GB2160560A

GB2160560A - Modular building system

Info

Publication number: GB2160560A
Application number: GB08415993A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vernon Schofield
Original assignee: QUAL RECT Ltd
Current assignee: QUAL RECT Ltd
Priority date: 1984-06-22
Filing date: 1984-06-22
Publication date: 1985-12-24
Also published as: GB8415993D0; GB2160560B

Abstract

A modular building (10 Figure 4) has its walls 11 (12, 13 Figures 1 and 3) constructed of panels 14, 15, (24, 25 Figures 1) disposed in edge-to-edge 17, 18 (26, 27, 28 Figure 1) relationship. Channels 19 extend along each of the panel edges 17, 18 (26, 27, 28 Figure 1) and L-shaped brackets 20 are secured to the adjacent channels 19 and are bolted to a common cleat 21, (29 Figure 1) at each of several locations along the edges 17, 19. By this means a building (10 Figure 1) may be erected quickly by relatively unskilled labour from standard panels, brackets 20 and cleats 21 (29 Figure 1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Modular building system This invention relates to building construction and in particular to a modular building system suitable for the construction of housing, shops, offices, public buildings and the like.

Modular building systems are know which involve the use of prefabricated panels which may be joined to each other in an overlapping arrangement or have their edges supported by the members of a framework forming a skeleton of the building. The latter arrangement provides a more stable structure for anything other than a relatively small building, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved modular building system of this latter type which is quick to erect by relatively unskilled labour, thereby to minimise the cost of building.

The invention provides a modular building system, for the construction of a building having walls formed of a plurality of panels, comprising at least two panels disposed to have an edge thereof in mutually closely spaced substantially parallel disposition to form a juncture of said panels, each panel having a bracket member located at each of a plurality of locations spaced along the respective edge thereof, and the brackets of said panels at each of said locations being secured to a common cleat member.

Preferably each panel has a bracket member located at at least three locations along the respective edge thereof, in which case a bracket member may be provided at locations adjacent each end of said respective edge and at a location substantially centrally thereof.

Each bracket member may be secured to a channel member extending along a respective edge of a panel, and each bracket member may be of Lshaped form. The bracket members may be secured to said channel members by welding and to said cleat members by means of bolts. Each cleat member may comprise a plate having edges extending transversely of the planes of the panels forming said juncture.

Preferably the panels are rectangular and have channel members extending along each edge thereof, in which case the channel member extending along the lowermost edge of a panel which extends upwardly from a floor of a building may be recessed in said floor.

The invention also provides a modular building system, for the construction of a building having walls formed of a plurality of panels, wherein each panel comprises a woodwool slab having secured to one face thereof a laminate of an insulating material and a lathing. An outer rendering layer may be applied to the lathing. The insulating material may be a rock fibre material, and the lathing may be a wire mesh lathing. The laminate may be secured to said slab by means of screws, and may be secured to a pre- felted surface of said slab. Preferably the joints at the prefelted surfaces of adjacent slabs are taped prior to securing said laminate thereto.

The invention also provides a building formed by means of a building system as aforesaid having a plurality of wall panels meeting at a juncture, the lowermost cleat member at said juncture comprising a plate and a depending wall locator secured thereto. Preferably said wall locator comprises a member of channel section which in use is secured in a floor construction on which said building is constructed.

The uppermost cleat member at said juncture may comprise a plate having a rafter connector secured thereto. Preferably said rafter connector comprises a member of channel section having one end thereof secured to said plate and the other end inclined relative to said plate. The uppermost cleat member may be secured to an elongate member or members forming a joists of a roof structure or upper floor structure of said building.

A second plate secured to a said inclined end of said rafter connector may be secured to a rafter of said roof structure.

The invention also provides a modular building system for the construction of a building of polygonal planform, comprising roof support members extending from a plurality of corners of said building to an apex thereof, said roof support members being secured to an apex cleat member, said cleat member being substantially of like polygonal planform to said building. By like polygonal planform is meant having the same number of sides, or an integer multiple thereof, as said building. Said roof support members may be secured to said apex cleat member by means of bolts.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of a part of a building showing two junctures of panels, Figure 2 is a front elevation of part of juncture 16 of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a front elevation of part of a wall of the building of Figure 1 Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of a building incorporating the panel wall construction of Figures 1 and 2, Figure 5 is a vertical section of external wall 32 of Figure 3 to an enlarged scale, and Figure 6 is a plan view of the roof support structure of the building.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3 there is shown a part of a building 10 comprising two outer walls 11,12, and an internal wall 13. Outer wall 11 comprises two panels 14,15 which are disposed in a common plane and form a juncture 16 at which edges 17,18 of panels 14,15 respectively are in closely spaced parallel disposition. Channel members 19 extend along and are retained on the edges 17,18 and to each channel member 19 are secured L-shaped bracket members 20. The channel members 19 and bracket members 20 may both be of galvanised steel and are preferably welded to each other. At each location of bracket members 20 is a cleat member 21 in the form of a rectangular plate to which the bracket members 20 are secured by bolts 22.

A similar construction is provided at juncture 23 formed by panels 15,24,25 of walls 11,12,13 respectively, the panels 15,24,25 having edges 26,27,28 respectively in closely spaced parallel disposition. Each edge 26,27,28 has a channel member 19 extending therealong with bracket members 20 welded thereto and the bracket members 20 are secured to a cleat member 29 by bolts 22.

At juncture 16 each cleat member 21 has opposed edges 30 which extend transversely of the plane of panels 14,15 and against which the bracket members 20 or channel members 19 abut.

At juncture 23 each cleat member 29 if of pentagonal planform having three edges 31 extending transversely of the planes of panels 15, 24 and 25.

In either case the other edges of the cleat members 21,29 extend parallel with the plane of the respective adjacent panel so as to provide a "clean" line to the juncture 16 or 23.

Bracket members 20 are secured to each of the channel members 19 adjacent the two ends thereof and also at at least one location between the ends dependent upon the length of the channel members 19. Generally the bracket members 20 are equi-spaced along the length of the channel members 19, but bracket members may be located at any lengthwise location as desired for strengthening purposes, for example in alignment with window or door cills or lintels.

As an alternative to the L-shaped bracket members 20 shown in Figure 2 simple plate bracket members could be welded'to channel members 19 with an edge of each such bracket member abutting the channel member 19. As a further alternative a U-shaped slot could be cut into the base of a channel member 19 and the resulting tab bent out of the plane of the channel member base to form a bracket member 20.

By means of the channel members 19, bracket members 20 and cleat members 21,29, the walls 11,12,13 may be easily and quickly erected using relatively unskilled labour, thus leading to a saving in time and cost of building construction compared with previously known building construction methods.

Referring now to Figure 4 there is shown a sectional elevation of part of the building 10 having an external wall 32 and an internal wall 13. The inter nal wall 13 is formed by a panel 25, for example a 75mm thick unreinforced woodwool slab 1200mm wide. Depending upon the length of wall 13 two or more panels 25 may be disposed in edge- to-edge relationship with junctures 16 as shown in Figure 1 and 2 formed by each adjacent pair of panels 25.

The internal wall 13 may have a wall lining 33 to either or both sides thereof, such linings 33 being of plater board and skimmed plaster thereon or other wall lining as desired. In order to locate wall 13 in an upstanding disposition on the floor 34 of building 10, the lowermost edge 35 of panel 25 is retained in a channel member 19 extending therea long and recessed in the floor 34. The floor 34 is of conventional form, comprising a base 36, a damp proof course 37 on which the channel member 19 lies and a flooring layer 38, for example of a bituminous material on which are terrazzo tiles, wood flooring, vinyl tiles or the like, and in which layer 38 the channel member 19 is embedded. The uppermost edge 39 of panel 25 also has a channel member 19 extending therealong to support a ceiling-supporting I-section beam 40.

The external wall 32 is of construction as described below, and comprises a panel 41 into an opening of which is set a window frame 42 with vertically sliding sash type windows 43. Any other form of window, fixed or opening, may be provided in window frame 42 if desired, and the window frame 42 may be of wood, aluminium, UPVC or any combination thereof as desired. As with internal wall 13 the external wall 32 is located by means of channel member 19 extending along the lowermost edge 35 thereof and recessed into the floor 34. The wall 32 also supports a ceiling supporting lintel beam 40.

The construction of external wall 32 is more clearly shown in Figure 5, the panel 41 comprising a slab 44, for example 75mm thick reinforced woodwool slab 1200mm wide, along each edge of which is a channel member 19, that along the lowermost edge 35 being recessed in the floor 34, and that along the uppermost edge 45 being secured to the channel members 19 extending along the vertical edges of slab 44 and supporting the cill 46 of window frame 42. The outer faces 47 of the slabs 44 forming external wall 32 are prefelted and the joints therebetween taped to form a vapour check layer.Mechanically secured to the outer face 47 of slab 44, for example by means of screws 57, is a laminate 48 of rock-fibre insulation material with breather paper and wire mesh lathing, beneath and adjacent the lower region of the outer surface thereof is a vertical damp-proof course 49 of a bituminous material. The damp-proof course 49 ex tends into a channel formed by an angle member 50 which abuts channel member 19, the angle and channel members 50,19 being located in the floor 34. At the outside of the building the floor may be formed of laid concrete, tarmacadam, or the like or by paving slabs 51. A terrazzo tile skirting 52 is bonded to the vertical damp-proof course 49 to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the building 10, and a render drip bead 53 is located so as to extend outwardly over the skirting 52 to prevent the ingress of water therebehind. The outermost surface of the laminate 48 has a rendering layer 54 applied thereto, again to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the building. As with the inner walls 13 the inner surface of exter nal wall 32 may have a lining 55 of plasterboard secured thereto and a conventional skirting board 56.

To provide additional location of the walls 11,12,13 the lowermost cleat members 29a at the corner junctures 23 are formed of a plate having the same planform as the other corner cleat members 29, to which is secured, for example welded, a locating channel 58 as shown in Figure 3. The locating channels 58 at each corner of the building 10 are secured in the floor 34.

As shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4 the channel members 19 extending along the uppermost edges of panels 14,15,24,25 support the ceiling of the ground floor rooms of house 10 and either the floor structure 59 of any first floor rooms, a roof terrace floor structure 60 or a pitched roof structure 61 as the case may be. In the case of a pitched roof structure the uppermost corner cleat members 29b at the corner junctures 23 are formed a plate having the same planform as the other corner cleat members 29, to which is secured, for example welded, a rafter connector 62. The rafter connector 62 is in the form of a channel having its upper end cut at an angle equal to the inclination of the pitched roof.The plate of cleat member 29b is secured to channel members 63 forming the joists or floor beams 64 of the roof structure 61 or first floor structure 59 and a second plate 65 secured, for example welded, to the inclined end or rafter connector 62 is secured to rafters 66 of the roof structure 61.

In the case of a roof terrace floor structure 60 (Figure 4) such structure may comprise a corrugated metal deck 67 supported by beams 64, the deck 67 being bitumen finished, with an intermediate, tapering insulation layer 68 and covered with terrazzo tiles 69 or other suitable floor covering.

The rafters 66 are preferably rolled steel sections which are secured to tbe second plates 65 of rafter connectors 62, for example by means of bolts. At the apex of the roof structure 61 the rafters 66 are secured to each other by means of an apex cleat member 70 to which the rafters 66 are secured by means of bolts 71. In the embodiment shown the building 10 is of octagonal planform and in consequence eight rafters 66 extend from the corner junctures 23 of the building 10 towards the apex 72. The apex cleat member 70 has sixteen sides, to alternate ones of which the rafters 66 are bolted.

The roof structure 61 is completed in conventional manner using felt or felted boards and roof tiles.

By means of the invention a building may be made from mainly standard parts which can be produced in quantity and therefore relatively cheaply. The parts may be readily assembled on site, easily and quickly by using relatively unskilled labour since the structure is simply bolted together, although a rigid structure is formed. In consequence erection of the building is quicker and less costly than that of buildings using convention building construction methods.

Claims

1. A modular building comprising a plurality of panels disposed to have a respective edge of each panel in closely spaced substantially parallel disposition with an edge of an adjacent panel to form a juncture of said panels, each panel having a bracket member located at each of a plurality of locations spaced along said respective edge, and the brackets of said panels at each of said locations being secured to a respective common cleat member.

2. A building according to claim 1 wherein each panel has a bracket member at each of at least three locations along the respective edge thereof.

3. A building according to claim 2 wherein a bracket member is provided at locations adjacent each end of said respective edge and at equispaced locations therebetween.

4. A building according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein each panel comprises a channel member extending along each of said respective edges thereof, to which channel members said brackets are secured.

5. A building according to claim 4 wherein each of said bracket members is secured to a respective channel member by welding.

6. A building according to claim 4 wherein each of said bracket members is formed by a U-shaped slot provided in the base of a channel member and the tab portion formed by said slot being bent out of the plane of said channel member base.

7. A building according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said bracket members are secured to said cleat members by means of bolts.

8. A building according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said bracket members are of L-shaped form.

9. A building according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein each of said cleat members comprises a plate having edges extending transversely of the planes of the panels forming said juncture, against which edges said brackets or panels abut.

10. A building according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein said panels are rectangular.

11. A building according to claim 4 or any claim dependent thereon wherein a channel member extends along each edge of each panel.

12. A building according to claim 11 wherein each panel has a lowermost edge adjacent a floor of said building, wherein the channel extending along said lowermost edge is located in a recess in said floor.

13. A building accordiing to any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein each panel comprises a woodwool slab having secured to one face thereof a laminate of an insulating material and a lathing.

14. A building according to claim 13 wherein a rendering layer is applied to said lathing.

15. A building according to claim 13 or claim 14 wherein said insulating material is a rock fibre material.

16. A building according to any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein said lathing comprises a wire mesh.

17. A building according to any one of claims 13 to 16 wherein said laminate is secured to said slab by means of screws.

18. A building according to any one of claims 13 to 17 wherein said slab has a prefelted surface to which said laminate is secured.

19. A building according to claim 18 wherein joints at prefelted surfaces of adjacent slabs are covered by a tape prior to said laminate being secured thereto.

20. A building according to any one of claims 1 to 19 wherein the lowermost cleat member at each juncture comprises a plate having a depending wall locator secured thereto.

21. A building according to claim 20 wherein said wall locator comprises a member of channel section which is secured to a floor of said building.

22. A building according to any one of claims 1 to 21 wherein the uppermost cleat member at each juncture comprises a plate having a rafter connector secured thereto.

23. A building according to claim 22 wherein said rafter connector comprises a member of channel section having one end thereof secured to said plate and the other end inclined relative to said plate.

24. A building according to claim 22 or claim 23 wherein said uppermost cleat member is connected to an elongate member or members forming joists of a roof or upper floor structure of said building.

25. A building according to claim 23 wherein said inclined end of said rafter connector is secured to a rafter of a roof structure of said building.

26. A building according to any one of claims 1 to 25 of polygonal planform, comprising roof support members extending from a plurality of corners of said building to an apex thereof, said roof support members being secured to a common apex cleat member, said apex cleat member being substantially of like polygonal planform to said building.

27. A building according to claim 26 wherein said roof support members are secured to said apex cleat member by means of bolts.

28. A modular building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.