Method for constructing cultured stone block buildings

Abstract

A method for constructing a building made from site specific cultured stone blocks is disclosed. The site specific cultured stone blocks are created by placing an open form on prepared ground covered by plastic sheeting and pouring in concrete into the open form. The pressure of the concrete on the plastic sheeting imparts the contours and details of the ground onto the facing of the block, creating a non-uniform facing that corresponds to the features of the ground. In one embodiment the blocks also contain a tongue and groove configuration to aid alignment of the blocks and to give added stability, strength and general air tightness. Many types of buildings and structures can be constructed with these blocks.

1 . A method for constructing a structure made from site specific cultured stone blocks which comprises:
 (a) preparing a construction site having a foundation with a perimeter, and a footer located at said perimeter;   (b) preparing a level portion of bare ground adjacent said construction site;   (c) making a multiplicity of cultured stone blocks by;
 (1) providing a multiplicity of four sided open forms, wherein each of said four sided open forms consist of a form top, a form bottom, a form right side, and a form left side 
 (2) connecting said form top to said form right side and said form left side, and then connecting said form bottom to form right side and form left side opposite said form top to create a four sided open form having two open ends, wherein said first open end creates an open front side and the second open end creates an open back side; 
 (3) laying a multiplicity of plastic sheeting on the bare ground; 
 (4) placing the open front side of said multiplicity of four sided open forms on said plastic sheeting; 
 (5) pouring concrete into said open back side of said multiplicity of four sided open frames, wherein the weight of said concrete on said plastic sheeting imprints any site specific features of the ground or the plastic sheeting onto the concrete and creates a non-uniform site specific face; 
 (6) allowing said concrete to cure to create a multiplicity of cultured stone blocks having a top, a bottom, a right side, a left side, a back and a non-uniform site specific face; and 
 (7) removing said multiplicity of four sided open forms from said multiplicity of said cultured stone blocks; and 
   (d) placing said multiplicity of cultured stone blocks on said footing to create a structure.   
   
   
       2 . The method for constructing a structure made from site specific cultured stone blocks of claim one comprising the additional step of providing concrete made from a mixture of one part cement, two parts fine aggregate, three parts course aggregate and water. 
   
   
       3 . The method for constructing a structure made from site specific cultured stone blocks of claim two wherein said concrete is mixed on site from dried materials. 
   
   
       4 . The method for constructing a structure made from site specific cultured stone blocks of claim two wherein fly ash is used in place of the one part cement. 
   
   
       5 . The method for constructing a structure made from site specific cultured stone blocks of claim two comprising the further step of crushing preexisting building material on site to provide the course aggregate. 
   
   
       6 . The method for constructing a structure made from site specific cultured stone blocks of claim one wherein said form top, said form bottom, said form right side, and said form left side are made from plates having at least one indent, wherein said indent in said form bottom is placed such that it creates a bottom groove in the bottom of said cultured stone block, said indent in said form right side is placed such that it creates a right tongue in the right side of said cultured stone block, said indent in said left side is placed such that it creates a left groove in the left said of said cultured stone block, and wherein said form top has at least two indents placed such that it creates a top right tongue and a top left tongue in the top of said cultured stone block. 
   
   
       7 . The method for constructing a structure made from site specific cultured stone blocks of claim six comprising the further step of placing a first cultured stone block and a second cultured stone block such that the right tongue of a first cultured stone block aligns within said left groove of a second cultured stone block, and placing a third cultured stone block wherein said bottom groove of a third cultured stone block aligns over the top right tongue of the first cultured stone block and the top left tongue of the second cultured stone block, and wherein these steps are repeated to construct a structure. 
   
   
       8 . The method for constructing a structure made from site specific cultured stone blocks of claim one comprising the further step of placing a multiplicity of reinforcing steel bars in said concrete after pouring and before curing wherein the presence of said multiplicity of reinforcing bars increases the strength of said cultured stone blocks. 
   
   
       9 . The method for constructing a structure made from site specific cultured stone blocks of claim one comprising the further step of inserting a bent reinforced steel bar in said concrete after pouring and before curing such that it protrudes from said top of said block to form a rebar clip. 
   
   
       10 . A method of producing a site specific cultured stone block comprising the steps of:
 leveling and smoothing a section of bare ground having site specific features;   placing plastic sheeting on said section of bare ground;   providing a four sided form having a top, a bottom, a left side and a right side;   attaching the four sides of the four sided form to create a four sided open form having an open front and an open back;   placing the open front of said four sided form onto said plastic sheeting;   pouring concrete into the open back of said four sided form and onto the plastic sheeting wherein the site specific features of the section of bare ground is imprinted into the concrete on the plastic sheeting;   inserting reinforcing bars into the concrete;   curing said concrete to produce a site specific cultured stone block having a face that is at the front opening and against the plastic sheeting; and   removing said four sided form from said site specific cultured stone block.   
   
   
       11 . The method of producing a site specific cultured stone block of  claim 10  comprising the further steps of producing a multiplicity of site specific cultured stone blocks and building a structure from said blocks. 
   
   
       12 . The method of producing a site specific cultured stone block of  claim 10  wherein said concrete is mixed on site with one part cement, two parts fine aggregate, three parts course aggregate and water. 
   
   
       13 . The method of producing a site specific cultured stone block of  claim 12  wherein said cement consists of fly ash. 
   
   
       14 . The method of producing a site specific cultured stone block of  claim 12  wherein said course aggregate is crushed on site from an existing building. 
   
   
       15 . The method of producing a site specific cultured stone block of  claim 11  wherein the four sided forms further comprise features to impart a tongue or a groove into the sides and top of the cultured stone block, wherein the tongue of one cultured stone block corresponds to the groove of another cultured stone block.