GB2350376A

GB2350376A - Method of closing an access opening

Info

Publication number: GB2350376A
Application number: GB9912385A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Harris
Original assignee: TARMAC UK Ltd; Tarmac Heavy Building Materials UK Ltd
Current assignee: TARMAC UK Ltd; Tarmac Heavy Building Materials UK Ltd
Priority date: 1999-05-28
Filing date: 1999-05-28
Publication date: 2000-11-29
Also published as: GB9912385D0

Abstract

A method of closing an access opening (5 or 13) to at least one passage (2, 3, or 4) within a building element (1), in which the access opening (5 or 13) is formed by removing a core (7 or 14) from the building element (1), the method including inserting a support member (8 or 16) into the access opening (5 or 13), and inserting a core (7 or 14) from the building element (1) removed to form the or another access opening into the access opening (5 or 13).

Description

2350376

PATENTS ACT 1977 A9775GB Title: Method of closing an access opening Description of Invention

The present invention relates to a method of closing an access opening to at least one passage within a building element.

Pre-stressed concrete beams through which at least one passage extends, i. e. hollow core beams, may be used to aid temperature control in buildings. Hollow core beams may be part of a building structure providing the floor, a wall or the ceiling. Warm or cold air may be passed through the passages to warm or cool the structure, and may be supplied via an air outlet to a room in the structure. The use of such beams in building temperature control is described in more detail in patents GB2265214, GB2281050, GB2208922 and EP0044304.

Where access is required to a passage within the beam, for example, to facilitate cleaning of the passage or the fixing of a ducting, cable, or other, support in the passage, it is usual practice to make a hole from an exterior surface of the beam, through a wall of the passage. It is known to make such a hole through the walls of two or more adjacent passages, to connect the passages to-enable air to flow from one passage to an adjacent passage. In each case it is necessary to close the hole, to repair the integrity of the passage or passages, in order to prevent the air from leaking out of the passage or passages.

It is known to close the hole using a seal made typically from metal. Such a seal typically has a plug of the same shape and dimensions as the hole, which fits into the hole, and a lip formed by the material surrounding the plug which rests on the exterior surface of the beam, thus preventing the seal from falling into the hole. This approach has several disadvantages. The seal is not fire resistant as the heat of a fire could distort and dama(),e the metal, and there 0 2 is a cost associated with disposing of the concrete removed from the hole and providing the metal seal.

According to a first aspect of the invention, we provide a method of closing an access opening to at least one passage within a building element, in which the access opening is formed by removing a core from the building element, the method including inserting a support member into the access opening, and inserting a core from the building element removed to form the or another access opening into the access opening.

By virtue of this method, an access opening to a passage extending through a building element may be closed, while the cost of a metal seal and the need to dispose of the concrete core from the opening are eliminated, and a fire resistant seal is provided.

The support member may include a first support means which retains the support member in the opening, and a second support means, which retains the core in the opening, preferably so that an exterior surface of the core is flush with an exterior surface of the building element. The first support means may be at least one flange extending radially outwardly of the opening, which rests on an exterior surface of the building element around the opening, and the second support means may be at least one flange which extends radially inwardly of the opening.

The core inserted to close the access opening, may be the core removed to form the access opening. Alternatively, the core may have been removed from another, nominally the same sized, access opening, The method may also include filling at least one gap between the core and the building element with a filler material such as cement.

According to a second aspect of the invention, we provide a building element containing an access opening which has been closed using the method of the first aspect of the invention.

3 The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a transverse section through a concrete building element in which access openings have been closed using a method according to the invention.

Referring now to the figure, there is shown a concrete building element I within which extend a plurality of passages 2, 3 4. In this example, the passages are cylindrical and extend from one end of the building element I to the other end. The ends of the passages may be closed either by butting the ends of the building element I up against other elements in the building structure, and/or by inserting sealing material in the ends of the passages.

To provide access to a first passage 2, a cylindrical concrete core is removed from the building element I to form an opening 5 providing access from an exterior surface 6 of the concrete building element I to the first passage 2.

To close the access opening 5, a support member 8 is inserted in the opening 5. The support member 8 is shown having a side wall 9 adapted to lie alongside a wall 12 of the opening 5. The support member 8 also includes a first flange 10 connected to one end of the side wall 9 which flange extends generally perpendicular to the side wall 9 of the support member 8 and extends radially outwardly of the opening. The support member 8 includes a second flange I I at an opposite end of the side wall 9, which second flange I I is generally perpendicular to the side wall 9 of the support member and extends radially inwardly of the opening 5. The first flange 10 is in contact with the exterior surface 6 of the building element 1. The support member 8 thus has a hollow H which opens into the passage 2.

The opening 5 is closed by inserting the core 7 in the opening 5, such that the core rests in contact with and held is in place by the second flange I I of the support member 8 with its exterior surface flush with the surrounding exterior surface 6 of the building element 1.

4 The support member 8 may have other configurations. For example, the the side wall 9 and the first 10 and second 11 flanges may be annular. Alternatively, the support member may include a first flange 10 containing two flange pieces, two side walls and a single second flange which connects the two side walls, or the support member may include two pieces, each including a first flange, a second flange and a side wall. Instead of the second flange 11, the core 7 may rest on one or more protrusions extending inwardly from the side wall 9 of the support member 8, or instead of using a first flange 10, the support member 8 may be located in the opening 5 using a plurality of fasteners extending through the side wall 9 of the support member 8 in the walls 12 of the opening 5.

An access opening may provide access to more than one passage. Referring again to the figure, a cylindrical core is removed from the building element from the exterior surface 6 of the element 1 to form a cylindrical opening 13 which bridges a second 3 and third 4 passage. A concrete core 14 is inserted into the opening 13 to close the opening 13, with a support member 16 like the support member 8 already described.

In order to provide a passage for air to flow between the second 3 and third 4 passages, a portion 15 of the concrete core 14 which formed a wall between the second 3 and third 4 passages may be removed from the core 14 before the concrete core 14 is used to close the opening 13. A support member 16 is also inserted into the opening 13.

The concrete cores 7 or 14 are interchangeable and may be the core cut from the opening 5 or 13 respectively, or a concrete core to close an access opening may be a core cut from another, preferably nominally the same sized opening in the same or a different building element.

Any gaps between the core 7 or 14 and the building element 1 may be filled using a filler material such as cement or resin.

The invention is not restricted to use with building elements through which at least one cylindrical passage extends. The passage or passages may have different configurations. For example, they may be elliptical or rectangular in cross-section.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

6 CLAIMS

1. A method of closing an access opening to at least one passage within a building element, in which the access opening is formed by removing a core from the building element, the method including inserting a support member into the access opening, and inserting a core from the building element removed to form the or another access opening into the access opening.

2. A method as claimed in claim I wherein the support member includes a first support means which retains the support member in the opening.

3. A method as claimed in claim I wherein the support member includes a second support means which retains the core in the opening.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first support means is at least one flange extending radially outwardly of the opening, which rests on an exterior surface of the building element around the opening.

5. A method as claim'ed in claim 3 wherein the core is retained by the second support means such that exterior surface of the core is flush with the exterior surface of the building element.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3 or claim 5 wherein the second support means is at least one flange extending radially inwardly of the opening, on 0 which the core rests.

7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the core inserted to close the access opening, is the core removed to form the access opening.

7

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the core inserted to close the access opening, is a core removed from another, nominally the same sized, access opening.

9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the method includes filling at least one gap between the core and the building element with a filler material.

10. A method of closing an access opening to at least one passage within a building element substantially as hereiribefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

11. A building element containing an access opening closed by the method claimed in any preceding claims.

12. A building element substantially as hereiribefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

13. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawing.