system in at least one direction of space. In some of these embodiments, the reinforcing profile (D) comprises, on the face opposite that comprising the protrusions, at least one longitudinal recess of shapes and dimensions similar or identical to the recesses (10) of the supporting elements (EP).

[0085] In certain embodiments, the system comprises at least one interior reinforcement (F) of polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends, defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the shape of parallelograms.

[0086] In some of these embodiments, the shapes and dimensions of the internal reinforcement (F) are complementary to at least one housing (L) of at least one supporting element (EP) or to an internal space present in the polyhedron of at least one reinforcing profile (D) of the system. In certain embodiments not exclusive of the previous ones, the internal reinforcement (F) comprises longitudinal crosspieces (25) defining fixing housings (LF) at each of the two open ends of the internal reinforcement (F) capable of receiving fixing lugs (PF) of an internal reinforcement fixing shoe (SP) configured to receive tenons (19, 22) capable of fixing this shoe (SP) and the internal reinforcement (F) in at least one recess (10) of at least one supporting element (EP).

[0087] In some of these embodiments, at least some of the structural or reinforcing elements (EP, F, B, A, D) of the building system are filled (preferably only in their main hollow portion), during their assembly with each other and the construction of the building, with expanded foam, hardened earth, ceramic, mineral aggregate, concrete (reinforced or not), or any material or combination of materials, which solidifies in the element to reinforce the assembly. Some embodiments also relate to a method of assembling the structural or reinforcing elements (EP, F, B, A, D) such as those described herein, to obtain various embodiments of building systems as detailed herein.Such an assembly method therefore in fact corresponds to a method of manufacturing such construction systems and the person skilled in the art will appreciate the various possible variants for such manufacturing thanks to the details provided here on the system and the structural or reinforcement elements (EP, F, B, A, D) which it comprises.

[0088] On the other hand, certain embodiments also relate to a method for manufacturing the structural or reinforcing elements (EP, F, B, A, D) and in particular the load-bearing elements (EP), as mentioned at the beginning of the present application. The method is described below with regard to the load-bearing elements (EP) only because these are the ones for which the technical constraints are the greatest, but the scope is not limited to these elements alone and in fact also extends to all the structural elements (EP, D, F, P, A, B). Various embodiments of the manufacturing method relate to a particular compounding-extrusion technique using PET (or PEF, as already explained above in the present application) to produce these load-bearing (and / or structural) elements.Preferably, these load-bearing elements (EP) are hollow and in the form of profiles, each linear meter of which has a weight of less than 15 kg, preferably less than 10 kg (but preferably greater than 5 kg). We can thus speak, by abuse of language, of weight or density of less than 10 kg / m per linear meter. Indeed, beyond these values, the extrusion of PET (or PEF) does not make it possible to obtain the load-bearing elements of the present invention and obtaining these elements, even with these values, requires a particular process within the scope of the present application. This process is based on controlling the viscosity of the compound during manufacture, for example with the compounds detailed at the beginning of the present application. The term "viscosity" is used here to actually designate the hot melt flow rate (MFI), as known in the field of extrusion.Melt flow index (MFI), also known as melt flow rate (MFR) or melt index (MI), is a method commonly used in the plastics industry to characterize thermoplastic materials, especially polyolefins. It is used to estimate their extrudability. MFI is usually measured using a testing machine called a melt flow indexer or extrusion meter. The device has a heated barrel with a die at one end and a piston to act on the sample material. A known mass of plastic is placed in the barrel and heated to a specified temperature. Then, a constant load is applied to the piston to force the molten plastic through the die. The amount of plastic that flows from the die in 10 minutes is recorded as the MFI value.Test conditions (temperature, load, and die diameter) vary depending on the type and quality of the plastic. MFI can be obtained by measuring MFR or MVR. The most commonly used standards are ISO 1133 and ASTM D1238, which describe this traditional and relatively simple method, which is easily used for quality control of production and receiving batches. MFR is usually expressed in grams per 10 minutes (g / 10 min), and MVR is usually expressed in cubic centimeters per 10 minutes (cm3 / 10 min). The higher the MFI value, the lower the viscosity and molecular weight of the polymer. This is a thermomechanical method under static loading since a constant disturbance (for this test, pressure) is applied to the material at a given temperature.The melt flow index measures, in arbitrary units, the mass of a thermoplastic material in the "molten" state (fluid or deformable state) flowing through a (usually) cylindrical die, under defined conditions of temperature and pressure for a given time. This criterion provides information on the transformation possibilities of the material. The device is essentially a weight extrusion plastometer (simplified capillary rheometer). The sample (in granules or powder) is melted at a regulated temperature (tests carried out at 190 and 230 ± 0.5 °C for polyethylene and polypropylene respectively, for example). The mass (extrudate) flowing through a standardized (capillary) die (length 8.0 mm; internal diameter 2.096 mm) made of tungsten carbide is then measured, using a loaded piston (standard mass of 2,160 g, for example), for a given time (mass flow rate value expressed in g / 10 min).The melt flow of high polymers depends on the shear rate. The apparatus operates under low shear conditions (stresses and shear rates are lower than those encountered in most plastics processing). However, this method gives an indication of the flowability of different types of samples during processing. A polymer with a high melt flow index should be chosen for injection molding (for example), because this process involves high shear rates. This measurement also provides information on the average molar mass of the sample, which is related to the mechanical strength of the material. The melt flow index is inversely related to the molecular mass. A sample with a high MFI (40, for example) will be easy to form, but will have relatively low mechanical strength.

[0089] To obtain the load-bearing and / or structural elements of the present application, in particular with the weight or density values ​​of 5 to 15, preferably less than 10 kg / m mentioned above, the method comprises an adjustment of the MFI to a value less than 10, preferably less than 8. For this, the compounding-extrusion method uses a vacuum pump in the installation (the manufacturing machine) to apply a vacuum of between - 0.3 and -0.9 bar (therefore -30 and -90 kPa), preferably between -0.4 and -0.8 bar (therefore -40 and -80 kPa) and generally of the order of -0.6 bar (therefore -60 kPa). Indeed, it has been observed that the use of vacuum makes it possible to control the viscosity, in particular by reducing the humidity and various embodiments of the manufacturing process propose to use a vacuum in the above values ​​to obtain a viscosity in the above MFI values, which allows the elements of the system to be obtained during extrusion.Indeed, thanks to the cooling at the outlet of the extruder, such a material is capable of solidifying permanently in the form of profiles such as those described in the present application. On the other hand, even with an identical initial composition of the compound, a material produced with a weight (per linear meter) and an MFI outside the above values ​​turns out to be too liquid (does not hold) or, conversely, too brittle at the outlet of the extruder. It should be noted that the present method is therefore not limited to the exact shape of the structural elements described in the present application (with longitudinal grooves etc.) but applies to many other forms of structural elements as long as they are hollow and have similar external dimensions, such as for example construction system elements such as those described for example (in a non-limiting manner) in applications WO2018 / 146533, WO20 19 / 063828, WO2019 / 202498, WO2023 / 067438 or any other invention relating to similar systems (eg, using assemblable elements with similar dimensions and weights).

[0090] Preferred embodiments of the method for manufacturing structural elements of a plastic construction system therefore generally comprise:

[0091] - at least one material preparation step using a PET mixture

[0092] (or PEF) with at least one “filler”, preferably fibrous, and generally at least one additive,

[0093] - at least one step of selecting at least one profile whose shape is determined on the one hand according to the characteristics of the structural elements and the density of said material so as to obtain a weight of less than 15 kg per linear meter of profile,

[0094] - at least one compounding step from this mixture with application of a vacuum between -30 and -90 kPa so as to obtain an MFI of less than 10,

[0095] - at least one step of extrusion of the compound and cooling to obtain said elements.

[0096] In some of these embodiments, the applied vacuum is between -40 and -80 kPa and preferably in the order of -60 kPa and the MFI is less than 8.

[0097] In some of these embodiments, said mineral filler comprises glass or carbon fiber.

[0098] In some of these embodiments, said selection of the profile shape is carried out to obtain a weight of less than 10 kg per linear meter of material. Various embodiments use various additives within the know-how and may for example be of the type described in the present application.

[0099] On the other hand, various embodiments of the method also concern the parameters used during the extrusion step itself, after those of weight and MFI adjustment. Indeed, the difficulty of obtaining such PET (or PEF) construction elements has been effectively overcome with such weight and MFI parameters, by using certain values ​​of the flow rate and speed parameters of the extruder. Good results of stable and reliable structural elements have been obtained in particular with flow rates ("throughput" in English) between 500 and 1600 kg / h (kilograms per hour), preferably between 800 and 1000 kg / h, generally of the order of 900 kg / h and extrusion speeds (in rpm: revolutions / minute or "RPM" in English) between 200 and 600 rpm, preferably 300 to 400 rpm and generally of the order of 350 rpm. Thus, preferred embodiments of the process use a vacuum of -60kPA, a flow rate of 900 kg / h and 350 rpm.Thus, in various preferred embodiments, the compound extrusion step is carried out with a flow rate of between 800 and 1000 kg / h and a speed of between 300 and 400 rpm.

[0100] It is understood from the present application that the illustrative figures are not limiting and serve to provide examples for the functional explanations of the various embodiments described in the present application. Similarly, it is understood that the various embodiments are not mutually exclusive, except when it is obvious that they are not compatible. The various embodiments can therefore be combined with each other, in particular on different technical characteristics and, moreover, these characteristics can be isolated from the other characteristics presented in the same figure, at least if their functions are different.

[0101] List of references in the figures: EP load-bearing element

[0102] L Housing

[0103] Mr. Sleeve

[0104] 25 Reinforcing crosspiece

[0105] 10 longitudinal recess

[0106] Core

[0107] B carrier block

[0108] 8A protuberance

[0109] 9A recess

[0110] RL side reinforcement

[0111] RC corner reinforcement

[0112] D reinforcement profile

[0113] F internal reinforcement

[0114] 27 reinforcement bracket

[0115] 26 assembly support

[0116] 260 support housing

[0117] 21 base for load-bearing element

[0118] 210 central base reinforcement

[0119] 211 base blade

[0120] 28 profile end caps for supporting element or bracket

[0121] 281 profile end blade

[0122] 6 hollow projections

[0123] 11 assembly openings

[0124] 12 assembly insert

[0125] 13 insert stop

[0126] 18 beam fixing shoes

[0127] 19 studs

[0128] 22 chamfered wedge

[0129] SP interior reinforcement fixing shoe

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Building construction system, with assemblable hollow load-bearing elements, comprising a plurality of load-bearing elements (EP), such as beams, posts, girders, which are hollow and assemblable, each load-bearing element (EP) having a polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends by defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least two of the four lateral faces comprise at least two longitudinal recesses (10) in the form of grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, said recesses (10) having dimensions outside said peripheral wall which are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall, to form female means capable of receiving male means of another element of a construction system,said supporting element (EP) being characterized in that it comprises at least one housing (L) extending from one of said open ends to the other to form a sleeve (M) capable of accommodating at least one other structural or reinforcing element (EP, F, B, A, D) of the construction system., 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (L) forms a parallelepiped sleeve (M), with a section of dimensions smaller than those of the carrier element (EP), defining an inner wall of the carrier element (EP) connected to said outer wall by longitudinal crosspieces (25).

3. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (L) forms a polyhedral sleeve (M) whose peripheral faces are delimited by longitudinal crosspieces (25) connecting the internal surface of one face of the peripheral wall to the internal surface of another face.

4. System according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the housing (L) has an orientation turned by a determined angle relative to the orientation of the peripheral walls of the supporting element (EP).

5. System according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the housing of the load-bearing element (EP) is open on one face or an angle of the peripheral walls, to accommodate another load-bearing element (EP) of reduced dimensions and complementary to those of the housing (L) for assembly with at least one other structural or reinforcement element (EP, F, B, A, D) of the construction system.

6. System according to claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the open housing (L) turned by a determined angle is configured to receive a load-bearing element (EP) capable of being assembled with at least one other structural or reinforcing element (EP, F, B, A, D) of the construction system, oriented according to this determined angle.

7. System according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises at least one reinforcing profile (D) of polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends by defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least one of the four lateral faces having longitudinal protuberances of shapes and dimensions complementary to those of the recesses (10) of the supporting elements (EP), so that the reinforcing profile (D) is capable of being juxtaposed with at least one of the latter, by sliding along the longitudinal axis, in order to reinforce the system in at least one direction of space.

8. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the reinforcing profile (D) comprises, on the face opposite that comprising the protuberances, at least one longitudinal recess of shapes and dimensions similar or identical to the recesses (10) of the supporting elements (EP).

9. System according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises at least one internal reinforcement (F) of polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends, defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the shape of parallelograms.

10. System according to claim 9, characterized in that the shapes and dimensions of the internal reinforcement (F) are complementary to at least one housing (L) of at least one load-bearing element (EP) or of an interior space present in the polyhedron of at least one reinforcement profile (D) of the system.

11. System according to one of claims 9 and 10, characterized in that the internal reinforcement (F) comprises longitudinal crosspieces (25) defining fixing housings (LF) at each of the two open ends of the internal reinforcement (F) capable of receiving fixing lugs (PF) of an internal reinforcement fixing shoe (SP) configured to receive tenons (19, 22) capable of fixing this shoe (SP) and the internal reinforcement (F) in at least one recess (10) of at least one supporting element (EP).

12. System according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that at least some of the structural or reinforcing elements (EP, F, B, A, D) of the construction system are filled, during their assembly with each other and the construction of the building, with expanded foam, hardened earth, ceramic, mineral aggregate, reinforced or unreinforced concrete, or any material or combination of materials, solidified to reinforce the assembly.

13. A load-bearing element (EP), for example a beam or post, hollow and modular for a building construction system according to one of claims 1 to 10, said load-bearing element (EP) having a polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends by defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least two of the four lateral faces comprising at least two longitudinal recesses (10) in the form of grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, said recesses (10) having dimensions outside said peripheral wall which are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall, to form female means capable of receiving male means of another element of a construction system,said supporting element (EP) being characterized in that it comprises at least one housing (L) extending from one of said open ends to the other to form a sleeve (M) capable of accommodating another element capable of accommodating at least one other structural element (EP, F, B, A) of the construction system., 14. Load-bearing element (EP), for example beam or post, hollow and assemblable for construction system, said load-bearing element (EP) having a polyhedral shape, preferably parallelepiped, extending along a longitudinal axis between two open ends by defining a peripheral wall comprising at least four lateral faces in the form of parallelograms, at least two of the four lateral faces comprise at least two longitudinal recesses (10) in the form of grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the two open ends, said recesses (10) having dimensions outside said peripheral wall which are smaller than their dimensions inside the peripheral wall, to form female means capable of receiving male means of another element of a construction system,characterized in that at least two of said recesses (10) are arranged symmetrically on either side of the longitudinal center line of said lateral face., 15. Method for manufacturing structural elements for a building construction system comprising a plurality of load-bearing elements (EP), such as beams, posts, girders, which are hollow and can be assembled together from a plastic material, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one step of preparing the material by mixing PET and / or PEF with at least one filler, preferably fibrous, and generally at least one additive, - at least one step of selecting at least one profile whose shape is determined on the one hand according to the characteristics of the structural elements and the density of said material so as to obtain a weight of less than 15 kg per linear meter of profile, - at least one compounding step from this mixture with application of a vacuum between -30 and -90 kPa so as to obtain an MFI of less than 10, - at least one step of extrusion of the compound and cooling to obtain said elements.

16. Method according to claim 15, characterized in that the vacuum applied is between -40 and -80 kPa and preferably of the order of -60 kPa and the MFI is less than 8.

17. Method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that said filler is mineral and comprises glass and / or carbon and / or basalt.

18. Method according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that said selection of the shape of the profile is carried out to obtain a weight of less than 10 kg per linear meter of material.

19. Method according to one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that the step of extruding the compound is carried out with a flow rate of between 800 and 1000 kg / h and a speed of between 300 and 400 rpm.

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