Precast panel building construction

Abstract

A method is described for constructing a concrete building from precast concrete wall and floor panels. Each floor construction has a plurality of spaced-apart dowels which project upwardly above its surface along the proposed joint between the floor and a proposed wall, and each of the wall panels includes along its length vertical voids which extend for its full height at a spacing from one another generally the same as the spacing between the dowels projecting upward from the floor construction. The load bearing walls of the building are formed by erecting wall panels for the same vertically at the proposed joint with the dowels extending into the wall panel voids. Reinforcing rods are introduced into the voids to overlap the ones projecting upward from the floor, and the voids are filled with mortar to tie each of such wall panels to the floor below. A mortar junction resistant to horizontal shear forces is formed between the floor construction and the wall panel at the time the panel is otherwise interlocked to the floor to resist vertical stress forces. The floor construction is formed by supporting floor panels horizontally adjacent one another spanning the space between a pair of parallel, load bearing wall panels. Post-tensioning cables are positioned between and threaded through such floor panels, and recessed keyways are provided at the joints between adjacent panels. Mortar placed in such joints interlocks the adjacent panels to resist horizontal shear stresses, and the cables are post-tensioned to otherwise support and tie the floor panels together to resist vertical loading and seismic forces.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.