CA2144939A1 - Building structure - Google Patents
Building structureInfo
- Publication number
- CA2144939A1 CA2144939A1 CA002144939A CA2144939A CA2144939A1 CA 2144939 A1 CA2144939 A1 CA 2144939A1 CA 002144939 A CA002144939 A CA 002144939A CA 2144939 A CA2144939 A CA 2144939A CA 2144939 A1 CA2144939 A1 CA 2144939A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- building structure
- slab
- slabs
- aligned
- wall units
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
- E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
- E04B1/02—Structures consisting primarily of load-supporting, block-shaped, or slab-shaped elements
- E04B1/04—Structures consisting primarily of load-supporting, block-shaped, or slab-shaped elements the elements consisting of concrete, e.g. reinforced concrete, or other stone-like material
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Architecture (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Joining Of Building Structures In Genera (AREA)
Abstract
A building structure comprised of a plurality of precast slabs, each slab having a downwardly extending rim at its perimeter, and a pair of arms extending outwardly adjacent the bottoms of the rims at a pair of opposite sides of the slabs so as to form steps between upper surfaces of the arms and the upper surface of the slab, and a wall unit extending from an upper surface of each arm of a lower slab adjacent the outside of the rim to a corresponding lower surface of a corresponding arm of an upper slab, so as to support the upper slab.
Description
214 193g FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to building structures and in particular to a multistory structure which is suitable for mass production.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Multistory buildings are generally built using floor and ceiling slabs which are poured in place or prefabricated and are fixed to vertical columns or wall, which are also poured in place or prefabricated. The walls could be one story high modules, an example of which may be found in Canadian Patent 1,188,125 issued June 4, 1985 and invented by William Teron.
Such structures are unsuitable for the production of plural identical or nearly identical multistory buildings such as schools that require large expanse of uninterrupted interior space, due to relatively high cost and excessively heavy construction.
Part of the high cost is due to the requirement for substantial prestressing of the cast elements to provide the column free space. The high cost is also due to the requirement for heavy temporary formwork to support the poured in place concrete, and skilled labor needed on site to build the forms, pour the concrete and remove the forms. The construction process is also slow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a building structure that is inexpensive, can be produced in large volumes using standard precast elements, and which requires prestressing in only supporting parts of a slab and which forms both a floor and a ceiling to the stories of the building.
The building structure of the present invention utilizes a prefabricated slab that has a large central region and peripheral legs forming a rim. Cantilevered arms extend outwardly from a pair of the legs on opposide sides of the slab, offset downwardly from the central region. The arms can be used as exterior walkways, window overhangs, etc.
Vertical preferably precast modular slab-supporting structures containing windows, doors, etc.interface with the junctions of the legs and the cantilevered overhangs. Due to the offset between the arms and the legs, a natural rain sill is created against the intrusion of rain. The offset provides a location which is evident to relatively unskilled persons where to place the slab-supporting structures during construction.
Since the slab-supporting structures bear against each other to footings through the part of the cantilevered arms immediately next to the legs, they cause no bending stress on the slabs, and the legs are the only parts of the slab structures that require major reinforcing or prestressing to support floor loads.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a building structure is comprised of a plurality of precast slabs, each slab having a prestressed downwardly extending rim at its perimeter, and a pair of arms extending outwardly adjacent the bottoms of the rims at a pair of opposite sides of the slabs so as to form steps between upper surfaces of the arms and the upper surface of the slab, and a wall unit extending from an upper surface of each arm of a lower - slab adjacent the outside of the rim to a corresponding lower surface of a corresponding arm of an upper slab, so as to support the upper slab.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the invention will be obtained by reading the description of the invention below, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
214~939 Figure 1 is a crossection of a building in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is an enlarged isometric view of a part of the building shown in Figure 1, 5Figure 3 is an isometric view of the building of Figure 1 at various stages of construction, Figure 4 is a crossection of a a pair of adjacent legs of a precast element, and Figure 5 is a cross-section of a pair of adjacent wall modules.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a multistory building is constructed of a precast floor/ceiling element 1. The precast element 1 is formed of a slab portion 3 cast with and having legs 5A
running along each of its sides, forming a rim.
Cantilevered arms 7A and 7B extend outwardly from a pair of opposite legs 5 along preferably short sides of the precast element 1, but are downwardly offset from the upper surface of the slab portion 3.
Precast wall modules 9 are vertically supported outside the legs 5 along the corner formed by the legs 5 and the arms 7A and 7B, and thus the planes of the wall modules 9 are aligned. Below the building poured footings 11 or other foundation systems support the bottom of the lowermost wall modules.
As a result of the described structure, the weight of the wall modules are all transmitted through each other and through aligned portions of each of the cantilevered arms 7A or 7B to the footings. There is no bending stress on the cantilevered arms caused by the wall modules 9. Indeed, the weight of the wall modules 9 helps to relieve bending stress on the legs 5 that would otherwise be caused by the structure and load of the cantilevered arms.
The weight of the slab 3 and eventual floor loads will cause some bending stress on legs 5, but other than for that reason, there is no substantial need for other prestressing elements to be cast in the slab.
The strength of the legs allows the slab 3 to be very thin.
The structure shown in Figure 1 does not show a precast element 1 such as is used in higher stories of the structure, as the lowest floor, which can be cast in place, but if desired such a precast element can be used as the lowest floor. Since the precast element 1 is used both as a floor for the story above and as a ceiling for the story below, a precast element is used as a ceiling for the highest story, by which a roof 13 is supported. The roof can be supported from the top precast element 1 (which in this case has no arms) by triangular supports 15 as shown, or can be supported by trusses, or any other suitable structure. A traditional roof of trusses could also be built above the ceiling slab.
Each precast element 1 can be e.g. 10 feet wide by 25 feet long, plural elements being aligned along their 25 foot edge to form a long plane surface as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Fences and handrails 17 can be fixed to the ends of the upper surfaces of cantilevered arms 7A, whereby these cantilevered arms can be used as a protected walkway. Sun visors 19 can be hung from the ends of the bottom surfaces of cantilevered arms 7A and 7B to shield the sun from the windows contained in the wall modules 9 of the stories below.
The legs (rim) of the precast elements preferably are about 6 inches thick and 1 foot deep, and contain metal reinforcing or prestressing bars. The cantilevered arms 7A and 7B can be several inches thick, sufficient to support their dead weight and live loads.
214~9~9 Construction of the building will be understood with reference to Figure 3, which shows increasing finish of the building from left to right. Concrete footings 11 (shown in the form of posts) are poured, followed by wall module supports 21 over the posts. The lowest story of wall modules 9 are placed over the wall module supports 21 and are abutted and fixed to each other by anchors or the like.
The precast elements 1 are then disposed over the tops of the wall modules 9, abutting each other over the length of the building. The tops of the wall modules 9 should abut the bottoms of the cantilevered arms just outside the legs 5.
A second story of abutting wall modules 9 is then stood vertically on the top surface of the cantilevered arms, just outside and abutting the legs 5, and in alignment with the wall modules below. Precast elements 1 are then disposed over the tops of this story of wall modules 9 in a manner similar to the previous story of precast elements. This sequence continues for as high as the design of the building permits.
Roof supporting elements 15 are stood vertically on the top-most precast elements 1, supporting roof 13.
Once a floor of precast elements is in place, workers can affix fences and handrails 17 as well as sun visors 19 to the outer edges of the cantilevered arms.
It should be noted that due to the presence of the cantilevered arms on each side of the building, workers can stand on them during construction, e.g. to fix windows into window openings of the wall modules, minimizing the need for scaffolding.
It is preferred that the shape of the legs 5 should be somewhat angled inwardly or the undersides of 21~4~9 -the slabs, in order to give an architectural shape to the ceiling.
It will be noted that since the legs border the adjacent edges of the slabs, from underneath each ceiling of a constructed building will have an attractive waffled apprearance with a polished smooth finish from polished formwork. It is preferred that the legs of adjacent precast elements shown should be indented slightly inward of the end of the slab, as shown in Figure 4, in order to create a slight overhang 23. Overhangs 23 of adjacent slabs are placed abutting each other, thus creating a cavity or pocket 25 running laterally across the room at the junction of each slab.
Utilities 27 such as light fixtures, wiring, water pipes, etc. can be contained within the pockets as required by other aspects of the building design, and the pockets can be covered to hide the utility structures as desired.
By providing such spaces for services, a suspended ceiling does not have to be installed throughout allowing the smooth waffled concrete to be the finished ceiling. The result is cost and time savings. In addition services are not exposed.
With each precast element having a similar width as each wall module 9, and the junctions of adjoining wall modules forming a similar cavity aligned with the cavity at the junctions of the legs of the slab, the utilities can be run vertically through the building and laterally across the ceilings within the cavities as shown in Figure 5.
Due to its modular structure, minimum prestressed elements, cantilevered arms which form sun visors, walkways and floors for construction workers, dropped walkways, and large uninterrupted spaces, the building has been found to be easily constructed by 21~493~
.
relatively unskilled workers, inexpensive, and suitable for rainy underdeveloped countries as schools, meeting halls, etc.
A person understanding this invention may now conceive of alternative structures and embodiments or variations of the above. All of those which fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto are considered to be part of the present invention.
This invention relates to building structures and in particular to a multistory structure which is suitable for mass production.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Multistory buildings are generally built using floor and ceiling slabs which are poured in place or prefabricated and are fixed to vertical columns or wall, which are also poured in place or prefabricated. The walls could be one story high modules, an example of which may be found in Canadian Patent 1,188,125 issued June 4, 1985 and invented by William Teron.
Such structures are unsuitable for the production of plural identical or nearly identical multistory buildings such as schools that require large expanse of uninterrupted interior space, due to relatively high cost and excessively heavy construction.
Part of the high cost is due to the requirement for substantial prestressing of the cast elements to provide the column free space. The high cost is also due to the requirement for heavy temporary formwork to support the poured in place concrete, and skilled labor needed on site to build the forms, pour the concrete and remove the forms. The construction process is also slow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a building structure that is inexpensive, can be produced in large volumes using standard precast elements, and which requires prestressing in only supporting parts of a slab and which forms both a floor and a ceiling to the stories of the building.
The building structure of the present invention utilizes a prefabricated slab that has a large central region and peripheral legs forming a rim. Cantilevered arms extend outwardly from a pair of the legs on opposide sides of the slab, offset downwardly from the central region. The arms can be used as exterior walkways, window overhangs, etc.
Vertical preferably precast modular slab-supporting structures containing windows, doors, etc.interface with the junctions of the legs and the cantilevered overhangs. Due to the offset between the arms and the legs, a natural rain sill is created against the intrusion of rain. The offset provides a location which is evident to relatively unskilled persons where to place the slab-supporting structures during construction.
Since the slab-supporting structures bear against each other to footings through the part of the cantilevered arms immediately next to the legs, they cause no bending stress on the slabs, and the legs are the only parts of the slab structures that require major reinforcing or prestressing to support floor loads.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a building structure is comprised of a plurality of precast slabs, each slab having a prestressed downwardly extending rim at its perimeter, and a pair of arms extending outwardly adjacent the bottoms of the rims at a pair of opposite sides of the slabs so as to form steps between upper surfaces of the arms and the upper surface of the slab, and a wall unit extending from an upper surface of each arm of a lower - slab adjacent the outside of the rim to a corresponding lower surface of a corresponding arm of an upper slab, so as to support the upper slab.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the invention will be obtained by reading the description of the invention below, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
214~939 Figure 1 is a crossection of a building in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is an enlarged isometric view of a part of the building shown in Figure 1, 5Figure 3 is an isometric view of the building of Figure 1 at various stages of construction, Figure 4 is a crossection of a a pair of adjacent legs of a precast element, and Figure 5 is a cross-section of a pair of adjacent wall modules.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a multistory building is constructed of a precast floor/ceiling element 1. The precast element 1 is formed of a slab portion 3 cast with and having legs 5A
running along each of its sides, forming a rim.
Cantilevered arms 7A and 7B extend outwardly from a pair of opposite legs 5 along preferably short sides of the precast element 1, but are downwardly offset from the upper surface of the slab portion 3.
Precast wall modules 9 are vertically supported outside the legs 5 along the corner formed by the legs 5 and the arms 7A and 7B, and thus the planes of the wall modules 9 are aligned. Below the building poured footings 11 or other foundation systems support the bottom of the lowermost wall modules.
As a result of the described structure, the weight of the wall modules are all transmitted through each other and through aligned portions of each of the cantilevered arms 7A or 7B to the footings. There is no bending stress on the cantilevered arms caused by the wall modules 9. Indeed, the weight of the wall modules 9 helps to relieve bending stress on the legs 5 that would otherwise be caused by the structure and load of the cantilevered arms.
The weight of the slab 3 and eventual floor loads will cause some bending stress on legs 5, but other than for that reason, there is no substantial need for other prestressing elements to be cast in the slab.
The strength of the legs allows the slab 3 to be very thin.
The structure shown in Figure 1 does not show a precast element 1 such as is used in higher stories of the structure, as the lowest floor, which can be cast in place, but if desired such a precast element can be used as the lowest floor. Since the precast element 1 is used both as a floor for the story above and as a ceiling for the story below, a precast element is used as a ceiling for the highest story, by which a roof 13 is supported. The roof can be supported from the top precast element 1 (which in this case has no arms) by triangular supports 15 as shown, or can be supported by trusses, or any other suitable structure. A traditional roof of trusses could also be built above the ceiling slab.
Each precast element 1 can be e.g. 10 feet wide by 25 feet long, plural elements being aligned along their 25 foot edge to form a long plane surface as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Fences and handrails 17 can be fixed to the ends of the upper surfaces of cantilevered arms 7A, whereby these cantilevered arms can be used as a protected walkway. Sun visors 19 can be hung from the ends of the bottom surfaces of cantilevered arms 7A and 7B to shield the sun from the windows contained in the wall modules 9 of the stories below.
The legs (rim) of the precast elements preferably are about 6 inches thick and 1 foot deep, and contain metal reinforcing or prestressing bars. The cantilevered arms 7A and 7B can be several inches thick, sufficient to support their dead weight and live loads.
214~9~9 Construction of the building will be understood with reference to Figure 3, which shows increasing finish of the building from left to right. Concrete footings 11 (shown in the form of posts) are poured, followed by wall module supports 21 over the posts. The lowest story of wall modules 9 are placed over the wall module supports 21 and are abutted and fixed to each other by anchors or the like.
The precast elements 1 are then disposed over the tops of the wall modules 9, abutting each other over the length of the building. The tops of the wall modules 9 should abut the bottoms of the cantilevered arms just outside the legs 5.
A second story of abutting wall modules 9 is then stood vertically on the top surface of the cantilevered arms, just outside and abutting the legs 5, and in alignment with the wall modules below. Precast elements 1 are then disposed over the tops of this story of wall modules 9 in a manner similar to the previous story of precast elements. This sequence continues for as high as the design of the building permits.
Roof supporting elements 15 are stood vertically on the top-most precast elements 1, supporting roof 13.
Once a floor of precast elements is in place, workers can affix fences and handrails 17 as well as sun visors 19 to the outer edges of the cantilevered arms.
It should be noted that due to the presence of the cantilevered arms on each side of the building, workers can stand on them during construction, e.g. to fix windows into window openings of the wall modules, minimizing the need for scaffolding.
It is preferred that the shape of the legs 5 should be somewhat angled inwardly or the undersides of 21~4~9 -the slabs, in order to give an architectural shape to the ceiling.
It will be noted that since the legs border the adjacent edges of the slabs, from underneath each ceiling of a constructed building will have an attractive waffled apprearance with a polished smooth finish from polished formwork. It is preferred that the legs of adjacent precast elements shown should be indented slightly inward of the end of the slab, as shown in Figure 4, in order to create a slight overhang 23. Overhangs 23 of adjacent slabs are placed abutting each other, thus creating a cavity or pocket 25 running laterally across the room at the junction of each slab.
Utilities 27 such as light fixtures, wiring, water pipes, etc. can be contained within the pockets as required by other aspects of the building design, and the pockets can be covered to hide the utility structures as desired.
By providing such spaces for services, a suspended ceiling does not have to be installed throughout allowing the smooth waffled concrete to be the finished ceiling. The result is cost and time savings. In addition services are not exposed.
With each precast element having a similar width as each wall module 9, and the junctions of adjoining wall modules forming a similar cavity aligned with the cavity at the junctions of the legs of the slab, the utilities can be run vertically through the building and laterally across the ceilings within the cavities as shown in Figure 5.
Due to its modular structure, minimum prestressed elements, cantilevered arms which form sun visors, walkways and floors for construction workers, dropped walkways, and large uninterrupted spaces, the building has been found to be easily constructed by 21~493~
.
relatively unskilled workers, inexpensive, and suitable for rainy underdeveloped countries as schools, meeting halls, etc.
A person understanding this invention may now conceive of alternative structures and embodiments or variations of the above. All of those which fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto are considered to be part of the present invention.
Claims (17)
1. A building structure comprising a plurality of precast slabs, each slab having a downwardly extending rim at its perimeter, and a pair of arms extending outwardly adjacent the bottoms of the rims at a pair of opposite sides of the slabs so as to form steps between upper surfaces of the arms and the upper surface of the slab, and a wall unit extending from an upper surface of each arm of a lower slab adjacent the outside of the rim to a corresponding lower surface of a corresponding arm of an upper slab, so as to support the upper slab.
2. A building structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the wall units are precast.
3. A building structure as defined in claim 2 wherein at least one of the wall units contains a window or door opening.
4. A building structure as defined in claim 1 including plural abutting precast slabs, their upper surfaces being aligned and their arms being aligned, and plural wall units being aligned, whereby large plane floor surfaces are formed of the upper surfaces of aligned slabs between the wall units and at least one downwardly offset elongated horizontal surface is formed outside of one set of aligned wall units.
5. A building structure as defined in claim 4 wherein the wall units are precast, plural ones of the wall units containing windows or doors.
6. A building structure as defined in claim 4 in which the width of each of the wall units is similar to the width of each of the slabs between abutting edges.
7. A building structure as defined in claim 4 in which adjacent abutting rims of at least a pair of slabs contain indents whereby indents of adjoining rims form a slab cavity.
8. A building structure as defined in claim 7 further including building utilities contained within the slab cavity.
9. A building structure as defined in claim 7, in which adjacent abutting wall units, aligned with said rims of slabs, contain indents forming a wall cavity aligned with the slab cavity.
10. A building structure as defined in claim 9 including building utilities contained within the wall and slab cavities.
11. A building structure as defined in claim 4 further including at least one rail extending above and parallel to the at least one elongated surface, and having a length extending over at least a substantial portion of the at least one elongated surface.
12. A building structure as defined in claim 4 in which a second elongated surface is formed outside an opposite set of elongated wall units by extensions of the arms, forming a sun shield.
13. A building structure as defined in claim 4 in which a second elongated surface is formed outside an opposite set of elongated wall units by extensions of the arms, forming a sun shield.
14. A building structure as defined in claim 13 further including at least one rail extending above and parallel to the at least one elongated surface, and having a length extending over at least a substantial portion of the at least one elongated surface.
15. A building structure as defined in claim 14 in which adjacent abutting rims of at least a pair of slabs contain indents whereby indents of adjoining rims from a slab cavity.
16. A building structure as defined in claim 15, in which edges of adjacent abutting wall units aligned with said pair of slabs contain indents, whereby a wall cavity is formed aligned with the slab cavity.
17. A building structure as defined in claim 10 including building utilities contained within the wall and slab cavities.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002144939A CA2144939A1 (en) | 1995-03-17 | 1995-03-17 | Building structure |
| ZA962121A ZA962121B (en) | 1995-03-17 | 1996-03-15 | Building structure |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002144939A CA2144939A1 (en) | 1995-03-17 | 1995-03-17 | Building structure |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2144939A1 true CA2144939A1 (en) | 1996-09-18 |
Family
ID=4155458
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002144939A Abandoned CA2144939A1 (en) | 1995-03-17 | 1995-03-17 | Building structure |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2144939A1 (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA962121B (en) |
-
1995
- 1995-03-17 CA CA002144939A patent/CA2144939A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
1996
- 1996-03-15 ZA ZA962121A patent/ZA962121B/en unknown
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| ZA962121B (en) | 1996-09-26 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |