Folded cardboard concrete form system

Abstract

A form system for assembling a structural frame includes a base sheet of cardboard, the base sheet having a plurality of folding sections for corrugating the base sheet into a first shape, at least one additional sheet of cardboard, the additional sheet having a plurality of folding sections for corrugating the additional sheet into a second shape, wherein at least part of the second shape corresponds to at least part of the first shape such that when the additional sheet is positioned adjacent to the base sheet, the base sheet and the additional sheet form a V-shaped cavity therebetween, and a concrete fill cast within the at least one V-shaped cavity.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present Application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 490,812, filed on May 27, 2011, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to a form system for constructing a structural frame of a building, such as a wall, roof, or floor, and more specifically to a concrete form system using corrugated cardboard sheets that are arranged into a frame, the frame receiving concrete fill and facilitating the casting of concrete fill into a structure.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]With cost of constructing buildings and other structures rapidly increasing, builders and developers are constantly searching for new systems, materials and methods to help minimize construction costs and create improved concrete buildings. The major factors that determine construction costs include the cost of building materials used as well as labor ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a concrete form system having a flexible and efficient means of creating a frame for receiving concrete fill. A form system that can be quickly and easily erected in place ready for concrete fill becomes more apparent when a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, hurricane, tornado or flood, has destroyed previously constructed buildings. In this situation, there is often an immediate need for permanent forms of housing or shelter.

[0010]It is an additional object to provide a concrete form system that requires minimal construction materials for the erection of a structural element. By keeping the amount of construction materials to a minimum, the cost associated with erecting a building can be minimized. A form system that is able to reduce overall construction costs is important when trying to provide affordable housing or low-cost concrete buildings.

[0011]It is another object of the present invention to provide a concrete form system that is lightweight and easily transported to a remote construction site.

[0017]The folded cardboard concrete form system according to the present invention improves the ease and efficiency of constructing a structural frame and avoids the disadvantages / inconveniences associated with prior art form systems. It reduces the number of building materials needed to create a concrete structure. Furthermore, by using lightweight cardboard, the form system according to the present invention can be easily transported to a remote construction site and facilitate quick construction of a concrete structure.

[0018]The concrete form system according to the present invention, which goes by the name “Go-“V” Building Systems,” is a flexible building system which uses reinforced sheets of cardboard corrugated to fashion V-shaped cavities for casting concrete therein. When assembled, this form system creates a strong structural element with V-shaped “ribs”—which increases strength and load bearing capacity—that can be used in many types of buildings. Furthermore, apart from the concrete fill, cardboard sheets make up the main component of the form system. As a result, the form system comprising lightweight, compact sheets of cardboard can be efficiently transported and erected to create houses or other buildings.

Problems solved by technology

The major factors that determine construction costs include the cost of building materials used as well as labor costs.

Conventional concrete construction techniques typically use expensive materials such as special plywood forms, erection cranes, heavy steel rebars and high strength transit mixed concrete.

The necessary labor for this type of construction process requires a diverse skilled labor force, including carpenters, ironworkers, crane operators, laborers, and cement finishers, which causes labor costs to increase.

However, this mold requires a substantial amount of assembly prior to casting concrete therein, including aligning and connecting the cast iron sections using the bolts, flanges, and nuts.

Further, this mold requires various building components, some of which may be expensive (i.e. cast iron sections), as well as a specially-designed cement mix to accommodate the single molding operation.

Although the Csont apparatus allows for fabrication of structural elements (i.e. concrete wall panels) at the construction site as opposed to shipping the structural elements from a remote location, it still requires various building materials and substantial preparation in creating the mold before application of the concrete fill.

However, Gamel provides a system for creating only a column and fails to provide a mold or form system for constructing other structural elements, such as walls, floors, and roofs.

However, the frame of each panel is made of steel, which is an expensive material.

Moreover, the system still requires substantial amount of labor in creating the form system.

While the prior art molds and form systems may provide benefits over conventional concrete construction systems, they still suffer from several disadvantages.

One of such disadvantages is that the prior art form systems often require use of wood, steel, or other metallic material, which are expensive building materials.

Such materials also may not be easily transported to a remote construction site.

Further, the prior art concrete form systems often require the assembly of multiple components to create the frame within which the concrete will be cast.

As such, these systems do not provide for a quick and easy construction of a concrete form system.

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