GB2094849A - Wall structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A wall has spaced apart posts 1 interconnected by wall panels 2, the wall panels 2 having at each end at least two generally horizontal, vertically spaced, recesses 4 receiving respective ends 7 of elongate connectors 6 which extend through respective apertures 5 in adjacent posts. The connectors 6 have openings 8 spaced from their ends so that a respective elongate retainer 9 can be disposed therethrough alongside opposite sides of a post 1, to substantially prevent longitudinal axial movement of said connectors 6 out of the apertures 5. The joints between posts and panels may be grouted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wall structure This invention relates to wall structures made up of posts interconnected by wall panels.

Conventional wall structures are prone to deterioration in the case of materials such as wood, are very labour intensive and thus expensive to erect in the case of brick walls, are vulnerable to attack by vandals where they rely for a substantial part of their strength on grouting, and/or are of relatively unattractive appearance.

It is an object of this invention to avoid or minimize one or more of the above disadvantages.

This invention provides a wall structure comprising a plurality of spaced apart posts interconnected by wall panels, said wall panels having at each end at least two generally horizontally extending, vertically spaced apart, recess means for receiving respective ends of elongate connectors which extend through respective apertures in adjacent posts into respective said recess means in adjacent panels on the other sides of said posts, said connectors having openings spaced from the ends of said connectors and at a predetermined spacing from each other such that a respective elongate retainer member can be disposed through the openings of the connectors mounted in a post, alongside opposite sides of the post, to substantially prevent longitudinal axial movement of said connectors out of the apertures.

With a structure according to the present invention, the connection between the panels and posts provided by the connectors and retainers has sufficient strength to enable the erected structures to resist a considerable degree of abuse from vandals and other sources even where additional joint strength is to be developed upon setting of grouting in the joints, whilst enabling quick and easy erection. This results in a considerable saving of labour and on material losses due to attacks from vandals during periods when the erection site is unattended.

In a further aspect the present invention provides a method of erecting a wall structure according to the invention comprising the steps of: (1) erecting a first said post; (2) erecting a second said post at a predetermined spacing equal to or slightly greater than the length of a first said wall panel to be disposed therebetween; (3) positioning said wall panel between said first and second posts and positioning respective said connectors in said apertures in said first and second posts, so that at least two said connectors extend through each of said first and second posts into the apertures in a respective end of said panel with the openings in said connectors aligned with each other along an axis extending between the respective post and an adjacent panel end, and inserting respective ones of said elongate retainers through the aligned apertures;; (4) erecting a third post at a predetermined spacing from said first or second post for receiving therebetween a second said wall panel and repeating the immediately preceding step; and (5) repeating the immediately preceding step as many times as required to provide a desired wall structure length.

In a further aspect the invention provides a kit of parts for use in erecting a wall structure of the invention comprising a plurality of posts, a plurality of wall panels, a plurality of elongate connectors, and a plurality of elongate retainers, said panels each having at least two spaced apart recess means extending longitudinally from each end thereof, said posts each having at least two apertures extending transversely therethrough at a predetermined spacing from each other corresponding to that of said at least two recess means, for accommodating said connectors, in use of the kit, with openings in said connectors disposed at opposite sides of said posts, for receiving therethrough respective said elongate retainers, said openings being spaced from the ends of the connectors and at a predetermined spacing from each other, and said elongate retainers having a predetermined length greater than said predetermined spacing between said at least two apertures in said posts.

Preferably the posts and panels are of precast concrete whilst desirably the connectors and retainers are of steel.

Further preferred features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description given by way of example of two preferred embodiments illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a section of wall structure of the invention; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional plan view showing the connections between a post and two adjacent wall panels in the wall structure of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a section of a second wall structure of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a wall structure comprising spaced apart precast concrete posts 1 supporting precast concrete wall panels 2 therebetween.

Each end 3 of each wall panel 2 is provided with a number of horizontally extending vertically spaced apart elongate recesses 4 and the posts 1 are provided with apertures in the form of through slots 5 at vertical spacings corresponding to those of various combinations of the recesses 4 (see below).

Elongate connectors in the form of steel strips 6 (see Fig. 2 also) extend through the slots 5 in the posts 1 and project on either side thereof with their opposite ends 7 in the recesses 4 of respective wall panels 3 and with elongate openings 8 in said strips 6 disposed on opposite sides of the posts 1 between the posts 1 and wall panels 2. This enables elongate retainers in the form of steel rods 9 with a short cross-piece 10 at one end (see also Fig. 3) to be threaded through the aligned openings 8 of all the connector strips 7 located in each post 1. Once the retainer rods 9 have been inserted on opposite sides of a post 1 it will be appreciated that the connector strips 6 cannot be withdrawn or displaced from the posts 1, and similarly a wall panel 2 cannot be removed from between two such posts 1.Thus the structure has considerable strength and security even before the joints 11 between adjacent posts 1 and panels 2 are grouted with a suitable mortar.

The wall structure is simply and easily erected in the following manner. A first post 1 is erected in the ground in any conventional manner or conveniently with the aid of a generally cuboidal mounting block 12 (see Fig. 1) provided with a socket for receiving the bottom end of the post 1 which block 12 is first sunk into the ground 13. A second post 1 is then erected at a distance from the first such that a wall panel 2 can be disposed with a loose fit therebetween and is then temporarily supported with its recesses 4 aligned with appropriate slots 5. Connector strips 6 are then pushed in through the slots 5 from the free sides of the posts to locate in the recesses 4 and the retainer rods 9 threaded through the aligned openings 8 of the connector strips 6.The next post 1 is then erected and a second wall panel 2 brought into position the free ends of connector strips 6 whose other ends are located inside the first panel 2, being fed into the recesses 5 in one end of the second panel 2. The other end of said panei is then temporarily supported whilst connector strips 6 and retainer rods 9 are installed in the third post 1 to support said other end of the second panel 2. Finally the joints between the loosely fitting posts and panels are grounted with a suitable mortar. Of course this procedure may be readily varied in various ways as required. Thus, for example, all the posts may be erected first and the panels 2 and connectors and retainers installed sequentially.

Other variations and modifications are also possible. Thus as shown in Fig. 1 two vertically spaced wail panels 2 may be mounted between each pair of adjacent posts 1. Also by providing additional recesses in the ends of the wall panels 2 it is possible to negotiate sloping terrain by hanging the wall panels in vertically staggered disposition as shown at the right-hand side of Fig.

1, opposite ends of the connector strips 6 supporting the upper wall panels at the right-hand post locating in the top two (of three) recesses of the left hand panel and the bottom two (of three) recesses of the right hand panel.

In order to avoid problems of keeping down weeds and grass along the base of the wall structure, anti-vegetative precast concrete strips 1 4 (see Fig. 3) wider than the thickness of the wall panels 2 and checked 1 5 at each end to fit around one half or thereabouts of a post 1, are laid on or sunk in the ground beneath the wall panels 2.

Various changes of direction in a length of wall structure can be provided, in the case of acute angles by having the corner strips cranked in the region of one or both of the openings 9. Right angles or T-junctions can be provided for by providing additional slots in the posts extending transversely of the first-mentioned slots and using additional connector strips in the former. Where the transverse slots directly cross the first mentioned slots, the additional connector strips would be shorter and have only one opening, one end of the strip extending into a wall panel and the other terminating just short of the normal connector strip in the first-mentioned slot. Similar shorter one-opening connector strips may also be used at ends of wall runs in the end posts. Other connector strips may also be provided for special purposes. One such strip has one opening towards one end and is staggered downwardly at its other end and provided with an upwardly projecting spigot for use in hanging a gate.

Whereas normally the recesses are only slightly oversize with respect to the end portions of the connector strips to be accommodated (see Fig. 2), by making them into continuous slots extending through the length of a panel it is possible to cater for non-standard length runs by simply cutting such a panel to length.

Claims (9)

1. A wall structure comprising a plurality of spaced' apart posts interconnected by wall panels, said wall panels having at each end at least two generally horizontally extending, vertically spaced apart, recess means for receiving respective ends of elongate connectors which extend through respective apertures in adjacent posts into respective said recess means in adjacent panels on the other sides of said posts, said connectors having openings spaced from the ends of said connectors and at a predetermined spacing from each other such that a respective elongate retainer member can be disposed through the openings of the connectors mounted in a post, alongside opposite sides of the post, to substantially prevent longitudinal axial movement of said connectors out of the apertures.

2. A wall structure according to Claim 1 wherein said posts and panels are of precast concrete.

3. A wall structure according to Claim 2 wherein the joints between the panels and posts are grouted with mortar.

4. A wail structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the retainers and connectors are of steel.

5. A method of erecting a wall structure according to Claim 1 comprising the steps of (1) erecting a first said post; (2) erecting a second said post at a predetermined spacing equal to or slightly greater than the length of a first said wall panel to be disposed therebetween; (3) positioning said wall panel between said first and second posts and positioning respective said connectors in said apertures in said first and second posts, so that at least two said connectors extend through each of said first and second posts into the apertures in a respective end of said panel, with the openings in said connectors aligned with each other along an axis extending between the respective posts and an adjacent panel end, and inserting respective ones of said elongate retainers through the aligned apertures;; (4) erecting a third post at a predetermined spacing from said first or second post for receiving therebetween a second said wall panel and repeating the immediately preceding step; and (5) repeating the immediately preceding step as many times as required to provide a desired wall structure length.

6. A method according to Claim 5 which includes the step of grouting the joints between adjoining posts and panels with mortar.

7. A kit of parts for use in erecting a wall structure according to Claim 1 comprising a plurality of posts, a plurality of wall panels, a plurality of elongate connectors, and a plurality of elongate retainers, said panels each having at least two spaced apart recess means extending longitudinally from each end thereof, said posts each having at least two apertures extending transversely therethrough at a predetermined spacing from each other corresponding to that of said at least two recess means, for accommodating said connectors, in use of the kit, with openings in said connectors disposed at opposite sides of said posts for receiving therethrough respective said elongate retainers, said openings being spaced from the ends of the connectors and at a predetermined spacing from each other, and said elongate retainers having a predetermined length greater than said predetermined spacing between said at least two apertures in said posts.

8. A wall structure according to Claim 1 substantially as described hereinbefore with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of erecting a wall structure according to Claim 5 substantially as described hereinbefore with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.