GB2318809A - Modular buildings - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular construction (10) is made up of a floor assembly (12), a number of wall assemblies and a roof assembly (49) which is supported on the walls. Each wall assembly consists of a number of identically sized load-bearing wall panels (27) which are joined by non-load bearing bridging members (46, 48). An upper storey can be supported above a lower storey on a number of columns (63) mounted externally of the lower storey.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO MODULAR BUILDINGS The present invention relates to the construction of buildings from a number of pre-assembled modules or building elements.

Various systems for modular buildings are currently in use. One such system uses accommodation units in the form of a box shaped housing which is completely pre-assembled, including fitting and decoration of the interior, before being transported to a desired building site ready made. A number of units are connected together on site to construct a complete building.

An alternative system involves the assembly of accommodation units on site, starting with construction of a framework to define the basic shape and structure of the unit and to which pre-assembled elements which make up the floor, walls and roofing are connected.

The present invention provides a modular construction comprising a floor assembly, a plurality of wall assemblies and a roof assembly, wherein each wall assembly comprises a plurality of identically sized load bearing wall panels which support the roof assembly and a plurality of non-load-bearing bridging members covering the joints between adjacent wall panels.

In the system of the present invention, because the wall panels are load bearing a basic structural frame is not required. Moreover, because all the wall panels are of identical size it is only necessary to provide different configurations of bridging member in order to connect the panels either in line with one another or at a corner. These features make construction of the building considerably simpler than in conventional systems.

Preferably, seals are provided between the wall panels and the bridging members.

Advantageously, each wall panel comprises an inner skin and an outer skin, both secured to edging members which extend along each edge of the panel.

Preferably, each wall panel is secured to the floor assembly by mechanical fastening means connecting the lowermost edging member of the panel to an outer face of the floor assembly.

Further, the joint between adjacent wall panels is covered by an outer bridging member and at least one inner bridging member, which are secured together by mechanical fastening means.

In a preferred embodiment, the outer bridging is provided with at least one inwardly facing threaded socket and the or each inner bridging member is provided with at least one corresponding aperture to receive screw means.

Conveniently, a cover plate is mounted between adjacent wall panels inwardly of the inner bridging member.

The mounting of the cover plate may be by magnetic means.

Preferably, co-operating locating means are provided on each wall panel and on the floor assembly to facilitate fitting of each panel.

The outer skin of the wall panels may be made of rigidised aluminium.

The inner skin of the wall panels may be made of galvanised steel.

The edging members may be made of steel.

Preferably, insulating material is provided between the inner and outer skins of each panel.

Preferably, one or more of the wall panels is provided with an aperture for receiving a door or window assembly.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a building module comprising a floor assembly having outwardly projecting mounting means attached at each corner for supporting an upwardly extending column externally of the module, the column carrying like mounting means attachable to a second like module in order to support the second module above the first module.

Preferably, the mounting means is pivotable with respect to the floor assembly, about a vertical axis.

In a preferred embodiment, the floor assembly comprises at least one attachment plate having a first aperture therethrough and the mounting means comprises a bracket having a second aperture therethrough, the at least one attachment plate and the bracket being connectable by a pin extending through the first and second apertures.

Advantageously, one or more additional mounting means are provided projecting outwardly from each side of the floor assembly.

Preferably, the second module is supported above the first module such that a gap is provided between the roof of the first module and the floor assembly of the second module.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a frame assembly for a glass pane comprising a peripheral frame providing a recess to receive an edge portion of a pane and means to mount the pane in the recess comprising glazing bars and means to mount the glazing bars in the frame by movement in one direction and to resist disengagement in the opposite direction, and resilient means stressed by said movement of the glazing bars in said one direction to hold the bars in engagement with the frame.

Preferably, the means to mount the glazing bars comprises a slot with a dovetail section along one side and the glazing bars comprise a foot having a dovetail section along one side which co-operates with the slot.

It is also preferable if the resilient means comprises a sealing member which embraces an edge portion of the pane.

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with respect to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a modular construction in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of a floor assembly for use in the construction of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the floor assembly along the line A-A in Figure 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of part of the floor assembly along the line B-B in Figure 2; Figure 5 is a side view of a wall panel for use in the construction of Figure 1, provided with a window; Figure 6 is a fragmented vertical section through the wall panel of Figure 5 along the line C-C; Figure 6A is an enlarged section through part of the window assembly of Figure 6; Figure 7 is a fragmented horizontal section of the wall panel of Figure 5 along the line D-D; Figure 8 is a fragmented horizontal section through the wall panel of Figure 5 along the line E-E; Figure 9 is a horizontal section showing a linear connection of two adjacent wall panels; Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 showing an external corner connection between two adjacent wall panels; Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 9 showing an internal corner connection between two adjacent wall panels; Figure 12 is a view of a roof assembly for use with the construction of Figure 1 from above; Figure 13 is a view of the roof assembly of Figure 12 from below; Figure 14 is a sectional view of the roof assembly along the line F-F in Figure 12; Figure 15 is a sectional view of the connection between two adjacent roof assemblies; Figure 16 is an end view of an external supporting column as seen in Figure 1; Figure 17 is a side view of a supporting bracket for use at the foot of the pillar of Figure 16; Figure 18 is a plan view of the bracket of Figure 17; Figure 19 is a side view of a supporting bracket for use at the top of the pillar of Figure 16; Figure 20 is a schematic plan view showing the position of the supporting brackets at the corner of a single module; Figure 21 is similar to Figure 20 showing the position of the brackets at the connection of two adjacent modules; Figure 22 is similar to Figure 20 showing the position of the bracket at an internal corner where three modules are joined; and Figure 23 is a perspective view of an internal supporting column.

A modular construction 10 in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in Figure 1. In this example, construction consists of two storeys, each storey consisting of two basic accommodation units 11.

Each accommodation unit 11 comprises a floor assembly 12 as illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The floor assembly 12 consists of a perimeter frame made up of four main floor beams 13. Each beam 13 comprises a C-section rolled steel beam facing inwardly of the floor assembly 12. The outer wall of the beam 13 is provided with a series of spaced apertures 43 (see Figure 6) along its length which are used for connecting the wall panels as described below.

A floor surface 16, for example made of chipboard, is supported within the perimeter frame on a number of floor support joists 17. The joists 17 are preferably C-section steel members formed by pressing. At each end, the upper part of each joists 17 is cut away as shown in Figure 4 and the remaining lower part is welded to the inner surface of a main beam 13.

A duct 21 is thus defined between the beam 13 and the joists 17 welded to it. A cable tray can be placed in this duct 21, resting on the joists 17, in order to receive electrical wiring etc for the unit 11. A removable duct cover 23 is provided which rests on the upper surfaces of the beam 13 and the joists 17 to allow easy access to the duct 21. A layer of insulating material 18, such as Rockwool(TM) is suspended beneath the floor surface 16 and between the joists 17, usually sandwiched between two vapour barrier layers.

At the ends of the two longest main floor beams 13, a conventional adjustable foot 24 is provided which may be screwed up or down in order to level the floor assembly 12 on site. Access to each foot 24 to effect adjustment is achieved by removing the duct cover 23. Thus, the adjustable feet 24 can only be accessed from the interior of the unit 11 which provides added security against tampering. Another advantage is that where several units 11 are joined together to form a larger building, the feet 24 which are beneath the middle of the building can be accessed from inside and it is not necessary to attempt to get beneath the building to effect adjustment.

At each corner of the perimeter frame, upper and lower corner plates 25 are positioned between the open ends of the two adjacent beams 13. An aperture 26 is provided in each corner plate 25. The function of this arrangement is described further below.

Typically, a basic floor assembly 12 is approximately 6 metres long and 3 metres wide. A larger floor area can be provided by assembling a number of floor assemblies adjacent one another. In this case, the adjacent floor beams 13 of a pair of floor assemblies are connected together by mechanical fastening means using the apertures 43.

The walls of each accommodation unit 11 are made up of a plurality of substantially identical loadbearing wall panels 27, an example of which is illustrated in Figures 5 to 8. Typically, each panel 27 is approximately 1.5 metres wide and 2.5 metres high.

The panel 27 is a double skinned structure which comprises an outer skin 28, typically of rigidised aluminium, and an inner skin 29, typically of galvanised steel. Both inner and outer skins 28,29 are secured to vertical and horizontal edging members 30,31 to create a hollow structure which may be filled with insulating material 18. The insulating material 18 is held in position by spikes 32 which are secured, for example by adhesive bonding, to the interior surface of the outer skin 28. The insulating material 18 provides acoustic and heat insulation and provides a fire rating of at least one hour.

The inner and outer skins 28, 29, together with the edging members 30, 31, form the load-bearing components of each wall panel 27. The edging members 30, 31 serve as the primary structure, while the skins 28, 29 keep the panel 27 square and avoid twisting.

The wall panels 27 may be provided with an aperture to receive a window or door assembly.

A window assembly as shown in Figures 5 to 8 comprises four main frame members 33. The frame members 33 are substantially identical to one another and each forms one edge of the window assembly. As best seen in Figure 6A, each frame member 33 defines an elongate slot 34 along its length, the slot having an undercut 34a along its rear edge to form a dovetail section which in use is on the interior side of the window assembly. An elongate locking member 35, also known as a glazing bar, is provided to co-operate with each frame member 33. The locking member 35 is substantially L-shaped in cross-section and the foot of the L is received in the slot 34. The slot 34 is wider than the foot of the locking member 35, therefore allowing some play for the locking member 35 to move forwards and backwards in the slot 34. The locking member 35 is provided with a rearwardly extending projection 35a to form a dovetail section.

When the locking member 35 is moved to the rearmost position of the slot 34, the projection 35a engages in the undercut 34a to retain the locking member 35 in the slot 34.

The frame member 33 is also provided with a rearwardly facing shoulder 36. When the locking member 35 is located in the slot member 34, the upwardly extending arm of the locking member 35 and the shoulder 36 define therebetween a recess 37 for receiving a substantially U-shaped resilient sealing member 38, for example made of rubber, which itself embraces the edge of a window glass 39. The frame member 33 and locking member 35 are configured such that when the seal 38 and glass 39 are accommodated in the recess 37, the seal 38 is compressed to grip the glass 39 tightly. Moreover, because the seal 38 is resilient it urges the locking member 35 into its rearmost position in slot 34 so as the lock the projection 35a in the undercut 34a, thereby securing the window assembled in the frame.

In this way, the window is easy to assemble and different types of window glass, e.g double or triple glazed, can be accommodated in the same frame and locking members.

As shown in Figure 6, the horizontal edging member 31 provided at the top of the wall panel 27 may be shaped so as to cause the profile of the panel to taper inwardly towards the top.

The lower horizontal edging member 31 may be similarly shaped and on the interior face of the panel 27 it is stepped to provide a shoulder 41 which engages over the corner of one of the main floor beams 13 to position the panel 27 on the floor assembly.

The lower edging member 31 is also provided with at least one and preferably two threaded bosses 42 which co-operate with corresponding apertures 43 formed in the outer wall of the beam 13 to enable the panel to be connected to the floor assembly by mechanical fastening means.

In order to facilitate construction, the wall panels 27 and floor assembly 12 may also be provided with co-operating locating means so that each panel 27 can be properly and easily located in position on the floor beam 13 from the exterior of the module. For example, each panel 27 may be provided with a locating pin extending inwardly from the lower edging member 31 which is locatable in a corresponding aperture in the outer surface of the beam 13.

The wall panels 27 are constructed to be loadbearing and therefore, there is no need for a basic framework to be constructed above the floor assembly to which the panels are connected as in conventional systems. Once the panels 27 have been fastened to the floor assembly 12 it is only necessary to connect each panel 27 to the adjacent panel by a non-load-bearing connecting means described below, if necessary providing some bracing against wind loading as the construction takes place.

As shown in Figure 7, the vertical edging members 30 of the wall panels 27 are provided with an outwardly directed flange 44 having a forwardly directed lip along its outer edge. The flange 44 is preferably covered by an extruded plastic sleeve 45 having a number of small fins on its outwardly facing surface (which are shown enlarged for clarity in Figures 9, 10 and 11).

In order to connect two adjacent wall panels 27, an outer bridging plate 46 and a number of inner bridging strips 48 are positioned across the gap between them (as shown in Figure 9) on the exterior and interior sides of the construction respectively.

The outer bridging plate 46 is provided with a number of inwardly facing threaded sockets 47 vertically spaced from one another. Typically, the outer bridging plate 46 consists of a folded metal plate and three sockets 47 are welded to its interior surface along its length. In this case, three separate inner bridging strips 48 are preferably provided, although a longer single strip with three appropriately spaced apertures could be used instead.

The inner bridging strips 48 are simple steel strips, each provided with an aperture to receive a screw which is then threaded into a socket 47. Thus, the outer bridging plate 46 is connected to each inner bridging strip 48 and the edging members 30 of the wall panels 27 are sandwiched between them.

The fins formed on the sleeve 45 which covers the flange 44 are pressed against surfaces of the outer bridging plate 46 to form a labyrinth seal between each panel 27 and the bridging plate 46.

On the interior walls of the unit 11, the connection between adjacent wall panels 27 may be hidden from view by a cover plate 14, for example a steel plate provided with magnetic strips to hold it in place.

The same form of connecting means can be used to connect adjacent panels at an external corner or an internal corner as shown in Figures 10 and 11. The panels 27 are identical, and the only difference is the shape of the outer bridging plate 46 and inner cover plate 14. Thus, the system provides for versatility in the shape of buildings which can be constructed using identical wall panels and only changing the configuration of the bridging and cover plates which are simpler and cheaper components.

Once the walls of the unit have been constructed, a roof assembly 49 as illustrated in Figures 12 to 14 is added.

Each roof assembly 49 typically measures 3 metres by 3 metres and therefore two roof assemblies are required to roof a 6 metre by 3 metre unit. The roof assembly 49 comprises a peripheral frame of four edge beams 50 having a substantially L-shaped crosssection. A lip 51 (see Figure 15) is provided for hooking over the top of the wall panels 27 so that the roof assembly 49 is recessed within the walls of the unit 11. The load imposed by the roof assembly 49 is carried by the wall panels 27.

Interior ceiling panels 52 are secured to the lower surface of the L-shaped edge beams 50. Above the ceiling panels 52, a cross-shaped supporting member 53 is provided which divides the roof area into four quarters. Each quarter is provided with a pair of triangular roof panels 54 which are joined, for example by welding, so as to slope downwardly towards each other. Thus, each pair of panels 54 defines a gutter between them which extends diagonally across each corner of the roof assembly. Rainwater collects in the gutters and is allowed to escape through short lengths of pipe 56 extending through apertures provided in the edge beams 50 of the roof and the bridging plates 46,48.

This contoured outer roof surface is advantageous over the flat so-called swimming pool type roof used in conventional modular buildings. Such flat roofs collect water across the entire area and are prone to leaks which are difficult to locate and repair. With the roof of the present invention, water is channelled into the gutters which guide it directly towards the edges of the roof. Therefore, drainage of rain water is more efficient and leaks are easier to detect because they are most likely to occur in the gutters at the junction of the two adjacent roof panels.

In addition, water is not permitted to collect along the edges of each roof assembly 49 and the diagonal gutters lead directly to the drainage pipes 56 which are provided half way along the side of each roof assembly, rather than at the corners where lifting fixtures 57 are provided to which lifting apparatus can be attached during construction of the unit 11.

Like the floor assembly 12 and wall panels 27, the roof assembly 49 may be filled with insulating material 18 (not shown) sandwiched between two vapour barrier layers.

Where two roof assemblies 49 are positioned adjacent one another, the parapet apertures are connected by a pipe 58 with a threaded connector at each end to allow for circulation and drainage of rain water. The adjacent edge beams 50 of the roof assemblies are joined by a C-section member 59 fitted over the top. A seal 60 is positioned between each edge beam 50 and the C-section member 59.

On the interior of the roof assembly 49, a crossshaped groove 61 between the ceiling panels 52 is provided to receive partition walls. This groove 61 divides the internal ceiling area into four quarters in a similar manner to the external roof area. A luminaire 62 is provided in each section to allow for lighting on each side of a partition wall which may be positioned in the groove 61.

The construction system of the present invention also provides for a second storey to be built above the first as shown in Figure 1. Each storey is constructed of identical units and the second storey is supported above the first on external supporting pillars 63 shown in Figure 16.

Each supporting pillar 63 is made up of three parallel rods, 64,65,66 which are connected by crossbracing bars 67. The three rods 64-66 are arranged so that in plan view they form the vertices of an equilateral triangle. One rod 66, is longer than the other two rods 64,65 and in use this longer rod 66 is positioned closest to the building. The foot of each pillar 63 is received by a bracket 68. The bracket 68 comprises three tubular portions 69,70,71 arranged to receive the ends of the three rods, 64-66, which protrude through the tubular portions and are secured for example by a nut. Each bracket 68 also has a fourth tubular portion 72 which is connected to the floor assembly 12 of each unit 11 as described below.

The bracket 68 is typically formed as a one piece casting.

As described previously, each floor assembly 12 is provided with upper and lower corner plates 25, each with an aperture 26, positioned at the junction of the adjacent floor beams 13.

In the construction of a two storey building, the foot bracket 68 of each pillar 63 is received at a respective corner of the floor assembly 12 of the lower storey and a pin (not shown) is inserted through the tubular portion 72 of the bracket 68 and through the apertures 26 in order to secure the bracket 68 to the floor assembly 12 between the two plates 25.

The top of each pillar 63 is received by a bracket 73 which is generally similar to foot bracket 68. However, the top bracket 73 is cast in two parts, one part 74 being received and attached between the upper and lower corner plates 25 of the upper module, and the other part 75 receiving the top of the pillar 63.

When the upper storey is moved into position, the two parts 74,75 of the bracket 73 at the top of each pillar 63 are connected together so as to secure the pillar to the upper module. In this way, the upper storey is supported above the lower storey with a small gap between the roof of the lower storey and the floor assembly of the upper storey. This gap improves the fire rating of the overall construction.

Access to the corner of the floor assembly to fit the bracket 68 is only possible from inside the unit, by removing the duct cover 23. This provides increased security by making it difficult to tamper with the bracket 68.

The structure of the connecting means between the brackets 68 and the floor assemblies 12 allows the bracket 68 to be pivoted with respect to the floor assembly 12 and this provides versatility in the overall design of the construction. At an external corner, the bracket 68 can be positioned so as to extend straight out from the corner at an angle of 1350 to each wall of the unit 11 as shown in Figure 20.

Where the lower storey comprises two adjacent units and it is necessary to have a supporting pillar 63 half way along one side of the storey, the bracket 68 can extend out from the wall at a different angle, for example at 900, as shown in Figure 21.

Similarly, for an internal corner where the lower storey comprises three units 11 joined to form an Lshape the bracket 68 can extend outwardly at 450 to the exterior walls as shown in Figure 22. In this case the bracket may be affixed to the corner of either of the adjacent modules.

Thus, considerable flexibility in building design is provided using identical basic building elements.

Where four standard floor sub-assemblies 12 are joined together to give floor area of 12 metres x 6 metres internal walls may be used to subdivide the internal space. In addition, an internal supporting column must be provided at the junction of the four units. The column may be in the form of a simple pillar with foot and head plates for attachment to the floor and ceiling panels respectively, as shown in Figure 23.

From the foregoing, it will apparent that the present invention provides an improved modular building which is simple to construct from a minimal number of different components whilst allowing flexibility in the configuration of building to be produced.

Claims (25)

CLAINS:

1. A modular construction comprising a floor assembly, a plurality of wall assemblies and a roof assembly, wherein each wall assembly comprises a plurality of identically sized load-bearing wall panels which support the roof assembly and a plurality of non-load-bearing bridging members covering the joints between adjacent wall panels.

2. A modular construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein seals are provided between the wall panels and the bridging members.

3. A modular construction as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each wall panel comprises an inner skin and an outer skin, both secured to edging members which extend along each edge of the panel.

4. A modular construction as claimed in claim 3, wherein each wall panel is secured to the floor assembly by mechanical fastening means connecting the lowermost edging member of the panel to an outer face of the floor assembly.

5. A modular construction as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the joint between adjacent wall panels is covered by an outer bridging member and at least one inner bridging member, which are secured together by mechanical fastening means.

6. A modular construction as claimed in claim 5, wherein the outer bridging member is provided with at least one inwardly facing threaded socket and the or each inner bridging member is provided with at least one corresponding aperture to receive bolt means.

7. A modular construction as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein a cover plate is mounted between adjacent wall panels inwardly of the or each inner bridging member.

8. A modular construction as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cover plate is mounted by a magnetic means.

9. A modular construction as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein co-operating locating means are provided on each wall panel and on the floor assembly to facilitate fitting of each panel.

10. A modular construction as claimed in any of claims 3 to 9, wherein the outer skin of the wall panels is made of rigidised aluminium.

11. A modular construction as claimed in any of claims 3 to 10, wherein the inner skin of the panels is made of galvanised steel.

12. A modular construction as claimed in any of claims 3 to 11, wherein the edging members are made of steel.

13. A modular construction as claimed in any of claims 3 to 12, wherein insulating material is provided between the inner and outer skins of each panel.

14. A modular construction as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the wall panels is provided with an aperture for receiving a door or window assembly.

15. A building module comprising a floor assembly having outwardly projecting mounting means attached at each corner for supporting an upwardly extending column externally of the module, the column carrying like mounting means attachable to a second like module in order to support the second module above the first module.

16. A building module as claimed in claim 15, wherein the mounting means is pivotable with respect to the floor assembly, about a vertical axis.

17. A building module as claimed in claim 15, wherein the floor assembly comprises at least one attachment plate having a first aperture there through and the mounting means comprises a bracket having a second aperture therethrough, the at least one attachment plate and the bracket being connectable by a pin extending through the first and second apertures.

18. A building module as claimed in any of claims 13 to 15, wherein one or more additional mounting means are provided projecting outwardly from each side of the floor assembly.

19. A building module as claimed in any of claims 13 to 16, wherein the second module is supported above the first module such that a gap is provided between the roof of the first module and the floor assembly of the second module.

20. A frame assembly for a glass pane comprising a peripheral frame providing a recess to receive an edge portion of a pane and means to mount the pane in the recess comprising glazing bars and means to mount the glazing bars in the frame by movement in one direction and to resist disengagement in the opposite direction, and resilient means stressed by said movement of the glazing bars in said one direction to hold the bars in engagement with the frame.

21. A frame assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein the means to mount the glazing bars comprises a slot with a dovetail section along one side and the glazing bars comprise a foot having a dovetail section along one side which co-operates with the slot.

22. A frame assembly as claimed in claim 20 or claim 24, wherein the resilient means comprises a sealing member which embraces an edge portion of the pane.

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

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

25. A frame assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.