AU2009201776A1 - A footing levelling mould for transportable buildings - Google Patents

Description

2 A footing levelling mould for transportable buildings The present invention relates to a footing levelling mould for a building structure and, in particular, to a mould for simplifying the level placement of footings for a transportable building. The mould is intended for particular use during the commissioning of portable 5 camps. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Camps have been used for many years to provide shelter and accommodation especially in remote areas. This is especially so in the case of remote camps that are assembled using a number of transportable buildings, some of the buildings used as sleeping 10 quarters, others as the kitchen and dining room facility and others still as recreational areas. It is not uncommon for a camp to consist of sixty to eighty buildings that can accommodate several hundred people. These camps are completely self-contained in that the transportable buildings provide all of the facilities for a small remote community that may be needed in a particular area. 15 Accordingly these camps include all of the modem day facilities such as electrical power, water, sewerage, and communication. They therefore also include their own power generation systems, water distribution systems, sewerage treatment plants, and communication facilities such as satellite dishes. The camps typically require a considerable amount of skill, time, and effort to assemble and commission. Once constructed these camps 20 can however provide accommodation indefinitely if the infrastructure is maintained. In some instances the camps have to be portable or mobile. For example, during construction of infrastructure across a vast area, such as roads or pipelines supplying water or gas, a particular location for a camp housing the construction workers, may only be viable for several weeks or months. As the pipeline is progressively constructed, a new camp may be 25 constructed one hour ahead of the current construction location or generally up to several hundred kilometres away from the existing camp. A camp for several hundred people takes some time to construct and commission. One task which is particularly tedious is levelling a site or area of ground so that footings for the transportable buildings are positioned correctly and in a level manner. The present 30 Applicant has overcome this problem in the past by providing each building with a self levelling chassis, however, the construction of such chassis' is expensive and the task of levelling each chassis is also time consuming. There is therefore a need in the portable camp 3 industry to provide a more quick and efficient way of providing level footings for supporting a transportable building. It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of the abovementioned problems or provide the public with a useful alternative. 5 It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mould which when levelled on a ground surface provides for the level placement of footings for a transportable building, the levelling mould adapted to be removed and re-used once the footings are in place. It is to be understood that although the present invention is intended for particular use in a portable camp, it could equally well be used in providing level footings for any building 10 structure in other environments. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, in one form of the invention there is proposed a footing mould for use in the erection of a structure to be supported above footings, said mould including: a rigid body adapted to be placed above a ground surface and including a means of indicating 15 a substantially horizontal plane, and a plurality of apertures extending vertically through said body, said apertures being positioned at each location where a footing is required to support said structure and adapted to receive said footings to a level corresponding with said horizontal plane, said mould adapted to be removed thereafter. Preferably said means of indicating a substantially horizontal plane is an upper 20 surface of said rigid body. In preference said rigid body is hollow and adapted to carry liquid wherein an upper surface of said liquid inside the hollow rigid body defines said substantially horizontal plane. Preferably said rigid body is of substantially the same shape as that of said structure being supported, and said apertures are located at positions corresponding with the required 25 positions of footings for said structure. Preferably said footings are in the form of blocks and said apertures are correspondingly shaped. Alternatively said footings are in the form of stackable plates and said apertures are shaped to receive said plates.

4 Alternatively said footings are in the form of a material which is pourable into said apertures, and adapted to set to a hardened state thereafter. In preference said body includes channels for accommodating forklift tynes to facilitate raising, lowering, and transport of said mould. 5 In preference said rigid body is formed of metal. Preferably the rigid body is formed predominantly of plastic material. In preference said structure is a transportable building for use in a portable camp. In a further form of the invention there is proposed a transportable building including footings levelled using a footing mould as defined in any one of the above features. 10 In a still further form of the invention there is proposed a method for the assembly of footings to support a structure, said method including the steps of: placing a mould onto a ground surface, said mould having a plurality of footing receiving means and a means of indicating a substantially horizontal plane; placing or pouring footing material into said footing receiving means and ensuring that each 15 footing reaches the height of said horizontal plane; and removing said mould, Preferably said means of indicating a substantially horizontal plane is an upper surface of said mould. In preference said mould is hollow and adapted to be partially filled with liquid, 20 wherein an upper surface of said liquid defines said substantially horizontal plane. In a yet further form of the invention there is proposed footings for a transportable building levelled on a ground surface using a method according to any one of the above steps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI-E DRAWINGS 25 The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings; 5 Figure 1 illustrates in exploded view a first step in using the levelling mould in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, that is, placing the mould on a ground surface, levelling the mould, and subsequently inserting footings inside the mould apertures; 5 Figure 2 illustrates in exploded view a second step in using the levelling mould of Figure 1, that is, raising the levelling mould so that the footings remain on the ground surface; and Figure 3 illustrates in exploded view a transportable building being lowered onto the footings which were levelled using the mould of Figures 1 and 2. 10 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Although the description includes exemplary embodiments, other embodiments are possible, and changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be 15 used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts. The present invention relates to a levelling mould 10 for particular use during the commissioning of portable camps and, in particular, for providing level footings 12 to a transportable building 14 in the camp. It is to be understood however that the present invention is not intended to be limited to such use, and that the levelling mould could equally 20 well be used for the level placement of footings for other types of buildings not necessarily used in camps. The levelling mould 10 is shown in Figure 1 and is adapted to be levelled on a ground surface 16. This may be done using any conventional method, including manually or using powered machinery to level the surface. A spirit level or laser level can be used to ensure that 25 the mould 10 is aligned horizontally. The mould 10 includes a plurality of apertures 18 for accommodating all of the footings 12 for the transportable building 14. The footings 12 could be solid concrete structures as shown in Figure 1, adapted to be lowered into each of the apertures 18, or alternatively, concrete could be made on site and pumped into the apertures 18 until each footing 12 is set. The footings 12 could be any 30 suitable structure, and the size and shape of the mould 10 and its apertures 18 should be shaped accordingly.

6 Those skilled in the art would realise that in levelling the mould 10 first, each of the footings 12 placed or set inside the apertures 18 will not only be located at their correct position ready to support a building , but also levelled, without the need for further manipulation before or after the building has been stacked there above. 5 In the past, one had to ensure that each footing was level with the others, but in using the mould 10 of the present invention, levelling need only be undertaken once. Effectively, once the mould 10 is levelled, all of the footings 12 will also be level. Figure 2 illustrates the footings after the mould 10 has been raised from the ground 16. In an alternate embodiment, the ground need not be levelled before placement of the 10 mould 10. The mould itself may include its own means of indicating the height to which each footing should extend in order to sit level across a consistent horizontal plane. For example, the mould 10 could be hollow and adapted to be partially filled with liquid (not shown). The mould would need to be at least partially transparent, and the visible liquid level serves as an indicator for the desired height of the footings. The skilled addressee would realise that 15 regardless of whether the ground is level, as long as the footings extend to the liquid level, they will have an upper surface that extends along the same horizontal plane. The skilled address would further realise how quickly and effectively footings 12 can be laid using the apparatus 10 of the present invention. The levelling mould 10 is shown in the drawings as being rectangular, this particular shape corresponding with the shape of the 20 building 14 for which the footings 12 are intended. It is to understood though that the shape and size of the levelling mould 10 and its apertures 18 can be altered to suit a particular building 14 for which the footings 12 are intended. For example, if the building happened to be circular and requires thin circular concrete slabs as footings, then the levelling mould could be constructed accordingly. If for 25 example there is a step in the building wherein one footing is required to be higher than another, then the mould could also be constructed to suit this particular configuration. The mould 10 is intended to be a versatile piece of equipment. The mould 10 could also include channels (not shown) running transversely along its top or bottom surface for accommodating the tynes of a forklift or like machinery (not shown) 30 for transporting the mould 10 more easily. The present inventor owns patents directed towards a chassis for a transportable building which includes such channels, and those skilled in the art would realise that in having such a mould 10 which is also capable of being transported using the same forklift, the process of erecting a plurality of such buildings becomes significantly simplified and faster. The material used in the manufacture of the levelling mould 10 is also not intended to be limited to any one particular material. For example, the levelling mould could be made of a 5 plurality of structural frame elements together forming a frame-like structure having apertures 18 in the appropriate positions. Alternatively, the mould 10 could be constructed of a lightweight plastic material. Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and 10 described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus. In any claims that follow and in the summary of the invention, except where the 15 context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprising" is used in the sense of "including", i.e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Claims (18)

1. A footing mould for use in the erection of a structure to be supported above footings, said mould including: a rigid body adapted to be placed above a ground surface and including a means of 5 indicating a substantially horizontal plane, and a plurality of apertures extending vertically through said body, said apertures being positioned at each location where a footing is required to support said structure and adapted to receive said footings to a level corresponding with said horizontal plane, said mould adapted to be removed thereafter. 10

2. A footing mould according to claim I wherein said means of indicating a substantially horizontal plane is an upper surface of said rigid body.

3. A footing according to claim I wherein said rigid body is hollow and adapted to carry liquid wherein an upper surface of said liquid inside the hollow rigid body defines said substantially horizontal plane. 15

4. A footing mould according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said rigid body is of substantially the same shape as that of said structure being supported, and said apertures are located at positions corresponding with the required positions of footings for said structure.

5. A footing mould according to claim or claim 4 wherein said footings are in the form 20 of blocks and said apertures are correspondingly shaped.

6. A footing mould according to claim 4 wherein said footings are in the form of stackable plates and said apertures are shaped to receive said plates.

7. A footing mould according to claim 4 wherein said footings are in the form of a material which is pourable into said apertures, and adapted to set to a hardened state 25 thereafter.

8. A footing mould according to any one of the above claims wherein said body includes channels for accommodating forklift tynes to facilitate raising, lowering, and transport of said mould.

9. A footing mould according to any one of the above claims wherein said rigid body is 30 formed of metal. 9

10. A footing mould according to any one of claims 1-9 wherein the rigid body is formed predominantly of plastic material.

11. A footing mould according to any one of the above claims wherein said structure is a transportable building for use in a portable camp. 5

12. A transportable building including footings levelled using a footing mould as defined in any one of claims I-11.

13. A method for the assembly of footings to support a structure, said method including the steps of: placing a mould onto a ground surface, said mould having a plurality of footing 10 receiving means and a means of indicating a substantially horizontal plane; placing or pouring footing material into said footing receiving means and ensuring that each footing reaches the height of said horizontal plane; and removing said mould.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein said means of indicating a substantially 15 horizontal plane is an upper surface of said mould.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein said mould is hollow and adapted to be partially filled with liquid, wherein an upper surface of said liquid defines said substantially horizontal plane.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein said structure is a transportable building for 20 use in a portable camp.

17. Footings for a transportable building levelled on a ground surface using a method according to any one of claims 13-16.

18. A footing mould substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 3. 25