Insulated concrete wall system and method for its manufacture

An insulated wall system comprising:

• a concrete wall;
• an insulated layer fixed to the concrete wall and comprising a plurality of insulated panels disposed adjacent to each other, each of the panels comprising a core of rigid foam, and at least two reinforcing strips extending substantially the entire length of the panel wherein each panel further includes an outer layer of water vapor resistant polymeric film bonded to the outer surface of each core and further wherein each foam core defines at least two elongated recesses that receive the at least two reinforcing strips, and further wherein the polymeric film extends across the recesses and across the reinforcing strips disposed in the recesses;
• a plurality of fasteners to retain the insulated panels to the concrete wall, wherein the fasteners have a shank, and the shank extends through the insulated panel and through the reinforcing strips and thence into the wall where it is anchored;
• and
• a wallboard layer fixed to the reinforcing strips of the insulated layer wherein the wallboard layer comprises a plurality of wallboards, and each of the wallboards has substantially the same length and width as the insulated panels of the insulated layer, and further wherein the plurality of wallboards are fixed to the strips of the insulated panels such that each of the plurality of wallboards is attached to more than one insulated panel, and each of the insulated panels is attached to more than one wallboard.

A method of making an insulated wall system comprising a planar concrete wall having an insulated panel facing surface, an insulated layer comprising a plurality of planar insulated panels wherein each of the panels has a substantially planar wall-facing inner surface and an opposing and substantially planar outer surface that faces away from the wall and further wherein each of the panels comprises a core of rigid foam having at least two reinforcing strips extending substantially the entire length of the panel, and a plurality of fasteners that retain the insulated panels to the concrete wall, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming the concrete wall;
• orienting each of the plurality of insulated panels with respect to the wall such that they abut each other at opposing lateral edges of each of the insulated panels and contact the wall;
• fastening each of the plurality of insulated panels to the wall with the plurality of fasteners such that the wall-facing surfaces of the plurality of insulated panels are parallel to the insulated panel facing surface defined by the concrete wall, such that an inner plane defined by the wall facing surfaces of the plurality of insulated panels is parallel to the panel facing surface defined by the concrete wall, such that the wall facing surfaces of the plurality of insulated panels are substantially coplanar with each other, and such that a plane defined by the outer surfaces of the plurality of insulated panels are substantially coplanar;
• wherein each of the insulated panels includes a first reinforcing layer bonded to the outer surface of its respective core and wherein the first reinforcing layer extends across a top surface of at least one of the at least two reinforcing strips;
• and wherein the method further includes the steps of:
• driving the plurality of fasteners through the first reinforcing layer prior to the step of driving the plurality of fasteners through the at least two reinforcing strips;
• and
• compressing the first reinforcing layer between the fastener and the at least two reinforcing strips.

An insulated wall system, comprising:

• a concrete wall;
• an insulated layer fixed to the concrete wall and comprising a plurality of insulated panels disposed adjacent to each other, each of the panels comprising a core of rigid foam, and at least two reinforcing strips extending substantially the entire length of the panel;
• a plurality of fasteners to retain the insulated panels to the concrete wall, wherein the fasteners have a shank, and the shank extends through the insulated panel and through the reinforcing strips and thence into the wall where it is anchored, and
• wherein each panel further includes an outer layer of water vapor resistant polymeric film bonded to the outer surface of each foam core and further wherein each foam core defines at least two elongate recesses that are spaced equidistantly from opposing edges of the foam core that receive the two reinforcing strips, and further wherein the reinforcing strips are inserted within the recesses to a depth such that they are flush with the outer surface of said each foam core and further wherein the polymeric film extends across the recesses and across the reinforcing strips disposed in the recesses.

An insulated wall system, comprising:

• a concrete wall;
• an insulated layer fixed to the concrete wall and comprising a plurality of insulated panels disposed adjacent to each other, each of the panels comprising a core of rigid foam, and at least two reinforcing strips extending substantially the entire length of the panel;
• a plurality of fasteners to retain the insulated panels to the concrete wall, wherein the fasteners have a shank, and the shank extends through the insulated panel and through the reinforcing strips and thence into the wall where it is anchored;
• and
• a reinforcing layer extending across the tops of the at least two reinforcing strips, wherein the reinforcing layer has a tensile strength at least two orders of magnitude greater than the tensile strength of the foam core and further wherein the thickness of the reinforcing layer is between 0.5 and 12 mils, and further wherein the thickness of the foam core is between 0.5 and 2.5 inches.