Sandwich construction load-bearing panel for e.g. building - has solid core of e.g. phenolic foam or expanded polystyrene, between plane compression layer and convex tension layer

摘要

The structural load-bearing panel may be used for floors, roof or walls in building construction. The panel is of a sandwich construction with a solid compressed core or infill between respectively plane and curved top and bottom layers. The top layer is subject to the loading and acts in compression. The bottom layer constitutes a tensioned shell or membrane. The panel is supported either intermittently or continuously at the edges, and the shell has convex external faces. The shell may follow parabolic or circular profiles when the panel is viewed in transverse section, and have a linear profile in longitudinal section. The shell may be of synthetic material bonded to a cellular core of phenolic foam or expanded polystyrene.