Prefabricated building panel
AssigneeCon-Tex Elements, Inc.
InventorJack T. Nourse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A prefabricated load-bearing wall panel has a layer of concrete attached to a plurality of spaced apart parallel metal wall studs. The slab support is achieved by flexible bolsters secured at spaced locations to each stud and fastened to a reinforcing mesh embedded in the concrete slab. The bolsters, which are partially embedded in the slab, provide compressive and tensile support for the slab on the studs in a direction generally perpendicular to the general plane of the slab. In addition, the wall panel exhibits a synergistic effect in terms of composite design, wind load strength and shear strength.
Claims16
A prefabricated load bearing wall panel comprising:
- a plurality of spaced apart and parallel elongated studs;
- bolster means comprising a plurality of substantially V-shaped pairs of legs, the two legs of each pair being joined at a juncture region, the legs being secured to the studs at spaced location along the length of each stud so that each stud has a plurality of pairs secured thereon, the pairs being positioned on the studs so that the juncture region of each pair extends in a common direction outwardly from the studs;
- a concrete reinforcing mesh supported on the bolster means, the juncture region of each pair being fastened to the mesh;
- a generally planar layer of concrete having an outer face and an opposite inner side, the concrete layer embedding the reinforcing mesh so that the legs of the pairs protrude from the inner side of the layer, the bolster means permitting the concrete layer to flex relative to the studs in direction of the general plane of the layer, and the bolster means providing compressive and tensile support for the layer relative to the studs in a direction generally perpendicular to the general plane of the layer.
A modular wall panel characterized as comprising:
- a series of parallel metal studs and intervening braces forming a rigid framework;
- semi-rigid spacers bonded at spaced intervals across the outer edge of each of said studs and in alignment;
- a reinforcing rod bonded to said spacers along each of said studs;
- a reinforcing mesh overlying and bonded to said reinforcing rods;
- and
- said mesh, rods and portions of the spacers being embedded within a thin continuous hardened concrete layer, resulting in a modular wall panel providing load carrying capabilities greater than the rigid framework in terms of wind load resistance and shear strength.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.