TW202223213A - Wall joint, building structure, method of aseembling wall joint, wall, and mechanical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A wall joint, a building structure, a method of assembling wall joint, a wall, and a mechanical connector are provided. Disclosed herein is a wall joint with a mechanical connector and methods of assembly. The wall joint comprises a pair of walls, each wall comprises a first surface and at least one stud protruding from the first surface, wherein the first surfaces face each other with a gap in between; a mechanical connector having at least one pair of slots, wherein the at least one pair of slots are engaged with the at least one stud of each wall; and cured grout in the gap. The assembly method comprises providing a pair of walls, each wall comprises a first surface and at least one stud protruding from the first surface; arranging the first surfaces to face each other with a gap in between; inserting a mechanical connector into the gap, the mechanical connector comprises at least one pair of slots; engaging the studs with the at least one pair of slots; dispensing grout into the gap; and curing the grout to join the walls to form the wall joint.

Description

Wall-engaged mechanical connector, system and method therefor

The present invention relates to a mechanical connector and its use to form a wall joint. In particular, the present invention can be used to combine walls and prefabricated building modules.

Prefabricated walls and building modules are increasingly used in the construction of buildings as they provide better quality control in a controlled environment and reduce on-site production time resulting in cost savings in manpower and resources. Furthermore, this results in reduced noise and dust from on-site construction activities.

However, the prefabricated parts need to be transported to the construction site and hoisted into place. To avoid the use of specialized equipment that may not be readily available and increase construction costs, the size and weight of prefabricated components are often limited. For example, prefabricated parts need to be sized (such as their height and width) to be transported on a single lane of a common road to avoid the need for special transport configurations. The length of prefabricated parts is also limited by the mode of transport, such as the length of the trailer and the steering angle of the trailer. Additionally, the cranes used to position the prefabricated components limit the maximum weight they can carry. There is therefore a need to develop methods and apparatus to combine prefabricated components in situ.

Existing methods for incorporating prefabricated walls use a pair of steel rings (or guides) from two opposing walls to form a channel. Steel rods are inserted into the channels, after which grout is poured and allowed to cure to bond the walls. However, the steel rings may be misaligned or misaligned and thus affect channel formation and field tie rod installation. This results in delayed assembly of prefabricated walls and increased costs.

In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wall joint comprising: a pair of walls, each wall comprising a first surface and at least one stud protruding from the first surface, wherein the first surfaces face each other and between having a gap; a mechanical connector having at least one pair of slots, wherein the at least one pair of slots engages at least one stud of each wall; and a cured grout in the gap.

The term "wall joint" refers to a fixed connection between two walls. Wall joints may be suitable for forming composite structural walls or non-composite structural walls.

The term "opposite walls" refers to two walls that may or may not be asymmetric or identical.

Preferably, the at least one pair of sockets physically and directly contact the at least one stud of each wall in engagement.

Preferably, the grooves are arranged on the first surface of each wall, and at least one stud protrudes from the grooves.

Preferably, the wall engagement further comprises a support structure in each wall, wherein a first end of the at least one stud is attached to the support structure and a second opposite end of the at least one stud is a head. For example, the support structure includes rods or steel plates.

Preferably, the slots are straight or curved.

Preferably, the mechanical connector comprises a pair of vertical plates attached together by connecting elements, each vertical plate having at least one slot to form at least one pair of slots. The vertical plates preferably abut the respective first surfaces of the walls when the studs are engaged in the sockets. In other words, the vertical plates are juxtaposed between and in contact with the walls.

Preferably, at least one edge of each slot forms an angle with the vertical edge of one of the vertical plates.

Preferably, the connecting elements are selected from the group consisting of connecting plates, bolt and nut systems and cable systems.

Preferably, the connecting element is attached to the pair of vertical plates at the middle of each vertical plate, at the edges of the vertical plates or at opposite edges of the pair of plates. This provides an H-shaped cross-section, a U-shaped cross-section, and a hollow cross-section, respectively, for the mechanical connector.

Preferably, the length of each plate of the pair of plates is substantially the same as the height of the first surface.

Preferably, the mechanical connector includes a first plate attached substantially vertically to the pair of vertical plates, the first plate having a pair of slots, each slot configured to receive a top extending to one of the walls rods beyond the surface.

Preferably, the wall engagement further comprises at least one gap rod in the gap.

In an embodiment, the first surface is a front face and the wall joint joins the pair of walls to form a composite structural wall. In another embodiment, one of the first surfaces is a front surface and the other of the first surfaces is an end surface. In another embodiment, the first surface is an end surface. Advantageously, the wall joint is universal and can be used to join the walls at different faces of the wall, such as two front faces, two end faces or one face and one end face.

Preferably, each wall is part of a prefabricated building module.

In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a building structure comprising at least one wall joint according to the first aspect.

In a third aspect of the present invention, a method of assembling a wall joint is provided. The method includes: providing a pair of walls, each wall including a first surface and at least one stud projecting from the first surface; configuring the first surfaces to face each other with a gap therebetween; inserting a mechanical connector into the gap , the mechanical connector includes at least one pair of sockets; engaging the studs with the at least one pair of sockets; distributing grout into the gap; and curing the grout to bond the walls to form a wall joint.

Preferably, at least one edge of each socket forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the wall, and engaging the studs with the at least one pair of sockets includes aligning the openings of the sockets to the studs and receiving the studs into the sockets middle.

Preferably, the mechanical connector comprises a pair of vertical plates attached together by connecting elements, each vertical plate having at least one slot to form at least one pair of slots.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wall comprising a first surface and at least one stud protruding from the first surface, wherein the at least one stud is configured to engage with at least one socket of a mechanical connector to Forms a wall engagement with the opposing wall.

Preferably, the groove is arranged on the first surface and at least one screw pile protrudes from the groove.

Preferably, the wall further comprises a support structure in the wall, wherein the first end of the stud is attached to the support structure and the second end of the stud is the head. For example, the support structure may be steel rods or plates.

Preferably, the wall is part of a prefabricated building module.

In a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mechanical connector for fixing a pair of walls with a gap disposed therebetween, each wall including a first surface and at least one stud protruding from the first surface, for mechanical connection The device includes at least one pair of sockets configured to engage with at least one stud of the pair of walls.

Preferably, the mechanical connector further comprises a pair of vertical plates attached together by connecting elements, each vertical plate having at least one slot to form at least one pair of slots.

Preferably, the connecting elements are selected from the group consisting of connecting plates, bolt and nut systems and cable systems.

Preferably, the connecting element is attached to the pair of vertical plates in the middle of each vertical plate or at opposite edges of the pair of vertical plates.

Preferably, the mechanical connector further includes a first plate vertically attached to the pair of vertical plates, the first plate having a pair of slots, each slot configured to receive a top surface extending to one of the walls outside the rod.

Advantageously, the mechanical connectors and studs provide greater control over alignment and make wall joining faster and simpler. Furthermore, the sockets and the studs are physically engaged with each other and in contact with each other, making it easier to engage with each other than the alignment of the steel rings.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. However, one having ordinary skill in the art will understand that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. Embodiments described in the context of one of the methods or devices (eg, walls) are similarly valid for other methods or devices (eg, prefabricated building modules) and vice versa. Similarly, embodiments described in the context of a method are similarly valid for an apparatus, and vice versa.

Features described in the context of an embodiment may correspondingly apply to the same or similar features in other embodiments. Features described in the context of an embodiment are correspondingly applicable to other embodiments even if not explicitly described in these other embodiments. Furthermore, additions and/or combinations and/or substitutions as described for features in the context of an embodiment may correspondingly apply to the same or similar features in other embodiments.

As used herein, the articles "a", "an", and "the" as used in reference to features or elements include references to one or more of the features or elements. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. As used herein, the terms "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "side," "vertical," and "horizontal" are used to describe the relationship between elements and features. Relative configuration. As used herein, the term "each other" indicates a mutual relationship between two or more objects, depending on the number of objects involved.

As used herein, terms such as "length" and "width" are not intended to impose relative dimensional requirements on their objects, ie, an object may be longer than its width; alternatively, an object may have a length less than or equal to its width .

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a wall joint 100 including a pair of walls 5 with a gap 45 between the walls 5 , and a mechanical connector 50 that secures (or connects) the walls 5 . Cured grout (or other cementitious material) is present in the gap 45 and joins the walls 5 to form a strong bond between the pair of walls 5, but is omitted in FIG. 1 to more clearly depict the walls 5 and mechanical connectors 50 Characteristics. Walls 5 need not be identical or symmetrical when described as a pair, so long as they contain the features described herein and function as desired.

The wall 5 in Figure 1 can be seen as having six surfaces (or faces) in the shape of a generally cuboid. In an example, the wall 5 is a rectangular cuboid having a top surface 7, a bottom surface, a relatively long face (or front face) and a relatively short face (or end face). It is also to be understood that the wall 5 (and generally the cuboid) can be understood as having a height ( h ), a length ( l ) and a width ( w ) of the wall 5 corresponding to its vertical standing when assembled into the wall joint 100 ) or thickness, as seen in Figures 2 and 4. It should be appreciated that the top, bottom, and relative descriptions are intended to be relative to allow for easier understanding of the examples described herein, in particular wall 5 and wall joint 100 . The height of the walls 5 can be appropriately sized for building a single storey of the building structure. For example, the height of the wall 5 may be at least 3 meters, or at least 3.5 meters, or at least 4 meters, up to a maximum of 5 meters, 6 meters or 7 meters. It will be appreciated that the wall 5 depicted in Figure 1 may be part of a larger wall structure, for example the wall 5 may be part of an L-shaped wall, C-shaped wall, T-shaped wall or other shape, and thus will be described herein The size and shape apply to the portion of the wall that will be joined.

In an example, the longer faces or front faces of each wall 5 (defined by the height and length of the walls 5) are configured to face each other (or adjacent to one another) with gaps 45 between the walls 5, as in the drawings shown. In another example, the shorter or end faces of each wall 5 (defined by the height and width of the walls 5 ) are configured to face each other, and the mechanical connectors can work similarly to the longer faces. In yet another example, the longer face or front face of one wall is configured to face the shorter face or end face of the other wall. In these examples, the top surface 7 (and the bottom surface) are substantially perpendicular to the relatively long and relatively short faces. When the wall joint 100 is built along a longer face (or front) of the wall 5, the wall 5 may be referred to as a wall panel in some cases, and the resulting wall formed is a composite structure that functions as a single wall (or unit) wall. On the other hand, a non-composite wall is a wall that is formed when the individual walls, although bound or bound together, behave as individual and independent walls. Composite walls may possess equivalent or greater (much) greater strength and stiffness than non-composite walls of similar wall thickness and material. The wall joint 100 described herein may be particularly suitable for forming composite structural walls. The wall joint 100 can also be used to form a non-composite structural wall, or to join the end faces of two walls to extend the wall. The wall joint 100 may also be used as a T-joint connector.

The wall includes a first surface, which in various examples may refer to the longer face (front face) or the shorter face (end face), or possibly both. The wall 5 and first surface 25 in FIGS. 1-20 apply to both the longer (front) and shorter (end) faces of the wall, and can be considered a simplified and generic version of the wall joint 100 . Accordingly, the description of the wall 5, the mechanical connector 50, and the wall engagement with respect to FIGS. 1-20 applies to the other examples and figures. FIGS. 21-30 show examples of wall joints 100 and walls 5 having the longer face (front face) as the first surface 25 . FIG. 31 shows the combination of the wall 5 as part of the prefabricated building module 200 and the prefabricated building module 200 through the wall joint 100 . 32 to 37 illustrate examples of the wall joint 100 and the wall 5 having the shorter face (end face) as the first face 25 .

2 and 3a show a side view and a perspective view, respectively, of a general example of a wall 5 that can be used to form a wall joint 100. FIG. Each wall 5 has a first surface 25 such that the first surfaces 25 of the two walls are configured to face each other in a wall joint 100, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 , 4 and 5 . The gaps 45 may be arranged between the first surfaces 25 of the walls 5 . At least one stud 10 protrudes from the first surface 25 of each wall 5 . In FIGS. 2 and 3 , two studs 10 are provided in each wall 5 . The stud 10 may include a shaft 17 having an embedded portion disposed in the wall 5 and a protruding portion extending from the first surface 25 and terminating at the head portion 15 (or head), the head The portion 15 is enlarged relative to the shaft portion 17 . In another example (not shown), the stud 10 may include a shaft 17 having an inset portion disposed in the wall 5 and a protrusion extending from the first surface 25 and terminating at the head portion 15 part, wherein the protruding part gradually narrows towards the embedded part. The shaft 17 may be cylindrical, conical, frustoconical, or a combination thereof. In particular, for conical or frustoconical shafts, the head 15 may be fused to the shaft 17 . The stud 10 may be made of any suitable material, such as steel. In the gap 45 there may be a portion of the shaft 17 and the head 15 both protruding from the first surface 25 . This allows engagement of the stud 10 with the socket 56 of the mechanical connector 50 as will be described later. In particular, the head 15 provides a more secure engagement between the stud 10 and the socket 56 . In particular, engagement refers to physical and direct contact (or physical and direct interlocking) between stud 10 and socket 56 . The term interlock includes a reference to the mutual secure fit of the stud 10 and the socket 56, but is not limited to the presence of an actual locking and/or unlocking mechanism.

In an example, the groove 20 may be provided in a non-edge portion of the first surface 25 of the wall 5 , such as a middle portion, and may extend substantially the entire height of the wall 5 . In other words, with reference to at least FIGS. 1 to 4 , the groove 20 extends along the vertical direction of the first surface 25 and the wall 5 . Grooves 20 may be formed by sloping inclined surfaces 27 (as seen in FIGS. 2-4 ) from substantially flat side surfaces 26 to substantially flat intermediate surfaces 28 to create recesses to form grooves 20 . The inclined surface 27 , the substantially flat side surfaces 26 and the intermediate surface 28 form at least part of or all of the first surface 25 , as depicted in FIGS. 2-4 . Additionally, especially when the first surface is a longer face, more than one groove 20 may be provided to provide an additional connecting engagement 100 between opposing walls 5, as can be seen in FIG. 21 . The stud 10 may be positioned within the groove, eg, in the center of the groove 20 (or intermediate surface 28 ), and thus the groove 20 should be wide enough to allow the mechanical connector 50 to face vertically downward and then laterally (or horizontally). ground) is inserted into the groove 20 to allow engagement of the stud 10 by the slot 56 . It will be appreciated that the directions provided are relative and describe the movement of the mechanical connector 50 and wall 5 as they are to be assembled. In particular, it should be understood that the wall 5 will be configured upright on the ground and thus substantially perpendicular to the ground, and that the vertical direction refers to an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the ground. The horizontal direction therefore refers to one of the two axes parallel to the ground. In particular, the downward movement is described with respect to the placement of walls 5 (and prefabricated building modules 200 ) on the ground or other structures (not shown in the drawings), such as foundation piles, support platforms, and Another prefab building mod. Advantageously, the groove 20 of the opposite wall 5 provides more space to accommodate the mechanical connector 50 , thereby simplifying the installation of the mechanical connector 50 during assembly of the wall joint 100 . It should be appreciated that in some examples (not shown), the first surface may not be provided with grooves and thus the studs may be provided on the first surface without grooves.

A support structure may be provided within the wall 5 and attached to the studs 10 to securely attach the studs 10 to the wall 5 . Examples of support structures include rods 35 and plates 102 (eg, steel plates), which are shown in Figures 3a and 3b. The rod 35 may be partially embedded within the wall 5 and partially protruding from the top surface 7 in the vertical direction (relative to the ground when the assembled wall is engaged 100 ). The stud 10 may be attached to the rod 35 to provide fixation of the stud 10 , eg, by welding the embedded portion of the stud 10 to the rod 35 . In particular, the attachment of the stud 10 to the rod 35 may be substantially vertical. Alternatively, the rods 35 may be provided by one of the rod nets. Thus, one end of the stud 10 is attached to the rod 35 and the opposite end is the head portion 15 . The rods 35 may extend through a substantial height of the wall 5 , preferably at least 80%, 90%, 95% and 100% of the height of the wall 5 . The rods 35 may extend further beyond the top surface 7 of the wall 5 . The extension of the rod 35 may be joined to another or upper wall 5 that rests on top of or covers the existing wall, eg the extension may be received into a recess in the upper wall. Advantageously, this allows the construction of multi-layer structures.

Figure 3b shows another example of a wall 5 with a plate 102 as a support structure. The plate 102 may be attached to the stud 10 by being welded or integrally formed with the stud 10 .

Thus, the wall 5 may include a recess (not shown) at the bottom surface of the wall 5 to receive a support structure of the wall 5 below it, such as a rod 35 or a steel plate 102 . This allows pairs of walls to be stacked to form a multilayer structure. Additional recesses may be provided as desired.

Reinforcing structures may be provided in the wall 5 in both Figures 3a and 3b. For example, the reinforcement structure may be an intersecting network of horizontal steel poles 104 and vertical steel poles 106 . The wall 5 in Figures 3a and 3b can be prepared by placing the support structure with the studs 10 attached to it and, if necessary, the reinforcement structure into a suitably prepared mould and grouting with concrete or grouting casting. After curing, the precast wall 5 is formed by the studs 10 protruding from the first surface 25 of the wall 5 . The support structure may extend beyond the top surface 7 of the wall 5 to be received into the recess of another or upper wall 5 stacked above.

4 and 5 show a top view and a perspective view, respectively, of the pair of walls 5 without the mechanical connector 50 and show the gaps 45 spaced apart by the walls 5 . The gap bars 40 may be disposed in the gaps 45 and may extend vertically through the space of the mechanical connector 50, or extend vertically on one or both sides of the mechanical connector 50 (see Figures 11 and 31). Since the mechanical connector 50 may not have enough space to allow the clearance rods 40 to pass through, it is more feasible to have the clearance rods 40 on either or both sides of the mechanical connector. The gap bar 40 may extend at least substantially along the entire height of the wall 5 or the prefabricated building module 200 described later, and may be separated from another gap from the wall 5 or prefabricated building module 200 from the upper and/or lower layers The rods 40 overlap. Advantageously, this allows the construction of multi-layer structures.

The general dimensions of the wall 5, the mechanical connector 50, and the wall joint 100 are provided as examples in millimeters. Figures 2 and 4 show the dimensions around the area of the groove 20, the wall 5 may have the following dimensions: a length ( l ) of 300 mm, a width ( w ₁ ) to the side surface 26 of 90 mm, at the end of the wall 5 The width ( w ₃ ) at the intermediate surface 28 is 60 millimeters and the height ( h ) is 600 millimeters. The walls 5 may be spaced apart to provide a gap of width ( w ₂ ) of 20 mm. The grooves 20 may have the following dimensions: the length ( l ₄ ) at the middle surface 28 is 160 mm, and the recessed depth is 30 mm, and thus the length ( l ₁ ) of each side surface 26 may be 60 mm. Thus, the width of the gap 45 between the two intermediate surfaces 28 of the wall may be 80 millimeters ( w ₄ ). The width ( w ₂ ) of the gap 45 can be as narrow as possible to minimize in-situ grouting while allowing for build tolerances. For example, a typical width ( w ₂ ) of the gap 45 may be about 20 millimeters and above. The width ( w3 ) of the wall ₅ at the intermediate surface 28 should not be so narrow that any reinforcement in the wall 5 is overcrowded, which affects the casting of the wall. The width ( w ₃ ) may be a minimum of about 60 mm. The length from the edge of the side wall 5 to the start of the intermediate surface 28 may be 70 millimeters ( l ₃ ), so the length between the two side surfaces 26 is 180 millimeters ( l ₂ ). The width ( w ₄ ) of the gap 45 between the intermediate surfaces 28 and the length ( l ₄ ) of the intermediate surfaces 28 should not be so narrow that they interfere with the installation of the mechanical connector 50 and the gap rod 40 . For example, the width ( w ₄ ) of the gaps 45 between the intermediate surfaces 28 may be a minimum of about 80 millimeters and the length ( l ₄ ) of the intermediate surfaces 28 may be a minimum of about 160 millimeters.

The protruding portion of the stud 10 is preferably approximately equal to or greater than the depth of the groove 20 . In other words, the head 15 of the stud 10 may be in-line or out-of-line with the side surface 26, respectively. When the head 15 is in line with the side surface 26, it is conceivable to form an imaginary plane spanning the side surface 26 and the head. This imaginary plane can also be regarded as the front face of the wall 5 without the groove 20 . The two studs 10 in FIG. 2 may be spaced apart such that the upper stud 10 is 150 mm ( h ₁ ) from the top surface 7 and the lower stud 10 is 300 mm ( h ₂ ) below the upper stud 10 ( That is, the lower stud is 150 mm ( h ₃ )) from the bottom of the wall, as measured from the center of the head 15 of the stud 10 . The rod 35 may extend 100 mm beyond the top surface 7 of the wall 5 . In some other examples, the protruding portion of the stud 10 may be less than the depth of the groove 20 .

The mechanical connector 50 is used to engage with the stud 10 to fix the pair of walls 5 . Mechanical connector 50 includes at least one pair of sockets 56 configured to engage stud 10 . The engagement can be physical and direct contact between the socket 56 and the stud 10 (it is not necessary or necessary for the entire stud 10 to contact the socket 56, as explained below). The mechanical connector 50 may include a pair of plates 55 attached by connecting elements to each plate 55 having at least one slot to form at least one pair of slots 56 . Examples of connection elements include connection plates 75, bolt and nut systems, and cable systems.

The location and placement of the socket 56 should match or complement the location and placement of the stud 10 . The slot 56 should be at least as wide as the diameter of the shaft 17 of the stud 10 but preferably smaller than the diameter of the head 15 to prevent the stud 10 from disengaging. The width of the slot 56 may be 100% to 200% of the diameter of the shaft 17, preferably 115% to 180% of the diameter of the shaft 17, or 130% to 170% of the diameter of the shaft 17, or 130% to 160%, Or 130% to 150%, or 115% to 150%, or 115% to 130%. Advantageously, by ensuring that the width of the socket 56 is only slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft 17, this allows for some tolerances and variability in the manufacture of the wall 5 and mechanical connector and in the assembly or construction of the wall joint 100. Furthermore, by controlling the relative widths of the slot 56 and the shaft, it allows the slot 56 and the stud 10 to be easily engaged by providing the slot 56 with a slightly larger width than the diameter of the shaft 17 (based on the relative widths above) , while ensuring that the screw pile 10 cannot easily move out of position once it is in the slot 56 (or disengaged from the slot 56 ), so as to ensure a firm fit between the screw pile 10 and the slot 56 . FIG. 38 shows possible positional tolerances of the axes 17 a , 17 b of the opposite wall 5 with the width of the slot 56 . It can be seen that, even when the studs 10 are not precisely aligned with each other, by using the slot 56 having a slightly larger width as described above, the slot 56 is able to receive and engage the shaft 17a of one wall 5 and the opposite Axle 17b of wall 5. This takes into account minor variations in the pre-casting process and placement of the wall 5, and thus accommodates minor differences in the positions of the studs 10 and the shaft 17 (ie, positional tolerances). The assembly can be performed even when the studs 10 are slightly misaligned, and for easier engagement of the studs 10 with the sockets 56 .

For cylindrical shafts, the diameter should be substantially the same or nearly the same as most of the shaft length. For the frustoconical shaft 17 , the shaft 17 needs to fit into the socket 56 . The diameter may be measured, for example, at the point where the engagement occurs at the portion of the shaft 17 protruding from the first surface 25 . As shown in FIG. 38 , by limiting the width of the slot 56 relative to the diameter of the shaft 17 (as provided above), it provides a secure fit while allowing minor variations from the desired dimensions in the casting of the wall 5 (or defects), and making field assembly easier with the greater tolerances for the sockets 56 of the studs 10 . It will be apparent that since the width of the slot 56 is greater than the diameter of the shaft 17 , the shaft 17 and the stud 10 may not fully contact the slot 56 .

The slot 56 may comprise any suitable shape or side cross-section that provides a straight profile or a curved (or non-linear) profile or a segmented straight profile. A quadrilateral cross-section, eg in the form of a parallelogram or trapezoidal cross-section as depicted in Figure 8, has a rectilinear profile due to its rectilinear or straight edges. As depicted in Figures 9b, 12b, 15b, and 18b, a dog-leg shaped cross-section with curvature in the slot has a curved profile due to at least one curved or merging of curved edges. The rear sharply curved socket 56 provides a more secure fit for the stud 10 as the bend in the socket profile makes it more difficult for the stud 10 to disengage from the socket 56 . The slot 56 may be angled to a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the ground (ie a direction parallel to the height of the wall 5 ) and is explained in more detail below. In other words, the upper and/or lower edges of the socket 56 form an angle with the vertical edge of the vertical plate 55 of the mechanical connector 50 .

FIG. 6 shows an example of a mechanical connector 50 . The mechanical connector 50 includes a horizontal plate (or first plate) 65 , two vertical plates (or a pair of plates or a second plate and a third plate) 55 and a connecting plate 75 . Plate 55, plate 65, plate 75 may be made of steel or other suitable materials. The horizontal plate 65 and the vertical plate 55 are generally perpendicular to each other. The vertical plates 55 each have an upper or proximal end and a lower or distal end, wherein the proximal end of each vertical plate 55 is attached to the horizontal plate 65, such as by welding or by direct molding with a mold. Each vertical plate 55 provides at least one slot 56 configured to engage with the studs 10 of the wall 5 . In particular, the engagement brings the stud 10 into physical and direct contact with the socket 56 . The two vertical plates 55 together provide at least one pair of slots 56 to engage the studs 10 of the pair of walls 5 . The horizontal plate 65 may provide a pair of slots 70, each slot 70 receiving a rod 35 extending beyond the wall 5. The slot 70 may serve as a guide (eg, a visual guide unobstructed by a wall) to assist in the engagement of the mechanical connector 50 with the stud 10 and/or to determine the position of the stud 10 relative to the socket 56 . The slot 70 may be positioned, shaped and dimensioned so that the position of the rod 35 along the slot 70 corresponds to the position of the stud 10 along the slot 56 . For example, when the rod 35 is positioned at the entrance or opening of the slot 70, the stud 10 is positioned at the entrance of the slot 56; when the rod 35 is positioned at the end of the slot 70, the stud 10 is positioned in the slot 56 may be at the end of the engagement location. Advantageously, this may allow the operator to determine the relative position of the stud 10 and the socket 56 by visual inspection of the relative position of the rod 35 and the slot 70 .

The connecting plate 75 is attached to a non-edge portion of the vertical plate 55 , such as a middle portion, near (or proximate to) the slot 56 or near the end of the slot 56 . In FIG. 6 , each vertical plate 55 provides two sockets 56 to provide a total of two pairs of sockets 56 in the mechanical connector 50 to engage with the two pairs of studs 10 of the pair of walls 5 .

Each slot 56 is a space that can be cut from the vertical plate 55 or die forged to provide the necessary shape as depicted in FIG. 6 . It will be apparent that the slot 56 needs to be properly sized to receive the shaft 17 into the slot 56 and interlock with the head 15 to prevent the head 15 from passing through the slot 56 . As seen in perspective in FIG. 6, each socket 56 includes an end surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, and a socket opening 60, and as best seen in FIG. 8 has an end edge 57, an upper edge 58, a lower Side view of slot 56 with edge 59 and slot opening 60 . The slot 56 may be angled with the longitudinal axis of the vertical plate 55 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wall 5 . In other words, the slot 56 is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vertical plate 55 or the wall 5 . The corners 61 , 62 of the slot 56 may be measured at the opening 60 of the slot 56 relative to the longitudinal axis (or the vertical direction of the vertical plate 55 ) as depicted in FIG. 8 . Corner 61 or corner 62 of slot 56 may be measured between upper edge 58 or lower edge 59 relative to the vertical edge of vertical plate 55 of placement opening 60 . The longitudinal axis may be defined as being generally perpendicular to the ground and an opposite directional term when the wall joint 100 is assembled. In particular, the slot 56 may be angled between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, inclusive. The angled slot 56 allows the slot 56 to engage the stud 10 more easily. Advantageously, when the mechanical connector 50 is supportably disposed on the stud 10, the angled socket is formed by utilizing gravity to assist the engagement between the stud 10 and the socket 56 rather than purely or substantially horizontal movement. 56 allows the stud 10 to slide in (ie angularly move downward).

In an example, both the upper (first corner) 61 and lower (second corner) 62 corners of the socket 56 may be the same, such that when the mechanical connector 50 is viewed from the side as in FIG. 8 , the socket 56 Has a parallelogram cross-sectional profile. In an example, the slot 56 may be tapered, ie the corners 61 and 62 are different. Advantageously, this makes it easier to slide the stud 10 into the slot 56 . Therefore, the width of the slot 56 is not constant, but decreases from the opening 60 of the slot 56 to the end edge 57 so that the slot 56 has a trapezoidal cross-sectional profile as seen in FIG. 8 (ie the end edge 57 and the edges of opening 60 are parallel, and upper edge 58 and lower edge 59 are not parallel). For example, the upper corner 61 of the slot 56 may be larger than the lower corner 62 of the slot 56 . The difference between the upper angle 61 and the lower angle 62 may not exceed 10° or preferably 5°. Each socket 56 can be sized to fit the stud 10 . Preferably, however, the slots 56 at the same height in each vertical plate 55 have substantially the same dimensions. More preferably, all sockets 56 are of substantially the same size to allow for easy manufacture of the mechanical connector 50 . It should be appreciated that in some examples, the slot 56 may have other cross-sectional profiles such as polygons, other quadrilaterals.

7 and 8 illustrate dimensions of an example of a mechanical connector 50 . It will be apparent that the dimensions of the mechanical connector 50 correspond or complement the dimensions of the wall 5 and the gap 45 . The horizontal plate 65 may have a length of 180 mm (2 x l ₁₁ + l ₁₂ ), a width of 60 mm and a thickness of 5 mm. The dashed lines in the horizontal plate 65 indicate the contours of the vertical plate 55 and the connecting plate 75 . The distance ( l ₁₂ ) between the two edges of the vertical plate 55 may be 80 mm or slightly less and corresponds to the gap between the intermediate surfaces 28 of the grooves 20 of the mutually facing walls 5 . The distance ( l ₁₂ ) may be slightly less than the width ( w ₄ ) of the gap in the middle portion of the gap 45 to fit. The length ( l ₁₁ ) of the horizontal plate on its edge to the edge of the vertical plate 55 is therefore greater than 50 mm ( l ₁₁ ), preferably slightly greater than 50 mm and allows the horizontal plate 65 to rest on the wall 5 with sufficient contact area on top of . The slot 70 may have a depth of 30 millimeters extending into the horizontal plate 65 , in other words, the depth of the slot 70 may be approximately half or slightly more than half the width of the horizontal plate 65 . The slot 70 should be wide enough to accommodate the rod 35 .

In FIG. 8 , the length of the vertical plate 55 may be 600 mm and may be substantially equivalent to the height of the wall 5 . This allows the vertical plates to substantially join and support the wall 5 . The position of the slot 56 corresponds to the position of the stud 10 in the wall 5 . Therefore, the upper slot is positioned about 150 mm to 200 mm ( l ₂₁ ) below the bottom of the horizontal plate 65, and the lower slot is positioned about 200 mm to 300 mm ( l ₂₂ ) below the upper slot, also That is, 150 mm to 200 mm ( l ₂₃ ) above the bottom end of the vertical plate 55. The height and position of the slot 56 should correspond to the height and position of the screw pile 10 for proper connection, and the height and position are both Can be adjusted as needed. After the mechanical connectors 50 and sockets 56 are engaged with the studs 10 , one or more clearance rods 40 may be inserted into the clearances 45 . The clearance bars 40 may be inserted through holes in the horizontal plate 65 of the mechanical connector 50 or on either or both sides of the mechanical connector 50 .

For a wall 5 having a height of 3000 mm (3 meters), the topmost studs 10 may be positioned approximately 150 mm to 200 mm ( l ₂₁ ). Subsequent studs 10 may be spaced apart by about 200mm to 300mm ( l ₂₂ ). The bottommost stud 10 may be positioned approximately 150 mm to 200 mm ( l ₂₃ ) above the bottom edge of the vertical plate 55 . As an example, a wall 5 having a height of 3000 mm may have at least ten studs 10 , and the number of studs 10 may vary in other examples according to the specifications of the wall 5 . The number of studs 10 for walls 5 of different heights can be adjusted accordingly to meet the desired specifications of the walls 5 .

Another example of a mechanical connector 50 is shown in FIGS. 9a-9c. This is substantially similar to the mechanical connector described and illustrated in Figures 6-8. However, in this example, the horizontal plate 65 is removed and the slot 56 has a sharp bend or curved cross-section as seen in Figure 9b. As can be seen, the slot 56 in this example is also angled to the longitudinal axis, and the slot 56 curves upward from the angled direction (ie, relative to the vertical) to the vertical to provide a sharply curved cross-section. The connecting plate 75 is similarly attached to a non-edge portion of the vertical plate 55, eg, in the middle. In this example, the connection plate 75 may be positioned above the slot 56 due to the expanded size of the slot 56, but may alternatively be placed elsewhere. This example may also be referred to as an H-shaped mechanical connector based on the plan view in Figure 9c showing the H-shaped profile. FIG. 10 shows the engagement of the mechanical connector 50 of FIGS. 9 a to 9 c with a wall 5 to more clearly illustrate the engagement of the studs 10 in the sockets 56 . As can be seen, a sharp bend or bend in the socket 56 can make it more difficult for the stud 10 to disengage from the socket 56 , which makes the assembly of the wall engagement 100 safer.

Figure 11 depicts a top view of a wall joint with grout (or cement) in the gap 45 and incorporating the mechanical connector 50 of Figures 9a-9c. The wall 5 used is the wall depicted in Figure 3b, wherein the steel plate 102 is attached to the stud 10 as a support structure. It can also be seen by the dotted line that part of the shaft 17 is embedded in the wall 5 , while another part protrudes from the first surface 25 and terminates at the head 15 . In FIG. 11 , two gap bars 40 are provided on both sides of the mechanical connector 50 in the gap 45 .

Figures 12a-12c illustrate a mechanical connector 50 similar to the mechanical connector 50 in Figure 9 . Use a bolt and nut system instead of connecting plate 75. A hole is provided in each vertical plate 55 to allow the passage of a bolt 76 secured by a nut 77 at each end of the bolt. This attaches bolts 76 to the pair of vertical plates 75 . A single nut 77 may alternatively be used with bolts 76 having opposite enlarged ends. FIGS. 13 and 14 show the mechanical connector 50 of FIGS. 12 a to 12 c engaged with the wall 5 and are views similar to those of FIGS. 10 and 11 .

Alternatively, a cable system can be used instead of bolts. The cables can be steel wires or steel rings. The cables are passed through holes in the vertical plate 55 and looped to form enlarged opposite ends to secure the cables to the vertical plate 55 . Alternatively, nuts 77 may be attached to either or both ends of the cable to secure the cable to the vertical plate 75 .

FIGS. 15 a to 15 c illustrate another mechanical connector 50 having a connecting plate 75 as the connecting element between the pair of vertical plates 55 . However, connecting plates 75 are attached to the pair of vertical plates 55 at the edge of each of the vertical plates 55 . Thus, as seen in Figure 15c, the mechanical connector has a C- or U-shaped profile (ie, a C- or U-shaped mechanical connector). The connecting plate 75 can be attached to either edge of the vertical plate 55 . FIG. 15 shows the connection plate 75 attached at the edge opposite the edge of the socket opening 60 . However, it is also possible for the edge with the socket opening 60 to be attached to the connection plate 75, as described below.

Figures 18a-18c illustrate another mechanical connector 50 having a connecting plate 75 attached to the edge of the vertical plate 55 that is either opposite or away from the socket opening 60. Thus, the mechanical connector 50 has a square or O-shaped profile as seen in Figure 18c, ie an O-shaped mechanical connector. Since the center of the mechanical connector is basically a blank space or channel, it can also be called a hollow mechanical connector.

Figures 16 and 19 illustrate the engagement of respective mechanical connectors 50 with one wall stud 10, while Figures 17 and 20 illustrate the resulting wall joint 100 formed. It can be seen that regardless of the mechanical connector 50, the engagement of the socket 56 with the stud 10 is substantially the same.

The mechanical connectors 50 of Figures 9a-9c, 12a-12c, 15a-15c, 18a-18c provide sockets 56 with sharply curved cross-sections, but it should be understood that alternative Additional socket profiles for socket profiles described in the foregoing.

Each of the mechanical connectors 50 described above may be fabricated by welding multiple boards or integrally fabricated.

In another example (not shown), the vertical plate 55 may be replaced by a single metal block with slots cut into the metal block. In other words, the core is not hollow like the hollow mechanical connector 50 of Figures 18a-18c.

In some examples, holes 63 may be provided at the upper or proximal end of each vertical plate 55 (as shown in FIGS. 22, 25, and 28). The holes 63 in the pair of vertical plates 55 can be used to lift the mechanical connector 50 into place by a crane or other machine. This can be done by passing a cable, davit or equivalent through hole 63 and supporting the cable, davit or equivalent using the hooks of the crane. When the mechanical connector 50 is in place or at least partially engaged with the wall 5, the cable can then be removed.

In various instances, it is preferable to subject the studs 10 on opposing first surfaces 25 to be at substantially the same height as that depicted in FIG. 5 to be subject to construction tolerances to provide symmetry that Provides easy mechanical connector 50 fabrication and field installation. Therefore, it is preferred that the slot 56 is at substantially the same height as in the vertical plate 55 as depicted in FIG. 6 .

To assemble or build the wall joint 100, the pair of walls 5 are configured such that the first surfaces 25 face each other with a gap 45 therebetween. Thus, the stud 10 protrudes from the first surface 25 into the gap 45 . In the example shown in the middle figures, each first surface 25 preferably has at least one groove 20 from which the stud 10 protrudes, in particular, the groove 20 may be formed in the first surface 25 in the non-edge portion of the wall 5 and along at least part of the entire height or substantially the entire height of the wall 5 .

The mechanical connector 50 is lowered (eg inserted downward) into the gap 45 from above the opposite wall 5 where it is arranged. Since the opening 60 of the slot 56 is close to the stud 10 and aligned to the stud 10 , the mechanical connector 50 can further receive the stud 10 into the slot 56 through the slot opening 60 and be configured to engage with the slot 56 . Screw pile 10. This can be accomplished by pushing the mechanical connector 50 in a horizontal direction (ie, generally perpendicular to the direction of initial downward movement) with a machine and/or by one or more workers to allow the socket 56 to receive the stud 10 , thereby connecting the screw pile 10 with the slot 56 . It will be appreciated that the alignment of the socket opening 60 with the stud 10 is for proper mating of the stud 10 and socket 56 . Using FIGS. 3 a and 5 as an example, when the mechanical connector 50 is lowered or inserted into the gap 45 , the lower pair of sockets 56 of the mechanical connector 50 are first aligned with the upper pair of studs 10 . However, this is not "correct" alignment and the mechanical connector 50 needs to be inserted further down to align the lower pair of sockets 56 with the lower pair of studs 10 and the upper pair of slots 56 with the upper pair of studs 10 . This is the correct alignment required. If the number of sockets 56 matches the number of studs 10, the correct alignment is when the lowest and highest sockets 56 are aligned with the lowest and highest studs 10, respectively. However, this is not strictly necessary since, with appropriate modification, there may be more sockets 56 than studs 10, or vice versa, without affecting the function of the mechanical connector 50. This allows flexibility in the manufacture of the wall 5 and the mechanical connector 50 .

Furthermore, engagement of the stud 10 with the socket 56 requires physical and direct contact of the stud 10 with the socket 56 . The stud 10 is moved along the slot 56 by moving in a downward and horizontal manner (eg, diagonally with respect to the longitudinal axis) until the stud 10 reaches the end of the slot 56 . In instances where the socket 56 has a sharp curved cross-section, another downward movement moves the stud 10 around the bend and into the end of the socket 56 to ensure a secure engagement. Having the head 15 (enlarged end) assists in retaining the stud 10 within the socket 56 , thereby ensuring a tight fit and preventing the stud 10 from disengaging from the socket 56 . In the engaged position, the distal end of the vertical plate 55 of the mechanical connector 50 may be near the lower edge of the first surface 25 of the wall 5 if the heights of the vertical plate 55 and the wall 5 are substantially similar. Subsequently, grout (or other cementitious material) may be formulated or poured into gap 45 and allowed to cure (or harden) to form wall joint 100 .

In some instances where the rods 35 extend or protrude from the top surface 7 of the wall 5 , each slot 70 in the horizontal plate 65 may receive a protruding portion of the rods 35 and may also act as a guide to assist the sockets 56 and the studs 10 connection. It is also possible to receive the protruding ends of the rods 35 into the recesses of the upper wall 5 stacked on the lower wall 5 from which the rods 35 extend, or a composite wall including a wall joint 100, or the lower wall 5 or composite wall on the ceiling.

In an example, a gap rod 40 (shown in Figures 11, 14, 17, 20, or a similar gap rod 240 depicted in Figures 31c and 31d) can be inserted into the gap 45, a mechanical connector 50 is inserted in one or both sides or through an opening (not shown) in the mechanical connector 50 . Clearance rod 40, clearance rod 240 includes two opposing ends that are at least partially joined 100 via walls as shown in Figures 11, 14, 17, 20, 31c, 31d, respectively and extend at least partially through another wall stacked above and/or disposed below it. Gap bars 40 may be used to connect walls or wall joints of different floors to form a multi-layered structure.

Figures 21a and 21b show a perspective view and a front view of the wall 5, wherein the first surface 25 is the longer face (or front face) of the wall 5 and two grooves 20 are provided. By joining the pair of walls 5 along the first face 25, a composite structural wall can be formed that appears as a single or integral wall rather than two separate individual walls. In this example, two grooves 20 extending substantially along the height of the wall 5 are provided. A plurality of screw piles 10 are arranged at intervals and protrude from the grooves 20 . As can be seen, the first surface 25 may similarly comprise side surfaces 26, inclined surfaces 27 and intermediate surfaces 26 as described above. It is obvious that the terms "side surface" and "intermediate surface" are described with respect to the groove 20 . Figure 21c shows a top plan view of the two walls 5 of Figures 21a and 21b, the two walls 5 being configured such that their first surfaces 25 face each other with a gap 45 therebetween, and the screw of each wall 5 The pile 10 protrudes into the gap 45 .

FIG. 22 basically shows the mechanical connector 50 of FIG. 9 , but with more sockets 56 and connecting plates 75 to match the number of studs 10 . The number of slots may equal or exceed the number of studs per wall, otherwise if the connector 50 and wall 5 are of relatively similar height, then when the mechanical connector 50 is inserted into the gap 45 for use with the studs 10 Mismatched or extra studs 10 may obstruct the vertical plate 55 when engaged. FIG. 23 shows the engagement of the mechanical connector 50 of FIG. 22 with a wall 5 . Figure 24 shows a top plan view of the wall joint 100 incorporating the mechanical connector 50 of Figure 22 and providing a composite wall. In FIG. 24 , grout is provided in gap 45 .

Similarly, the mechanical connector 50 shown in FIGS. 25 and 28 is similar to the mechanical connector 50 shown in FIGS. 15 and 18 , but has more sockets 56 . FIGS. 26 and 29 illustrate the engagement of the respective mechanical connector 50 with a wall 5 . Figures 27 and 30 show top plan views of the wall joint 100 incorporating the mechanical connector 50 of Figures 25 and 28, respectively, and providing a composite wall. Thus, the mechanical connector 50 can be made in several ways to engage with the stud 10, so long as the mechanical connector 50 provides a connecting structure.

Wall 5 may be provided by one side of a prefabricated building module 200 which may be empty inside or may be a specific type of prefabricated building module with at least some interior finishes, fixtures and/or fittings group, the prefabricated building modules are called prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) modules. PPVC modules have the advantage that much of the internal work in the module is installed away from the field, resulting in better production control and less field activity, thus resulting in improved cost and quality.

Figures 31a-31d illustrate the sequential assembly of two pairs of prefabricated building modules 200, where one pair is stacked on the other pair of modules 200 to construct a multi-storey building. 31a and 31b illustrate an embodiment of a wall 5 that is part of a prefabricated building module 200 . The features of wall 5 described above similarly apply even when wall 5 is part of a prefabricated building module 200 . The first surface 225 is the longer face of the wall 205 . Each prefabricated building module 200 includes at least one wall 205 for bonding with walls 205 of adjacent modules 200 . Figures 31a and 31b illustrate a prefabricated building module 200 having four walls 205 arranged along two opposite sides. At each side, the two walls 5 are provided with spaces or openings between them that can be used as doors or aisles between the modules 200 after assembly. The other two opposite sides of the module 200 are shown as empty spaces but may be provided with conventional walls or walls 5 as described herein. Alternatively, each side can be seen as a wall 5 with an opening in a portion of the wall 5 . Module 200 may include floor 280 and ceiling 285 . Each wall 205 includes at least one stud 210 protruding from the first surface 225 . It will be appreciated that in other examples, the number and placement of walls, studs, plates, openings and grooves may be modified as desired.

The stud 210 may be similar to the stud 10 and/or examples thereof as described above. Accordingly, the stud 210 may include a shaft 217 having an inset portion and a protruding portion terminating at the head portion 215 (or head).

In Figure 31a, each wall 205 is provided with three grooves 220 on the first surface 225 and the studs 210 protruding from each groove 220 (as described above). A support structure such as the rods 35 or steel plates 102 described above for each groove may be embedded within the wall 205 . A stud 210 at the end opposite its head 215 can be attached to the support structure. Reinforcing structures can be provided in the wall 5, for example a network of horizontal rods 104 and vertical rods 106 can be used.

In Figure 31b, two modules 200 are arranged side by side with the walls 205, in particular their first surfaces 225 facing each other with a gap 245 therebetween. The mechanical connector 250 used in FIGS. 31a-31d is the mechanical connector depicted in FIG. 22 . As can be seen from the enlarged inset of Figure 31b, the mechanical connector 250 comprises two vertical plates 255 or a pair of vertical plates 255 attached by a connecting element, which in this example is a connecting plate 275, and is formed in the vertical plates 255 There are pairs of slots 256 , each vertical plate 255 having a slot 256 corresponding to another slot on another vertical plate 255 to form the pair of slots 256 . The connecting plates 275 may be attached to the vertical plates 255 at one or both of the edges. Other connection elements such as bolt and nut systems and cable systems as described above may also be used to place the connection plate 275 . Mechanical connector 250 can have horizontal plates 265 (similar to horizontal plate 65 in FIGS. 6 and 7 ) that can have slots, each slot receiving rods 235 protruding from top surface 207 of wall 205 .

Each socket 256 may be similar to socket 56 and/or examples thereof as described above. Each socket 256 includes an end surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, and a socket opening 260 .

In FIG. 31 b , the mechanical connector 250 is lowered (or inserted downward) into the gap 245 . When the opening of the socket 256 is aligned with the stud 210, the mechanical connector 250 can move laterally and downwardly (ie, diagonally) to allow the stud to move within the socket 256, thereby allowing engagement therebetween. In the example where the groove 220 is provided in the gap 245 and the stud 210 protrudes from the groove 220, the mechanical connector 250 is lowered into the gap 245, and the groove 220 should be large enough to accommodate the lowered mechanical connector 250 and Subsequent horizontal or lateral movement of mechanical connector 50 to allow stud 210 to move within slot 256 . With the sharp-bend slot, there is further downward movement of the mechanical connector 250 to fully move the stud 210 into and engage with the slot 256 . Advantageously, this uses gravity to aid engagement and to make joining of the walls easier.

The vertical plate 255 of the mechanical connector 250 may contact the first surface 225 along substantially or the entire height of the wall 205 when the stud 210 is fully within the slot 256 . In Figure 31b, three mechanical connectors 250 are used for each wall 205 to match the number of grooves 220.

FIG. 31c shows the gap bar 240 for each inserted mechanical connector 250 disposed in the gap 245. FIG. One or more clearance bars 240 may be inserted on the sides of the mechanical connector 250 , at both sides of the mechanical connector, or in the spaces provided by the mechanical connector 250 . A grout or other cementitious material is formulated or poured into the gap 245 and allowed to cure or harden to form the wall joint 100 , thereby bonding the die set 200 . In FIG. 31 c , the wall joint 100 is formed along the longer face of the wall 205 and the die set 200 . In particular, the wall joint 100 joins the pair of walls 205 to form a composite structural wall that appears as a single integral wall rather than two individual separate walls.

Figure 31d shows a second pair of modules 200 stacked on top of a first pair of modules 200 with the first and second pairs assembled as described herein Wall joints 100 bond between modules. The walls 205 in the second pair of modules 200 can each have at least one recess in the bottom surface of the walls 205 to receive rods 235 that optionally extend beyond the top surface 207 of the lower module 200 . Gap bars 240 that extend beyond the gaps 245 in the lower pair of die sets 200 will be received in the gaps 245 of the upper pair of die sets 200 .

The assembly of the second wall joint 100 and the optional composite structural wall between the upper (or second) pair of modules 200 stacked on top of the lower (or first) pair of modules 200 follows substantially as above The same method is described for Figures 31a to 31c.

Briefly, a second pair of modules 200, which may include similar features to the first pair of modules 200, are provided and configured such that the first surfaces 225 of the second pair of modules 200 face each other with a second gap 245 therebetween. . The second mechanical connector 250 with the slot 256 as above is inserted into the second gap 245 to engage with the studs 210 protruding from the first surface 225 . After the studs 210 are inserted into the sockets and engaged, grout can be formulated or poured into the second gap 245 and allowed to cure to join the second pair of modules 200 and form the second wall joint 100 . When the wall 5 and mechanical connector 50 are used as part of a prefabricated building module 200, the other features of the wall 5 and mechanical connector 50 apply similarly.

Figures 32-37 show top plan and perspective views of a wall joint 100 with different mechanical connectors 50 joining the pair of walls 305 at their end faces. This allows the wall 305 to be combined with another wall 305 and provide a wall with a greater length, and overcomes the limitations of transportation and hoisting of prefabricated walls and modules.

Each wall 305 has at least one stud 10 protruding from the groove 20 of the end face (first surface 25 ) of the wall 305 . The steel plate 402 serves as a support structure and is attached to the screw pile 10 at the end opposite the head 15 of the screw pile 10 . It can be seen that part of the shaft 17 of the screw pile is embedded in the wall 305 and the other part extends beyond the end face of the wall 305 . A reinforcement structure made of a network of horizontal rods 404 and vertical rods 406 may be provided in wall 305 . The pair of walls 305 are configured to allow the ends or shorter faces (first surfaces 25 ) to oppose each other with a gap 345 between the pair of walls 305 . In these examples, the end surface provides the first surface 25 .

32, 34, and 36 show plan views of a wall joint 100 with three different mechanical connectors 50. FIG. In these figures, the grouting is shown as a dotted area in gap 345 . FIGS. 33 , 35 and 37 depict perspective views of the wall joint 100 without the grout in the gap 345 .

FIGS. 32 and 33 illustrate the mechanical connector 50 of FIG. 9 disposed in the wall joint 100 of the pair of walls 305 . FIGS. 34 and 35 illustrate the mechanical connector 50 of FIG. 15 disposed in the wall joint 100 of the pair of walls 305 . FIGS. 36 and 37 illustrate the mechanical connector 50 of FIG. 18 disposed in the wall joint 100 of the pair of walls 305 . The mechanical connectors 50 in these figures engage the studs 10 in the same manner as for the front face of the wall 5 as described above.

Mechanical connectors 50 can also be used in a T-joint to join the end face of one wall to the front face of another wall. In this example (not shown), the first surface provided by one of the pair of walls is on the front face (or longer face), and the other first surface is provided by the end face (or the longer face) of the other wall. shorter side) available. This example can be viewed as a hybrid of the above examples, wherein the first surface is both the front surface or the end surface. The stud 10 and mechanical connector 50 will be as described above.

The mechanical connectors 50, 250 described herein allow the pair of walls 5, 205, 305 to be more easily and easily joined to the front and/or end faces of the walls 5, 205, 305. When the pair of walls 5, 205 are joined along the front face, the resulting wall formed is preferably a composite structural wall that appears as a single integral wall (ie, a composite wall) rather than two individual separate walls wall. Features of wall 5 , wall 205 , wall 305 described in the context of one wall should be understood to apply to other embodiments of wall 5 , wall 205 , wall 305 . Features of mechanical connector 50, mechanical connector 250 described as being used only with wall 5 or with module 200 will apply similarly to the others. Furthermore, the use of mechanical connector 50, mechanical connector 250 provides the described secure bond to wall 5, wall 205, wall 305 prior to pouring or curing the grout, and provides a safer and more stable assembly. The use and engagement of mechanical connector 50, mechanical connector 250 with wall 5 with stud 10, stud 210, wall 205, wall 305 provides greater precision and positioning control, thus obtaining prefabricated wall 5, wall 205, wall Faster assembly of the 305 and build modules 200 on site, thus resulting in faster build turnaround times and reduced costs.

It is to be understood that the embodiments, examples and features described above are to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive. Many other embodiments and examples will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from consideration of this specification and practice of the invention. Also, certain terminology has been used for the purpose of clarity of description and not to limit the disclosed embodiments of the invention.

5, 205, 305: Wall 7, 207: Top surface 10, 210: Stud 15, 215: Head portion 17, 17a, 17b, 217: Shaft 20, 220: Groove 25, 225: First surface 26: Side Surfaces 27: Inclined Surfaces 28: Intermediate Surfaces 35, 235: Rods 40, 240: Clearance Rods 45, 245, 345: Clearances 50, 250: Mechanical Connectors 55, 255: Vertical Plates 56, 256: Slots 57: Ends edge 58: upper edge 59: lower edge 60: opening 61: upper corner 62: lower corner 63: hole 65, 265: horizontal plate 70: slit 75, 275: connecting plate 76: bolt 77: nut 100: wall joint 102 : Plate 104: Horizontal Steel Rod 106: Vertical Steel Rod ₂₀₀ : Prefabricated Building Module 260: Slot Opening 280: Floor Slab 285: Ceiling 402: Steel Plate 404: Horizontal Rod 406 _: Vertical Rod h , h1 , h2 , h3 : _height l , l1 , l2 , l3 , _l4 , _l11 , _l12 , l21 , _l22 , _l23 : _length w _{, w1} , _w2 , _w3 , _{w4 : width}

In the schema: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a wall joint. FIG. 2 shows a side view of a wall used in the wall joint of FIG. 1 . Figures 3a and 3b show perspective views of two embodiments of walls that may be used in the wall joint of Figure 1 . FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of a wall configured to form the wall joint of FIG. 1 . FIG. 5 is a perspective view of FIG. 4 . FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a mechanical connector for use in the wall joint of FIG. 1 . FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 6 . FIG. 8 is a side view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 6 . Figures 9a-9c show a perspective view, a side view, and a top plan view, respectively, of another embodiment of a mechanical connector. 10 shows a perspective view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 9 engaged with a wall. FIG. 11 shows a top plan view of a wall joint with the mechanical connector of FIG. 9 . Figures 12a-12c show a perspective view, a side view, and a top plan view, respectively, of another embodiment of a mechanical connector. 13 shows a perspective view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 12 engaged with a wall. FIG. 14 shows a top plan view of a wall joint with the mechanical connector of FIG. 12 . Figures 15a-15c show a perspective view, a side view, and a top plan view, respectively, of another embodiment of a mechanical connector. 16 shows a perspective view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 15 engaged with a wall. FIG. 17 shows a top plan view of a wall joint with the mechanical connector of FIG. 15 . 18a-18c show a perspective view, a side view, and a top plan view, respectively, of another embodiment of a mechanical connector. Figure 19 shows a perspective view of the mechanical connector of Figure 18 engaged with a wall. FIG. 20 shows a top plan view of a wall engagement with the mechanical connector of FIG. 18 . Figures 21a and 21b show perspective and front views, respectively, of a wall being formed for a wall joint, and Figure 21c shows a top plan view of the two walls of Figure 21a configured to form a wall joint. Figure 22 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a mechanical connector. FIG. 23 shows a perspective view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 22 engaged with the wall of FIG. 21 . 24 depicts a top plan view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 22 engaged with the two walls of FIG. 21 to form a wall joint. Figure 25 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a mechanical connector. FIG. 26 shows a perspective view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 25 engaged with the wall of FIG. 21 . 27 depicts a top plan view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 25 engaged with the two walls of FIG. 21 to form a wall joint. Figure 28 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a mechanical connector. FIG. 29 shows a perspective view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 28 engaged with the wall of FIG. 21 . 30 depicts a top plan view of the mechanical connector of FIG. 28 engaged with the two walls of FIG. 21 to form a wall joint. Figures 31a-31d illustrate the assembly and joining of prefabricated building modules to build multi-storey building structures. 32 depicts a top plan view of an embodiment of a wall joint with one example of a mechanical connector. FIG. 33 shows a perspective view of the wall joint of FIG. 32 . 34 depicts a top plan view of an embodiment of a wall joint with one example of a mechanical connector. FIG. 35 shows a perspective view of the wall joint of FIG. 34 . 36 depicts a top plan view of an embodiment of a wall joint with one example of a mechanical connector. FIG. 37 shows a perspective view of the wall joint of FIG. 36 . Figure 38 shows an enlarged side view of the socket.

5: Wall

7: Top surface

15: Head Section

17: Shaft

20: Groove

35: Rod

45: Gap

50: Mechanical Connector

55: Vertical Plate

56: Slot

65: Horizontal plate

70: Gap

100: Wall Joint

h : height

l : length

w : width

Claims (30)

A wall joint comprising: a pair of walls, each wall including a first surface and at least one stud projecting from the first surface, wherein the first surfaces face each other with a gap therebetween; a mechanical connector having at least one pair of sockets, wherein the at least one pair of sockets engages the at least one stud of each wall; and Cured grout, located in the gap. The wall joint of claim 1, wherein the at least one pair of sockets physically and directly contact the at least one stud of each wall in the joint. The wall joint of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein a groove is disposed on the first surface of each wall, and the at least one stud protrudes from the groove. The wall joint of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a support structure in each wall, wherein a first end of the at least one stud is attached to the support structure, and the The second opposite end of the at least one stud is a head. The wall joint of claim 4, wherein the support structure comprises at least rods or plates. The wall joint of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each slot is straight or curved. The wall joint of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the mechanical connector includes a pair of vertical plates attached together by connecting elements, each vertical plate having at least one slot to form the at least one pair of slots. The wall joint of claim 7, wherein at least one edge of each slot forms an angle with a vertical edge of one of the vertical plates. A wall joint as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the connecting elements are selected from the group consisting of connecting plates, bolt and nut systems and cable systems. A wall joint as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the connecting element is attached to each vertical panel at the middle of each vertical panel, at an edge of the pair of panels, or at opposite edges of the pair of panels The pair of vertical plates described above. The wall joint of any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the length of each vertical plate is substantially the same as the height of the first surface. The wall joint of any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the mechanical connector includes a first plate attached substantially vertically to the pair of vertical plates, the first plate having a pair of Slots, each slot configured to receive a rod extending beyond the top surface of one of the walls. The wall engagement of any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising at least one gap rod in the gap. The wall join of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first surface is a front face and the wall join joins the pair of walls to form a composite structural wall. The wall joint of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein one of the first surfaces is a front face and the other of the first surfaces is an end face. The wall joint of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first surface is an end surface. The wall joint of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein each wall is part of a prefabricated building module. A building structure comprising at least one wall joint as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 17. A method of assembling a wall joint, the method comprising: providing a pair of walls, each wall including a first surface and at least one stud projecting from the first surface; configuring the first surfaces to face each other with a gap therebetween; inserting a mechanical connector into the gap, the mechanical connector including at least one pair of sockets; engaging the stud with the at least one pair of sockets; distributing grout into the gap; and The grout is cured to bond the walls to form the wall joint. 19. The method of assembling a wall joint of claim 19, wherein at least one edge of each slot forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the wall, and engaging the stud with the at least one pair of slots comprises attaching the The opening of the socket aligns with the stud and receives the stud into the socket. A method of assembling a wall joint as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 20, wherein the mechanical connector comprises a pair of vertical plates attached together by connecting elements, each vertical plate having at least one plug slot to form the at least one pair of slots. A wall includes a first surface and at least one stud projecting from the first surface, wherein the at least one stud is configured to engage at least one socket of a mechanical connector to form wall engagement with an opposing wall. The wall of claim 22, wherein a groove is disposed on the first surface and the at least one stud protrudes from the groove. The wall of any one of claims 22 to 23, further comprising a support structure in the wall, wherein a first end of the stud is attached to the support structure and a second end of the stud is attached to the support structure The two ends are the head. The wall of any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the wall is part of a prefabricated building module. A mechanical connector for securing a pair of walls with a gap disposed therebetween, each wall including a first surface and at least one stud projecting from the first surface, the mechanical connector including a pair of walls configured to interface with At least one pair of sockets to which the at least one stud of the pair of walls engages. The mechanical connector of claim 26, further comprising a pair of vertical plates attached together by connecting elements, each vertical plate having at least one slot to form the at least one pair of slots. The mechanical connector of claim 27, wherein the connecting element is selected from the group consisting of a connecting plate, a bolt and nut system, and a cable system. The mechanical connector of claim 28, wherein the connecting element is attached to the pair of vertical plates at the middle of each vertical plate, at an edge of the pair of plates, or at opposite edges of the pair of vertical plates. The mechanical connector of any one of claims 26 to 29, further comprising a first plate vertically attached to the pair of vertical plates, the first plate having a pair of slits, each slit passing through is configured to receive a rod extending beyond the top surface of one of the walls.

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