GB2429468A

GB2429468A - Modular wall structure

Info

Publication number: GB2429468A
Application number: GB0517509A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony F Willcock
Original assignee: Glasdon Ltd; Glasdon Group Ltd
Current assignee: Glasdon Ltd; Glasdon Group Ltd
Priority date: 2005-08-26
Filing date: 2005-08-26
Publication date: 2007-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 2025-08-26
Also published as: GB2429468B; GB0517509D0

Abstract

The wall structure of a modular building comprises wall modules having a frame whose upright posts are configured so as to allow the posts to overlap in a direction parallel to the plane of the panel to form a composite post of width less than that of two individual posts, and which permit joining of panels in line or mutually perpendicular. As shown, a post has two orthogonal faces 19, 20, and an angled face 21, such that two Type A panels may be assembled in line by reversing one with respect to the other so that their faces 21 come together with rib 26 of one in groove 27 of the other; a connector fits in re-entrant slot 22 to fix the panels. A Type A and a Type B panel may be joined at right-angles in similar manner. Alternative posts with a similar joining arrangement may be of octagonal or circular cross-section (Figs 11 and 12, not shown): the panels may be glazed and the modular building, e.g. a kiosk, may be provided with a roof.

Description

A MODULAR WALL STRUCTURE

The present invention relates to a modular wall structure for supporting wall panels such as glazing and particularly, but not exclusively, to such a structure of the kind used in the construction of portable or semipermanent modular buildings such as shelters, booths, kiosks and cabins.

The majority of modular buildings currently manufactured by the applicant comprise an extruded aluminium framework that supports glazing or wall panels made of any suitable material. The design of the modular components of such buildings has to be such that they are versatile in order to facilitate the construction of different sizes and styles of structures, and such that they are relatively simple to assemble. Such buildings are delivered to the customer in assembled form for permanent or semi-permanent installation. It is desirable to provide the customer with the building structure in flat-packed form suitable for assembly by the customer.

However, this necessitates limiting the number of components so that assembly is not too onerous a procedure for the customer. The number of components can be reduced by providing a range of pre-assembled panels and frame members but this means that certain frame members are duplicated such that the assembled structure is afforded an appearance that is of reduced aesthetic appeal.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the aforesaid and other disadvantages. It is also an object of the present invention to provide for a modular wall structure that is versatile and that allows for the building or other structure to be supplied in flatpacked form.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a modular wall structure comprising first and second interconnectable wall modules each extending in a respective principal plane and each comprising a peripheral frame assembly having at least one elongate upright element with a longitudinal axis that extends substantially parallel to the principal plane of each module, the frame assembly being configured for optionally supporting a wall panel, the upright element having a longitudinal dimension along the longitudinal axis, the upright element further comprising an outer surface to which a wall panel, if present, may be connected and an interface surface that faces away from the principal plane and extends generally in an interface plane that intersects the principal plane of the first module, the interface plane extending in a direction having a first component that is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and substantially parallel to the principal plane and a second component that is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and perpendicular to said first component, the upright element of the first wall module being configured to join with the upright element of the second wall module at said interface surfaces such that the elements overlap and combine to form a composite upright fame member common to both modules, there being provided means for intercoimecting the upright elements, the interface surfaces of the combined upright elements being configured such that the first and second modules can be selectively joined together such that the respective principal planes of the modules are either co-planar, in parallel with or perpendicular to one another, the composite upright frame member having a first transverse dimension extending in a direction substantially parallel to the principal plane of the first wall module and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the upright element, said first transverse dimension being less than the sum of the corresponding dimensions of the two upright elements measured in the same direction.

It is to be understood that the interface surface may have a number of formations or undulations superimposed on the general plane which it otherwise occupies. The interface surface intersects the outer surface of the upright element at two edges and the interface plane will generally be the plane in which those two edges lie.

The interface plane may intersect the principal plane of the first module at an acute angle, which ideally is substantially 45 degrees.

The first transverse dimension of the composite upright frame member may be at least, or substantially equal to, half the sum of the dimensions of the two upright elements measured in the same direction.

The first transverse dimension of the composite upright frame member may be up to 17.5% greater than the corresponding transverse dimension of upright element of the first module.

The composite upright frame member may have a second transverse dimension in a direction substantially perpendicular to the principal plane and to the longitudinal axis of the upright element, the second transverse dimension being less than the sum of the corresponding dimensions of the two upright elements measured in the same direction.

The first transverse dimension of the upright element of the first module in the direction parallel to the principal plane of the first module and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis may be substantially equal to the dimension of the upright element of the second module in the same direction.

The means for interconnecting preferably comprises releasably interengaging formations defined on the interface surfaces of the upright elements and they may comprise at least one projection and at least one corresponding recess. The formations serve to maintain the upright elements in alignment. The interface surface of each upright element may have both a projection and a recess for inter-engagement with complementary formations on the interface surface of an adjacent upright element.

The projection may comprise an elongate rib and the recess a complementary groove.

The upright elements may be generally triangular when viewed in a crosssection taken through a plane that is orthogonal to said longitudinal axis, the triangular sections of adjoining first and second upright elements combining to form a parallelogram. The upright elements may be right-angled triangles when viewed in said cross-section section and combine to form a square or rectangle. The interface surface may ideally form a hypotenuse of said triangle, the outer surface of the upright being defined by perpendicular walls, one of which is connectable to a wall panel.

The upright elements may be asymmetric in section.

The interconnecting means may comprise a separate connector for interconnecting adjacent upright elements and the interface surface of the upright element may have a recess or slot in which said connector is received. This could be provided in preference to, or in addition to, the inter-engaging formations.

The connector is preferably an elongate member having opposed elongate grooves for receipt of edges defining the recess or slot of the upright elements.

The first and second wall modules may be disposed in substantially the same plane or alternatively may be disposed substantially at right angles.

The wall panel may have an upright element connected to each of its parallel side edges. It is to be appreciated that each wall module may comprise simply comprise the wall panel supported at each edge by the upright elements of the frame assembly. However, the frame assembly may further comprise at least one transverse rail connected to the upright element.

The upright elements may be extrusions.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a modular building having a modular wall structure as defined above.

There may be provided a multiplicity of wall modules and with at least one gap defined between modules, the gap forming an entrance or exit for the building.

There may be at least one additional upright element having an interface surface connected to the interface surface of an upright element adjacent to the entrance or exit, the outer surface of the additional upright element not being part of a wall module.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a wall module for a modular wall structure, the module extending in a principal plane and being designed to connect to a second wall module, the module comprising a peripheral frame assembly having at least one elongate upright element with a longitudinal axis that extends substantially parallel to the principal plane of the module, the frame assembly being configured for optionally supporting a wall panel, the upright element having a longitudinal dimension along the longitudinal axis, the upright element further comprising an outer surface to which a wall panel, if present, may be connected and an interface surface that faces away from the principal plane and extends generally in an interface plane that intersects the principal plane of the module, the interface plane having a first component extending in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and substantially parallel to the principal plane and a second component extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and said second component, the upright element being configured so that if it is combined with a second wall module such that the interface surfaces are brought together, the elements would overlap and combine to form a composite upright fame member common to both modules, the interface surfaces of the combined upright elements being configured such that the first and second modules can be selectively joined together such that the respective principal planes of the modules are either co-planar, in parallel with or perpendicular to one another, the composite upright frame member having a first transverse dimension extending in a direction substantially parallel to the principal plane of the first wall module and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the upright element, said first transverse dimension being less than the sum of the corresponding dimensions of the two upright elements measured in the same direction.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a wall module of a modular building in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the wall module of figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectioned view along line A-A of figure 1, with part of an adjacent wall module and associated connector shown in dotted line; Figure 4 is a section view along line B-B of figure 1, with an upright frame element of an adjacent wall module and an associated connector shown in dotted line; Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the part of figure 1 that is ringed and labelled D, showing an intersection of frame members of the wall module; Figure 6 is a sectioned view along line C-C of figure 4; Figures 7A and 7B are plan views of two different wall module configurations; Figures 8A to 8D are schematic plan views of different shelter configurations constructed with the wall modules of figures 1, 7A and 7B; Figure 9 is a sectioned plan view through the upright frame elements of two adjacent wall modules, with a connector shown in dotted line; Figure 10 is a plan view of a connector designed to interconnect adjacent upright frame elements; and Figures 11 and 12 are sectioned views illustrating alternative embodiments of the upright frame elements.

Referring now to the drawings, figures 1 to 6 illustrate a wall module 10 comprising an assembly of a modular frame structure 11 with glazing panels 12, 13 and which is intended to be combined with other identical or similar modules (examples of which are shown in figures 7A and 7B) in a kit that can be assembled to form a modular building structure such as one of those shown in figures 8A to 8D.

The frame structure 11 comprises aluminium extrusions that support upper and lower glazing panels 12, 13 as best seen in figure 1. The frame structure 11 comprises a pair of spaced, upright, elongate posts 14 interconnected by three spaced, transverse, elongate cross rails: an upper rail 15, a base rail 16 and an intermediate rail 17. The upright posts 14 are triangular in cross-section, as can be seen in figures 2 to 4, and are designed to mate with corresponding posts 14a of an adjacent module, as represented by the dotted lines in figures 3 and 4, such that they combine to form what appears to be a single, relatively slim, square post.

The post extrusion 14, shown most clearly in figures 3, 4 and 9, has a hollow interior 18 bounded by first and second perpendicular walls 19, 20 interconnected by a third longer wall 21 that forms the hypotenuse of the triangle. When the modules 10 are combined to form a building the first and second walls 19, 20 of the posts 14 are generally exposed and so are referred to herein as "outer" walls whereas the third wall 21 is generally concealed and is therefore referred to as the "inner" wall. The third, or inner, wall 21 is broken by a central slot 22 that extends along the length of the post 14. Minor interior walls 23, 24 parallel to the first and second outer walls 19, 20 separate the slot 22 from the rest of the post interior 18 and serve to define an elongate recess 25 that is substantially triangular in cross-section. It will be seen that the triangular section of the post 14 is not quite symmetrical in that the inner wall 21 that forms the hypotenuse of the triangle has a protruding rib 26 close to one end and a complementary channel 27 close to the other end.

In order to construct a building from the wall modules 10 only two basic assemblies are required, as illustrated in figures 7 and 8. Figure 7A shows a "TYPE A" module corresponding to that of figures 1 to 6 whereas figure 7B illustrates an alternative "TYPE B" module. In the TYPE A module, a post 14, 14' is connected to each end of the rails and panels by an outer wall 19 such that the planes occupied by the respective inner walls 21 extend in substantially perpendicular directions and the two remaining outer walls 20 face in the same direction. In the TYPE B module, the post 1 4a' on the right-hand end of the glazing panel 12, 13 is unchanged but the post 14a on the left-hand end is effectively rotated through 900 about its own axis when compared to that of the TYPE A assembly. Thus the inner walls 21 of the TYPE B module face in opposite directions but the planes they occupy extend in parallel and the remaining outer walls 19, 20 face in opposite directions.

It will be appreciated that the right hand post 14' of the TYPE A module is designed to mate with the left-hand post 14a of the TYPE B module when the two modules are disposed in a line and in the orientation shown in the figures. Moreover, if the TYPE A module is rotated through 90 its left-hand post 14 is able to mate with the right-hand post 1 4a' of the TYPE B module. When the diagonal inner walls 21 of posts 14,14a of two adjacent modules are brought together in a face-to-face relationship, the ribs 26 on each wall interlock with the corresponding channels 27 of the other wall as shown in figure 9, thereby keeping the vertical axes of the posts 14, 14a substantially parallel. The two posts 14, l4a thus combine to form a composite post that is split along an interface plane occupied by the surfaces of the inner walls 21. A separate connecting extrusion 30 shown in figure 10 and in dotted line in figures 3, 4 and 9 is inserted downwards from the top of adjacent posts 14, 14a such that it is received in the triangular recesses 25 in each to lock the two posts together. The connecting extrusion 30, which may be metallic or plastics, has a generally cylindrical section with diametrically opposed outwardly facing rabbets 31 for receipt of those edges of the third wall 21 that define the slot 22. In one embodiment the extrusion is provided in a plurality of discrete lengths to facilitate its insertion into the recesses 25 of the posts.

Different configurations of building modules using the modules of figure 7A and 7B are illustrated in figures 8A to 8D. These modules are typically used for permanent or semi-permanent waiting shelters.

The modular building of figure 8A is a 3x 1 (three modules assemblies long and one deep) shelter having two right-angled wall sections separated by staggered entries 35 with each wall section comprising two TYPE A modules and one TYPE B module as annotated. It will be noted that the ends of the modules that border the two entrances are fitted with an additional post extrusion 36 in the same way as at the module interfaces in order to provide the desired square form of the uprights with no visible fixings.

The building of figure 8B is a 3x1 shelter having a double front entry and is constructed from the modules as labelled.

In figure 8C there is shown a 2x1 shelter having a single entry whereas the shelter of figure 8D is a lxi single entry version.

It will be appreciated from figures 7 and 8 that the posts 14 are configured in such a way that only two types of wall modules are required (type A and type B) to construct the modular buildings of figure 8. This is achieved by the posts 14 each having two possible panel attachment locations spaced 900 apart, the outer profiles of the posts being such that the distance between opposed attachment locations is the same and the plane occupied by the mating surfaces of the inner walls 21 bisecting the 90 angle between the modules 10. Other embodiments are contemplated by the present invention but unless the above conditions are met more than two wall module types may be required. For example, the combined post may take a rectangular shape with the rectangle being bisected diagonally by the interface of the two posts. In such an embodiment the spacing between one pair of opposed wall attachment locations is different to the other and four module types will be required.

In all embodiments of the invention the posts are designed to overlap so that the width of the post in a direction parallel to the principal plane of the module and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post is reduced compared to the combined side-by-side width of the posts and, similarly, the depth of the combined post measured in the direction perpendicular to the principal plane of the wall module is less than the combined depths of the separate posts. The overlap is provided by virtue of the interface plane extending in a direction such that it has a component that is parallel to the principal plane of a given module and a component perpendicular thereto, both components being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post.

One of the posts of the assembly of figure 1 terminates at its lower end in a galvanised steel foot 40 that comprises a base plate 41 to which is welded to an upstanding steel spigot 42 of L-shaped cross section (best seen in figure 3). The spigot 42 is received inside the hollow interior 18 of the post 14 and is slidable therein to accommodate uneven ground. A screw is used to fix the spigot in the desired vertical position. The base plate 41 is generally square and has a fixing aperture 43 by which the foot 40 may be secured to a supporting surface.

The horizontal rails 15, 16, 17 of the framework, together with any intermediate transoms (not shown), glazings or solid panels, can be mounted on either of the first and second outer walls 19, 20 of the post 14. Figure 5 shows the way in which the intermediate rail 17 is attached to the posts 14. First, a U-shaped bracket 44 is permanently screwed to the adjacent outer wall 19 of the post and the hollow rectangular rail 17 is then slid over the bracket 44 and permanently fixed thereto by countersunk rivets 45.

Each glazing panel 12, 13 is secured to the posts by means of a panelretaining member 50 in the form of an elongate aluminium extrusion of Eshaped cross-section as shown in figure 3. The panel-retaining member 50 defines first and second channels 51, 52, the glazing panel 13 being received in a first channel 51 and a fixing screw 53 occupying the second channel and securing the extrusion 50 to the first wall 19 of the post 14. The first channel 51 is lined with an elastomeric seal 54 that receives the edges of the panel 13. During construction of the module assembly 10 the edges of the lined first channel 51 are pressed on the edges of the panel 13 and the seal 54 provides sufficient friction to maintain the panel-retaining members 50 in place whilst it is presented to the posts 14 and cross rails 15, 16, 17 and the retaining- member 50 is screwed thereto The second channel 52 is then closed by a cap 55 in the form of a U-section extrusion that is a snap-fit in the channel and provides a flush finish with no visible fixings.

A modular building constructed from the wall modules may be fitted with a roof panel 60 that is attached to the frame posts 14 as illustrated in figures 4 and 6.

The roof 60, which may be for example, a composite panel, is coated on its outer faces with a sheet steel or aluminium with a core of high- density foam. The connection between the upright posts 14 and the roof panel 60 is provided by tie brackets comprising flat steel plates 61 on to which threaded studs 62 are welded to project upwardly beyond the ends of the plates. These tie brackets are received within the post interior 18 and are retained by screws S passing through the outer wall of the posts 14 and into threaded holes 63 in the plate 61. The steel plate 61 finishes flush with the top surface of the post 14 with the threaded stud 62 upstanding. The roof panel is place over the wall modules such that pre-drilled holes receive the studs 62. The roof is fastened in place by threading a nut 64 on to each stud. The steel plates for fixing the roof in place can be fitted to either of the outer walls 19, 20 of the post 14 so that irrespective of the orientation of the post 14 and the fixing studs 62 can be positioned to coincide with a standard grid of predrilled holes in the roof panel 60.

Figures 11 and 12 show alternative embodiments of the posts 114, 214 of adjacent wall modules 110, 210 connected at right angles to one another. It will be appreciated that the post designs are such that the modules can also be connected in- line if desired. Parts corresponding to those of figures 1 to 10 are indicated by the same reference numerals increased by 100 (in the case of figure 11) or 200 (in the case of figure 12) and are not further described except in so far as they differ from their counterparts. In figure 11 the posts 114 combine to form a post of octagonal cross- section, whereas in figure 12 they combine to form a cylindrical post with a circular cross-section. In each case the right angle between the two wall modules 110, 210 is bisected by the plane occupied by the interface between the two posts 114, 214. In both embodiments the posts have elongate grooves 170,270 that extend in parallel to the longitudinal axis of thereof and represent alternative attachment points for the glazing panel 112, 212 that are not used in the embodiments shown. Similar grooves are present at the panel attachment locations but are not shown. The provision of these grooves a given post extrusion design to be used in different orientations and module types. In these embodiments the width of the composite post measured in a direction parallel to the plane of the wall panel to which it is connected is around 17 to 17.5% greater than the maximum transverse dimension of the post measure in the same direction. This may also apply to other post shapes.

The configuration of the posts is such that a modular system is provided in which the posts are generally of the same appearance of a conventional non-modular structure but which allow for easy assembly. The same extrusion can be used on all wall modules and allow the composite posts have a uniform appearance.

It will be appreciated that numerous modifications to the above described design may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the modular frame structure may be used in other modular wall structures such as display systems and internal partition systems.

Moreover, in some applications the wall modules may be open i.e. they consist simply of the frame structure and the glazing or other wall panels are omitted.

Claims

A modular wall structure comprising first and second interconnectable wall modules each extending in a respective principal plane and each comprising a peripheral frame assembly having at least one elongate upright element with a longitudinal axis that extends substantially parallel to the principal plane of each module, the frame assembly being configured for optionally supporting a wall panel, the upright element having a longitudinal dimension along the longitudinal axis, the upright element further comprising an outer surface to which a wall panel, if present, may be connected and an interface surface that faces away from the principal plane and extends generally in an interface plane that intersects the principal plane of the first module, the interface plane extending in a direction having a first component that is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and substantially parallel to the principal plane and a second component that is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and perpendicular to said first component, the upright element of the first wall module being configured to join with the upright element of the second wall module at said interface surfaces such that the elements overlap and combine to form a composite upright fame member common to both modules, there being provided means for interconnecting the upright elements, the interface surfaces of the combined upright elements being configured such that the first and second modules can be selectively joined together such that the respective principal planes of the modules are either co-planar, in parallel with or perpendicular to one another, the composite upright frame member having a first transverse dimension extending in a direction substantially parallel to the principal plane of the first wall module and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the upright element, said first transverse dimension being less than the sum of the corresponding dimensions of the two upright elements measured in the same direction.
2. A modular wall structure according to claim I, wherein the interface plane intersects the principal plane of the first module at an acute angle.
3. A modular wall structure according to claim 2, wherein the interface plane intersects the principal plane of the first module at an angle of substantially degrees.
4. A modular wall structure according to claim 1, 2 wherein the first transverse dimension of the composite upright frame member is at least half the sum of the dimensions of the two upright elements measured in the same direction.
5. A modular wall structure according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the first transverse dimension of the composite upright frame member may be up to 17.5% greater than the corresponding transverse dimension of upright element of the first module.
6. A modular wall structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the composite upright frame member has a second transverse dimension in a direction substantially perpendicular to the principal plane and to the longitudinal axis of the upright element, the second transverse dimension being less than the sum of the dimensions of the two upright elements measured in the same direction.
7. A modular wall structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first transverse dimension of the upright element of the first module in the direction parallel to the principal plane of the first module is substantially equal to the dimension of the upright element of the second module in the same direction.
8. A modular wall structure according to any preceding claim wherein the means for interconnecting the upright elements comprises a separate connector member.
9. A modular wall structure according to claim 8, wherein the connector member does not penetrate the outer surface of either of the upright elements of the composite upright frame member.
10. A modular wall structure according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the interface surface of the upright element has a recess or slot in which said connector member is received.
11. A modular wall structure according to claim 10, wherein the connector member is an elongate member having opposed elongate grooves for receipt of edges defining the recess or slot of the upright elements.
12. A modular wall structure according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the connector member is an extrusion.
13. A modular wall structure to one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the means for interconnecting the upright elements further comprises releasably inter- engaging formations defined on the interface surfaces.
14. A modular wall structure according to claim 13, wherein the interengaging formations comprise at least one projection and at least one corresponding recess.
15. A modular wall structure according to claim 14, wherein the interface surface of each upright element has both a projection and a recess for inter- engagement with complementary formations on the interface surface of the adjacent upright element of the composite upright frame member.
16. A modular wall structure according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the projection comprises an elongate rib and the recess comprises a complementary groove.
17. A modular wall structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the upright elements are generally triangular when viewed in a cross- section taken through a plane that is orthogonal to said longitudinal axis, the triangular sections of adjoining first and second upright elements combining to form a parallelogram.
18. A modular wall structure according to claim 17, wherein the upright elements are right-angled triangles when viewed in said cross-section section and combine to form a square or rectangle.
19. A modular wall structure according to claim 18, wherein said interface surface forms a hypotenuse of said triangle, the outer surface of the upright being defined by perpendicular walls.
20. A modular wall structure according to claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein the upright elements are asymmetric in section.
21. A modular wall structure according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the first and second modules comprises at least one wall panel supported in the frame assembly.
22. A modular wall structure according to claim 21, wherein the wall panel is supported on each side edge by a respective upright element.
23. A modular wall structure according to claim 22, wherein the wall panel is fixed to each of the respective upright elements via a support member.
24. A modular wall structure according to claim 23, wherein the support member is fixed to the upright element and defines a channel in which the wall panel is received.
25. A modular wall structure according to claim 24, wherein the channel is lined with sealing member.
26. A modular wall structure according to any one of claims 21 to 25, wherein the wall panel is a glazing panel.
27. A modular wall structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second wall modules are co-planar.
28. A modular wall structure according to any one of claims I to 26, wherein the principal planes of the wall modules are disposed substantially at right angles.
29. A modular wall structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the frame assembly further comprises at least one transverse rail connected to the upright element.
30. A modular wall structure according to any preceding claim wherein the upright elements are extrusions.
31. A modular wall structure according to any preceding claim wherein the upright elements of each of the first and second modules are substantially identical in cross-section.
32. A modular wall structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the composite upright frame member has an exterior profile that is substantially symmetrical about the interface plane.
33. A modular building comprising a modular wall structure according to any preceding claim.
34. A modular building according to claim 33, comprising a multiplicity of wall modular wall structures and wherein there is at least one gap defined between wall structures, the gap forming an entrance or exit for the building.
35. A modular building according to claim 34, wherein there is provided at least one additional upright element having an interface surface connected to the interface surface of an upright element adjacent to the entrance or exit, the outer surface of the additional upright element not supporting a wall panel.
36. A modular building according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the upright elements all have substantially identical profiles and crosssectional sizes.
37. A wall module for a modular wall structure, the module extending in a principal plane and being designed to connect to a second wall module, the module comprising a peripheral frame assembly having at least one elongate upright element with a longitudinal axis that extends substantially parallel to the principal plane of the module, the frame assembly being configured for optionally supporting a wall panel, the upright element having a longitudinal dimension along the longitudinal axis, the upright element further comprising an outer surface to which a wall panel, if present, may be connected and an interface surface that faces away from the principal plane and extends generally in an interface plane that intersects the principal plane of the module, the interface plane extending in a direction having a first component that is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and substantially parallel to the principal plane and a second component that is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and perpendicular to said first component, the upright element being configured so that if it is combined with a second wall module such that the interface surfaces are brought together, the elements would overlap and combine to form an upright fame member common to both modules, the interface surfaces of the combined upright elements being configured such the first and second modules can be selectively joined together such that the respective principal planes of the modules are either co-planar, in parallel with or perpendicular to one another, the composite upright frame member having a first transverse dimension extending in a direction substantially parallel to the principal plane of the first wall module and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the upright element, said first transverse dimension being less than the sum of the dimensions of the two upright elements measured in the same direction.
38. A modular wall structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 10 or figure ii or 12 of the drawings.
39. A modular building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 10 or figure ii or 12 of the drawings.
40. A wall module substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures ito 10 or figure 11 or 12 of the drawings.