“A building block”

Technical Field:

This invention relates to a building block. More specifically, the invention relates to a building block of the type used in the construction of walls of domestic dwellings and like structures.

Backaround Art:

One common type of wall construction entails the use of concrete building blocks bonded together with mortar. The building blocks are laid in rows, typically with the next adjacent row above or below being offset from the adjacent row by one half of a block width. This form of construction provides for a very solid structure that has good strength, longevity and insulation characteristics. It is known to use other materials such as plastics in the construction of building blocks however these are still considered relatively niche in the industry.

Although the use of concrete building blocks has numerous advantages, there are some shortcomings with this arrangement. Most importantly, when the wall is constructed, electrical cable and mechanical ducting (for plumbing pipework) needs to be accommodated in the wall. In order to do this, it is necessary to determine the desired location of the electrical sockets, light switches, cable entry and exit points and the like, determine the location of mechanical piping if applicable, and thereafter to cut out channels in the wall structure to accommodate the electrical wiring/mechanical ducting.

However, cutting into concrete building blocks is a difficult, dangerous and timeconsuming job to do. In order to cut into the concrete blocks, specialist cutting equipment is required to cut a channel in the building block that is suitably dimensioned to receive an electrical cable or pipework. This produces a significant amount of noise, dust and dirt. Furthermore, this requires a skilled tradesman to ensure that the channels are cut to the correct width and depth so that the cut channels are fit for purpose and do not have too much of a detrimental impact on the structural integrity of the building block. The cutting equipment used is also notoriously dangerous to use and has been involved in numerous workplace accidents over the years, often resulting in serious injuries. In addition, this task is labour intensive and takes a significant amount of time. This delays the completion of the build as well as increasing the cost of the build.

Perhaps most worrying of all however is the dust that is produced when cutting channels into these blocks. When cutting a channel into a concrete block, it is common for the cutting action of the saw blade to produce Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) dust that is barely, if at all, perceptible to the human eye. RCS is a known carcinogen that is known to cause lung cancer. RCS is understood to be the second most common cause of deaths in construction, second only to asbestos. According to a 2020 report published by the United Kingdom Heath Security Agency (HSA), for every fatality as a result of a construction accident, it is believed that approximately 100 construction workers die from work-related cancer (i.e. cancer caused by substances encountered as a consequence of RCS exposure in their workplace).

Various solutions have been proposed that could conceivably address the aboveidentified problems. For example, it is known to provide a building block with an open channel that forms a conduit for electric wiring. UK Patent Application Publication No. GB2304129, in the name of Wintrell, describes such a building block where a channel is formed in the block at the time of manufacture. A recess in the building block may also be provided for a socket.

However, there are disadvantages to the known offerings and they do not address many of the requirements for a truly workable solution. For example, by having a channel formed in the block, this channel will have a detrimental impact on both the structural integrity of the block and the thermal performance of the block. These are highly undesirable shortcomings. Secondly, the location of sockets and fittings may change from the initial plans, if indeed the locations are even indicated in the initial plans, and therefore it is difficult to know where to place the building blocks with channels. Of course, the entire structure could be built with building blocks having these channels to provide the greatest flexibility for installation of services however this would have a detrimental impact on both the strength of the entire structure and its thermal performance. In addition, before plastering could commence, all of the channels that were not used for cabling would have to be back-filled with mortar and allowed to dry, leading to additional resources and expenditure being required. It is estimated that in excess of 95% of the channels would not be used for cabling, resulting in a large number of the channels that must be back-filled and significant expense.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a building block, a method of constructing a building block and a method of construction that overcome at least some of the above-identified problems. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a useful alternative choice for the consumer.

Summary of Invention

According to the invention there is provided a building block comprising a substantially cuboid body having a front face, a rear face, a top face, a bottom face, a left-hand side face and a right-hand side face, the building block having a pair of elongate cuts into the front face defining a sacrificial mesa therebetween in the front face.

By having such a building block, the building block will be able to accommodate electrical or mechanical services with ease. All the tradesman has to do is to chisel out the sacrificial mesa and a channel to receive the services will be available. There are a number of substantial benefits to this approach. First of all, it is no longer necessary for the builder to use a saw to cut out the channel and instead they can simply chisel out the sacrificial mesa. Therefore, they will not produce the RCS dust in the process of creating the channel and a safer, less hazardous working environment is provided. Furthermore, less skill is required to provide the channel for services. Secondly, the structural integrity and thermal properties of a building constructed with building blocks according to the invention will not be as adversely affected by only having elongate cuts and a sacrificial mesa in the majority of the blocks with a channel in some of the blocks, as opposed to a channel in all of the blocks used in the construction of the building. Therefore, it is possible to use the building block throughout the entire structure and only knock out those sacrificial mesas in the building blocks where the builder wishes to place the services. This provides maximum flexibility for the placement of services without significantly negatively impacting either the structural integrity or thermal performance of the structure built with these blocks. Thirdly, it will not be necessary to back-fill all of the building blocks prior to plastering, as would be the case if a structure were constructed using building blocks containing permanent channels. Indeed, it is envisaged that the elongate cuts will in fact act to key the plaster to the building blocks and this is a further advantage to having the elongate cuts in the building block.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which the elongate cuts are oriented vertically along the front face.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which the elongate cuts are oriented horizontally along the front face.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which the sacrificial mesa is located centrally along the front face.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which there are provided two pairs of elongate cuts, each defining a sacrificial mesa therebetween, evenly spaced apart across the front face.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which there is provided a third elongate cut, located adjacent to the corner joining the front face and the side face and defining a sacrificial mesa between the third elongate cut and the side face. This is seen as a particularly useful embodiment as the channel may be removed from the corner of the block to align with channels in the centre of the blocks in an adjacent row of building blocks.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which there is provided a fourth elongate cut, located adjacent to the corner joining the front face and the second side face and defining a sacrificial mesa between the fourth elongate cut and the second side face. Again, this is seen as particularly useful as the channel may be removed from the corner of the block to align with one or more channels in the centre of the blocks in an adjacent row of building blocks. The builder will be provided with great flexibility in the provision of channels for services and will not have to determine precisely in advance where they intend to place the services. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which the sacrificial mesa adjacent the corner of the front face and the side face is approximately half the width of the other sacrificial mesa remote from the corner in the front face. In this way, the alignment of the channels in adjacent rows can be provided without impacting too much on the structural and thermal properties of the building block when the sacrificial mesa adjacent the corner of the front face is removed from the block.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which there is provided a pair of elongate cuts into the rear face defining a sacrificial mesa therebetween.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which there are provided a plurality of sacrificial mesas in the rear face of the building block.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which there is provided an elongate cut and a sacrificial mesa at the corner joining the rear face and the side face.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which there is provided an elongate cut and a sacrificial mesa at the corner joining the rear face and the other side face.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which the sacrificial mesa remote from the corner is of the order of between 0.01 m (1cm) and 0.1 m (10cm) wide.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which the sacrificial mesa remote from the corner is of the order of between 0.02m (2cm) and 0.04m (4cm) wide.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which the sacrificial mesa remote from the corner is of the order of between 0.025m (2.5cm) and 0.035m (3.5cm) wide. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which the sacrificial mesa at the corner is of the order of between 0.005m (0.5cm) and 0.015

(1 ,5cm) wide.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which the sacrificial mesa at the corner is of the order of between 0.007m (0.7cm) and 0.01 m

(1cm) wide.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which there is provided a sacrificial material located in the elongate cut. By having a sacrificial material located in the elongate cut, this material may be used advantageously in the manufacturing process to form the elongate cut. Furthermore, the sacrificial material may improve one or both of the thermal and structural characteristics of the building block. The sacrificial material may be removed with the mesa as required.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a building block in which the sacrificial material is cardboard.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a building block of the type claimed comprising the steps of: providing a building block mould shaped with an internal configuration to form elongate cuts in one or more faces of the building block; filling the mould with concrete; allowing the concrete to at least partially harden in the mould; and removing the building block from the mould.

By having an internal configuration of the mould configured to form elongate cuts in one or more faces of the building block, it will not be necessary to cut out the elongate cuts after the concrete block has hardened, and it will not be necessary to produce RCS during the manufacturing process, leading to a safe working environment.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a building block in which the step of providing a building block mould shaped with an internal configuration to form elongate cuts in one or more faces of the building block comprises providing a building block having sacrificial inserts for forming the elongate cuts. In this way, the sacrificial inserts will form part of the building block and will be removed from the mould with the building block. This is seen as a simple way of creating the elongate cuts.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a building block in which the method comprises the step of inserting the sacrificial inserts for forming the elongate cuts into the mould prior to filling the mould with concrete.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a building block comprising the subsequent step of removing the sacrificial inserts from the building block.

Another advantage of the building block and the method of manufacturing the building block according to the present invention is that by having the blocks moulded with the cuts in situ, or by pre-cutting the blocks once they have hardened but prior to shipping to the customer, it will be possible to closely control the depth of the cuts and by extension, the depths of the resulting channels. It is understood that many jurisdictions limit by law the depth of the channels relative to the depth of the block. For example, in Ireland, the depths of the channels cannot exceed one-third of the depth of the block (i.e. for a 0.1 m (100mm) deep block, the channels must not exceed 0.033m (33mm) deep). This accuracy is very difficult to achieve with a saw on-site, particularly with any consistently. However, by moulding the blocks with the cuts in situ or providing the blocks pre-cut, it is possible to accurately control the depth of the cuts and by extension the depth of the resulting channels so that they adhere to the prevailing standards. Brief Description of the

The invention will now be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of building block according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the building block of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a wall constructed using the building blocks of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of building block according to the invention;

Figures 5(a) to 5(c) are top view, front view and rear view respectively of a third embodiment of building block according to the invention;

Figures 6(a) to 6(c) are top view, front view and rear view respectively of a fourth embodiment of building block according to the invention;

Figures 7(a) to 7(c) are top view, front view and rear view respectively of a fifth embodiment of building block according to the invention;

Figures 8(a) to 8(c) are top view, front view and rear view respectively of a sixth embodiment of building block according to the invention;

Figures 9(a) to 9(c) are top view, front view and rear view respectively of a seventh embodiment of building block according to the invention;

Figures 10(a) to 10(c) are top view, front view and rear view respectively of an eighth embodiment of building block according to the invention; Figures 11 (a) to 11 (c) are top view, front view and rear view respectively of a ninth embodiment of building block according to the invention;

Figures 12(a) to 12(c) are top view, front view and rear view respectively of a tenth embodiment of building block according to the invention;

Figures 13(a) to 13(c) are top view, front view and rear view respectively of an eleventh embodiment of building block according to the invention;

Figures 14(a) to 14(c) are top view, front view and rear view respectively of a twelfth embodiment of building block according to the invention; and

Figure 15 is a flow diagram of the method of manufacturing a building block according to the invention.

Detailed Description of the Drawings:

Referring to Figure 1 , there is shown a top plan view of a building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 100, comprising a substantially cuboid body having a front face 101 , a rear face 103, a top face 105, a bottom face (not shown), a left hand side face 107 and a right hand side face 109. The building block 100 has a plurality of longitudinal cuts 111 , 113, 115, 117 in the front face 101 of the block 800 and a plurality of free-standing mesas 119, 121 , 123 are left attached to the body of the building block.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a front view of the building block 100 of Figure 1. It can be seen that the elongate cuts 111 , 113, 115, 117 extend from the top face 105 to a bottom face 125 of the building block. The cuts 111 , 113, 115, 117 are preferably relatively narrow, no more than approximately the width of a saw blade. What is important is that the sacrificial mesa can be removed by a builder with a chisel or like instrument with relative ease.

In this way, all the builder constructing a channel for services in the wall has to do is to remove one of the sacrificial mesa 119, 121 , 123 to provide the hollow channel for cable or piping. This requires far less labour and skill than was previously the case and also provides an accurately located channel for the builder. In addition, if the builder does not require a channel in that location, they can simply leave the mesa in place, and it is believed that this will improve the thermal performance of the building block as well as the structural integrity of the building block. In addition, it will not be necessary to back-fill a channel that was not used, and the elongate cut will assist to key plaster to the building block.

The building blocks 101 could be cut with a saw to provide the longitudinal cuts 111 , 113, 115, 117 after the blocks have set but it is envisaged that the blocks will be moulded with these cuts in place or indeed a sacrificial material such as cardboard could be placed in the mould coincident with the location where it is desired to provide cuts in the building block to provide the “cuts”. What is important is that there are areas of weakness that can be used to create a channel. The configuration shown in Figures 1 and 2 is deemed particularly advantageous.

Tests were carried out on a pair of blocks (blocks having a construction as shown in Figures 12(a)-12(c)), one of which had elongate cuts and sacrificial mesas intact, and the other in which there was a channel instead of the sacrificial mesas. The tests were carried out on 16/02/2022, on a pair of samples with dimensional tolerances of +3mm, - 5mm. The blocks were less than 3 weeks old when tested. The tests were carried out in accordance with BS EN771-3 where applicable and were tested using compression machine Avery 7623, LIKAS calibration cert No. DM93750. The results of the tests are outlined in Table 1 below:

Table 1 It can be seen from the above that once the channels are removed, the strength of the block was reduced by 29.8%. Therefore, by only introducing channels where necessary, a more robust structure will be provided.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown a wall, indicated generally by the reference numeral 200, constructed using the building blocks 100 of Figure 1. The building blocks are arranged in three rows 201 , 203, 205, one above the other. A cable 207 is led down through a channel formed by the channels in the adjacent rows of blocks. The channels are formed by removing the sacrificial mesas. It can be seen that in the bottom row 201 and in the top row 205, the cable 207 runs through central channels 209 in those blocks. In the middle row 203, the cable 207 runs through a channel 211 formed by two smaller “edge” channels 213, 215 created by removing the sacrificial mesas 123, 121 from a pair of abutting building blocks 100. It can be seen that in this configuration, there are several channels formed in the wall suitable for placement of a cable or a pipe. In this way, the builder is provided with a good deal of choice for placement of the cable or pipe.

Referring to Figure 4, there is shown a second embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 300, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 300 is similar to the building block 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2 however it differs from that block in that there are only two free standing mesas 119 and 301 created by elongate cuts. The free-standing sacrificial mesa 301 is positioned in the rear face 305 adjacent to the right hand side face 109, and is defined by the elongate cut 303. Again, the builder can remove the mesas as required once the wall is in situ. It will be understood that blocks in adjacent rows will be rotated through 180° along one or both of a vertical axis and a horizontal axis in order to align the mesa 301 with a mesa 119 in the adjacent row.

Referring now to Figures 5(a) to 14(c) inclusive, there are shown a number of embodiments of building blocks according to the invention. In the embodiments shown, the basic premise of the building block having a plurality of sacrificial mesas defined by a plurality of elongate cuts is shown. However, the embodiments of Figures 5 to 14 inclusive have differing configurations of mesas and elongate cuts, providing alternative configurations for the builder to be able to position the services in the desired location without requiring the use of a saw to cut the blocks. Referring specifically to Figures 5(a) to 5(c), there is shown a third embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 400, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 400 comprises five sacrificial mesas 401 along the front face 403, and five sacrificial mesas 401 along the rear face 405.

Referring specifically to Figures 6(a) to 6(c), there is shown a fourth embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 500, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 500 comprises five sacrificial mesas 501 along the front face 503, and three sacrificial mesas 501 along the rear face 505.

Referring specifically to Figures 7(a) to 7(c), there is shown a fifth embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 600, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 600 comprises five sacrificial mesas 601 along the front face 603, and two sacrificial mesas 601 along the rear face 605. The centre of each of the two sacrificial mesas along the rear face are positioned approximately one quarter of the width of the building block away from the nearest side face.

Referring specifically to Figures 8(a) to 8(c), there is shown a sixth embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 700, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 700 is similar in many respects to the building block 300 shown in Figures 4(a) to 4(c) with the exception in that it differs by having six sacrificial mesas 701 on each of the front face 703 and the rear face 705. Effectively, there are two sacrificial mesas 701 side by side with respect to each other in the centre of each of the front face 703 and the rear face 705, separated by an central elongate cut 707, 709 respectively. The additional central cuts 707, 709 can be used to assist in splitting the block in half. Furthermore, the additional central cuts 707, 709 can be used by the contractor to remove a narrower mesa in this area.

Referring specifically to Figures 9(a) to 9(c), there is shown a seventh embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 800, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 800 is similar in many respects to the building block 700 shown in Figures 8(a) to 8(c) with the exception that although the front faces 803, 703 and configuration of mesas 801 , 701 and elongate cuts is the same as before, it differs by having only four sacrificial mesas 801 on the rear face 805, as opposed to the six sacrificial mesas of the previous embodiment.

Referring specifically to Figures 10(a) to 10(c), there is shown an eighth embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 900, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 900 is similar in many respects to the building block 800 shown in Figures 9(a) to 9(c) with the exception that although the front faces 903, 803 respectively, and configuration of mesas 901 , 801 and elongate cuts respectively is the same as before, the embodiment of Figures 10(a) to 10(c) differs by having only three sacrificial mesas 801 on the rear face 805, as opposed to the four sacrificial mesas of the previous embodiment of Figures 9(a) to 9(c). Instead of having two separate sacrificial mesas located substantially centrally in the rear face, in the embodiment of Figures 10(a) to 10(c), a single sacrificial mesa is provided substantially centrally on the rear face 905 of the building block 900.

Referring specifically to Figures 11 (a) to 11 (c), there is shown a ninth embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1000, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 1000 is similar in construction to the building block 600 shown in Figures 7(a) to 7(c) with the exception that there are two sacrificial mesas 1001 located side by side substantially centrally in the front face 1003 of the building block whereas the building block 600 of Figures 7(a) to 7(c) has a single, larger sacrificial mesa 601 located substantially centrally in the front face 603.

Referring specifically to Figures 12(a) to 12(c), there is shown a tenth embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1100, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 1100 differs from previous blocks in that it comprises four elongate cuts in the front face 1103 forming three sacrificial mesas 1101 , and four elongate cuts in the rear face 1105 forming two sacrificial mesas. The centers of the sacrificial mesas 1101 in the rear face 1105 are located approximately a quarter of the total width of the rear face from the nearest side face. Referring specifically to Figures 13(a) to 13(c), there is shown an eleventh embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1200, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 1200 is similar in many respects to the building block 1100 as shown in Figures 12(a) to 12(c) inclusive, however the building block 1200 differs from the previous block in that it has an additional elongate cut 1207 in the front face 1203, splitting the sacrificial mesa 1101 located substantially centrally in the front face 1103 of the embodiment shown in Figures 12(a) to 12(c), into a pair of sacrificial mesas 1201 . It will be noticed that the elongate cut 1207 between the pair of sacrificial mesas 1201 located substantially centrally on the front face 1203 of the building block 1200 is deeper than the other elongate cuts. This is understood to assist in allowing only one of the sacrificial mesas to be removed without affecting the other if desired. In addition, the cut 1207 is deeper than the adjacent cuts as in some instances, the block layer must split the block to begin a new row of blocks. As the block will typically split at the weakest point, the cut 1207 which is located centrally will promote the block splitting in the middle of the block.

Referring specifically to Figures 14(a) to 14(c), there is shown a twelfth embodiment of building block, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1300, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The building block 1300 is similar in many respects to the building block 1100 as shown in Figures 12(a) to 12(c) inclusive, however the building block 1200 differs from the previous block in that it has an additional elongate cut 1307 located substantially centrally in the rear face 1205. Again, the additional elongate cut 1307 located centrally in the rear face will allow the block to be split evenly in the middle.

It will be understood that other configurations will be readily envisaged. Indeed, other elongate cuts and sacrificial mesa configurations will be envisaged. For example, it may be desirable to have a block with only a horizontal mesa(s) on one or both of the front face and rear face. There may be multiple horizontal elongate cuts with a plurality of horizontal mesas. There may be a centrally located horizontal sacrificial mesa and there may be horizontal sacrificial mesas along the edge or edges formed by the top and or the bottom surfaces. Sacrificial mesas may be formed on the front and/or the rear. Different numbers of sacrificial mesas could be provided. For example, four, five, six or more sacrificial mesas could be provided on one face of the building block if desired to give more options and greater flexibility in the placement of the electrical cables/piping. Indeed, multiple vertical sacrificial mesas and multiple horizontal sacrificial mesas could be provided in a “hatched” configuration.

In some of the embodiments described, it is said that the width of the sacrificial mesa at the edge of the building block is approximately half the width of the centre sacrificial mesa. More specifically however, the width of the sacrificial mesa at the edge will typically be less than half the width of the centre sacrificial mesa. This is due to the fact that the mortar joint between adjacent blocks will also form part of the larger channel formed by two abutting edge channels formed by removing the edge sacrificial mesa. For example, it is envisaged that the mortar joint will typically be of the order of 10mm wide (0.01 m). For a block with a central sacrificial mesa of 30mm (0.03m) wide, the width of the channel created by the pair of edge sacrificial mesas being removed will be approximately the same, 30mm wide (0.03m), inclusive of the 10mm (0.01 m) wide mortar joint. Therefore, each edge sacrificial mesa will be 10mm (0.01 m) wide as the pair of opposing edge sacrificial mesas and the mortar joint will together combine to form a 30mm (0.03m) channel once the edge sacrificial mesas have been removed. Similarly, for a central sacrificial mesa of 25mm (0.025m) width and a mortar joint of 10mm (0.01 m) width, the edge sacrificial mesas may each be of the order of 8mm (0.008m) wide, resulting in a total channel width created by a pair of opposing edge channels (once the sacrificial mesas have been removed) and the mortar joint of 26mm (0.026m) wide. It is not essential that the central channel and the channel formed by the pair of opposing edge channels (once the sacrificial mesas have been removed) combined with the mortar joint are exactly the same and some variation is envisaged. In any event, it is common for the mortar joint to vary in thickness. What is preferred is that when assuming a standard mortar joint width, the channel formed by the mortar joint and the space where the two abutting edge sacrificial mesas were will be roughly similar in width to the central channel (once the sacrificial mesa have been removed).

Referring now to Figure 15, there is shown a flow diagram of the method of manufacturing a building block according to the invention, indicated generally by the numeral 1400. The method comprises the initial step 1401 of providing a building block mould shaped with an internal configuration to form elongate cuts in one or more faces of the building block. Thereafter, the mould is filled with concrete in step 1403. The concrete is then allowed to at least partially harden in the mould in step 1405 and in step 1407, the building block is removed from the mould. The mould may be constructed from a plastic, metal or other material and the internal configuration could be provided by way of inserts, such as, but not limited to, sacrificial cardboard inserts that are placed into the mould prior to or just after the concrete is added to the mould.

As an alternative to providing an appropriately shaped mould and/or sacrificial inserts to form the elongate cuts, the elongate cuts could be provided with a saw in a controlled environment during manufacture. The controlled environment would be required to ensure that the RCD created by the saw would be handled appropriately and not result in an unsafe working environment. However, it is envisaged that having an appropriately shaped mould and obviating the need for a saw is the preferred route.

Throughout this specification reference is made to the placement of electrical cables, conduits, mechanical services, piping and the like and these are deemed interchangeable. In other words, if reference is made to creating a channel for electrical cable, this is also understood to mean creating a channel for piping, mechanical services, and/or conduits.

In at least some of the embodiments shown, there is the possibility for the contractor to create channels in each side of the wall directly back-to-back however it will be understood that this (for example, having channels with electrical cabling directly back- to-back) may be prohibited by building regulations. Accordingly, with the blocks of the present invention, the contractor will have a significant amount of choice when choosing where to place the cables, but will do so in accordance with the building regulations in place in that jurisdiction.

In this specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” and the terms “include, includes, included and including” are all deemed interchangeable and should be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

The invention is not limited solely to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.