Stabilized Welded-Wire Lath with Serpentine Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laths, particularly self-furring welded-wire laths, exhibit structural weaknesses due to the formation of rows of furrs, which can lead to failure under seismic events and cause stucco plaster to crack, as the furring portions act as expansion loops and are prone to detachment or breakage.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a stabilization elongate member with a serpentine path that extends between outermost transverse and furring strand elongate members, providing additional support and resistance to fastener de-attachment and wire breakage, while maintaining the lath's stability and strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rows of furrs are formed into the lath to space portions away from the substrate, then sufficient keying of stucco plaster is achieved, but the lath becomes structurally weaker and prone to failure under seismic events
Solution Approach 1:
The lath is divided into multiple parallel wire strands, each independently formed with furrs. This segmentation allows the lath to maintain flexibility and structural integrity while providing sufficient keying surfaces for stucco plaster attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The furring portions are formed to extend in multiple directions and at various angles rather than uniform rows, creating a three-dimensional structure that provides keying surfaces while maintaining overall lath strength and flexibility.
2Shape
If rows of furrs are formed in about the same position on each parallel wire to maintain uniform shrinkage, then the lath remains relatively flat, but the furring portions act as expansion loops and are prone to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The furrs are formed with asymmetric characteristics where adjacent furrs differ in orientation, angle, and depth. This asymmetry prevents uniform stress distribution that would cause breakage while maintaining the lath's flat appearance from the front view.
Solution Approach 2:
The lath is pre-formed with varied furr configurations before installation, creating inherent flexibility and stress distribution patterns that prevent breakage during seismic events while maintaining flatness for proper plaster application.
3Reliability
If fasteners are used to attach the lath to the substrate, then the lath can be securely mounted, but seismic events or fatigue may cause fastener de-attachment or weld breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The lath incorporates pre-formed furring portions that act as cushioning elements, absorbing and distributing seismic stresses before they reach the fasteners and welds, thereby preventing de-attachment and breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The lath design changes the physical parameters of the wire strands, including varying diameters, flexibilities, and furr configurations, to create a more resilient structure that resists fastener de-attachment and weld breaking under seismic conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A lath and method to produce a lath may include furring strand wires with furring bends, transverse wires joined to the furring strand wires to not overlap a furring bend, and a stabilization wire arranged along a serpentine path and joined to the transverse wires.