Method and apparatus for forming cast wall panels

Abstract

A method and system for constructing wall panels made of a foam insulation wythe and a concrete structural wythe. The insulation wythe is made up of a foam plank having a body having opposing flanges and receiving mounting angles that provide attachment for interior building finish. The method of the invention includes the steps of placing a plurality of insulation wythes adjacent to each other on a horizontal surface within a mold such that the plank bodies point upwardly, pouring concrete over the sections, allowing the concrete to cure to form the structural wythe, then tilting the finished wall panel to a substantially vertical orientation. Optionally, the method of the present invention includes the steps of placing spacers between adjacent planks, placing mounting angles in the undersides of the primary wall sections and placing reinforcing means over the sections within the mold.

1 . A wall panel system comprising: 
 an insulation wythe including a plurality of planks, each made of a relatively light material and having a body, a flange and a spacer positioned between said planks; and    a structural wythe made of a cured, relatively dense material formed to adhere to said insulation wythe, whereby when oriented in a substantially vertically, said structural wythe supports said insulation wythe.    
   
   
       2 . The wall panel of  claim 1  wherein said dense material includes concrete.  
   
   
       3 . The wall panel of  claim 1  wherein said light material includes foam.  
   
   
       4 . The wall panel of  claim 1  wherein said spacer is separable from a remainder of said wythe.  
   
   
       5 . The wall panel of  claim 1  wherein said spacer engages and is separable from said flange.  
   
   
       6 . The wall panel of  claim 1  wherein said spacer is approximately equal in thickness to a thickness of said flange.  
   
   
       7 . The wall panel of  claim 1  wherein said flange includes a first locking element and said spacer includes a second locking element shaped to engage said first locking element.  
   
   
       8 . The wall panel of  claim 1  wherein said flange includes a groove and said spacer includes a projecting tongue shaped to engage said groove.  
   
   
       9 . The wall panel of  claim 1  wherein said insulation wythe includes a surface channel formed therein shaped to receive mechanical service components.  
   
   
       10 . The wall panel of  claim 1  further comprising wall board attached to said insulation wythe.  
   
   
       11 . The wall panel of  claim 10  wherein said wall board is attached to said insulation wythe by an adhesive.  
   
   
       12 . The wall panel of  claim 10  further comprising a mounting angle attached to said insulation wythe for supporting said wall board.  
   
   
       13 . The wall panel of  claim 12  wherein said wall board is attached to said mounting angle.  
   
   
       14 . The wall panel of  claim 12  wherein said insulation wythe includes a slot shaped to receive said mounting angle.  
   
   
       15 . The wall panel of  claim 1  further comprising a plank cap positioned between said body and said structural wythe; whereby said structural wythe is made deeper adjacent to said flanges.  
   
   
       16 . The wall panel of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of plank caps stacked on said body and positioned between said body and said structural wythe; whereby said structural wythe is made deeper adjacent to said flanges.  
   
   
       17 . The wall panel of  claim 16  wherein said plank caps are shaped to nest within each other.  
   
   
       18 . The wall panel of  claim 17  wherein said plank caps are shaped to conform to an adjacent surface of said insulation wythe.  
   
   
       19 . The wall panel of  claim 16  wherein said plank caps are made of a relatively light, foam material.  
   
   
       20 . The wall panel of  claim 16  wherein said plank caps extend along substantially an entire length of said body.  
   
   
       21 . A wall panel system comprising: 
 an insulation wythe including a plurality of elongate planks, each made of a relatively light foam material and having a body, a pair of opposing, longitudinal flanges having a first locking element including one of a tongue and a groove, and a spacer engaging and detachable from said flanges and positioned between said planks, said spacer being approximately equal in thickness to a thickness of said flanges and including a second locking element including one of a tongue and a groove and shaped to engage said first locking element;    said insulation wythe includes a surface channel formed therein shaped to receive mechanical service components; and    a structural wythe made of cured concrete formed to adhere to said insulation wythe, whereby when oriented in a substantially vertically, said structural wythe supports said insulation wythe.    
   
   
       22 . The wall panel of  claim 21  further comprising wall board attached to said insulation wythe.  
   
   
       23 . The wall panel of  claim 22  wherein said wall board is attached to said insulation wythe by an adhesive.  
   
   
       24 . The wall panel of  claim 22  further comprising a mounting angle attached to said insulation wythe for supporting said wall board.  
   
   
       25 . The wall panel of  claim 22  wherein said wall board is attached to said mounting angle.  
   
   
       26 . The wall panel of  claim 22  wherein said insulation wythe includes a slot shaped to receive said mounting angle.  
   
   
       27 . A wall panel system comprising: 
 an insulation wythe including a plurality of planks, each made of a relatively light material and having a body, a flange and a spacer positioned between said planks;    a structural wythe made of a hardened, relatively dense material formed to adhere to said insulation wythe, whereby when oriented in a substantially vertically, said structural wythe supports said insulation wythe; and    a plank cap made of a relatively light, foam material and positioned between said body and said structural wythe, said plank caps being shaped to conform to an adjacent surface of said insulation wythe; whereby said structural wythe is made thicker adjacent to said flanges and spacers.    
   
   
       28 . The wall panel of  claim 27  wherein said plank caps are shaped to nest within each other.  
   
   
       29 . The wall panel of  claim 28  wherein said plank caps extend along substantially an entire length of said body.  
   
   
       30 . A method for forming a wall panel comprising the steps of: 
 forming an exterior perimeter approximating exterior dimensions of said wall panel;    placing an insulation wythe including a plank made of a relatively light material and having a body, a flange and a spacer positioned adjacent to said plank, within said perimeter;    pouring a hardenable material over said insulation wythe and curing said hardenable material to form a wall panel having a structural wythe attached to said insulation wythe; and    removing said perimeter from said insulation and structural wythes to form a finished wall panel.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30  further comprising the step of, subsequent to said removing step, tilting said wall panel to a substantially vertical orientation at an approximate final location of said wall panel in an associated structure.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30  further comprising the step of installing reinforcing adjacent to said insulation wythe such that said reinforcing becomes embedded in said hardenable material.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30  wherein said perimeter forming step includes the step of forming a perimeter of an opening in said wall panel within said exterior perimeter.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein said step of forming a perimeter of an opening includes the step of shaping said planks to extend about said opening perimeter.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein said step of forming a perimeter opening includes the step of attaching bolts to said perimeter opening such that said bolts extend outwardly from said perimeter opening.  
   
   
       36 . A method for forming a wall panel comprising the steps of: 
 forming an exterior perimeter approximating exterior dimensions of said wall panel;    placing an insulation wythe including a plank made of a relatively light material and having a body and a flange, within said perimeter;    placing a cap made of a relatively light material over said plank;    pouring a hardenable material over said insulation wythe and curing said hardenable material to form a wall panel having a structural wythe attached to said insulation wythe, whereby an effective thickness of said plank is increased at a location of said cap and a thickness of said hardenable material is increased adjacent to said location relative to thickness of said hardenable material without said cap at said location; and    removing said perimeter from said insulation and structural wythes.    
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising the step of spacing said insulation wythe from a bottom of said exterior perimeter, whereby a solid base of said hardenable material is formed across a depth of said finished wall panel.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said spacing step includes the step of placing a filler element between said insulation wythe and said bottom of said exterior perimeter, thereby securing said insulation wythe within said exterior perimeter.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38  further comprising the step of spacing said insulation wythe from a top of said exterior perimeter, whereby a solid beam is formed across a depth of said finished wall panel.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein said spacing step includes the step of placing a filler element between said insulation wythe and said top of said exterior perimeter, thereby securing said insulation wythe within said exterior perimeter.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising the step of attaching mounting angle to said insulation wythe.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising the step of attaching interior building finish to said mounting angle.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising the step of forming surface channels in said insulation wythe for receiving mechanical service components therein.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43  further comprising the step of placing mechanical service components in said surface channels of said finished wall panel.  
   
   
       45 . A method for forming a wall panel comprising the steps of: 
 forming an exterior perimeter approximating exterior dimensions of said wall panel and forming a perimeter of an opening in said wall panel within said exterior perimeter;    attaching bolts to said perimeter opening such that said bolts extend outwardly from said perimeter opening;    placing an insulation wythe including a plurality of planks made of a relatively light material and having a body, a flange and a spacer positioned adjacent to and in between said planks, within said perimeter, and shaping said planks to extend about said opening perimeter;    installing reinforcing adjacent to said insulation wythe;    pouring a hardenable material over said insulation wythe and curing said hardenable material to form a wall panel having a structural wythe attached to said insulation wythe; and    removing said perimeter from said insulation and structural wythes to form a finished wall panel; and    subsequent to said removing step, tilting said wall panel to a substantially vertical orientation at an approximate final location of said wall panel in an associated structure.    
   
   
       46 . A wall panel system comprising: 
 an insulation wythe including a plurality of planks, each made of a relatively light material and having a body and a flange;    a mounting angle attached to said insulation wythe for supporting interior building finish; and    a structural wythe made of a cured, relatively dense material formed to adhere to said insulation wythe, whereby when oriented in a substantially vertically, said structural wythe supports said insulation wythe.    
   
   
       47 . The wall panel of  claim 46  wherein said insulation wythe includes a slot for receiving said mounting angle.  
   
   
       48 . The wall panel of  claim 47  wherein said mounting angle includes a first flange shaped to be inserted into said slot.  
   
   
       49 . The wall panel of  claim 48  wherein said mounting angle includes a second flange shaped to lie against said interior building finish.