Floor drainage

Abstract

Formwork creates a grid for receiving a filler material which defines a floor or floor base with a water drainage outlet. The formwork comprises a plurality of first wall members ( 4, 12 ) extending from an outlet zone ( 6 ) or channel ( 16 ). A plurality of second wall members ( 10, 14 ) extend between the first wall members to define the grid, with cells formed between the first and second members. Each first wall member ( 4, 12 ) has a progressively increasing height to define a downward slope for directing water towards the outlet zone ( 6 ) or channel ( 16 ), and the height of the second wall members ( 10, 14 ) will match that of the first wall members at junctions therebetween.

1 . Formwork for laying on a surface as the basis for a floor with a water drainage outlet, which formwork comprises a plurality of first wall members extending from an outlet zone, each first wall member having a progressively increasing height to define a downward slope for directing water towards the outlet zone: and a plurality of second wall members extending between the first members to define a grid for receiving a filler material in cells formed between the first and second members. 
     
     
         2 . Formwork according to  claim 1  wherein the first wall members and the second wall members comprise substantially planar strips. 
     
     
         3 . Formwork according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first wall members and the second wall members comprise strips of three-dimensional cross-section. 
     
     
         4 . Formwork according to  claim 3  wherein the strips have an inverted V-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         5 . Formwork according to  claim 1  comprising a plurality of discrete units each comprising first and second wall members defining at least one cell, and a mechanism for connecting the units to form a continuous said grid. 
     
     
         6 . Formwork according to  claim 5  wherein each unit defines a plurality of cells. 
     
     
         7 . Formwork according to  claim 5  including a core section comprising at least one unit defining the outlet zone and a plurality of additional units for connecting to the periphery thereof. 
     
     
         8 . Formwork according to  claim 7  wherein the core section itself comprises a plurality of units defining the outlet zone. 
     
     
         9 . Formwork according to  claim 7  wherein the core section and each additional unit has straight edges. 
     
     
         10 . Formwork according to  claim 9  wherein the core section is square or rectangular. 
     
     
         11 . Formwork according to  claim 10  wherein the core section comprises four isosceles triangular units of each of which unit the base of the triangle forms a straight edge of the core section and the other sides converge towards the outlet zone. 
     
     
         12 . Formwork according to  claim 9  including at least one additional unit for extending around two adjacent edges. 
     
     
         13 . Formwork for laying on a surface as the basis for a floor with a water drainage outlet, which formwork comprises a plurality of first wall members extending from an outlet zone, each first wall member having a progressively increasing height to define a downward slop for directing water towards the outlet zone: and a plurality of second wall members extending between the first members to define a grid for receiving a filler material in cells formed between the first and second members, wherein the grid defines a plurality of inclined planar floor areas for directing water to the outlet zone. 
     
     
         14 . Formwork for laying on a surface as the basis for a floor with a water drainage outlet, which formwork comprises a plurality of first wall members extending from an outlet zone, each first wall member having a progressively increasing height to define a downward slop for directing water towards the outlet zone: and a plurality of second wall members extending between the first members to define a grid for receiving a filler material in cells formed between the first and second members, wherein the grid defines a substantially continuous curved surface around the outlet zone. 
     
     
         15 . Formwork according to  claim 1  wherein the first and second wall members are substantially upright. 
     
     
         16 . Formwork according to  claim 1  wherein at least some of the second wall members are curved. 
     
     
         17 . Formwork according to  claim 16  wherein at least some of the second wall members form a circle. 
     
     
         18 . Formwork according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first and second wall members is formed in metal or plastics material. 
     
     
         19 . A floor comprising formwork having a plurality of first wall members extending from an outlet zone, each first wall member having a progressively increasing height to define a downward slope for directing water towards the outlet zone: and a plurality of second wall members extending between the first members to define a grid with filler material in cells formed between the first and second members. 
     
     
         20 . A floor according to  claim 19  with a covering thereon comprising one of tiles, a plastics material and a tanking membrane.