Metal wall construction for buildings

摘要

In a metal building wall construction intended especially for house basement walls, the walls consist of edge interlocked metal panels resting on the web of an upwardly-open perimeter channel that delineates the basement floor. A flange on the channel inner side sets the depth of a poured concrete floor and acts as a screed for levelling the concrete. The perimeter channel web is wider than the panels are thick and they are supported at their inner face by spaced tabs struck up out of the perimeter channel web to leave internal drain holes which permit escape of water received in the perimeter channel. Since the thin passsage between abutting edge webs unavoidably promotes capillary action whereby water can be drawn into it from the adjacent soil, the passage is provided along its length with an enlargement forming a vertical longitudinal drain passage that will trap the water moving into the passage and cause it to travel downwards to the perimeter channel and through the drain holes. Another longitudinal opening provided between the drain passage and the inner end is sealed by an appropriate material. The panel edge webs are slotted to reduce heat transfer. Other slots are provided at regular intervals and snap-in stiffeners are provided retained by these other slots to support the panels against bulging and to hold the abutting webs in close contact with one another.