Clay Modular Floor Blocks with Integrated Joist Seats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current floor assembly methods require on-site construction, are costly, and suffer from thermal bridges and humidity issues due to the use of metal joists and site-specific assembly, leading to instability and deterioration of concrete.
Innovation Solution
A modular floor element made entirely of clay, with prefabricated box-shaped blocks that include seats for joists and a lower projecting part for insulation, allowing for easy assembly and reduced thermal bridges, and featuring hooked edges for alignment and improved thermal insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal joists and concrete casting are used to construct floors, then structural strength is improved, but thermal bridges are created leading to heat loss and condensation
Solution Approach 1:
The floor block incorporates localized insulating elements (expanded clay granules) within the clay matrix at specific positions where thermal bridges would form, particularly around joist contact areas. This creates zones of different thermal properties within the homogeneous floor structure, reducing heat loss without compromising overall structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor block is made as a composite material combining clay (for structural strength and fire resistance) with expanded clay granules (for thermal insulation). This composite structure provides both mechanical strength and thermal insulation properties simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate metal joists that create thermal bridges.
2Stability of the object's composition
If metal joists and on-site assembly are used, then structural stability is improved, but construction time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The floor blocks are completely prefabricated in a factory setting with all insulating elements, reinforcement structures, and surface treatments already in place. This preliminary action ensures quality control and eliminates time-consuming on-site assembly operations, while the standardized design maintains structural stability through precise manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor is divided into modular floor blocks that can be manufactured independently and assembled like LEGO bricks. This segmentation allows parallel production of multiple blocks, reducing overall construction time, while the interlocking design with grooves and protrusions ensures structural stability during assembly.
3Strength
If traditional floor assembly with multiple components is used, then structural integrity is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions previously requiring separate components (structural support, thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, moisture protection, and surface finishing) are merged into a single integrated floor block. The clay matrix combined with expanded clay granules provides both structural integrity and thermal/acoustic insulation, eliminating the need for separate metal joists, insulation layers, and concrete casting operations.
4Force
If metal joists are used in concrete floors, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but humidity and condensation damage the concrete and rebars
Solution Approach 1:
The floor block creates a hydrophobic environment through its clay and expanded clay composition, which naturally resists moisture absorption and condensation formation. This inert environment protects the internal structure from humidity-related deterioration, eliminating the need for metal joists that create condensation-prone thermal bridges.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor block incorporates hydrophobic properties locally throughout its structure, particularly at interfaces where moisture condensation would normally form around cold metal joists. The expanded clay granules create air pockets that disrupt condensation formation, protecting the concrete matrix and reinforcement from humidity damage.
Data Source
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AI summary
A floor block comprising a first box-shaped body (2) in which at least one seat (23, 23') is defined on at least one side of the box-shaped body (2); said seat being partially open and able to accommodate a joist and envelop a lower part of said joist. A modular floor element comprising a floor block in which (23, 23', 23", 23"') the same number of prefabricated joists (25, 25', 25", 25", 25"') are inserted/formed.