Wall panel

Abstract

A modular wall panel 1 includes two containment sheets 15 and spacer means ( 7, 8, 9, 30, 31, 32, 50, 52 ) disposed between the containment sheets. The containment sheets are formed from sheet metal and are designed to receive a poured in settable material such as concrete. The containment sheets have linear stiffening formations extending in a first direction to resist outward bowing of the containment sheets in planes extending in the first direction when the wall panel is filled with the settable material.

1 - 38 . (canceled)  
   
   
       39 . A modular wall panel comprising two containment sheets formed from sheet metal, and spacer means disposed between the containment sheets and fixed thereto so as to prevent separation of the containment sheets, the wall panel being arranged to be filled with a settable material and wherein, to resist hydrostatic pressure induced on filling the panel with the settable material, the containment sheets are profiled to have linear stiffening formations extending along the sheets in a first direction to resist outward bowing of the containment sheets in planes extending in the first direction, and the spacer means extend along the containment sheets in a direction transverse to the first direction so as to resist bowing of the containment sheets in planes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.  
   
   
       40 . A modular panel according to  claim 39 , wherein the spacer means are disposed at or near respective opposite edges of the panel, and one of the spacer means is inboard of the edges of the containment sheets adjacent to it and the other spacer means outboard of the edges of the containment sheets adjacent to it.  
   
   
       41 . A modular panel according to  claim 40 , wherein the distance the spacer means are disposed either inboard or outboard of the respective opposite edges of the panel is substantially the same.  
   
   
       42 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 39 , wherein the stiffening formations are profiled to include elongated zones which are displaced longitudinally from a midplane of the respective sheet.  
   
   
       43 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 39 , wherein the stiffening formations are profiled to include corrugations extending from one edge of the sheet to the other.  
   
   
       44 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 39 , further comprising at least one rigid batten secured to an outer surface of one or both of the containment sheets, and extending transverse to the linear stiffening formations.  
   
   
       45 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 44 , wherein the panel includes at least one pair of the rigid battens, each batten in the pair being disposed opposite one another on respective containment sheets and being tied together by tensile means to form one of the spacer means.  
   
   
       46 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 39 , wherein the spacer means are in the form of a sheet metal studs, the studs being channel shaped and includes a web and a pair of flanges which extend laterally from the web, and fastener means affixing the sheets to respective flange elements.  
   
   
       47 . A modular wall panel comprising two containment sheets formed from sheet metal and spacer means disposed between the containment sheets, the containment sheets being profiled to have linear stiffening formations extending in a first direction to resist outward bowing of the containment sheets in planes extending in the first direction, and wherein the spacer means are in the form of sheet metal studs, the studs being channel shaped and including a web and a pair of flanges which extend laterally from the web, and fasteners fixing the sheets to respective flange elements.  
   
   
       48 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 47 , wherein the spacer means extend along the sheets in a direction transverse to the first direction so as to resist bowing of the containment sheets in planes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.  
   
   
       49 . A modular panel according to  claim 47 , wherein the fasteners affix the containment sheets to the flanges of the studs adjacent said web so as to inhibit torsional strain at the junction of the flanges and the web.  
   
   
       50 . A modular panel according to  claim 47 , wherein the flanges are formed as hollow flanges elements.  
   
   
       51 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 50 , wherein the hollow flange elements project substantially from one face of the web.  
   
   
       52 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 50 , wherein each stud is generally in the form of a hollow flanged I-beam, wherein the hollow flange element projects from both faces of the web.  
   
   
       53 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 50 , wherein the hollow flange elements are generally triangular in cross section.  
   
   
       54 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 50 , wherein the hollow flange elements include openings along their length to enable, in use, filler material to enter and at least partially fill the hollow within the flange elements.  
   
   
       55 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 50 , wherein the fastening means extends through opposite walls of the respective flange elements.  
   
   
       56 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 39 , wherein the spacer means include a plurality of spaced apart anchorage devices affixed to opposing faces of the containment sheets, wherein each anchorage device on one sheet is in register with a corresponding anchorage device on the other sheet, and a plurality of connector elements wherein the anchorage devices and the connector elements have cooperating coupling formations such that each connector element may be coupled to an anchorage device on one containment sheet and the corresponding anchorage device on the other containment sheet by being moved endwisely of itself and of those corresponding anchorage devices to effect mutual engagement of their respective coupling formations.  
   
   
       57 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 53 , wherein each anchorage device and each connector element is an elongated component extending substantially from one edge of a containment sheet to an opposite edge of the sheet.  
   
   
       58 . A modular wall panel comprising two containment sheets, and a plurality of spacer means disposed between the sheets, the spacer means including a plurality of anchorage devices fixed to opposing faces of the containment sheets and a plurality of connector elements, each anchorage device on one sheet being in register with a corresponding anchorage device on the other sheet, and the anchorage devices and the connector elements having cooperating coupling formations such that each connector element may be coupled to an anchorage device on one containment sheet and the corresponding anchorage device on the other containment sheet so as to interconnect the anchorage devices, the panel being operative to adopt an assembled form where a cavity is formed between the sheets arranged to be filled with a settable material and the spacer means prevent separation of the containment sheets on filling of the cavity.  
   
   
       59 . A modular panel according to  claim 58 , wherein each connector element may be coupled to an anchorage device on one containment sheet and the corresponding anchorage device on the other containment sheet by moving endwisely of itself and of those corresponding anchorage devices to effect mutual engagement of their respective coupling formations.  
   
   
       60 . A modular panel according to  claim 58 , wherein each anchorage device and each connector element is an elongated component extending substantially from one edge of a containment sheet to an opposite edge of the sheet.  
   
   
       61 . A modular panel according to  claim 58 , wherein the containment sheets are formed from sheet metal.  
   
   
       62 . A modular panel according to  claim 61 , wherein the containment sheets are profiled to have linear stiffening formations extending in a first direction to resist outward bowing of the containment sheets in planes extending in the first direction, and the spacer means are mounted to the containment sheets so as to resist bowing of the containment sheets in planes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.  
   
   
       63 . A modular panel according to  claim 61 , wherein the anchorage devices are formed from metal brackets that include flanges that abut the containment sheets and are retained in engagement by clinches formed between the flanges and the containment sheets.  
   
   
       64 . A modular panel according to  claim 58 , wherein the panel is movable from a collapsed form where the containment sheets are in close proximity, to the assembled form and wherein the spacer means are movable from a first to a second position to allow the panel to move from its collapsed to its assembled form.  
   
   
       65 . A modular panel according to  claim 64 , wherein the spacer means are operative to move between their first and second positions by relative rotation of the connector elements relative to the anchorage devices to which they are coupled.  
   
   
       66 . A modular panel according to  claim 39 , wherein the spacers means extend in the second direction.  
   
   
       67 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 39 , further comprising a planar grid of reinforcing, the reinforcing being aligned generally parallel with, and disposed between, the containment sheets and being supported by the spacer means.  
   
   
       68 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 67 , wherein the reinforcing includes horizontal rods which locate on seats disposed in the spacer means.  
   
   
       69 . A modular wall panel according to  claim 39 , including starter elements which extend from at least one of the upper or lower edges of the panel.  
   
   
       70 . A building wall including a plurality of modular wall panels according to  claim 39 , the panels being assembled edge to edge so that the containment sheets of the panels align to form a pair of containment walls of the building wall, wherein the cavity formed between the containment walls are filled with a settable material.  
   
   
       71 . A building wall according to  claim 70 , wherein a plurality of rigid battens are secured to an outer surface of at least one of the containment walls.  
   
   
       72 . A building wall according to  claim 71 , further including at least one facing panel which is secured to the battens of the at least one containment wall.  
   
   
       73 . A building wall according to  claim 70 , further comprising at least one acoustic panel which is disposed generally parallel to at least one of the containment walls, the acoustic panel being spaced from said containment wall so as to form an air gap therebetween.  
   
   
       74 . A building wall according to  claim 73 , wherein the acoustic panel is formed from a profiled metal sheet and incorporates longitudinal extending ribs.  
   
   
       75 . A building wall according to  claim 73 , further including at least one facing panel which is secured to the ribs of the acoustic panel.  
   
   
       76 . A method of making a building wall including the steps of: 
 (i) rigidising two metal sheets by roll-forming or press-forming linear stiffening formations therein,    (ii) affixing a plurality of spaced apart anchorage devices to one face of each of the rigidised sheets such that the anchorage devices extend along the sheets transversely of the stiffening formations,    (iii) joining the sheets together by securing a connector element to each anchorage device on one sheet to a corresponding anchorage device on the other sheet, and    (iv) substantially filling the cavity between the sheets with a settable filling material.