Prefabricated Composite Facade Panel with Offset Ribs and Edge Blocks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current prefabricated composite facade panels face challenges such as a significant carbon footprint, added weight leading to frame oversizing, difficulty in addressing thermal bridges, and the need for on-site concrete pouring, which do not meet environmental regulatory requirements or provide efficient assembly and installation.

Innovation Solution

A prefabricated composite facade panel design featuring aligned and offset reinforcing ribs, thermally efficient elongation blocks, and varying physical properties in building blocks to create thermal bridge breakers, made from low-carbon materials, allowing for efficient assembly and reduced carbon footprint, and eliminating the need for on-site concrete casting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If traditional prefabricated concrete facade panels are used, then structural strength is ensured, but carbon footprint increases and thermal bridge treatment becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidcarbon footprint
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The facade panel uses composite construction with a concrete structural wall combined with thermally insulating material blocks (wood fiber, hemp shives, or mineral wool) in the recesses formed by reinforcing ribs. This composite approach maintains structural strength while reducing carbon footprint through the use of low-carbon insulating materials and eliminating the need for on-site concrete pouring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The panel features non-uniform thickness distribution where the structural wall has varying thickness in different regions. The reinforcing ribs create recesses that accommodate thermally insulating material blocks, providing enhanced thermal insulation at critical locations while maintaining overall structural integrity. This local variation in material distribution addresses thermal bridges without compromising strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If prefabricated concrete facade panels are used, then installation speed is improved, but weight increases leading to frame oversizing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation speedVSAvoidpanel weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The panel incorporates porous or light-weight thermally insulating material blocks (such as wood fiber concrete, hemp shive concrete, or mineral wool) in the recesses created by the reinforcing ribs. These porous materials provide thermal insulation while having lower density and weight compared to traditional solid concrete, thereby reducing the overall panel weight and preventing frame oversizing while maintaining installation speed advantages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional facade panels are used, then assembly is simplified, but thermal bridge treatment becomes restrictive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidthermal bridges
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The reinforcing ribs are strategically positioned and dimensioned to create recesses that accommodate thermally insulating material blocks at specific locations where thermal bridges occur. This localized approach to thermal insulation, combined with the modular nature of the panel, maintains assembly simplicity while effectively treating thermal bridges at the panel-frame junctions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The composite structure combines the concrete structural wall with integrated thermally insulating material blocks in the reinforcing rib recesses. This composite design inherently addresses thermal bridges by incorporating insulation materials directly into the panel structure at critical thermal bridge locations, eliminating the need for separate thermal bridge treatment components and maintaining assembly simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Object-generated harmful factors

If offset upper rib and edge blocks are added, then thermal bridge breaking is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal bridgesVSAvoidpanel structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The offset upper rib and edge blocks are added only at specific locations where thermal bridges occur, rather than throughout the entire panel structure. This localized approach to thermal bridge breaking minimizes the increase in device complexity by introducing additional elements only where thermally necessary, while maintaining simplicity in regions where thermal bridges are not present.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4194631A1Prefabricated composite facade panel and method for constructing a facade of a building
Publication Date: 2023.06.14 LESAGE DEVEMENT SAS
  • EP4194631A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4194631A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4194631A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a prefabricated composite facade panel (1) comprising a structural wall (2), reinforcing ribs (3), and shoring blocks (4) arranged between the reinforcing ribs (3) to fill voids. The panel is characterized in that said longitudinal ribs comprise a lower edge rib (31) aligned with the lower edge (BI) of the panel, and an upper rib offset (32) from the upper edge (BS) of the panel; the lateral ribs comprise two end lateral ribs (33), each offset from one of the lateral edges (BL) of the panel. Furthermore, said shoring blocks comprise an upper edge block (41) aligned with the upper edge (BS) of the panel, and two lateral edge blocks (42), each aligned with one of the lateral edges (BL) of the panel, to create thermal breaks with respect to the building frame.