AU8150487A

AU8150487A - Modular building

Info

Publication number: AU8150487A
Application number: AU81504/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Donald Sydney Gould
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-10-09
Filing date: 1987-10-09
Publication date: 1988-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2007-10-09
Also published as: AU594533B2; WO1988002800A1

Description

"MODULAR BUILDING" TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a modular building and has been devised particularly though not solely as a low cost, demountable and reusable building.

BACKGROUND ART There is a need to provide a simple method of erecting a modular building which will enable a large clear span building to be erected over a predetermined area and which is readily adaptable to a large number of uses. In the past, buildings of this type, having a large clear central area without supporting pillars, have normally required the use of heavy beams to support the ceiling and have been complicated and time consuming to erect. The weight of the components in such buildings severely limits the portability and/or demountability of such buildings reducing their suitability for quick and easy transport (particularly by aircraft) into the areas desired for erection.

There are also many instances where there is a need to provide a relatively low cost large building which is readily adaptable to many different applications. In some applications the building must be provided with open ends allowing access by large items, vehicles or aircraft, and accordingly the building must be rigid and self-supporting without the incorporation of end walls or transverse intermediate walls.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION In one aspect the present invention therefore provides a modular building having at least two side walls and a roof, comprising a plurality of modular panels forming sections of the building, each section extending from footings at each side of the building upwardly in a side wall portion and then inwardly and upwardly in a sloping roof portion meeting at a ridge located on or about the centreline of the building, each section being of predetermined width and connectable to similar adjacent sections forming a building of the desired length, wherein tendons are provided, each tendon extending between anchor points adjacent the upper part of the side wall portions on either side of the building transversely beneath the roof portion through a central hanger location below the ridge such that each tendon is diverted upwardly above a straight line between the anchor points by the central hanger, and wherein intermediate hangers are provided between the sloping roof portions and each tendon, causing the tendon to be diverted upwardly above a straight line between each anchor point and the point where the tendon passes through the central hanger, and tensioning means incorporated into each tendon adapted to shorten the length of that tendon such that when the tendons are tensioned by the tensioning means, opposed upward forces on the sloping roof portions caused by inward force on the anchor points are balanced by downward forces from the central and intermediate hangers.

Preferably the sections of the building are formed from modular panels joined end to end and incorporating a joining flange down one edge of each panel such that a continous flange is formed down one edge of each section. Preferably the panels are formed from corrugated sheet material with the corrugations running parallel to the edge flange- Preferably the panels are formed by moulding glass reinforced plastics material into the desired configuration. Alternatively the panels are formed by pressing sheet metal into the desired configuration.

Preferably the panels include a curved panel forming a uniform curved transition between the upper part of the side wall portion and the lower part of the sloping roof portion. In a further aspect the present invention provides a method of erecting a modular building having at least two side walls and a roof, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of modular panels, connecting selected panels to form a section comprising a side wall portion connected to an inwardly and upwardly sloping roof portion terminating in a ridge portion, mounting the lower edge of a side wall portion on a preformed footing and supporting the roof portion in a desired location, adding further similar sections side by side to form a first side of a building of the desired length, adding still further similar sections on the opposite side of the building and connecting the ridge portions of the still further sections with the ridge portions of the first side so forming the second side of the building, connecting tendons between anchor points on opposite sides of the building adjacent the upper part of the side wall portions at spaced intervals along the length of the building, the tendons being diverted upwardly above a straight line between the anchor points by a central hanger extending downwardly from the ridge, and further diverted upwardly above a straight line between each anchor point and the point where the tendon passes through the central hanger by intermediate hangers extending downwardly from the sloping roof portion, and tensioning each tendon.

Preferably the sections on the first side of the building are supported at or adjacent the ridge portions by a temporary beam during erection of the building.

Preferably the tendons are tensioned by turnbuckles or similar tensioning devices.

Preferably the footings are preformed from poured concrete and comprise either strip footings along the line of each side wall, or alternatively are provided by the edges of a continuous concrete slab floor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Notwithstanding any other forms that may fall within its scope, one preferred form of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a transverse elevation through one half of a modular building according to the invention, showing various transverse cross-sections through a modular section of the building;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, parallel to the ridge of the building, showing two adjacent sections joined one to the other;

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view through a completed modular building according to the invention; - A - Fig. 4 is a detailed transverse cross-section of the ridge of the building;

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-section through the join between roof and side wall portions showing the placement of a rain gutter; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-section through one edge of a modular panel showing the side flange and reinforcing.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The preferred form of the invention will be described as a modular building formed from panels which are constructed from glass reinforced plastics material (commonly referred to as "fibreglass") but it will be appreciated that other materials such as pressed sheet metal could be used to form the modular building panels. Glass reinforced plastic does however have the advantage that it is simple and inexpensive to fabricate, lightweight in nature, and has a maintenance free surface which is resistant to degradation from the environment.

Referring to Fig. 3 which shows the general cross-sectional shape of the building, it will be seen that the building may conveniently be placed on a prepoured concrete slab (1) having reinforced edges (2) which conveniently form footings for the lower edges of side wall portions (3). In an alternative form of the invention the footings (2) may be separately provided leaving a simple earth floor in the building.

The building generally comprises side wall portions (3) and sloping roof portions (4) which extend inwardly and upwardly from the side walls (3) to meet at a ridge (5) . The building may be provided of this section to any desired length, and it is a feature of the invention that the building does not require transverse bulkheads or end walls in order to provide a rigid structure. It is preferred that the side wall portions (3) merge into the roof portions (4) by way of uniformly curved transitional portions (6). The building is constructed from a plurality of sections of predetermined width added end to end to form a building of the desired length. One such section is shown in Fig. 1 which incorporates a number of cross-sectional views through the section at various points. From Fig. 1 it will be seen that the side wall portion (3) is formed from a panel of sheet material (7) which is preferably corrugated to reinforce the panel construction and provide improved rigidity. The section is formed by connecting together the side wall panel (3) and a further panel forming the roof portion (4). The two panels are interconnected over the curved portion (6) and overlap so that the downwardly curved edge portion (8) of the roof portion (4) overlaps outside the upper edge (9) of the side wall panel (3). Each panel is provided with a reinforced side flange (10) which can be seen in greater detail in Fig. 6. Typically each side flange incorporates a reinforcing member (11) which may, for example, be a timber plank typically glassed up into the fibreglass skin construction (12). The flange typically has a curled lower edge (13) for added reinforcement and to assist in the interconnection of adjacent building sections. The side wall portion (3) is formed with an extended flange portion (14) (Fig. 1) so that the extended flange portion overlaps with the flange portion of the roof portion (4) and can be bolted or otherwise fastened together by connectors (15). A large number of roof portions (4) and separate side wall portions (3) can be nested together with similar portions and transported to the proposed building site readily by road, rail or air. Because the panels are lightweight, and because they nest together, their transportation is easy and economical.

On site, each side wall panel (3) is bolted to its respective roof panel (4) forming a modular section of the building and the first section is then placed with its lower edge (16) located on and secured to the footing (2). The upper part of the section is conveniently supported by a temporary longitudinal beam (not shown) located under or adjacent to the ridge (5). Once one section has been placed, a further similar section is offered up alongside the first section and secured to the first section by bolting through adjacent flanges as shown at (17) (Fig. 2). This process is completed until one side of the entire building of a desired length has been fabricated. The wall and roof portions to complete each entire transverse section are then placed on the second side of the building and similarly bolted to each other and interconnected at the ridge (5) as shown in Fig. 4 by fasteners (18). Rain gutters (19) may be provided at the join between the curved roof panel (8) and the upper part of the side wall panel (3) as shown in Fig. 5.

Once this process has been completed, the basic building shell is in place with the roof at least partially supported by the temporary beam, but the entire shell is rather "floppy" in nature and lacking in rigidity and therefore unsuitable for permanent use in this configuration due to the lightweight of the bulding panels. The required rigidity and strength of the building is then provided by a unique supporting system using tendons extending transversely across the building below the roof portions. Turning now to Fig. 3, the tendons (20) can be seen extending transversely across the building between anchor points (21) located on either side adjacent the upper part of the side wall portions (3). The tendons may take any convenient form but are preferably formed from rods or cables. The tendons are provided with tensioning means in the form of turnbuckles (22) and are preferably continuous from the anchor point (21) on one side of the building to the opposed anchor point (21) on the opposite side. The tendons are spaced down the length of the building at any desired interval, but preferably there is one tendon provided for each modular building section.

Each tendon passes through a number of hangers including a central hanger (23) which extends downwardly from the ridge (5) and incorporates a hole or guide through which the tendon passes. The tendon is diverted upwardly by the central hanger above a straight line between the anchor points (21).

Further intermediate hangers (24) are provided extending downwardly from the roof portion (4) between the central hanger (23) and each anchor point (21), and the intermediate hangers are similarly of such a length that they divert each tendon (20) upwardly above a straight line between the anchor point (21) and the point where the tendon passes through the central hanger (23). In this manner each tendon is restrained into a predetermined upwardly convex curve between the anchor points (21) .

After all of the tendons have been placed as previously described, the tendons are tensioned by operating the turnbuckles (22). The tensioning of each tendon tends to pull the anchor points (21) toward one another which would normally distort the section of the building causing the upper parts of the side wall to move inwardly and the ridge (5) and roof portions (4) to move upwardly under the influence of the inward forces on the anchor points (21) . These forces are balanced by the downward forces applied to the hangers (23) and (24) by the tensioning of the tendon, due to the fact that the tendon is diverted upwardly above its natural straight line by each hanger. The downward forces on the hangers balance the upward force applied to the roof by the inward force on the anchor points (21) so that the entire section reaches an equilibrium wherein the various components are tensioned and become rigid, giving considerable rigidity and strength to the entire building shell.

The building may be finished off if desired by providing transverse end wall portions although this is not necessary for the rigidity of the building and in some applications, e.g. military or farming applications, the ends may be left open for ready access to the interior of the building. Various wall portion sections may be provided with preformed doors which can be inserted into the shell in any desired location giving considerable flexibility to the arrangement and configuration of the building. Similarly various sections of the roof portion (4) may be formed from the glass reinforced plastics material without a gel coat covering so that those portions are translucent and admit light into the interior of the building. In many applications the building may be used as a simple shell as previously described, or alternatively a suspended ceiling may be inserted and the side walls lined giving a superior building fit for habitation or for use as an office, etc. It is an important feature of the building that it has the ability to be dismantled and erected any number of times without loss of its properties or without degradation of its weather sealing capabilities. Because of the overlapping nature of the flanges and various components, the building is quite waterproof when fully assembled and requires no sealants.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A modular building having at least two side walls and a roof, comprising a plurality of modular panels forming sections of the building, each section extending from footings at each side of the building upwardly in a side wall portion and then inwardly and upwardly in a sloping roof portion meeting at a ridge located on or about the centreline of the building, each section being of predetermined width and connectable to similar adjacent sections forming a building of the desired length, wherein tendons are provided, each tendon extending between anchor points adjacent the upper part of the side wall portions on either side of the building transversely beneath the roof portion through a central hanger location below the ridge such that each tendon is diverted upwardly above a straight line between the anchor points by the central hanger, and wherein intermediate hangers are provided between the sloping roof portions and each tendon, causing the tendon to be diverted upwardly above a straight line between each anchor point and the point where the tendon passes through the central hanger, and tensioning means incorporated into each tendon adapted to shorten the length of that tendon such that when the tendons are tensioned by the tensioning means, opposed upward forces on the sloping roof portions caused by inward force on the anchor points are balanced by downward forces from the central and intermediate hangers.
2. A modular building as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sections of the building are formed from modular panels joined end to end and incorporating a joining flange down one edge of each panel such that a continous flange is formed down one edge of each section.
3. A modular building as claimed in claim 2, wherein the panels are formed from corrugated sheet material with the corrugations running parallel to the edge flange.
4. A modular building as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panels are formed by moulding glass reinforced plastics material into the desired configuration.
5. A modular building as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the panels are formed by pressing sheet metal into the desired configuration.
6. A modular building as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panels include a curved panel forming a uniform curved transition between the upper part of the side wall portion and the lower part of the sloping roof portion.
7. A method of erecting a modular building having at least two side walls and a roof, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of modular panels, connecting selected panels to form a section comprising a side wall portion connected to an inwardly and upwardly sloping roof portion terminating in a ridge portion, mounting the lower edge of a side wall portion on a preformed footing and supporting the roof portion in a desired location, adding further similar sections side by side to form a first side of a building of the desired length, adding still further similar sections on the opposite side of the building and connecting the ridge portions of the still further sections with the ridge portions of the first side so forming the second side of the building, connecting tendons between anchor points on opposite sides of the building adjacent the upper part of the side wall portions at spaced intervals along the length of the building, the tendons being diverted upwardly above a straight line between the anchor points by a central hanger extending downwardly from the ridge, and further diverted upwardly above a straight line between each anchor point and the point where the tendon passes through the central hanger by intermediate hangers extending downwardly from the sloping roof portion, and tensioning each tendon.
8. A method of erecting a modular building as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sections on the first side of the building are supported at or adjacent the ridge portions by a temporary beam during erection of the building.
9. A method of erecting a modular building as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the tendons are tensioned by turnbuckles or similar tensioning devices.