Kit for building a wall and related building process
The construction kit with prefabricated foundations and support feet enables secure, rapid, and cost-effective assembly of walls with curved profiles, addressing alignment and safety issues in existing methods.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MONACHINO GABRIELE
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-18
Smart Images

Figure IB2025062618_18062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] KIT FOR BUILDING A WALL AND RELATED BUILDING PROCESS TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of walls and more specifically to a construction kit for a wall on a partially prefabricated foundation and a related building process.
[0003] BACKGROUND
[0004] When building walls, for example, concrete ones, at least partially prefabricated walls are used, and the challenge is to ensure a secure connection between the prefabricated wall and the foundation.
[0005] According to one technique, illustrated in Figure 1, protruding reinforcements are installed in the foundation (cast in place) and the wall is placed on the foundation so that the protruding reinforcements are inserted inside the prefabricated walls. The connection between the prefabricated wall and the foundation (cast in place) is achieved by pouring a hardening construction fluid, such as concrete, into the prefabricated wall. This technique is used, for example, in the construction of double-wall / twin-wall walls. Inherent disadvantages of this technique include:
[0006] - the high cost, due to the use of specialized labor for installing the reinforcing bars and formwork for the cast-in-place foundation;
[0007] - the slow pace of foundation construction;
[0008] - the slow pace of prefabricated wall assembly, due to the need for on-site props, which are used to hold the walls in place during assembly and while the concrete is being poured inside them.
[0009] According to another technique, illustrated in Figure 2, the prefabricated walls have metal sheaths, embedded within the base of the walls, and the foundations (typically cast-in-place) have protruding reinforcement facing upward. When the walls need to be erected on the foundations, the walls are lowered onto the foundations so that the protruding reinforcement from the foundation fits into the sheaths at the base of the prefabricated walls. Expensive mortars are then poured into the sheaths to embed the rebar.
[0010] In a dual technique, prefabricated walls are equipped with reinforcement protruding from the base of the wall, which is intended to face the foundation, and the foundation has internal sheaths. When the wall is lowered onto the foundation, the reinforcement protruding from the bottom of the wall is inserted into the sheaths installed in the foundation. As with the previous technique, this technique also requires expensive grouting mortars to be poured into the sheaths.
[0011] Another drawback of both techniques is that assembly tolerances are relatively tight, since the reinforcing bars protruding from the foundation or wall must be spaced precisely to fit into their respective sheaths in the wall or foundation.
[0012] According to yet another technique, illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, a layer of lean concrete is placed on the wall construction site to create a substantially horizontal surface for positioning the foundation reinforcing bars. Once the reinforcing bars have been positioned around the bases of the prefabricated wall resting on the lean concrete layer (Figure 4), the foundation is lined with panels to form a formwork and then concrete, or another construction hardening fluid, is poured into the formwork, thus joining the wall to the foundation. As clearly illustrated in the figures, the wall must be shored up to keep it upright while the reinforcing bars are placed, a time-consuming operation that also presents safety concerns for workers, who must manually position the reinforcing bars while working close to a wall (Figure 3) that is not securely anchored. These problems are further exacerbated when a wall is constructed that does not extend in a straight line, but must follow a curved or broken-line profile.
[0013] According to yet another technique, illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the foundations are completely prefabricated, as are the walls, and are equipped with sheaths that extend toward a surface intended to serve as the bearing surface for the prefabricated wall. Reinforcing bars protruding from the base of the prefabricated wall are inserted into these sheaths, so that the wall resting on the prefabricated foundation inserts its protruding reinforcing bars within the foundation sheaths. Here too, there are difficulties due to tight tolerances, because the protruding reinforcing bars of the prefabricated walls must be precisely inserted into their respective foundation sheaths. Furthermore, the sheaths must be filled with relatively expensive mortars for grouting the reinforcing bars of the walls, with the further disadvantage that the walls are not optimally connected to the foundation, except for the fact that the reinforcing bars are inserted into the sheaths. Finally, with this technique the various pieces of the foundation are juxtaposed without actually being joined to each other to form a single-block foundation.
[0014] All these problems are further exacerbated when a continuous wall that doesn't extend in a straight line is required, as the various pieces of the completely prefabricated foundation are no longer adjacent to each other, but must have peripheral sides at least partially separated from each other. Furthermore, completely prefabricated foundations entail high transportation costs and inherent difficulties in adjusting the wall's position on the foundation.
[0015] SUMMARY
[0016] One object of the present invention is to provide elements of a kit for building a wall that at least partially solves the aforementioned problems. Specifically, the construction kit of the present invention allows for the construction of walls that can also follow a broken line or a curve, using prefabricated walls and partially prefabricated foundations. Their very structure and shape allow for easy and safe installation of the walls as well as the joining of multiple foundations into a single, single-piece foundation firmly welded to the walls erected above it. This excellent result has been achieved with a kit for building a wall, erected on a partially prefabricated foundation, as defined in claim 1. A method for constructing a wall, for example with a broken-line profile, using the construction kit according to this disclosure is also disclosed.
[0017] Further embodiments are defined in the appended claims.
[0018] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Figure 1 schematically illustrates how to install a prefabricated wall on a foundation (cast in place) with reinforcements protruding vertically from the foundation level. Figure 2 shows a prefabricated wall with metal sheaths embedded within the base of the wall itself and a foundation with reinforcement bars protruding upwards, inserted into the sheaths and secured with mortar.
[0020] Figure 3 shows a worker placing foundation reinforcement bars on a layer of lean concrete on which prefabricated walls are propped up in an upright position.
[0021] Figure 4 shows panels arranged around the reinforcing bars, laid as illustrated in Figure 3, to form a formwork that defines the foundation to be built by pouring concrete into it. Figure 5 shows fully prefabricated foundations with open-top sheaths being filled with mortar to embed the reinforcing bars of the walls to be placed on the foundations and to fill the void created between the bearing surface of the prefabricated foundations and the foundation itself.
[0022] Figure 6 shows the installation of walls with ribs over the prefabricated foundations shown in Figure 5.
[0023] Figure 7 is a plan view of a partially prefabricated Il-shaped foundation from a kit according to the present disclosure, with reinforcing bars suspended above the openings defined by the longitudinal internal walls and the transverse perimeter wall of the II-shaped foundation.
[0024] Figure 8 shows a profile view of a prefabricated wall from a kit according to the present disclosure with reinforcing ribs, with reinforcing bars protruding below the wall and the ribs.
[0025] Figure 9 shows how to construct a wall on a partially prefabricated Il-shaped foundation using a kit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, including screw-in wall support feet and an optional removable panel to define a formwork.
[0026] Figure 10 is a detail view of Figure 9 showing how the support feet are removably attached to the wall and the longitudinal interior walls of the Il-shaped foundation.
[0027] Figure 11 shows how to construct a wall on a partially prefabricated foundation having only two longitudinal interior walls and suspended reinforcement protruding in the transverse direction, using a kit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, including two optional removable panels to define a formwork.
[0028] Figure 12 shows a prefabricated wall from a kit according to the present disclosure mounted on the longitudinal interior walls of a partially prefabricated Il-shaped foundation and adjustably attached to them by four support feet.
[0029] Figure 13 shows a prefabricated wall from a kit according to the present disclosure mounted on a prefabricated Il-shaped foundation whose longitudinal internal walls have a height that decreases as one moves away from the transverse perimeter wall towards the respective free ends.
[0030] Figure 14 shows a prefabricated wall from a kit according to the present disclosure mounted on the longitudinal internal walls of a partially prefabricated Il-shaped foundation having suspended reinforcement bars that also protrude in the longitudinal direction.
[0031] Figure 15a shows two prefabricated walls mounted in a trench above two partially prefabricated Il-shaped foundations according to one aspect of the present disclosure, with reinforcement bars protruding longitudinally from both foundations.
[0032] Figure 15b shows two prefabricated walls mounted in a trench above two partially prefabricated Il-shaped foundations according to one aspect of the present disclosure, with reinforcement bars protruding longitudinally from only one foundation.
[0033] Figures 16a and 16b are similar to Figures 15a and 15b but show prefabricated walls assembled backwards to form, for example, a bridge abutment.
[0034] Figure 17 shows a prefabricated wall from a kit according to the present disclosure mounted on the longitudinal interior walls of a partially prefabricated foundation having only two longitudinal interior walls and suspended reinforcement protruding in both the transverse and longitudinal directions.
[0035] Figures 18a through 19b are similar to Figures 15a and 15b but show two partially prefabricated foundations of the type illustrated in Figure 17 extended longitudinally by a third foundation of the type shown in Figure 17. Figures 20 through 23 show the successive construction steps of a wall using the kit according to the present disclosure shown in Figure 10.
[0036] Figure 24 shows two Il-shaped foundations from kits according to the present disclosure, one adjacent to the other so that the transverse perimeter walls are aligned, with the transverse reinforcement protruding from both foundations.
[0037] Figure 25 shows how to construct a continuous wall using multiple kits of the present disclosure, so as to create a single foundation that integrally connects the various prefabricated walls erected above it.
[0038] Figure 26 shows several Il-shaped foundations from kits according to the present disclosure, placed side by side so that the transverse perimeter walls and the prefabricated walls mounted above the longitudinal interior walls are arranged according to a broken line profile.
[0039] Figures 27 through 29 show, in sequence, the construction steps of a wall using a kit according to the present disclosure, in which the panel configured to enclose the central opening of the Il-shaped foundation is a lower portion of the prefabricated wall.
[0040] DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0041] In the following description, various elements that constitute a prefabricated kit for building a wall will be illustrated, with reference to illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0042] The kits for building according to the present disclosure contain prefabricated foundations having at least two internal walls, such as for example the prefabricated II-shaped foundation of the type illustrated in figure 7 or for example the prefabricated foundation shown in figure 11. Such foundations are partially prefabricated and have two longitudinal internal walls 1 substantially oriented in a longitudinal direction L of the foundation, a transverse perimeter wall 2 oriented in a transverse direction T of the foundation, with the transverse direction T orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L, and longitudinal and transverse reinforcing bars 3 of the foundation which are fixed to the longitudinal internal walls 1 and to the transverse perimeter wall 2 and are suspended above the openings of the Il-shaped foundation defined by the walls 1 and 2. The foundation shown in figure 7, as well as the foundation of figure 11 which will be described later, proves to be particularly useful for building walls on a continuous foundation even arranged according to a broken line profile while keeping the prefabricated walls 4 in an upright position oriented along the transverse direction T, as will be better shown in the following of this description.
[0043] The construction kits according to this disclosure include at least one prefabricated wall 4. For example, the prefabricated wall 4 may be of the type illustrated in Figure 8, which in the illustrated example has optional cantilevered ribs 5 defined on one face of the wall itself.
[0044] According to one aspect, not illustrated in the drawings, the wall 4 may also have only one cantilevered rib, to which support feet are attached, which will be illustrated later. According to another aspect, not illustrated in the drawings, the prefabricated wall 4 may also be without cantilevered ribs, in which case the support feet, which will be discussed later, will be directly attached to a standing wall of the prefabricated wall 4.
[0045] The prefabricated wall 4 is configured to be erected above the foundation of figure 7 along the transverse direction T, and is equipped with reinforcements 6 that protrude below the support base of the prefabricated wall 4, which are arranged so as to protrude only in correspondence with the openings in the foundation, and which are configured to fit, when the prefabricated wall 4 is placed above the Il-shaped foundation, at least in a central opening in the Il-shaped foundation delimited on three sides by the internal longitudinal walls 1 and by the transverse wall 2. In the illustrated case in which the prefabricated wall 4 has cantilevered ribs 5, the bases of the ribs from which the reinforcements 6 protrude below are always staggered with respect to the internal longitudinal walls 1 of the foundation so that the reinforcements 6 fit into the openings in the foundation.
[0046] According to one aspect illustrated in Figure 13, the prefabricated Il-shaped foundation has longitudinal internal walls 1 that have a height that decreases as one moves away from the transverse perimeter wall 2 towards the respective free ends. Thanks to this solution, the prefabricated wall 4 can be erected so as to be inclined with respect to a vertical position. Furthermore, this solution also allows for the optimization of the quantity of concrete or hardening material required for the construction of the foundation.
[0047] Figure 14 is similar to Figure 11 but shows a prefabricated wall 4 mounted upright on the longitudinal internal walls of a partially prefabricated foundation, which in the illustrated example is of the II type, having suspended reinforcement that protrudes in the longitudinal direction as well as in the transverse direction. An advantage of constructing a partially prefabricated foundation with the longitudinal reinforcement protruding from at least one end is that such a partially prefabricated foundation can be placed longitudinally abutted against a similar partially prefabricated foundation, so that the reinforcing bars of one foundation are inserted among the reinforcing bars of the other. For example, as illustrated in Figure 15a, the two partially prefabricated foundations of the II type of Figure 14 are longitudinally abutted end to end of the longitudinal internal walls 1 so as to form two walls facing each other. The reinforcing bars protruding longitudinally from each partially prefabricated foundation are inserted longitudinally into the other foundation. When concrete (or other construction hardening fluid) is poured, the two partially prefabricated foundations become a single foundation as they are also linked by internal reinforcement. In this way, it is possible to build waterproof foundations, for example, for silos or liquid containment tanks, by pouring the hardening fluid (e.g., concrete) at one time filling all the openings in the partially prefabricated foundations, eliminating the need for construction joints and effectively making the foundation a single block and waterproof. As illustrated in Figure 15b, it is also possible to use a first partially prefabricated foundation with longitudinally protruding reinforcing bars with a second partially prefabricated foundation with non-longitudinal reinforcing bars, because the two partially prefabricated foundations would be intimately linked in any case as the longitudinally protruding reinforcing bars of the first would penetrate the openings of the second.
[0048] Kits of this disclosure with foundations with longitudinally protruding reinforcing bars can also be used as illustrated in Figures 16a and 16b, which are similar to Figures 15a and 15b but with the prefabricated walls 4 assembled in reverse with respect to the latter, for example, to construct coupled retaining walls for ramps connected to a bridge abutment. In general, the kits of this disclosure allow for the easy construction of this type of construction, which is typically used especially when the characteristics of the soil require a single foundation connecting two walls built opposite each other.
[0049] In the example illustrated in Figure 17 of a prefabricated wall 4 erected on top of another partially prefabricated foundation of a kit according to another aspect of this disclosure, the reinforcing bars protrude longitudinally from the longitudinal internal walls 1 at only one end, so that a prefabricated wall 4 can be abutted against the internal walls 1 at the end opposite to that from which the reinforcing bars protrude.
[0050] In an aspect not illustrated in the drawings, the partially prefabricated foundation of a kit according to this disclosure has reinforcing bars protruding longitudinally from both ends of the longitudinal internal walls 1.
[0051] The partially prefabricated foundation illustrated in Figure 17 can be used not only to construct structures such as those illustrated in Figures 15a to 16b, but also as an intermediate connecting element between two longitudinally juxtaposed end foundations by placing opposite ends of the longitudinal internal walls 1 against each other, as illustrated in Figure 18a. In practice, partially prefabricated foundations of the type illustrated in Figure 17 can be used to extend the longitudinal dimension of the foundation of the final structure. In fact, the reinforcing bars protruding longitudinally from a partially prefabricated foundation penetrate the openings of the adjacent foundation, so that by applying a single pour of concrete (or other construction hardening fluid) across the entire structure, the end foundations will be connected to each other only by the longitudinal reinforcing bars.
[0052] It is clear that the kits according to the present disclosure with partially prefabricated foundations of the type illustrated in Figure 17, composed only of two internal longitudinal walls, transverse reinforcing bars and longitudinal reinforcing bars protruding beyond at least one end of the internal longitudinal walls 1, can be used for all types of construction permitted by Il-shaped foundations, as well as elements that extend the longitudinal dimension of the final construction. As shown in Figures 19a and 19b, they can be used in combination with the partially prefabricated Il-type foundations, which will act as end elements since the transverse walls 2 delimit the final single foundation and cooperate with the internal longitudinal walls to form a single formwork intended to contain the concrete.
[0053] For simplicity, hereinafter, we will refer to the case where the partially prefabricated foundations are of the II type, but what will be said can be repeated, mutatis mutandis, also for kits with partially prefabricated foundations comprising only the longitudinal internal walls 1 and the transverse and longitudinal reinforcing bars, which may or may not protrude longitudinally from the internal walls 1 at one end only (as illustrated in Figures 14 and 17) or at both ends (an embodiment not illustrated in the drawings).
[0054] According to an aspect illustrated in Figure 8, the cantilevered ribs 5 terminate with reinforcing bars 7 that protrude below the ribs 5 and are configured to fit into the prefabricated foundation between the reinforcing bars 3.
[0055] According to one aspect illustrated in Figure 9, the prefabricated wall 4 is configured to rest on a support plane defined by the internal longitudinal walls 1 of the foundation. However, as will be shown below, it is also possible to arrange the prefabricated wall 4 so that it can be placed abutting against the free ends of the internal longitudinal walls 1.
[0056] In the prefabricated kit for building a wall according to the present disclosure, each prefabricated wall 4 is equipped with at least one support foot, preferably at least two support feet 8 as illustrated in the example in Figure 10, to support the prefabricated wall when it is placed on the Π-shaped foundation. The at least one support foot is distinct and separate from the prefabricated wall 4 and the partially prefabricated foundation and is configured to be removably and adjustablely attached to both the prefabricated wall 4 in its upright position and to the internal longitudinal walls. Each support foot can therefore rest on and be fixed in a removable and adjustable manner to both longitudinal internal walls 1, opposing any movements of the prefabricated wall 4 when it is placed upright oriented in the transverse direction T above the partially prefabricated foundation. The support foot 8 generally rests above the wall(s) 1, meaning it can be in direct contact with the wall(s) 1, or it can be offset from the wall(s) 1 because it is secured to the threaded rods 13 protruding from the wall(s) 1 by means of a nut and a locknut, thus allowing the prefabricated wall 4 to be adjusted to the foundation. The nut-locknut system also allows the inclination of the prefabricated wall 4 to be adjusted to the foundation, allowing walls to be constructed with varying degrees of inclination.
[0057] Hereinafter, reference will be made to the preferred solution with at least two distinct and separate support feet 8, as this is a more convenient solution to implement, allowing one support foot 8 to be adjusted at a time.
[0058] These support feet 8 are configured to be removably fixed to the prefabricated wall 4 and to rest on the longitudinal internal walls 1 of the foundation, so as to oppose any movements of the prefabricated wall 4 when it is placed upright oriented in the transverse direction T above the foundation.
[0059] The kit for building according to this disclosure also includes an optional panel, which may be, for example, the removable panel 9 illustrated in Figure 9, configured to be positioned on a perimeter portion of the foundation opposite the transverse perimeter wall 2, against the free end of the longitudinal internal walls 1, so as to enclose the central opening of the Π-shaped foundation, cooperating with the transverse perimeter wall 2 and the longitudinal internal walls 1 to form a closed formwork into which concrete or another suitable construction hardening fluid can be poured.
[0060] According to one aspect (not illustrated in the figures), instead of the removable panel 9, an excavation can be made in which to place the partially prefabricated foundation so as to contain the concrete pour using an earthen wall formed by the excavation. According to one aspect (not illustrated in the figures), the removable panel 9 is fixed to the foundation support surface.
[0061] In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, panel 9 is removable, but, as will be shown later, it can also be integral with the prefabricated wall 4.
[0062] The detailed view in Figure 10 shows how, according to one aspect, the support feet 8 can be attached to the internal longitudinal walls 1 and to the prefabricated wall 4 in a removable and adjustable manner. In the example in Figure 10, the support feet 8 are attached to the cantilever ribs 5, but, as shown in Figure 12, the support feet 8 can also be attached directly to the prefabricated wall 4.
[0063] According to one aspect, it is possible to fix the support feet 8 to the prefabricated wall 4 in a removable and adjustable manner, or to the cantilever ribs 5 of the prefabricated wall 4, as shown in figure 10, because the prefabricated wall 4, or its cantilever ribs 5, incorporate threaded bushings 10 into which threaded rods 11 can be inserted which, passing through register grooves 12, allow the support feet 8 to be fixed to the prefabricated wall 4. Thanks to other register grooves 12, the support feet 8 can be fixed to threaded rods 13 which protrude from the internal parallel walls 1, so that the prefabricated wall 4 can be firmly fixed to the partially prefabricated foundation, which can be the Π-shaped foundation of figures 10, 12 or 13, or the foundation which has only two internal longitudinal walls 1 of figure 11, without there being stringent assembly tolerances, as instead happens in the known art illustrated in figure 2, because the registration grooves 12 allow the support feet 8 to be easily positioned.
[0064] According to one aspect, the threaded rod 13 can be replaced by a threaded bushing. The threaded rod 13 or bushing can be incorporated into the concrete casting inside the walls 2 and 1 during the production phase of the partially prefabricated foundation or inserted during the assembly of the prefabricated elements on site by drilling the upper horizontal portion of the walls 1 and 2 and bolting them inside.
[0065] In the illustrated case where the panel 9 is a removable panel and is not an integral part of the wall 4, it can be fixed to the internal parallel walls 1 using threaded pins 14 inserted into respective threaded bushings 15 incorporated longitudinally in the internal parallel walls 1. According to one aspect (not illustrated in the drawings), the threaded bushings 15 can be replaced by threaded rods, which can be secured using nuts.
[0066] In the shown example, the removable panel 9 is first fixed to the longitudinal internal walls 1 to form a formwork into which concrete can be poured, and is then removed once the concrete has hardened. Similarly, the support feet 8 remain fixed to the prefabricated wall 4 and the longitudinal internal walls 1 of the Π-shaped foundation until the concrete has hardened, after which they are removed, leaving only the Π-shaped foundation and the prefabricated wall 4 rising from it in place, joined together by the concrete and the reinforcing bars 3, 6, and 7 embedded in the hardened concrete.
[0067] In the example shown in figure 10, there are, as absolutely optional elements, auxiliary reinforcing rods 16 inserted transversely into the Π-shaped foundation so as to intercept the reinforcing rods 7 which protrude downwards from the cantilever ribs 5 of the prefabricated wall 4. Advantageously, these auxiliary reinforcing rods 16 attach the prefabricated wall 4 even more firmly to the Π-shaped foundation and also remain embedded in the concrete.
[0068] Preferably, the longitudinal internal walls 1 will define notches 17 below a plane of an upper surface of the Π-shaped foundation when filled with concrete, so as to accommodate at least some of the auxiliary reinforcing rods 16 so that they can pass transversely through the Π-shaped foundation passing over the internal parallel walls 1. Advantageously, as shown in the examples illustrated in the figures, in correspondence with such notches 17, or also in correspondence with another point of the walls 1, the threaded rods 13 will be installed, or threaded bushings to which the support feet 8 can be removably fixed, by means of fixing nuts that can be screwed onto the threaded rods 13, or threaded pins that can be screwed onto the threaded bushings.
[0069] According to one aspect, there will be upper auxiliary reinforcing bars 16, which are placed above the notches 17, and lower reinforcing bars that are inserted inside the rectangular holes (which, however, can also have a different shape) present in the internal longitudinal walls 1 in the direction of their height, which cross transversely the partially prefabricated foundation and serve as an additional structural connection between the protruding reinforcements 7 and the foundation itself.
[0070] As can be clearly understood, when the support feet 8 are screwed against the cantilever ribs 5, or directly against the prefabricated wall 4 (as shown in figure 12), and on the threaded rods 13, any lifting movement of the support feet 8 will be prevented by the internal longitudinal walls 1, so that the prefabricated wall 4 will be firmly held in an upright position until the concrete poured between the suspended reinforcements 3 of the partially prefabricated foundation has completely hardened.
[0071] Figures 20 through 23 show the following operations in sequence:
[0072] - fixing the support feet 8 to the prefabricated wall 4 and the longitudinal internal walls 1 (Figure 20),
[0073] - the optional insertion of the upper and lower auxiliary reinforcing bars 16 in the transverse direction T so as to intercept the reinforcing bars 7 protruding from the cantilever ribs 5 and positioning the optional edge 9 (Figure 21),
[0074] - pouring concrete or other hardening material so as to embed the reinforcing bars 3 of the Π-shaped foundation (Figure 22) together with the reinforcing bars 6 and 7 of the prefabricated wall 4 and the reinforcing bars 16,
[0075] - removal of the removable support feet 8 and, in the example illustrated, the removable panel 9, leaving the finished structure as shown in Figure 23.
[0076] In the illustrative embodiment of Figure 8, the prefabricated wall 4 is configured to rest on top of the longitudinal internal walls 1 of the Π-shaped foundation and has cantilevered ribs 5 with reinforcing bars 7 protruding from the bases of the ribs 5, wherein the bases of the ribs 5 are configured to face the partially prefabricated foundation so as to remain suspended above the central opening, or even another opening of the openings, of the partially prefabricated foundation so that the reinforcing bars 7 are inserted in the opening, both if it is the central opening as in Figures 10 to 12, as well as the lateral openings of the partially prefabricated foundation, as shown in Figure 13.
[0077] When the prefabricated wall 4 is placed on top of the longitudinal internal walls 1 of the partially prefabricated foundation, the cantilever ribs 5 are misaligned with respect to the longitudinal internal walls 1, so that the reinforcing bars 7 protruding from the bases of the cantilever ribs 5 are inside the central opening or in at least one of the two lateral openings of the partially prefabricated foundation. Using construction kits for building according to this disclosure, continuous walls can be created by placing the partially prefabricated foundations side by side, for example, as shown in Figure 24, then performing the assembly operations illustrated in Figures 20 to 23 to obtain a continuous wall, as illustrated in Figure 25. Once the openings of the partially prefabricated foundations are closed, for example, using panels 9, substantially a single formwork is formed for all the foundations, which are then firmly joined to each other both by the overlapping of the reinforcements 3 between adjacent partially prefabricated foundations, as illustrated in figure 24, and by the fact that the concrete pouring joins the prefabricated foundations to each other, thus overcoming the technical problem described above with reference to the prior art illustrated in figures 5 and 6. Furthermore, thanks to the particular conformation of the partially prefabricated foundations described, using the construction kits of this disclosure it is also possible to create walls that have a broken line profile, as illustrated in the plan view of figure 26, or that follow a curvilinear contour to be fenced, while still ensuring the possibility of fixing the prefabricated walls 4 erected above the foundations to the internal longitudinal walls 1 without having to resort to props such as those in figures 3 and 4, which are unsafe for workers working nearby and in any case do not allow for the prefabricated walls to be positioned easily and precisely. In fact, since the internal longitudinal walls 1 are inside the foundation and are not along the perimeter, it is possible to bring the free ends of the internal longitudinal walls 1 of different foundations closer or further apart by intertwining the reinforcements that protrude in a transverse direction, also keeping the transverse perimeter walls 2 in contact with each other and doing the same with the prefabricated walls 4. By positioning the panels 9 (not shown in figure 26) abutted against the free ends of the internal longitudinal walls 1, a single formwork is defined for all the foundations placed next to each other and with reinforcing bars 3 superimposed on each other so that, with a single pouring of concrete or fluid hardening material, these partially prefabricated foundations form a single body between themselves and with the prefabricated walls 4 that rise from them.
[0078] According to one aspect, illustrated in Figures 27 to 29, the panel 9 of the construction kit is not a removable element distinct and separate from the prefabricated wall 4, but constitutes an integral part of the prefabricated wall 4 and precisely constitutes its lower part intended to abut longitudinally against the free ends of the longitudinal internal walls 1 of the partially prefabricated foundation. In this case, the reinforcing rods 6 of the prefabricated wall 4 will not protrude internally but laterally, so as to fit into the partially prefabricated foundation, for example in its central opening, when the prefabricated wall 4 is placed in an upright position.
[0079] In one aspect, the prefabricated wall 4 cooperates with the transverse perimeter wall 2 and the longitudinal internal walls 1 to define a formwork that closes the central opening of the Π-shaped foundation on all sides. Again, the optional cantilever ribs 5 may have reinforcement bars or reinforcing rods 7 configured to fit inside the central opening, or in one or two of the lateral openings, of the Π-shaped foundation when the prefabricated wall 4 is in the upright position.
[0080] According to an aspect not illustrated in the drawings, the prefabricated wall 4 is of the type that fully incorporates the panel 9, as shown in figure 27, but has no cantilevered ribs 5. In this embodiment, the support feet 8 are removably fixed directly to the prefabricated wall 4, for example by means of threaded bushings, or threaded rods, incorporated in the prefabricated wall 4, and to the longitudinal internal walls 1, so that the support feet 8 will not be oriented in the transverse direction T as illustrated in figures 9 to 29, but will be oriented in the longitudinal direction L, as shown in figure 12.
[0081] As an optional feature, the Π-shaped foundation of this kit is of the type illustrated in publication WO2017 / 93042, which is well suited for large-scale industrial production. The advantages of the invention include the following:
[0082] 1) Construction of an assembled wall on a continuous foundation. The fact that the prefabricated wall is distinct and separate from the foundation allows for the construction of elements of any height and depth, whereas with a single prefabricated element consisting of a wall and a prefabricated foundation integral to each other, this would not be possible due to transportation limitations and costs;
[0083] 2) Construction of an assembled wall on a continuous foundation with all the reinforcing bars already incorporated within the wall and foundation, eliminating the need to manually place additional reinforcing bars on site. This allows for virtually avoiding the need of specialized technicians on site and consequently reduces construction costs;
[0084] 3) Construction of a continuous foundation by juxtaposing multiple foundations of the kit of the present invention. Indeed, by placing the partially prefabricated foundations side by side, overlapping the reinforcing bars of the juxtaposed foundations, and filling the foundation openings with the final pour of fluid concrete, a single continuous foundation is created without the need to manually insert reinforcing bars to connect the various foundations together, thus speeding up and optimizing construction costs and times;
[0085] 4) Construction of a prefabricated foundation that allows a prefabricated wall to be securely supported in an upright position on top of it before pouring the fluid concrete, using one or more support feet that can be removed once the concrete has hardened. This avoids the use of props fixed against embankments at the sides of the construction site to support the prefabricated walls in an upright position, which increases construction times and costs and constitutes a risk factor for workers if the props are not fixed properly;
[0086] 5) Easy construction of walls along a curve or a broken-line profile with single-piece foundations that follow the desired profile, combining multiple prefabricated foundation kits from identical kits, manufactured using processes that can be industrially standardized on a large scale;
[0087] 6) Option of building walls complete with foundations, having a combined L- or inverted T-section.
[0088] 7) Option of incorporating foundation poles or micropoles into the foundation after pouring the fluid hardening material into the foundation;
[0089] 8) Option of working in complete safety on construction sites. The system does not require the use of tools normally used with traditional systems, such as pliers, shears, wire, hammers, nails, wire, props, etc.;
[0090] 9) Thanks to the support feet, the prefabricated wall can be fixed and adjusted to the millimeter on its foundation element, solving the problem of foundation support bases on site, which by their very nature are never perfectly level; 10) Multiple foundations can be connected transversally and / or longitudinally to create continuous connected foundations of any size;
[0091] 11) Waterproof foundations of any size can be created, without concrete joints.
Claims
CLAIMS1. A kit for building a wall on a foundation, including:at least a first partially prefabricated foundation, having:- two longitudinal internal walls (1) of the partially prefabricated foundation, which develop lengthwise in a non-perimetric portion of the partially prefabricated foundation and which are both substantially oriented in a longitudinal direction (L) of the partially prefabricated foundation,- longitudinal and transversal reinforcements (3) fixed to said longitudinal internal walls (1) and oriented respectively in the longitudinal direction (L) and in a transversal direction (T) of the partially prefabricated foundation, in which said longitudinal and transversal reinforcements (3) are suspended over openings of the partially prefabricated foundation, said openings being defined by said longitudinal internal walls (1), and in which said reinforcements protrude freely in the transversal direction (T) from opposite sides of the two longitudinal internal walls (1) so as to be suitable to be interlaced, at least along said transversal direction (T), with corresponding reinforcements of a second partially prefabricated foundation equal to said first partially prefabricated foundation adjacent along said transversal direction (T),at least one prefabricated wall (4) distinct and separated from the partially prefabricated foundation, wherein said prefabricated wall (4) is provided with protruding reinforcements (6) that protrude inferiorly from a base of the prefabricated wall (4) and is configured to be laid in an upright position along said transversal direction (T) with the base onto the partially prefabricated foundation, wherein all said inferiorly protruding reinforcements (6) are disposed such to protrude exclusively in correspondence of the openings of the partially prefabricated foundation, and being intended to fit into at least one opening of said openings of the partially prefabricated foundation when the prefabricated wall (4) is laid in an upright position onto the partially prefabricated foundation;at least one support foot (8) configured to support the prefabricated wall (4), wherein said at least one support foot (8) is distinct and separate from the prefabricated wall (4) and the partially prefabricated foundation and is configured to be fixed in a removable and adjustable manner at the same time to the prefabricated wall (4) when inan upright position as well as to a respective wall of said longitudinal internal walls (1), and to rest onto and be fixed in a removable and adjustable manner to the respective wall of said longitudinal internal walls (1), opposing any movement of the prefabricated wall (4) when the prefabricated wail (4) is laid upright oriented in the transverse direction (T) above said partially prefabricated foundation.
2. The kit according to claim 1, wherein:said at least one prefabricated wall (4) includes at least one rib (5) raised on a face of the prefabricated wall (4), said at least one rib (5) incorporating respective reinforcements (7) of the rib which protrude from at least one respective base of said at least one rib (5),said at least one base of said at least one rib (5) is configured to face and be suspended above at least, one opening of said openings of the partially prefabricated foundation;when the prefabricated wall (4) is laid upright above the partially prefabricated foundation, said at least one base of said at least one rib (5) is misaligned with respect to the longitudinal internal walls (1) and all said reinforcements (7) of the rib are inserted into said at least one opening.
3. The kit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said reinforcements (3) protrude freely in the longitudinal direction (L) beyond at least one free end of said longitudinal internal walls (1) so as to be suitable for being interlaced, along said direction longitudinal (L), with corresponding reinforcements of a second partially prefabricated foundation equal to said first partially prefabricated foundation and adjacent along said longitudinal direction (L).
4. The kit according to one of the previous claims, wherein said partially prefabricated foundation is of the II type and further includes:- a transversal perimetric w'all (2) of the Il-shaped foundation, oriented in the transversal direction (T) to said longitudinal direction (L),- reinforcements (3) also fixed to said transversal perimetric w'all (2) and oriented in the longitudinal (L) and transversal (T) directions, said reinforcements (3) being suspended above openings of the Il-shaped foundation defined by said internal and transversal walls (1, 2).
5. The kit according to one of the previous claims, comprising at least two distinct and separate support feet (8), in which said prefabricated wail (4) incorporates threaded bushings (10) or threaded bars, in which the support feet (8) of the prefabricated wall (4) are configured to be removably fixed to the prefabricated wall (4) respectively by means of threaded pins (11) or threaded nuts screwed respectively in said threaded bushings (10) or said threaded bars, wherein each support foot of said two support feet (8) is configured to rest on top and be fixed in a removable and adjustable manner to a respective internal wall of said internal longitudinal walls (1).
6. The kit according to claim 2, wherein said at least one prefabricated wall (4) includes two ribs raised on one face of the prefabricated wall (4).
7. The kit according to claims 5 and 6, wherein each support foot of said two support feet (8) is configured to be removably fixed to a respective rib of said ribs (5).
8. The kit according to one of the previous claims, wherein:said longitudinal internal walls (1):- have respective notches (17) defined below a support surface of the prefabricated wall (4) on the internal longitudinal walls (1), wherein said notches (17) are configured to accommodate auxiliary reinforcement rods (16) that cross the partially prefabricated foundation in the transverse direction (T) passing over the longitudinal internal walls (1),- they have threaded bars (13) that emerge from the longitudinal internal walls (1) or bushings embedded perpendicularly to a support surface of the partially prefabricated foundation;said at least one support foot (8) defines grooves (12) for registration on said longitudinal internal walls (1), in which said grooves (12) are configured to be crossed by said threaded bars (13) or by pins intended to engage said bushings when the prefabricated wall (4) is laid upright in the transverse direction (T) above said partially prefabricated foundation;said kit includes fixing nuts that can be screwed onto said threaded bars (13) or pins to be inserted into said bushings to keep said at least one support foot (8) against said longitudinal internal walls (1), hindering any lifting movements of said at least one support foot (8) from the longitudinal internal walls (1).
9. The kit according to one of the previous claims, further comprising at least one panel (9) distinct and separate from the partially prefabricated foundation, configured to be positioned at least on a perimetric portion of the partially prefabricated foundation opposite to said transversal perimetric wall (2), so to enclose said central opening of the partially prefabricated foundation by cooperating with said transversal perimetric wall (2) to form a closed formwork suitable for containing a construction hardening fluid.
10. The kit according to claim 9, wherein:said panel (9) is a removable panel distinct and separated from the prefabricated wall (4) and is configured to be abutted against a free end of the longitudinal internal walls (1) of the partially prefabricated foundation;said longitudinal internal walls (1) incorporate threaded bushings (15) or threaded bars inserted in the longitudinal direction (L) at the free end of the longitudinal internal walls (1);said removable panel (9) is configured to be fixed against the free end of the longitudinal internal walls (1) by means of threaded pins (14) or nuts in the respective threaded bushings (15) or threaded bars.
11. The kit according to claim 9, wherein said panel (9) constitutes a part of the prefabricated wall (4) and is configured to be abutted against a free end of the longitudinal internal walls (1) of the partially prefabricated foundation.
12. A process of building a wall on a partially prefabricated foundation, including the following operations:procuring a kit according to one of the preceding claims;preparing a flat base on a construction site of the wall;laying the partially prefabricated foundation of the kit on said flat base; laying the prefabricated wall (4) in an upright position along the transversal direction (T) of the partially prefabricated foundation, inserting the reinforcements (6) that protrude inferiorly from the base of the prefabricated wall (4) into an opening of the partially prefabricated foundation;fixing at least one support foot (8) in a removable and adjustable manner to the prefabricated wall (4) so that said at least one support foot rests onto and is fixed in a removable and adjustable manner on a respective wail of said longitudinal internal walls(1), opposing any movement of the prefabricated wall (4) laid in an upright position in the transverse direction (T) above said partially prefabricated foundation;pouring a construction hardening fluid over the partially prefabricated foundation;after said construction hardening fluid has solidified, removing said at least one support foot (8).
13. The process according to claim 12, comprising the following operations:procuring a kit according to one of claims 9 to 11;placing at least one panel (9) of the kit on a perimetric portion of the partially prefabricated foundation opposite the transversal perimetric wall (2) so as to delimit at least one central opening of the partially prefabricated foundation to form a formwork suitable for containing a construction hardening fluid.
14. The process according to claim 13, comprising the operations ofprocuring a plurality of kits according to one of claims 9 to 11;laying the partially prefabricated foundations next to each other on said flat base so that the reinforcements (3) of two partially prefabricated foundations placed side by side partially overlap each other;laying the prefabricated wall (4) of each kit in an upright position along the transverse (T) direction of the respective partially prefabricated foundation, so that the prefabricated walls (4) of the kits are next to each other to form a continuous standing wall with a broken line profile,placing the panels (9) of the kit on the perimetric portions of the partially prefabricated foundations placed side by side so as to delimit at least the central openings of the partially prefabricated foundations so as to form a single formwork that delimits the partially prefabricated foundations;pouring the construction hardening fluid into said single formwork.
15. The process according to one of claims 13 and 14, wherein at least one kit is of the type defined in claim 10, said method comprising the operations of:fixing the removable panel (9) of said at least one kit by screwing it with threaded pins (14) or nuts in the respective threaded bushings (15) or threaded bars of the longitudinal internal walls (1);removing the removable panel (9) by unscrewing the threaded pins (14) or the nuts after the construction hardening liquid has solidified.