Insulated concrete form

Abstract

A concrete wall forming system including interconnected mold units that include a top surface containing a first portion bond beam form, a first top ledge, a first top lip seal portion, a second top ledge, and a second top lip seal portion; a bottom surface containing a second portion bond beam form, a first bottom ledge, a first bottom lip seal portion, a second bottom ledge, and a second bottom lip seal portion; and two or more column forms extending from the top depression to the bottom depression. The first top lip seal portion and first bottom lip seal portion and second top lip seal portion and second bottom lip seal portion are adapted to form a seal between two mold units such that the bond beam form portions are combined to form a bond beam form. The system can be used to form an insulated concrete wall.

1 . A concrete wall forming system comprising a plurality of interconnected mold units for forming a wall by receiving concrete therein, the mold units comprising a generally rectangular foamed plastic body having a first side, a second side oppositely opposed to the first side, a first end, a second end oppositely opposed to the first end, a top surface, a bottom surface oppositely opposed to the top surface, and at least two column forms;
 wherein the top surface comprises
 a first portion bond beam form extending into the body lengthwise and defined by a top depression extending transversely to the length of the body, the first end, and the second end, 
 a first top lip seal portion extending lengthwise along the body from the first side to a first top ledge, which extends lengthwise along the body from the first top lip seal portion to the top depression, and 
 a second top lip seal portion extending lengthwise along the body from the second side to a second top ledge, which extends lengthwise along the body from the second top lip seal portion to the top depression, 
   wherein the bottom surface comprises
 a second portion bond beam form extending into the body lengthwise and defined by a bottom depression extending transversely to the length of the body, the first end, and the second end, 
 a first bottom ledge extending lengthwise along the body from the first side to a first bottom lip seal portion, which extends to the bottom depression, and 
 a second bottom ledge extending lengthwise along the body from the second side to a second bottom lip seal portion, which extends to the bottom depression; 
   wherein the column forms extend from the top depression to the bottom depression; and   wherein the first top lip seal portion and first bottom lip seal portion are adapted to form a first seal between two mold units and the second top lip seal portion and second bottom lip seal portion are adapted to form a second seal between two mold units such that the first portion bond beam form and second portion bond beam form are combined to form a bond beam form.   
   
   
       2 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein the foamed plastic body comprises an expanded polymer matrix. 
   
   
       3 . The concrete wall forming system-according to  claim 2 , wherein the expanded polymer matrix comprises one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of homopolymers of vinyl aromatic monomers; copolymers of at least one vinyl aromatic monomer with one or more of divinylbenzene, conjugated dienes, alkyl methacrylates, alkyl acrylates, acrylonitrile, and/or maleic anhydride; polyolefins; polycarbonates; and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       4 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 2 , wherein the polymer matrix comprises an interpolymer of a polyolefin and in situ polymerized vinyl aromatic monomers. 
   
   
       5 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 2 , wherein the polymer matrix comprises carbon black, graphite or a combination thereof. 
   
   
       6 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first end comprises a first extended portion and a first recessed portion and the second edge comprises a second extended portion adapted to be received by the first recessed portion and a second recessed portion adapted to receive the first extended portion to facilitates a union between corresponding mold units. 
   
   
       7 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein the mold units have a density of from about 1 to about 3 lb/ft 3 . 
   
   
       8 . The concrete wall forming-system according to  claim 7 , wherein the mold units have a density of from about 1.2 to about 1.75 lb/ft 3 . 
   
   
       9 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein the top depression and the bottom depression each have a concave shape. 
   
   
       10 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein the column forms have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of round, oval, elliptical, square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal and octagonal. 
   
   
       11 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of mold units and one or more corner units, the corner units comprising a generally rectangular foamed plastic body having a first corner side, a second corner side oppositely opposed to the first corner side, a first corner end, a second corner end oppositely opposed to the first corner end, a top corner surface, a bottom corner surface oppositely opposed to the top corner surface, and at least two corner column forms;
 wherein the top corner surface comprises
 a first portion top corner bond beam form extending into the body lengthwise defined by a lengthwise top depression extending transversely to the length of the body, the first corner end, and a wall at the second corner end, the wall comprising a top wall ledge and a top wall lip seal portion; 
 a second portion top corner bond beam form extending into the body crosswise defined by a crosswise top depression extending from the lengthwise top depression, the wall at the second corner end and a terminal portion of a first top ledge; 
 the first top ledge extending lengthwise along the body from the crosswise top depression to the first corner end and from the lengthwise top depression to a first top lip seal portion, which extends to the second corner side; 
 a second top ledge extends lengthwise along the body from the lengthwise top depression to a second top lip seal portion, which extends to the first corner side; 
   The bottom corner surface comprises
 a first portion bottom corner bond beam form extending into the body lengthwise and defined by a lengthwise bottom depression extending transversely to the length of the body, the first corner end, and the wall at the second corner end, which includes a bottom wall ledge and a bottom wall lip seal portion; 
 a second portion bottom corner bond beam form extending into the body crosswise and defined by a crosswise bottom depression extending from the lengthwise bottom depression, the wall at the second corner end, the first corner side and a terminal portion of a first bottom corner ledge; 
 the first bottom corner ledge extends lengthwise along the body from the second corner to a first bottom lip seal, which extends to the lengthwise bottom depression, from the wall to the first corner end; 
 a second bottom ledge extends lengthwise along the body from the first corner side to a second bottom lip seal portion, which extends to the bottom depression and from the first corner end to the crosswise bottom depression; 
   wherein the column forms extend from the top depression to the bottom depression; and   wherein the first top lip seal portion and the first bottom lip seal portion are adapted to form a first seal between two corner mold units and the second top lip seal portion and the second bottom lip seal portion are adapted to form a second seal between two corner mold units such that the first portion top corner bond beam and the first portion bottom bond beam form and the second portion top corner bond beam form and the second portion bottom corner bond beam form combine to form a corner bond beam form.   
   
   
       12 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 11 , wherein the mold units are arranged sequentially from a first unit to a last unit such that the first end of the first unit is in contact with the second end of the last unit. 
   
   
       13 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein the mold unit has a length measured from the first end to the second end of from about 2 to about 10 feet, a height measured from the bottom surface to the top surface of from 6 inches to 30 inches, and a width measured from the first side to the second side of from about 4 inches to about 20 inches. 
   
   
       14 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein concrete reinforcing products are placed within the bond beam forms, partial bond beam forms and/or the column forms. 
   
   
       15 . The concrete wall forming system according to  claim 14 , wherein the concrete reinforcing product comprises rebar. 
   
   
       16 . A wall comprising one or more rows of the concrete wall forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein concrete is poured into and set in the bond beam forms, partial bond beam forms and column forms in the mold units. 
   
   
       17 . A continuous wall comprising the concrete wall forming system according to  claim 16 , wherein concrete is poured into and set in the bond beam forms, partial bond beam forms and/or column forms in the mold units. 
   
   
       18 . The wall according to  claim 16 , wherein the concrete comprises one or more cements selected from the group consisting of Portland cements, pozzolana cements, gypsum cements, aluminous cements, magnesia cements, silica cements, and slag cements. 
   
   
       19 . The wall according to  claim 16 , wherein the concrete is light weight concrete. 
   
   
       20 . The wall according to  claim 19 , wherein the lightweight concrete comprises from 10 to 90 volume percent of a cement composition, from 10 to 90 volume percent of particles having an average particle diameter of from 0.2 mm to 8 mm, a bulk density of from 0.028 g/cc to 0.64 g/cc, an aspect ratio of from 1 to 3, and from 10 to 50 volume percent of sand and/or other fine, wherein at least a portion of the sand and/or fine aggregate has a fineness modulus of less than 2; wherein the sum of components used does not exceed 100 volume percent. 
   
   
       21 . The wall according to  claim 16 , wherein rebar is placed in the column forms, bond beam forms, and/or in the partial bond beam forms prior to pouring concrete into the mold units.