BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are many different ways of constructing buildings.

One of the common forms is the traditional external walling system that has been used for 1 and 2 storey constructions since the early 20th Century.

To cut down on building costs various options are available for using prefabricated panels in building construction. For example lightweight concrete (LWC), panels, LWC blocks, planks of wood, planks of other materials or sheets or various materials in lieu of clay bricks may be used as external leaf. Examples of LWC used in the construction industry are aerated autoclaved concrete (AAC) and polystyrene balls mixed in the concrete.

There are still however many problems associated with conventional methods of prefabricated buildings.

These problems include long construction time, complex scheduling, fragile plasterboard walls, wall cavities as safe havens for pest to breed, poor sound insulation between internal rooms, floor space wasted by thick external wall and lack of sound insulation between internal walls.

There have been some attempts to construct domestic buildings using lightweight panels or blocks as a single leaf, load bearing external wall. These panels have been manufactured out of reinforced, pre-stressed LWC or aluminium frames with an inner and outer skin of fibro sheeting, or similar filled with polyurethane as an insulator, while the blocks have been manufactured from concrete or LWC.

One problem with the use of concrete blocks for

construction is that they are more cumbersome than clay bricks and cannot be routinely handled with one hand by bricklayers. In addition it is necessary to insert steel rods to run vertically down the middle of the blocks into the slab. The blocks are then filled with concrete or mortar around these rods to reinforce the walls.

The problem with LWC panels is that if they are not reinforced they cannot be load bearing and the building must rely upon steel or concrete pillars to support uppers floor or the roof.

Furthermore, when constructing with LWC panels, even if they are reinforced, an engineering system is required to connect the panels to each other, the foundation and the roof trusses. To date, the construction industry does not appear to have a simple and straight forward engineering solution to this problem.

When constructing with LWC panels they require temporary bracing, usually in the form of wooden props nailed to the slab, to hold the panels in a vertical position until they are eventually fixed in place with the engineering tie down system. Some systems rely on the roof trusses being put in place before the temporary bracing can be removed.

The present invention is aimed at providing an alternative method of constructing a wall which is preferably a concrete composite wall.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a wall comprising the steps of providing a plurality of panels each having apertures therethrough, aligning the panels so that their apertures are aligned end to end, applying a settable substance between end faces of adjacent panels, inserting a rod through adjoining apertures of respective panels, providing retainer means at each end of the rod, using a fastening means to draw the retaining means closer together and thereby draw the panels together and allowing the settable substance to set and thereby form a single

combined panel or module.

Preferably the settable substance is a mortar.

The mortar may be a sealant.

The sealant may be an adhesive.

It is preferred that the retaining means are arranged to abut against an abutment face of each adjacent panel.

It is preferred that each abutment face comprises a region surrounding an end of the aperture.

Each aperture preferably is in the form of a passage.

The passage may terminate in an opening in an outer surface of the panel.

The passage may terminate in an opening inside the panel.

Preferably the abutment face comprises a curved wall surrounding the opening to the passage.

The fastening means may comprise a nut threaded onto a threaded end of the rod.

It should be noted that the rod includes an elongate member which is rigid or flexible.

According to one embodiment the rod comprises ratchet teeth.

Preferably the panels comprise concrete.

Preferably the retaining means comprises a retaining member which is able to slide along the rod.

Preferably the fastening means comprises a threaded nut which is able to force at least one retaining member against the abutment face with which it is associated.

The opposite end of the rod may have a bolt head or another nut or collar to prevent removal of the retainer member.

The retainer member may comprise a washer, pipe or any other object.

It is preferred that the retaining means at the end of the rod opposite the nut is fixed or comprises a

transverse member.

It is preferred that each aperture begins and/or ends in a recessed area (rebate) adapted to receive the nut and retaining means at one end and retaining means at the other end.

The rod may be threaded along its length or at each end.

Preferably one aperture extends part way into one of the panels.

One aperture may extend part way into each of the concrete panels.

Alternatively an aperture extends through each concrete panel from one side edge to an opposite side edge.

The method preferably includes forming a transverse opening transverse to the opening to allow access to the aperture.

Preferably the transverse opening extends between opposite major faces of the panel.

The aperture preferably extends parallel to a major face of the panel.

The aperture may extend only part way into the panel and terminate in the transverse opening.

Preferably the method includes inserting a pipe with a transverse hole therethrough into the transverse opening, placing a nut in the pipe and inserting the rod through the transverse hole and through the nut to thereby retain the rod in the aperture.

The method may includes abutting an edge of one panel against a face of another so that their apertures are aligned prior to inserting a rod.

It is preferred that the nut is screwed onto the end of the rod and is held within the pipe so that the rod cannot be withdrawn from the transverse aperture.

Preferably the nut is tightened by a nut tightening tool.

Preferably the transverse opening is generally

circular or cylindrical in shape. A combined panel may be formed by aligning two panels end to end.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of lifting a panel comprising forming at least one passage and a transverse hole through an end region of the passage, inserting an elongate member through the passage and a retaining means through the transverse opening, connecting the retaining means to the elongate member so as to prevent removal of the elongate member from the passage, connecting an attachment means to a proximal end of the elongate member, to allow the panel to be lifted by attaching a lift means to the attachment means.

Preferably the retaining means comprises a washer and bolt connected to the distal end of the elongate member.

Alternatively the retaining means comprises a pipe or cylinder.

Preferably the pipe or cylinder is adapted to be threaded onto the distal end of the elongate member.

The retaining means may include a nut which is adapted to be located inside the cylinder and threaded onto a distal end of the elongate member which is inserted through a hole in cylinder.

The retaining means may include a washer.

The method may include forming a plurality of passages and inserting a plurality of elongate members and connecting a retaining means to the distal end of each of the elongate members.

The attachment means may comprise a hole or hook.

The attachment means may be adapted to screw onto the proximal end of the elongate member.

The elongate member may be a rod.

The rod may have threaded ends or may be threaded along its length.

The rod may include ratchet teeth at least along parts of its length.

Each attachment means may be in the form of a lug.

Preferably each panel is formed with a plurality of wire mesh layers arranged parallel to the major faces of the panel.

Preferably each passage extends between two wire mesh layers and substantially parallel thereto.

According to one embodiment the elongate member comprises a length of wire.

The words"comprising, having, including"should be interpreted in an inclusive sense, meaning that additional features may also be added.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1A shows a top view of a panel in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention ; Figure 1B shows a side view of the panel shown in Figure 1A ; Figure 1C shows an end section of the panel shown in Figure 1A ; Figure 2A shows a front view of an external wall module according to a first embodiment of the present invention ; Figure 2B shows a front view of an external wall module according to a second embodiment of the present invention ; Figure 2C shows an exploded view of the end of a passage in the module shown in Figure 2A; Figure 3A shows view of a module incorporating a window; Figure 3B shows an end view of the module shown in Figure 3A; Figure 4A shows a front view of a wall panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention ; Figure 4B shows a front view of a wall panel

according to a third embodiment of the invention; Figure 5A shows a front view of three modules in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, prior to being connected together; Figure 5B shows a tongue and groove connection system for the module shown in Figure 5A; Figure 5C shows an enlarged detail of a connection system for two modules in accordance with the present invention; Figure 6A shows a vertical section of the connection system shown in Figure 5C when two modules are connected.

Figure 6b shows a vertical section view of a connection system according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 shows a three dimensional representation of several erected wall panels in accordance with the present invention; Figure 8a shows a top view of a horizontal section of typical junctions between two internal wall panels and an external and internal wall in accordance with the present invention; Figure 8b shows a front view of the panel shown in Figure 8a; Figure 9 shows an illustration of how a unistrut section is tied down to the top of a wall panel in accordance with the present invention; Figure 10a shows an end view of a wall panel with a system of"L"bracket fixtures and unistruts that connect steel roof trusses to load bearing external walls in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 10b shows a side view of a bracket fixture used in connection with the system shown in Figure 10a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A panel 10 in accordance with the present invention is shown in Figures la to lc. This panel is

made from a cake of lightweight concrete (LWC). Each panel 10 consists of two parallel layers of reinforcing of rods or mesh 12 laid symmetrically in cakes of AAC 11 as specified by a customer.

The parallel layers of mesh 12 are arranged so that they run parallel to each major face 13,14. A space is provided between respective layers of mesh 12a, 12b so that passages 15 can be drilled between the mesh layers 12a, 12b from one end wall 16 to an opposite end wall 17.

As shown in Figure la a number of passages 15 may be provided depending upon the number of connections required between panels which are used to form a module.

Each end wall 16,17 may also be provided with a tongue and groove formation 18,19 to assist with end to end connection of panels.

As shown in Figure 2a a number of panels 10 can be connected together by gluing the full length of each end face and aligning the panels together end to end so that passages 15 are in alignment. Booker rods 20 are then pushed into the passages so that they extend along the length of the combined passages 15 from the extremities 21,22 of the combined panel which forms a module 23.

A washer 24 and nut 25 are screwed onto each end of the booker rod 20 and the nuts are tightened to clamp the glued panels together into a wall module 23.

As shown in Figure 2b the wall panels may be configured differently so as to form a module having provision for a window 26. As shown in Figure 2b some of the panels 27 are of the standard full length type while others 28 have been cut short to create an opening for a window and another 29 is half the width of the panels 27, 28.

Once a window 26 has been inserted into the space created by the combined panels 27,28,29 a lintel 30 is placed on top of panel 29 at one end of the module and onto a recessed top surface of one of the standard panels

27 forming the left hand side wall of window 26. The method by which the lintel 30 is attached to panels 27,29 will be described in more detail later.

Figures 3a and 3b illustrate horizontal and vertical cross sections respectively of a windowed wall panel 30 with an aluminium framed window 31 fixed near the interior side 32 of the wall panel 30. Rebates 33 are cut into the edges of the panels 11 on either side of the window space 34 to allow window frame fins 35 to slot into them. The placement of reinforcing rods 36 in the panels 11 is designed to avoid window frame rebates 33. The window sill consists of a bevel 37 cut off the external, top edge of the short panel sections 38 under the window space 34.

Floor to ceiling windows and doors do not need to be incorporated into a wall panel 11 during prefabrication. This is because wall panels, some non- standard in width 39 (see Figure 4a), will be designed to terminate either side of the full length glazing or door which can be installed at the construction site.

Figure 4a shows a non-standard wall panel comprising two standard sized wall panels 40 plus a thinner wall panel 39 approximately half the width of the other two.

Figure 4b illustrates how any plumbing 41 that is not contained in or under the concrete floor slab or inside a cupboard is contained in metal framed wall modules 42 that are prefabricated in an assembly plant.

These modules 42 can be filled with foam to act as temperature and sound insulation and eliminate the cavity between the metal skins of the plumbing wall module 42.

The modules 11 for internal walls can be made thinner than those for the external walls and preferably do not include tongue and grooving end connections between adjacent walls.

Once a number of panels have been connected

together to form a module as previously described, individual modules may also be connected together as shown in Figure 5a. In this figure 3 modules 43,44 and 45 are each tensioned together by booker rods as well as by an optional tongue groove connection as shown in Figure 5b.

A tongue 46 provided in the end of one panel 43 is able to fit into a groove 47 of the end of another panel 44.

Each of the modules 43,44 and 45 has a hole 48 drilled into its end wall which is to be connected with the end wall of an adjacent module. Another hole 49,50 is drilled through the side wall of the respective modules as shown most clearly in Figure 5c. A pipe 51 (preferably welded thereto) is inserted into hole 50 with this pipe 51 having a single hole through its wall to allow entry therethrough of a rod 52. A nut 53 is located in the pipe 51 so that it is aligned with the hole 54 located through the pipe 51.

The rod 52 which is inserted through the opening 48 has a threaded section with a nut 55 threaded part way down its outermost end (closest to the end wall). The opposite end of the rod 52 is passed through the hole 54 in the pipe 51 and threaded through the nut 53 until it comes to rest on the inside back wall of the pipe 51 and will then not turn any further.

The length of the rod 52 falls short of protruding from the outermost end of the module 43,44, 45. An extension nut 56 that fits reasonably snugly into the hole 48 is then screwed onto the end of the rod 52 until it abuts against the nut 55 and will not turn any further. Preferably the extension nut does not protrude out through the hole 48 beyond the level of the end wall 57 of the module 44, 45.

The end wall 58 of the opposite facing module 43, 44 has its passage 48 terminating in a large transverse hole 49. This is so the hole is large enough to allow a persons hand to fit into it to manipulate the threaded rod 59 which is inserted through hole 48. This rod 59 is

threaded at each end and is inserted through hole 48 from its outermost end through a washer 60 and a nut 61 is then screwed onto the innermost end of the rod 59.

As shown most clearly in Figure 6a once the adjacent panels such as 43 and 44 are glued and pushed together, a labourer is then able to grasp the end of the rod 59 through the opening 49 and push the rod 59 into the opening in the extension nut 56. The rod 49 is then screwed into the extension nut 56 as far as it will go, i. e. until it abuts against the other rod 52. The nut 61 can then be tightened against the washer 60 with a torque wrench to the tension required to hold the abutting modules together. This process is continued one wall module after another until the desired length has been achieved. The holes or openings 49,50 required to house the wall connection assemblies are easily filled and plastered over once the walls are in the correct place and properly tensioned.

It should be noted that individual panels may also be connected in a similar fashion as shown in Figure 6B.

Figure 7 shows an assembly of panels and modules which have been connected together using one of the connection methods described previously. This panel shows how thicker outside panels 60 can be connected to thinner inside panels 61. A C-section top plate 62 has two holes 63, 64 which align with holes 65,66 formed in the top face of adjacent connected panels 67,68. The holes 65, 66 each contain pipe nuts formed by the combination of a nut and pipe assembly as shown in Figures 6a to 6c (by items 51,53). The top plate 38 straddles both holes 65, 66 and bolts inserted through the holes 63,65 and 64,66 can be connected to the pipe nut assemblies (not shown) to secure the top plate 38 to the top of both panels 67,68.

Figure 7 also shows the booker rods 68 appearing at the ends of the walls created by connecting the panels together.

It is noted that the panels may be connected end to end as well as end to face. Figures 8a and 8b illustrate how holes are drilled through the panels to enable connection in this fashion. Thus a hole 69 can be drilled from one major face 70 to the opposite major face 71 of a panel 72. A hole 73 is also drilled through the end of another panel 74 parallel with the major faces of that panel 75,76. A transverse hole 77 is then drilled or cut through the major faces 75,76 so as to intersect the hole 73. A pipe nut assembly 78 can then be inserted through the transverse hole 77 and a booker rod or rod assembly as discussed in relation to Figures 6a to 6c can be inserted through the opening in the hole 69.

A corner wall can be formed by cutting the hole 79 through the major faces 75,76 closer to the end of module 75 and then placing the end of another module 80 with a hole 81 in alignment with the hole 79 and then using a pipe nut assembly again to draw the panels together and fasten them together in conjunction with glue applied to the opposing abutting surfaces.

Figure 9 illustrates a vertical cross section of a wall panel 80 with a pipe nut assembly 81 being used to secure a length of unistrut 82 on top of the pressed channel C-section top plate 83.

A bolt hole 84 extends vertically through the centre of the panel 80 and through a hole in a flat top plate 86. A bolt 85 is inserted through the hole 84 and also through one hole in plate 86 which is placed over the length of unistrut 82 and has a further hole through which a bolt 87 is inserted and fixed into unistrut bolts 88 that have been slid into place next to the pipe nut hold down bolt 85.

By screwing and tightening the nuts 87 onto the unistrut bolts 88 the plate 86 is able to clamp down firmly upon the unistrut 82 and hold it securely in place.

As shown in Figures 10a and 10b steel roof trusses 90 are connected to a load bearing wall such as

panel 80 through the unistrut 82, L brackets 91, bolt 85 and C-section top plate 83. Once sufficient external wall panels 80 have been erected on the construction site to create a whole external wall at one end, with two external corners created, the first steel roof truss 90 can then be erected. This can be achieved by sliding unistrut bolts 88 into the unistruts 82 and locating the holes 84 in the horizontal portion of the L-bracket 91 over the unistrut bolts 88 and securing the L-bracket 91 with nuts 87 onto the unistrut bolts 88.

Each L-bracket 91 is provided with slotted holes 92,93 on the vertical and horizontal faces respectively.

The elongated holes 92,93 enable flexible positioning of the trusses 90. The unistruts 82 and top plates 86 spread the roof load evenly over the load bearing external wall panels 80. The roof trusses 90 are then connected horizontally with roof battons in preparation for roof cladding to be applied and the ceiling and eaves to be fitted.

It is noted that the L-brackets 91 may be connected to the roof trusses 90 by using bolts or threaded rods 94 with nuts 95. A similar option is also available for connecting the L-bracket 91 to the unistrut 82.

It should be noted that in the preferred embodiment wall panels have been described which are essentially rectangular or variations on the rectangular shape.

The present invention however is equally applicable to different shaped panels which are intended to have at least one of their surfaces in abutment with the surface of another panel. Furthermore the invention is described with examples including rods with threaded sections which are able to receive threaded nuts or similar. The invention can also be utilised with any form of elongate member which is able to have other members fixed at each end and tightened to draw panels to which

they are connected, closer together.

According to another aspect of the present invention panels or other components which are heavy and need to be lifted, can incorporate the fastening system previously described. Instead of two panels abutting, for a lifting application the part of the fastening system which would be in one of the panels would be replaced by a lifting component which could be connected to the outer end of the elongate member/rod which is located in a passage of the panel being lifted.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or in any other country.