FR3141955A1 - Construction element for insulating formwork for building wall, kit for insulating formwork for building wall and method for constructing a building wall with insulating formwork - Google Patents

Abstract

Construction element for insulating formwork for building wall, kit for insulating formwork for building wall and method for constructing a building wall with insulating formwork The invention relates to a construction element (1) of insulating formwork for a building wall configured for stacking, the construction element (1) being prefabricated and consisting of a parallelepiped insulating portion (11) comprising a first face (11a ) in which is formed at least one recess (11b) configured to allow concrete to grip and a second face (11c) opposite the first face (11a), and at least one covering panel (12) glued to the second face (11c) of the insulating portion (11). The invention also relates to a corresponding insulating formwork kit. Figure to be published: Figure 3a

Description

Building wall insulating formwork construction element, building wall insulating formwork kit and method of constructing a building wall with insulating formwork

The present invention relates to the technical field of construction of an insulating formwork building wall and more particularly relates to an insulating formwork building element for a building wall, a kit for insulating formwork for a building wall and a method of construction of an insulating formwork building wall.

There are already blocks configured to be stacked to form so-called insulating formwork, i.e. formwork capable of serving as formwork to allow the pouring of concrete so as to allow the manufacture of a building wall and intended to remain in place after the concrete has dried to provide thermal insulation for the resulting wall. The existing blocks each comprise two opposing insulating portions secured together and spaced by spacers put in place when the block is manufactured. On a construction site, the blocks are then stacked to simultaneously assemble two opposing walls of the formwork, metal reinforcements are generally placed between the two walls, then concrete is poured between the two walls.

These blocks have the advantage of allowing a wall to be built more quickly. However, they also have several disadvantages, such as the fact that installing reinforcements between the walls of the formwork is complex, the fact that specific blocks are needed to make the corners of the formwork, the fact that vibration of the insulating formwork obtained is not possible, the fact that additional cladding must be installed on the blocks, for example to be able to apply a coating or paint to the wall, or the fact that the spacers connecting the walls of the insulating formwork remain in place in the concrete after it has dried and form thermal bridges.

The present invention aims in particular to solve the problems indicated above by providing an insulating formwork construction element for a building wall, a kit for insulating formwork for a building wall and a method for constructing an insulating formwork building wall.

The present invention thus relates to an insulating formwork construction element for a building wall configured for stacking, characterized in that the construction element is prefabricated and consists of a parallelepiped insulating portion comprising a first face in which is formed at least one recess configured to allow concrete to be attached and a second face opposite the first face; and at least one cladding panel glued to the second face of the insulating portion.

Construction elements as described above are preferably intended to be used to construct insulating formwork walls by stacking several rows of construction elements. Compared with existing blocks, the construction elements according to the invention have the advantage in particular of allowing successive assembly of the formwork walls, which facilitates, for example, the installation of reinforcements in the formwork. In addition, the construction elements according to the invention can be easily pre-cut during manufacture or recut on site to form corners of the insulating formwork. Furthermore, the construction elements according to the invention directly provide a covering capable of receiving coating or paint.

Advantageously, the at least one recess is in the form of a groove having a dovetail profile.

The use of grooves having a dovetail profile in cross section allows concrete to penetrate into the recess during pouring and to retain the construction element once the concrete has dried. Thus, after the concrete has dried, the insulating portion is secured to the mass of concrete by imbrication of concrete in the recesses. It will be understood that the profile could have another shape, for example a “T” or oval or any shape allowing the concrete to be retained therein once the concrete has dried. Preferably, the grooves are formed in a longitudinal direction of the insulating portion, which in particular makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing time. It will be understood, however, that the grooves could be formed in a transverse direction of the insulating portion. It will also be understood that the recesses could have other shapes, for example cylindrical holes in the insulating portion.

According to one embodiment, the insulating portion is made of a material having both thermal insulation and sound insulation properties.

It will be understood that this method of production allows the manufacture of a wall with good thermal and sound insulation.

According to another embodiment, the insulating portion comprises expanded polystyrene.

The use of expanded polystyrene makes it possible to obtain lightweight construction elements with good thermal insulation.

Advantageously, the at least one cladding panel comprises a mixture of cement and wood particles.

The use of a material comprising a mixture of cement and wood particles makes it possible to obtain resistant cladding panels which can be left bare but are preferably subsequently covered with paint or plaster to give a final appearance to the wall. The cladding panels are for example, but without the invention being limited thereto, made of betonyp®.

The invention also relates to a kit for insulating formwork for a building wall, characterized in that the kit comprises construction elements according to the invention intended to be stacked to form walls of an insulating formwork for a building wall with the insulating portions oriented towards a core thereof, the construction elements having the same height in a so-called stacking direction; and at least one temporary fixing assembly, each temporary fixing assembly configured to temporarily connect a first wall of the formwork to a second wall of the formwork opposite it in order to allow pouring and drying of concrete in the insulating formwork, and comprising two fixing plates, each fixing plate being configured to be brought into contact, at a contact face, with at least one cladding panel and to be secured to the at least one cladding panel, each fixing plate comprising at least one spacer lug projecting from the contact face, all the spacer lugs being aligned and configured to be arranged, during assembly, in contact with an upper face of a construction element, and a through hole formed in alignment with the at least one spacer lug, a first fixing plate being configured to be fixed, during assembly, to the first wall of the formwork and a second fixing plate being configured to be fixed, during assembly, to the second wall of the formwork such that the through holes of the first and second fixing plates are aligned along a transverse direction of the formwork; a fixing rod, configured to be threaded into the through holes of the two fixing plates, after fixing thereof, and to extend beyond each fixing plate, and comprising at least one orifice at each end in a portion extending, after assembly, beyond the respective fixing plate; and two shims, each shim being configured to be inserted into an orifice of the fixing rod after the fixing rod is threaded into the through holes and to come into contact with an adjacent fixing plate so as to lock the fixing rod in position.

It will be understood that, when the fixing plate is metallic, the spacer lugs and the through hole can be formed by a single operation, for example a punching operation of the fixing plate. It will be understood, however, that the spacer lugs could also be formed by molding or even by 3D printing when the fixing plate is made of another material (plastic or composite material for example).

A kit as described above allows the manufacture of an insulating formwork comprising first and second walls connected together during a pouring of concrete into the formwork, and whose temporary fixing assemblies can be removed after the concrete has dried in order to eliminate any thermal bridge between the walls of the insulating formwork. Preferably, reinforcements, for example made of steel, will be provided in the formwork in order to reinforce the wall obtained after pouring and drying of the concrete.

Advantageously, at least one temporary fixing assembly further comprises a tubular spacer configured to be threaded onto the fixing rod and to bear against first faces of insulating portions facing each other, so as to ensure a constant distance between walls of the insulating formwork facing each other, the at least one tubular spacer being made of a material having low thermal conductivity, preferably a plastic material, more preferably polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The tubular spacer also allows easier removal of the fixing rod once the concrete has dried, by limiting the contact areas between the fixing rod and the dried concrete.

According to a preferred embodiment, at least one temporary fastening assembly further comprises at least one fastening screw for each fastening plate, each fastening screw being configured to temporarily connect the respective fastening plate to a trim panel.

It will be understood that screwing is a technical solution that allows the fixing plates to be securely fixed to the cladding panels while allowing easy removal of the fixing plates after the concrete has dried. It will be understood, however, that any technical solution that allows the fixing plates to be temporarily fixed to the cladding panels can be used, for example gluing with an adhesive that can be separated by heating.

Advantageously, the fixing plates, the fixing rod and the shims of the at least one temporary fixing assembly are made of metal, such that the at least one temporary fixing assembly is configured to have sufficient mechanical strength to allow, after assembly, vibration of the insulating formwork by stressing the at least one temporary fixing assembly.

It will be understood that vibration of the formwork makes it possible in particular to homogenize the concrete in the formwork and to promote entry of concrete into all the recesses formed in the insulating portions. It will also be understood that any device capable of transmitting vibrations can be used as a stress device to carry out the vibration.

It will also be understood that another advantage of the kit according to the invention is that it is reusable, since each of its elements is intended to be removed once the concrete has dried and the wall built.

The invention also relates to a method for constructing a building wall with insulating formwork using a kit according to the invention, comprising the steps of: a) placing a row of construction elements on a concrete slab along a first contour of the wall, the insulating portions being oriented towards one side, called the core, of the first contour and the cladding panels being oriented towards an opposite side, called the exterior, of the first contour; b) temporarily fixing fixing plates on cladding panels of the highest row of construction elements arranged along the first contour, with for each fixing plate the at least one spacer lug placed in contact with an upper face of each respective construction element; c) stacking additional building elements on the topmost row of building elements of the building elements arranged along the first contour to form an additional row of building elements, said additional building elements being supported on spacer lugs of the fixing plates fixed in the previous step, and the insulating portions being oriented towards the core side of the first contour and the cladding panels being oriented towards the outer side of the first contour; d) repeating steps b) and c) to obtain a first wall of a number of rows of building elements corresponding to a desired wall height; e) placing horizontal and vertical reinforcements opposite the insulating portions and fixing said reinforcements to foundation reinforcements protruding from the concrete slab; f) placing another row of building elements on the concrete slab along a second contour of the wall spaced from the first contour by a desired distance for the thickness of the wall, the insulating portions being oriented towards one side, called the core, of the second contour and the cladding panels being oriented towards an opposite side, called the exterior, of the second contour, such that the insulating portions of the building elements arranged along the second contour face the insulating portions of the building elements arranged along the first contour; g) temporarily fixing fixing plates on cladding panels of the uppermost row of building elements arranged along the second contour opposite each fixing plate fixed on the row of building elements arranged along the first contour opposite, with for each fixing plate the at least one spacer lug placed in contact with an upper face of each respective building element and the through hole aligned with the through hole of the fixing plate fixed opposite; h) threading a fixing rod into the aligned through holes of each pair of fixing plates facing each other; i) inserting a shim, at each end of each fixing rod, into a respective hole so as to bring the shim into contact with the adjacent fixing plate to lock the fixing rods in position; j) stacking additional building elements on the highest row of building elements of the building elements arranged along the second contour to form an additional row of building elements, said additional building elements resting on spacing lugs of the fixing plates fixed in the previous step, and the insulating portions being oriented towards the core side of the second contour and the cladding panels being oriented towards the outer side of the second contour; k) repeating steps g) to j) to obtain a second wall of a number of rows of building elements corresponding to the desired wall height, connected to the first wall; l) pour concrete between the first and second walls of the insulating formwork created by the previous steps; m) wait for the concrete to dry; and n) remove all shims and fixing plates.

Alternatively, it is possible to place a layer of cement between two fixing plates, to increase the adhesion of two consecutive rows to each other, the absence of cement at the level of the fixing plates allowing the introduction of the fixing rod.

The process described above makes it possible, in particular, to easily place the reinforcements in the insulating formwork before erecting the second formwork wall, which reduces the construction time of an insulating formwork wall. This process also makes it possible to manufacture a wall directly comprising a cladding that can be left bare but can be painted or coated.

According to one embodiment, the method further comprises repeating step b) after step d) and repeating steps g) to i) after step k).

The fixing plates then make it possible to connect two construction elements stacked on top of each other, in particular in order to improve the mechanical strength of the formwork during assembly, pouring of concrete and possible vibration of the formwork.

Advantageously, the method further comprises at least one additional step among: before step a), a step consisting of putting in place props configured to receive in lateral support the construction elements arranged during steps a) to d); and before step f), a step consisting of putting in place props configured to receive in lateral support the construction elements arranged during steps f) to k).

The use of props makes it possible in particular to guarantee the verticality of the stacking of construction elements as well as their stability during assembly.

According to a preferred embodiment, the method comprises, respectively after step c) and after step j), additional steps consisting in temporarily fixing the fixing plates to the stacked additional construction elements.

It will be understood that these additional steps make it possible to connect the two walls at the top of the formwork, in order to improve the mechanical strength during the pouring of the concrete and the possible vibration of the formwork.

Advantageously, the fixing plates are fixed to the cladding panels using screws.

As stated above, it will be understood that screwing is a technical solution that allows the fixing plates to be securely fixed to the cladding panels while allowing easy removal of the fixing plates after the concrete has dried. It will be understood, however, that any technical solution that allows the fixing plates to be temporarily fixed to the cladding panels may be used, for example gluing with an adhesive that can be separated by heating.

According to a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises, between steps l) and m), an additional step consisting of coupling at least one stressing device to at least one temporary fixing assembly, so as to vibrate the insulating formwork.

As indicated above, it will be understood that vibration of the formwork allows in particular to homogenize the concrete in the formwork and to promote entry of concrete into all the recesses formed in the insulating portions. It will also be understood that any device capable of transmitting vibrations can be used as a stressing device to carry out the vibration.

According to one embodiment, step h) further consists in threading, onto at least one fixing rod, a tubular spacer configured to come to bear against first faces of insulating portions facing each other.

It will be understood that the use of tubular spacers makes it possible to guarantee a constant distance between the walls of the insulating formwork facing each other. In order to limit thermal bridges, the at least one tubular spacer is made of a material having low thermal conductivity, preferably a plastic material, more preferably polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Advantageously, step n) further consists of removing at least one fixing rod.

Preferably, all fixing rods are removed during step n) in order to eliminate any thermal bridges due to the fixing rods.

Particular embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

On these drawings:

is a perspective view of an insulating wall formwork construction element of a building according to one embodiment of the invention.

is an exploded perspective view of a temporary fixing assembly of a kit for insulating formwork of a building wall according to an embodiment of the invention.

is a partial perspective view of an insulating formwork for a building wall, before pouring the concrete, the reinforcements not shown for clarity.

is an enlarged partial side view of an insulating formwork for a building wall, before concrete is poured.

is a perspective view of a first phase of a method of constructing an insulating formwork building wall according to one embodiment of the invention.

is a perspective view of a second phase of the process of the with a detail of the installation of the irons.

is a perspective view of a third phase of the process of Figures 4a and 4b.

If we first refer to the , it can be seen that there is shown a construction element 1 of insulating formwork for a building wall according to an embodiment of the invention, comprising an insulating portion 11 and a cladding panel 12. The construction element 1 is prefabricated in the factory and is configured for stacking on a construction site with other construction elements 1 preferably having an identical height in a so-called stacking direction, in order to form a wall of insulating formwork.

In the embodiment shown in , the insulating portion 11 is in the form of a straight block of expanded polystyrene comprising a first face 11a in which three recesses 11b are formed, in the form of grooves having a dovetail profile extending in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. The insulating portion 11 also comprises a second face 11c, opposite the first face 11a, on which the cladding panel 12 is glued, composed, by way of non-limiting example to which the invention is not limited, of a mixture of cement and wood particles, for example betonyp®.

In order to allow for optimum insulation, the insulating portion 11 is preferably continuous from one side to another side of the construction element 1. Furthermore, the construction element 1 is configured so that concrete is able to enter the recesses 11b during casting. Thus, after the concrete has dried, the construction element 1 is secured to the concrete mass by imbrication of concrete in the recesses 11b. The construction element 1 further comprises an upper face 11d in the stacking direction, the role of which during construction will be described in more detail below.

It will be understood that as a variant, the insulating portion 11 could have another shape, preferably parallelepiped, capable of allowing a stacking of construction elements 1, for example a cube shape or a prism shape whose base is a trapezoid or a diamond.

It will also be understood that expanded polystyrene makes it possible to obtain a lightweight construction element 1 having good thermal insulation, but that as a variant the material of the insulating portion 11 may be chosen to provide both good thermal insulation and good sound insulation, for example by adding particles, for example cork, to the material of the insulating portion 11 in order to obtain a composite material. As a variant, the insulating portion 11 could be composed of several stacked layers, each layer possibly being composed of a material different from the other layers.

The use of longitudinal grooves allows rapid manufacture of the insulating portion 11, however, as a variant the grooves could be formed transversely, parallel to the stacking direction. This variant is however not preferred because it requires the production of a greater number of grooves to obtain the same total groove length, which lengthens the manufacturing time. Furthermore, a dovetail profile allows good adhesion of the concrete 6 on the first face 11a of the insulating portion 11, but other profiles are also possible according to variants not shown, such as for example a “T” profile or an oval profile. The recesses 11b could also be in other forms, for example cylindrical holes formed, for example perpendicularly or obliquely, in the first face 11a of the insulating portion 11. It will of course be understood that the number of recesses 11b can also vary, for example depending on the shape of the recesses 11b or the properties of the concrete with which the construction element 1 is intended to be used.

In the embodiment shown in the , the construction element 1 comprises a single covering panel 12 extending over the entire second face 11c of the insulating portion 11. It will however be understood that as a variant several covering panels 12 could be glued to the insulating portion 11 to cover the second face 11c, possibly with a gap between two adjacent covering panels 12, or else several covering panels 12 could be stacked on top of each other to form a layered structure.

It will also be understood that if each cladding panel 12 is preferably made of betonyp®, another cladding material, preferably capable of receiving a coating or paint, could be used as a variant, for example a mixture of wood and polymer binder.

Any method of fixing the insulating portion 11 with the cladding panel 12 is envisaged within the framework of the present invention, the preferred embodiment being gluing.

Compared with existing blocks, the construction elements 1 according to the invention have the advantages of allowing the walls of the insulating formwork to be assembled separately in order in particular to facilitate the installation of reinforcements, of being able to be easily pre-cut during manufacture or recut on site to form corners of the insulating formwork, and of directly providing a covering capable of receiving coating or paint.

The invention also relates to a kit for insulating formwork for a building wall comprising a plurality of construction elements 1 according to the invention and temporary fixing assemblies 2.

The construction elements 1 of a kit according to the invention are intended to be stacked to form walls P1, P2 of an insulating formwork of a building wall with the insulating portions 11 oriented towards a core of the insulating formwork. Preferably, provision will also be made to arrange reinforcements 5, for example made of steel, at the core of the formwork, that is to say between the walls of the insulating formwork.

Each temporary fixing assembly 2, described in connection with Figures 2, 3a and 3b, is configured to temporarily connect a first wall P1 of the formwork to a second wall P2 of the formwork opposite, in order to allow pouring and drying of concrete in the insulating formwork. Figures 3a and 3b show the connections between the construction elements 1 forming the walls P1, P2 of an insulating formwork and the temporary fixing assemblies 2.

A temporary fixing assembly 2 according to the invention is shown in and comprises two fixing plates 21, a fixing rod 22 and two shims 23.

Each fixing plate 21 is configured to be placed in contact, at a contact face 21a, with at least one covering panel 12 and to be secured to the at least one covering panel 12.

In the embodiment shown in , the fixing assembly 2 further comprises fixing screws 21b for each fixing plate 21, the screws 21b being configured to temporarily connect the respective fixing plate 21 to a cladding panel 12. It will be understood that each fixing plate can thus be easily separated from the cladding panel 12 on which it is fixed, by removing the screws 21b. It will also be understood that alternatively, the fixing plates 2 can be fixed on the construction elements 1 by any temporary fixing solution, for example by gluing.

In the embodiment shown in the , each fixing plate 21 comprises two spacing lugs 21c projecting perpendicularly from the contact face 21a. The two spacing lugs 21c are aligned in a transverse direction of the fixing plate 21 and are configured to be arranged, during assembly of a wall P1, P2 of the insulating formwork, in contact with an upper face 11d of a construction element 1. According to variants not shown, each fixing plate 21 could comprise a single spacing lug 21c or more than two spacing lugs 21c aligned in a transverse direction of the fixing plate 21, for example four spacing lugs 21c.

As can be seen on the , a through hole 21d is formed in alignment with the spacer pins 21c on each fixing plate 21. The spacer pins 21c and the through hole 21d may be formed by a single operation, for example a punching operation of the fixing plate 21 when the latter is made of metal. It will be understood, however, that the spacer pins 21c could also be formed by molding or even 3D printing.

When assembling the insulating formwork, a first fixing plate 21 is configured to be fixed to the first wall P1 of the formwork and a second fixing plate 21 is configured to be fixed to the second wall P2 of the formwork, such that the through holes 21d of the first and second fixing plates 21 are aligned in a transverse direction of the formwork.

In the embodiment shown in the , the contact face 21a of the fixing plates 21 extends on either side of an imaginary line formed by the alignment of the spacing lugs 21c and the through hole 21d, such that the contact face 21a is configured to be fixed on a first construction element 1, on the upper face 11d of which its spacing lugs 21c are brought into contact, then to be fixed to a second construction element 1 stacked on the spacing lugs 21c, such that the fixing plate 21 makes it possible to fix two construction elements 1 stacked on top of each other. However, according to a variant not shown, the contact face 21a of the fixing plates 21 could extend only on one side of the imaginary line formed by the alignment of the spacing lugs 21c and the through hole 21d, such that the contact face 21a is configured to be only fixed on a first construction element 1 on the upper face 11d of which its spacing lugs 21c are brought into contact.

The fixing rod 22 is configured to be threaded into the through holes 21d of the two fixing plates 21, after fixing them on the construction elements 1, and to extend beyond each fixing plate 21 in a transverse direction of the insulating formwork. It will be understood that according to variants not shown, each fixing plate 21 could comprise several through holes 21d aligned and configured to each receive a respective fixing rod 22 of the temporary fixing assembly 2.

Furthermore, the fixing rod 22 comprises an orifice 22a at each end in a portion extending, after assembly, beyond the respective fixing plate 21 towards the outside of the insulating formwork. It will be understood that the orifices 22a are placed on the fixing rod 22 according to the desired formwork width. Alternatively, each fixing rod 22 may comprise a series of orifices 22a at one of its ends, such that the fixing rod 22 is configured to allow several widths of insulating formwork.

Each shim 23 is configured to be inserted into an orifice 22a of the fixing rod 22, and comprises a widened upper portion, intended for its gripping, and a tapered lower portion to allow forcible insertion into the orifices 22a once the fixing rod 22 is threaded into the through holes 21d, and to come into contact with an adjacent fixing plate 21, so as to block the fixing rod 22 in position. Preferably, the fixing plates 21 each comprise fins 21e projecting on a face opposite the contact face 21a, said fins 21e being configured to guide the shims 23 during their insertion and then to hold the shims 23 in position. It will be understood that the fins 21e can for example be formed by punching the fixing plate 21 or by molding or 3D printing. Side tabs 21f allow for better gripping of the fixing plate 21, particularly when removing it. The side tabs 21f may be formed by folding, molding or 3D printing.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 2, 3a and 3b, each temporary fixing assembly 2 is configured such that the shims 23 are introduced into the fixing rod 22 in a direction parallel to the stacking direction. It will be understood, however, that as a variant the fixing assembly could be configured such that the direction of insertion of the shims 23 is different, for example perpendicular to the stacking direction.

As shown in Figures 2, 3a and 3b, preferably, each temporary fixing assembly 2 further comprises a tubular spacer 24 configured to be threaded onto the fixing rod 22 and to come to bear against first faces 11a of insulating portions 11 facing each other, so as to guarantee a constant distance between the walls P1, P2 of the insulating formwork facing one another and to facilitate the removal of the fixing rod 22 after drying of the concrete 6.

Advantageously, the tubular spacers 24 are made of a material having low thermal conductivity, preferably a plastic material, more preferably polyvinyl chloride (PVC), so as to limit as much as possible the thermal bridges between the walls P1, P2 of the formwork.

In the embodiment shown in the , the fixing plates 21 and the fixing rod 22 are made of metal, for example steel, such that the temporary fixing assembly 2 is configured to have sufficient mechanical strength to allow, after assembly of the walls P1, P2 and pouring of concrete 6, vibration of the insulating formwork by stressing the temporary fixing assemblies 2. Other materials such as composite materials or plastics can also be envisaged. It will be understood that a stressing device is a device capable of transmitting vibrations to the formwork so as to allow vibration of the concrete 6, well known to those skilled in the art.

A method of constructing an insulating formwork building wall using a kit according to the invention will now be described, also referring to Figures 4a to 4c.

The method firstly comprises an optional but preferred step of setting up props 3 configured to receive, in lateral support, construction elements 1 arranged to form a first wall P1 of an insulating formwork. As shown in the , the first wall P1 is preferably arranged on one side facing an interior of the building, but may optionally alternatively be arranged on one side facing an exterior of the building.

The method then comprises a step a) consisting of placing a row of construction elements 1 on a concrete slab 4 along a first contour of the wall, the insulating portions 11 being oriented towards one side, called the core, of the first contour and the cladding panels 12 being oriented towards an opposite side, called the exterior, of the first contour.

The method then comprises a step b) of temporarily fixing, preferably using screws 21b, fixing plates 21 to cladding panels 12 of the uppermost row of the construction elements 1 arranged along the first contour. For each fixing plate 21, the spacer lugs 21c are brought into contact with an upper face 11d of each respective construction element 1. Preferably, at least one fixing plate 21 is fixed to each construction element 1, more preferably, two fixing plates 21 are fixed to each construction element 1.

The method subsequently comprises a step c) consisting of stacking additional construction elements 1 on the highest row of construction elements 1 of the construction elements 1 arranged along the first contour to form an additional row of construction elements 1. Said additional construction elements 1 are arranged to rest on spacer lugs 21c of the fixing plates 21 fixed in the preceding step b). The insulating portions 11 of said additional construction elements 1 are oriented towards the core side of the first contour and the cladding panels 12 are oriented towards the outer side of the first contour.

The method may then comprise an optional but preferred step of temporarily securing, preferably using screws 21b, the fixing plates 21 to said stacked additional building elements 1. It will be understood that this step requires the use of fixing plates 21 comprising a contact face 21a which extends on either side of an imaginary line formed by the alignment of the spacing lugs 21c and the through hole 21d of the fixing plates 21, such as for example a fixing plate 21 shown in .

The next step d) of the method consists in repeating the steps b) of fixing fixing plates 21 and c) of stacking additional construction elements 1, to obtain a first wall P1 of a number of rows of construction elements 1 corresponding to a desired wall height. This step may further optionally, but preferably, consist in repeating the optional step of fixing the fixing plates 21 to said stacked additional construction elements 1.

The method may thereafter comprise an optional but preferred step of fixing fixing plates 21 to the top of the first wall P1 of the insulating formwork, i.e. temporarily fixing, preferably using screws 21b, fixing plates 21 to cladding panels 12 of the uppermost row of the construction elements 1 arranged along the first contour, with for each fixing plate 21 the spacing lugs 21c brought into contact with an upper face 11d of each respective construction element 1.

There represents the assembly of a first wall P1 of the formwork according to the steps indicated above.

The method then comprises a step e) consisting of placing horizontal and vertical reinforcements 5, preferably made of steel, opposite the insulating portions 11 and fixing said reinforcements 5 to foundation reinforcements 4a protruding from the concrete slab 4. The use of a kit and construction elements 1 according to the invention makes it possible to successively assemble the walls P1, P2 of the formwork, which greatly facilitates installation of the reinforcements 5 at the heart of the formwork, between the two walls P1, P2, compared to the use of existing blocks for which the reinforcements must be laid once the blocks are stacked.

There represents the reinforcement installation step 5 described above.

The method may subsequently comprise an optional but preferred additional step of installing props 3 configured to receive, in lateral support, construction elements 1 arranged to form a second wall P2 of the insulating formwork. As shown in the , the second wall P2 is preferably arranged on the side facing the outside of the building, but may optionally alternatively be arranged on the side facing the inside of the building when the first wall P1 is arranged on the side facing the outside of the building.

The method then comprises a step f) of placing another row of construction elements 1 on the concrete slab 4 along a second contour of the wall spaced from the first contour by a desired distance for the thickness of the wall. The insulating portions 11 are oriented towards one side, called the core, of the second contour and the cladding panels 12 are oriented towards an opposite side, called the exterior, of the second contour, such that the insulating portions of the construction elements 1 arranged along the second contour face the insulating portions 11 of the construction elements 1 arranged along the first contour.

The method then comprises a step g) of temporarily fixing, preferably using screws 21b, fixing plates 21 on cladding panels 12 of the uppermost row of the construction elements 1 arranged along the second contour opposite each fixing plate 21 fixed on the row of construction elements 1 arranged along the first contour opposite. For each fixing plate 21 the spacer lugs 21c are brought into contact with an upper face 11d of each respective construction element 1 and the through hole 21d is aligned with the through hole 21d of the fixing plate 21 fixed opposite.

Then, the method comprises a step h) consisting of threading a fixing rod 22 into the aligned through holes 21d of each pair of fixing plates 21 facing each other. This step may further optionally but preferably consist of threading, on at least one fixing rod 22, a tubular spacer 24 configured to come to bear against first faces 11a of insulating portions 11 facing each other.

The method then comprises a step i) consisting of introducing a shim 23, at each end of each fixing rod 22, into a respective orifice 22a so as to bring the shim 23 into contact with the adjacent fixing plate 21 to block the fixing rods 22 in position.

The method subsequently comprises a step j) consisting of stacking additional construction elements 1 on the highest row of construction elements of the construction elements 1 arranged along the second contour to form an additional row of construction elements 1. Said additional construction elements 1 are arranged to rest on spacing lugs 21c of the fixing plates 21 fixed in the previous fixing step, and the insulating portions 11 are oriented towards the core side of the second contour and the cladding panels 12 are oriented towards the outer side of the second contour.

The method may then comprise an optional but preferred step of temporarily securing, preferably using screws 21b, the fixing plates 21 to said stacked additional building elements 1. It will be understood that this step requires the use of fixing plates 21 comprising a contact face 21a which extends on either side of an imaginary line formed by the alignment of the spacing lugs 21c and the through hole 21d of the fixing plates 21, such as for example a fixing plate 21 shown in .

The next step k) of the method consists in repeating the steps g) of fixing fixing plates 21, h) of threading fixing rods 22, i) of inserting shims 23 and j) of stacking additional construction elements 1, to obtain a second wall P2 of a number of rows of construction elements 1 corresponding to the desired wall height, connected to the first wall P1. This step may further optionally, but preferably, consist in repeating the optional step of fixing the fixing plates 21 to said stacked additional construction elements 1.

This produces an insulating formwork formed from construction elements 1, in which the insulating portions 11 are oriented towards the core of the formwork and the cladding panels 12 are oriented towards the outer sides of the formwork.

After that, in the case where fixing plates 21 have been fixed to the top of the first wall P1 of the insulating formwork, the method may comprise an optional but preferred step of fixing fixing plates 21 to the top of the second wall P2 of the formwork, i.e. temporarily fixing, preferably using screws 21b, fixing plates 21 to cladding panels 12 of the uppermost row of construction elements 1 arranged along the second contour opposite each fixing plate 21 fixed to the row of construction elements 1 arranged along the first contour. For each fixing plate 21 the spacer lugs 21c are brought into contact with an upper face 11d of each respective construction element 1 and the through hole 21d is aligned with the through hole 21d of the fixing plate 21 fixed opposite. Then, the method may comprise a further optional but preferred step of threading a fixing rod 22 into the aligned through holes 21d of each pair of fixing plates 21 facing each other. This step may further optionally consist of threading, onto at least one fixing rod 22, a tubular spacer 24 configured to bear against first faces 11a of insulating portions 11 facing each other. Then, the method may comprise yet another optional but preferred step of introducing a shim 23, at each end of each fixing rod 22, into a respective orifice 22a so as to bring the shim 23 into contact with the adjacent fixing plate 21 to lock the fixing rods 22 in position.

After this the method comprises a step l) consisting of pouring concrete 6 between the first and second walls P1, P2 of the insulating formwork created by the previous steps.

Then, the method may comprise an optional but preferred step of coupling at least one stressing device to at least one temporary fixing assembly 2, so as to vibrate the insulating formwork. As indicated above, it will be understood that a stressing device is a device capable of transmitting vibrations to the formwork so as to allow vibration of the concrete 6. The fixing plates 21, the fixing rods 22 and the shims 23 are preferably made of metal, for example steel, to guarantee their mechanical strength during vibration of the formwork. However, any tubular spacers 24 are preferably made of a material having low thermal conductivity, preferably a plastic material, more preferably polyvinyl chloride (PVC), so as to limit as much as possible the thermal bridges between the walls P1, P2 of the formwork.

The method then comprises a step m) consisting of waiting for the concrete 6 to dry.

The method then comprises a step n) consisting of removing all the shims 23 and all the fixing plates 21. This step may also optionally, but preferably, consist of removing at least one fixing rod 22, preferably all the fixing rods 22. It will be understood that the removal of the fixing rods 22 makes it possible to eliminate the thermal bridges between the walls P1, P2 of the insulating formwork. It will also be understood that in the case of the use of tubular spacers 24, these protect the fixing rods 22 from the concrete 6, which facilitates the removal of the fixing rods 22 after the concrete 6 has dried. It will also be understood that an anti-adhesive agent may be placed on the fixing rods 22 to prevent the concrete 6 from sticking to the fixing rods 22, which facilitates the removal of the fixing rods 22, for example in the absence of a tubular spacer 24.

There represents a building wall obtained by the method described above. It will be understood that certain construction elements 1 and part of the reinforcements 5 and the concrete 6 have not been shown for greater clarity.

It will of course be understood that the insulating formwork building wall may comprise openings 7, for example windows or a door as shown in Figures 4a to 4c. In this case, the construction elements 1 are successively arranged so as to define the opening 7 and a concrete-tight frame 6, for example made of wood or metal, is arranged in the opening 7 so as to close the insulating formwork and allow the pouring of the concrete 6.

Referring to Figs 3a and 3b, it will also be understood that depending on the insulation requirements for the building wall, the thicknesses of the insulating portions 11 of the construction elements 1 used to mount the first wall P1 may be different from the thicknesses of the insulating portions 11 of the construction elements 1 used to mount the second wall P2.

According to a variant of the method described above, the second wall P2, or the first wall P1, could be assembled using construction elements comprising only a cladding panel, for example made of a mixture of wood and polymer binder, without an insulating portion. The method can then comprise an additional step, after step n) of removing the shims 23 and the fixing plates 21, consisting in removing the construction elements comprising only a cladding panel in order to obtain a so-called bare concrete finish for the respective wall P1, P2; or the construction elements comprising only a cladding panel can also comprise recesses, similar to the recesses 11b of the construction elements 1 comprising an insulating portion 11, such that the construction elements comprising only a cladding panel are integral with the concrete 6 after the latter has dried and are capable of receiving paint or a coating. It will be understood that, in the event that the building elements comprising only a cladding panel are removed, the cladding panels thereof may comprise a surface coating, for example a paint or a varnish, configured to limit adhesion of the concrete 6 to the building elements comprising only a cladding panel, in order to facilitate removal.

It is understood that the particular embodiments which have just been described have been given for information purposes and are not limiting, and that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (15)

– Building element (1) of insulating formwork for a building wall configured for stacking, characterized in that the building element (1) is prefabricated and consists of:
- a parallelepiped insulating portion (11) comprising a first face (11a) in which is formed at least one recess (11b) configured to allow attachment of concrete (6) and a second face (11c) opposite the first face (11a); and
- at least one covering panel (12) glued to the second face (11c) of the insulating portion (11). - Construction element (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one recess (11b) is in the form of a groove having a dovetail profile. - Construction element (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the insulating portion (11) comprises expanded polystyrene. - Construction element (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one cladding panel (12) comprises a mixture of cement and wood particles. - Kit for insulating formwork of building wall, characterized by the fact that the kit includes:
- construction elements (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 intended to be stacked to form walls (P1, P2) of an insulating formwork of a building wall with the insulating portions (11) oriented towards a core thereof, the construction elements (1) having the same height in a so-called stacking direction; and
- at least one temporary fixing assembly (2), each temporary fixing assembly (2) being configured to temporarily connect a first wall (P1) of the formwork to a second wall (P2) of the formwork opposite in order to allow pouring and drying of concrete (6) in the insulating formwork, and comprising:
- two fixing plates (21), each fixing plate (21) being configured to be brought into contact, at a contact face (21a), with at least one cladding panel (12) and to be secured to the at least one cladding panel (12), each fixing plate (21) comprising at least one spacing lug (21c) projecting from the contact face (21a), all the spacing lugs (21c) being aligned and configured to be arranged, during assembly, in contact with an upper face (11d) of a construction element (1), and a through hole (21d) formed in alignment with the at least one spacing lug (21c), a first fixing plate (21) being configured to be fixed, during assembly, to the first wall (P1) of the formwork and a second fixing plate (21) being configured to be fixed, during assembly, to the second wall (P2) of the formwork such that the through holes (21d) of the first and second fixing plates (21) are aligned in a transverse direction of the formwork;
- a fixing rod (22), configured to be threaded into the through holes (21d) of the two fixing plates (21), after fixing thereof, and to extend beyond each fixing plate (21), and comprising at least one orifice (22a) at each end in a portion extending, after mounting, beyond the respective fixing plate (21); and
- two shims (23), each shim (23) being configured to be inserted into an orifice (22a) of the fixing rod (22) once the fixing rod (22) is threaded into the through holes (21d) and to come into contact with an adjacent fixing plate (21) so as to block the fixing rod (22) in position. - Kit according to claim 5, characterized in that at least one temporary fixing assembly (2) further comprises a tubular spacer (24) configured to be threaded onto the fixing rod (22) and to come to bear against first faces (11a) of insulating portions (11) facing each other, so as to guarantee a constant distance between walls (P1, P2) of the insulating formwork facing each other, the at least one tubular spacer (24) being made of a material having low thermal conductivity, preferably a plastic material, more preferably polyvinyl chloride (PVC). - Kit according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized in that at least one temporary fixing assembly (2) further comprises at least one fixing screw (21b) for each fixing plate (21), each fixing screw (21b) being configured to temporarily connect the respective fixing plate (21) to a trim panel (12). - Kit according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the fixing plates (21), the fixing rod (22) and the shims (23) of the at least one temporary fixing assembly (2) are made of metal, such that the at least one temporary fixing assembly (2) is configured to have sufficient mechanical strength to allow, after assembly, vibration of the insulating formwork by stressing the at least one temporary fixing assembly (2). - A method of constructing an insulating formwork building wall using a kit according to any one of claims 5 to 8, comprising the steps of:
a) placing a row of construction elements (1) on a concrete slab (4) along a first contour of the wall, the insulating portions (11) being oriented towards one side, called the core, of the first contour and the cladding panels (12) being oriented towards an opposite side, called the exterior, of the first contour;
b) temporarily fixing fixing plates (21) on cladding panels (12) of the uppermost row of the construction elements (1) arranged along the first contour, with for each fixing plate (21) the at least one spacer lug (21c) brought into contact with an upper face (11d) of each respective construction element (1);
c) stacking additional building elements (1) on the topmost row of building elements (1) of the building elements (1) arranged along the first contour to form an additional row of building elements (1), said additional building elements (1) resting on spacer lugs (21c) of the fixing plates (21) fixed in the previous step, and the insulating portions (11) being oriented towards the core side of the first contour and the cladding panels (12) being oriented towards the outer side of the first contour;
d) repeating steps b) and c) to obtain a first wall (P1) of a number of rows of construction elements (1) corresponding to a desired wall height;
e) placing horizontal and vertical reinforcements (5) opposite the insulating portions (11) and fixing said reinforcements (5) to foundation reinforcements (4a) protruding from the concrete slab (4);
f) placing another row of building elements (1) on the concrete slab (4) along a second contour of the wall spaced from the first contour by a desired distance for the thickness of the wall, the insulating portions (11) being oriented towards one side, called the core, of the second contour and the cladding panels (12) being oriented towards an opposite side, called the exterior, of the second contour, such that the insulating portions (11) of the building elements (1) arranged along the second contour face the insulating portions (11) of the building elements (1) arranged along the first contour;
g) temporarily fixing fixing plates (21) on cladding panels (12) of the uppermost row of the construction elements (1) arranged along the second contour opposite each fixing plate (21) fixed on the row of construction elements (1) arranged along the first contour opposite, with for each fixing plate (21) the at least one spacer lug (21c) brought into contact with an upper face (11d) of each respective construction element (1) and the through hole (21d) aligned with the through hole (21d) of the fixing plate (21) fixed opposite;
h) threading a fixing rod (22) into the aligned through holes (21d) of each pair of fixing plates (21) facing each other;
i) inserting a shim (23), at each end of each fixing rod (22), into a respective orifice (22a) so as to bring the shim (23) into contact with the adjacent fixing plate (21) to lock the fixing rods (22) in position;
j) stacking additional building elements (1) on the topmost row of building elements (1) of the building elements (1) arranged along the second contour to form an additional row of building elements (1), said additional building elements (1) resting on spacer lugs (21c) of the fixing plates (21) fixed in the previous step, and the insulating portions (11) being oriented towards the core side of the second contour and the cladding panels (12) being oriented towards the outer side of the second contour;
k) repeating steps g) to j) to obtain a second wall (P2) of a number of rows of construction elements (1) corresponding to the desired wall height, connected to the first wall (P1);
l) pouring concrete (6) between the first and second walls (P1, P2) of the insulating formwork created by the previous steps;
m) wait for the concrete to dry (6); and
n) remove all shims (23) and all fixing plates (21). - A method of constructing an insulating formwork building wall according to claim 9, characterized in that the method further comprises repeating step b) after step d) and repeating steps g) to i) after step k). - Method for constructing a building wall with insulating formwork according to claim 9 or claim 10, characterized in that the method further comprises at least one additional step among:
- before step a), a step consisting of putting in place props (3) configured to receive in lateral support the construction elements (1) arranged during steps a) to d); and
- before step f), a step consisting of putting in place props (3) configured to receive in lateral support the construction elements (1) arranged during steps f) to k). - Method for constructing a building wall with insulating formwork according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the method comprises, respectively after step c) and after step j), additional steps consisting in temporarily fixing the fixing plates (21) to the additional stacked construction elements (1). - Method for constructing a building wall with insulating formwork according to any one of claims 9 to 12 when using a kit according to claim 10, characterized in that the method further comprises, between steps l) and m), an additional step consisting in coupling at least one stressing device to at least one temporary fixing assembly (2), so as to vibrate the insulating formwork. - Method for constructing a building wall with insulating formwork according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that step h) further consists in threading, onto at least one fixing rod (22), a tubular spacer (24) configured to come to bear against first faces (11a) of insulating portions (11) facing each other. - Method for constructing a building wall with insulating formwork according to any one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that step n) further consists in removing at least one fixing rod (22).