Wall System

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wall system which has a solid wood construction on both an inner and outer side with an insulation cavity between, and to an improved building construction utilising the wall system. A plurality of boards is arranged in an interior stack of boards and an exterior stack of boards on a base platform. The interior and exterior stacks of boards are spaced apart by vertical members. The vertical members are spaced apart at spaced locations along the wall. The vertical members have a spanning portion; the interior and exterior stacks of boards are spaced apart by the width of the spanning portion. The vertical members extend across the height of a plurality of boards of each stack of boards.

1 . A wall comprising:
 a plurality of boards, each having a length, a height and a thickness, the length being the longest dimension, the height being less than the length, and the thickness being less than the height,   said boards arranged in an interior stack of boards and an exterior stack of boards, the interior and exterior stacks of boards parallel and spaced apart, each stack of boards having an inner face and an outer face, and   vertical members rigidly spacing each said stack of boards at spaced locations along said wall, each said vertical member having a spanning portion between the interior and exterior stacks of boards, a retainer, associated with a first vertical edge, engaged in a vertical slot, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, in said inner face of one stack of boards, and a retainer, associated with its other vertical edge, engaged in a slot, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, formed in the inner face of the other stack of boards, such that said interior and exterior stacks of boards are spaced apart by the width of said spanning portion, which extends across the height of a plurality of boards of each said stack of boards, and   at least one brace assembly, the brace assembly comprising:   a first bracket for fixing the brace assembly to a base supporting the wall or to a bottom portion of the wall,   a second bracket for fixing the brace assembly above a top portion of the wall,   a tie rod extending between the first and second brackets, a first end of the tie rod being coupled to the first bracket and a second end of the tie rod being coupled to the second bracket, and   at least one tensioning mechanism for tensioning the tie rod between the first and second brackets to a predetermined tension level,   the tie rod being located between the two spaced apart stacks of boards.   
     
     
         2 . A wall as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said spanning portion at least is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity similar to or less than a plastic material such as polypropylene. 
     
     
         3 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A wall as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said spanning portion of said vertical member includes one or more cut-out regions. 
     
     
         12 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The wall as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the wall includes two said brace assemblies, the two brace assemblies acting from opposite directions such that horizontal shear forces in the stacks of boards created by one brace assembly are substantially balanced by the horizontal shear forces in the stacks of boards created by the other brace assembly. 
     
     
         23 . The wall as described in  claim 1  wherein at least one end of the tie rod is threaded, the tie rod passing through slots in the first and second brackets, a nut is threaded onto the threaded end to couple the end directly or indirectly to the first or second bracket, the nut and corresponding thread, acting as the tensioning mechanism for tensioning the tie rod between the first and second brackets to a predetermined tension level by relative rotation between the nut and the tie rod. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The wall as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the first bracket or the second bracket, or both, comprises a central curved portion and two flange portions, the central curved portion bridging between the two flange portions, the two flange portions being aligned on a plane, each flange portion having at least one through hole for fixing the bracket via the two flange portions to a corresponding surface or surfaces, with a circumferential slot in the central curved portion for receiving the tie rod. 
     
     
         26 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The wall as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the brace assembly includes a resilient element for maintaining tension in the tie rod. 
     
     
         35 . The wall as claimed in  claim 1  wherein a bottom board at the base of a wall stack has an access hole, the access hole passing through the thickness of the board to provide access to the first end of the tie rod. 
     
     
         36 . A building construction constructed from at least two walls, each of said at least two walls comprising
 a plurality of boards, each having a length, a height and a thickness, the length being the longest dimension, the height being less than the length, and the thickness being less than the height,   said boards arranged in an interior stack of boards and an exterior stack of boards, the interior and exterior stacks of boards parallel and spaced apart, each stack of boards having an inner face and an outer face, and   vertical members rigidly spacing each said stack of boards at spaced locations along said wall, each said vertical member having a spanning portion between the interior and exterior stacks of boards, a retainer, associated with a first vertical edge, engaged in a vertical slot, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, in said inner face of one stack of boards, and a retainer, associated with its other vertical edge, engaged in a slot, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, formed in the inner face of the other stack of boards, such that said interior and exterior stacks of boards are spaced apart by the width of said spanning portion, which extends across the height of a plurality of boards of each said stack of boards, and   at least one brace assembly, the brace assembly comprising:   a first bracket for fixing the brace assembly to a base supporting the wall or to a bottom portion of the wall,   a second bracket for fixing the brace assembly above a top portion of the wall,   a tie rod extending between the first and second brackets, a first end of the tie rod being coupled to the first bracket and a second end of the tie rod being coupled to the second bracket, and   at least one tensioning mechanism for tensioning the tie rod between the first and second brackets to a predetermined tension level,   the tie rod being located between the two spaced apart stacks of boards,   the at least two walls intersecting, an interior stack of boards of a first wall being joined to an interior stack of boards of a second wall, and an exterior stack of boards of the first wall being joined to an exterior stack of boards of the second wall, such that an insulation space of the first wall communicates with an insulation space of the second wall to create a corner insulation space extending around the corner between the first and second walls and substantially the height of the first and second walls, wherein   an end edge of the interior stack of boards of the first wall has a vertical groove extending the height of the wall, and a side of the interior stack of boards of the second wall has a corresponding vertical groove near an end of the second wall extending the height of the second wall, the first and second walls arranged to butt the end edge of the interior stack of boards of the first wall against the side of the interior stack of boards of the second wall, aligning the vertical grooves of the interior stacks of boards of the first and second walls, and   a locking member having a retainer associated with a first vertical edge, engaged in one of said vertical grooves, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, and a retainer associated with its other vertical edge, engaged in the other said vertical groove, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, such that said locking member locks the interior stacks of boards of the first and second walls together.   
     
     
         37 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . The building construction as claimed in  claim 36  wherein the building construction comprises a corner member extending the height of the walls, and wherein
 an end edge of the exterior stack of boards of the first wall has a vertical groove extending the height of the first wall and an end edge of the exterior stack of boards of the second wall has a vertical groove extending the height of the second wall, and 
 the corner member has a vertical channel in a first side extending the height of the first wall and a vertical channel in a second side extending the height of the second wall, and 
 the end edge of the exterior stack of boards of the first wall butts against the first side of the corner member, aligning the vertical groove with the vertical channel in the first side, and the end edge of the exterior stack of boards of the second wall butts against the second side of the corner member, aligning the vertical groove with the vertical channel in the second side, and 
 wherein the building construction further includes two connecting members, each connecting member having a retainer associated with a first vertical edge, said retainer engaged in one of said vertical grooves, said vertical grooves having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, and said connecting member having a lug associated with its other vertical edge, said lug engaged in a corresponding one of said vertical channels, said vertical channels having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said lug, such that said connecting members lock the exterior stacks of boards of the first and second walls to the corner member. 
 
     
     
         40 . A building construction constructed from at least one wall which comprises
 a plurality of boards, each having a length, a height and a thickness, the length being the longest dimension, the height being less than the length, and the thickness being less than the height,   said boards arranged in an interior stack of boards and an exterior stack of boards, the interior and exterior stacks of boards parallel and spaced apart, each stack of boards having an inner face and an outer face, and   vertical members rigidly spacing each said stack of boards at spaced locations along said wall, each said vertical member having a spanning portion between the interior and exterior stacks of boards, a retainer, associated with a first vertical edge, engaged in a vertical slot, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, in said inner face of one stack of boards, and a retainer, associated with its other vertical edge, engaged in a slot, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, formed in the inner face of the other stack of boards, such that said interior and exterior stacks of boards are spaced apart by the width of said spanning portion, which extends across the height of a plurality of boards of each said stack of boards, and   at least one brace assembly, the brace assembly comprising:   a first bracket for fixing the brace assembly to a base supporting the wall or to a bottom portion of the wall,   a second bracket for fixing the brace assembly above a top portion of the wall,   a tie rod extending between the first and second brackets, a first end of the tie rod being coupled to the first bracket and a second end of the tie rod being coupled to the second bracket, and   at least one tensioning mechanism for tensioning the tie rod between the first and second brackets to a predetermined tension level,   the tie rod being located between the two spaced apart stacks of boards,   the at least one wall being assembled on a base platform, the base platform being supported by a building support structure, wherein a vertical boundary of the building support structure extends beyond a vertical boundary of the base platform,   the interior stack of wall boards being stacked at the base platform vertical boundary, and   the exterior stack of wall boards being stacked at the building support structure vertical boundary, the space between the interior stack of boards and the exterior stack of boards spanning a gap between the base platform vertical boundary and the building support structure vertical boundary, the space communicating with the gap to create an insulation space extending from between the two stacks of boards downwards between the base platform vertical boundary and the building support structure vertical boundary to below a floor level of the base platform.   
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . The building construction as claimed in  claim 40  including insulation in the insulation space wherein the insulation extends continuously from between the interior and exterior stacks of boards to underneath at least a portion of the floor level of the base platform. 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . The building construction as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the building support structure comprises boundary joists and bearers, the base platform being supported by the bearers and the bearers extending beyond the vertical boundary of the base platform to support the boundary joists at the vertical boundary of the building support structure, the boundary joists having an upper surface in plane with a floor surface of the base platform for supporting the exterior stack of wall boards. 
     
     
         45 . The building construction as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the first bracket is fixed to a nog, the nog being securely fixed to a said boundary joist. 
     
     
         46 . A building construction constructed from at least one wall which comprises
 a plurality of boards, each having a length, a height and a thickness, the length being the longest dimension, the height being less than the length, and the thickness being less than the height,   said boards arranged in an interior stack of boards and an exterior stack of boards, the interior and exterior stacks of boards parallel and spaced apart, each stack of boards having an inner face and an outer face, and   vertical members rigidly spacing each said stack of boards at spaced locations along said wall, each said vertical member having a spanning portion between the interior and exterior stacks of boards, a retainer, associated with a first vertical edge, engaged in a vertical slot, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, in said inner face of one stack of boards, and a retainer, associated with its other vertical edge, engaged in a slot, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, formed in the inner face of the other stack of boards, such that said interior and exterior stacks of boards are spaced apart by the width of said spanning portion, which extends across the height of a plurality of boards of each said stack of boards, and   at least one brace assembly, the brace assembly comprising:   a first bracket for fixing the brace assembly to a base supporting the wall or to a bottom portion of the wall,   a second bracket for fixing the brace assembly above a top portion of the wall,   a tie rod extending between the first and second brackets, a first end of the tie rod being coupled to the first bracket and a second end of the tie rod being coupled to the second bracket, and   at least one tensioning mechanism for tensioning the tie rod between the first and second brackets to a predetermined tension level,   the tie rod being located between the two spaced apart stacks of boards,   wherein the interior stack of boards is assembled on a base platform, the interior stack of boards extending to a height above a first roof level, and the exterior stack of boards includes at least one board having at least a portion above the first roof level, the portion being supported by at least one board support bracket fixed to the interior stack of boards at a position above the first roof level.   
     
     
         47 - 52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . The building construction as claimed in  claim 46  wherein the board support bracket also supports the first bracket of a said brace assembly. 
     
     
         54 - 58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . A building construction constructed from at least two walls, each wall comprising:
 a plurality of boards, each having a length, a height and a thickness, the length being the longest dimension, the height being less than the length, and the thickness being less than the height,   said boards arranged in an interior stack of boards and an exterior stack of boards, the interior and exterior stacks of boards parallel and spaced apart, each stack of boards having an inner face and an outer face,   the at least two walls intersecting, an interior stack of boards of a first wall being joined to an interior stack of boards of a second wall, and an exterior stack of boards of the first wall being joined to an exterior stack of boards of the second wall, such that an insulation space of the first wall communicates with an insulation space of the second wall to create a corner insulation space extending around the corner between the first and second walls and substantially the height of the first and second walls, wherein   an end edge of the interior stack of boards of the first wall has a vertical groove extending the height of the wall, and a side of the interior stack of boards of the second wall has a corresponding vertical groove near an end of the second wall extending the height of the second wall, the first and second walls arranged to butt the end edge of the interior stack of boards of the first wall against the side of the interior stack of boards of the second wall, aligning the vertical grooves of the interior stacks of boards of the first and second walls, and   a locking member having a retainer associated with a first vertical edge, engaged in one of said vertical grooves, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, and a retainer associated with its other vertical edge, engaged in the other said vertical groove, having a complementary horizontal cross-section to said retainer, such that said locking member locks the interior stacks of boards of the first and second walls together.   
     
     
         60 . A building construction constructed from at least one wall, the at least one wall comprising:
 a plurality of boards, each having a length, a height and a thickness, the length being the longest dimension, the height being less than the length, and the thickness being less than the height,   said boards arranged in an interior stack of boards and an exterior stack of boards, the interior and exterior stacks of boards parallel and spaced apart, each stack of boards having an inner face and an outer face,   the at least one wall being assembled on a base platform, the base platform being supported by a building support structure, wherein a vertical boundary of the building support structure extends beyond a vertical boundary of the base platform,   the interior stack of wall boards being stacked at the base platform vertical boundary, and   the exterior stack of wall boards being stacked at the building support structure vertical boundary, the space between the interior stack of boards and the exterior stack of boards spanning a gap between the base platform vertical boundary and the building support structure vertical boundary, the space communicating with the gap to create an insulation space extending from between the two stacks of boards downwards between the base platform vertical boundary and the building support structure vertical boundary to below a floor level of the base platform.   
     
     
         61 - 74 . (canceled)