AU2009202920A1 - A modular stackable transportable building for portable camps and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

15034AU ORIGINAL Complete Specification Applicant: Francesco Antonio Martino Title: A modular stackable transportable building for portable camps and method of manufacturing the same Address for Service: LESICAR PERRIN, 49 Wright Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing It known to melus: 2 A modular stackable transportable building for portable camps and method of manufacturing the same FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a modular building for use in portable camps and, in particular, to a modular building which is transportable using a forklift, and which is stackable to create multi-story 5 accommodation. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the buildings in a quick and efficient manner, and without the need for skilled labour. 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 10 transportable buildings, some of the buildings used as sleeping 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. Accordingly these camps 15 include all of the modem day facilities such as electrical power, water, sewerage, and communication. They therefore typically 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 can however provide accommodation indefinitely if the infrastructure is maintained. 20 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 constmcted, there is a balance between the economic cost of the travel time of workers housed in the camp to the current work site and time spent constructing the actual pipeline. It is 25 therefore accepted in the industry that if the travel time between a camp and the work location is more than an hour, a new camp has to be constructed that is closer to the work location. At that time, a new camp is therefore constructed one hour ahead of the current construction location or generally up to several hundred kilometres away from the existing camp. The present inventor is the owner of a number of patents in connection with transportable 30 buildings including Australian Letters Patent No. 2003227102, directed towards an improved transportable building chassis and its ability to be easily lifted and transported using a working vehicle 3 such as a forklift. This enables the buildings to be transported with ease, and makes commissioning and decommissioning of camps a much more fast and efficient process. The present inventor has realised that at any one time the demand for transportable buildings, particularly when larger pipeline construction projects arise, is far greater than the rate at which existing 5 buildings such as those disclosed in the abovementioned Letters Patent can be manufactured and supplied. The present inventor has also recognised the need to be able to accommodate more workers in any one camp without necessarily increasing the area it occupies, and also the need for improved quality accommodation. It is with all of these issues in mind that the modular and stackable transportable building of the present invention, and its method of manufacture, has been conceived. 10 It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of the abovementioned problems or provide the public with a useful alternative. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore in one form of the invention there is proposed a modular, transportable building characterised by: 15 a base chassis including a plurality of mounting plates upstanding from said base chassis; a roof chassis including a plurality of mounting plates suspended downwardly from said roof chassis and in vertical alignment with said base chassis mounting plates; and a plurality of hollow, vertical support columns adapted to extend between said base and roof chasses, each support column including opposed ends thereof means for engaging said vertically aligned mounting 20 plates; and a plurality of wall panels extending between said support columns, each wall panel spanning the height of the roof chassis from the base chassis. Preferably said base chassis is substantially rectangular and includes two elongate side beams disposed extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said chassis, and a plurality of transversely extending 25 cross members. In preference said elongate side beams are C-section beams directed inwardly such that the flanges of each side beam point towards each other. Preferably said cross members are C-section cross members having flanges directed towards a centre of the chassis, said cross members being elevated above two longitudinally extending I-beams 30 disposed inwardly and parallel to the elongate side beams, whereby upper flanges of the C-section cross members are aligned with upper flanges of the side beams, and lower flanges of the inner I-beams are aligned with lower flanges of the side beams.

4 In preference said base chassis has associated therewith a lifting means for raising said building. Preferably said lifting means is in the form of two transversely extending, spaced apart hollow beams extending at least partially through said base chassis, said beams being configured to receive therein tynes of a forklift. 5 In preference said hollow beams are offset from a central transverse axis of said base chassis, to compensate for additional weight on one end of the building. Alternatively said lifting means includes apertures on front and rear sides of said chassis for receiving cables associated with a crane for lifting the building. Preferably said roof chassis is of substantially the same dimension as the base chassis, and also 10 includes two elongate side beams and a plurality of transversely extending cross members. In preference said elongate side beams are C-section beams directed inwardly such that the flanges of each side beam point towards each other. In preference said cross members are C-section cross members having flanges directed towards a center of the chassis, each of said cross members including a lower flange which is aligned with lower 15 flanges of the roof chassis side beams. Preferably ceiling panels are adapted to be fastened to an underside of said roof chassis cross members. In preference every second cross member increases in height from ends of the roof chassis to the centre of the roof chassis where the upper flanges of said alternate cross members are aligned with upper 20 flanges of the elongate side beams. Preferably longitudinal roof cladding sheets are adapted to be fastened to the every second cross members of increasing and then decreasing height along the length of the roof chassis, to thereby facilitate water run off from the roof cladding sheets. In preference each of said roof chassis side beams include an additional flange portion extending 25 vertically downwards from the lower horizontal flange of the beam, said wall panels being mounted such that the downward flange portion is visible from inside the building and is spaced apart a short distance from the wall panels.

5 Preferably the lower horizontal flange portions of the roof chassis side beams include at least one aperture along their length, said aperture disposed in the area between the downward flange portion and the wall panel. In preference utility supply means, such as electrical wiring, is adapted to be fed from an exterior 5 location through an end of the roof chassis, inside and along the C-section side beams, and into the building through said at least one aperture. In preference said roof chassis includes a number of apertures along the lower horizontal side beam flanges which corresponds with the number of separate occupant areas in the building. Preferably said building includes four individual occupant areas, and each of the elongate side 10 beams of the roof chassis includes four apertures along their length which extend into each of the occupant areas. Preferably said wall panel is a composite panel including a core of fire resistant insulation material sandwiched between planar rigid faces. In preference said wall panels are rectangular in shape and are mounted vertically between the 15 base chassis and roof chassis, each panel including an elongate male edge and an elongate female edge, whereby said male edge is adapted to engage the female edge of a second panel, and the female edge of the second panel is adapted to engage the male edge of a third panel, and so on, to form a flat wall of panels. Preferably at least one of said wall panels includes a window. In preference at least one of said 20 wall panels includes a doorway. Preferably said building is adapted to be raised and stacked above an identically configured building whereby the base chassis of a first building is adapted to sit above the roof chassis of a second building. In a further form of the invention there is proposed a multi-storey building for use in a portable 25 camp including one or more buildings as characterised above stacked one above the other, and a portable camp including such multi-story buildings. In a still further form of the invention there is proposed a portable camp including a plurality of modular, transportable buildings as characterised above. In a yet further form of the invention there is proposed a method of manufacturing a modular, 30 transportable building characterised by the steps of: 6 assembling a base chassis comprising two elongate side beams, a plurality of cross members, and a lifting means; mounting a plurality of upwardly extending mounting plates to said base chassis side beams; fastening vertical support columns at lower ends thereof to each of said base chassis mounting plates; 5 inserting wall panels between said vertical support columns; assembling a roof chassis of substantially similar dimension to that of the base chassis, said roof chassis comprising two elongate side beams and a plurality of cross members; mounting a plurality of downwardly extending mounting plates to said roof chassis side beams so that they are vertically aligned with the base chassis mounting plates when the roof chassis is lowered into 10 position; lowering the roof chassis onto the vertical support columns and side walls; and fastening the vertical support columns at upper ends thereof to each of the roof chassis mounting plates. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, 15 illustrate several implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings; Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a modular transportable building in accordance with the present invention; 20 Figures 2a-2e illustrates in perspective, end, top, front and cross sectional view a base chassis forming part of the modular stackable transportable building of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the base chassis of Figures 2a-2e including vertical wall anchors mounted at corners and along front and rear sides of the chassis, including enlarged perspective views of the wall anchor structural element ends; 25 Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the base chassis and vertical wall anchors of Figure 3, including floor panels and bathroom floor mouldings for each of the four occupant living areas in the building of Figure 1; Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of the internal and external composite wall panels being inserted and supported between the vertical wall anchors; 30 Figures 6 illustrates a perspective view of the base chassis, vertical wall anchors, floor panels and bathroom floor mouldings, and internal and external composite wall panels including 7 door and window frames, all forming part of the modular stackable transportable building of Figure 1; Figures 7a-7f illustrates in perspective, end, underside, cross sectional, front and top views a roof chassis forming part of the modular stackable transportable building of Figure 1; 5 Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of the roof chassis of Figures 7a-7f including ceiling panels being attached to an underside of the roof chassis; Figure 9 illustrates a perspective view of the roof chassis of Figure 8 including service cables extending along the inside of the front and rear longitudinal C-section beams of the chassis, including an enlarged perspective view of the end of one of the C-section beams; 10 Figure 10a illustrates a perspective view of the roof chassis of Figure 9 including longitudinal, corrugated roof panels being attached to an upper side of the roof chassis; Figure l0b illustrates a cross sectional view taken along a central longitudinal axis of the roof chassis of Figure I Oa; Figures 1 la- I b illustrate progressively in perspective views how a roof chassis longitudinal C-section 15 beam is mounted above the vertical wall anchors; Figure 12 illustrates a perspective view of the roof chassis being lowered onto the vertical wall anchors and associated wall panels; Figures 13a-13b illustrate progressively in perspective views a heavy duty forklift being used to lift a first transportable building of the present invention onto a second identical transportable 20 building; and Figure 14 illustrates part of a camp including pairs of stacked transportable buildings in accordance with the present invention with a second story walkway therebetween. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. 25 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 used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.

8 Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a modular transportable building 10 in accordance with the present invention. The transportable building 10 includes a base chassis 12, a roof chassis 14, and a plurality of wall panels 16 defining an elongate box-shaped building having a front side 18 and a rear side 20 extending parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the building, and ends 22 and 24 extending 5 perpendicularly thereto. The modular transportable building 10 includes four internal wall panels 16 which divide the building into four separate compartments, hence the four doors 26 on the front side 18 of the building. Of course, the geometry of the building 10 and the number of rooms may vary and it is not intended to limit the present invention to the same exact type of building. The components of the modular transportable building 10, and the way in which the building is 10 assembled, will now be described in detail. Figures 2a-2e illustrate the base chassis 12 of the building 10. The base chassis 12 includes two longitudinal beams 28 which have a substantially C-shaped cross section. The beams 28 oppose each other such that their web portions are on the outer side of the building and their flange portions point inwardly. Two further C-section beams 30 are used to cap the ends of the chassis 12 by extending 15 transversely across the ends of beams 28. The end beams are configured in the opposite direction such that their flange portions point out from the chassis 12, although other configurations are possible. Extending transversely between the beams 28 are a plurality of C-section cross members 32 which are elevated above two I-beams 34 positioned inwards of beams 28. The lower flanges of the internal I-beams 34 extend in substantially the same horizontal plane as the lower flanges of the outer C-section beams 30, 20 thus extending directly above the ground surface. There are two spaced apart receiving means or rectangular cross-section channels 36 extending transversely through the outer longitudinal beams 28 and the inner longitudinal beams 34 at approximately the centre of the chassis. The channels 36 allow the base chassis 12 and hence the building 10 to be handled by a forklift 38, as shown in Figures 13a-13b and described in more detail below. It is to 25 be understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the forklift channels being positioned at the centre of the chassis, in fact, the present inventor is the owner of a co-pending patent application directed towards the forklift channels being disposed off-centre to accommodate uneven weights, for example, where air-conditioning units and the like are mounted on one end of the building 10. 30 The building 10 shown is mounted above a ground surface, however, it is to be understood that the building could equally well be mounted above footings, or leg supports (not shown) provided at the corners of the chassis 12. Extending upwardly from various points along the side beams 28 and end beams 30 are column mounting plates 40 and 41. The purpose of these plates 40 and 41 will become apparent. In preference, 9 plates 41 are positioned at each corner of the base chassis 12, and plates 40 at each point along beams 28 where there is to be an internal wall separating the internal compartment. Of course, their position could vary depending on the number of occupant rooms required in the building. At the corners, the base chassis column mounting plates 41 include surfaces which extend in two directions, both longitudinally 5 and transversely. Along the side beams 28 however, the plates 40 include surfaces which extends in the longitudinal direction only. In preference, the base chassis mounting plates 40 and 41 are welded to the respective beams, and are configured so as to be disposed just inwards from the C-section beam web portions, not flush therewith. This allows for the mounting plates to extend inside the columns 42 and 44, although they could equally well be configured to be on the outside of the columns as shown in the 10 drawings. The next step in assembling the building 10 is shown in Figure 3. A plurality of vertical columns 42 and 44 are adapted to be erected at corners of the base chassis 12, as well as along the length of the side beams 28. The vertical columns 42 and 44 can be of any suitable configuration, however, in the embodiment shown they are configured according to another of the present inventor's co-pending patent 15 applications directed to columns which are also capable of receiving and supporting internal and external wall panels 16 there between. They include a substantially square and hollow cross section As shown in the enlarged views, the vertical columns 42 at the corners include a substantially square and hollow cross section being open at an internal corner between two receiving channels 46 and 48 that are perpendicularly offset to support two external wall panels at 90 degrees to one another. The 20 vertical columns 44 along the sides of the building include rectangular and hollow cross sections and three receiving channels 50, 52 and 54. Channels 50 and 54 are for receiving two external wall panels at 180 degrees to one another, and channel 52 which defines the opening of the member is for receiving an internal wall panel perpendicularly thereto. The skilled addressee would realize that for a building 10 which has four occupant areas as shown, three vertical columns 44 are required along the front and rear 25 sides of the building 10, and two vertical columns 42 are required at each end of the building at the corners. These are not only to support the roof chassis 12, but also external wall panels along the ends and sides of the building, and internal wall panels separating the rooms. The columns 42 and 44 include surfaces which are arranged to abut with the mounting plates 41 and 40 respectively. Furthermore, each surface includes apertures 56 which coaxially align with apertures 30 (not shown in enlarged view) in the mounting plates. Bolts (not shown in enlarged view) or the like can then be used to extend through the coaxially aligned apertures to fasten each vertical column to the base chassis 12. It is to be understood that the receiving channels 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54 could be configured differently, provided they allow for the snug fit of the wall panels 16 therein. The panels 16 are preferably 10 rectangular shaped, composite panels comprising an insulation material core and a metallic outer skin, the outer skin having male and female longitudinal edges (not shown) to allow for panels to be coupled together. Erection of each wall of the building 10 could be done any number of ways. For example, an entire wall of the building including columns, wall panels, doors, etc, could be erected and then the whole 5 structure lifted into place so that the vertical columns 42 and 44 can then be fastened to the base chassis 12 as described above. Alternatively, the vertical columns 42 and 44 could each be fastened to the base chassis 12 first, as shown in Figure 3, and then the wall panels, doors, etc, simply inserted in place. Each room of the building 10 is adapted to have a living/sleeping area, and a bathroom area. Figure 4 illustrates the floor of the building 10 being erected above the base chassis 12. In particular, each 10 room includes a moulded plastic floor 58 which defines the bathroom area of each room, and a large composite floor panel 60 defining the living/sleeping area. These sit directly above the C-section cross members 32 and inside of the vertical columns 42 and 44. Figures 5-6 show the wall panels 16 and doors 26 being erected after the floor is completed. Although not shown in much detail, the moulded plastic bathroom floor 58 includes a shower 15 area on one side and an aperture (not shown) for a shower drain, and at least one further aperture on the other side for a hand wash basin drain. The composite floor panels 60 are preferably made of similar material as that of the wall panels, and carpet or floating floor board (not shown) can then be used to cover them. It should also be realised that the bathroom floor is slightly sunken to ensure that any liquid from the bathroom does not spill into the living area. The skilled addressee would also realise that the 20 doors need to be erected so that they open into the living area. In the embodiment shown, the bathroom floor mouldings 58 are located towards the centre of the building in the two end occupant compartments, and towards the ends of the rooms in the two centre compartments. This is preferable in terms of water drainage, amongst other seasons, because two bathrooms are located adjacent each another. The bathroom and living/sleeping areas in each compartment can be separated using any known 25 means, for example, using a large curtain (not shown) or even additional internal wall panels, in which case additional columns at those particular points along the side beams of the base chassis 12 would be required. Figure 6 illustrates the building 10 in an assembled state bar the roof chassis 14. This chassis 14 is shown separately in Figures 7a-7e and will now be described in more detail. The roof chassis 14 30 includes two longitudinal side beams 62 which are of a length and spaced apart distance which correspond with beams 28 of the base chassis 12. Each longitudinal roof chassis beam 62 has a C-shaped cross section as per the base chassis beams 28, with an additional vertical flange 64 extending downwardly from an inside edge of the beam's lower flange. As can be seen most clearly in the enlarged view of Figure 7a, this downward flange 64 does not occur at the ends of the beam for reasons which will 11 become apparent below. The upper flange portion of the beams 62 include an edge which is slightly raised and then folds over to form a rounded edge 66 for added strength. The inside of the roof chassis 14 is made up of a plurality of C-section cross members 68 spaced apart an equal distance and each having a lower flange portion which extends substantially in the same 5 plane as the lower flange portions of the side beams 62, that is, the lowermost horizontal plane of the chassis. The cross members 68 are arranged like so because they are the members to which rectangular shaped ceiling panels 70 are to be attached, as shown in Figure 8. The ceiling panels 70 am of a dimension such that each panel is adapted to extend between two adjacent cross members 68. The present invention is not intended to be limited however to this shape of ceiling panel, for example, the ceiling 10 could be made up of smaller square shaped panels, or a large panel configured to span the entire ceiling for example. Any suitable fastening means, such as rivets, bolts, or adhesive can be used to attach the panels 70. The lower flange portions of the roof side beams 62 include a plurality of vertical apertures 72 along their length. Figure 9 shows how service feeds such as electrical wiring 74 are adapted to be fed 15 inside and along the side beams 62 of the roof chassis 14, through apertures 72 and into the building 10. In preference, there are apertures 72 associated with each room and they are positioned according to where a particular service is required. It is evident in the drawings that the ends of some of the cross members 68 also have apertures 76 for receiving the wiring 74 there through. It is to be understood that the services fed through the side beams 62 and the roof structure in general are not intended to be limited 20 to electrical wiring only. For example, ductwork and plumbing (not shown) could also be fed through. Although not shown, the roof chassis 14 could also be filled with insulation material, as could the base chassis 12. Once the roof chassis 14 has been wired up, the external roof cladding 78 can be applied. In the embodiment shown, this is in the form of roof cladding strips 78 which extend the entire length of the 25 building 10. The cross members 62 are configured so that every second of the cross members increases in height as they approach the centre of the chassis 14, that is, from a height spanning about half the width of the side beams at the ends of the chassis 14 to a height spanning the full width of the side beams at the middle of the chassis 14. This can be seen most clearly in Figures 1Oa-10b. It is to these members 62 of increasing and decreasing height along the length of the building which the roof cladding strips 78 are 30 attached, to ensure that they are at their highest point in the centre of the building and at their lowest point at the ends. The skilled addressee would realise that this facilitates water run off. Right at the very ends of the chassis are standard C-section cross members which, unlike the other standard cross members, are positioned at the top of the side beam rather than at the bottom. Also shown in the drawings is how at least two of the centrally located cross members abut with the lower 12 surface of the side beam upper flanges. It is these cross members at the centre and at the ends of the chassis which provide further strength to the roof structure and, in particular, to support a further building thereabove as will be described in more detail below. The skilled addressee would realise therefore that once the roof chassis 14 is lowered onto the 5 semi-assembled building shown in Figure 6, the service feeds 74 will be suspended from the apertures 72 into the building. There are also downwardly extending mounting plates 40 and 41 associated with the roof chassis 14 which are adapted to extend inside the vertical columns 44 and 42 respectively, as per the base chassis 12. For the purpose of brevity, their configuration will not be described again. The downwardly extending flange 64 associated with the side beams 62 will extend inside the building spaced 10 a short distance from the proximate wall panel 16. Lowering of the roof chassis 14 is best seen in Figures 11-12. The apertures 72 in the lower horizontal flange portions of the side beams 62 are positioned close to the downwardly extending flanges 64 such that once assembled, the apertures 72 are visible from inside the building in the space between the downward flange 64 and the wall 16. Wiring 74 extends out 15 from the aperture 72 and through this gap. The service feeds will then ready to be wired up to various items inside the building such as lights, power outlets, etc, and the space between downward flange and the wall can be sealed using any appropriate cladding means (not shown). Appropriate housing means (not shown) can also be used inside the building 10 to hide the service feeds along the walls and ceiling. Figures 13a-13b illustrate how a building 10 is able to be quite quickly and easily stacked above a 0 second building 10 using a forklift 38 whose tynes are adapted to be inserted into the base chassis channels 36. The roof chassis 14 may also be fitted with upwardly extending locating plates 76 around the perimeter of the chassis 14 so that the forklift operator can manoeuvre the building 10 until it is within the locating plates 76, before proceeding to lower it. It is envisaged that two, three or more buildings configured in the manner described above and illustrated in the drawings could be stacked one above the 25 other. The skilled addressee should now realise the benefits of the present invention. The building 10 is manufactures in kit form and the configuration of each component part and its method of manufacture ensure that it can be manufactured, assembled, transported to site, and stacked (if need be) in a minimum amount of time, and without the need for skilled labour. 30 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 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 hull scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

13 In any claims that follow and in the summary of the invention, except where the 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. 5

Claims (29)

1. A modular, transportable building characterised by: a base chassis including a plurality of mounting plates upstanding from said base chassis; a roof chassis including a plurality of mounting plates suspended downwardly from said roof 5 chassis and in vertical alignment with said base chassis mounting plates; and a plurality of hollow, vertical support columns adapted to extend between said base and roof chasses, each support column including opposed ends thereof means for engaging said vertically aligned mounting plates; and a plurality of wall panels extending between said support columns, each wall panel spanning the 10 height of the roof chassis from the base chassis.

2. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim I wherein said base chassis is substantially rectangular and includes two elongate side beams disposed extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said chassis, and a plurality of transversely extending cross members.

3. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 2 wherein said elongate side beams 15 are C-section beams directed inwardly such that the flanges of each side beam point towards each other.

4. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said cross members are C-section cross members having flanges directed towards a centre of the chassis, said cross members being elevated above two longitudinally extending I-beams disposed 20 inwardly and parallel to the elongate side beams, whereby upper flanges of the C-section cross members are aligned with upper flanges of the side beams, and lower flanges of the inner I-beams are aligned with lower flanges of the side beams.

5. A modular transportable building as characterised in any one of the above claims wherein said base chassis has associated therewith a lifting means for raising said building. 25

6. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 5 wherein said lifting means is in the form of two transversely extending, spaced apart hollow beams extending at least partially through said base chassis, said beams being configured to receive therein tynes of a forklift.

7. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 6 wherein said hollow beams are offset from a central transverse axis of said base chassis, to compensate for additional weight on 30 one end of the building. 15

8. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein said lifting means includes apertures on front and rear sides of said chassis for receiving cables associated with a crane for lifting the building.

9. A modular transportable building as characterised in any one of the above claims wherein said 5 roof chassis is of substantially the same dimension as the base chassis, and also includes two elongate side beams and a plurality of transversely extending cross members.

10. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 9 wherein said elongate side beams are C-section beams directed inwardly such that the flanges of each side beam point towards each other. 10

11. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 9 or claim 10 wherein said cross members are C-section cross members having flanges directed towards a centre of the chassis, each of said cross members including a lower flange which is aligned with lower flanges of the roof chassis side beams.

12. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 11 wherein ceiling panels are adapted 15 to be fastened to an underside of said roof chassis cross members.

13. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim II or claim 12 wherein every second cross member increases in height from ends of the roof chassis to the centre of the roof chassis where the upper flanges of said alternate cross members are aligned with upper flanges of the elongate side beams. 20

14. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 13 wherein longitudinal roof cladding sheets are adapted to be fastened to the every second cross members of increasing and then decreasing height along the length of the roof chassis, to thereby facilitate water run off from the roof cladding sheets.

15. A modular transportable building as characterised in any one of claims 10-14 wherein each of 25 said roof chassis side beams include an additional flange portion extending vertically downwards from the lower horizontal flange of the beam, said wall panels being mounted such that the downward flange portion is visible from inside the building and is spaced apart a short distance from the wall panels.

16. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 15 wherein the lower horizontal flange 30 portions of the roof chassis side beams include at least one aperture along their length, said aperture disposed in the area between the downward flange portion and the wall panel. 16

17. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 16 wherein utility supply means, such as electrical wiring, is adapted to be fed from an exterior location through an end of the roof chassis, inside and along the C-section side beams, and into the building through said at least one aperture. 5

18. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 16 or claim 17 wherein said roof chassis includes a number of apertures along the lower horizontal side beam flanges which corresponds with the number of separate occupant areas in the building.

19. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 18 wherein said building includes four individual occupant areas, and each of the elongate side beams of the roof chassis includes four 10 apertures along their length which extend into each of the occupant areas.

20. A modular, transportable building as characterised in any one of the above claims wherein said wall panel is a composite panel including a core of fire resistant insulation material sandwiched between planar rigid faces.

21. A modular transportable building as characterised in claim 20 wherein said wall panels are 15 rectangular in shape and are mounted vertically between the base chassis and roof chassis, each panel including an elongate male edge and an elongate female edge, whereby said male edge is adapted to engage the female edge of a second panel, and the female edge of the second panel is adapted to engage the male edge of a third panel, and so on, to form a flat wall of panels.

22. A modular, transportable building as characterised in claim 20 or claim 21 wherein at least one of 20 said wall panels includes a window.

23. A modular, transportable building as characterised in claim 20 or claim 21 wherein at least one of said wall panels includes a doorway.

24. A modular, transportable building as characterised in any one of the above claims wherein said building is adapted to be raised and stacked above an identically configured building whereby the 25 base chassis of a first building is adapted to sit above the roof chassis of a second building.

25. A multi-storey building for use in a portable camp including one or more buildings as characterised in any one of the above claims stacked one above the other.

26. A portable camp including a plurality of modular, transportable buildings as characterised in any one of claims 1-24. 30

27. A portable camp including a plurality of multi-story buildings as characterised in claim 25. 17

28. A method of manufacturing a modular, transportable building characterised by the steps of: assembling a base chassis comprising two elongate side beams, a plurality of cross members, and a lifting means; mounting a plurality of upwardly extending mounting plates to said base chassis side beams; 5 fastening vertical support columns at lower ends thereof to each of said base chassis mounting plates; inserting wall panels between said vertical support columns; assembling a roof chassis of substantially similar dimension to that of the base chassis, said roof chassis comprising two elongate side beams and a plurality of cross members; 10 mounting a plurality of downwardly extending mounting plates to said roof chassis side beams so that they are vertically aligned with the base chassis mounting plates when the roof chassis is lowered into position; lowering the roof chassis onto the vertical support columns and side walls; and fastening the vertical support columns at upper ends thereof to each of the roof chassis mounting 15 plates.

29. A modular, transportable building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.