Mortarless hollow core block wall construction system

Abstract

A system and method of constructing hollow core block walls, either reinforced or not reinforced with a re-designed block and the use of expanding polymer resins system as a filling and binding system replacing the traditional system of binding hollow core blocks with a cementitious mortar or adhesive.

1 . A wall comprising:
 plural blocks laid in vertically stacked courses, each course of the vertically stacked courses including blocks laid side by side, each block of the plural blocks being laid side by side having one or more vertically extending channels;   the blocks of vertically adjacent courses contacting each other along respective contacting faces without mortar or adhesive and having aligned vertically extending channels;   the blocks of vertically adjacent courses interlocking with each other using mating alignment elements in the respective contacting faces, each channel of each block having a corresponding set of mating alignment elements; and   polyurethane foam extending through at least one channel of each of the plural blocks.   
     
     
         2 . The wall of  claim 1  in which the alignment elements of each block corresponding to a channel are symmetrical under rotation by 90 degrees to allow blocks to be stacked at right angles with corresponding alignment elements mated. 
     
     
         3 . The wall of  claim 1  in which the mating alignment elements surround each channel. 
     
     
         4 . The wall of  claim 3  in which the mating alignment elements are continuous around each channel. 
     
     
         5 . The wall of  claim 1  in which each channel and corresponding alignment elements have a square, circular or octagonal shape. 
     
     
         6 . The wall of  claim 1  in which there is no mortar or adhesive between adjacent blocks laid side by side in a course. 
     
     
         7 . The wall of  claim 1  further comprising one or more reinforcement members, each reinforcement member extending through vertically adjacent blocks through aligned holes in the vertically adjacent blocks. 
     
     
         8 . The wall of  claim 1  in which the plural blocks comprise polyurethane blocks. 
     
     
         9 . The wall of  claim 1  in which the polyurethane foam has a density of two to twelve pounds per cubic feet. 
     
     
         10 . The wall of  claim 1  in which the blocks include at least a block having more than two channels. 
     
     
         11 . A wall comprising:
 plural blocks laid in vertically stacked courses, each course of the vertically stacked courses including blocks laid side by side, each block of the plural blocks being laid side by side having one or more vertically extending channels;   the blocks of vertically adjacent courses contacting each other along respective contacting faces without mortar or adhesive and having aligned vertically extending channels;   each block being formed of polyurethane; and   polyurethane foam extending through at least one channel of each of the plural blocks.   
     
     
         12 . A method of constructing a wall of plural blocks, each block of the plural blocks having one or more vertically extending channels, the method comprising:
 laying the blocks side by side and in vertical courses, the blocks of vertically adjacent courses contacting each other without mortar or adhesive and having vertically aligned channels; and   injecting expanding polymeric resin through at least one vertically extending channel of each of the plural blocks.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  in which the expanding polymeric resin comprises polyurethane foam. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  in which there is no mortar or adhesive between adjacent blocks laid side by side in a course. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  in which the blocks of vertically adjacent courses interlock with each other using alignment elements corresponding to respective vertically extending channels. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  in which the plural blocks comprise polyurethane blocks.