REINFORCED STRUCTURAL INSULATION PANEL WITH CORNER BLOCKS
A structural insulation panel (SIP) is made of a central insulation material or block core covered with cementitious material. The layers of cementitious material are reinforced with fiber mesh sheets, rebar and corner blocks. The corner blocks are held in thickened cementitious material edges by reinforcement pins that are fixed to the corner blocks. The corner blocks are accessible for lifting the panel and for assembling multiple panels to build a wall.
1 . A structural insulated panel (SIP) comprising:
a core made with one or more blocks of insulation material, the core defined by two opposing faces connected by stepped edges;
a layer of cementitious material bonded to each face of the core;
a peripheral wall of cementitious material extending from one of said layers into a step of the stepped edges;
rebar embedded in the peripheral wall;
a corner block in a corner of the SIP, the corner block defining a hole that is accessible by a tool that lifts the SIP; and
two reinforcement pins connected to and projecting from different adjacent faces of the corner block into different straight sections of the peripheral wall, wherein each reinforcement pin has a head with a diameter that is larger than a diameter of a shank of the reinforcement pin, each head being distal from the corner block.
2 . The SIP of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement pins are hex bolts that are screwed into further, threaded holes in the corner block.
3 . The SIP of claim 1 , wherein the core is made of expanded polystyrene.
4 . The SIP of claim 1 , wherein the core is made of mineral fiber block.
5 . The SIP of claim 1 , wherein the layers of cementitious material are reinforced with fiber mesh sheets.
6 . The SIP of claim 1 , wherein the rebar is positioned in the step via rebar holders.
7 . The SIP of claim 1 , wherein the core has an upper level and a lower level wherein the upper level has a smaller surface area than a surface area of the lower level.
8 . The SIP of claim 7 , wherein the upper level of the core is a truncated rectangular prism, the truncated rectangular cross-section thereof having had its rectangular corners each truncated to form a corner face with two notches.
9 . The SIP of claim 8 , wherein the corner faces form a 45° angle with adjoining sides of the upper level of the core.
10 . The SIP of claim 8 , wherein a thickness of the cementitious material between the corner block and the nearest corner face of the upper level of the core is greater than a thickness of each layer of cementitious material bonded to the faces of the core.
11 . The SIP of claim 8 , wherein the heads extend at least part way into the notches.
12 . The SIP of claim 7 , wherein:
the upper level of the core has a channel extending from one of the stepped edges to an opposing stepped edge;
the layer of cementitious material bonded to the upper level of the core extends into the channel; and
rebar is embedded in the cementitious material that extends into the channel.
13 . The SIP of claim 1 , wherein:
each corner block has a hollow, cube shape open at opposing ends;
the hole is defined by a closed face of the corner block;
a further hole is defined by another closed face of the corner block adjacent to the closed face; and
one of the open ends of the corner block is accessible from outside the SIP.
14 . The SIP of claim 1 , wherein a hook is bolted to the corner block via the hole.
15 . The SIP of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement pins are welded to the corner block.
16 . A method of fabricating a structural insulated panel (SIP) comprising:
forming a core with one or more blocks of insulation material, the core defined by two opposing faces connected by stepped edges;
connecting two reinforcement pins to a corner block so that they project from different adjacent faces of the corner block, wherein each reinforcement pin has a head with a diameter that is larger than a diameter of a shank of the reinforcement pin, each head being distal from the corner block, wherein the corner block defines a hole that is accessible by a tool that lifts the SIP;
pouring a first layer of cementitious material into a form;
placing the core on the first layer of cementitious material;
positioning rebar in a step of the stepped edges;
positioning the corner block with the connected reinforcement pins at a corner of the SIP;
pouring cementitious material around the stepped edges, to form a peripheral wall of cementitious material extending from the first layer into a step of the stepped edges and to embed the rebar in different straight sections of the peripheral wall;
pouring a second layer of cementitious material over the core; and
allowing the cementitious material to cure and bond to the faces of the core.
17 . The method of claim 16 comprising:
threading further holes in the corner block, wherein connecting the reinforcement pins to the corner block comprises screwing the reinforcement pins into the further holes;
reinforcing the first and second layers of cementitious material with fiber mesh sheets.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein forming the core comprises:
forming the core with an upper level and a lower level, wherein:
the upper level has a smaller surface area than a surface area of the lower level;
the upper level of the core is a truncated rectangular prism, the truncated rectangular cross-section thereof having had its rectangular corners each truncated to form a corner face with two notches; and
the corner faces form a 45° angle with adjoining sides of the upper level of the core; and
positioning the heads to extend at least part way into the notches.
19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:
each corner block has a hollow, cube shape open at opposing ends;
the hole is defined by a closed face of the corner block;
a further hole is defined by another closed face of the corner block adjacent to the closed face; and
one of the open ends of the corner block is accessible from outside the SIP.