Wall assembly for bearing a concrete slab and method for adding a concrete slab to a building structure

Abstract

A wall assembly for bearing a concrete slab has a wall framework including a bottom plate, a top plate extending parallelly to the bottom plate and vertically spaced-apart from the bottom plate. Vertically extending stud members are spaced-apart from one another along a length of the wall framework and extend between the bottom plate and the top plate. At least one of the top plate and the bottom plate includes vertical translation components, which are aligned with the vertically extending and spaced-apart stud members, and is engageable with the vertically extending stud members through the vertical translation components. The wall framework can facilitate vertical translation of the at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate relative to the vertically extending stud members upon application of a substantial weight on the wall framework. A concrete containment wall assembly is used in combination with a wall framework.

1 . A wall assembly, comprising:
 a wall framework comprising:
 a bottom plate; 
 a top plate extending substantially parallel to the bottom plate and being vertically spaced-apart thereof; 
 a plurality of vertically extending stud members, each having a top end and a bottom end and being spaced-apart from one another along a length of the framework and extending between the bottom plate and the top plate; 
 at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate comprising a plurality of vertical translation components, at least some of the vertical translation components being aligned with a corresponding one of the vertically extending and spaced-apart stud members, the at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate being engageable with the corresponding one of the vertically extending stud members through the corresponding one of the vertical translation components to allow a relative vertical translation inbetween upon application of a substantial weight on the wall framework. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wall assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a vertical spacing is defined between the at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate and the respective one of the top end and the bottom end of the corresponding one of the vertically extending and spaced-apart stud members respectively, the vertical spacing allowing the relative vertical translation of the at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate relative to the corresponding one of the vertically extending stud members. 
     
     
         3 . The wall assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate comprises a first sidewall including the vertical translation components and a connection wall extending substantially normal to the first sidewall, the first sidewall being juxtaposed to a lateral side of the vertically extending and spaced-apart stud members and the connection wall being positioned either above the top end or below the bottom end of the vertically extending and spaced-apart stud members respectively, the vertical spacing being defined between the respective one of the top end and the bottom end of the vertically extending and spaced-apart stud members and the connection wall. 
     
     
         4 . The wall assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate further comprises a second sidewall, extending substantially parallel to the first sidewall and normal to the connection wall, the first and second sidewalls being spaced-apart from one another to define a U-shaped cavity to receive the respective one of the top end and the bottom end of the vertically extending and spaced-apart stud members therein. 
     
     
         5 . The wall assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of vertical translation components comprises a plurality of vertically extending and elongated through holes defined through the first sidewall. 
     
     
         6 . The wall assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vertical translation components is at least one of a plurality of vertically extending and elongated through holes, a rail system, and a tongue-and-groove system. 
     
     
         7 . A wall assembly for bearing a concrete slab having a thickness, comprising:
 a wall framework having a lateral axis, a longitudinal axis, an exterior side and an interior side comprising:
 a bottom plate; 
 a top plate extending substantially parallel to the bottom plate and being vertically spaced-apart thereof; 
 a plurality of vertically extending stud members spaced-apart from one another along a length of the wall framework and extending between the bottom plate and the top plate; and 
 a concrete containment wall assembly securable to the wall framework and comprising at least one formwork panel having a concrete containment segment, extending above the top plate of the wall framework, the at least one formwork panel extending along the length of the wall framework, the concrete containing segment of the concrete containment wall assembly having a height equal or above the thickness of the concrete slab. 
   
     
     
         8 . The wall assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the concrete containment segment is substantially aligned with the exterior side of the wall framework. 
     
     
         9 . The wall assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the concrete containment wall assembly further comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart downwardly extending flanges abuttable against the exterior side of the wall framework to substantially align the concrete containment wall assembly with the exterior side of the wall framework. 
     
     
         10 . The wall assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one formwork panel of the concrete containment wall assembly further comprises a wall framework securing portion engageable with and securable to the wall framework. 
     
     
         11 . The wall assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the wall framework securing portion extends inwardly and substantially perpendicularly to the concrete containment segment, and is superposable to the top plate of the wall framework to secure the formwork panel thereto. 
     
     
         12 . The wall assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the concrete containment wall assembly comprises a plurality of concrete containment wall assemblies securable to the wall framework in an adjacent configuration and the wall assembly further comprises at least one formwork panel connector comprising a formwork connecting panel extending substantially parallelly to the concrete containment segments and configured to connect a respective one of the plurality of concrete containment wall assemblies to an adjacent one of the plurality of concrete containment wall assemblies. 
     
     
         13 . The wall assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the formwork connecting panel comprises two sections, each one of the two sections is superposable inwardly to a respective one of the concrete containing segment of the adjacent concrete containment wall assemblies and being securable thereto. 
     
     
         14 . The wall assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the formwork panel connector comprises an outer strengthener extending along the lateral axis of the wall framework when engaged therewith and between the two sections of the formwork connecting panel, the outer strengthener having an outer strengthener height at least substantially equal to the height of the concrete containment segment and comprising a segment abutting the exterior side of the wall framework when engaged therewith. 
     
     
         15 . The wall assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the formwork panel connector further comprises at least one inner bracing member protruding inwardly from an inner face of the formwork connecting panel and the at least one inner bracing member comprises at least one fastener-receiving aperture engageable by a mechanical fastener to secure the inner bracing member with a corresponding one of the plurality of vertically extending stud members. 
     
     
         16 . A concrete containment wall assembly for use in combination with a wall framework, the wall framework comprising a bottom plate and a plurality of vertically extending stud members spaced-apart from one another along a length of the wall framework and extending upwardly from the bottom plate, the concrete containment wall assembly comprising:
 at least one formwork panel comprising:
 a concrete containing segment; and 
 a wall framework securing portion comprising a plurality of vertical translation components along a length thereof and being engageable with one of a top plate of the wall framework and at least some of the plurality of vertically extending stud members through a corresponding one of the vertical translation components to allow a relative vertical translation inbetween upon application of a substantial weight on the wall framework. 
   
     
     
         17 . The concrete containment wall assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the wall framework comprises a top plate and the wall framework securing portion is securable to the top plate through the plurality of vertical translation components. 
     
     
         18 . The concrete containment wall assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one formwork panel is secured to the wall framework by securing the wall framework securing portion to the at least some of the plurality of vertically extending stud members and through the plurality of vertical translation components. 
     
     
         19 . The concrete containment wall assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the wall framework is top plate free. 
     
     
         20 . The concrete containment wall assembly of  claim 18 , wherein at least some of the plurality of vertical translation components are aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of vertically extending and spaced-apart stud members. 
     
     
         21 . The concrete containment wall assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the wall framework securing portion comprises a first downwardly extending segment extending longitudinally and being juxtaposed to a lateral side of the plurality of vertically extending stud members, the first downwardly extending segment comprising the plurality of vertical translation components. 
     
     
         22 . The concrete containment wall assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the wall framework securing portion further comprises a connection wall, the connection wall being engageable with the one of the top plate and the at least some of the vertically extending and spaced-apart stud members, and a second downwardly extending segment extending substantially parallel to the first downwardly extending segment, the first and second downwardly extending segments being spaced-apart from one another to define a U-shaped cavity to receive the one of the top plate and a top end of the at least some of the vertically extending and spaced-apart stud members therein. 
     
     
         23 . A method for adding a concrete slab to a building structure including an existing floor with a plurality of spaced-apart posts extending upwardly from the existing floor using the concrete containment wall assembly according to  claim 16 , the method comprising the steps of:
 mounting a plurality of wall frameworks in an adjacent relationship to define at least partially a perimeter of the concrete slab, each one of the wall frameworks comprising:
 a bottom plate superposed to the existing floor and a plurality of vertically extending stud members spaced-apart from one another along a length of the wall framework and extending upwardly from the bottom plate; and 
 the concrete containment wall assembly being secured to the wall frameworks with the concrete containing segment of the at least one formwork panel extending above the respective one of the wall frameworks; 
 superposing a horizontal concrete containment structure to the plurality of wall frameworks and to the plurality of spaced-apart posts, the horizontal concrete containment structure extending substantially parallel to the existing floor, the concrete containment wall assemblies of the wall frameworks and the horizontal concrete containment structure defining together a concrete formwork assembly; and 
 pouring concrete in the concrete formwork assembly.