Lightweight Wall Structure For Building Construction

Abstract

The present invention is directed to prefabricated building wall sections that may be delivered to a building site and subsequently assembled and filled with a lightweight concrete so as to minimize the weight that has to be moved to create a building wall. In one form, the building wall is constructed of a pair of opposed lightweight wall panel members that are joined together by structural trusses with the space between the panel members being filled with a lightweight concrete at the building site. The wall panels are so constructed that they are easily cut to allow electricians and plumbers to have access into the walls for connection of pipes and wiring. In one form, a plurality of the wall units are connected together to form a wall and a pilaster of concrete is poured through a form positioned in the assembled wall sections to provide structural support for the wall.

1 . A method for constructing a wall unit comprising: 
 cutting a pair of side panels from a low density composite sheet material;    attaching a plurality of spaced brackets to a first side of each of the side panels and positioning the panels in a generally parallel orientation with the first sides facing each other;    coupling a plurality of structural cross members between the pair of panels via connection to the corresponding ones of the brackets such that the panels are restrained with respect to each other, at least some of the cross members extending perpendicularly with respect to others of the cross members; and    filling the space between the pair of side panels with a light weight cementitious material.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cross members comprise a wire mesh product having at least a pair of spaced substantially straight wires interconnected by a plurality of angularly oriented wires, the method of coupling including attaching of the straight wires adjacent the brackets.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the method of attaching comprises clamping of the wire mesh product between a pair of wires extending between corresponding brackets on the pair of side panels.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the brackets comprise a tee having a tubular top portion and a leg extending into the associated side panel, each of the pair of wires extending between the corresponding brackets having a generally straight segment and opposite end segments turned at a generally ninety degree angle to the straight segment, the method of attaching comprising inserting the opposite end segments of a pair of wires into the tubular top portion of the bracket and capturing the associated cross member between the pair of wires.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  and including bonding the brackets into apertures formed in the side panels using an adhesive.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  and including positioning a vapor barrier in juxtaposition with each of the side panels prior to filling the space with the cementitious material.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  and including coating the outward facing surface of at least one of the side panels with an exterior protective material.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the protective material is stucco.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the protective coating is a sheet material.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  and including attaching furring strips to the outward facing surface for receiving the sheet material.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the side panels are cut from a styrofoam sheet.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  and including forming a wall from a plurality of the wall panels wherein the wall is formed by positioning the connected side panels into a desired location prior to filling the space between the panels with the cementitious material.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the wall panels are assembled in end-to-end relationship defining a periphery of a building structure and a first level is filled with the cementitious material prior to positioning another level of wall panels on the first level.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the ends of the wall panels are joined by structural adhesive.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the ends of the wall panels are joined by tie wires interconnecting the wire mesh product of one panel to the wire mesh product of an adjacent panel.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the mating ends of the wall panels are formed with shaped mating grooves.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13  and including dowels interconnecting the ends of juxtaposed wall panels.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 12  and including inserting a plurality of spaced pilaster forms into the formed wall, the pilaster forms interrupting the lateral flow of the cementitious material so as to create vertically oriented openings for receiving concrete to create spaced pilasters along the wall.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  and including positioning wire mesh reinforcement along a top of each wall panel level prior to constructing a succeeding level.