KR20150121699A - Method and system using standardized structural components - Google Patents

Abstract

The method and system disclosed herein may be used to create architectural drawings describing the architectural layout of a building in a building designated as one or more walls with standardized structural walls and to automatically place each of the standardized structural walls in a geometric grid using a computer And mapping (or locating) one or more standardized structural elements of a plurality of standardized structural elements, including standardized panels, standardized columns, and standardized trusses, to the coordinates of the geometric grid .

Description

 [0001] METHOD AND SYSTEM USING STANDARDIZED STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS [0002]

The present invention relates to a method and system for constructing and assembling buildings using prefabricated and modular construction systems.

The structure of a building must be able to withstand physical forces and displacements without risk of collapse or loss of durability or function. The stresses in the structures are supported by the structures of the structures.

Buildings of five stories tall or less typically handle fixed and live load vertical forces using a "bearing wall" structural system. By increasing the size and density of the floor-to-floor framing or frame structure from the upper floors to the lower floors progressively downwards to evenly spread the loads on the walls, Vertical forces on the roof, floors, and walls are vertically passed from the roof to the bases by the walls. For ceilings and floor spans, trusses are used to support the loads on the ceilings and floors and to transfer these loads to the walls and columns.

For example, in the absence of vertical bearing components, such as in window and door openings, beams are used to transfer loads to pillars or walls. For structures higher than five stories, a concrete and / or structural steel framework in the form of large beams and columns is used to support the structure, where the walls have limited ability to support vertical loads.

Horizontal forces acting on buildings (for example, wind and earthquake forces) are processed and transmitted by bracing. A common method of installing braced wall lines on buildings (typically five stories or less) is to use braided panels in the wall lines using structural sheathing. A more common method is to use let-in diagonal bracing through the wall line, but this method is not useful for buildings with many openings such as doors, windows, and the like. The above horizontal forces in structures higher than the 5th floor may be used for heavy steel let-in bracing, or heavy steel and / or concrete panels, as well as concrete or stone stair towers and elevator hatches And structural core elements such as < RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI >

There is a need for a prefabricated and modular system for constructing and assembling buildings without relying on concrete and / or structural steel framing, heavy steel roof-in bracing, and heavy steel and / or concrete panels.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and system using standardized structural elements.

The method and system disclosed herein may be used to create architectural drawings that illustrate the architectural layout of a building in a building designated as one or more walls with standardized structural walls and to use the computer to create architectural drawings of the architectural layout along the lattice lines of the geometric lattice, Aligning each of the standardized structural walls along grid line intersections to automatically locate each of the standardized structural walls and providing a plurality of standardized structural elements including standardized panels, standardized columns, and standardized trusses (Positioning) one or more standardized structural elements of the geometric grid to the coordinates of the geometric grid.

In exemplary embodiments, a computer program product may be provided. One embodiment of a computer program product is a computer program storage medium readable by a computer system and that coats a computer program. Another embodiment of a computer program product is implemented in a carrier wave by a computing system and is provided in a computer data signal encoding the computer program.

Other embodiments are also described and described herein.

Figure 1 shows a stud used as a framing member in horizontal truss panels.
Figure 2 shows a track used as a skeletal member in horizontal truss panels.
Figs. 3 and 3A show a V-brace type horizontal truss panel. Fig.
Figures 4, 4A and 4B show various open horizontal truss panels.
Figure 5 shows the truss attached to the horizontal truss panels.
Figure 6 shows a structural column assembly for attaching the horizontal truss panels to one another.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a method of attaching a horizontal truss panel as shown in Figures 3, 3a, 4, 4a, and 4b to the structural column assembly of Figure 6.
Figure 9 shows an integrated horizontal truss panel wall line with open and V-braced horizontal truss panels in an integrated truss construction system (UTCS) wall line.
Figure 10 shows the truss of Figure 5;
Figure 11 shows the truss / stud hangers of Figure 6;
Figure 12 shows a portion of the structural column assembly of Figure 6;
Figure 13 shows the trusses connected to the horizontal truss panels.
Figure 14 shows trusses forming a UTCS open span assembly connected to horizontal truss panels to form a wall line.
15 shows a UTCS building section formed as an assembly of multiple floors of a UTCS structure.
Figure 16 shows the arrangement of the structural column assemblies of Figure 6 in a building.
Figure 17 shows a three-dimensional and two-dimensional view of floor-to-floor sections of such a building section.
Figure 18 illustrates the transfer of forces to the structural column assemblies of Figure 6;
19 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating a system for using standardized structural elements.
20 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating a system for using standardized structural elements.
Figure 21 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for using standardized structural elements.
22 illustrates an example of the structural panel names generated by the system disclosed herein.
Figure 23 is an exemplary flow chart illustrating a method for tracking building construction steps using specialized code.
24 is an exemplary flow chart illustrating a method for controlling the manufacture of standardized structural elements using machine control files.
25 illustrates an exemplary geometric grid used by the method and system disclosed herein.
Figure 26 is an exemplary plan view illustrating a geometric grid with various standardized structural elements along the grid lines.
Figure 27 is an exemplary front view illustrating an architectural structure using various standardized structural elements.
28 is a perspective view illustrating a structure created using various standardized structural elements;
29 illustrates an exemplary computing system that may be used to perform one or more components of the methods and systems disclosed herein.

This application claims the benefit of United States Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 719,561 entitled " METHOD AND SYSTEM OF USED STANDARDIZED STRUCTURE COMPONENTS " filed December 19, U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 719,561 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 12 / 964,380 entitled "PANELIZED STRUCTURAL SYSTEM FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION" filed on December 9, 2010, , And U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 719,561, which claims priority from U.S. Patent Application No. 61 / 288,011, filed December 18, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The Unified Truss Construction System (UTCS) disclosed herein is a unique, new, and innovative structural system for single and multi-story buildings, based on standardized structural panels. The system is unique in that it comprises only vertical wall panels (horizontal truss panels) of lightweight gauge metal frames, lightweight-gauge-metal floors and ceiling trusses, cold rolled square or rectangular steel tubing (structural columns) Employs a limited number of configurations of plates and clips.

Unlike conventional approaches to design and fabricate structures of buildings, many different assemblies (walls, columns, beams, bracing, strapping, and fasteners that fix them together) are subject to vertical live loads and fixed loads And horizontal forces, the UTCS processes these forces through a limited number of uniquely designed standardized horizontal truss panels that are assembled into structural posts and trusses. The assembly of these unique components effectively supports the vertical and horizontal forces from the walls, floors, ceiling, and roof and delivers them to the extra dense column system of the UTCS. Thus, because the columns absorb these vertical and horizontal forces, the UTCS is not a vertical bearing wall structural system and is a "hot formed" structural steel (heavy steel or "red iron") as part of the structural system of the building, And the need for concrete.

The UTCS framing members are formed from specially designed rolling mills. These machines typically produce framing studs or members from cold rolled steel, commonly referred to as "coiled steel. &Quot; Each stud is cut to size, and pre-drilled, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing ("MEP") assemblies Pre-punched to process rough-ins, pre-punched to pass through vertical and horizontal bracing, and labeled for assembly. The machines read stud specifications from CAD files.

The horizontal truss panels and trusses used in the UTCS are constructed by using skeletal members rolled from light gauge steel such as gauge steel of 18 to 14 gauge, do. There are two profiles of the skeletal members used in the horizontal truss panels, namely the stud 10 shown in Fig. 1 and the track 12 shown in Fig. The stud 10 and track 12 are each rolled from a lightweight section, such as 18 to 14 gauge steel.

Each stud 10 and track 12 includes a web 14, flanges 16, and lips 18 formed as shown in FIG. The flanges 16 extend respectively in the same direction substantially perpendicular to the opposing sides of the web 14 and the lips 18 extend inwardly from the ends of the flanges 16 such that the lips 18 And is parallel to the web 14. The stud 10 and the track 12 are formed such that the flanges 16 of the track 12 are slightly higher than the flanges 16 of the stud 10 and the web 14 of the track 12 is slightly larger than the flanges 16 of the stud 10 ) Of the web (14). ≪ / RTI > These relative dimensions compress the flanges 16 of the stud 10 to allow the stud 10 to slide through the interior of the track 12 without affecting the structural performance.

UTCS employs a limited number, such as two of the configurations of the horizontal truss panels. These horizontal truss panels are the structural wall components of UTCS. When only two such configurations are used, (a) a V-braced horizontal truss panel (V-braced) including a "V-brace" in the form of a "V" horizontal truss panel, 20/22), and (b) an open horizontal truss panel 24 that does not include a V-brace, as shown in FIG.

The open horizontal truss panel 24 is typically used in some areas of the building with large openings (windows, doors, pass-throughs, and the like) in a UTCS structure. The open horizontal truss panel 24 can be used to secure vertical load forces (e.g., occupancy) and fixed load forces (e.g., drywall) from the floor and ceiling assemblies attached to or adjacent to each panel within the building ), MEP assemblies, insulators, and the like) ("Local Forces"). The V-braced horizontal truss panel 20/22 is constructed to support vertical local forces and horizontal forces (e.g., wind and earthquake) acting on the building.

As shown in FIG. 3, the V-braced horizontal truss panel 20 has an upper track 26 and a lower track 28. The inboard of the upper track 26 is a continuous horizontal brace (referred to as double horizontal bracing) consisting of continuous web-to-web tracks 30 and 32 and the tracks 30 and 32 Is secured to the side studs 36, 38 at the sides of the V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 by fasteners 34 such as bolts or screws. Upper track 26 and lower track 28 are also secured to side studs 36 and 38 by fasteners 34. [ The area between the continuous horizontal brace formed by the tracks 30 and 32 and the upper track 26 includes a vertically angled webbing 40 made from studs. This brace region in FIG. 3 acts as a truss attachment region 42 inside the V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 for attachment of the trusses 106 to be described later, and the brace region of the V- Braced horizontal truss panel 20 and the structural posts, which will be described later, attached to each of the side studs 36, 38 of the V-

The V-braced horizontal truss panel 20 also includes two inboard studs 44, 46 fixed to upper and lower tracks 26, 28 and tracks 30, 32 by fasteners 34 And a center stud 48. The side studs 36 and 38 are formed by passing through the end cutouts 50 at the ends of the webs 14 and lips 18 of the tracks 30 and 32, (16) abut flanges (16) at the ends of the tracks (26, 28, 34, 36). These end cutouts 50 are shown in FIG. The fasteners 34 are in this contact area. Similarly, the inboard studs 44 and 46 and the center stud 48 pass through the internal cutouts 52 of the webs 14 and lips 18 of the tracks 30 and 32, 36,38 and the flanges 16 of the center stud 100 abut the inside of the flanges 16 of the tracks 26,28, 34,36. These internal cutouts 52 are shown in FIG. For example, the five vertical studs 36, 38, 44, 46, 48 are 24 "spaced from the center. The inboard studs 44, 46 and the center stud 48 are located on the tracks 30, The studs of the V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 are also connected to the drywall, conduit, wiring, piping assemblies, etc. As shown in FIG.

The V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 also includes continuous V-shaped bracing. This V-Bracing is unique in design and manufacturing. The two legs of the V-brace are V-brace studs 54,56, such as the stud 10 shown in FIG. The V-brace stud 54 is secured by fasteners 34 to the side studs 36 and the bottom tracks 28 just below the tracks 30 and 32 and to the web 14 of the inboard stud 44. [ Through the inner cutout (58) at the end. This inner cutout 58 is shown in FIG. The web 14 of the V-brace stud 54 abuts one stud 16 of each of the studs 36, 44 and the track 28. These contact areas accommodate fasteners 34 as shown.

Similarly, the V-brace stud 56 is secured to the side studs 38 and bottom tracks 28 just below the tracks 30,32 by the fasteners 34 and to the inside of the inboard stud 46 And passes through the cutout 58. The web 14 of the V-brace stud 56 abuts one of the studs 38, 46 and one flange 16 of the track 28. These contact areas accommodate the fasteners 34 as shown.

In order for the V-brace studs 54,56 to be attached to the studs 36,38 and the track 28, the ends of the V-brace studs 54,56 are moved at a predetermined angle It needs to be tilted. These tapered ends allow multiple fasteners 34 to be used to secure the V-brace studs 54,56 to their corresponding side studs 36,38.

The V-brace studs 54 and 56 are positioned such that their webs are orthogonal to the webs of the studs 36, 44, 48 and 38 of the V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20. The V-brace studs 54,56 also extend from directly beneath the tracks 32,34 through the inboard studs 44,46 to the apex of the "V" at the substantially central portion of the bottom track 28 Continuously, the connection at the apex of the V-brace is made by the vertex plate 60 and the additional fasteners 34 connecting the V-brace studs 54, 56 and the center stud 48 to each other. The plate 60, the lower track 28, the stud 48, and the V-brace studs 54, 56 are connected to each other by three lower fasteners as shown in FIG. The inboard stud 46 also includes an upper track 26 and a track 28 at a location where the fastener 34 passes the inner cutouts 52 of the tracks 30, (30, 32). Vertex plate 60 may be formed from a material such as 18 - 14 gauge cold rolled steel.

The connections of the V-brace studs 54,56 to the side studs 36,38, the center stud 48 and the track 28 are moment connections and the horizontal connections of the V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 Improves structural performance.

These connections facilitate transmission of most of the horizontal forces acting on the V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 to the structural posts of the system (as described below).

The V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 also includes a track 62 that provides horizontal bracing. The track 62 is located in the center of the V-brace formed by, for example, V-brace studs 54,56. The track 62 has end cutouts 50 that receive the inboard studs 44 and 46 and has an internal cutout 52 that receives the center stud 48, To the inboard studs 44 and 46 and to the center stud 48. [ The track 62 contributes to the horizontal-force structural performance of the V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20.

The V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 may include other bracing and backing necessary for dry walls, cabinets, grab bars and similar building assemblies. The V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 is used as both interior (demising and partitioning) structural walls and exterior structural walls. The V-braced truss panel 20/22 can also accommodate windows and windows, even though the space is limited as viewed from the drawing.

The V-braced horizontal truss panel 22 of FIG. 3a includes two studs 64, 66 with lips 18 abutting each other about the V-brace stud 54 forming half of the V- , Except that the V-brace studs 56 forming the other half of the V-brace of Fig. 3 are replaced by two studs 68, 70 which may or may not touch each other And has the same configuration as the V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 of Fig. Thus, the studs 64, 66, 68, 70 provide additional strength by forming a dual V-brace for the V-braced horizontal truss panel 22 of FIG. 3A.

As shown in FIG. 4, the open horizontal truss panel 24 has an upper track 80 and a lower track 82. The inboard of the upper track 80 is a continuous horizontal brace (referred to as double horizontal bracing) consisting of continuous web-to-web tracks 84 and 86, Is secured to the side studs (88, 90) at the sides of the open horizontal truss panel (24) by fasteners (34). The upper track 80 and the lower track 82 are also fixed to the side studs 88, 90 by fasteners 34. The area between the continuous horizontal brace formed by the tracks 84, 86 and the upper track 80 includes a vertical angled webbing 92 made from studs. 4 acts as a structural truss 94 for the open horizontal truss panel 24 and conveys the forces applied on the open horizontal truss panel 24 to the structural posts described below, Are attached to the respective side studs 88, 90 of the truss panel 24.

The open horizontal truss panel 24 also includes two inboard studs 96 and 98 fixed to the upper and lower tracks 80 and 82 and tracks 84 and 86 by fasteners 34, And has a stud 100. The side studs 88 and 90 are formed by passing through the end cutouts 50 at the ends of the web 14 and lips 18 of the tracks 84 and 86, (16) abut flanges (16) at the ends of the tracks (80, 82, 84, 86). These end cutouts 50 are shown in FIG. The fasteners 34 are in these contact areas. Similarly, the inboard studs 96 and 98 and the center stud 100 are passed through the internal cutouts 52 of the webs 14 and lips 18 of the tracks 84 and 86, 96 and 98 and the flanges 16 of the center stud 100 abut the flanges 16 of the tracks 80, 82, 84 and 86. These internal cutouts 52 are shown in FIG. For example, the five vertical studs 88, 90, 90, 98, 100 are 24 "spaced from the center. When the inboard studs 96, 98 and the center stud 100 are placed on the tracks 84, The studs of the open horizontal truss panel 24 may also be used to support a dry wall, conduit, wiring, piping assemblies, etc. Can play a role.

The open horizontal truss panel 24 also includes a track 102 that performs horizontal bracing. The track 102 is centered, for example, between the tracks 82 and 86. The horizontal bracing track 102 includes end cutouts 50 through which the side studs 88 and 90 pass and the inner studs 96 and 98 and the three inner Cut outs 52 and is fixed to the side studs 88,90, the embedded studs 96,98 and the center stud 100 by fasteners 34. [ The flanges 16 of the studs 88, 90, 96, 98, 100 are in contact with the flanges 16 of the track 102. The fasteners 34 are applied to this contact area. The open horizontal truss panel 24 is fabricated to accommodate vertical local forces.

The open horizontal truss panel 24 is designed to accommodate windows, doors, and windows. The open horizontal truss panel 24 may have a width of, for example, 20 'or less. Figures 4A and 4B illustrate open horizontal truss panels having one or more openings for windows, doors, and hatches. 4A shows general chase openings 104 through which MEP assemblies are passed. These chase holes 104 may also be formed in the V-brace type horizontal truss panels 20, 22. Figure 4b shows several open horizontal truss panels with openings for the doors.

The open horizontal truss panel 24 may include other bracing and backing necessary for windows, doors, windows, dry walls, cabinets, grab bars and similar building assemblies. The open horizontal truss panel 24 is used as both internal (demising and partitioning) structural walls and exterior structural walls.

The above-described horizontal truss panels have a height sufficient to accommodate areas from the floor to the ceiling of buildings and accommodate the attachment of trusses such as the truss 106 shown in Fig. The truss 106 includes an upper stud 108 and a lower stud 110 that are attached to the truss attachment region 42 and are connected to each other by an inclined webbing 112 made from studs. The inclined webbing 112, Are attached to the upper and lower studs (108) by a plurality of fasteners (34). The truss 106 is attached to the trussed area 42 of the horizontal truss panel 114 by the use of truss / stud hangers 116 and fasteners 34. Although the horizontal truss panel 114 is shown as a V-braced horizontal truss panel 20/22, the horizontal truss panel 114 may be any of the horizontal truss panels disclosed herein. The truss / stud hangers 116 will be described in more detail below with respect to FIG.

The truss hanger 116 may be formed from a material such as 18 - 14 gauge cold rolled steel.

The truss 106 is shown in Fig. The trusses used in the UTCS are made from the studs 10. These trusses have upper and lower studs 108, 110 and an interior angled webbing 112. The trusses 106 do not have side or end webbings connecting their upper and lower cords 108, 110. The truss 106 may be formed of a lightweight section steel such as 18 to 14 gauge steel. The gauge and length of the truss 106 vary depending on the application and width of the bottom span.

Figure 6 illustrates a structural pillar assembly 130 that includes a top plate 134 and a bottom plate 136 welded to the top and bottom of the structural pillar 132 such that the top plate 134 The lower plate 136 covers the lower portion of the structural column 132. The upper portion of the structural column 132 is covered by the lower plate 136, The structural column 132 may, for example, have four sides and be hollow, and the wall thickness may vary depending on building height and code requirements. The top plate 134 and the bottom plate 136 are shown in FIG. 6 as being linear in the horizontal direction and are used to couple two walls side by side to share a common linear horizontal axis. However, the upper plate 134 and the lower plate 136 may be "L" shaped plates when the two walls are joined at the corners such that the horizontal axes of the two walls are orthogonal to each other.

One or more of the bolts 138 are suitably attached to the top plate 134 (by welding or casting). The bolts 138 extend perpendicularly from the top plate 134. Each end of the lower plate 136 has a through hole 140 therethrough. The first structural pillars 132 may be stacked vertically on the second structural pillars 132 so that the bolts 138 of the top plate 134 of the second structural pillars 132 have a first structural And passes through the holes 140 of the lower plate 136 of the column 132. The nuts are then applied to the bolts 138 of the top plate of the second structural column 132 and fix the first and second structural columns 132 perpendicularly to each other.

The upper and lower plates 134 and 136 are slightly wider than the track 12 used for the horizontal truss panel 20/22/24 and vary in thickness depending on building height and code requirements. The through-bolting provided by the bolts 138 and the holes 140 allows the structural posts 132 to be vertically connected to one another and to other assemblies (roofs, bases, garages, etc.) Lt; / RTI >

The structural pillars 132 are connected to the horizontal truss panels 20/22/24 by stud sections 142 of the stud 10. The stud sections 142 are welded or otherwise secured to the top and bottom of the structural posts 132 as appropriate. The stud section 144 is secured near the center of the structural pillar 130 by welding or suitable fasteners so that the web 14 faces outward. This stud section 144 is a "hold-off" that prevents the studs 36,38, 88,90 of the horizontal truss panels from deflecting. Such as the integration plates 154, may or may not be used at this location.

The material of the structural column 132 is, for example, cold rolled steel. The structural pillars 132 may be hollow and vary depending on the application and the cord may have a wall thickness. The material for the plates 134, 136 and the truss hanger 144, 146 is, for example, 18 -14 gauge cold rolled steel.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a method of attaching a horizontal truss panel, such as horizontal truss panels 20, 22, 24, to structural column assembly 130. The integrated horizontal truss panel is generated when the structural column assembly 130 is attached to the horizontal truss panel 20/22/24 using four truss hanger integrated plates 150, And two flat integration plates (154), both of which are fastened by fasteners (34) to the horizontal truss panel (20) / 22/24) and the stud sections 142 of the respective side studs 36,38. The stator sections 144 as shown in Figure 7 serve to "hold-off" the studs 36, 38 such that these studs are spaced from the side studs 36, 38 and the structural posts 132, So as not to be deflected into the space between the two. Integration plates (such as 154) may or may not be used at this location.

In a UTCS structure, the section or length of the wall is assembled by attaching a large number of horizontal truss panels (depending on wall length) together using structural column assemblies 130. The open horizontal truss panels 24 are used as the wall section (s) of buildings with larger openings such as windows, doors, and windows. The V-brace type horizontal truss panels 20/22 can be used as the wall section (s) over the rest of the structure to provide dense lateral support of the structure. Figure 9 shows a horizontal truss panel wall line with open and V-brace horizontal truss panels 24 in a UTCS wall line.

The truss 106 is secured to the horizontal truss panel 20/30 by the truss / stud hangers 116 and fasteners 34 located in the inboard studs 44,46 and the center stud 48, 22/24). When the truss / stud hanger 116 is inverted 180 degrees as shown in Figs. 5 and 8, housed inside the upper stud 108 of the truss 106 shown in Fig. 11 and shown in Fig. 5, And a stud insertion protrusion 152 received within the lower stud 110 of the truss 106. The truss / stud hanger 116 also includes L-shaped flanges used to fasten the truss / stud hangers to the upper track 26 and to be inverted to secure the horizontal bracings 30, 32 of the horizontal truss panels do.

The trusses 106 are formed by inserting one end of the upper stud 108 of the truss 106 into the insertion protrusion 152 and being fastened by fasteners 34 and fastened by fasteners 34 to the L- The flanges 16 of the upper track 26 and the projecting tabs 176 of the truss hangers 116 are fastened by the fasteners 34 to the upper flanges 16 of the studs 108 To the horizontal truss panel 20/22/24. The lower stud 110 of the truss 106 inverts the truss / stud hanger 116 by 180 degrees and inserts one end of the lower stud 110 of the truss 106 into the insertion protrusion 152 and the fastener 34 Shaped flanges 172 to the webs 14 of the tracks 30 and 32 by the fasteners 34 and by the fasteners 34 to the projecting tabs 176 ) To the lower flange (16) of the stud (110).

The truss 106 is attached to each of the structural posts 132 by an insertion protrusion 152 on the integration plate 150. One end of the upper stud 108 of the truss 106 is inserted over the insertion protrusion 152 of the matching plate 150 and secured to the web 104 of the stud 108 by fasteners 34. The projecting tab 176 is secured to the upper flange 16 of the stud 108 by a fastener. The lower stud 110 of the truss 106 is connected by the insertion of one end of the stud 110 onto the insertion protrusion 152 of the integrated plate 150 rotated 180 degrees. Fasteners 34 are used to connect the insertion protrusions 152 to the web 14 of the stud 110. A protruding tab 176 is attached to the lower flange 16 of the stud 110 by a fastener.

13 shows the trusses 106 connected to the horizontal truss panels 20/22/24.

Figure 14 shows trusses 106 connected to horizontal truss panels 20/22/24 to form a UTCS open span assembly in which horizontal truss panels 20/22/24 are trusses Are assembled together to form a wall line. The trusses 106 support the floor and ceiling assemblies.

Attaching the trusses 106 to the horizontal truss panels in this manner may incorporate the truss 106 into the horizontal truss panels 20/22/24 such that when the wall assembly is placed on the floor, A "hinge-point" existing when the ceiling assembly is placed on top of the wall. This connection has the effect of integrating the trusses 106 and the horizontal truss panels 20/22/24, so that the entire wall and floor system can act as "trusses ". This configuration allows smooth transfer of forces on the floor, ceiling, and horizontal truss panels 20/22/24 to the attached structural column assemblies 20/22/24. Thus, the vertical and horizontal forces are not vertically transmitted from the horizontal truss panel to the horizontal truss panel. When subflooring and drywall are incorporated into the building, the entire system acts as a "diaphragm ".

15 shows a UTCS building section formed of an assembly of multiple floors of a UTCS structure. In a UTCS architecture or structure, the horizontal truss panels 20/22/24 are constructed such that the structural column assemblies 130 on one floor are connected to the bottom floor, and subsequently to the structural column assemblies 130 to the foundation Respectively.

Figure 16 shows this arrangement of structural column assemblies. Figure 16 also shows the density of the structural column assemblies 130 in the UTCS structure.

Figure 17 shows a three-dimensional view and a two-dimensional view of the bottom-to-bottom joints of such an assembly. The horizontal truss panels 20/22/24 do not touch or support one another, as in the "bearing wall" and steel and concrete structures in general. Horizontal truss panels on one floor of the UTCS structure do not carry loads to the floor above. These loads are instead conveyed and carried by the structural column assemblies 130. Each of the "bottom" or stem of the structure buffers and transfers its vertical live load and fixed load forces to structural column assemblies 130 where the forces are buffered vertically to the foundation of the structure .

The V-braced horizontal truss panels 20/22 relaxes the horizontal forces acting on the building and delivers it to the extra structural column assemblies 130 in the structure. The transmission of these forces is shown in Fig. The enlarged portion of FIG. 18 also shows that the panels are not supported perpendicular to each other and the forces (arrows) are not vertically transmitted from one panel to another. The vertical and horizontal forces are transmitted laterally to the structural column assemblies 130. This type of load transfer is possible by the unique design and assembly of the system. Both horizontal truss panels 20/22/24 and trusses 106 act as an integrated truss system.

UTCS may employ horizontal truss panels having widths ranging from 20 'to 2', and most V-brace type horizontal truss panels 20/22 are 8 'to 4'. These panels provide sufficient structural column truss panels within the structure. Each open horizontal truss panel 24 serves to support and mitigate only vertical local forces proximate the attached structural column assemblies 130. The V-braced horizontal truss panels 20/22 serve to support horizontal forces as well as vertical local forces acting on the building. Because the horizontal truss panels 20/22/24 have a unique way of delivering vertical and horizontal forces and because the structural column assemblies 130 are sufficiently provided in the system, There is no need to configure. Only the widths and gauges of the tracks 12, studs 10, and V-brace vary depending on the building height and code requirements.

The internal non-structural partition walls separating the spaces within the UTCS building are constructed from lightweight sections (generally 24-28 gauge) and are common in Type I and Type II steel frame construction.

UTCS is very efficient in dealing with vertical and horizontal forces on buildings. The need to build bearing wall structures or heavy structural cores with UTCS is eliminated, which significantly reduces the cost associated with conventional construction services. UTCS saves time because the structure of the building is built up from a limited number of pre-assembled panels. Thereby significantly reducing the cost of fabricating the structures of the structures.

UTCS is unique and innovative. Slabs, structured parking, retail and commercial buildings. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 2 > UTCS employs framing technology that is based on a system-built, built-in construction approach. UTCS uses assembled building technology and innovative engineering to significantly reduce the cost of installing designs, materials, and structures. UTCS technology and engineering is a new structural system and a way to assemble single and multi-story buildings.

Some modifications to the present invention are described above. For example, although the present invention is particularly useful for constructing and assembling buildings without relying on concrete and / or structural steel skeletons, heavy steel retro-in bracing, and heavy steel and / or concrete panels, / Or architectural steel skeleton, heavy steel retro-in bracing, and structures with heavy steel and / or concrete panels. Other variations may occur to those skilled in the art of the present invention.

Figures 1 to 18 and accompanying disclosure illustrate the use of a limited number for standardized structural components. Specifically, the standardized structural elements can provide an integration between the architectural and structural design of building structures, the production of elements for such building structures, and the final installation of such building structures using the standardized structural elements have. The following disclosure describes methods and systems for using these standardized structural elements. Specifically, the systems and methods described below eliminate migration inefficiencies, unnecessary costs, lack of coordination, unnecessary delays, and other problems associated with conventional building design and construction projects.

The fully integrated methods and systems described below provide an integrated platform for the design, manufacture and construction of architectural structures. Moreover, the system described herein may also include other elements such as rough-ins, finishes, windows, staircases, elevators, etc., as well as how the building elements are related and automatically associated with the structure of the building And provides active design functionality that helps determine if the system is tuned or located. The automation and coordination provided by the system can enable greater design efficiency, better coordination and time and cost savings in design, structural engineering, mechanical, electrical and piping (MEP) engineering, and construction.

19 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating a system 1900 for using the standardized structural elements described above. Specifically, the system 1900 includes a computer aided design (CAD) software module 1902, which is used to generate a design file 1904 for a building. An example of CAD software module 1902 may be Revit architectural design software from Autodesk. The design file 1904 may be generated in a format such as an AutoCAD DWG file, a DXF file, a JPEG file, a BMP file, a GIF file, a TXT file, In one embodiment of the system 1900, the design file 1904 also includes a design for one or more walls 1906 of the building as standardized structural panel walls. For example, such a design for the walls may be provided by the designer during the design phase of the building.

The system 1900 also includes a database 1908 that stores structural details for various standardized structural elements 1910. For example, the database 1908 includes records that provide definitions of the trusses, truss components, and other standardized structural elements 1910 described above with respect to FIGS. 1-18. Moreover, these records also include other characteristics of these standardized structural elements 1910, such as dimensions, horizontal and vertical load bearing histories, shear capacities, identification of studs attached to specific panels, . The system 1908 may be integrated with the CAD software module 1902 while the system 1900 discloses a database 1908 that is separate from the CAD software module 1902. In one embodiment, Alternatively, the CAD software module 1902 is designed to access the database 1908 and the database 1908 can access the CAD software module 1902 in a plug-in manner. This arrangement allows the database 1908 to be remotely located on a database server accessible to a large number of users of different CAD software modules.

The system 1900 includes a geometric grid module 1912 and uses the design file 1904 and standardized structural elements 1910 as inputs. The lattice module 1912 may be configured as an add-in in the CAD software module 1902. The designer who designs the building using the CAD software module 1902 may choose to activate the grid module 1912. Alternatively, the lattice module 1912 may be configured to automatically operate when the CAD software module 1902 is operating. The lattice module 1912 generates a geometric grid based on one or more standardized structural panel walls 1906, where the grid identifies coordinates for each standardized structural panel walls 1906. In another embodiment, the geometric grid generated by the grating module 1912 is in the x, y, and z planes. In yet another embodiment, the geometric grid may be set as a network of multiple grids at various angles to account for angles in a typical building design. The geometric grid may also allow for the design of angled buildings by activating several gratings at different angles to one another, wherein active grids are used to define the standardized structural elements in a precise Snap to grid coordinates.

The lattice module 1912 then automatically positions one or more standardized structural panel walls 1906 along the grid lines such that the standardized structural panel walls 1906 are terminated at positions substantially close to the intersections of the grid lines do. In this manner, the positions and lengths of the standardized structural panel walls 1906 are aligned with the lines of the geometric grid.

The system 1900 then analyzes the wall lines mapped to the geometric grid using structural performance and other data associated with the standardized structural elements 1910, including a mapping solutions module 1914 Determine the location, direction, etc. of the standardized structural elements 1910 along the grid lines. In one embodiment, standardized structural elements 1910 are mapped to the grid coordinates with predetermined distance intervals. For example, standardized structural elements 1910 can be mapped to a grid of 2-foot spacings. The predetermined distance interval may be selected based on the minimum denominator size of the standardized structural elements 1910.

The mapping solution module 1914 first maps standardized structural elements 1910, such as trusses, used in some of the floor structures along the grid lines. An example of the trusses used as part of the floor structure is the truss 106 described above as shown in Fig. Once the mapping solution module 1914 sets the location and orientation of the trusses, the mapping solution module 1914 determines the location and selection of the standardized structural elements 1910 used as the wall panels. Examples of such wall panels include the V-brace type horizontal truss panel 20 shown in FIG. 3, the open horizontal truss panel 24 shown in FIG. 4, and the like. The mapping solution module 1914 calculates the efficient layout of these wall panels by analyzing the locations of the openings in the walls, column components such as structural columns 130, and the like. For example, the mapping solution module 1914 may analyze the load bearing forces, the shear forces, etc. of the structural columns with the performance histories of the various wall panels to determine whether the final structure accepts a design for wall openings, , And also satisfies the construction code. In particular, the mapping module 1912 can determine the selection of wall panels to maximize efficiency and minimize cost.

In one embodiment, the system 1900 may be configured to change the selection and layout of standardized structural elements 1910 based on one or more changes to the architectural design drawing. For example, when the window opening is moved from one wall to another wall or from one position to another position of the wall, the selection and position of the trusses, wall truss panels, etc. are also changed. In addition, the system 1900 can allow the engineer to change locally to the structure and to make these changes affect the rest of the building. For example, if a seismic code within a particular jurisdiction requires a specific configuration of panels along a building wall line, the engineer can make the necessary changes. In such a case, the system 1900 can automatically analyze the remaining structures to ensure that the entire building conforms to codes, structural structural soundness, and the like.

The system 1900 also includes an output module 1916 to allow the user to generate various outputs 1920 based on the results generated by the mapping solution module 1914. While system 1900 depicts output module 1916 as a separate module, in other embodiments, such output module 1916 may be part of a system setup. For example, the user may select one or more outputs and / or functions at the time the system is set up, and the output module 1914 generates the required output. In the system 1900 shown in FIG. 19, the output module 1916 generates outputs 1922-1934.

Specifically, the output module 1916 is configured to generate a structural component list 1922 that includes a unique identification for each of the various structural elements for each of the various walls in the building. Thus, for example, the structural element list 1922 can include lists of fastening screws, bolts, studs, and the like required for an architectural structure. In one embodiment, the output module 1916 generates quick response (QR) codes for various structural elements. These QR codes can be used to identify specific structural elements or structural elements of a particular type. For example, a QR code is provided to identify a particular integrated plate used to attach a structural panel to a horizontal truss panel. Each of the QR codes 1924 also relates to other information identifying the structural element, such as the location of the structural element in the building structure, the price of the structural element, the structural characteristics of the structural element, and the like.

Output module 1916 is also configured to generate structural panel names 1926 for various structural elements of the building structure. For example, each column of the building structure is assigned a structural panel name that identifies a particular column and provides various information such as column thickness, column size, height column configuration, and the like. Similarly, a structural panel name may identify a particular panel, panel type, panel distance from corners on various axes, column offset from one end, and so on. A further discussion of structural panel names will be described later in FIG.

Furthermore, the output module 1916 can be configured to generate pages 192 that provide information about the various structural elements of the building structure. These pages 1928 can be configured as web pages with URLs that can be activated via the QE code. For example, when a user scans one of the QR codes 1924 using a QR code scanner, a user may be provided with a web page containing information about a particular client. Thus, for example, if a QR code is provided on a component that is already installed on a building structure, scanning the QR code in the field allows the user to obtain additional information about the structural element. Additionally, pages 1928 are dynamically updated with information such as the location of the structural element, the installation state of the structural element, and the like. In one embodiment, one or more applications provided on a user device that is used to scan the QR code may update the information on pages 1928.

Furthermore, the output module 1916 can be configured to generate the three-dimensional models 1930 of the building structure. In one embodiment, these 3-D models 1930 are updated dynamically and the 3-D models 1930 are also updated as the construction of the building progresses. Furthermore, 3-D models 1930 can identify various structural elements of the building structure. In one embodiment, the output module 1916 generates output files for project engineering review and approval. For example, these output files may include detailed three-dimensional drawings of the building structure, various stress analysis reports, data required to be submitted for fulfillment of various building regulations, and the like. The user may provide feedback based on the review and approval output, in which case the user input is included to create another solution for the building structure.

In one embodiment, the output module 1916 is configured to generate a bill of material 1932 that uses information about the various structural elements of the building structure. Such a material table may be in the form of a spreadsheet that can be further processed by users. Alternatively, the material table output 1932 can be a file format for additional processing or directly imported by other financial software. Output module 1916 may also generate purchase orders for outsourced parts. Again, this purchase order output may be in a form that can be further processed by accounting or financial software.

Output module 1916 also generates machine control files 1934 or macro files that can be used to control various machines used to manufacture structural elements and standardized structural elements. For example, the macro files 1934 generated by the output module 1916 may be used to control various light-weight roll-forming machines for producing tracks and studs for the building structure Can be used. These macro files may be loaded into the manufacturing machines either manually or automatically. Additionally, these macro files generate labels for manufactured parts and standardized structural elements, including instructions for the manufacturing machines. A further discussion of the use of these macro files will be described later in FIG. Output module 1916 also generates shop drawings and specifications 1936 that can be used by the project design team, engineers, and building departments. For example, the building supervisor provides approval for building design and the like using the building diagram generated by the output module 1916.

20 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating a system for using standardized structural elements. Specifically, FIG. 20 illustrates various interactions with inputs / outputs to and from software modules 2002 and software modules 2002 that may be used to interact with existing architectural design software. The software module 2002 includes various components or modules 2004-2014 that provide various functions for using standardized structural elements. The software module 2002 can be installed as a plug-in in some standardized architectural design software, CAD software, and the like. Alternatively, the software module 2002 may be stand-alone software that communicates with the architectural design software using one or more application program interfaces (APIs). For example, the software module 2002 may be installed and operated on a remote server, and various CAD software instances may make AIP requests to communicate with the software module 2002.

20, building software 2020 communicates with software module 2002 along with a building plan and a floor plan layout. The building plan and floor plan layout may be in a standard format such as a DWG file, a DXF file, or the like. The software module 2002 includes a wall-positioning module 2004 for selecting floor levels and heights for each of the walls from the architectural design. Specifically, the wall-positioning module 2004 creates a geometric grid based on the architectural drawing and maps the various walls to the geometric grid from the architectural drawing. For example, if the architectural drawing includes a room with 10 'X 9.5', the wall-positioning module 2004 creates a geometric grid of 10 X 10 or 10 X 8 depending on the designer's final decision And maps the walls of the room to the grid.

The software module 2002 includes a floor direction module 2006 that determines the orientation of the bottoms. Specifically, the floor structure in the building can be determined by the engineer based on the loading (live or fixed load), wherein the floor loads are transferred from the wall to the wall by the trusses. Sometimes, in order to transmit minimal loads and thereby use less (costly) structures, for example, in the south-north (NS) direction, in the east-west (EW) . ≪ / RTI > The system described herein automatically determines the minimum loading direction and places the floor in one of E-W, N-S or other directions. It is possible that the floor is not automatically subjected to a load against the outer walls. In Figure 20, an opening analysis module 2008 analyzes the openings in the walls aligned along the geometric grid. For example, the open area analysis module 2008 may analyze doors, windows, hatches, etc. at a particular wall to determine the positioning of various standardized structural elements that may be included in the particular wall.

Once the other properties of the wall size, the bottom orientations, the openings, and the wall are determined, a standardized structural panel-fitting module 2010 can be used for standardization To determine the structural elements. Thus, for example, the fitting module 2010 can be used with two V-shaped horizontal truss panels as disclosed in FIG. 3 and an open horizontal truss panel as disclosed in FIGS. 4, 4A and 4B, Can be determined. The fitting module 2010 may use a standardized structural panel database 2012 that stores data structures for each of a variety of standardized structural elements. For example, in this database 2012, each data structure may provide information about standardized structural panel dimensions, weight, stress history, adjacent panels, and so on. Module 2010 selects which standardized structural panel is suitable for a particular module based on the length of the wall. In one embodiment, the fitting module 2010 analyzes each of the walls in 2 'increments to determine which standardized structural elements are most suitable for a particular wall. However, in other embodiments, increasing sizes may be used differently.

Fitting module 2010 determines where to add structural columns along the grid lines of the geometric grid. In determining these structural columns, the fitting module 2010 analyzes the required load bearing capacity and other properties of the building. Once the fitting module 2010 has fitted the various standardized structural elements and structural columns to the grid lines, various output data are generated based on the solution. For example, a manufacturing data generation module 2014 may include data for structural elements to be outsourced and their descriptions, data about the structural elements being manufactured, macros for each of the structural elements to be manufactured, Files and the like. These macro files are used by manufacturing machines 2030 to produce final fabricated components. For example, the macro file may be generated for a roll former interface 2032, which directs the cold roll former machine to indicate the punch position of the holes, the cutting position of the edges to the cold rolled panels, . Similarly, other macro files may be used by the welder interface 2034 to be used by the robotic welder to determine the position at which the weld joint is created and what kind of weld joint is appropriate. These macro files can automate the process of manufacturing and combining the components used in the building construction 2026.

The software module 2002 generates detailed three dimensional drawings with instructions such as stress bearing histories of each wall (as a combination of standardized structural elements and structural columns), noise mitigation instructions, and the like. These drawings, along with the instructions, may be submitted to a review and approval processor, such as a local building approval board, engineer, etc., and for further review, the processor may authorize the drawings via architectural software 2020 In this case, the software module 2002 creates a new set of instructions and drawings for revised approval.

The designs are approved by the review and approval processor 2022 and the building software uses the inputs from the software module 2002 to generate plans and instructions 2024 for building construction engineers . Such plans and instructions 2024 may include, for actual construction construction 2026, a schedule describing, for example, the order in which the construction construction progresses, instructions on how the concrete elements are installed .

21 is an exemplary flowchart 2100 illustrating a method for using standardized structural elements. Operation 2102 receives architectural drawings. For example, a software module plugged in from a design software can receive such design drawings from the design software. After determining the floor dimensions, operation 21024 creates a geometric grid based on the architectural design. In one embodiment, the geometric lattice has a granularity of 2 'X 2'. However, in other embodiments, geometric gratings having different grain sizes may also be used. In particular, the geometric grid includes various grid lines and their intersection points. Next, operation 2106 determines the floor dimensions and orientations from the received architectural design. In one embodiment, if the architectural design has multiple rooms, operation 2106 may analyze each room at a time and determine the floor dimensions and orientations of each room separately. Alternatively, operation 2106 may determine floor dimensions and orientations of all rooms in a combined manner.

Operation 2108 places various walls from the architectural design onto the grid lines. Specifically, only walls that match the geometric grid lines to their intersection points may be located along the grid lines. Thus, for example, if the walls are curved walls or the dimensions are less than 2 ', such walls may not lie along the grid lines. In this example, if an architect wishes to use curved or tilted walls or walls that do not in 2 'increments, then these curved walls and the like are determined to be non-standardized walls. In this case, these walls are not mapped or present on the grid lines. Specifically, the non-load bearing walls may not be mapped to the grid lines. An example of fitting the architectural walls to the grid lines will be described in more detail in Fig.

Next, operation 2110 places the normalized elements along the walls located along the grid lines. Specifically, given the lattice lines with a grain size of 2 'X 2', the normalized elements are fitted to these walls without requiring any custom-made components. Thus, for example, if the 6 'wall is located along the lattice line, a 4' horizontal panel and another 2 'horizontal panel can be used to create the 6' wall. Furthermore, another operation 2110 analyzes the position of the windows and associated openings in the walls to determine whether open horizontal panels are required, as described in Figures 4, 4A and 4B. It is contemplated that various structural columns may be added to the structure in the selection of the standardized structural elements. Specifically, operation 2114 selects and adds these structural elements to the structure. An example of such a structural panel is one panel disclosed in Fig.

If all of the structural elements, such as standardized panels, trusses, and columns, are mapped to the architectural design walls, operation 2116 analyzes the mapped solution. In one embodiment, the solution is analyzed as to whether the final structure conforms to various codes, load bearing forces, and the like. Analysis operation 2116 may generate output reports including alerts, violations, etc., that may be used by supervisors, engineers, etc., and recommend changes to the final structure, if necessary. Moreover, operation 2118 generates various outputs that can be used to automate the fabrication and construction of the building structure. If certain changes are required, one or more operations of flowchart 2100 may be repeated.

22 illustrates an example of the structural panel names generated by the system disclosed herein. Specifically, FIG. 22 shows an example of a structural panel name 2210 using panel name abbreviations and a structural column name 2240 using various column name abbreviations. In an exemplary structural panel name 2210, PA represents the type of panel, and 312 represents the system size (3.5 "or 5.5") of the panel and the length of the panel. For example, 312 at 3 refers to a 3.5 "system size and 12 means the length of the panel is 12 '(the panel length is increased by 2'). The number 4032 is the height of the panel increasing by 1/32" Sxxx represents the offset of the first stud on the panel from the center line CL of the column or the lattice line, Xxxx represents the length of the panel to the corner on the x-axis, and Yxxx represents the length of the panel from the y- Wxxx represents the width of the opening, Hxxx represents the height of the opening, and Exxx represents the offset from CL at the end.

In an exemplary structural column name 2240, CB represents the column thickness, 3XX represents the column size, 4032 represents the height of the column increasing by 1/32 ", AOJO represents the surface configuration of the column , 3033 denotes the size of the panel connected to the column, the first A3030 indicates the type of the end plate attached to the upper portion of the column, and the second A3030 indicates the type of the end plate attached to the lower portion of the column.

23 is an exemplary flowchart 2300 illustrating a method for tracking building construction steps using specialized codes. Specifically, the flowchart 2300 discloses one or more operations performed by a system for tracking building construction using quick response (QR) codes. Operation 2302 generates the QR codes. The QR codes are generated so that various standardized structural elements such as panels, columns, trusses, etc. can be uniquely identified by a given QR code. Alternatively, the QR code may be used to identify a plurality of similar components. Thus, for example, all of the integration plates 154 can be identified by a similar QR code. As another example, the QR code for a panel may be attached with a field containing a structural panel name 2210 that provides information about a particular panel.

Operation 2304 then provides the QR code with information related to the structural elements. Accordingly, for example, in the database, one or more fields may be assigned to each of the QR codes to provide information on the structural elements related to the QR code. Such structural element information may include dimensions of the structural element, location of the structural element in the building structure, cost information of the structural element, and the like. The QR information is then physically attached to the structural element. Thus, for example, a QR code for a truss is printed and attached after a particular truss is manufactured.

If the QR code is provided to the structural element, decision operation 2308 determines if the QR code has been scanned. For example, a specialized QR code - a scanning device, a general QR code such as a smart phone - a scanning device, etc., can be used to scan the QR code. Once the QR code is scanned, proceed to another decision operation 2310 to determine if there is any change to the information associated with the structural element. For example, the QR code-scanning device may be capable of updating the status of the structural element in the building construction step, updating the position of the structural element in the building, and the like. The decision operation 2310 confirms that an update of this information is received, and the update operation 2312 updates the structural element information. This update includes, for example, updating various fields in the database associated with a particular structural element. As an example, the scanning device may scan a QR code on a truss already installed on the building structure and update the state of the truss to "installed ". In this manner, the system disclosed herein provides for automatically tracking and updating the placement of various structural elements, including the standardized structural elements used in building construction.

24 is an exemplary flow chart illustrating a method for controlling the manufacture of the standardized structural elements using machine control files or macro files. Operation 2402 creates the macro files. In one embodiment, these macro files are generated based on the dimensions of the component being manufactured. For example, in order to produce a truss chord, the length of the string, the width of the string, the positions of the pilot holes and weld slots in the string, and the like are included in the macro file. Operation 2404 loads the macro file into the machine used to generate the structural element. For example, the macro file is for generating a string of trusses, and the macro file is loaded on a light gauge roll machine.

In this example, at operation 2406, the lightweight roll machine generates the cold rolled truss cord and cuts it to a suitable length, angle, and the like. In one embodiment, the macro file has information on a QR code assigned to the manufactured part. In this embodiment, operation 2408 generates a QR code that is used to label the manufactured truss strings. Furthermore, operation 2410 also conveys the instructions for the components to a welding machine used to create the assembled components, such as trusses using cold-rolled trusses coupled to various cold-rolled braces or the like. The welding machine can automatically generate weld joints between the various truss elements using the component description.

Operation 2412 also generates a list of outsourced parts. Specifically, operation 2412 may generate a purchase order with detailed instructions for the part. As an example, a description for integration plates 154 may be generated by operation 2412 and sent to an external manufacturer in the form of a purchase order. In one embodiment of the disclosed system, operation 2414 assembles standardized structural elements such as columns, trusses, spanners, etc. using one or more components that are manufactured and / or outsourced. For example, an automated assembly machine may be provided with a macro file with instructions to assemble the component parts to create the standardized structural element. Additionally, once the standardized structural element is assembled, the labeling operation 2416 labels the QR code or other identification code. For example, each of the trusses may be labeled with a QR code that uniquely identifies the truss. Alternatively, all trusses of the same type are labeled with the same QR code. The standardized structural elements are then used in operation 2418 to establish the building structure.

25 shows an exemplary geometric grid 2500 used by the method and system disclosed herein. In particular, the geometric grid 2500 is an active grid that allows various standardized structural elements to be mapped (or "snapped") to precise grid coordinates of the geometric grid 250. For example, the geometric grid 2500 includes horizontal and vertical grid lines 2502. In one embodiment, the grating lines are increased by two feet. However, in other embodiments, other incremental dimensions may be used. An architect using the system disclosed herein may draw one or more walls of an architectural structure on grid lines 2502. [ Thus, for example, structural walls 2504 are mapped or snapped to one of the geometric grid lines 2502. If there are any walls or other components of the building that are not fitted to the geometric grid lines 2502, they are not mapped to the grid lines. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, partitioning walls 2506, gates, etc. are not snapped or mapped to geometric grid lines 2502.

Figure 26 is an exemplary top view 2600 illustrating a geometric grid with various standardized structural elements along the grid lines. Specifically, the plan view 2600 represents a number of grid lines 2602 and various standardized structural elements 2604, 2606, etc. along the grid lines 2602. As described above, each of the standardized structural elements 2604 and 2606 may be associated with a QR code and stored in a database having different information about these standardized structural elements 2604 and 2606.

Figure 27 is an exemplary front view 2700 illustrating an architectural structure using various standardized structural elements. For example, front view 2700 shows various standardized structural elements including standardized trusses 2702, standardized panels 2704, standardized columns 2706, and the like. Figure 28 is a perspective view 2800 illustrating a structure created using various standardized structural elements. For example, perspective 2800 represents various standardized trusses 2802, standardized panels 2804, standardized columns 2806, and the like.

29 illustrates an exemplary computing system that may be used to perform one or more components of the methods and systems disclosed herein. The general purpose computer system 1000 may execute a computer program product to execute a computer process. Data and program files may be input into the computer system 1000, and the computer system 1000 reads and executes the files. Some of the components of the general purpose computer system 1000 are shown in Figure 29 and the processor 1002 includes an input / output (I / O) section 1004, a central processing unit (CPU) 1006, a memory section 1008). There is one or more processors 1002 and processor 1002 of computer system 1000 includes a single central processing unit 1006 or a plurality of processing units called a parallel processing environment. The computer system 1000 can be a conventional computer, a distributed computer, or any other type of computer, such as one or more external computers that can be used through a cloud computing architecture. The described techniques may be used in software devices that are loaded in memory 1008 and stored on DVD / CD-ROM 1010 or storage unit 1012 and / or communicated over a wired or wireless network link 1014 on a carrier signal Selectively transforming the computer system 100 of Fig. 29 into a special purpose machine for performing the above-described operations.

The I / O section 1004 is coupled to one or more user-interface devices (e.g., keyboard 1016 and display unit 1018), a disk storage unit 1012, and a disk drive unit 1020. Generally, for contemporary systems, the disc drive unit 1020 is a DVD / CD-ROM drive unit that is capable of reading DVD / CD-ROM media 1010, which typically includes programs and data 1022 . Computer program products including mechanisms for implementing other systems and methods in the above-described techniques may be stored in a memory section 1004, on a disk storage unit 1012, on a DVD / CD-ROM medium 1010 ) Or external storage devices that are made available through a cloud computing architecture with such computer products, including one or more database operating products, web sub products, application server products, and / or other additional software components Lt; / RTI > Alternatively, the disk drive unit 1020 may be replaced or supplemented with a floppy drive unit, a tape drive unit, or other storage medium drive unit. The network adapter 1024 can connect the computer system to the network via a network link 1014 and the computer system can receive commands and data implemented in the carrier wave via the network link 1014. [ These systems include, for example, Intel and PowerPC systems provided by Apple Computer, Inc., personal computers provided by Dell Corporation and other manufacturers of Intel-compatible computers, AMD-based computing systems and Windows- , UNIX-based, or other systems running other operating systems. It will be appreciated that computing systems may be implemented with devices such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, smart phones, game consoles, set-top boxes, tablets or slates (e.g. iPads) will be.

When used in a LAN-network environment, the computer system 1000 is connected (wired or wireless) to a local network via a network interface or adapter 1024, which is one of the communication devices. When used in a WAN-network environment, the computer system 1000 includes a modem, a network adapter, or other types of communication devices for establishing communications for a wide area network. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to computer system 1000 may be stored in a remote memory storage device. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and that other means and communication devices for establishing a connection link between the computers may be used.

In addition, data caches on a plurality of internal and external databases, data stores, source databases, and / or cloud servers may be stored in memory 1008, or on disk storage unit 1012 or on DVD / CD-ROM medium 1010 and / Or other external storage devices that are made accessible and useful through the cloud computing architecture. In addition, some or all of the operations of the system described herein may be performed by the processor 1002. [ One or more functions of the system described herein may also be created by the processor 1002 and the user may use such one or more user-interface devices (e.g., keyboard 1016 and display unit 1018) And may interact with GUIs where the portion of data used is not limited to third party web sites and other online sources and data stores via methods including web service calls and interfaces, .

The server is a host of the system for using the standardized structural elements disclosed herein. In another embodiment, the server is a host of a website or application, and users visit and connect to a system for using the standardized structural elements. The server may be a single server, or a physical server or a virtual machine, or a plurality of servers that are a collection of both physical and virtual machines. The user devices, the server, the cloud, as well as other resources connected to the communication network may be connected to one or more web sites, applications, web services interfaces, etc. used in the system for using the standardized structural elements Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > and / or < / RTI > In one embodiment, the server is a search engine used by a system for accessing the system for using the standardized structural elements and for selecting one or more services used in the system for using the standardized structural elements, Lt; / RTI >

Accordingly, the description of the invention is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those of ordinary skill in the art. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (26)

Creating an architectural drawing describing an architectural layout of the structure in a structure in which one or more walls are designated as standardized structural walls;
Using a computer to automatically align each of said standardized structural walls with said geometric grid by aligning each of said standardized structural walls along grid lines of geometric grid and along grid line intersections of said geometric grid; And
Comprising mapping one or more standardized structural elements of a plurality of standardized structural elements, including standardized panels, standardized columns, and standardized trusses, to the coordinates of the geometric grid. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping one or more standardized structural elements of the plurality of standardized structural elements comprises:
Resolve a plurality of mapping solutions for each of the one or more standardized structural walls; And
And selecting one of the plurality of mapping solutions for each of the one or more normalized structural walls based on a predetermined criterion. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein resolving the plurality of mapping solutions comprises:
Analyze the grid lines based on structural performance criteria;
Determine the position and orientation of the standardized trusses; And
Determining the layout of the standardized panels based on the position of the openings in the one or more standardized structural walls. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of mapping solutions includes the standardized structural elements used for each of the one or more standardized structural walls and the standardized structural elements used for each of the one or more standardized structural walls To identify structural performance characteristics. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined criteria is a minimization of the number of structural columns supporting each of the plurality of standardized structural walls. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein resolving a plurality of mapping solutions for each of the plurality of walls further comprises analyzing each of the plurality of normalized walls in increments of two feet. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a standardized list of structural elements comprising a unique identification for each of the plurality of standardized structural elements for each of the plurality of standardized structural walls. 8. The method of claim 7,
Generate a plurality of quick response (QR) codes; And
Further comprising uniquely associating one or more of the plurality of QR codes with one or more of the plurality of standardized structural elements. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a plurality of URLs (uniform resource locators) and associating each of the plurality of QR codes with one of the plurality of URLs. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising associating each of the plurality of QR codes with a location code, wherein the location code identifies the location of one of the standardized structural elements within the building . 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising attaching an identification tag comprising the QR code to one or more of the plurality of standardized structural elements. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising associating the state of the one or more standardized structural elements with the QR code associated with the one or more standardized structural elements. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a plurality of structural panel names and associating each of the plurality of structural panel names with one or more of the plurality of standardized structural elements, The location of the associated standardized structural panel in the building, the dimensions of the associated standardized structural panel, the orientation of the associated standardized structural panel, the connection options of the associated standardized structural panel, and the associated standardized structural panel's drawing file And identifying at least one of a file name and a file name. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: (1) automatically generating a three-dimensional model of the building that identifies the one or more plurality of standardized structural elements within the building and (2) How to. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising automatically generating a material table using the three-dimensional model of the building, the material table comprising: stud components, track components, connection plates, column components, And an amount of at least one of the connectors. 15. The method of claim 14,
Automatically generates a macro file containing the track component documentation and the stud component documentation;
Transferring the macro file to a lightweight roll forming machine; And
Further comprising controlling the positioning of at least one of the punches, dimples, and lengths of at least one of the track components and the stud components using the macro file with the lightweight roll forming machine. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the macro file further comprises an assembly sequence instruction, the method comprising: controlling the printer of the lightweight roll forming machine to label the assembly sequence instruction or the assembly sequence instruction to the track components or the stud components / RTI > Readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing a computer process on a computing system,
The computer process
Creating an architectural drawing describing an architectural layout of the structure in a structure in which one or more walls are designated as standardized structural walls;
Using a computer to automatically align each of said standardized structural walls with said geometric grid by aligning each of said standardized structural walls along grid lines of geometric grid and along grid line intersections of said geometric grid;
Resolve a plurality of mapping solutions for each of the one or more standardized structural walls;
Selecting one of the plurality of mapping solutions for each of the one or more standardized structural walls based on a predetermined criterion; And
Characterized by mapping one or more standardized structural elements of a plurality of standardized structural elements including standardized panels, standardized columns, and standardized trusses to the coordinates of the geometric grid. ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 & Readable < / RTI > storage medium. 19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer process for resolving a plurality of mapping solutions comprises:
Analyze the grid lines based on structural performance criteria;
Determine the position and orientation of the standardized trusses; And
Determining the layout of the standardized panels based on the position of openings in the one or more standardized structural walls. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 20 > 19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of mapping solutions includes the standardized structural elements used for each of the one or more standardized structural walls and the standardized structural element used for each of the one or more standardized structural walls ≪ / RTI > identifying one or more structural performance characteristics of the computer system. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined criterion is minimization of the number of structural columns supporting each of the plurality of normalized structural walls, and resolving a plurality of mapping solutions for each of the plurality of walls comprises: ≪ / RTI > further comprising analyzing each of the plurality of standardized walls. 19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer process further comprises:
Creating a standardized list of structural elements comprising a unique identification for each of the plurality of standardized structural elements for each of the plurality of standardized structural walls;
Generate a plurality of quick response (QR) codes;
Uniquely associating one or more of the plurality of QR codes with one or more of the plurality of standardized structural elements; And
Further comprising generating a plurality of URLs (uniform resource locators) and associating each of the plurality of QR codes with one of the plurality of URLs. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 20 > A design module configured to generate an architectural drawing describing an architectural layout of the architecture, the design module being configured to allow one or more walls of the architecture to designate standardized structural walls;
Creating a geometric grid having grid lines and grid intersections, and using computerized input devices to align each of the standardized structural walls along the grid lines and along the grid line intersections to form one or more of the standardized structural walls A geometric grid module configured to allow positioning the geometric grid; And
One or more standardized structural elements including one or more computer instructions on a computer memory and including standardized panels, standardized columns, and standardized trusses are mapped to the gridlines and gridline intersections The mapping solution module comprising: 24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising an output module, the output module comprising:
Creating a standardized list of structural elements comprising a unique identification for each of the plurality of standardized structural elements for each of the plurality of standardized structural walls;
Generate a plurality of quick response (QR) codes and uniquely associate one or more of the plurality of QR codes with one or more of the plurality of standardized structural elements;
The method includes generating a plurality of uniform resource locators (URLs), associating each of the plurality of QR codes with one of the plurality of URLs, and identifying each of the plurality of QR codes with a location of the standardized structural elements in the building Associate with a location code;
Creating a plurality of structural panel names and associating each of the plurality of structural panel names with one or more of the plurality of standardized structural elements, wherein each of the plurality of structural panel names includes at least one of a location, Characterized in that it identifies at least one of the dimensions of the associated standardized structural panel, the orientation of the associated standardized structural panel, the connection option of the associated standardized structural panel, and the file name of the associated standardized structural panel's drawing file and;
Creating a three-dimensional model of the building that identifies the one or more of the plurality of standardized structural elements within the building and a production chart and instructions for the building; And
Wherein the lightweight roll-forming machine controls the lightweight roll-forming machine by generating a macro file containing the track component documentation and the stud component documentation. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising scanning a QR code associated with one of the plurality of standardized structural elements, receiving an input associated with one of the plurality of standardized structural elements from a user, And a QR code scanning device for updating information associated with the URL. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the information associated with the URL is an installed state of one of the plurality of standardized structural elements.

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