Field of the disclosure

The present disclosure relates to footing channel configured to minimise or even prevent moisture ingress into buildings and building parts.

Background of the disclosure

Traditionally, buildings are constructed so that approximately 150 mm of the footing is above terrain to minimise or even prevent the ingress of moisture through the outer walls by keeping the upper part of the footing dry and to avoid surface water is flowing into the buildings during rainfall.

However, in order to ensure handicap-friendly buildings into which handicapped may enter unhindered, a ramp is often used, as entrance doors with a threshold in same level as the surrounding terrain will increase the risk of moisture ingress to the building, as the transition from the footing to the outer wall is not moisture proof, and as the outer wall may further comprise a moisture absorbent material. Furthermore, entrance doors with a threshold in same level as the surrounding terrain will increase the risk surface water flowing through the doors and into the buildings.

A moat can be arranged around the building. Surface water may flow to the moat where it can soak into the ground via a perimeter drain. The moat may be covered by a bridge like construction at the doors.

Prior art document WO 2014/029866 discloses a structural element in a building comprising a building section, a base element, a console, and a cover. The base element is two-sided and arranged with a first edge in a longitudinal direction along the building section such that a first side forms a sidewall and a second side forms a bottom of a channel. The console is attachable to the sidewall and the bottom. Furthermore, the console has suspension means for supporting the cover.

EP 3 031 997 discloses footing channel for use for ventilating and inspecting a foundation wall, and for use for level access to buildings. The footing channel at least includes a profile and a grating, where the profile is substantially L-shaped, including a first part constituting the width of the profile which is substantially perpendicular to the second part constituting the length of the profile. The profile having a first end and a second end, a first edge and a second edge delimiting the height of the profile, where the profile, when used in a footing channel, stands on the second edge, thus resting on a bearing face delimited by the material thickness and the width and the length. The profile further has an internal corner and an external corner, and where the grating includes a first side and a second side, the second side of the grating including means for bearing against at least parts of the L-shaped first edge of the profile, thus resting on a face that is delimited by the material thickness and the width and the length, whereby is achieved a footing channel that may be used on a firm base or on a loose base.

US 7,380,374 discloses a device for preventing water seepage over a foundation wall of a building. The device has first and second L-shaped members disposed facing each other with the base of one resting on the base of the other with a conduit resting on the upper base for the receipt and direction of water away from the foundation wall.

Description of the disclosure

It is an object of embodiments of the disclosure to provide an improved footing channel for minimising the risk of moisture ingress to a building.

It is a further object of embodiments of the disclosure to provide an improved footing channel for buildings having their entrance doorway threshold at the same level as the surrounding terrain.

It is an even further object of embodiments of the disclosure to provide an improved footing channel for drainage of liquid around a building.

According to a first aspect, the disclosure provides a footing channel configured to be arranged along a building section, the footing channel comprising a channel element, a console, and a cover, the channel element comprising a bottom extending in a longitudinal direction, and a first and a second sidewall extending substantially parallel in the longitudinal direction from opposite edges of the bottom and terminating in a first and a second free end, respectively, to form a substantially U-shaped channel element, the console being attachable to the channel element and having suspension means for supporting the cover, the bottom having an open structure allowing drainage of a liquid through the bottom, wherein the first sidewall has a first height being a distance from the bottom to the first free end, and the second sidewall has a second height being a distance from the bottom to the second free end, and wherein the second height is larger than the first height. The building section may be a footing or an outer wall of the building, whereby the footing channel may be used for draining of liquid, such as surface water. The channel element being formed by the bottom and the first and second side walls forms a substantially U-shaped channel element into which liquid may flow and may be lead away from the building. The liquid may flow along the longitudinal direction of the channel and away from the building, when arranging the footing channel in the longitudinal direction along the building. Thus, by the term 'a footing channel configured to be arranged along a building section' should be understood, that footing channel is advantageously to be positioned with the longitudinal direction along an outer surface of the building section. In one embodiment, the footing channel may comprise at least one surface area to be arranged in contact with the building section. As an example, the at least one surface area my form part of an outwardly projecting extension arrangeable against the building section, where the at least one surface area face towards the building section and away from the channel element.

The channel element comprises a bottom extending in a longitudinal direction, and a first and a second sidewall extending substantially parallel in the longitudinal direction from opposite edges of the bottom and terminating in a first and a second free end, respectively, to form a substantially U-shaped channel element. Thus, when arranged along a building section liquid may flow in the channel element along the building section.

The bottom may be arranged on the ground, whereby the first and second sidewall may extend substantially vertically upwards from the bottom. It should however be understood that an angle between the bottom and the first and second sidewalls, respectively may be different from 90 degrees thereby providing a bottom having two substantially upwardly extending sidewalls being angled relative to each other. Thus, the angle between the bottom and the first sidewall may be in the range of 80-100 degrees, and the angle between the bottom and the second sidewall may likewise be in the range of 80-100 degrees, while still being within the term 'extending substantially parallel in the longitudinal direction'.

The bottom and the second sidewall may in a cross-section transverse to the longitudinal direction be of substantially the same size. However, in one embodiment the second sidewall may be larger than the bottom, and in an alternative embodiment the bottom may be larger than the second sidewall. As an example, the bottom and the second sidewall may both be in the range of 15-30 centimetres. The size may depend on the size of the building section along which the footing channel is to be arranged. It should be understood, that the mentioned sizes are given by example only. Another size of at least one of the bottom and the second size may also be applicable. The second height is larger than the first height to provide a channel for transportation of liquid while at the same time limiting the height of the first sidewall being closest to the building section along which the footing channel is to be arranged. In one embodiment, the second height may be at least 50% larger than the first height. By arranging the footing channel with the lower first sidewall in the longitudinal direction along the building section, ventilation of the building section may be facilitated, whereby at least the upper part of the building section may be dried.

Furthermore, as the lower first sidewall faces the building section, levelled access to the building may be provided, whilst creating a protected building section. Further, this layout creates a protected building section that allows inspection and maintenance of the building section after installation of the footing channel, and additionally, it allows for inspection of waterproofing seals which may be arranged around window and door elements in the building section.

The console which is attachable to the channel element has suspension means for supporting the cover. It should however be understood, that the console and the cover may be formed in one piece. As the base element may be arranged in a trench along the footing, the cover may be only visible part of the finished footing channel.

Additionally, the console may be used to carry the channel element when arranging the channel element along the building section, e.g., a footing, as the console may be attached to the channel element before arranging the channel element along the building section.

In order to arrange a footing channel along an entire building section, such as a footing of a building, a number of channel elements, consoles, and covers may be used. The channel elements and the covers may be of the same length. This may, however, not always be the case. By providing the channel element by a sheet material or extruded or moulded with a relatively small thickness, the length of the channel element(s) may be shortened at the construction site, e.g., by cutting a part of the channel element away.

To facilitate drainage of e.g., surface water, the cover may comprise openings to allow liquid to enter the footing channel. The cover may be substantially plane. The cover may be formed as a grid and may be made from e.g., hot-galvanised steel, cast iron, stainless steel, weathering steel, or plastic. Alternatively, the cover may be a flattened sheet material with perforations, an extruded aluminium element with perforations, a tray with e.g., granite gravel, pea gravel, artificial grass, wood chips, or similar. The type of cover may be different, e.g., at different sides of the building, and may be selected to fit the overall design of the building. The bottom has an open structure allowing drainage of a liquid through the bottom. This may be achieved by perforations in the bottom. The perforations may be uniformly distributed and be by of substantially the same size. However, differently sized through holes may also be provided. Furthermore, the bottom may be provided with a non-uniformly distribution of perforations/through holes, as it may be an advantage to provide more opening at areas which e.g., is foreseen to receive more surface water.

Since the channel element may comprise a plurality of channel parts arranged in a row, the open structure in the bottom may be provided by one or more openings in one or more of the channel parts. Thus, some channel parts may comprise a single opening, whereas other channel parts may comprise a plurality of openings, and/or other channel parts may be provided without openings.

The opening(s) in the channel element may be positioned at multiple positions along the channel element. The channel elements may be manufactured with or without the openings, e.g., by making alterations to the mould. Consequently, the opening(s) may be provided during installation of the channel element and/or extra openings may be provided during installation.

In one embodiment, a plurality of opening may be provided at multiple positions to allow drainage at multiple positions along the footing channel, e.g., uniformly along the entire length of the footing channel. Water may flow through the openings into the ground, e.g., into a layer of gravel from where it may flow to a drain.

In an alternative embodiment, a single opening may be provided in a single channel element to allow drainage through the bottom. Such a single opening may be in fluid communication with a drain, e.g., by attaching a pipe to the opening. It should be understood, that a plurality of openings may be connected to a drain.

Openings allowing water flowing into the ground may have a size in the range of 0.5-12 cm ² , whereas openings in fluid communication with a drain may be larger, as these openings may have a size in the range of 5-25 cm ² or may be even larger.

The channel element may be an oblong element whereby it may be achieved that the work associated with the construction of the footing channel may be reduced, as a single channel element may extend along a substantial part of the footing. However, to minimise the workload associated with carrying and arranging the channel elements in the correct position, the channel element(s) may advantageously be of a manageable size, such as 1-3 metres. Or in other words, the channel element may comprise a plurality of channel parts arranged in a row. When providing the channel element by a plurality of channel parts, a channel part may be attached to a neighbouring channel part. Alternatively, a channel part may be arranged next to a neighbouring channel part without being attached hereto; i.e., two channel parts may form part of the channel element by arranging an end of one channel part to abut an end of the other channel part without attaching the channel parts to each other. The channel parts may be arranged without a distance between them to avoid ingress of moist via the joint and/or to avoid draining via the joint. The abutting joint may be particularly relevant when at least one of the channel parts has been cut into a desired length.

When providing the channel element by a plurality of channel parts being attached to each other by attaching neighbouring channel parts, the channel parts may be provided with attachment elements, which elements may form part of the channel parts and/or may be provided as separated attachment elements. In one embodiment, the shape of a first end part of the channel part in the longitudinal direction may match the shape a second end part of another channel part in the longitudinal direction to thereby form attachment by mechanical locking. In an alternative embodiment, two neighbouring channel parts may be attached to each other by use of a separate connection element. Thus, the shape of a first end part of a channel part in the longitudinal direction may match the shape of a part of the connection element. Likewise, may a second end part of a channel part in the longitudinal direction match a shape of a part of the connection element to thereby form attachment by mechanical locking. The shape of the first end part and the shape of the second end part may be identical in the embodiment in which two neighbouring channel parts are attached to each other by use of a separate connection element.

It should be understood, that some neighbouring channel parts may be arranged without being attached to each other, whereas other neighbouring channel parts are attached to each other, e.g., by the use of a connection element.

The channel element may be substantially linear to fit the layout of a traditional building section, such as a footing. However, to fit e.g., arch-shaped buildings, the channel element may also be arch-shaped. To fit buildings of other shapes, the channel element may also be formed with other shapes. The cover may be of substantially the same shape as the channel element to facilitate closing of the channel element, when arranged on the console.

As the footing channel may be arranged around a corner of a building, the channel element may comprise a first and a second section being angled relative to each other. The first and second sections may be angled at an arbitrary angle, where an angle of approximately 90 degrees may suffice at most buildings. The bottom, the first sidewall, and the second sidewall may be formed in one piece. The channel element may be formed by folding a sheet material, e.g., made from metal, such as made from steel, aluminium, or zinc, or alloys hereof. As an alternative, the base element may be moulded or extruded where the material may be plastic or metal. A channel element made from steel may be coated to increase the resistance to corrosion. Dependent on the required lifetime of the footing channel, the channel element could also be painted or left corroded.

To increase the strength of the channel element, at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall may on an outer surface facing away from the channel element comprises a plurality of stiffening elements arranged at the first and/or second sidewall. The stiffening elements may be formed internally with the sidewall e.g., during moulding or extrusion. In one embodiment, the stiffening elements may extend substantially from the bottom towards the free end. In an alternative embodiment, the stiffening elements may extend transverse to the height. As an example, the stiffening elements may form a pattern, such as a linear pattern, a pattern comprising a plurality of triangles, a rhombic pattern, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of stiffening elements may be arranged on the second sidewall being configured to be arranged further away from the building section along which the footing channel is to be arranged.

The stiffening element may prevent the footing channel from deforming during installation, e.g., when sand/gravel is compacted along the footing channel.

As specified above, the cover may comprise openings to allow liquid to pass through. In one embodiment, the cover may comprise at least a first cover section and a second cover section, the first and second cover sections being inclined relative to each other, whereby the angle between the two cover sections is different from 0 degrees and 180 degrees. The angle may be in the range of 110 to 175 degrees, such as 130 to 170 degrees. The upper edges of the cover may thus be arranged so that one extends along the first sidewall and so that the other one extends along the second sidewall.

The first and second cover sections may extend along the length of the channel element, such that both the first and second cover sections may extend along the building section.

In one embodiment, openings in the cover allowing liquid to enter the footing channel may be formed only in the second cover section, whereas the first cover section may be without openings. By providing a first cover section without openings and arranging it along the building section, liquid flowing along the building section may be minimised or even avoided, as liquid may instead flow down along the inclined first cover section toward the second cover section. Furthermore, splashing of liquid from the cover towards the building section may be minimised or even avoided.

In an even further alternative embodiment, the cover is curve-shaped with upper edges along the first sidewall and along the second sidewall, respectively.

The console may be releaseably fixed to the channel element by concurrent fixing structures. The concurrent fixing structures may provide geometrical locking of the console to the channel element.

The concurrent fixing structures may comprise a first structure forming part of the bottom and extending in the longitudinal direction to enable fixing of the console at different positions along the length of the channel element, and a second structure forming part of the console.

The second structure may comprise a track for receiving the first structure. As an example, the track may be an indentation formed in a lower surface of the console.

The first structure may form an elongated positioning member protruding from the bottom in the longitudinal direction. In one embodiment, the first structure may extend continuously along the full length of the channel element. In an alternative embodiment, the elongated positioning member may comprise a plurality of positioning elements arranged in a row. Two neighbouring positioning elements may be positioned with a distance between them.

The cross-sectional shape of the elongated positioning member and the track may match each other in a cross-section transverse to the longitudinal direction to thereby form concurrent fixing structures.

The console may comprise at least one outwardly projecting extension arrangeable against a building section. The projection may extend from the console substantially horizontally away from the channel element at a height above the first sidewall. The outwardly projecting extension may facilitate positioning of the footing channel at a distance from the building section. This may improve the use of the footing channel e.g., along an uneven footing. Furthermore, drying of the footing may be improved, as liquid may also be drained along the channel element.

The console may comprise a first attachment structure enabling attachment of the cover to the console. The first attachment structure may as an example by a threaded hole adapted to receive a screw through the cover. Other attachment structures may also be used. The console may comprise a second attachment structure enabling attachment of an end element. The end element may e.g., be attached to a console to close the footing channel at one end of the channel. In one embodiment, the second attachment structure comprises through holes in the end element through which corresponding protrusions may extend.

To facilitate the use of the footing channel along a door opening, the console may further comprise a panel and at least one groove adapted to receive an edge portion of the panel.

The panel may be arranged to minimise the risk of moisture ingress to the building parts, as the transition from the footing to the other building part is not necessarily moisture proof.

The groove may face upwards when the console is positioned at the channel element so that the edge portion can be arranged in the groove from above the console, thereby facilitating mounting of the panel. To further facilitate mounting of the panel and to facilitate positioning hereof, the groove may be elongated and may extend substantially along the width of console so that the panel may be positioned substantially along the footing channel.

A panel may be received in grooves of a plurality of consoles so as be supported at more than one position.

The cover may fix the panel in the groove when the cover is supported by the suspension means. This may be achieved by arranging the cover so that it covers a part of the panel when the panel is arranged in the groove. Thus, in one embodiment the panel may have to be arranged in the groove(s) before positioning the cover at the console(s). In this embodiment, removal of the panel from the groove(s) may be prevented by the cover, when the cover is supported by the suspension means.

To facilitate fixing of the panel, the groove may exert a pressure on the edge portion. This may e.g., be achieve by providing the groove with an opening of a size being smaller than the edge portion, so that the two sides of the groove will have to be pressed away from each other when arranging the edge portion in the groove, i.e., the groove may be deformed by the edge portion. This deformation may result in a pressure on the edge portion and may thus facilitate fixing of the panel.

In one embodiment, the panel may form a first horizontal face and a second horizontal face, where the horizontal faces are on opposite sides of a vertical face. The first horizontal face may form an extension of the cover, and the second horizontal face may be located horizontally below a part of the cover. The first and second horizontal faces may be located at different heights such that the first horizontal face are substantially at the same level as the upper surface of the cover, thus enabling a stepless entrance to the building e.g., to allow entry by a wheelchair. As the second horizontal face may be located below a part of the cover, the cover enables fixing of the panel. The second horizontal face may form part of the edge portion of the panel.

The second horizontal face may be formed as an extension to the vertical face along the full length of the panel, so that the second horizontal face extends continuously along the edge portion of the panel. This may e.g., be achieved by forming the panel in one piece of a piece of sheet material which may be folded thereby forming the panel.

In an alternative embodiment, the second horizontal face may extend discontinuously along the edge portion of the panel, e.g., by providing the second horizontal face by a plurality of fixing elements protruding from the vertical face. Thus, the plurality of fixing elements may be located below a part of the cover, when the cover is supported by the suspension means, thereby enabling fixing of the panel by the cover.

The panel may be made from a cutable anti-corrosive material, such as aluminium or plastic. Other materials may however also be used. By anti-corrosive should be understood, that the material itself may be anti-corrosive, or that the panel is coated or painted or in other ways treated to avoid corrosion of the panel.

When providing the panel of a cutable material, sizing of the panel at the construction site is facilitated, as the panel may be cut to fit the size of a door opening or entrance during mounting of the footing channel.

In one embodiment, the panel may be made of a material which itself is not anti-corrosive. Subsequently, the material may have been coated with a component which ensures coating of an end part of the panel if the panel must be cut to fit it to the size of the entrance, as the coating may extend over the cutting line during cutting of the panel.

According to a second aspect, the disclosure provides a method for drainage along a building section, the method comprising the following steps:

- providing a channel element comprising a bottom extending in a longitudinal direction, and a first and a second sidewall extending substantially parallel in the longitudinal direction from opposite edges of the bottom and terminating in a first and a second free end, respectively, to form a substantially U-shaped channel element, the first sidewall having a first height being a distance from the bottom to the first free end, the second sidewall having a second height being a distance from the bottom to the second free end, wherein the second height is larger than the first height; - providing a console; and

- providing a cover;

- arranging the channel element with the first sidewall in a longitudinal direction along the building section;

- attaching the console to the channel element; and

- arranging the cover at the console at suspension means.

It should be understood, that a skilled person would readily recognise that any feature described in combination with the first aspect of the disclosure could also be combined with the second aspect of the disclosure, and vice versa.

The footing channel according to the first aspect of the disclosure is very suitable for performing the method steps according to the second aspect of the disclosure. The remarks set forth above in relation to the footing channel are therefore equally applicable in relation to the method.

According to a third aspect, the disclosure provides a building comprising a building section and a footing channel, where the footing channel is arranged along the building section in a longitudinal direction, the footing channel comprises a channel element, a console, and a cover, the channel element comprising a bottom extending in the longitudinal direction, and a first and a second sidewall extending substantially parallel in the longitudinal direction from opposite edges of the bottom and terminating in a first and a second free end, respectively, to form a substantially U-shaped channel element, the console being attachable to the channel element and having suspension means for supporting the cover, the bottom having an open structure allowing drainage of a liquid through the bottom, wherein the first sidewall has a first height being a distance from the bottom to the first free end, and the second sidewall has a second height being a distance from the bottom to the second free end, and wherein the second height is larger than the first height.

It should be understood, that a skilled person would readily recognise that any feature described in combination with the first and second aspects of the disclosure could also be combined with the third aspect of the disclosure, and vice versa. The footing channel according to the first aspect of the disclosure is very suitable for the building according to the third aspect of the disclosure. The remarks set forth above in relation to the footing channel are therefore equally applicable in relation to the building.

Brief description of the drawings Embodiments of the disclosure will now be further described with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a cross-section through an embodiment of a footing channel,

Fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a footing channel from above and from below,

Fig. 3 illustrates a side-view of an embodiment of a footing channel, Fig. 4A illustrates an embodiment of a footing channel,

Fig. 4B illustrates an embodiment of a footing channel,

Fig. 5 illustrates the footing channel of Fig. 4A in a different view,

Fig. 6 illustrates the footing channel of Figs. 4A and 5 in a different view,

Fig. 7 illustrates the footing channel of Figs. 4A, 5, and 6 in a different view, Figs. 8A-8C illustrate different views of an embodiment of a footing channel,

Figs. 9A-9C illustrate different views of an embodiment of a footing channel,

Fig. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a footing channel, and

Figs. 11A-11C illustrate different embodiments of a cover for a footing channel.

Detailed description of the drawings It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Fig. 1 illustrates a cross-section through an embodiment of a footing channel 1. The footing channel 1 is configured to be arranged along a building section 100 (illustrated by the hatched element).

The footing channel 1 comprises a channel element 2, a console 3, and a cover 4 (see Figs. 4B, 8A, 8B, 8C). The channel element 2 comprises a bottom 5 extending in a longitudinal direction, a first sidewall 6, and a second sidewall 7 which extend substantially parallel in the longitudinal direction from opposite edges of the bottom 5 and terminating in a first free end 6A and a second free end 7A, respectively, to form a substantially U-shaped channel element, where the left leg (first sidewall) and the right leg (second sidewall) are of different length.

In the upper part of Fig. 1, the console 3 is illustrated free of the channel element 2 which is separately illustrated to the right in Fig. 2. In the middle part of Fig. 1, an assembled footing channel 1 (without cover) is illustrated.

The console 3 is attachable to the channel element 2 and has suspension means 9 for supporting the cover. The bottom 5 has an open structure allowing drainage of a liquid through the bottom 5. The open structure (not shown) may be perforations, e.g. uniformly distributed and e.g. of substantially the same size. However, differently sized through holes may also be provided.

The first sidewall 6 has a first height being a distance from the bottom 5 to the first free end 6A, and the second sidewall 7 has a second height being a distance from the bottom 5 to the second free end 7A, where the second height is larger than the first height.

A plurality of consoles 3 may be used to support the cover 4. Furthermore, to arrange a footing channel 1 along an entire footing of a building 100 a number of channel elements 2, consoles 3, and covers 4 may be used.

Fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a footing channel 1 from above (left part of Fig. 2) and from below (right part of Fig. 2). In the left part, the cover 4 has been omitted to clearly illustrate that the consoles 3 are evenly distributed along the length of the footing channel 1. The right part of Fig. 2 illustrates that the footing channel comprises two channel elements 2 arranged in a row. The console 3 is releaseably fixed to the channel element 2 by concurrent fixing structures

11, 12. The cross-sectional shape of the concurrent fixing structures 11, 12 match each other in a cross-section transverse to the longitudinal direction to thereby form concurrent fixing structures which provide geometrical locking of the console 3 to the channel element 2.

The concurrent fixing structures 11, 12 comprise a first structure 11 and a second structure

12. The first structure 11 forms part of the bottom 5 and extends in the longitudinal direction to enable fixing of the console 3 at different positions along the length of the channel element 2. The second structure 12 forms part of the console 3.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second structure 12 comprises a track (see e.g., Fig. 5) for receiving the first structure. The track 12 is formed as an indentation in a lower surface of the console 3.

The first structure 11 is in the illustrated embodiment in the form of an elongated positioning member protruding upwardly from the bottom 5 in the longitudinal direction (see also Fig. 6). The elongated positioning member 11 comprises a plurality of positioning elements arranged in a row.

Fig. 3 illustrates a side-view of an embodiment of a footing channel 1. The consoles 3 are arranged in the channel element 2 between the first sidewall 6 and the second sidewall 7 being higher that the first sidewall.

Fig. 4A illustrates an embodiment of a footing channel 1 without the cover 4. To increase the strength of the channel element 2, the second sidewall 7 on an outer surface facing away from the channel element 2 comprises a plurality of stiffening elements 17 forming a rhombic pattern at second sidewall 7. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the stiffening elements may be elongated stiffening element extending from the bottom 5 towards the second free end 7A. In the bottom 5, a plurality of openings 25 are arranged to provide an open structure of the footing channel 1.

The console 3 comprises two outwardly projecting extensions 15 arrangeable against a building section 100. The projections 15 extend from the console 3 substantially horizontally away from the channel element 2 at different heights above the first sidewall 5. The outwardly projecting extensions 15 facilitate positioning of the footing channel 2 at a distance from the building section 100.

To increase the strength of the channel element 2, the second sidewall 7 on an outer surface facing away from the channel element 2 comprises a plurality of stiffening elements 17 arranged at the second sidewall 7, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the stiffening elements 17 are provided as a rhombic pattern.

Fig. 4B illustrates an exploded view of an embodiment of a footing channel 1. In the illustrated embodiments, cover elements 19 are provided along the second sidewall 7 to avoid spaces 21 (see Fig. 4A) between adjacent stiffening elements 17 are filled with gravel and the like, when arranging the channel element 2 along a building.

End plates 23 are provided at both ends of the footing channel 1 to provide a closed space within the footing channel. A plurality of channel parts may be arranged adjacent to each other in a row to provide the channel element 2. An end plate may be provided at a first end of the first channel part in the row and another end plate may be provided at a second end of the last channel part in the row to thereby provide a closed space within the footing channel.

In the bottom 5, a plurality of openings 25 are arranged to provide an open structure of the footing channel 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the opening 24 are slits arranged in a circular form to allow drainage of water through the slits.

Fig. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the footing channel 1. Fig. 5 illustrates the concurrent fixing structures 11, 12, where the first structure 11 is in the form of an elongated positioning member protruding upwardly from the bottom 5 in the longitudinal direction, and where the second structure 12 comprises a track for receiving the first structure 11. The track 12 is formed as an indentation in a lower surface of the console 3.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the footing channel 1 of Figs. 4A and 5 in different views. Fig. 6 illustrates the first structure 11 in the form of an elongated positioning member protruding upwardly from the bottom 5 in the longitudinal direction in more detail, whereas Fig. 7 illustrates the use of the outwardly projecting extensions 15 of the console 3 arranged against a building section 100.

Figs. 8A-8C illustrate different views of parts of an embodiment of a footing channel 1, a perspective view (Fig. 8A), a sideview (Fig. 8B), and an end view (Fig. 8C). The footing channel 1 is similar to the footing channel illustrated in Fig. 4B with the exception that the open structure of the footing channel is provided by a single opening 25 in the bottom 5 of the footing channel 1. A pipe section 27 is arranged at the opening 25 to facilitate connection to a drain (nor shown).

Figs. 9A-9C illustrate different views of parts of an embodiment of a footing channel 1, a perspective view (Fig. 9A), a sideview (Fig. 9B), and an end view (Fig. 9C). The footing channel 1 is similar to the footing channels illustrated in Fig. 4B and Fig. 8A-8C. In the illustrated embodiments, openings are not provided in the bottom 5 of the illustrated part of the footing channel 1.

The channel element 2 comprises two channel parts 2' which are attached to each other by use of a connection element 31 being arranged at the same position as the console (not shown in this figure) in the longitudinal direction of the footing channel. A slit 32 is provided in the upwardly facing surface of the connection element 31 which slit engage with a downwardly extending edge 33 on an end part of each of the channel parts 2'.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), two channel parts 2' may form part of the channel element 2 by arranging the channel parts 2' with an end of one channel part 2' abutting an end of the other channel part 2' without attaching the channel parts 2' to each other.

Fig. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a footing channel 1 configured to be arranged partly around a building (not shown). The embodiment is illustrated without the cover. The footing channel 1 comprises a channel element 2, a console 3, and a cover (not shown).

The channel element 2 is formed by a plurality of channel parts 2' each comprising a bottom 5 extending in a longitudinal direction, and a first and a second sidewall 6, 7 extending substantially parallel in the longitudinal direction from opposite edges of the bottom 5 to form a substantially U-shaped channel element 2. The first sidewall 6 has a first height, and the second sidewall 7 has a second height, where the second height is larger than the first height. A plurality of end plates 23 are arranged to provide a plurality of closed spaces within the footing channel 1.

Figs. 11A-11C illustrate different embodiments of a cover 4 for a footing channel 1. The cover illustrated in Fig. 11A is formed as a grid made from hot-galvanised steel. Fig. 11B illustrates an alternative embodiment of a cover 4 with a first cover section 4A and a second cover section 4B, the first and second cover sections 4A, 4B being inclined relative to each other to form a cover comprising two plane surfaces being inclined relative to each other. Openings are only formed in the second cover section 4B. The cover 4 illustrated in Fig. 11C is curve shaped with square-shaped openings to allow liquid to flow into the footing channel (not shown).