NZ544067A - A method of building construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of constructing a building from moulded panels is disclosed. A panel mould is located at or near a building site and multiple panels are formed using the same mould. These panels are assembled to form the completed building. Inserts in the mould can be used to form openings in formed panels. The method can be used to erect simple or temporary shelters, particularly in remote areas or following disasters.

Description

Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 0 5 DEC 2006 received PATENTS FORM NO. 5 Fee No. 4: $250.00 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional No. 544067 Dated: 8 December 2005 A METHOD OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION I HENRY BRENNAN RAY KERR, 37 Abbotsford Street, Hamilton, New Zealand, a New Zealand citizen hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 1 A METHOD OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to a method of construction of a building.

BACKGROUND ART Disasters, whether due to natural causes such as earthquakes, flooding, volcanic activity or otherwise, are relatively common occurrences in many parts of the world. As awareness of the magnitude and frequency of these events increases, so does our awareness of the urgent need to provide care and shelter to those affected.

Providing adequate shelter at short notice is a major challenge. A common response is to provide tents to house those made homeless.

However there are a number of disadvantages with the use of tents. In order to provide timely assistance the tents must be purchased and stored ready for deployment. This requires a large capital outlay prior to deployment.

Tents of a size necessary for providing shelter to a number of people tend to be bulky when packed. The disadvantage with this is that the significant number of tents required take up a considerable amount of room in storage and are bulky to transport to the disaster areas.

Once erected the tents provide only minimal protection from the elements. In 20 particular most tents are not waterproof even under moderate rain conditions.

A further disadvantage is that the canvas from which the tents are made has poor thermal properties. As a consequence the temperature inside the tent may become uncomfortably hot or cold depending on the temperature outside the tent. 2 As a consequence of these disadvantages tents are generally not suitable as a medium to long term solution.

Providing shelter quickly which overcomes these disadvantages with tents is a major problem. Even temporary building structures normally require a rigid 5 framework, commonly either wood or metal, plus material for cladding. The provision of substantial quantities of building materials and frame members to a disaster site is a major logistics problem.

Availability of the required quantities of building materials may be difficult at short notice. A large capital investment is required to purchase and store the required 10 amount of materials prior to deployment.

Furthermore, because of the size and weight of conventional building materials, delivery of the required materials to the site is a major constraint.

Skilled labour is then required at the site in order to construct the shelter. It will generally take some time to assemble people with the required skills who are 15 available to travel to the site. Further delays will occur in transporting the skilled people to the site.

Once on the site it will generally take a number of days to erect even a simple temporary building.

Parts of the structure, especially the frame, may be prefabricated in a factory prior 20 to location to the site of the building. While this may reduce the time required to erect the building on site, the prefabricated units generally take up a large amount of space in relation to the amount of material used in their construction. This is a disadvantage both in the amount of space (and cost) required for storage before deployment to the site and the difficulty and cost of transporting the prefabricated 25 sections to the site. In most cases prefabrication of structural units is not a viable 3 alternative in the short term for disaster relief.

A building that can be erected quickly, which overcomes the disadvantages with tents and does not involve the logistics problems with conventional types of temporary accommodation, would clearly be a major advantage.

An easy to erect temporary or simple shelter would be an advantage in many other situations. Such examples include the establishment of buildings to provide accommodation and to house equipment for people working in remote areas. It would also be an advantage to provide temporary accommodation to the armed forces while in the field. Such a structure could also be used in a domestic 10 environment to provide a playhouse or garden shed for example.

All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and 15 pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.

It is acknowledged that the term 'comprise' may, under varying jurisdictions, be 20 attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term 'comprise' shall have an inclusive meaning - i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term 'comprised' or 25 'comprising' is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process.

It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a building having the steps of: a) forming moulded panels using a panel mould, and b) connecting the panels together to form a building, characterised by the step of: c) locating the panel mould on or near the site of the building prior to forming the panel.

Buildings may be constructed as permanent or temporary structures. Permanent buildings must be constructed in a manner that ensures their structural safety throughout the lifetime of the building. Most countries have strict building codes 15 that regulate the methods of construction necessary to achieve this.

Temporary buildings tend to be quite simple structures that are required for a short time only, usually for a specific purpose. While temporary buildings need to be structurally sound for safety reasons, the restrictions put on their construction are less than for permanent buildings.

The range of building types is very large. The simplest building consists of a single room having four walls and a roof. Other buildings may be multi level structures having very complex internal configurations.

Buildings may be constructed from a range of structural components. Reference to structural components of a building throughout this specification should be understood to include, without limitation, a wall, floor, ceiling and/or roof.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the building is configured as a single room having four walls and a roof.

Preferably the roof is inclined with respect to the plane formed by the top of the walls. This has the advantage of preventing pooling of water, snow or other material that may otherwise accumulate on the roof leading to undesirable additional weight on the structure.

Preferably the building has a ceiling attached to the walls below the roof. Tying the 10 ceiling into the walls provides additional structural rigidity to the building.

Preferably the building has a floor attached to the walls.

A floor has the advantage of providing a flat surface for the interior of the room onto which furniture may be placed. This is a particular advantage where the surface of the ground beneath the building is uneven making it unsuitable for use 15 as a floor.

Where the ground is uneven it is an advantage to construct the floor on the site of the building.

The floor may be tied into the walls providing additional structural stability to the building.

Preferably the building includes common building features normally required to make a building habitable. Reference to common building features throughout this specification should be understood to include, without limitation, doorways, windows, and ventilation openings.

In a preferred embodiment a common building feature is in the form of an open 6 space in a wall.

Preferably the building includes closure means for closing off the space formed by a common building feature. Reference to closure means includes, without limitations, doors and shutters.

At least one of the walls may include a doorway. Reference to a doorway throughout this specification should be understood to mean an opening in a wall through which people may enter or leave the building.

Reference is made throughout this specification to a door used to close the doorway. However, this should not be seen as limiting as the doorway may be 10 closed by various other means, such as by a curtain or other piece of material placed across the open space forming the doorway.

The walls may also include one or more windows. Reference throughout this specification to a window should be understood to mean an opening in a wall used to admit light or air and to allow the occupants to see out.

In alternative embodiments glass, plastic or other transparent material may be attached to the window.

In a preferred embodiment the opening formed by the window may be closed with a shutter. Throughout this specification reference to a shutter should be understood to mean any piece of material which may be placed inside or across 20 the window space, for example to shut out light, reduce air flow or to provide privacy.

Preferably a shutter is constructed from a slab of solid material. However, this should not be seen as limiting as a shutter may be formed by any suitable means of blocking or covering the window space, such as by a curtain. 7 The walls may also include one or more openings configured to provide ventilation to the interior of the building.

The structural components of the building, including any walls, floor, ceiling and roof, are constructed from panels. Throughout this specification reference to a 5 panel should be understood to mean a slab of material having substantially square or rectangular flat surfaces.

In a preferred embodiment the walls, floor, ceiling and roof of the building are formed from moulded panels of similar external dimensions as each other.

Reference to panels of similar external dimensions should be understood to refer 10 to the external dimensions as being substantially the same in that they are formed from the same mould, or from a mould of substantially the same dimensions. As with any moulded product there may be variation due to different amounts of shrinkage or other factors influencing the moulding process.

It is envisaged in preferred embodiments that a single panel mould of a standard 15 size and shape is used to form all the panels for the building. This provides considerable logistical and transport advantages as only one type of mould would need to be transported on-site.

This is achievable if the panel design is such that it can readily connect to a like panel or be readily adaptable to do same. Possible design features that allow this 20 are discussed later on in the specification.

There are a number of advantages in using a mould to form the panels. The mould and the raw materials required to construct the panels in the mould, can be transported to the site of the building in a compact form. This saves space both in storage of the materials ready to use and in transporting them to the site. This 25 should be compared with the difficulties involved in transporting preformed panels 8 to the site, in which case the size and shape of the panels may place considerable limitations on the type of transport required.

The use of a mould to form the panels ensures that there is uniformity in the size and conformation of the panels. This is a major advantage in constructing the 5 building. In particular, the mould may be configured to produce relatively complex shapes which would be difficult to produce by other means. Such shapes may be required for example in order to lock the panels together (see below).

Another advantage is that the panels may be modified for particular purposes by the use of inserts placed into the mould prior to the moulding process. In this 10 manner doorways, windows, ventilation ports and so on may be incorporated into the panel during the moulding process.

The formation of equivalent panels including doorways, windows and ventilation ports, using normal building materials and techniques, requires highly skilled labour. In contrast the moulding process produces a very uniform product with 15 little requirement for skilled labour. This is a major advantage in providing buildings for shelter as a quick response to a disaster, or in other situations where skilled labour is not available.

A further advantage provided by the use of moulded panels is that the rate of formation of the panels may be increased substantially by the use of more than 20 one mould. This provides a great advantage over traditional building techniques in that the process is scaleable, i.e. given sufficient raw material the number of panels that may be formed during any period of time is directly related to the number of moulds available. In this way the time taken to erect a single building may be substantially sped up, or alternatively many buildings may be constructed 25 simultaneously.

It is a key feature of the present invention that the panels are moulded on the site 9 of the proposed building. It is therefore desirable for the mould to be in a form which may be readily transported to the site.

The mould may consist of one or more sections. An advantage of having the mould in a number of sections is that it is easier to store and transport the sections 5 to the site than it is for a single large mould.

A further advantage of using a sectioned mould is that the sections may be rearranged in various ways to provide variation in unit shapes and sizes for the panels. The use of different sections also allows for variations in the characteristics of the materials used, their reaction times and expansion properties 10 which may be of advantage in producing specific features such as windows, doors or ventilation ports.

Once at the site the sections may be connected together in a liquid proof manner to form a large mould.

Panels may be constructed from any material capable of being moulded.

In a preferred embodiment the panels are constructed from moulded foam plastic.

Reference throughout this specification will be made to the panels as formed from foam plastic. However, those skilled in the art will recognise that panels may be made from a variety of materials, for example concrete or clay, and reference to foam plastic only throughout this specification should in no way be seen as limiting.

Rigid foam plastic panels are commonly made using polyurethane. However those skilled in the art will recognise that other foam plastics are available and reference to polyurethane only throughout this specification should in no way be seen as limiting.

An advantage with you using polyurethane is that there is a wide range of compounds available. Thus a particular polyurethane composition may be chosen to provide specific physical properties, such as rigidity, hardness, compression and sheer strength, as well as specific chemical properties, such as resistance to chemical attack, solvents and oils.

The use of foam plastic panels provides a number of important advantages.

Foam plastic is typically formed by the chemical reaction of two or more constituents. The volume of material formed in the foaming process is considerably larger than the volume of the constituent compounds. For example volume ratios of raw product to final product in the range of 1:15 are common. However those skilled in the art would appreciate that the expansion ratio depends on the plastic used and as a consequence there is a range of expansion ratios available.

The expansion inherent in foam plastic provides a major advantage in that the quantity (and weight) of raw material that is required to be purchased, stored and transported to the site is considerably less for foam plastic than for the equivalent cover provided by tents and other temporary structures.

Foam plastic panels are light and can be easily manoeuvred into position on the building site without the use of lifting machinery.

Foam plastic panels may be formed in a relatively short time, especially in comparison with the setting times required for other materials such as concrete or clay ceramics. For many foam plastics the panels may be formed within a matter of minutes. Reaction times vary for different polyurethanes and with the temperature at which the foam is formed, but typically at 20'C the time required to mix the components, form the foam and set it into a rigid panel is of the order of 10 minutes.

Foam plastic panels provide good thermal insulation and are reasonably 11 waterproof. This is an advantage over tents, which provide very limited thermal insulation, as well as over temporary structures using conventional cladding (eg a single layer of thin wood, chipboard or corrugated iron).

A surface coating can be applied to the foam plastic panels to enhance 5 weatherproofing if required.

It may be an advantage to apply surface coatings for weatherproofing in situations of extreme weather or when the building may be required for more than a brief period of occupation.

A surface coating may also be applied to enhance the structural strength of a 10 panel. This can be done using well know building techniques including attaching to the panel surface a reinforcing mesh prior to applying a coating of plaster or other solid setting material. This may be a particular advantage for a panel used as a roof to reduce the risk of failure in situations where a heavy load may be applied to the roof, for example by accumulation of snow.

Alternatively a range of foam plastics may be used for panels designed for different purposes, depending on the specific requirements. For example a panel to be used as a floor may be constructed from a high density foam plastic chosen to ensure a hard surface on which furniture or heavy equipment may be placed without damaging the surface of the floor. A different foam plastic may be used for 20 wall panels, where the requirements are for structural rigidity, load bearing and weather proofing, and similarly for panels to be used as a ceiling panel and for roofing, each of which may require specific characteristics.

In a preferred embodiment a common building feature and closure means may be formed at the same time as the panel containing them by placing appropriately 25 configured inserts into the mould prior to filling with foam plastic. 12 Preferably a closure means, such as a door or a shutter, may be attached to the panel containing it by a hinge. Reference to a hinge throughout this specification should be understood to mean a movable joint or mechanism by which a door or shutter may be opened and closed, or which connects linked objects.

In a preferred embodiment a hinge may be in the form of one or more strips of webbing. Typically the webbing may be constructed from materials such as nylon, plastic, or hessian. However, those skilled in the art would recognise that a number of other materials could be used to form a webbing, and the examples given above should not be seen as limiting.

A strip of webbing may form a hinge when aligned along or across the joint between the doorway and door or shutter and window edge.

Preferably the strips of webbing are placed in the mould such that when the panel and door or shutter are formed in the foaming process the webbing is automatically incorporated into the body of the panel and door or shutter respectively.

The advantage of using webbing strips is that the webbing can be chosen to form a strong hinge which can be formed as part of the moulding process. Other types of hinges typically require mechanical connection by way of a screw or a bolt into the panels and doors or shutters.

The building is constructed by linking the panels together to form the walls, floor, 20 ceiling and roof.

Preferably the mould is configured to provide a connecting means on each edge of a panel.

In a preferred embodiment the connecting means consists of one or more protrusions on each edge of a panel. 13 Preferably the protrusions on opposite edges of a panel are configured so that they are complementary. Reference to complementary shapes should be understood to mean that the shapes, when brought together, form a complete whole or engage with each other by fitting together.

The opposite edges of each panel include a first edge and a second edge. The first edge has one or more protrusions and the second edge has one or more complementary protrusions. The protrusions on each edge are shaped such that when two panels are brought together the one or more protrusions on the first edge of one panel engage with the one or more protrusions on the second edge of 10 the other panel to form a complete whole.

The advantage of using complementary shapes is that two panels may be connected together at right angles to form an edge of the building, or such that they lie in the same plane forming an extended wall, floor or roof.

In an alternative embodiment the connecting means consists of one or more 15 protrusions on each edge of a panel that are configured such that they will interlock with the protrusions on panels placed adjacent to them. Two shapes will be interlocking if configured such that, when brought together, they engage with each other by overlapping or fitting together in such a manner as to form a connection.

In this embodiment the protrusions on each edge are shaped such that when two 20 panels are brought together the one or more protrusions on the first edge of one panel interlock with the one or more protrusions on the second edge of the other panel to form a fixed joint.

An example of interlocking shapes is the two sections which, when brought together, form a dovetail joint. This type of fixed joint is well known to those skilled 25 in the art. 14 The advantage of interlocking shapes is that they provide additional stability to the joint and therefore to the structure.

In another embodiment one pair of opposite edges of a panel are configured with interlocking shapes and the other pair of opposite edges of the panel are 5 configured with complementary shapes. The advantage of this arrangement is that four such panels may be readily linked together at right angles using the interlocking edges, so as to form the four walls of the structure or, alternatively, the floor, two walls and the ceiling/roof.

The remaining open sides of the building structure can be closed by two panels 10 having both pairs of opposite edges configured in the same complementary shapes as the complementary shapes used in the panels making up the interlocking four sides. This simple arrangement overcomes the difficulty encountered when attempting to join all six panels with interlocking joints.

Preferably the protrusions include a cavity aligned such that the cavities in each 15 protrusion form a channel parallel to the edge of the panel.

Preferably when two panels are joined together to form an edge of the building the channels formed in each edge of the joint are aligned to form a continuous straight channel parallel to the edge of the building.

Preferably two panels are connected together by engaging the complementary or 20 interlocking shapes on the edges to be joined and inserting a rigid bar into the channel formed by the cavities.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a building wherein a first panel is connected to a second panel by the steps of: a) engaging protrusions on a first edge of the first panel with protrusions on a second edge of the second panel, and b) aligning a first channel in the protrusions on the first edge with a second channel in the protrusions on the second edge to form a longer channel, and c) inserting a bar through the continuous channel.

The bar may be formed from metal, wood, fibreglass, plastic rod or tube configured to fit against the inner walls of the channel formed by the cavities. Those skilled in the art would appreciate that the rigid bar may be formed from a number of 10 materials and reference to a rigid bar formed from metal, wood or rigid plastic throughout this specification should not be seen as limiting.

In this manner a building may be quickly established on a site using the present invention. The mould, preferably in sections, and the raw materials required for the building are transported to the site. The mould is used to create foam plastic 15 panels having edges configured so that a join can be formed with an adjacent panel, as outlined above. The panels may include a door and doorway, window and shutter, or ventilation ports as required.

The basic building is constructed by placing and securing a panel to the ground to form the floor. Walls may then be added sequentially with the cube structure 20 completed by a panel connected to the upper edges of the four walls to form the ceiling/roof of the structure.

It may be an advantage to place large pieces of furniture, such as preformed bunks or tables, or equipment, into the structure prior to joining the walls together. This overcomes the difficulty often encountered of trying to fit large pieces of 25 furniture or equipment through a doorway. 16 Alternatively, large pieces of furniture or equipment can be placed inside the building after construction, by simply removing the pins from the four edges of one wall and removing the wall. The reverse procedure can be used to reconnect the wall after insertion of the large furniture or equipment. This is a major advantage 5 of the current structure over more conventional building techniques in which removal of a wall is a major exercise.

If required surface coatings may be applied to the exterior or interior surfaces of the panels in order to improve the rigidity of the structure, or to improve weather proofing, or to alter the appearance of the structure.

In an alternative embodiment an outer shell may be formed around the basic building. This is constructed in essentially the same manner as the basic building, using larger panels. In this case the dimension of the panels used in the outer shell is such that a gap exists between the outer walls of the basic structure and the inner surfaces of the outer shell. In this way four walls and a roof may be 15 connected together to enclose the basic building. Panels of the outer shell would include doorways, windows, and ventilation ports in positions corresponding to those of the inner basic building.

The gap between the outer surfaces of the basic building and the inner surfaces of the outer shell may be subsequently filled with material to provide a more 20 permanent structure. For example a filler material could be inserted into the gap, such that when set the filler provided enhanced structural rigidity to the building. This may be a considerable advantage in converting the original basic building into a more permanent structure.

Concrete is a common example of a filler material used to provide structural rigidity 25 to a building. However other materials may be used, such as plaster, clays, rammed earth or any material which provides structural support on setting. 17 In a preferred embodiment the building includes an inclined roof. An inclined roof may be added to the basic building, or to a building with an outer shell.

In a preferred embodiment the inclined roof includes an overhang. An overhang may be used to advantage to provide shade to the walls of the building and to 5 ensure that run-off from the roof falls clear of the walls of the building.

In the instance of the basic building, the roof is formed from three components being a basic panel, a flap and a ridge.

The ridge consists of a strip of panel material with a length equal to the length of an edge of a standard panel. The width of the ridge is that required to ensure the 10 desired inclination of the roof surface.

The flap and ridge may be formed from a second basic panel. The flap is formed by making a cut across the second panel substantially parallel to one edge.

The ridge is formed by making a second cut substantially parallel to the first cut, in the remaining section of the second panel, such that the width of the strip is that 15 required for the elevation of the roof as discussed above.

In practice the width of the flap formed by the first cut is approximately the same as the width of the ridge member plus twice the width of the desired overhang.

The roof is placed on the building so as to overhang two opposite walls of the building, hereafter referred to as overhang walls. The ridge is placed on the outer 20 surface of the ceiling panel of the basic structure, such that it extends from one side of the ceiling panel to the other in a direction parallel to the upper edge of a first overhang wall. The ridge is orientated on an edge such that it lies in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the ceiling panel.

The roof is completed by connecting (as described above) the roof panel and flap 18 along an edge and placing the combined panel and flap onto the top of the building such that the join between the panel and the flap is aligned with the upper edge of the ridge member.

The distance of the ridge from the upper edge of the first overhang wall may be 5 adjusted in order to provide the required overhang for both overhang walls.

Once in place the roof structure is secured to the panels of the basic building.

A similar process may be used to form a roof for a building including an outer shell by substituting the panels of the outer shell for the basic panels used in the process outlined above.

Buildings created by this method provide a number of advantages over more traditional temporary buildings, such as tents, especially in situations where shelter is required urgently and/or in relatively inaccessible regions.

A feature of the present method is the quick response time that is possible. The individual items may be assembled together quickly and transported to the site as 15 soon as suitable transport is available. This process is enhanced in situations where the mould is formed in a number of sections such that each section is easily maneuvered and transported.

The capital outlay necessary to ensure materials are on hand for a rapid response is also less than that for conventional alternatives. Instead of the need to purchase 20 and store a large quantity of tents, or preformed building components, both of which require substantial capital outlay and high cost for storage, in this instance all that is required is a supply of moulds and raw materials for the foam plastic panels.

The moulds and raw materials for the panels may be packed in a compact manner and readily transported to the site. This is likely to lead to lower cost for transport 19 as well as greater flexibility in the types of transport that can be used.

The mould may be set up quickly on the site and panels formed in a very short time. Buildings suitable for habitation by a number of people may be ready for use in a relatively short time, without the requirement of skilled labour or further 5 construction equipment.

A major advantage, particularly in disaster response, is that the method is scalable.

An immediate response may be provided by a single mould and sufficient raw materials to make a number of structures.

However, the speed at which an individual building can be constructed depends on 10 the rate at which panels are formed. The rate of panel formation increases in proportion with the number of moulds used. Additional moulds may be transported to the site over a period of time thus speeding the time required to erect a single building or conversely, a number of buildings may be erected simultaneously in the same time as it would take to build a single building with a single mould.

The resulting buildings have very good thermal properties arising from the use of foam plastic as the construction material for the panels. Foam plastic panels also provide improved weather proofing, particularly with regard to tents made from canvas.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 20 from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 a perspective view of a building; and Figure 2 a perspective view of a panel; and Figure 3 side view of the edge of a panel; and Figure 4 view of a corner joint; and 5 Figure 5 a side view of a building with a door.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION It is a key feature of the present invention that the panels used to construct the building are formed on the site of the proposed building. All components are formed from foam plastic panels which may be formed from a single mould.

To begin construction it is necessary that the mould, the raw materials for forming the foam plastic panels, and the bars used to connect the panels together, are delivered to the site. The mould is transported to the site in a number of sections and assembled into a single mould at the site.

It is a feature of the present invention that a single mould can be used to form the 15 panels used for the structural components, such as the floor, walls, ceiling, and roof structure of the building. Common building features, such as doors, windows, and ventilation ports are incorporated into the basic panel by placing appropriate inserts into the mould prior to the foaming process.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a rectangular panel (1) which is used as the 20 basic unit to form the floor, walls, ceiling and roof of the building. The edges of the panel (1) have a number of protrusions (2) and indentations (3) formed between the protrusions (2). The arrangement of protrusions (2) and indentations (3) is such that for each protrusion (2) on an edge of the panel (1) there is a corresponding indentation (3) in the same location on the opposite edge. 21 The protrusions (2) include a cavity in the form of a hole or a slot (4) which extends the length of the protrusions (2). The slot (4) has a U-shaped cross section, as shown in the end on view in figure 2, configured such that the centre of the semicircular base of the slot (4) coincides with the line through the centre of the 5 protrusions.

Alternatively the cavity may consist of a substantially circular channel centred on a line extending parallel to the edge of the panel through the centre of the protrusions.

With this arrangement when two panels are butted together along an edge the 10 holes or slots (4) on neighbouring protrusions from each panel form a continuous channel through all the protrusions, the channel having a substantially circular cross section.

Figure 3 shows a close up view of a typical joint formed between adjacent panels (5) and (6). The panels are aligned so that the protrusions (7) of panel (6) engage 15 in the indentations (8) at the edge of panel (5) and the protrusions (9) of panel (5) engage with the indentations (10) of panel (6). The panels are tied together by insertion of a bar in the form of a rod (11) inserted into the channel formed by the cavities (4) in the protrusions (7) and (10) (slot not shown).

Figure 4 shows a panel (1) configured to include a doorway (12) and a door (13). 20 The door (13) is attached to the panel (1) by hinges (14). The hinges (14) are formed by strips of webbing and are incorporated into the structure of the panel (1) and door (13) during the foaming process.

The building is constructed by placing a panel (1) on the site of the building and securing it in place in order to form a floor. A wall is formed by placing a second 25 panel at right angles to the floor panel such that the protrusions (2) of the floor panel engage with the indentations (3) of the wall panel. The panels are tied 22 together by inserting a rod (11) through the channel formed by the slots (4) in the protrusions (2) of the floor panel and the wall panel as illustrated in figure 3.

In this manner four walls are attached to the floor. At least one wall panel includes a doorway (12) and a door (13) attached to the panel (1) by hinges (14). Windows, 5 shutters, and ventilation ports are included in the wall panels (1) as required.

The basic cubic structure is completed by adding a ceiling panel (1) connected to the upper edges of the four wall panels (1) following the joining process illustrated in figure 3.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the basic cubic structure of the building 10 formed by panels (1) and including a window (15). Figure 5 also shows a roof structure on top of the basic cubic building, the roof structure consisting of a panel (1), a flap (16) (not shown) cut from a panel (1) and a ridge (17), cut from another panel (1) (not shown).

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and 15 it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 23

Claims (14)

WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A method of constructing a building having the steps of a) locating a panel mould on or near a site for the building b) forming moulded panels using the panel mould, and c) connecting the panels together to form the building, characterised in that a single panel mould is used to form all the panels for the building.

2. A method of constructing a building as claimed in claim 1 wherein the panels are constructed from moulded foam plastic.

3. A method of constructing a building as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein common building features and closure means are formed at the same time as the panel containing them by placing appropriately configured inserts into the mould prior to filling with foam plastic.

4. A method of constructing a building as claimed in claim 3 wherein the closure means is attached to the panel containing it by a hinge.

5. A method of constructing a building as claimed in claim 4 wherein the hinge is in the form of one or more strips of webbing.

6. A method of constructing a building as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the mould is configured to provide a connecting means on each edge of a panel. Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 16 APR 2007 received] 24

7. A method of constructing a building as claimed in claim 6 wherein the connecting means consists of one or more protrusions on each edge of a panel.

8. A method of constructing a building as claimed in claim 7 wherein the protrusions on opposite edges of a panel are configured so that they are complementary.

9. A method of constructing a building as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the protrusions include a cavity aligned such that the cavities in each protrusion form a channel substantially parallel to an edge of the panel.

10. A method of constructing a building as claimed in claim 9 wherein a first panel is connected to a second panel by the steps of: a) engaging protrusions on a first edge of the first panel with protrusions on a second edge of the second panel, and b) aligning a first channel in the protrusions on the first edge with a second channel in the protrusions on the second edge to form a longer channel, and c) inserting a bar through the longer channel.

11. A panel for use in the method as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 10.

12. A building made of panels as claimed in claim 11.

13. A method of constructing a building substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying description and drawings.

14. A building formed substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying description and drawings. Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 25 16 APR 2007 received ' A panel formed substantially as herein described with reference to and illustrated by the accompanying description and drawings. END OF CLAIMS Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 1 6 APR 2007 received] 26