Modular Building Block with Plastic Insulation and Concrete Core
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional modular building blocks, such as concrete blocks, suffer from low thermal resistance and lengthy assembly times due to mortar drying requirements, and alternative solutions often compromise on cost or footprint.
Innovation Solution
A modular building block featuring an injected plastic structure with profiles and tenons for enhanced grip and interlocking, combined with poured concrete for improved thermal resistance and reduced assembly time, while maintaining a compact footprint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional concrete blocks are used, then cost is reduced, but thermal resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The building block combines plastic insulation material with concrete structural elements to create a composite structure. The plastic core provides thermal insulation while the concrete outer layer provides structural strength and durability, resolving the contradiction between thermal resistance and cost by integrating materials with complementary properties.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the building block have different material properties: the inner core uses plastic for insulation, while the outer surface uses concrete for strength. This local differentiation allows each material to perform its optimal function, achieving good thermal resistance without the full cost penalty of using expensive insulation materials throughout.
2Productivity
If concrete blocks with mortar joints are used, then structural strength is maintained, but assembly time increases due to drying requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The building block is segmented into distinct functional zones: an insulating plastic core and a structural concrete shell. This segmentation allows the concrete to be poured directly onto the plastic without requiring mortar joints, eliminating drying time while maintaining structural integrity through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic insulation and concrete structure are merged into a single monolithic building block. This integration eliminates the need for separate mortar layers and allows for direct assembly of blocks without drying time, significantly improving productivity while maintaining structural stability through the combined material system.
3Loss of energy
If adhesive mortar is applied between concrete blocks, then blocks are bonded together, but thermal bridges are created reducing energy efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful adhesive mortar layer is completely removed from the construction system. Instead of bonding blocks with mortar that creates thermal bridges, the plastic-insulated concrete blocks are designed to interlock directly, eliminating the thermal bridge effect and improving energy efficiency while still achieving block bonding through the plastic protrusions and recesses.
4Loss of energy
If thicker building blocks are used to improve thermal resistance, then insulation performance increases, but footprint increases reducing useful surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal resistance is improved not by increasing the overall thickness of the building block (which would increase footprint), but by changing the material parameters - specifically using plastic insulation material with high thermal resistance properties. This allows achieving good insulation performance while maintaining a compact footprint suitable for urban planning constraints.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a cost-effective, thermally efficient, and rapidly assembled building block with improved stability and reduced mortar usage, avoiding thermal bridges and maintaining a footprint similar to traditional concrete blocks.
Implementation Method 1
the use of an insulating plastic structure makes it possible to greatly increase the thermal resistance of the building block
Implementation Method 2
the use of profiles and tenons makes it possible to ensure greater grip of the concrete when the modular building block is cast and therefore to avoid deterioration of the wall over time
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a modular construction block. According to the invention, the modular construction block includes an injected-plastic structure (10) having an overall parallelepiped rectangular shape comprising two longitudinal walls (11, 12), two transverse walls (13, 14), and one substantially planar upper wall (15), said longitudinal walls (11, 12) defining, together with said transverse walls (13, 14) and said upper wall (15), at least one inner recess (16), wherein each of said longitudinal walls includes: a plurality of profiles (P1 to P4) extending over the largest portion of the height of the longitudinal wall (11, 12); and at least one lug (T1 to T3) extending from the base of the longitudinal wall up to a predetermined height h of the longitudinal wall.