U.S. patent application number 10/046494 was filed with the patent office on 2002-05-23 for method of constructing curved structures as part of a habitable building.
Invention is credited to Saebi, Nasser.
Application Number | 20020059777 10/046494 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27379088 |
Filed Date | 2002-05-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020059777 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Saebi, Nasser |
May 23, 2002 |
Method of constructing curved structures as part of a habitable
building
Abstract
The invention uses flat, transparent or opaque plastic sheets to
build curved structures that are used in constructing habitable
buildings. The curved structure is divided into sections using a
Computer Assisted Drafting program. The plastic sheets are cut into
sides and top and bottom panels by a Computer Assisted
Manufacturing program. The sides are joined to form a frame. The
sides have curved upper and lower edges that match the curvature of
the structure. The top and bottom panels are placed on the frame
formed from the sides and bent to match the curvature of the sides.
The panels are joined to the sides. The sections are joined
together to form the curved surface. The curvature can be either
outwardly curved or inwardly curved. The curvature can change in
different portions of the structure.
Inventors: |
Saebi, Nasser; (Glendale,
AZ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Albert W. Davis Jr
6037 W. Robin Lane
Glendale
AZ
85310
US
|
Family ID: |
27379088 |
Appl. No.: |
10/046494 |
Filed: |
October 29, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10046494 |
Oct 29, 2001 |
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09563142 |
May 2, 2000 |
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10046494 |
Oct 29, 2001 |
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09398387 |
Sep 17, 1999 |
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60100856 |
Sep 18, 1998 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/745.07 ;
52/200; 52/81.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B 7/102 20130101;
E04B 1/32 20130101; E04B 2001/3276 20130101; E04B 2001/3288
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/745.07 ;
52/81.4; 52/200 |
International
Class: |
E04G 021/00 |
Claims
I claim as my invention:
1 The method of providing a composite curved plastic structure as
part of a habitable building comprising the steps of, creating a
drawing of the curved structure, said curved structure having
plastic sides and a plastic top surface, selecting the desired
curvature of the curved structure from either inward curves or
outward curves, forming the top edge of the sides to match the
desired curvature of the curved structure thereby creating a curved
top edge, forming the top surface from a flat plastic panel,
assembling the sides and the top surface together to form the
composite plastic curved structure by joining the plastic sides to
each other, placing the top panel on the curved top edges of the
sides, then elastically bending the top panel on to the curved
edges of the sides and joining the panel to the curved edges of the
sides thereby creating a self-supporting composite curved
structure.
2 The method of claim 1 wherein, the step of creating the drawing
is performed with the aid of a computer by using a computer
assisted drafting program.
3 The method of claim 2 wherein, the steps of forming are performed
by a computer assisted cutting machine that receives data from the
computer assisted drafting program to guide the machine in forming
steps.
4 The method of claim 1 wherein, the step of creating the drawing
of the structure divides a total structure into sections, choosing
the desired curvature of the total structure by choosing a
curvature for adjacent sections from inward curves or outward
curves, assembling each section and then joining the sections to
form the total structure.
5 The method of claim 4 wherein, the sections are created from
multi-sided forms.
6 The method of claim 1 including the steps of, forming the bottom
edges of the sides to match the curvature of the curved structure
thereby creating a curved bottom edge, forming the bottom surface
from a flat panel, assembling the sides and the bottom surface
together to form the composite curved structure by joining the
sides to each other, placing the bottom panel on the curved bottom
edges of the sides, then elastically bending the bottom panel on to
the curved edges of the sides and joining the bottom panel to the
curved edges of the sides.
7 The method of claim 1 wherein, the desired curvature changes in
portions of the curved structure.
8 The method of claim 7 wherein, the desired curvature is outward
in one section and inward in an adjacent section.
9 The method of claim 1 including the steps of, forming the bottom
edges of the sides to match a plane, placing a flat panel on the
bottom edges and joining the flat panel to the bottom edges of the
sides.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation-in part of applications
Ser. No. 60/100,856 filed Sep. 18, 1998 and Ser. No. 09/398,387
filed Sep. 17,1999 and titled CURVED COMPOSITE BUILDING SYSTEM and
Ser. No. 09/1563,142 filed May 2, 2000 and titled METHOD OF
CONSTRUCTING CURVED STRUCTURES AS PART OF A HABITABLE BUILDING, now
U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,490 granted Oct. 30, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The majority of new buildings today rely on the old methods
that use bearing walls or columns to support a heavy roof or an
intermediate floor. Structures built in this way are susceptible to
forces caused by gravity, adverse weather and earthquakes. The
stresses in the buildings induced by these forces can cause cracks
in and eventually the failure of the building. Internal stresses at
the corners and joints of such buildings are amplified by the
construction methods. Failure of such buildings is initiated at
their weakest points.
[0003] Conventional structures use massive quantities of materials
and require excessive amounts of labor time and energy to
construct. Forests are cut down to provide the lumber. Energy is
expended to mine and create metal beams and components which carry
the weight of the other building materials. Furthermore, a great
amount of human, machine and combustible fuel energy is needed to
transport and assemble the materials at job site.
[0004] Architects are designing buildings that are pleasing to the
eye but are expensive to build. The buildings have curved surfaces
which are very expensive to construct.
[0005] There has been a need for a method of creating a structure,
such as a home, a vault for a mall, a sports stadium, etc. from
less expensive materials and labor and a need for a method of
building the structures more quickly.
[0006] Further, there has been a need for creating buildings that
are more resistant to the forces of nature.
BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0007] One object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive
method of creating structures of considerable strength while
creating a building of customary appearance.
[0008] Another object is to be able to create structures of
arbitrary curvature form inexpensively without the need for a
structural skeleton.
[0009] A further object is to create structures of high strength
out of lightweight materials in commercially available sizes by
incorporating curved, dome-like or shell-like structures into the
building.
[0010] Another object is to provide a transparent structure of
considerable strength which could be used to create stadiums,
arenas and sport complex roofs.
[0011] A further object is to create a fiber or cable reinforced,
curved structure of very high strength.
[0012] Another object is to create an inexpensive method of making
transparent structures, such as skylights, domes, vaults and
canopies, which is of especial interest in the construction of
malls and many other structures.
[0013] A further object is to provide a method for creating a
virtual structure having curved portions in a computer, then
sectioning the structure by the computer program into smaller, more
manageable sections, forming the curved sections from flat/planar
pieces. The forming step can be accomplished by feeding the data
from the computer assisted drafting (CAD) program to a computer
assisted machining program (CAM) in a cutting machine.
[0014] Another object is to make a 3-D curved structure without the
use of expensive forming processes. Before the development of
CAD-CAM, such a curved structure would have been very expensive to
create.
[0015] A further object is to create buildings more quickly.
[0016] A further object is to build the structure in portions made
from joining sections until the combined sections are of an
appropriate size to be raised to form a portion of the
structure.
[0017] Another object of the invention is to make a structure that
is more resistant to the external forces experienced during snow,
winds and earthquakes. This is accomplished in two ways. First, the
weight of the structure is reduced. Second, the strength of a
curved shell is exploited.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the curved structure.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rectangular, curved
section of the curved structure.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the four sides of the curved
section which create a form or frame.
[0021] FIG. 4 shows a front view of one of the sides.
[0022] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the pieces making a section
with the top and bottom panels being shown as they are before they
are bent on to the frame.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of alignment holes in the
adjacent sides.
[0024] FIG. 7 is a front view of an alignment pin.
[0025] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of joined adjacent
sides.
[0026] FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of
the joined sides.
[0027] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of
the joined sides.
[0028] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a convex curved structure
formed from triangular sections.
[0029] FIG. 10A is a side perspective view of a concave curved
structure formed from rectangular sections with the outer sides and
top and bottom panels removed for simplicity.
[0030] FIG. 10B is another perspective view of the concave curved
structure of FIG. 10A taken from underneath the structure.
[0031] FIG. 10C is a perspective view of three concave curved
structures united to form a mail or similar structure.
[0032] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a triangular section.
[0033] FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the joined sides of a
triangular section.
[0034] FIG. 12 is an exploded, perspective view of groups of joined
panels.
[0035] FIG. 13 is front view of a curved structure in the form of a
vault.
[0036] FIG. 14 is a side view of a block used in a second,
different embodiment of the invention.
[0037] FIG. 14A is a perspective view of the second embodiment
formed from triangular sections.
[0038] FIG. 14B is a exploded, perspective view of the sections of
FIG. 14A.
[0039] FIGS. 15A-C are exploded, side views of different
embodiments of the joint between adjacent blocks.
[0040] FIG. 16 is a side view of an assembly of blocks.
[0041] FIG. 17 is cross-sectional view of a portion of the
habitable enclosure.
[0042] FIG. 17A is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of
a portion of the habitable enclosure.
[0043] FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of the first floor of one
example of a habitable enclosure constructed according to the
second embodiment.
[0044] FIG. 19 shows a perspective view of the ceiling
assembly.
[0045] FIG. 19A shows a section of the ceiling assembly of FIG.
19.
[0046] FIG. 20 shows a perspective view of the ceiling assembly in
place on the side walls.
[0047] FIG. 21 shows a perspective view of the attic side walls
added to the enclosure.
[0048] FIG. 22 shows a perspective view of the roof added to the
enclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0049] FIG. 1 shows a curved composite structure 1 formed of curved
sections 2 having a rectangular form. The curved sections 2 can
have a triangular form, a pentagonal form or any other multi-sided
form. The curved sections 2 are formed from flat sides 3, 4, 5, 6
and top and bottom flat panels 7 and 8.
[0050] Preferably, the materials used in the sides and panels are
plastics, such as acrylics, polycarbonates, etc. The plastics can
be transparent, translucent, opaque or a combination depending on
the requirements of the section. The thickness of the top and
bottom panels is typically in the range of one sixteenth to one
half of an inch.
[0051] In FIG. 2, one curved section 2 is shown. The curved section
2 is shown to have a very mild or gentle curvature. Such a
curvature is created by a very large radius of curvature. The
section 2 is part of a dome structure 1 and is therefore curved in
two directions. As is shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the
sides 3-6 are formed so that their top and bottom edges are curved.
The sides are joined to create a multi-sided form/frame 9 upon
which the flat top and bottom panels are bent and secured.
[0052] The curved section could be created by just having sides
with curved top or bottom edges and top or bottom panels,
respectively. When the panel 7 or 8 is bent to form a gentle curve,
the panel stress level will usually be in the elastic deformation
range. Thus, there will be residual stresses in the panel trying to
return it to a flat configuration. Those stresses are very low.
[0053] FIG. 4 shows a side 3 which is used to form the composite
curved structure section 2. The side 3 has an upper edge 11 and a
lower edge 12. The edges 11 and 12 are formed with a curvature that
matches the desired curvature of the section 2 of the composite
curved structure 1. The edges 11 and 12 can be formed by removing
material 11' and 12' from a straight edged, flat piece of material
3'.
[0054] The removal of material can be performed by a computer
operated cutting machine, having a rotating cutting device much
like a router, that is fed information from the computer generated
(virtual) structure that is to be built. The curvature can also be
formed by casting the side with the desired curvature in a
mold.
[0055] FIG. 5 shows top panel 7 that is rectangular and similar in
shape to the bottom panel 8, only larger. The top and bottom panels
7 and 8 are made from flat/planar elements. In an application as a
skylight, the panel is made of transparent or translucent
plastic.
[0056] The section 2 is formed by joining sides 3, 4, 5, 6 to
create a form or frame 9, placing panels 7, 8 on the form 1 frame 9
created by the joined sides, and bending and joining the top and
bottom panels 7, 8 to the sides 3, 4, 5, 6. Thus, the curvature of
the section 2 is created by cutting away material 11' and 12' to
form the desired curvature of edges 11, 12, by cutting the top and
bottom panels 7, 8 to rectangles to match the area of the form or
frame 9 defined by the joined sides, by bending the panels 7, 8 on
to the sides 3-6 to match the curvature of the sides, and by
joining the top and/or bottom panels 7, 8 to the sides 3-6. In
another embodiment of the invention, the bottom edge 12 is left
straight by not cutting away material 12'. In this embodiment, a
flat panel is joined without the need for bending to the straight
bottom edges of the frame 9. The bottom edges of the frame 9 can
also be cut at an angle of more or less than 90 degrees to the
sides 3-6. The flat bottom panel will then be at an angle other
than perpendicular to the frame when joined thereto.
[0057] In FIG. 2, sides 3, 4, 5, 6 are joined along edges 13 to
each other. Top and bottom panels 7 and 8 are bent on and joined to
the upper and lower edges 11 and 12. The bending is done during the
joining operation. The panels are bent and held in place during the
joining operation. The holding in place step can be accomplished by
the use of tape, a hold down fixture or jig, tack welds, rivets,
etc.
[0058] The joining of the sides 3-6 to each other can be performed
by using a solvent for the plastic material from which the sides
are made.
[0059] The joining of the panels 7, 8 to the frame 9 created from
the sides can be performed by adhesives, welds, mechanical devices
such as rivets, etc. One such adhesive is WELD-ON 40TM, a Clear
Two-Component, Reactive, High Strength Acrylic Cement used for
joining acrylic materials. Another adhesive is a solvent for the
plastic material from which the sides and the panels are made. The
welding could be performed hot plate welders which apply heat to
the areas to be welded.
[0060] The joints can be butt joints where the edge 13 of one side
abuts the side of another side. Preferably as seen in FIG. 3, the
side joints can also be made by chamfering the edges 13 at an angle
of 45 degrees so that they can be joined to form the 90 degree
corner of a rectangle. Of course, different angles of chamfer would
be used for different forms of multi-sided sections.
[0061] The section 2, when made of clear or translucent materials,
can be used by itself or with other sections as a window or
skylight. When made of opaque materials, the section or sections
can be used to form other types of curved structures.
[0062] The structure of FIG. 1 can be created in a computer as a
virtual structure by the use of a computer assisted drafting (CAD)
program. The structure can be divided by the CAD program into
pieces/sections using either Cartesian or polar coordinates. Using
Cartesian coordinates, the structure would be divided along X, Y
and Z axes. Using polar coordinates, the structure would be divided
by lines radiating from a point. The division of the structure into
sections allows the structure to be made of planar pieces or sheets
in sizes that are commercially available, such as 4.times.8 feet,
5.times.10 feet, etc.
[0063] The planar sections can be cut by the use of a computer
assisted cutting machine (CAM). The data from the CAD program is
fed into the CAM which then cuts the planar sections, such as the
sides, the top and the bottom panels. The sides have the top and
bottom edges cut to the desired curvature. The top and bottom
panels are cut to fit the form or frame created by the joined
sides. The cut planar pieces can be assembled to form sections in
the field or in a factory and then transported to the field. The
sections are then assembled to form the structure.
[0064] As shown in FIG. 2, 3 and 6, the sides 3-6 can have
alignment holes 14. Preferably, the aligned holes 14 are formed
with a countersunk portion 15. FIG. 7 shows a pin 16 having a
shoulder 17 which fits into the countersunk portion 15 of the hole
to prevent the pin 16 from falling into the inside of section 2.
Sections 2 are assembled side by side and aligned by the use of
holes 14 and pins 16. Each side is shown as having two holes 14 to
more quickly achieve alignment.
[0065] To assemble, the pin 16 is placed in hole 14 until shoulder
17 seats in countersunk portion 15. Then, the abutting section 2 is
aligned with aforementioned section by placing the seated pin in
the hole of side of the adjacent section. The shoulder 17 need not
fit the whole of the countersunk portion 15. Further, both holes 14
need not be countersunk. Further, no countersink would be needed
where a pin is bonded in the hole of one side. Of course, other
types of alignment devices can be used.
[0066] FIG. 8 shows two sections 2 assembled side by side/adjacent.
Sides 3-6 have an adhesive 18 applied to the top portion by any
applicable means such as nozzle, spray, roller, brush or tape.
Suitable adhesives are 3M's VHB TM Coated Acrylic Foam Tapes and
Adhesive Transfer Tapes (4905-4959 and F4960PC-F4973PC) or 3M's
SCOTCH GRIP TM Plastic Adhesives (1099, 1099L). The tape applicator
would have at least one protective backing to make it easy to
handle. The backing is used to lay the adhesive on the sides 3-6,
and then the backing is peeled off exposing the adhesive for
contact with the adjacent side wall 3-6 or any adhesive applied to
the adjacent side.
[0067] In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the adhesive 18 is placed at
the top of area of the sides. The adhesive 18 forms a dam in the
space/gap 21 between the adjacent sides 3-6 and panels 7, 8. The
thickness of the adhesive forms a gap 21, typically of about 0.05
inches, between the edges of the top panel 7 of adjacent sections.
Preferably, the adhesive 18 should never fully harden so that it
will be prevented from forming a high stress in the sides.
[0068] Another adhesive 22 can be placed in the gap 21 created by
the dam formed by adhesive 18. Typical adhesives 22 can be WELD ON
40 TM, 3M's VHB TM Coated Acrylic Foam Tapes, such as 4905 and
4910, or a solvent for the plastic of the side, such as a solvent
for acrylics, polycarbonates, etc., which will melt the surface of
the plastic of the adjacent surfaces thereby allowing the plastic
to flow and bridge the gap where it solidifies.
[0069] In another embodiment shown in FIG. 8A, only 3M's tapes,
3M's VHB TM Coated Acrylic Foam Tapes and Adhesive Transfer Tapes
(4905-4959 and F4960PC-F4973PC), are used. The tape 18 will fill
the gap 21 and extend onto the side 3-6, and there will be no need
to form a dam since the adhesive on the tapes will not run. During
the assembly, the adhesive 18 is placed on the sides before the
sides are aligned adjacent to each other. The gap 21 between the
top panels can be filled with an adhesive 18 or 22, a caulk or left
unfilled or partially filled.
[0070] The bottom panels 8 can be united by the same assembly
steps. The structure 1 can be created by using either of the top
panels, the bottom panels or both.
[0071] FIG. 9 shows sides 3, 4 formed with cavities 23, 24. The
cavities 23, 24 form a larger cavity which is sealed by the dams
created by adhesive 18 which is applied along the top and bottom
edges of the cavities 23, 24. The cavities 23, 24 are filled with a
bonding agent 25 which can be the liquid, unset form of the plastic
that is used for the side, such as a liquid acrylic if using
acrylic sides. The bonding agent may contain fibers, cables or
ropes 26 for reinforcement. The fibers, cables or ropes 26 can be
made of FIBERGLAS TM, carbon, graphite, etc. The bonding agent 25
reinforced by fibers, cables or ropes is used to increase the
strength of the structure 1. The gap 21 can be filled with an
adhesive 18 or 22, a caulk or left unfilled or partially
filled.
[0072] FIG. 10 shows an outwardly curved structure 1 in the shape
of a portion of a dome. The dome can be divided into triangular
curved sections 2. Only four triangular sections 2 are shown in
FIG. 10; however, the whole dome is made of curved triangular
sections. The sections are similar to the rectangular sections of
FIG. 1.
[0073] FIG. 10A shows an inwardly curved complete dome structure
formed from square sections 2. Each section can be a four foot
square. The structure shown has thirty sections on each side which
create a structure that spans 120 feet. The structure shown has the
outer sides removed from the outer sections 2 and top and bottom
panels 7, 8 removed from all of the sections 2 for simplicity. Each
internal wall of the curved structure is formed by joining two
adjacent side walls 3-6 of adjacent sections 2 as shown in FIGS. 8
and 9 but is shown as one solid wall because of the smallness of
the gap 21 between the side walls. It is noted that the curve of
the structure 2 can be different at any point on the structure. A
completely arbitrary curvature can be created at any point in the
structure. This figure also shows a curved structure in which the
radius of curvature or the curve of the structure changes in
different portions of the structure.
[0074] The curved outer or inner surface of a section 2 can be
higher or lower or otherwise spatially offset from the surrounding
sections. This can be accomplished by making the sides of a section
2 longer than those of an adjacent section 2. Further, the
curvature of one section can be can be inward and the curve of an
adjacent section can be outward.
[0075] FIG. 10B shows the concave curved structure of FIG. 10A from
the side and underneath the structure 2.
[0076] FIG. 10C shows a mall or similar structure roof formed from
three of the concave structures 2. The mall structure shown spans
120 feet by 360 feet.
[0077] FIGS. 11 and 11A show a section 2 in the triangular form of
FIG. 10. There are three sides 3-5, preferably equal in length and
a top and bottom panel 7, 8. The sides 3-5 are formed with curved
top and bottom edges 11, 12 to match the curve of the dome. The
sides 3-5 are joined to create a form or frame 9. The triangular
top and bottom panels 7, 8 are placed on the form created by the
edges 11, 12, bent to match the curve of the edges 11, 12 and then
joined to the edges.
[0078] FIG. 12 shows two groups A, B of triangular sections 2 that
have been joined together by adhesives. The joined groups A, B are
joined to each other by placing adhesives 18 on the sides 3-5, then
aligning the pins 16 in holes 14 (not shown) and pressing the sides
of group A to the sides of group B. Eventually, two halves will be
joined by the aforementioned technique to form the dome.
[0079] FIG. 13 shows a curved structure 1 formed as a vault-like
roof for a walkway or other use. In this form, the sections may be
curved in only one direction, instead of two as required for a
dome. That is, only two opposite sides 3, 5 or 4, 6 will have their
upper and lower edges 12, 13 formed to match the desired curvature
of the vault.
[0080] FIG. 14 shows a different embodiment of the overall concept
of creating strong, lightweight curved structures. In this
embodiment, the rectangular sections 2 are formed from materials,
such as, rectangular, expanded polystyrene solid panels 30'.
Rectangular, solid formed panels or blocks 30 have curved upper and
lower surfaces 31 and 32 and four tapered sides 33-36. Sides 33 and
35 have a taper that is dictated by the radius of curvature R in a
first direction of the curved structure 1 of which section 2 is a
piece. If the structure 1 is curved in first and second directions,
sides 34 and 36 will also have a taper dictated by the radius of
curvature taken along the second direction. The shape of the panel
or block 30 is shown somewhat exaggerated to clearly show the
curvature and the taper. In another embodiment (not shown), either
the top or the bottom surface of the foam block is left flat and
the bottom or the top, respectively, is formed in the desired
curve.
[0081] The curved rectangular, formed foam block 30 can be formed
from a flat-sided block of material 30' by using a computer
assisted cutting machine (CAM) having a rotating cutter much like a
router. The procedures to be followed would be similar to those
previously discussed. The blocks can also be cut by a device called
a hot wire. Another method of forming would cast the rectangular,
solid panel 30 with tapered sides and curved upper and lower
surfaces. As in the previous embodiment, the blocks or panels 30
can have a triangular form, a pentagonal form or any other
multisided form.
[0082] Preferably, the blocks 30 would be sized so that they could
be cut from blocks 30' that are manufactured in commercially
available sizes, such as 4.times.8 feet, 5.times.10 feet, etc.
[0083] FIG. 14A shows the four foam blocks 30 of a triangular form
joined together.
[0084] FIG. 14B shows an exploded view of the four foam triangular
blocks with holes 37 and pins 38 for alignment of the blocks.
[0085] The blocks 30 are assembled as shown in FIGS. 12, 14B and
15. The sides 33-36 are affixed to an adjacent block by any
suitable means, such as, adhesive, interlocking joints, etc. or
combination thereof. The interlocking joint could typically be a
tongue and groove design, as shown in FIG. 15A, formed on sides
33-36 of the blocks 30. The blocks 30 can also be aligned by using
the tongue and groove interlocking joint or a pin 38 and hole 37
interlocking joint, as shown in FIG. 15B, in which the pin 38 of
about an inch in diameter fits in holes 37 in adjacent blocks 30. A
suitable foam adhesive 39, as shown in FIG. 15C, would be 3M
FASTBOND TM Foam Adhesive 100 which is a neoprene based product.
Preferably, the blocks 30 are joined by using an adhesive and an
interlocking joint.
[0086] As shown in FIG. 16, once the desired number of blocks 30
are assembled, if the span is large, at least one side of the
ceiling assembly 40 is coated with a precoat 41 that dries to form
a hard, reinforcing shell. Suitable precoat materials 41 for use
with polystyrene blocks 30 would be polyurethane or polyurea
elastomer coatings. If the span is smaller, the assembly 40 is
raised into position without the coating.
[0087] FIG. 17 shows side walls 42 which are formed by joining 4
foot.times.8 foot.times.2-12 inch foam blocks 30' along their long
sides with adhesives, interlocking joints or other joining devices.
The side walls 42 are positioned on concrete footings 51 in the
trench 50 in the ground. Once the side walls 42 are erected, a
cornice 43 or other ceiling support which can be formed from foam
blocks is added to the top area of the side wall 42 by foam
adhesive 39. The cornice 42 is cut in a curve to follow the
curvature of the ceiling where the ceiling meets the side walls 42.
The ceiling assembly is joined to the cornice, preferably by foam
adhesive 39. The side walls 42 and cornice 43 can be coated with a
high strength coating 44 before the ceiling assembly is raised into
position on the cornice 43 or ceiling support. However, the use of
the high strength coating 44 on the side walls and cornice can
usually wait until after the ceiling assembly is raised into place
on the cornice.
[0088] The high strength coating 44 can be made of a resin having
fibers of glass, carbon, etc. or a high performance, fiber
reinforced concrete with a polymer additive for accelerated curing.
A suitable concrete would be glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC)
which can be sprayed on to the previous coating 41 or onto the foam
30. The GFRC is 3-5% of Cem-FIL TM fibers (glass fibers)
manufactured by THE VEROTEX Company that are mixed into a 1:1
cement:sand water matrix. Preferably, the coating 40 is made from a
very thin layer of GFRC, such as {fraction (3/16)}-1/2 inches.
[0089] Once the ceiling assemblies 40 are in place, the coating 44
can be applied to unite the adjacent assemblies 40 to each other
and the assemblies 40 to the side walls 42 and cornice 43 or
ceiling support. The top side of the ceiling assembly 40 and the
adjacent side walls 42A are also coated with the high strength
coating 44. The side walls 42, 42A are also coated inside and
outside with coating 44. Once the lower portion of the side walls
42 has been coated, concrete fill 52 can be added to the trench
50.
[0090] As shown in FIG. 17A, the side wall 42 can be cut to receive
the ceiling assembly 40. In this embodiment, the side wall 42 does
not need a cornice 43 to support the assembly 40. The outer foam
blocks 30A are trimmed by the use of a hot wire to match the side
of the side wall 42. The ceiling assembly 40 is joined to the side
wall 42 at its top, preferably by foam adhesives 39. A foam block
30A' is formed to fit the curvature of the ceiling block 30A and is
joined thereto. Foam block 30A' extends the side wall 42 past the
ceiling assembly 40 to form an attic side wall 42A.
[0091] FIGS. 17-22 show an example of a habitable enclosure created
by the method of the second embodiment. FIG. 18 shows the side
walls 42 of a first floor with the high strength coating. FIG. 19
shows the uncoated ceiling 40 that is placed on the side walls 42
with one of the triangular sections 2 exploded into FIG. 19A. FIG.
20 shows the ceiling assembly 40 in place on the side walls 42. The
sides 33-35 of sections 2 are trimmed by a hot wire to match the
uncoated, side wall 42. FIG. 21 shows the attic side walls 42A. The
ceiling assembly 40 is shown as uncoated to more clearly show its
form. FIG. 22 shows the roof 45 added to the side walls 42. All of
the exterior surfaces, roof and walls, will be coated to provide
additional strength. The ceiling assembly 40 is shown as uncoated
on its exterior side as in FIGS. 20-22 to more clearly show its
form where it lays on the first floor side walls 42.
[0092] CAD programs are available as AutoCad TM, ProE TM, Solid
Works TM, Inventor TM, etc. CAM programs are available as Fast CAM
TM, etc.
[0093] Some of the curvatures have been exaggerated from what would
be the usual curvature so the curvature of the elements will be
more apparent.
[0094] Various changes and modifications to the embodiments herein
chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those
skilled in the art. For example, the order of the steps required to
build the house can be changed. The number of steps required to
build the house may be varied. The number of coats of concrete and
the composition of those coats can be varied. The specific
materials used to build the house or the curved structure may be
varied, such as the type of foam, adhesives, plastic, etc. To the
extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from
the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included
within the scope thereof which is assessed only by a fair
interpretation of the following claims.
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