Volumic construction element of generally rectangular parallelepiped shape

Claim 2

A unitary construction element to build a multi-story structure comprising a rectangular slab made of unprestressed concrete with a relatively thin slab body having longitudinal and transverse edge ribs, a rectangular notch with two perpendicular vertical faces at each of the corners of the slab, a metallic facing on said two faces, and integral with said slab, whereby said metallic facings define rectangular cut-outs at each corner of said slab, said facings having heights substantially equal to the heights of the adjacent ribs of said slab, and a vertical tubular column having a rectangular cross section, planar faces and a height equal to that of a story of said structure at each corner of said slab, the bottom of said columns being housed in the respective notch and bound to the slab by welding two planar faces directly to the respective opposed metallic facing, the remaining faces of said columns extending in the planes of the perpendicular edges of the slab.

Claim 3

A construction element according to claim 1, wherein a transverse rib connects to the middle of the longitudinal edge ribs.

Claim 4

A construction element according to claim 1, wherein internal metallic plates are integral with the metallic facings and are embedded in the concrete of the slab body.

Claim 5

A construction element according to claim 3, wherein anchoring irons are integral with the metallic plates.

Claim 6

A construction element according to claim 1, wherein the metallic facings extend over a portion of the external faces of the ribs.

Claim 7

A construction element according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal ribs are provided halfway between their ends with a recess in their upper face and an adjoining recess in their vertical face.

Claim 8

A set of two construction elements according to claim 1, wherein the columns of two adjacent elements are adjacent each other, comprising means for binding said columns together.

Claim 9

A set of two elements according to claim 6, comprising two corner plates housed in the recesses of the longitudinal ribs and adjacent each other, said plates being welded to each other.

Claim 10

The construction element according to claim 1 wherein said tubular column is contained within a rectangular envelope defined by the planes of the said perpendicular edges of said slab.

Claim 11

A multi-story structure comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular parallepiped construction units and a framework adapted to rest on a foundation, each of said construction units comprising a rectangular slab of un-prestressed concrete with a relatively thin slab body having longitudinal and transverse edge ribs, a rectangular notch with two perpendicular vertical faces at each of the corners of the slab, a metallic facing on said two faces and integral with said slab, whereby said metallic facings define rectangular notches at each corner of said slab, and a vertical tubular column having a rectangular cross section, planar faces and a height equal to that of a story of said building at each corner of each slab, the bottom of each said columns being housed in the respective notch of the slabs and bound to the slabs by welding two planar faces directly to the respective opposed metallic facing, the remaining faces of the columns constituting extensions of and being in the planes of said perpendicular edges of the respective slab, said construction units being arranged to form a plurality of stories, with each story being comprised of a plurality of construction units with their slabs juxtaposed, the columns of the construction units of each story being vertically supported by the columns of the construction units of stories thereunder, a plurality of the columns of terminal units of said structure being reinforced, said framework comprising said reinforced columns of the terminal units of the stories, and diagonal cross bracing between said reinforced columns, whereby horizontal stresses on said building are transmitted from said slabs to said framework, and thence to a foundation supporting said building.

Claim 12

A multi-story structure comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular parallepiped construction units and a framework adapted to rest on a foundation, each of said construction units comprising a rectangular slab of un-prestressed concrete with a relatively thin slab body having longitudinal and transverse edge ribs, a rectangular notch with two perpendicular vertical faces at each of the corners of the slab, a metallic facing on said two faces and integral with said slab, whereby said metallic facings define rectangular notches at each corner of said slab, and a vertical tubular column having a rectangular cross section, planar faces and a height equal to that of a story of said building at each corner of each slab, the bottom of each said columns being housed in the respective notch of the slabs and bound to the slabs by welding two planar faces directly to the respective opposed metallic facing, the remaining faces of the columns constituting extensions of and being in the planes of said perpendicular edges of the respective slab, said construction units being arranged to form a plurality of stories, with each story being comprised of a plurality of construction units with their slabs juxtaposed, the columns of the construction units of each story being vertically supported by the columns of the construction units of stories thereunder, a plurality of the columns of terminal units of said structure being reinforced, said framework comprising said reinforced columns of the terminal units of the stories, and diagonal cross bracing between said reinforced columns, whereby horizontal stresses on said building are transmitted from said slabs to said framework, and thence to a foundation supporting said building.

Claim 13

The structure of claim 10 comprising internal metallic members integral with said metallic facings and embedded in the concrete of the respective slab body.

Claim 14

The structure of claim 10 wherein said metallic facings extend over a portion of the external faces of said ribs of each said slab.

Claim 15

The structure of claim 10 wherein the longitudinal ribs of each rectangular slab are provided between their ends with a recess in their upper face and an adjoining recess in their vertical face, an angle iron means in said recesses, with the angle iron means of adjacent rectangular slabs of each story being affixed together.

Claim 16

The structure of claim 10 wherein the tubular columns are contained within the rectangular envelopes defined by the planes of said perpendicular edges of the respective slabs.

Claim 17

The structure of claim 10, wherein said reinforced columns of said terminal units have greater strength than the columns of other units.

Claim 18

The structure of claim 10, wherein the external dimensions of said reinforced columns, in cross section, are greater than the cross-sectional dimensions of the columns of other said units.

Claim 19

The structure of claim 10, wherein the wall thicknesses of said reinforced columns are greater than the wall thicknesses of the columns of other said units.