IL43473A - Prefabricated buildings - Google Patents

Abstract

1452064 Prefabricated room units CREDELCA AG 15 Oct 1973 [17 Oct 1972] 47731/72 Heading E1A In a prefabricated room unit comprising a floor structure 1 and at least one vertical loadbearing structure 40a, the floor structure is made up of panel sections 1a, 1b each having aligned ribs 5 provided with one or more conduits 7, the panels being interconnected to one another and to the vertical load-bearing structure by stressing cables or rods extending through the aligned conduits in said members. The members are preferably made of re-inforced concrete and the vertical load-bearing structure may be of column, U- or inverted U-shape formation, see Figs. 3a, 3b, 3c (not shown). The ribs may be disposed along the side edges of the panels and the conduits may be disposed above and below the neutral axis of each rib or of the floor panel section. For numerous minor modifications, dimensions and prior art the Specification and remaining drawings, (not shown), should be referred to. [GB1452064A]

Description

Improvements in and relating to prefabricated buildings DiT^K ΟΠ'31 D"DnO D*33Da D^"l Dtf is The invention/related to prefabricated buildings comprising transportable prefabricated room elements and their method of construction and is particularly concerned with plural- storey buildings and primarily with those having at least three storeys. The expression "transportable prefabricated room element" is employed herein to define a transportable prefabricated cell-like structure having two opposed sides and two opposed ends constituting four faces of the cell and comprising a floor panel structure and a vertical load-bearing structure, rigidly connected to the floor panel structure at least at or adjacent to to at least one of said faces, for supporting parts of the building (such, for example, as a roof or ceiling or the floor panel structure of a super -imposed room element) extending over and positioned above the floor panel structure, which element is adapted to be mounted face-to-face with a further such element in building up a storey, or part of a storey, of a building from a plurality of such elements. The expression "face-to-face" includes side-by-side, end-to-end, and end-to-side. The expression "vertical load-bearing structure" includes a vertical load-bearing wall and spaced vertical load-bearing columns. The said columns may support fill-in panelling to close, or partly close, a face of the structure, and the expression "fill-in panelling" includes a wall panel, a door, or a window, and in the case of a wall panel the latter may be integral with the two columns between which it extends or may be attached to them. Such room elements and buildings incorporating them form the subject of British Patent Sepcifications Nos. 1101597; 1101385; 1068172; 1027241; 1027 242; and 1034101 and also No. 1250883, to which Specifications reference may be made for further particulars. The invention" is primarily concerned with improvements in or modifications of the invention claimed in Patent No. 1205883.

An object of the present invention is an improved prefabricated building unit in or for a transportable prefabricated room element as hereinbefore defined, this unit being built up from prefabricated component parts and designed to form the load-bearing skeleton or frame of the room element.

It is intended that the building units shall be prefabricated at a factory remote from the site at which the building is to be erected and, also at that factory, incorporated in room elements. In particular such electrical, plumbing and heating installations, doors, partitions, glazing and interior finish, as are required may be applied to the room elements at that location so as to bring them to a substantially finished condition. The room elements are then transported to the building site and there assembled into a building in which only the minimum of finishing work, such for example as concealing joint lines and the assembly and connection of the services needs to be carried out.

This invention therefore provides a prefabricated building unit in or for a "transportable prefabricated room element" as hereinbefore defined, wherein :- (a) the floor panel structure comprises a plurality of prefabricated panel sections located in end-to-end relation substantially in a common plane. (b) each of the panel sections ha s two spaced longitudinal ri.b s at it s under side, (c) the rib s* of -the panel sections are aligned longitudinally, (d) each rib is formed with at lea st one conduit, (e) corre sponding conduits in the ribs of the panel sections are in alignment; (f) the vertical load-bearing structure, at least at one end of the floor panel structure, comprise s two vertical columns rigidly connected to each other and the spacing between which i s substantially the same as that between the ribs, (g) the end structure is formed, near the base s of the columns, with conduits aligned with the conduit s in the ribs, and (h) the panel sections are rigidly tied together, and to the end structure or structur e s, by str e s sing cable s or rods extending through the aligned conduit s.

It will be under stood that the load-bearing structures referred to are of room height or storey height and are intended to support the roof , or ceiling of the room element and/or to support the floor panel structure of a superimposed element in the case of a plural- storey building.

The aligned conduit s and the stre s sing cable s or rods may be straight.

One advantage of the manufacture of the floor panel structure from prefabricated sections i s that it permit s of the manufacture, in a factory, of building unit s, and room elements incorporating the same, of greater length (e. g. in the order of 10 to 12 m) than is commonly practicable if the floor panel is a monolithic component. An advantage .of the above preferred arrangement of the straight stressing cables or rods, and the ribs, is that it permits the utilization of simple and constant manufacturing and stockpiling techniques (e. g. extrusion or basic moulds) without giving rise to any substantial bending loads or buckling stresses (loads) on the floor panel structure detrimental to its. primary function.

The width of the room element is chiefly determined by transport requirements, and may be up to 2.80m.

The two columns comprised in the load-bearing structure aforesaid are desirably rigidly connected together at their lower ends by a rigid cross member or spandrel beam. Alternatively or in addition, they may be rigidly connected at their pper ends by a rigid cross member or lintel. The load-bearing structure is preferably a monolithic structure of reinforced concrete, although it may be built up in the manner described in -m¾ eadjng British Patent AppJLica.tio. .s 1.408.872. ' Nos-. 42?^y.4-aad.l53XU.JJ_2._ The floor panel sections may also be manufactured to the required accuracy by a method described in these Applications.

According to an important subsidiary feature of the invention, in each rib, two conduits are preferably disposed in upper and lower straight horizontal positions. Preferably they are disposed above and below the neutral axis of the floor panel cross-section. Alternatively, they may be disposed above and below the neutral axis of each rib. In each in stance the said disposition is preferably symmetrical (equidi stant from the neutral axis in que stion).

Alternatively, .a single conduit may be di spo sed coincidently, or nearly so, with one or other of said neutral axe s.

There may be an intermediate load bearing or non -load-bearing structure at an intermediate region in the length of the floor panel structure. This intermediate structure may be a solid panel and/or may comprise or consist of a vertical load-bearing column at or near one edge or each edge of the floor panel structure. The base of the intermediate column or each of the intermediate columns may be. x provided with conduits aligned with the conduits in the ribs so that the str e s sing cable s or rods extend through the se column conduit s. If the intermediate structure comprise s two column s, the se columns may be initially separate from each other but preferably they are rigidly connected by a cro s s member at the ba se and/or at the top. In such a construction the intermediate load-bearing structure may be a monolithic reinforced concrete structure, or may be constructed according to the afore said rSL-zjjeuding Patent -Appli-cati ms. It may be sub stantially identical to or similar to one or each of the load-bearing end structure s.

This invention also include s a prefabricated building unit in or for a ''transportable prefabricated room element" a s hereinbefore defined, comprising a rigid floor panel structure having two oppo sed ■ side s, two opposed ends, and four corner s, vertical load-bearing structure s rigidly connected to the floor panel structure and comprising a vertical load-bearing end column at each corner and two vertical load-bearing columns opposite each other at intermediat locations in the sides of the floor panel structure, the bases of the two end columns at the two corners at each end of the floor panel structure being rigidly connected by a cross member, and wherein the floor panel structure is provided at its underside with two longitudinal ribs substantially aligned with the bases of the columns at each side of the floor panel structure, the ribs and the aligned column bases are formed with aligned conduits extending from end to end of the unit, and the columns are rigidly and permanently connected to the floor panel structure by stressing cables or rods extending through the conduits.

In order that the invention may be better understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which : Figure 1 is a perspective view of a prefabricated unit according to this invention : Figure 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough : Figures 3a, 3b, and 3c are perspective views illustrating monolithic load -bearing structures ; Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating fill-in panelling applied to or integral with the two vertical columns of such a structure ; Figure 5 is a longitudinal section illustrating a column-less panel or another form of fill-in panelling ; Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the underside of a floor panel oi floor panel section ; Figure 7a is a cross-sectional view through such a panel or section; while Figure 7b is a cross sectional view illustrating a modification; Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the connection between the base of a representative column and floor panel section according to Figure 7a; Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the method of assembly and of connection between a representative column and panel section.

The prefabricated unit illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a floor panel structure, indicated generally at 1, having two opposed longitudinal sides 2a and 2b, two opposed ends 3a and 3b,. and four corners. The floor panel structure comprises a succession of panel sections la, lb of reinforced concrete. Alternatively, particularly in the absence of an intermediate vertical structure 40c_, the floor panel structure may consist of a single monolithic panel. At each end of the floor panel structure there is a vertical load-bearing structure of storey height. The load-bearing structure at one end is indicated generally at 40a and that at the other end at 40b. These structures may be identical.

Structure 40a is a monolithic structure of reinforced concrete comprising two spaced upright columns, 4a, 4b, connected at the · base by a cross member or spandrel beam 15 and at the top by a cross member or lintel 16. At the base of each column there is an enlarged foot portion 14. The other, end structure 40b is shown, by . way of example, a s comprising two reinforced concrete columns 4e , 4f_ with enlarged foot portions 14 which are connected only by a integral cros s member re sembling 15 but not visible in Figure 1.

At the under side of each of the panel sections, there are longitudinal ribs 5, the panel sections being as sembled in end -to-end relationship with their upper surface s substantially in a common plane and with the ribs aligned longitudinally. Each rib is preferably formed with upper and lower straight conduit s 7 , the corre sponding conduits and ribs being in alignment. The spacing between the two vertical columns of each end structure is the same or substantially the same as that of the ribs 5 (e. g. exceeding it by a small amount in comparison thereto) and each end structure is formed at or near the base of each, column (approximately on the vertical centre line of the column or at a location displaced horizontally towards the longitudinal axis of the floor panel structure teiy the aforesaid small amount) with upper and lower conduit s 7 aligned with the ^conduits in the ribs, and the panel sections la, lb are rigidly tied together and to the load -bearing end structure s by straight stre s sing cable s or rods 6 extending t hrough the aligned conduits. Alternatively, a si)ingle cable may be provided in a single conduit in each rib substantially coincident with the neutral axis of the rib or panel section. In the construction shown in Figure s 1 and 6 there is an integral tongue portion lc , at each end of the panel struculre , . which portion is received between the enlarged feet 14 and has it s upper surface level with the upper surface s of the se enlarged feet.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 1, 6 and 7a, the ribs 5 are slightly spaced inwards from the side edge s of the panel sections so a s to provide overhanging lips 13, but as shown in Figure 7b, the rib s may be provided at the edge s of the panel sections.

In each rib 5 two conduit s 7 are preferably disposed vertically in upper and lower straight horizontal positions. Preferably they are di spo sed above and below the neutral axi s of the floor panel cros s section. Alternatively, they may be dispo sed above and below the neutral axis of each rib, for which purpose each rib i s to be considered a s extending from the upper surface of the panel section to the lower surface of the rib. Alternatively, they may be disposed above and below the neutral axi s of the panel section. In either event they ar e preferably disposed equidistant from the neutral axis in que stion.

Figure s 1, 2 and 4 illustrate the fact that at an intermediate region in the length of the floor panel structure, there may be an intermediate load-bearing (or non-load-bearing) structure 40c, de sirably of reinforced concrete, and comprising columns 4c, 4d.

This intermediate structure may be identical to either of the end structure s 40a, 40b and is provided at the base of its columns with the conduit s 7. While Figure 1 illustrate s diagrammatically that the space between .the two; column s, pfv the intermediate structure may .be .- ' oc cupied by fill-in panelling applied to or integral with it s columns, it is also intended to illu strate the fact that this intermediate structure may consist of a monolithic wall. .'■'■ '·.' . · .. ,· ·" " ' ' ;·'·"' ' " The provision of an intermediate load-bearing structure is applicable to structural units for use in room, elements according to co - ending Patent Application No. 37187 /69 (Serial No. 1313104).

Figures 3a, 3b and 3c illustrate the fact that the load-bearing structures may be devoid of the feet 14. Such an arrangement is intended to be used in conjunction with floor panel sections such as are shown in Figure 7b and in which the ribs are provided at the side edges of the panel sections.

In Figure 3a the columns are connected by a spandrel beam 15 at their bases. In Figure 3b they are connected by a spandrel beam at their bases and by a cross-member or lintel 16 at their top ends. In Figure 3c they are connected by a cross-member or lintel 16 at their top ends. Alternatively, the end structures may be formed as monolithic solid panels (similar to the intermediate structure) as illustrated in Figure 5.

Figure 4 shows that the space between two of the load-bearing columns may be occupied by fill-in panelling 17 which may be integral with or applied to these columns, but particularly in the case of an end structure there may also be an external cladding 17a and an insulating layer 17b. · · ' " ' ·':"·''■·*""■ ·■.·'..

Figure 5 illustrates a monolithic const^ctibn without columns,;, or a construction in which the columns are tied together by integral fill-in panelling 17.

If one or more of the vertical load-bearing structures is a monolithic panel, it may be formed with ah opening for a door or window. / Figures 4 and 5 also show that the tongue portion lc may overlie the cross members 15 of the end load-bearing structures.

In all constructions according to this invention, the top surfaces of the upper ends of the load bearing structures are located in a common horizontal plane and the under surfaces of their lower ends or bases are located on another common horizontal plane parallel to the first. These surfaces are support surfaces, permitting successive room elements in a plural store building to be stacked one on top of another with the columns in vertical register. Desirably, the plane of the lower. surfaces of the load-bearing structures is below the under surfaces of the ribs (see Figs. 2, 4, 5 arid 9). The outer side faces of the columns at each side of the building are located in a common vertical plane at each side of the building, the two planes being parallel. These planes may coincide with or be spaced outwards from the side edges of the floor panel- structure. The outer end faces of the end structures are located in parallel vertical planes. Thus the structural unit, and a room element incorporating it, has four vertical faces. > The rigid or integral connections such as 15, 16 and 17 between the two columns of each load-bearing structure enhance the rigidity of this assembly and the resistance of the columns to side loads, thus - obviating the riec e s sity for-anyl windbracing such. a.s- migh.t-ath.exwis.e_l require to be provided by diagonal ties. Moreover, the means ... whereby each load-bearing structure is permanently and rigidly connected to the floor panel structure renders the room element (and the building thus formed) moment -resistant. The expression •moment resistant' means resistant to angular deformation under loads likely to be imposed on the assemblied structure during fabrication and transport of the room element and during and after erection of the room element into the eventual building.

The prefabricated components of the building unit are positioned in their required spatial and angular relationship (for example by means of a jig, and a suitable jig forms the subject of Patent No. 1109873), the stressing cables or rods are passed through the aligned conduits 7, and are placed under tension and, while under tension, their ends anchored to the load-bearing end structures by appropriate means, (for example by tapered split collets and nuts, in sockets in the outer faces of the end structures, as in Patent No. 1250883).

If a corner at an end of the floor panel structure is devoid of a load-bearing column, then the ends of the stressing cables or rods that extend through the rib adjacent to that corner may be anchored to the floor panel structure at said end, or in a portion of the corresponding vertical structure left remaining, for this purpose, in the region which would have been occupied by the base of this column were the latter present. The conduits 7 may provide an initial clearance around the stressing members 6, which clearance is filled by an injected setting material after tie members 6 have been tensioned and anchored.

The prefabricated components may be arranged in direct face- to-face contact provided that they have the necessary dimensional and angular accuracy. Alternatively, a suitable jointing material 10 (Figures 4, 5 and 9) may be interposed between them and permitted to cure or set after the components have been brought, to the required spatial and angular relation and before the members 6 are tensioned.

In order to provide continuity between the successive lengths of the conduits, rings 9 (preferably resilient) are disposed between the successive components, see Figure 9.

The conduits may be formed by liners 12, Figure 9, cast into the components. These liners may be of metal and the reinforcement 11 of the load -bearing structures may be connected to them, for example by welding or bonding. Reference number 11a indicates the reinforcement of the cross member 15, and may also be connected to the liners 12 in the load-bearing structures.

It will be appreciated that the cross members 15 of the vertical load-bearing structures constitute transverse ribs extending across the floor panel structure, the component sections of which are them-selves devoid of cross ribs. The upper surfaces of these members 15 may occupy the same horizontal plane as the upper surface of the floor panel structure or may be depressed to allow tongues lc_ to overlie them. The omission of cross ribs from the floor panel sections permits them to be manufactured as a long length by, for example, extrusion, and cut off to the appropriate shorter sections which need not necessarily be all of the same length. In particular, they may be cut off to any desired length (made to order) or they may be stockpiled in a serie s of modular lengths which may be combined at as sembly to produce any of a predetermined set of di screte overall lengths. For example, in Figure 1 two floor panel sections of differing lengths are shown, although the dotted line 8 indicate s that instead of the portion of the floor panel structure indicated at lb being constituted by a single panel section, it may be constituted by two or more such sections.

Reverting to Figure 7a in which the floor panel section is provided with extensions or lip s 13 along it s side edge s, the width to which it i s initially cast is readily adjusted by, for example, adjusting side member s of the mould.

The width of the floor panel structure may be a multiple of 600 mm (e. g. 2, 400 mm) or multiple s of 1750 of 1800 mm (e. g. 1. 5 time s 1800 mm = 2, 700 mm).

Although it i s within the scope of the pre sent invention to construct the floor panel structure as a single component (particularly if an intermediate vertical load -bearing structure is omitted), an advantage of the illustrated construction in which the floor panel structure consist s of a plurality of floor panel section s permit s the overall length to be a s de sired, for example in the order of 10 or 12 metre s, or of such a length a s i s compatible with transport requirement s and more readily varied.

If the floor panel or each panel section is ca st in a mould, the length thereof may be adju stably predetermined by an adjustable end wall of the mould, or by adju stable intermediate shutter s in a longer mould.

The prefabricated structure compri sing the load-bearing floor ^ panel structure' and the vertical load-bearing end structure s (with or . without an intermediate vertical load-bearing structure) form s the load-bearing skeleton, or chas si s or frame, of the room element and su stains all loads impo sed on the room element during manufactur transport to the building site and erection into the building, and when a plurality of the room element s are as sembled into a storey or storeys of a building their frames or cha ssis form the principal load-bearing structure of said storey or storeys.

Although in the illustrated constructions the conduit s 7 and cable s or rods 6 are straight, they may be draped so a s. to curve downwardly from their end.

Claims (22)

WHAT WE CLAIM. IS :- .

1. A prefabricated building unit in or for a "transportable prefabricated room element" as hereinbefore defined, wherein :- (a) the floor panel structure comprises a plurality of prefabricated panel sections located in end-to-end relation substantially in a common plane. (b) each of the panel sections has two spaced longitudinal ri.bs at its . underside, (c) the ribs of the panel sections are aligned longitudinally, (d) each rib is formed with at least one conduit, (e) corresponding conduits in the ribs of the panel sections are in alignment, (f) the vertical load-bearing structure, at least at one end of the floor panel structure comprises two vertical columns rigidly; connected to each other and the spacing between which is substantially the same as that between the ribs, , (g) the end structure is formed, near the bases of the columns, with conduits aligned with the conduits in the ribs, and (h) the panel sections are rigidly tied together, and to the end structure or structures, by stressing cables or rods extending through the aligned conduits.

2. A unit according to Claim 1, wherein the aligned conduits and the stressing cables or rods are straight.

3. A unit according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the two columns / comprised in the load-bearing structure aforesaid are rigidly connected together at their lower ends by a rigid cro s s member or spandrel beam.

4. A unit according to any of the prec eding Claims, wherein the two columns comprised in the load-bearing structure ar e rigidly connected at their upper ends by a rigid cro s s member or lintel.

5. A unit according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the load-bearing structure i:s of r einforced concrete.

6. . A unit according any of Claims 1 - 5, having, in each rib, two conduit s disposed in upper and lower' straight horizontal po sitions.

7. A unit according to Claim 6, wherein the conduits are dispo sed above and below the neutral axi s of the floor panel section.

8. A unit according to Claim 6, wher ein the conduits are disposed above and below the neutral axis of each rib.

9. A unit according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein the said dispo sition is symmetrically equidi stant from the neutral axis in que stion.

10. A unit according to any of the preceding Claims, having an intermediate load-bearing or non -load-bearing structure at an intermediate region in the length of the floor panel structure.

11. A unit according to Claim 10, wherein the intermediate structure compri se s or consi st s of a vertical load-bearing column at or near one edge or each edge of the floor panel structure.

12. A unit according to Claim 11, wherein the ba se of the intermediate column or each of the intermediate columns is provided with conduit s aligned with the conduit s in the floor panel rib s so that the stre ssing cable s or rods extend through, the se column conduit s.

13. A unit according to any of Claims 10 -12, wherein the intermediate structure compri se s two columns which are either initially separate from each other and later rigidly connected or are formed monolithically with a rigid connection by a cros s member at the base and/or at the top.

14. A unit according to Claim 13, wherein an intermediate structure is a monolithic load -bearing structure of reinforced concr ete.

15. A unit according to any of Claims 10 -14, wherein the intermediate structure is substantially identical to or similar to one or each of the load -bearing end structure s.

16. A unit according to any of the preceding Claims wherein at each end of the floor panel structure whereat the load -bearing structure comprise s two columns connected at their base s by a rigid cros s member, the floor panel structure has an end portion which overlie s the cros s member.

17. A unit according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the floor panel structure comprise s extruded panel sections.

18. A prefabricated building unit in or for a "transportable prefabricated room element" as hereinbefore defined, comprising a rigid floor panel structure having two opposed side s, two opposed ends, and four corner s, vertical load -bearing structure s rigidly connected to the floor panel structure and comprising a vertical load-bearing end column at each corner and two vertical load -bearing columns opposite each other at intermediate locations in the sides of the floor panel structure, the base s of the two end columns at the two corner s at each end of the floor panel structure being rigidly connected by a cros s member, and wherein the floor panel structure is provided at its under side with two longitudinal ribs substantially aligned with the base s of the columns at each side of the floor panel structure, the ribs and the aligned column base s are formed with aligned conduits extending from end to end of the unit, and the columns are rigidly and permanently connected to the floor panel structure by stre s sing cable s or rods extending through the conduit s.

19. A unit according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the under surface s at the base s of the columns are below the under surface of the ribs.

20. A unit according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the top surface s at the upper ends of the columns are located in a common horizontal plane and the under surface s at the base s of the columns are located in another common horizontal plane parallel to the fir st.

21. A prefabricated building unit, in or for a "transportable prefabricated room element" as hereinbefore defined, substantially as de scribed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. A "transportable prefabricated room element" as hereinbefore defined, incorporating a unit according to any of the preceding Claims, the said unit forming the load -bearing skeleton or frame of the room element.