Wall construction system and method

A wall construction system comprising:

• a plurality of layers of wall blocks, each layer including a row of blocks, each of the blocks further comprising a pair of substantially flat major surfaces and four contoured minor surfaces, the blocks having a generally H-shaped profile when viewed perpendicular to the major surfaces, the H-shape providing a channel around the top, ends and bottom of each block, and a plurality of longitudinal grooves that are parallel to the major surfaces and incorporated into the edges of the minor surfaces, wherein adjacent blocks form a continuous channel, the continuous channel arranged both horizontally and vertically between adjacent blocks;
• a plurality of joining strips, the strips placed end to end and pressed into each longitudinal groove, with about half their width protruding from the longitudinal grooves;
• a plurality of lateral clips attached to a pair of joining strips and across the top of the blocks, perpendicular to the longitudinal grooves;
• a vertical reinforcing bar approximately centered within each of the vertical channels;
• a layer of horizontal reinforcing bar laid across the lateral clips and approximately centered within the horizontal channels and attached to each of the vertical reinforcing bars;
• and
• a quantity of concrete poured into the horizontal and vertical channels between adjacent blocks to envelope the horizontal and vertical reinforcing bars.

A method for constructing a wall with superior thermal, acoustic and strength properties, comprising the steps of:

• (a) securing a footer to a floor;
• (b) creating a plurality of regularly-spaced vertical holes into the floor;
• (c) inserting a vertical reinforcement bar into each vertical hole in the floor;
• (d) attaching a layer of horizontal reinforcement bars to each vertical reinforcement bar;
• (e) placing a first layer of blocks onto the footer and around the vertical reinforcement bars, wherein each layer of blocks includes a row of blocks,
• each of the blocks further comprising a pair of substantially flat major surfaces and four contoured minor surfaces, and a plurality of longitudinal grooves that are parallel to the major surfaces and incorporated into the edges of the minor surfaces, the blocks having a generally H-shaped profile when viewed perpendicular to the major surfaces, the H-shape providing a continuous channel around the top, ends and bottom of each block;
• (f) inserting a plurality of joining strips into a pair of longitudinal slits along the top edges of the wall blocks with an upper half of the strips exposed above the wall blocks;
• (g) attaching a lateral clip across the top of each wall block onto the pair of joining strips on each wall block;
• (h) placing a next layer of horizontal reinforcement bars across the lateral clips and against the vertical reinforcement bars;
• (i) attaching the next layer of horizontal reinforcement bars to the vertical reinforcement bars;
• (j) placing a next layer of wall blocks onto the first layer of wall blocks;
• (k) engaging the next layer of blocks onto the strips and clips
• (l) creating a plurality of horizontal and vertical air channels around the horizontal and vertical reinforcement bars, wherein each reinforcing bar is approximately centered within the continuous channel formed between adjacent blocks, both horizontally and vertically;
• and
• (m) enveloping the reinforcement bars within the air channels with concrete.