CA1204267A

CA1204267A - Rectangular building module

Info

Publication number: CA1204267A
Application number: CA000492915A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Bogue B. Babicki
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-10-11
Filing date: 1985-10-11
Publication date: 1986-05-13

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A rectangular building module which includes two short posts locatable at diametrically opposite corners of the module for providing vertical support thereto. At a third corner of the module there is a long post and at a fourth corner there is fourth corner support means for vertically supporting the module at that corner. Four right-angled triangular truss members each having an acute angle corner, a right angle end and a hypotenuse end, are connectable between a long and short post or a short post and the fourth corner support means so as to form a rectangular structure with the trusses orientated vertically and their acute angle ends and right angle corners lying in a vertical plane.

Description

~12042~7 ~ El-r~N~ Lhf~ [~ i lvl~ Lf The present inven-tion relates to a rectangular buildin~
rnodule for use in a prefabricated building system designed for exhibition pavilions and like structures.
A typical approach to erecting buildings for exhibition pavilions and the like has been to construct designs tailored to a particular requirement and involving conventional steel or wood constructionO A good example of the la-tter is the exposition site of Expo 66 and Montreal 7 Canada where countless buildings still remain without having either been moved or used for alternative purposes~ Moreover7 often adverse soil conditions require costlier design measures in order to allow for such factors as excessive differential foundation settlement.
It is therefore an object o~ the invention to provide an improved building module for use in assembling buildings. It is another object of the invention to provide a building module capable of being used to construct buildings without interior columns. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a building module which can be easily dismantled and re-located for other uses.
SUMMAR~ OF T~IE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a rectangular building module which includes two short posts locatable at diametrically opposite corners of the module for providing vertical support thereto. At a third corner of the module there is a long post and a-t a fourth corner there is fourth corner support means for vertically supporting the module at that corner. Four right-angled triangular truss members each having an .

acute angle corner, a right anyle end and a hypotenuse end7 are connectab'le between a long and short post or a shor-t post and the fourth corner support rneans so as to form a rectangular structure w;th the trusses orientated vertically and their acute angle ends and right angle corners Iying in a vertical plane. Preferably, the connections between the truss members and the columns are removable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION ~F THE DRAWINGS
The novel fea-tures believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself7 however7 as well as other features and advantages thereof7 will be best understood by reference to the detailed description which fol'lows, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure I is a perspective view of the framework of a single module shown in schematic form;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the module of Figure 1 showing an alternative type of roof structure;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the elements that go into ; making up a single module and additional elements for connecting a single module to an adjacent module to form a columnless structure;
Figure 4 is a perspective partial view of a truss end coupling connection to a column member;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a 4 module assembly;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a 6 module assembly;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a 9 module assembly;
Figure 8 is a schema-tic of a plan view of the 9 module assembly;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a 16 module assembly;

- 12(~4Z67 Figure 10 is a front elevation view of the front wall of Figure l;
Figures ll to 13 are section views of the modular assemblies of Figures 5, 6, 7, and 9 taken along lines 11~11, 12-127 13-13; and Figure 14 i s a section view of the modular assembly of Figure 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFE~ENCE TO THE DRAWINGS
~eferring to Figure 1, there is shown the framework for a module 10 which consists of a pair of diagonally opposite long posts 14 and 24 and diagonally opposite short posts 20 and 22 located at the corners of a square or rectangle. A right-angled 15--- triangular truss member 13 i s attached at an acute angle corner 17 ; to the short post 20, at right angle corner ~5 to a long post 14, and at a hypotenuse end 19 to an upper end of long post 14.
Similarly, truss member 38 attaches to short post 20 and long post 24, truss member 36 between long post 24 and short post 22 and truss member 34 between short post 22 and long post 14. When assembled horizontal chords 16, 21, 23, and 25 of truss members 13,38,36, and 34, respectively, lie in a common plane.
Eight triangular roof ~anels 40 (see Figure 3~ are affixed to horizontal chords 16, 21, 23, and 25 of triangular trusses 13, 38, 36 and 34, respectively, znd are sealed by known means.
An alternative roof structure is seen in Figure 2 in which the roof panels~54 are attached to hypotenuse chords 12 and 33 of truss members 13 and 34 and extendson an incline from long post 14 to short posts 20 and 22. The other half of the roof formed by panels~56,~are horizontal.
Each -triangular truss 42 as seen in Figure 4 has a horizontal chord 49, a hypotenuse chord 58 and support arms 43 and ~04~67 45. Vertical support is provided by a long post 48 and a short post 44 when assembled. The remainir,g basic module components re~uired to make either a single module or interconnect a plurality of modules are shown also in Figure 4. These consist of triangular roof panels 40, rectangular wall panels 46, a z-shaped member 50 and an elongated member 52 which replaces one of the long pos-ts 48 when adjacent modules are to be interconnected~
Figure 4 shows the coupling connection of the ends of triangular trusses 42 and posts 44 and 48. The particular coupling shown is that -for hypotenuse member 58 and long post 4J3.
However, all of the other couplings are made in a similar way. In this case hypotenuse member 58 is split at its ends by two side plates 60 and 62 welded to member 58 and having bolts holes 70 therein. Larger access holes in the member 58 permit tightening of a bolt against plates 60 and 62. The receiving plate 66 of long post 48 is inserted into the post 48 then welded along seams 74. The plate is also pro~ided with a hole 72 which aligns with holes 70 in plates 60 and 62. When aligned a bolt is inserted through holes 70 and 72 and tighened a predetermined amount.
; 20 Two or more modules can be coupled together as shown in Figure 5. In this case the adjacent long posts of each module are replaced with an elongated member 52 and each pair of members 52 are interconnected by a z-shaped member 50 forming a central rectangular block shaped structure 76. Thus all interior posts may be eliminated by utilizing the block-shaped structure 76. A
typical size for such a structure is 33 meters by 33 meters or approximately 1000 square meters of column free floor space.
A six module structure is shown in Figure 6. In this case two rectangular block-shaped structures 52 are used -to extend the length to slightly more than the width of 3 modules. A
typical width attainable for such an arrangement is 33 meters by 51 meters or approximately 1680 square meters of column free floor ' ~

, .

1~04; :67 space. The ~ module structure of Figure 6 has an arrangement of modules and interconnections similar to -those of four module assembly of Fiyure 5, except that in order to conserve of the symmetry of the assembly about both axes. the inner double truss of the middle module was split and its connection reversed so that one truss 81 has a pinned connection to the adjacent left module and the other 83 to the adJacent right module.
The 9 module assembly of Figure 7 makes a typical structure 5I meters square and has double back-to back- trusses 85 and 87 arranged in a closed loop forming the cyclical symmetry as exemplified more clearly in Figure 8.
The structure of a single module can be seen in Figure lO
while the configuration along -the interconnection zone of the assembly of modules shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 9 taken along lines 11-11, 12-12, 13-13 and 14-14, respectively, can be seen in Figures 11, 1~, 13 and 14, respectively. In the case of the sixteen module building, the building consists of four 1000 meter assemblies arranged in a large square. The four corner columns of four, IOO0 meter buildings meet at the center to form a central tower 77. In addition, four clusters of columns occurring inside the large square are removed and replaced by four sets of cables 79 on the central tower 77 The roof panels 40 consist of triangular wood panels made of glued laminated frame beams and plywood stress-skin infill panels. The wall panels 46 are composed of glued laminated mullions and infill plywood panels. The walls are attached to and are hung from the perimeter roof frame beams and are cannected at ground level to concrete grade beams to transfer lateral loads only.
The components of the foregoing assemblies can be made completely interchangeable so that those components from a four module structure could be used in four slngle module structures ; 5 12(~4Z67 and vice versa. However, for particular c7ssemblies such as the9 module one where rnuch greater forces exist in the trusses it may be desirable to use heavier sections.
While this invention has been described with reference to an illustrative embodiment, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the illustrative embodiment, as well as other embodiments of the invention, wil`l be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description. It is, therfore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications of embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A rectangular building module, comprising:
2 short posts locatable at diametrically opposite corners of said module for providing vertical support thereto;
1 long post locatable at a third corner of said module for providing vertical support thereto;
fourth corner support means for vertically supporting said module at a fourth corner thereof;
4 right-angled triangular truss members each having an acute angle corner and a right angle end and a hypotenuse end, acute angle ends of two of said truss members attachable to an upper end of one of said posts, acute angle ends of the other two truss members attachable to another of said corner posts, right angle and hypotenuse ends of two of said truss members attachable to said long post and right angle and hypotenuse ends of the other two of said truss members attachable to said fourth corner support means wherein the acute angle corners and the right angle ends lie in a common horizontal plane.

2. A building module according to claim 1, wherein said fourth corner support means is a second long post.

3. A building module according to claim 1, wherein said fourth corner support means includes an elongated member extending from said right angle ends of two of said truss members to hypotenuse ends thereof, and a z-shaped member attachable to said elongated member and couplable to an elongated member of an adjacent module such that a plurality of such modules are couplable to form a multi-module building without interior posts extending to the ground.

4. A building module according to claim 2, including a diagonal roof member extending across and attachable to said diagonally opposite short posts.

5. A building module according to claim 4, including a plurality of triangular ceiling panels affixable to horizontal chords of said truss members, a cable attachable to a top of said first long posts and intermediate thereof to corners of said triangular panels centrally of said module for providing vertical support thereto.

6. A building module according to claim 4, including raised roof panels attachable to a top chord of two of said right-angled truss members which attach to a common long post and to said diagonal roof member.

7. A building module according to claim 3, including a diagonal roof member extending across and attachable to said diagonally opposite short posts.

8. A building module according to claim 7, including a plurality of triangular ceiling panels affixable to horizontal chords of said truss members, a cable attachable to a top of said first long posts and intermediate thereof to corners of said triangular panels centrally of said module for providing vertical support thereto.

9. A building module according to claim 8, including raised roof panels attachable to a top chord of two of said right-angled truss members which attach to a common long post and to said diagonal roof member.

10. A building module according to claim 6, including a plurality of wall panels attachable at an upper edge thereof to horizontal chords of said truss members for covering exterior walls of said module.

11. A building module according to claim 9, including a plurality of wall panels attachable at an upper edge thereof to horizontal chords of said truss members for covering exterior walls of said module.