Method for using aerated autoclaved concrete in residential and commercial construction

Abstract

A method for construction using a panel and plank system that may optionally be made of Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (AAC), wherein wall panels are delivered, erected and attached to structural forms and braced with properly designed shoring/struts with form ties and specifically designed “panel ties”. Intermediate bracing is installed at midspan locations where spans are short and there is a possibility of wall buckling. Floor/roof planks are set on top of the walls being cognizant of bearing surface requirements. The deformed and post-tension reinforcing steel is set/installed and any miscellaneous detailing is completed. Thin AAC panels can be installed as form liners for added insulation where dimensions accommodate them. Structural grout or small aggregate concrete is placed, consolidated/vibrated, and finished and allowed to cure to minimum required strengths. Roof pours are given a “crown” to allow proper drainage.

1 . A method for constructing a building having at last one level, the level comprising an integral monolithic superstructure using planks and panels comprising an air-entrained or foam-based material in combination with cast-in-place concrete, the method comprising:
 placing a first set of planks, panels, or planks and panels in a vertical orientation on a construction site to define one or more vertical walls of the superstructure;   providing and securing temporary shoring and formwork adjacent to the first set of panels and planks to define form cavities at selected intervals for cast-in-place columns and vertical reinforcement in the form of rebar or prestressed cables;   placing a second set of planks, panels, or planks and panels in a generally horizontal orientation atop the first set to form at least a partial floor or ceiling surface, while leaving defined voids for the placement of cast-in-place beams;   casting concrete into the form cavities between, adjacent to, and above the planks and panels to form structural columns, beams, and horizontal surfaces as a continuous monolithic pour, thereby integrating the cast-in-place concrete with the generally weaker air-entrained or foam-based panels and planks to form a composite structure;   wherein the structural columns and beams formed by the cast-in-place concrete are sized and reinforced to accommodate increased the structural loading; and the horizonal beams and columns include rebar bent to form a cup-shape and including vertical rebar members extending vertically upwardly to at least a level at or sufficiently near the level of the upper surface of the floor planks to ensure that the, the upper ends of the vertical rebar elements are covered by later-poured concrete; and   wherein the planks and panels remain in place while the concrete of the structural columns and beams is poured to function as formwork and after the concrete is cured, remain in place permanently to function as interior surfaces, exterior surfaces, or insulation, and wherein the cast-in-place concrete provides the primary structural strength of the superstructure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the planks and panels are comprised of an inert, inorganic, vapor-permeable material having a lower density than concrete, thereby reducing the potential for latent moisture condensation within the matrix and making the system suitable for environments containing humidity-sensitive electronic equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cast-in-place concrete is formed in spatial relationship with the planks and panels to provide integrated vertical and horizontal structural support. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the planks and panels function as stay-in-place formwork while the concrete is pour and during curing and thermal insulation thereafter, the cast-in-place concrete when cured providing the primary structural integrity of the superstructure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein spaces formed between or adjacent to the planks and panels define initially empty regions to receive and hold for poured concrete and to act as forms for concrete cast-in-place columns, beams, or reinforcement zones that become part of a continuous concrete frame when the poured concrete is cured. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising pouring cast-in-place concrete to form a network of structural beams atop or within the horizontal surface formed by the planks and panels. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the planks and panels are composed of an inorganic, chemically stable, vapor-permeable, low-density, and non-combustible material that is exhibiting passive fire-resistant and thermally insulating. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temporary shoring is reusable and configured to support the planks and panels during concrete placement and curing, and is further adapted to support the staging of construction materials and placement equipment while the concrete is placed and cured. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cast-in-place concrete is poured into interconnected cavities to form a poured monolithic structural skeleton comprised of vertical and horizontal structural members that are monolithically interconnected without intervening mechanical connections between them and previously poured and cured concrete structural components using cold joints. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cast-in-place beams have a medial vertical plane through the length thereof and an average thickness at the medial vertical plane greater than the thickness of the adjacent floor or ceiling planks, thereby to provide adequate support for the floor or ceiling planks and to accommodate embedded utility sleeves, conduits, or service pathways for mechanical, electrical, or data systems. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method can employ a superstructure having a first intended size and a second other size, the method further comprising, at any time prior to the step of pouring the concrete, changing the first intended size of the superstructure to the second size by using supplemental or different configurations of shoring, bracing, or additional formwork. 
     
     
         12 . A method for constructing a building having at least two vertically adjacent levels, each of the two vertically adjacent levels comprising an integral monolithic superstructure using planks and panels comprising an air-entrained or foam-based material in combination with cast-in-place concrete, the method comprising, for each level:
 placing a first set of planks, panels, or planks and panels in a vertical orientation on a construction site to define one or more vertical walls of the superstructure;   providing and securing temporary shoring and formwork adjacent to the first set of panels and planks to define form cavities at selected intervals for cast-in-place columns and vertical reinforcement in the form of rebar or prestressed cables;   placing a second set of planks, panels, or planks and panels in a generally horizontal orientation atop the first set of planks, panels, or planks and panels to form at least a partial floor or ceiling surface, while leaving defined voids for the placement of cast-in-place beams;   casting concrete into the form cavities between, adjacent to, and above the planks and panels to form structural columns, beams, and horizontal surfaces as a continuous monolithic pour, thereby integrating the cast-in-place concrete with the generally weaker air-entrained or foam-based panels and planks to form a composite structure;   wherein the structural columns and beams formed by the cast-in-place concrete are sized and reinforced with rebar, wire mesh and/or pre-tensioned bars or cables to accommodate structural loading; and the horizonal beams include at least rebar bent to form an upwardly open longitudinally-elongated cup-shape, the beams further including vertical rebar members extending vertically upwardly to at least a level at or sufficiently near the level of the upper surface of the floor planks to ensure that the upper ends of the vertical rebar elements are covered by later-poured concrete when cured;   wherein the planks and panels remain in place when the concrete of the structural columns and beams is poured to function as formwork until the concrete is cured, and thereafter remain in place after the cast-in-place concrete of the structural columns and beams is cured to function as interior surfaces, exterior surfaces and/or insulation, and wherein the cast-in-place concrete provides the primary structural strength of the superstructure, and   wherein, once the panels, planks and forms are positioned and held in place to define the cavities for forming the cast-in-place beams and columns for the at least two levels, concrete is poured in place in all the cavities of the at least two levels in a substantially continuous manner to form, when the concrete is cured, a poured monolithic structural superstructure encompassing the at least two adjacent levels comprised of vertical and horizontal structural members that are monolithically interconnected without intervening mechanical connections between them and or with previously installed structural components using cold joints.   
     
     
         13 . A method for constructing a building having between three and twenty vertically adjacent levels, all the vertically adjacent levels together comprising an integral monolithic superstructure using planks and panels comprising an air-entrained or foam-based material in combination with cast-in-place concrete, the method comprising, for each level:
 placing a first set of planks, panels, or planks and panels in a vertical orientation on a foundation for the lowest level or on the next lower level for all successively higher levels, to define one or more vertical walls of the superstructure;   providing and securing temporary shoring and formwork adjacent to the first set of panels and planks to define form cavities at selected intervals for cast-in-place columns and vertical reinforcement in the form of rebar, wire mesh and/or prestressed cables or bars;   placing a second set of planks, panels, or planks and panels in a generally horizontal orientation atop the first set of planks, panels, or planks and panels to form at least a partial floor or ceiling surface, while leaving defined voids for the placement of cast-in-place beams;   casting concrete into the form cavities between, adjacent to, and above the planks and panels to form structural columns, beams, and horizontal surfaces as a continuous monolithic pour, beginning at the lowest level and then each successively higher level, thereby integrating the cast-in-place concrete with the generally weaker air-entrained or foam-based panels and planks to form a composite structure;   wherein the structural columns and beams formed by the cast-in-place concrete are sized and reinforced to accommodate the structural loading;   wherein the horizonal beams include rebar bent to form a cup-shape and including vertical rebar members extending vertically upwardly to at least a level that ensures that the upper ends of the vertical rebar elements are covered by later-poured concrete for the beam;   wherein the planks and panels remain in place when the concrete of the structural columns and beams is poured to function as formwork until the concrete is cured, and thereafter remain in place after the cast-in-place concrete of the structural columns and beams is cured to function as interior surfaces, exterior surfaces or insulation, and wherein the cast-in-place concrete provides the primary structural strength of the superstructure; and   wherein, once the panels, planks and forms are positioned and held in place to define the cavities for forming the cast-in-place beams and columns for the at least two floors, concrete is poured in place into all the cavities of the levels, beginning with the lowest level and then the next higher level in order, in a substantially continuous manner, to form, when the concrete is cured, a poured monolithic structural superstructure encompassing the vertical and horizontal members monolithic structural members of all level such that they are monolithically interconnected without intervening mechanical connections between them or to other previously installed structural components using cold joints.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more vertical walls of the superstructure include at least two spaced-apart vertical exterior walls, each of which is disposed in at least two separate axially-aligned sections having opposed and spaced-apart ends to form a gap between them, wherein the method further comprises:
 placing an internal demising wall comprised of panels formed of air-entrained or foam-based material, the panels having respective ends, at least one of which ends being positioned adjacent an interior side of the gap to at least partially close-off the interior side of the gap; and   placement of interior and exterior vertical forms covering remaining open internal and external portions of the gap to form a closed-at-the-sides vertically-oriented cavity to receive and hold poured concrete to form a cast-in-place column in the cavity.   
     
     
         15 . A method for creating a building having an integral monolithic superstructure having between one and twenty levels, the method comprising the steps of:
 placing a foundation having a plurality of predetermined horizontally spaced apart column locations having a width to support a lowest level;   on the lowest level, placing a plurality of predetermined horizontally spaced apart column locations having a width thereon, each of which is axially aligned with one of the plurality of predetermined horizontally spaced apart column locations having a width,   for each successively higher level of the between one and twenty levels, beginning at the next higher level:
 setting a first set of vertically oriented shoring having a width adjacent to an interior side of the horizontally spaced apart column locations, the width being sufficiently wide to cover the interior side of each respective space for the vertical supporting columns to be formed in the horizontally spaced apart column locations and having a width, and a portion of the ends of the first set of construction material on either side of each of the horizontally spaced apart column locations; 
 placing a first set of vertically oriented construction materials that include planks, panels, or planks and panels comprising a foam material and having a length, width, ends, a thickness and lower and upper edges, the first set of construction materials for the lowest level being supported by the foundation, and the first set of vertically oriented construction materials for each successively higher level being supported by the next lower level, the first set of vertically oriented construction materials for each level forming one or more vertical walls of the integral monolithic superstructure, the ends of the first set of construction materials being spaced apart horizontally and endwise on the foundation for the lowest level and on the next lowest level for each successively higher level, at the predetermined horizontally spaced apart column locations to leave a sufficient space for the vertical supporting columns but sufficiently close together that the first set of vertically oriented shoring covers a portion of the ends of the first set of construction material on either side of each of the horizontally spaced apart column locations; 
 setting a second set of vertically oriented shoring having a width adjacent to an exterior side of the horizontally spaced apart column locations, the width being sufficiently wide to cover the exterior side of the space for the vertical supporting columns and a portion of the ends of the first set of construction material on either side of each of the horizontally spaced apart column locations such that the space for each of the vertical supporting columns is substantially enclosed on all vertical sides; 
 placing a second set of construction materials that include planks, panels, or planks and panels on an inner portion of a topmost edge of the first set of construction materials to form a horizontal surface of the integral monolithic superstructure while leaving an outer portion of the top edge of the first set of construction materials uncovered by the horizontal surface, the horizontal surface having a thickness and an upper surface having a height greater than the height of the topmost horizonal edge of the first set of construction material; 
 placing a perimeter vertically oriented and horizontally elongated form around the topmost portion of the exterior perimeter of the upper portion of the first set of construction materials of each level, the form having a top edge higher than the upper surface of the horizontal surface, the form in combination with the topmost horizontal edge of the first set of construction materials uncovered by the horizontal surface of the second set of construction materials, the adjacent edge of the horizontal surface, and the second set of vertically oriented shoring, forming an open-at-the-top generally circumferential space, the bottom portion of which is in communication with the upper ends of each of the horizontally spaced apart column locations; 
 beginning with the lowermost level, pouring mortar, concrete or a mix thereof into the open-at-the-top portion of each generally circumferential space at the top of the level, to substantially fill it and each of the horizontally spaced apart column locations of the level, and to cover at least a portion of an upper surface of the horizontal surface of the second set of construction materials for the level with a predetermined thickness of the mortar, concrete or a mix thereof; 
 and then, for each successively higher level, pouring mortar, concrete or a mix thereof into an open-at-the-top portion of each generally circumferential space at the top of the level, to substantially fill it and each of the horizontally spaced apart column locations of the level, and to cover at least a portion of an upper surface of the horizontal surface of the second set of construction materials for the level with a predetermined thickness of the mortar, concrete or a mix thereof, until the mortar, concrete or a mix thereof has filled all the generally circumferential spaces and horizontally spaced apart column locations for each level, the mortar, concrete or a mix thereof being poured in a substantially continuous manner to form, when cured, a poured monolithic superstructure encompassing all levels and being comprised of vertical and horizontal monolithic structural members that are monolithically interconnected without intervening mechanical connections between them or to previously installed structural components using cold joints, and, for each level; and 
 removing the first set of vertically oriented shoring and the second set of vertically oriented shoring while permanently retaining the foam material as part of the completed building having an integral monolithic superstructure.