Footer structures and methods, and panel and wall structures using such footer structures
Light weight fiber-reinforced polymeric (FRP) structural building panels and panel assemblies, sized and configured for construction of wall structures permanently tied to the ground, optionally tying overlying structure to an underlying footer through such panels and panel assemblies. Footers are fabricated by flowing fluid concrete under segments of the wall while anchors extend down from the wall into the space into which concrete is being flowed.
1 . A method of fabricating a structure foundation having a first length, the method comprising:
(a) preparing, as needed, an elongate footer trench, the footer trench having a bottom, and a second length;
(b) establishing a first set of footer elements in the footer trench, the first set of footer elements being spaced from each other along the length of the footer trench;
(c) placing wall elements on the first set of footer elements such that the wall elements span the spaces between respective ones of the first set of footer elements; and
(d) after placing the wall elements on the first set of footer elements, establishing a second set of footer elements under the wall elements so as to create a continuous-length footer under the wall elements, the continuous-length footer comprising ones of the first set of footer elements and ones of the second set of footer elements.
2 . A method as in claim 1 , further comprising fabricating the first set of footer elements in the footer trench, with elongate reinforcing material extending through and between respective ones of the first set of so-fabricated footer elements, and the elongate reinforcing material extending along the length of the footer trench.
3 . A method as in claim 1 , the establishing of the second set of footer elements under the wall comprising flowing fluid concrete under the wall elements and onto tops of the first set of wall elements, and curing the fluid concrete such that the footer comprises first and second sets of footer elements supporting the wall elements, the first set of footer elements having been fabricated before the placing of the wall elements, the second set of footer elements having been fabricated after the placing of the wall elements.
4 . A method as in claim 1 including locating the footer elements in the trench such that a such footer element of the first set of footer elements is positioned under each joint between adjacent ones of the wall elements such that each such wall element is supported by a footer element of the first set of footer elements, at each such joint between wall elements.
5 . A footer having a top, and being defined along a length of a footer path, said footer comprising:
(a) a plurality of individual mini footers, spaced from each other along the length of the footer path, a given said mini footer having a top and a bottom, and opposing sides extending along the length of the footer path, and
(ii) a plurality of ready-mix concrete main footer components extending along the length of the footer path, and extending between respective ones of said mini footers such that said mini footers and said main footer components collectively define a continuous-length footer.
6 . A footer as in claim 5 wherein at least one of said main footer components extends about at least one of said mini footers and joins an adjacent said main footer component such that the combination of said at least one main footer component and said adjacent main footer component define a single concrete structure.
7 . A footer as in claim 5 wherein said main footer components extend about said mini footers so as to define an extended-length footer wherein at least a majority of said mini footers are covered on at least one such side or top of such mini footers by said main footer components thereby directly interfacing the respective said mini footers within the collective span of the concrete which forms said main footer components.
8 . A footer as in claim 5 wherein said main footer components extend over the tops of said mini footers, and about at least one said side of said mini footers so as to enclose said mini footers in said main footer components on the tops and at least one side of the respective said mini footers.
9 . A footer as in claim 5 wherein said main footer components cover said mini footers on the tops of said mini footers and on the opposing sides of said mini footers.
10 . A footer as in claim 5 , further comprising one or more reinforcing rods extending along the length of said footer path, extending from a said mini footer through a said main footer component and into a next-adjacent said mini footer.
11 . A footer as in claim 9 , further comprising one or more reinforcing rods extending along the length of said footer path, extending from a said mini footer through a said main footer component and into a next-adjacent said mini footer.
12 . A concrete base comprising a footer as in claim 5 , further comprising a concrete slab adjacent said footer and extending away from said footer as a unitary structure with said main footer components.
13 . A concrete base comprising a footer as in claim 7 , further comprising a concrete slab adjacent said footer and extending away from said footer as a unitary structure with said main footer components.
14 . A concrete base comprising a footer as in claim 8 , further comprising a concrete slab adjacent said footer and extending away from said footer as a unitary structure with said main footer components.
15 . A concrete base comprising a footer as in claim 9 and wherein said mini footers are concrete mini footers, further comprising a concrete slab adjacent said footer and extending away from said footer as a unitary structure with said main footer components.
16 . A concrete base comprising a footer as in claim 12 , further comprising a concrete slab adjacent said footer and extending away from said footer as a unitary structure with said main footer components.
17 . A foundation comprising a footer as in claim 5 , and a foundation wall, a lower portion of said foundation wall being embedded in said footer.
18 . A foundation as in claim 17 wherein said foundation wall interfaces with a top of at least one said mini footer and extends upwardly from said at least one mini footer.
19 . A foundation as in claim 18 , said footer having first and second opposing sides, said main footer components extending over the tops of said mini footers, and extending across said mini footers on at least one of said sides of said footer.
20 . A foundation as in claim 19 , further comprising anchors secured to said foundation wall and extending into said concrete bases.
21 . A foundation as in claim 20 wherein said anchors extend through portions of said foundation wall below the top of said footer.
22 . A foundation as in claim 19 , further comprising abutment structure brackets embedded in said footer and mounting said foundation wall to said mini footer.
23 . A foundation as in claim 22 , wherein said mini footers are concrete mini footers, such that said footer is a concrete footer, having first and second opposing sides, and a width therebetween, and a depth between a top and a bottom of said footer, said concrete footer extending under said foundation wall, and an adjacent concrete slab defining a unitary concrete structure with said main footer components, said concrete slab having a second width at least two times as wide as the first width, and a depth less than the depth of said footer.
24 . A building comprising one or more foundations as in claim 16 , and building superstructure overlying, and secured to, said one or more foundations.
25 . A method of fabricating a structure foundation, the foundation having a first length, the method comprising:
(a) preparing, as needed, an elongate footer trench, the footer trench having a bottom, and a second length;
(b) establishing a plurality of mini footers in the footer trench, the mini footers having tops, bottoms, and opposing sides, and being spaced from each other along the length of the footer trench;
(c) placing a first set of wall segments adjacent each other, on the tops of the mini footers, such wall segments having inner and outer surfaces;
(d) joining adjacent ones of the wall segments to each other and thereby creating closed joints between respective ones of the adjacent wall segments, thereby to define a portion of the foundation wall, the wall portion having opposing surfaces which extend along the length of the elongate footer trench;
(e) placing footer forms, having form tops, along the length of the footer trench which is occupied by such mini footers and such wall segments whereby the footer forms define a footer spatial volume along the length of the footer trench, between the bottom of the footer trench and up to the elevations of the tops of the footer forms, the mini footers being disposed in the so-defined footer spatial volume, the tops of the mini footers, and correspondingly, the bottoms of the wall segments, being below the elevations of the tops of the footer forms; and
(f) with the wall segments on the tops of the mini footers, finishing fabrication of a footer along the length of the footer trench by placing fluid concrete into the footer trench, including flowing the fluid concrete under the wall segments and onto the tops of the mini footers, so as to create main footer components, interfacing with the mini footers and connected to each other about the mini footers so as to create a continuous-length footer comprising the mini footers and the main footer components, the main footer components having top surfaces which overlie the tops of the mini footers and which define a top surface of the footer,
the tops of the mini footers, which support the wall segments, thus being embedded in the main footer components, bottom portions of the wall segments extending below the top surface of the concrete footer to the tops of the respective mini footers, and continuing below the top surface of the concrete footer between adjacent ones of the mini footers whereby bottom portions of the wall segments are embedded in the concrete footer for substantially the full lengths of the wall segments.
26 . A method as in claim 25 including positioning a such mini footer at the location of each such joint between wall segments such that each wall segment is supported by a mini footer at each such joint.
27 . A method as in claim 26 , the wall segments comprising a first set of wall segments, the footer trench comprising a first footer trench, further comprising defining a second footer trench extending at substantially a right angle to the first footer trench, positioning ones of the mini footers in the second footer trench, positioning a second set of wall segments on ones of the mini footers in the second footer trench, and placing concrete into the second footer trench as an extension of the concrete in the first footer trench, thus to define, in the second footer trench, a unitary part of the footer structure which is defined by the placing of the concrete, at least one of the second set of wall segments abutting and thereby supporting at least one of the first set of wall segments whereby the at least one of the second set of wall segments operates as a shear wall providing lateral support to the abutted first set of wall segments.
28 . A method as in claim 25 , further comprising fabricating the mini footers in the footer trench with elongate reinforcing material extending through the mini footers and between respective ones of the mini footers, along the length of the footer trench.
29 . A method as in claim 25 , further comprising, prior to, optionally concurrently with, placing the fluid concrete in the footer trench, mounting a plurality of anchors to respective wall segments such that the anchors extend, optionally laterally, from the upstanding portions of the wall segments into the footer spatial volume, such that the fluid concrete flows around at least portions of the anchors thus-anchoring the respective wall segments to the concrete footer as the fluid concrete sets up.
30 . A method as in claim 25 including setting an outer footer form outwardly of the outer surface of at least one such wall segment, the footer form having a top at a higher elevation than the tops of adjacent ones of the mini footers, the method including flowing the fluid concrete under the wall segments to the outer footer form and upwardly above the bottoms of the respective wall segments to approximately the top of the respective outer footer form.
31 . A wall structure, comprising:
(a) a footer;
(b) a wall extending upwardly from said footer, said wall having a length and a bottom;
(c) a concrete structure adjacent the bottom of said wall; and
(d) a plurality of anchors extending from said concrete structure into said wall and back into said concrete structure.
32 . A wall structure as in claim 31 , said wall comprising a plurality of uprightly-oriented studs spaced along the length of said wall, further comprising ones of said anchors extending from said concrete structure, through ones of said studs, and extending, from said ones of said studs, back into said concrete structure.
33 . A wall structure as in claim 31 , said anchors extending from said concrete structure into an upright element of said wall structure and back into said concrete structure.
34 . A wall structure as in claim 31 , said wall structure having an inner surface and an outer surface, and studs extending inwardly, away from the inner surface, said anchors extending from said concrete structure into ones of said studs and back into said concrete structure.
35 . A load-bearing foundation wall as in claim 31 , said footer comprising a concrete footer having first and second opposing sides and a first width therebetween, and a depth between a top and a bottom of said concrete footer, said concrete footer extending under said foundation wall, an adjacent concrete slab defining a unitary concrete structure with said main footer components, said concrete slab having a second width at least 2 times as wide as the first width, and a depth less than the depth of said footer.
36 . A wall structure, comprising:
(a) a footer;
(b) a wall extending upwardly from said footer, said wall having a length and a bottom;
(c) a concrete structure adjacent the bottom of said wall; and
(d) a plurality of anchors extending from said wall into said concrete structure and thereby anchoring said wall to said concrete structure.
37 . A wall structure as in claim 36 , said anchors extending from an upright element of said wall structure into said concrete structure.
38 . A wall structure as in claim 36 said wall structure having an inner surface and an outer surface, said wall structure comprising a plurality of uprightly-oriented studs spaced along the length of said wall, and extending inwardly, away from the inner surface, said anchors extending from ones of said studs into said concrete structure.
39 . A load-bearing foundation wall as in claim 36 , said footer comprising a concrete footer having first and second opposing sides and a first width therebetween, and a depth between a top and a bottom of said concrete footer, said concrete footer extending under said foundation wall, an adjacent concrete slab defining a unitary concrete structure with said main footer components, said concrete slab having a second width at least 2 times as wide as the first width, and a depth less than the depth of said footer.
40 . A wall structure as in claim 36 wherein said anchors extend from said wall structure into said concrete structure at angles of about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees from vertical.
41 . A wall structure as in claim 36 , said anchors extending laterally into said concrete structure.
42 . A fiber-reinforced polymeric load-bearing building panel assembly, said building panel assembly comprising:
(a) a building panel, having a top and a bottom, and a length, said building panel comprising
(i) an outer fiber-reinforced polymeric layer,
(ii) an inner fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, opposing said outer layer and spaced from said outer layer, and
(iii) a space between said inner layer and said outer layer, said space being occupied by thermally insulating foam; and
(b) a plurality of elongate studs spaced from each other along the length of said building panel, and mounted to said inner layer and extending away from said inner layer and away from said outer layer,
a given said stud having a stud top end adjacent the top of said building panel and extending to a stud bottom end adjacent the bottom of said building panel, said stud comprising an end panel remote from said inner layer, and at least one leg extending from said end panel to an inner panel of said stud proximate, and mounted to, said inner layer of said building panel, and
at least one flange extending from at least one of the top or the bottom of said stud.
43 . A building panel assembly as in claim 42 , said at least one flange being located at the bottom of said building panel and mounting said stud to a bottom plate of said building panel assembly.
44 . A foundation comprising a footer, and one or more building panel assemblies as in claim 42 extending into said footer, and upwardly therefrom, said at least one flange on a respective said stud extending from the bottom of the respective said stud and away from said stud into said footer.
45 . A building panel assembly as in claim 42 , said at least one flange being located at the top of said building panel and extending upwardly from said end panel, as a substantially straight-line extension of said end panel.
46 . An building panel assembly as in claim 42 , said at least one flange extending from the top of a respective said stud and being bendable at a sharp angle to at least about 90 degrees from the top-to-bottom direction of extension of the respective said stud.
47 . A building structure as in claim 46 , said at least one flange being secured to said overlying building structure, thereby securing said overlying building structure to said upright wall.
48 . A building structure as in claim 47 , at least one mechanical fastener extending through said at least one flange and into an element of said overlying building structure, thereby securing said overlying building structure to said upright wall.
49 . A building structure as in claim 47 , at least one mechanical fastener extending through said at least one flange and into overlying floor structure, and/or into overlying upright wall structure of said overlying building structure.