Void platform and a method for providing a platform support across a building void

Abstract

A support strut for a void platform providing support across a building void is disclosed including an elongate support member having two opposed ends and floor mounting brackets mounted on each end. Each floor mounting bracket includes a hollow tube forming a mounting formation for mounting on the support member, and an angle section, including a wall plate on which the tube is located and a transverse flange, for mounting on an external support. The flange of one floor mounting bracket is positioned uppermost for extending across an upper surface of a bottom plate of a wall frame, and the other horizontal mounting bracket is inverted so that the flange is positioned lowermost for extending across a floor adjacent to the void. A void platform including a support strut and a deck joiner bracket is also disclosed.

1 . A support strut for supporting a void platform in a void of a building that includes at least one wall frame comprising frame studs and frame plates, the support strut including:
 at least one elongate support member having a first open end and an opposed second open end for extending across at least part of the void;   one floor mounting bracket mounted on the first end, and a further floor mounting bracket mounted on the second end, each floor mounting bracket including an angle section and a support formation, each angle section including a wall plate from which the support formation projects, and a flange extending transversely away from one end of the wall plate,   wherein the support formation of each floor mounting bracket is received within the associated end of the elongate support member, and the flange of the floor mounting bracket can either be positioned above the wall plate for extending across an upper surface of a bottom frame plate of a wall frame, or the flange can be inverted so it is positioned below the wall plate for extending across a floor of the building.   
     
     
         2 . A support strut for supporting a void platform according to  claim 1 , wherein the support formation is permanently positioned on the wall plate at a height such that the elongate support member extends horizontally when one floor mounting bracket is mounted on a bottom plate of a wall frame on a floor support, and the other floor mounting bracket is inverted and mounted directly on the floor support. 
     
     
         3 . A support strut for supporting a void platform according to  claim 2 , wherein each support formation is in the form of a tube having a central axis, wherein the central axis is positioned halfway up a combined height of the wall plate and the thickness of the flange, of the floor mounting bracket, so that when the floor mounting bracket is inverted and mounted directly on the floor support the tubes of the two brackets will be positioned at substantially the same vertical height and the elongate support member there between extends horizontally. 
     
     
         4 . A support strut for supporting a void platform according to  claim 3 , wherein the tube has a central axis that is positioned a distance of 35-40 mm from the end of the wall plate of the wall mounting bracket adjacent to its flange to correctly position the tube, and the support formation on each floor support bracket has a length of 100 mm-300 mm. 
     
     
         5 . A support strut for supporting a void platform according to  claim 4 , wherein the elongate support member includes a locking element towards each end thereof for locking the support formation of each floor mounting bracket in a selected position on the support member, and the extent to which the tubes on the floor mounting brackets are received within the ends of the elongate support member is selected to match the width of the void. 
     
     
         6 . A support strut for supporting a void platform according to  claim 1 , wherein the floor mounting bracket further includes a swivel formation positioned intermediate the support formation and the angle section, that permits the support formation to be pivoted relative to the angle section to extend away from the angle section at a range of different angles while maintaining the horizontal orientation of the support strut. 
     
     
         7 . A support strut for supporting a void platform according to  claim 6 , wherein the swivel formation includes a swivel mounting formation projecting from the wall plate of the angle section and a complementary swivel mounting formation projecting away from an adjacent end of the support formation, and the one and complementary swivel mounting formations have aligned apertures through which a swivel pin is passed permitting the support formation to be pivoted in a horizontal plane relative to the angle section which is mounted in position and remains stationary. 
     
     
         8 . A support strut for supporting a void platform according to  claim 1 , wherein each angle section includes at least one fastening aperture formed therein through which a fastening element can be passed for fixing the floor mounting bracket to an external support. 
     
     
         9 . A support strut for supporting a void platform according to  claim 8 , wherein each angle section includes at least one fastening aperture on the wall plate of the angle section, and at least one further fastening aperture on the flange for fixing the floor mounting bracket directly to an external support. 
     
     
         10 . A support strut for supporting a void platform according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongate support member comprises two elongate sections having open ends arranged end to end and a connector operatively coupling the two elongate sections to each other, whereby to extend the length of the elongate support member, and the connector is sized and configured to be received within the open ends of the elongate sections and the connector further includes a radial outward projecting stop formation for limiting travel of the connector into the ends of the elongate sections. 
     
     
         11 . A void platform for providing a working deck across a void in a building adjacent to a floor, the building including at least one wall frame comprising frame studs and frame plates, the void platform including:
 at least two support struts mounted directly or indirectly on the adjacent floor support spaced from each other, wherein each support strut includes:
 at least one elongate support member having a first open end and an opposed second open end; 
 at least one floor mounting bracket mounted on an end of the elongate support member, each floor mounting bracket including an angle section for mounting on an external support and a support formation for engaging an elongate support member, each angle section including a wall plate from which the support formation projects, and a flange extending transversely away from one end of the wall plate, wherein the support formation of each floor mounting bracket is received within an end of the elongate support member, and the flange of the floor mounting bracket is either positioned above the wall plate for extending across an upper surface of a bottom frame plate of a wall frame, or the flange of the floor mounting bracket is inverted so it is positioned below the wall plate for extending across the floor; and 
   at least one decking panel having a first end and an opposed second end, and strut engaging formations positioned at each of the first and second ends, wherein the strut engaging formations are mounted on two support, and the strut engaging formations are configured to retainingly engage the elongate members on the support struts while also permitting the decking panels to be manually released from the support struts.   
     
     
         12 . A void platform according to  claim 11 , wherein each end of at least one support strut has a floor mounting bracket thereon, and the floor mounting brackets are mounted on a bottom plate of a wall frame on the floor support adjacent to the void and the floor mounting brackets are mounted directly/or directly on the floor of the building adjacent to the void. 
     
     
         13 . A void platform according to  claim 11 , further including at least one deck joiner bracket mounted on an end of an elongate support member, the deck joiner bracket including a support formation and a wall plate extending therefrom, the wall plate having a pair of parallel extending plates configured and spaced from each other for receiving an edge of a decking panel therein with a sliding or working clearance to securely engage the edge of the decking panel there between and suitably support the decking panel. 
     
     
         14 . A void platform according to  claim 11 , further including a transverse strut mounting bracket engaged with at least one end of the support member, the transverse strut mounting bracket including a support formation for engaging one end of the support member and a saddle formation extending away from the tube that can be removably mounted over an elongate support member of another support strut extending transverse to said one strut. 
     
     
         15 . A void platform according to  claim 14 , wherein the saddle formation is configured to complement the elongate support member over which it is mounted and to have a cross sectional configuration to fit over and around the support member with a small clearance so as to securely retain the elongate support member therein. 
     
     
         16 . A void platform according to  claim 11 , wherein the void platform includes a hatch panel defining a hatch opening which is mounted on a pair of further support struts alongside the decking panels, and the hatch panel includes a hatch door that is pivotal between an open position providing access to the working deck and a closed position closing off the hatch opening. 
     
     
         17 . A void platform according to  claim 16 , wherein the hatch panel has releasable attachment formations along opposite sides of the hatch opening, and the hatch door also has complementary releasable attachment formations, whereby the hatch door can be releasably mounted on either side of the hatch opening and thereby be pivoted open from either side whereby to suit its use in a specific void platform. 
     
     
         18 . A void platform according to  claim 11 , further including at least one masonry mounting bracket for mounting the bracket on a vertically extending masonry wall surface adjacent to the void, and/or a post mounting bracket for mounting on an upper end of a post that is used to vertically support an elongate support member intermediate its first and second ends. 
     
     
         19 . A void platform system for providing a void platform across a void in a building, across a void in a building adjacent to a floor, the building including at least one wall frame comprising frame studs and frame plates, the void platform system including:
 a plurality of elongate support members, each elongate support member having a first open end and an opposed second open end for extending across at least part of a void;   at least one floor mounting bracket for mounting on an end of an elongate support member, each floor mounting bracket including an angle section and a support formation, each angle section including a wall plate from which the support formation projects, and a flange extending transversely away from one end of the wall plate;   at least one deck joiner bracket for mounting on an end of an elongate support member, the deck joiner bracket including a support formation and a wall plate extending therefrom, the wall plate the wall plate having a pair of parallel extending plates configured and spaced from each other for receiving an edge of a decking panel therein with a sliding or working clearance to securely engage the edge of the decking panel there between and suitably support the decking panel; and   at least one decking panel for extending across a part of the void, each decking panel having a first end supported on a support strut and an opposed second end which is supported on a further support strut spaced from said one support strut.   
     
     
         20 . A void platform system for providing a void platform across a void according to  claim 19 , further including:
 wherein said at least one decking panel comprises a plurality of panels that comprises at least two different sizes of panels and the length of the two sizes of panels is substantially the same but the width of the different sizes of panels is different; and further including:
 at least one masonry mounting bracket for mounting the bracket on a vertically extending masonry wall surface adjacent to the void; and/or 
 a support post for vertically supporting an elongate support member intermediate its first and second ends, and at least one post mounting bracket for mounting on an upper end of the support post.