Thermally insulated columnar structure formed with isolated front and back faces

Abstract

A structure formed with a hardened outer casing shaped with a rectangular cross-section. The outer casing may be formed of concrete which includes a wire mesh core shaped to maintain the rectangular cross-section. The outer casing includes front and back walls separated by an insulating core which includes at least two insulating layers, such as styrofoam, located adjacent the front and back faces. The insulating layers are spaced apart with shims to form a dead air space therebetween. The shims and insulating layers are penetrated with tie members which traverse the insulating core and are fastened to the wire mesh shell within the front and back faces thereof. The outer casing may be formed of concrete comprising a mixture of concrete powder, haydyte gravel, styrofoam balls, fiber mesh particles, water and an adhesive agent. The top, bottom and side walls are formed in a tongue and groove arrangement in order to secure adjoining members to one another. A separation crack is formed about central periphery of the top, bottom and side walls in order to isolate entirely the front and back faces from one another. This separation crack is formed along the apex of each tongue and along the base of each groove. Optionally, metal structural beams may be substituted for the shims to provide additional strength within each columnar member, such as when used to form a roof. Optionally, additional insulating layers and dead air spaces may be formed within the core.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.