KR102080275B1 - Methods and systems of installing mechanical and electrical modular assembly units in buildings - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of connecting and installing a plurality of mechanical and electrical (M & E) service modular assembly units in a building and the use of an adjustable lifting machine to lift a modular multiple M & E service unit connected within a building.
This method involves engaging adjacent modular assembly units before lifting to an installation height.

Description

METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF INSTALLING MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL MODULAR ASSEMBLY UNITS IN BUILDINGS

The present invention provides a modular multiple mechanical and electrical (M & E) service, a method of installing a modular assembly unit in a building and its accessories, and a coordinated lifting machine for lifting a modular multiple mechanical and electrical service unit connected within a building. lifting machines).

Mechanical and electrical (M & E) systems are power, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fire protection, water and sewage, and other critical elements that enable efficient and safe operation of commercial buildings such as hospitals, data centers or factories. By providing the elements, they serve as an important institution for commercial buildings.

It is known in the building industry to establish a feed line on the ceiling of a building to supply mechanical and electrical systems to various parts of the building facility. Traditionally, these lines can be placed continuously by other tradesmen, resulting in inefficient space use. Improvements to the traditional way of building supply lines have been introduced. In particular, modular building construction methods reduce on-site labor costs and shorten on-site construction time for the installation of M & E services.

While there have been various improvements to the M & E service modular assembly unit, only limited improvements to the assembly and how to install such a unit have been introduced. These units are still being lifted to soffit using chain blocks. This approach requires an initial step of installing the chain block at every lifting point. Another problem with this lifting method is that the installed chain block occupies a certain amount of ceiling space and the M & E service modular assembly unit cannot be raised above the lowest point of the chain block. This creates a dead space in the ceiling after the M & E service modular assembly unit is installed, thus causing a reduction in the head room space. Clearance heights less than 8 feet (2.4 m) can cause inconvenience to building occupants.

Since the chain blocks are controlled independently, each modular assembly unit is lifted individually and installed in the sofitt. This is a relatively intricate lifting and installation method and requires coupling of adjacent modular assembly units after they have been installed in the sofit. Using this method, the operator is required to work at an elevated height to engage the modular assembly unit. This creates a safety problem for the operator and requires the repeated use of man lifts such as scissors lifts to facilitate the operator's work. In addition, movement is limited when workers are on the top lift. More time and effort is required to complete the assembly of the modular assembly units compared to working on the ground where movement is less limited. In addition, checking the bond quality requires considerable effort and entails risk due to the rise of the modular assembly unit.

The M & E service line, built along a common corridor, provides M & E services to individual rooms in a building or to a series of factory machines, for example. Such service lines generally extend horizontally over significant distances. For greater efficiency, the length of the modular assembly unit for M & E services is designed up to 6 m for convenient transportation as a standard vehicle. Depending on the size and number of services assembled in the modular assembly unit, the weight of each unit may exceed 1,000 kg. The installation of these modules is limited due to the size and weight of each module and the limited passage of the passage.

Accordingly, it can be seen that there is a need for a method of safely and efficiently installing the M & E service modular assembly unit along a common passage. Preferably this method reduces the time required for the operator to work at elevated heights, maximizes the available head room space after installation, reduces the number of lifts required to bring all modular assembly units along the aisle to the installation height, By reducing the total time to install the entire length of adjacent modular assembly units, an improvement in the quality of the mating connections between adjacent modular assembly units must be achieved.

The following is a brief summary to provide a basic understanding of the present invention.

In the present invention, a method of connecting and installing a mechanical and electrical (M & E) service modular assembly unit is disclosed. Also described is an adjustable lifting machine, optionally provided with a lifting table, for simultaneously lifting sections of the combined modular assembly unit.

The method,

Manufacturing at the manufacturing site a plurality of adjacent M & E service modular assembly units, each assembly unit comprising a selection of mechanical and electrical service lines received in a support frame;

Transporting a plurality of said M & E service modular assembly units to an installation site;

Coupling the M & E service modular assembly unit by connecting a service frame and a service line of an adjacent M & E service modular assembly unit at a level accessible to an operator working at the floor level of the installation site;

Lifting the combined M & E service modular assembly unit together to the height required for installation;

And installing and fixing the combined M & E service modular assembly unit in the building.

Since the connection of the support frame and the service line is carried out at a level accessible to the operator working at the floor level of the installation site, this method allows for more freedom of movement and allows the operator to work at a higher height. Reduced time leads to higher work quality, productivity and reduced operator risk. Connection quality checks can also be easily performed. Lifting of the combined units is performed only once in the field compared to the multiple lifts that must be performed for each M & E modular assembly unit based on the manner in which it is currently implemented.

Before transporting a plurality of M & E service modular assembly units to the installation site, a test combination of the modular assembly units may be performed at the assembly site to check and correct alignment and other problems.

The modular assembly unit is seated on a series of lifting machines arranged at the bottom of the installation site, and the lifting machine is centered to simultaneously lift the modular assembly units to the level required for installation in the building after the modular assembly units have been combined. Is controlled from By simultaneously lifting the combined modular assembly unit, no deformation is applied to the connections between adjacent units, thereby maintaining the quality of the connections. This lifting method prevents the 'dead space' caused by using the chain block.

In another aspect of the invention, the modular assembly units are seated and secured to a support table before the modular assembly units are joined. This table allows the operator at the floor level of the installation site to connect the support frame and service line at an ergonomic height (approx. 1.2 m above the floor level). With such a support table, readily available hydraulic lifting machines that are not designed to lift objects directly to ceiling height, such as automotive hydraulic lifts, can be used to lift modular assembly units.

The connected assembly unit and the support table are lifted together by a series of lifting machines which are adjusted to simultaneously raise the load.

In another aspect of the invention, the support table is suitable for raising the table surface to the installation height for the connected modular assembly unit.

After installing the connected modular assembly unit in the building, the support table is released from the modular assembly unit and lowered back to the floor level to accommodate further batches of the M & E service modular assembly unit.

The invention will now be described by way of non-limiting embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a perspective view of an M & E service modular assembly unit installed in a building vehicle.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a commercial building showing all planned M & E service lines, FIG. 2 (a) is an overall plan view, and FIGS. 2 (b) to (d) are some enlarged views of FIG. 2 (a).
3 is a set of diagrams illustrating the main steps of connecting and installing a series of adjacent M & E modular assembly units.
4 illustrates a method of connecting and installing a series of adjacent M & E service modular assembly units within a building.
5 illustrates another method of connecting and installing a series of adjacent M & E modular assembly units in a building.

One or more specific and alternative embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. Some of the details may not be elongated so as not to obscure the invention. For convenience, when referring to the same or similar features common to the figures, common reference numerals or series of symbols will be used throughout the figures.

1 is a perspective view of a standard M & E service modular assembly unit 100 with dimensions 6000 mm: L × 3000mm: W × 3000mm: H, designed to be installed under the foot 10 of a building.

M & E services such as water pipes, dry riser pipes, electrical and communication cables and cable trays are separated into three separate levels and supported by steel frame 30. The modular assembly unit is installed below the pit 10 by connecting the support frame 30 to a hanger rod 20 that is preinstalled in the pit 10. The space between the soffit 10 and the service located on top of the modular assembly unit is an ideally minimized 'dead space' to ensure maximum head room space. Depending on the number and size of the services contained within the unit, the weight of one modular assembly unit may be at least 1,000 kg.

2 is a plan view of a commercial building with a complex M & E service line. The main M & E service line runs horizontally across the central part of the building with two main straight sections, with the first section of the walkway being 16m long and the second section 16m long. Based on the dimensions of the M & E service modular assembly unit shown in FIG. 1, three modular M & E service assembly units are required to form the M & E service line for the first passage section, and three units are provided in the second section. need.

Currently, M & E service providers will install each module individually and combine the installed modules at the SOFT 10 level (height). Lifting of each modular assembly unit consists of the use of a chain block.

3 and 4, a new installation method is presented. By analyzing the floor plan of the building, sections of the building suitable for installing the M & E service line according to the present invention are identified. In general, passages or other sections where M & E services extend over significant distances may benefit from the use of this method.

Based on the length of the identified section of the building, the number of required M & E service modular assembly units is determined and manufactured off-site at the manufacturing site. In order to check for proper alignment and other connection problems, a test combination of the module assembly device is performed at the manufacturing site. After disconnecting the units, they are transported individually to the construction site by means of existing transport means.

As shown in FIG. 3, a series of lifting machines 50 are strategically disposed along both sides of the passage just below the installation point of the construction site to form a space for accommodating the modular assembly unit 100. The modular assembly units 100 are arranged in sequence, located in a defined space, and joined together at the bottom level. Thereafter, the lifting machine 50 is operated to simultaneously lift the combined modular assembly unit 100 to the height necessary to be installed with sorbite.

Due to the size and weight of the combined modular assembly units, multiple lifting machines 50 are used simultaneously to lift the combined modular assembly units. Preferably, at least one pair of lifting machines 50 is used to lift each modular assembly unit as shown in FIG. 3. The lifting machine 50 can be centrally controlled to lift all lifting machines at the same time. The lifting machine 50 may be a hydraulic lift, such as a mobile column lift that is generally available.

If the maximum reach of the lifting machine 50 is insufficient to raise the combined modular assembly unit to a level suitable for mounting on the foot, the lifting machine 50 is still used in combination with the support table to compensate for the height difference. Can be. Referring to Figure 5, after the modular assembly units are delivered to the installation site, each unit is placed on a support table and secured to the support table. The support table is provided with wheels to roll the modular assembly unit from the building access point to the actual installation position. For example, if the pit is 4 m from the floor, the height of the modular assembly unit is 2 m, and the maximum lift height of the lifting machine 50 is 1.7 m, a 1.2 m support table may be used. Since the modular assembly unit is placed on the support table, the joining of the units is performed at an ergonomic height.

The support table and the combined modular assembly unit are lifted together by a series of lifting machines 50 to the height required to be secured to the pit. This method allows the user to more advantageously use a commercially available lifting machine, such as an automotive hydraulic lift (e.g., Redline's two post automotive lift, model name: TLT-240SB) to lift the coupled module.

Optionally, the height of the support table may be adjustable. Thus, the lifting of the combined modular assembly unit is simply achieved by the support table, without the use of the lifting machine 50. The modular assembly units are first individually placed on the support table by the use of cranes or manual lifting devices and aligned for engagement. After joining, the height of the support table is simultaneously raised to raise the combined modular assembly unit to the height required to install it into the pit. The support table can be centrally controlled to lift all tables simultaneously.

While specific embodiments have been described and illustrated, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications, variations and combinations of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention may be practiced with smaller and lighter modular assembly units. The combined modular assembly unit may not necessarily form a straight line.

Claims (11)

A method of connecting and installing a plurality of mechanical and electrical (M & E) service modular assembly units to a building,
Manufacturing at the manufacturing site a plurality of adjacent M & E service modular assembly units, wherein the assembly unit includes a selection of mechanical and electrical service lines received in a support frame;
Transporting the plurality of M & E service modular assembly units to an installation site;
Coupling the M & E service modular assembly unit by connecting a service frame and a service line of the adjacent M & E service modular assembly unit at an accessible level for an operator working at the floor level of the installation site. ;
Lifting the combined M & E service modular assembly unit together to the height required for installation; And
And installing and securing the combined M & E service modular assembly unit to the building. The method of claim 1,
Combining the M & E service modular assembly units is performed at the floor level of the installation site. The method of claim 1,
A method of connecting and installing a plurality of mechanical and electrical (M & E) service modular assembly units to a building, wherein a lifting machine is used to lift the combined M & E service modular assembly unit. The method of claim 3, wherein
And said lifting machine is a hydraulic lift. A method of connecting and installing a plurality of mechanical and electrical (M & E) service modular assembly units to a building. The method according to claim 3 or 4,
And said lifting machine is centrally controlled for simultaneous lifting of said combined M & E service modular assembly unit. A method of connecting and installing a plurality of mechanical and electrical (M & E) service modular assembly units to a building,
Manufacturing at the manufacturing site a plurality of adjacent M & E service modular assembly units, wherein the assembly unit includes a selection of mechanical and electrical service lines received in a support frame;
Transporting the plurality of M & E service modular assembly units to an installation site;
Placing and securing the M & E service modular assembly unit on a support table;
Coupling the M & E service modular assembly unit by connecting a service frame and a service line of the adjacent M & E service modular assembly unit at an accessible level for an operator working at the floor level of the installation site. ;
Lifting the combined M & E service modular assembly unit and support table together at the height required for installation; And
And installing and securing the combined M & E service modular assembly unit to the building. The method of claim 6,
And a lifting machine is used to lift together the combined M & E service modular assembly unit and the support table. The method of claim 7, wherein
And said lifting machine is selected from a range of lifting machines having a maximum lifting height less than the height required to raise said combined modular assembly unit to a level suitable for installation. How to connect and install the self-assembling unit to a building. The method of claim 7, wherein
And said lifting machine is a hydraulic lift. A method of connecting and installing a plurality of mechanical and electrical (M & E) service modular assembly units to a building. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9,
And the lifting machine is centrally controlled to simultaneously lift the combined M & E service modular assembly unit and the support table. 19. A method of connecting and installing a plurality of mechanical and electrical (M & E) service modular assembly units to a building. 10. A central control system of a lifting machine for carrying out a method of connecting and installing a plurality of mechanical and electrical (M & E) service modular assembly units of any one of claims 1 to 4 and 6 to 9. .

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