FR2732991A1 - Prefabricated building block - Google Patents

Abstract

The block, which is reversible and stackable, is basically parallelepiped in shape, with upper and lower faces (1, 2), front and rear faces (3, 4), and two end faces (5, 6). The upper and lower faces have between four and eight transverse parallelepiped ribs (7) which cover at least half the width of the block, and the first and last of which are offset from the ends of the block. The ribs are basically identical in shape, with the exception of an end rib (8, 9) on each of the upper and lower faces and located at opposite ends. The ribs are spaced regularly on the block surfaces at intervals equal to 5 - 30 per cent of the block's width. The block is made from compressed, non-reinforced concrete with a length/width ratio of about 10 : 1. The width of each block is about 10 cm, and the ribs are 1 to 3 cm in height. The height of each block, including the ribs, is 20 to 30 cm.

Description

 The present invention relates to new prefabricated and stackable construction elements which can be used in particular for the production of retaining walls.

 We already know a certain number of superimposable construction elements which can be used for the construction of walls, in particular of retaining. These building elements can be grouped into two large families.

 The first family includes construction elements with a single structure, and the second the construction elements using at least two different structures, to allow the elements to be joined together.

In the first family, one can cite for example FR
A-2 343 871 concerning elements of which a longitudinal face has a transverse groove, and an opposite face comprises, arranged in projecting and plumb, a rib of the same orientation and the same section as the latter. FR-A2 619 138 relates to elements comprising a substantially parallelepipedal block comprising upper, lower ribs, as well as interlocking means comprising a series of pins alternately engaging in a first and a second series of housings. FR-A-2 622 615 describes elements the lower and upper sides of which each have a broken line profile with a "W" shape. FR-A-2 475 088 describes bipod elements comprising a body of rectangular section finished at each extremity by overflows and vertical shoulders giving them a general conformation of a "T" with opposite double heads.

 In the second family involving at least two elements of different structure, mention may be made of FR-A-2 629 496, FR-A-2 435 661, FR-A-2 595 733, EP-AO 452 744 or EP- AO 370 787.

 I1 would be desirable to have elements, however, allowing a wide variety of constructions, simple structure and easy to manufacture. In addition, preferably such elements should not require reinforcement, and should be able to be carried by one man.

 After extensive research, the plaintiff has developed a construction element that meets the above wishes.

 This is why the subject of the present application is a prefabricated, reversible and superimposable construction element comprising an essentially parallelepipedal block limited by an upper face, a lower face, a front face, a rear face, and two end faces, characterized that the upper face comprises from 4 to 8 transverse parallelepiped ribs, occupying at least half the width of an element, the first and the last rib being spaced from the ends of the element, the ribs being substantially identical to each other with the exception of an end rib, and in that the lower face comprises ribs similar to those of the upper face, the rib different from the others being situated on the side of the end opposite to that comprising the other rib different, the ribs being regularly spaced between them by a width of 5 to 30% greater than the width eur of an element, the spacing between one end of the element and the end rib being approximately half that of a spacing between two ribs, and the end rib being substantially wider than the other ribs.

 A building element according to the invention is reversible, namely that its upper face and its lower face have an identical structure. The upper face and the lower face of the elements according to the invention are those which include ribs. Given this fact, there is therefore simply to determine the left side and the right side of such an element during their implementation, which makes their use easy. The construction elements according to the invention can be used without adding mortar or binder to secure the elements together. However, such an implementation is not excluded. As will be seen below illustrated in the figures, the construction elements according to the invention can be easily used by superposition. The so-called anterior face and the so-called rear face, as well as the end faces are generally flat and parallel to each other. The end faces are by definition of course those located at the ends of an element according to the invention considered in the direction of its length.

 The upper face (and the lower face) of an element according to the invention comprises from 4 to 8 transverse parallelepipedic ribs, occupying a substantial part, and advantageously the entire width of an element. These parallelepiped ribs can for example have a height of between 1 and 3 cm, and preferably equal to approximately 1.5 cm. Their width can range from 3 to 8 cm, preferably from 4 to 6 cm, and advantageously has a value of 5 cm. The width of a rib is measured in the length of an element according to the invention.

 The ribs are regularly spaced apart from each other by a width slightly greater than the width of an element. For example, this spacing between adjacent ribs may be 5 to 30%, and preferably 8 to 15% greater. This spacing is advantageously approximately 10% greater than the width of an element.

 All the ribs are substantially identical to each other, with the exception of an end rib on the upper face and likewise on the lower face. These ribs different from the others are located at two opposite ends of an element according to the invention. The width of this rib is preferably equal to approximately the spacing between them of two adjacent ribs. In general, its width will be slightly greater, for example about 5%, than the spacing between them of two adjacent ribs.

 Generally, the ratio of the length to the width of an element according to the invention will be approximately 10/1 (10 to 1), namely from 8 to 12/1, and very particularly from 10.5 to 9, 5/1.

 The height of an element according to the invention will preferably be approximately 2.5 times its width, namely two to three times this width.

 In preferred embodiment conditions, the height of an element according to the invention is 20 to 30 cm, preferably about 23 to 27 cm, very particularly 25 cm, height of the ribs included.

 In the most particularly preferred embodiment conditions, the width of an element according to the invention is approximately 10 cm and its height approximately 25 cm. Under these conditions its length is approximately 1 m, and its weight is such that it can be easily carried by a man. Indeed the weight of such an element made of pressed and unreinforced concrete is about 50 kg.

 Given its technical characteristics and its uses, an element according to the invention does not need to be armed; this is why preferred construction elements according to the invention are made of unreinforced pressed concrete. This concrete is advantageously vibrated.

 An element according to the invention can be easily manufactured using a conventional concrete press, of the required shape.

 The elements according to the invention are endowed with remarkable qualities. These are modular elements, reversible, resistant, unique in that only one type of element is used when making, for example, a retaining wall. In addition, the elements according to the invention allow assembly in all directions, both in height and in width, and in particular the spacing between two ribs slightly greater than the width of an element according to the invention allows this the realization of mounting such as retaining walls, having a certain curvature.

 The elements according to the invention quite naturally find their application for example in the production of retaining walls, artificial embankments, in the reinforcement of barges, etc.

 The present application therefore also relates to a construction, such as a retaining wall, a barge reinforcement, etc., using a construction element according to the invention.

 The invention will be better understood if reference is made to the appended drawings in which FIG. 1 represents an element according to the invention seen in perspective, FIG. 2 represents an assembly seen in section using modular elements according to the invention , Figure 3 shows the assembly of Figure 2 seen in elevation from the outside of the assembly and Figure 4 shows a combined section along YY 'and ZZ' (the latter shown in dotted lines) of Figure 3 .

 In FIG. 1, the generally parallelepiped shape of an element according to the invention is distinguished, limited by an upper face (1), a lower face (2) hidden in this figure, an anterior face (3) substantially planar, thus that at the rear a rear face (4) also hidden in this figure, substantially planar and parallel to said front face. There are also two end faces (5) and (6), the face (6) also being hidden in this figure, said faces being substantially plane and parallel to each other.

The upper and lower faces have ribs, here six in number on each face. These transverse ribs have a generally flattened parallelepiped shape and in this embodiment occupy the entire width of an element. The ribs therefore delimit notches, some of which are conventionally called A,
B, C, D, E to facilitate the subsequent description of examples of assemblies.

 It is observed that the first and the last rib are spaced from the ends (5,6) of the element. If almost all of the ribs are substantially identical to each other, there are particular ribs (8) and (9) located at one end of the upper and lower faces.

These ribs are wider than the other ribs, and have a width which is, in the embodiment illustrated here, slightly greater than twice the width of one of the other ribs, which are identical. Thus in this embodiment for example, ten ribs have a width of about 5 cm, while the two particular ribs (8) and (9) have a width of about 11.5 cm. It can also be observed in this figure that the ribs are regularly spaced apart. In this embodiment, the spacing between two ribs is approximately 11 cm. This width is generally 5 to 30% greater than the width of an element according to the invention. Such an excess indeed makes it possible to produce constructions of curved shape. In addition, it allows certain tolerances during the manufacture of the elements.

The spacing between one end of the element (5,6) and the end ribs for example (8 and 9) is about half that of a spacing between two ribs. For example, such spacing given the dimensions indicated above could be about 5.5 cm. Typical dimensions of an element according to the invention are the following length 1.025 m, width 0.10 m, rib height included 0.25 m. Made of pressed, vibrated and unreinforced concrete, such an element has a weight of around 50 kg, and can thus be carried by one person.

 FIG. 2 represents an example seen in section of an assembly of elements according to the invention for producing a retaining wall. The elements drawn in dotted lines for example 14 ', 15', 16 'represent elements located in the background. In such an embodiment, the left side represents the rear of the assembly, for example on the side of the slope, while the right side represents the front of the structure for example on the side of a road.

 We can also observe in this figure elements 14, 15, 16, 25 installed transversely to the plane of the figure (longitudinally relative to the direction of the slope) and longitudinal elements 10, 11, 12, 13, 24 installed perpendicularly in elements 14, 15, 16, 25 mentioned above. The transverse elements occupy the last notch, C, 18, 19 between two adjacent ribs, of two longitudinal elements installed in parallel. It can also be seen that each upper longitudinal element is slightly set back from the adjacent lower longitudinal element.

 The upper elements are offset towards the slope, relative to the adjacent element just below which it is substantially parallel (for example element 11 relative to element 10, or element 12 relative to element 11 ).

The elements 15, 16 transverse to the latter elements are also offset in the same way. The elements 10 and 11 intersect at this level with two transverse elements 14, 22; the same applies to the upper floors.

 This FIG. 2 also corresponds to a section along MM ′ in FIG. 3, but comprising three more levels.

 In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the elements 11 are offset to the right with respect to the elements 10 which are substantially parallel to them, while the elements 12 are replaced vertically by the elements 10. The elements referenced "prime", for example 14 ′, are shifted backwards with respect to the elements bearing the same reference number located at the same level.

We install the elements for example as follows
The elements 10 are placed on a clean concrete perpendicular to the wall to be built, substantially aligned as shown in FIG. 4 for the elements 11, but spaced apart from each other by about 65 cm, the wide rib 8 being placed. at the top and on the front of the structure (by convention, face 5 is the end close to a wide rib 8 placed upwards).

 Elements 14 - 14 'and 22 are placed parallel to the length of the structure, face 5 on the left side.

 The element 14 is placed notches A and B (lower) fitted onto the notches C (upper) of the elements 10, for the assemblies called X in FIG. 3, and likewise the elements 22 are placed notches A and B fitted onto the notches D.

Element 14 'is placed notches A and B on the notches
E of two juxtaposed elements 10 of the assembly called W, face 5 of the left side.

 The elements 11 are placed like the elements 10, the notches A and B of an element 11 placed on the notches C of two elements 14 and 22 for example, and other elements 11 are placed on the notches D, or according to the case D of two elements 14 and C of an element 14 '. These elements 11 are however slightly offset towards the rear of the structure as seen in FIG. 2 and also slightly offset to the right with respect to the elements 10 just below.

 Elements 15, 15 ', and 23 are placed like elements 14, 14', and 22 respectively, but face 5 placed on the right side.

 We can then continue to make other floors.

 In FIG. 4, there are four elements 11 of the third level of the structure as well as elements 14, 14 ′ and 22 of the second level of the structure represented in FIGS. 2 and 3.

 The final filling is carried out with backfill or pebbles with a particle size of 80/100 mm using a backhoe loader or manually to make the expected weight wall.

Claims (8)

 1. Prefabricated, reversible and superimposable construction element comprising an essentially parallel-edged block limited by an upper face (1), a lower face (2), an anterior face (3), a posterior face (4), and two faces d ends (5,6), characterized in that the upper face comprises from 4 to 8 transverse parallelepiped ribs (7), occupying at least half the width of an element, the first and last rib being spaced from the ends of the element, the ribs being substantially identical to each other except for an end rib (8, 9), and in that the lower face (2) comprises ribs similar to those of the upper face (1 ), the rib (8,9) different from the others being situated on the side of the end opposite to that comprising the other different rib (8,9), the ribs being regularly spaced apart by a width of 5 30% higher than the width of an element, the spacing between one end of the element and the end rib being about half that of a spacing between two ribs, and the end rib being substantially wider than the other ribs.  2. Building element according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made of unreinforced pressed concrete.  3. Building element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ratio of its length to its width is about 10 to 1.  4. Building element according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that its width is about 10 cm.  5. Building element according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the height of a rib is between 1 and 3 cm.  6. Construction element according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the spacing between two adjacent ribs is approximately 10% greater than the width of said element.  7. Building element according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that its height, ribs included, is 20 to 30 cm.  8. Construction element according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the width of a rib different from the others is approximately equal to the space between two adjacent ribs.