| abstract |
A building system for constructing lightweight, strong enclosures and partitions is disclosed. Preformed wall and roof panels having corresponding interlocking edges are provided, with the wall panels having corresponding tongues and grooves on adjacent vertical edges to hold them in aligned edge-to-edge relationship. Formed along the upper and lower edges of the wall panels are upwardly and downwardly facing channels which in cross section are generally V-shaped, or trapezoidal. A lintel beam corresponding to the shape of the upper channel is received in this channel and serves to align adjacent panels, while a similar base beam, or wedge, locates the panels on a floor or foundation and is received in the bottom channel. The top beam may, in one embodiment, be incorporated on, be formed integrally with, and depend from a roof or ceiling panel. When so formed, the lower surface of each ceiling panel is indented, or grooved, on each side of the depending lintel to receive the upper edges of the wall panels, whereby the roof and wall panels are interlocked. The top surface of the roof panels incorporates a peripheral trough adapted to receive a flat tie bar which extends across adjacent roof panels to hold them in assembled relationship. The roof panels are offset from the wall panels to provide strength at the joints between adjacent panels. The lintel and base beams are secured in the upper and lower panel channels by vertical tension rods or cables which extend downwardly through the panels and are suitably fastened at top and bottom to place the wall panels in compression. |