Masonry Support

Abstract

The invention relates to an improved masonry support for a cavity wall construction. In particular, the invention provides a masonry support comprising a bracket for affixing the masonry support to an

Description

Field of the Invention 5 The invention relates to an improved masonry support for a cavity wall construction. Background 10 15 08 05 25 20 25 30 35 Buildings are now commonly constructed using a cavity wall construction, wherein exterior walls of the building have an inner skin and an outer skin which are separated by an air cavity. The air cavity may hold an insulating material. As well as providing insulation, such a construction helps to reduce water ingress into the building. However, the cavity may also contain other structures, for example ties to provide structural stability to the construction, and damp proof coursing to prevent rising damp and seal the footprint of the building against gas which rises from the ground. Damp proof courses may be provided in the form of a cavity tray which bridges the gap between the inner and outer skins of the cavity wall, tracking any water which falls onto the tray (e.g. condensation formed in the cavity, or penetrating rain) to the outer skin where it is deposited to the exterior of the building via 'weep holes' or the like. This helps prevent moisture entering the building envelope. In some cavity wall constructions, the outer skin is anchored and supported relative to the inner skin using masonry support systems. An example of a masonry support in a cavity wall is shown in Fig. 1. The cavity wall 1000 comprises an inner skin 1002 and an outer skin 1004, which are separated by a cavity 1006. A masonry support 100 is fitted within the cavity 1006 to tie the inner skin 1002 and the outer skin 1004 together, and provide support for the outer skin 1004. The masonry support 100 comprises a bracket 102 which is affixed to the inner skin 1002 by a bolt 102. An angle portion 104, which in effect forms a shelf supported by the bracket, is connected to the bracket 102 and extends into the outer skin 1004 to support the masonry thereof. Although not depicted in Fig. 1, it will be appreciated that the angle 104 10 is an elongate structure which extends along the cavity wall 1000, and brackets 102 are positioned at intervals along the length of the angle 104. Such masonry supports are particularly used in cavity wall constructions where the inner skin is a load bearing structure, which may be constructed of concrete blocks or the like, and the outer skin is non load bearing and has a more aesthetically pleasing and weather-resistant function, for example the outer skin may be constructed of bricks. Masonry supports may be provided only at ground level of a construction, though for taller buildings masonry supports are provided at intervals, such as at every third story or in some cases every story. 15 Summary 08 05 25 25 30 35 At its most general, the present invention provides an improvement to a masonry support to provide damp proof course functionality as a cavity tray. Aspects of the invention are set out in the appended claims . Disclosed herein is a masonry support for a cavity wall construction comprising an inner skin and an outer skin having a cavity therebetween, the masonry support comprising a bracket for affixing the masonry support to the inner skin of the cavity wall, for example one or more brackets may be used and bolted or otherwise fixed to the inner skin; an elongate angle portion for supporting the outer skin of the cavity wall; and a cavity tray adapter mountable on the elongate angle portion, wherein the cavity tray adapter comprises an upstanding web portion which slopes upwardly away from the angle portion to provide a drainage surface of the masonry support in use. In this way, the masonry support also acts as a cavity tray, which can track liquid, such as water, which is present within the cavity to the outer skin of the cavity wall where it may be conveyed outside the building envelope (e.g. through weep holes or the like in the outer skin). This arrangement is particularly advantageous as it eliminates the requirement for separate damp proof coursing to be provided in the cavity wall construction, and furthermore by integrating the cavity tray with the masonry support the damp proof course 10 15 08 05 25 25 30 35 protection is positioned at the critical support level of the cavity wall, rather than at a different level as required by separate masonry support and damp proof coursing. Preferably, the upstanding web portion may slope upwardly at an angle of between 20° and 60° from a vertical axis which is perpendicular to the elongate angle portion. Of course, any suitable angle may be chosen according to the dimensions of the cavity in which the masonry support is fitted. However, an angle of around 30° may be particularly preferred. Steeper angles of the upstanding web portion may make the masonry support more difficult to install and take up space in the cavity wall which could otherwise be used for cavity insulation, whereas shallower angles may reduce the efficacy of the drainage surface in tracking water to the outer skin. Optionally, the upstanding web portion may have a height of at least 100 mm, for example up to 300 mm. Of course, any suitable height may be chosen according to the construction of a given cavity wall, and the dimensions of the cavity in which the masonry support is fitted. However, a height of around 150 mm may be particularly preferred. An increased height may make the masonry support more difficult to install and take up space in the cavity wall which could otherwise be used for cavity insulation, whereas a reduced height may reduce the efficacy of the drainage surface in tracking water to the outer skin. Preferably, the masonry support may be made of a noncombustible material, such as a metal material. Of course, other non-combustible materials may be used as appropriate. The cavity tray adapter comprises a connector portion for fitting the cavity tray adapter onto the angle portion. Preferably, the upstanding web portion may comprise a lower vertical section and an upper sloping section which slopes upwardly and rearwardly of the vertical section. That is, the upper sloping section is angled with respect to the lower vertical section. For example, in certain embodiments each of the lower vertical section and the upper sloping section may be planar elements, and the upper section may be angled relative to the lower section at an angle of at least 30°. By proving a lower vertical section and an upper sloped section in this way, the arrangement may ensure that the upstanding web portion allows easy access to the bracket or 08 05 25 brackets to ensure that the masonry support can be easily installed in a cavity wall. For example, the vertical section may have a predetermined height which allows such access to the bracket. 5 Optionally, the bracket and the elongate angle portion may also be provided as separate components which may be fitted together. For example, the angle portion may be affixed to the bracket using a bolt or the like, or the angle portion may be received in a slot formed in the bracket and supported 10 by a cantilever arrangement. The invention provides a building construction comprising an upstanding cavity wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, the cavity wall being formed by an inner skin and an outer skin having a cavity therebetween; and a masonry support 15 as discussed above mounted within the cavity, wherein the bracket is affixed to the inner skin, the angle portion extends into the outer skin, and the upstanding web portion slopes at least partially across the cavity to provide a drainage surface which conveys liquid towards the outer skin. 20 The masonry support thereby provides a drainage pathway for liquid, such as water, within the cavity, wherein the drainage pathway extends at least partially across the cavity from the inner skin to the outer skin on the upstanding web portion of the masonry support. In some examples, an upper surface of the 25 angle portion may also form part of the drainage pathway to track water to the outer skin. In this way, the invention provides a cavity wall construction in which a masonry support also acts as a cavity tray, which can track liquid, such as water, which is present within the cavity to the outer skin of 30 the cavity wall where it may be conveyed outside the building envelope (e.g. through weep holes or the like in the outer skin). The present invention is particularly advantageous as it eliminates the requirement for separate damp proof coursing to be provided in the cavity wall construction, and 35 furthermore by integrating the cavity tray with the masonry support the damp proof course protection is positioned at the critical support level of the cavity wall, rather than at a different level as required by separate masonry support and damp proof coursing. Preferably, the building construction comprises an aperture through the outer skin, wherein a drainage pathway 10 15 08 05 25 25 30 35 extends from an upper surface of the upstanding web portion and terminates at the aperture. For example, the aperture may be a weep hole. Advantageously, the angle portion may extend at least halfway through the outer skin, for example two-thirds of the way through the outer skin, in order to ensure that the angle portion provides good structural support of the outer skin. According to the present invention, the masonry support further comprises a cavity tray adapter comprising: a connector portion for fitting the cavity tray adapter to the angle portion of the masonry support; and an upstanding web portion which slopes upwardly away from the connector portion so as to provide a drainage surface of the cavity tray adapter in use. That is, the upstanding web portion is angled with respect to the connector portion to provide a drainage surface in use. The connector portion may comprise features which are configured to interlock or mate with the angle portion of the masonry support in order to hold the cavity tray adapter in position. Preferably, the upstanding web portion may comprise a lower vertical section and an upper sloping section which slopes upwardly and rearwardly of the vertical section. Such an arrangement may ensure that the cavity tray adapter can be used with a variety of masonry supports, as the upstanding web section may thereby be configured to fit around the brackets of existing masonry supports. In addition, the upstanding web portion may allow easy access to the bracket or brackets to ensure that the masonry support can be easily installed in a cavity wall. Preferably, the upstanding web portion may slope upwardly at an angle of between 20° and 60° from the vertical section. Of course, any suitable angle may be chosen according to the dimensions of the cavity in which the masonry support is fitted. However, an angle of around 30° may be particularly preferred. Steeper angles of the upstanding web portion may make the cavity tray adapter and masonry support more difficult to install and take up space in the cavity wall which could otherwise be used for cavity insulation, whereas shallower angles may reduce the efficacy of the drainage surface in tracking water to the outer skin. 10 15 08 05 25 25 Optionally, the upstanding web portion may have a height of at least 100 mm, for example up to 300 mm. Of course, any suitable height may be chosen according to the construction of a given cavity wall, and the dimensions of the cavity in which the cavity tray adapter and masonry support is fitted. However, a height of around 150 mm may be particularly preferred. An increased height may make the cavity tray adapter and masonry support more difficult to install and take up space in the cavity wall which could otherwise be used for cavity insulation, whereas a reduced height may reduce the efficacy of the drainage surface in tracking water to the outer skin. Preferably, the cavity tray adapter is made of noncombustible material. Additionally or alternatively, the cavity tray adapter may be made of a rigid material so that the upstanding web portion is able to act as a drainage surface without requiring any additional support elements. For example, the cavity tray adapter may be made from a metal material, such as stainless steel or aluminium. Advantageously, the connector portion may comprise a U-shaped channel configured to fit over the angle portion of a masonry support. Additionally or alternatively, the connector portion may comprise a brace configured to mate with a bracket of a masonry support. In this way, the cavity tray adapter may be adapted to be mountable on a range of masonry supports. Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way 30 of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a cross section through a known cavity wall construction with a prior art masonry support; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a masonry support 35 suitable for use in embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a cavity tray adapter being mounted on a masonry support; and Figure 4 shows a cross section through a building construction comprising a masonry support that is an 40 embodiment of the present invention. 08 05 25 Detailed Description and Further Optional Features of the Invention Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a masonry support 200 5 that is suitable for use in embodiments of the present invention. The masonry support 200 comprises two brackets 202a, 202b for affixing the masonry support to the inner skin of a cavity wall. For example, the brackets 202a, 202b may provide a mounting point for bolts or any other suitable 10 fittings to allow the masonry support to be affixed to the inner skin of a cavity wall. The masonry support 200 also comprises an elongate angle portion 204. It will be appreciated that any suitable number of similar brackets may be provided on the masonry support 200 and brackets may be 15 provided at intervals along the length of the angle portion 204. The angle portion 204 has a substantially planar element which is configured to sit within the outer skin of a cavity wall in order to support the outer skin. In this way, the masonry support 200 provides structural support to a cavity 20 wall and also helps to tie the outer skin and inner skin of the cavity wall together. The masonry support 200 also comprises an upstanding web portion 206 which slopes upwardly away from the angle portion to provide a drainage surface of the masonry support in use. 25 For example, when the masonry support 200 is positioned within a cavity wall construction, the upstanding web portion 206 slopes at least partially across the cavity between the inner skin and the outer skin of the cavity wall so as to track water towards the outer skin on its upper surface, as will be 30 explained in more detail below. It will be appreciated from Fig. 2 that the upstanding web portion 206 slopes at an angle from a vertical axis which is perpendicular to the plane of the angle portion 204. The masonry support 200 may be provided as a single unitary construction which can be mounted within a 35 cavity wall. The upstanding web portion 206 forms part of a separate cavity tray adapter which is mountable on the angle portion 204, as described below. In other embodiments, the brackets 202a, 202b and the angle portion 204 may also be separate components which can be fitted together to form the 40 masonry support 200. The brackets 202a, 202b and the angle portion 204 may be fitted together in any suitable manner. For 10 15 08 05 25 25 30 35 example, the angle portion 204 may be supported from slots formed in the brackets 202a, 202b as a cantilever arrangement. Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a cavity tray adapter 300 that is suitable for use in embodiments of the present invention being mounted on a masonry support. In particular, Fig. 3 shows the cavity tray adapter 300 being mounted on an angle portion 310 of a masonry support, the brackets being omitted from the figure for clarity. The cavity tray adapter 300 comprises a connector portion 302 and an upstanding web portion 304 which slopes (i.e. at an angle) upwardly away from the connector portion 302 so as to provide a drainage surface of the cavity tray adapter 300 in use. As shown in Fig. 3, the connector portion 302 is a lower vertical section which is adapted to fit with the angle portion 310, and the upstanding web portion 304 is an upper sloping section which slopes upwardly and rearwardly of the vertical section. That is, the upstanding web portion 304 is angled relative to the connector portion 302, for example at an angled of around 30° By being configured in this way, the upstanding web portion 304 can extend at least partially across a cavity and provide a drainage path which leads water towards the outer skin of a cavity wall. The angle portion 310 is a generally elongate L-shaped construction. A rear planar element 312 is oriented substantially vertically, and brackets may be fixed to the rear planar element 312 in order to affixed the masonry support to an inner skin of a cavity wall. A front planar element 314 is oriented generally perpendicularly to the rear element 312, and is configured to sit within an outer skin of a cavity wall when in use so as to provide support to the outer skin. As shown in Fig. 3, the connector portion 302 of the cavity tray adapter 300 comprises an upturned U-shaped channel which is configured to mate with the rear element 312 by fitting over the rear element 312 of the angle portion 310. In this way, the cavity tray adapter 300 may be fitted to a variety of masonry support structures to provide damp proof course functionality. In some embodiments, the connector portion 302 may be adapted to ensure that the cavity tray adapter 300 does not impede the brackets which are used to affix the masonry support to the inner skin. For example, the 10 15 08 05 25 25 30 35 connector portion 302 may have cut-out portions which are configured to be shaped around the brackets. In some embodiments these cut-out portions may conform with the brackets in order to act as supporting braces to fit the cavity tray adapter 300 to the masonry support. In other examples, the vertical section in which the connector portion 302 is formed may rise to a height which is greater than that of brackets which are fixed to the angle portion 310, so that the upstanding web portion 304 is able to slope rearwardly without impeding the brackets and allowing easy access to the brackets for mounting the masonry support in a cavity. The cavity tray adapter 300 is preferably made of a suitably rigid material so that it does not require any additional supporting elements to hold it in place above the angle portion 310 to function as a cavity tray. For example, the cavity tray adapter 300 may be made of a metal material, which may also be non-combustible, though other materials such as plastics materials like uPVC may also be considered. Fig. 4 shows a cross section through a building construction 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The building construction 400 comprises an upstanding cavity wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, the cavity wall being formed by an inner skin 4002 and an outer skin 4004 having a cavity 4006 therebetween. A masonry support is mounted within the cavity 4006, the masonry support comprising a cavity tray adapter 402, an angle portion 410, and brackets for fixing the masonry support to the inner skin 4002 (not shown). The angle portion 410 extends at least halfway through, preferably around two-thirds of the way through, the outer skin 4004, in order to provide good support for the outer skin 4004. Similarly to that described above with respect to Fig. 3, the cavity tray adapter 402 comprises a connector portion 404 comprising a U-shaped channel which is configured to fit over a rear element of the angle portion 410. An upstanding web portion 406 of the cavity tray adapter 402 slopes upwardly away from the connector portion 404 so as to provide a drainage surface of the cavity tray adapter 402 (and, thereby a drainage surface of the masonry support). Of course, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the cavity tray adapter 402 may be unitary with the masonry support. 10 15 08 05 25 25 30 It can be appreciated from Fig. 4 that the upstanding web portion 406 slopes upwards and rearwardly at an angle of around 30° from the vertical, though of course in other examples alternative angles may be preferred. Furthermore, it should be noted that the upstanding web portion 406 has a height which ensures that an upper edge of the web portion 406 rests against the cavity-facing surface of the inner skin 4006. This height may depend on the width of the cavity 4006, but is preferably between 100 mm and 300 mm in the vertical direction. In this way, the upstanding web portion 406 extends across a majority of the cavity 4006 to form a drainage surface which can track water towards the outer skin 4004 of the cavity wall. In order to drain water to the outside of the cavity wall, a drainage flow path passes from the upper surface of the upstanding web portion 406 and across an upper surface of the angle portion 410, where water or other liquid is deposited at the outer skin 4004. In this way, an upper surface of the angle portion 410 may form part of the drainage flow path. In some embodiments, weep holes or the like may be present in the outer skin, forming apertures which direct water from the drainage flow path and out of the building envelope . Although not shown in Fig. 4, in some examples a horizontal web portion may extend laterally from an upper edge of the upstanding web portion 406. In this way, an upper edge of the upstanding web portion 406 may be secured within the inner skin 4002, for example within the mortar between adjacent blocks forming the inner skin 4002. Although a few preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. 08 05 25

Claims

1. A building construction comprising:an upstanding cavity wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, the cavity wall being formed by an inner skin and an outer skin having a cavity therebetween; anda masonry support mounted within the cavity, the masonry support comprising:a bracket affixed to the inner skin of the cavity wall;an elongate angle portion supporting the outer skin, the elongate angle portion comprising a front planar element located within the outer skin, and a rear planar element oriented perpendicular to the front planar element and extending upwards therefrom; anda cavity tray adapter mounted on the elongate angle portion, wherein the cavity tray adapter comprises:a connector portion connected to the rear planar element of the elongate angle portion to support the cavity tray adaptor within the cavity without requiring the cavity tray adaptor to be fixed to the inner skin or the outer skin; andan upstanding web portion which slopes upwardly away from the elongate angle portion across the cavity towards the inner skin to provide a drainage surface for conveying liquid towards the outer skin.

2. A building construction according to claim 1, further comprising an aperture through the outer skin, wherein a drainage pathway extends from an upper surface of the upstanding web portion and terminates at the aperture.

3. A building construction according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the angle portion extends at least halfway through the outer skin .

4. A building construction according to any preceding claim, wherein the upstanding web portion has a height of at least 100 mm.5.A building construction according to any preceding claim,wherein the upstanding web portion has a height of less than 300 mm.

6. A building construction according to any preceding claim,wherein the upstanding web portion has a height of around 150 mm.

7. A building construction according to any preceding claim,wherein the masonry support is made of a non-combustible material.

8. A building construction according to claim 7, wherein themasonry support is made of a metal material.

9. A building construction according to any preceding claim, wherein the connector portion comprising an inverted U-shaped channel fitted on the rear planar element of the elongate angle portion .08 05 2510. A building construction according to any preceding claim, wherein the upstanding web portion comprises a lower vertical section and an upper sloping section which slopes upwardly from the vertical section towards the inner skin.

11. A building construction according to any preceding claim, wherein the bracket and the elongate angle portion are separate components which can be fitted together.

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