US20120279141A1 - Modular building system and method - Google Patents
Modular building system and method Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20120279141A1 US20120279141A1 US13/102,178 US201113102178A US2012279141A1 US 20120279141 A1 US20120279141 A1 US 20120279141A1 US 201113102178 A US201113102178 A US 201113102178A US 2012279141 A1 US2012279141 A1 US 2012279141A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- modular building
- building unit
- modular
- base
- units
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
- E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
- E04B1/348—Structures composed of units comprising at least considerable parts of two sides of a room, e.g. box-like or cell-like units closed or in skeleton form
- E04B1/34815—Elements not integrated in a skeleton
- E04B1/3483—Elements not integrated in a skeleton the supporting structure consisting of metal
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H5/00—Buildings or groups of buildings for industrial or agricultural purposes
- E04H5/02—Buildings or groups of buildings for industrial purposes, e.g. for power-plants or factories
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H5/00—Buildings or groups of buildings for industrial or agricultural purposes
- E04H2005/005—Buildings for data processing centers
Definitions
- the following relates to a modular building system and method.
- the system includes modular units that may be constructed at a manufacturing facility and then be transported to a construction site for assembly.
- the power plants and computer rooms of buildings are often large and complex systems with a large amount of interconnected equipment. These systems can be incorporated into a main building. However, it may be advantageous to house such facilities in a separate building. This allows the main building to be reserved for other uses and allows easier access to the equipment in the separate building.
- the complexity of the systems also means that it may be advantageous to assemble, interconnect and test the equipment in a manufacturing facility and then ship the completed system to the construction site.
- One way this has been done is to use a shipping container as a building in which to assemble the equipment. The equipment is assembled and tested and then shipped to the construction site to be interconnected to the main building.
- a limitation on this approach is the size of a standard shipping container.
- a standard shipping container may be 8′ ⁇ 8′ ⁇ 40′. If the equipment to be assembled requires more space, a second shipping container is used. The result is that that the equipment is housed in a number of different 8′ ⁇ 8′ ⁇ 40′ building. This limits accessibility to installed equipment, limits the type of cooling system that can be used, and is unattractive.
- a modular building unit for use in constructing a building comprising: a top, a base, two opposed ends and at least one open side, the at least one open side extending between the two opposed ends and being substantially free of structural supports; the modular building unit being configured to be interconnected to a second modular building unit along the at least one open side; and the building unit being dimensioned to enable the building unit to be accommodated at or within a predetermined width limit for transportation before assembly and the building unit and the second modular building unit, when assembled, exceeding the predetermined width limit.
- the building unit comprises at least one roof truss interconnecting the top and the two opposed ends.
- the at least one roof truss comprises a plurality of roof trusses.
- the modular building unit comprises at least one base truss interconnecting the base and the two opposed ends.
- the at least one base truss comprises a plurality of base trusses.
- the modular building unit comprises fixtures along the sides, adjacent the sides, for attaching lines for lifting the modular building unit.
- the roof trusses and the base trusses comprise substantially flat trusses.
- the roof trusses and the base trusses are spaced to prevent deformation of the modular building unit when lifted by the lines.
- a white space for computer equipment comprises a plurality of modular building units.
- the modular building unit comprises computer hardware racks mounted to the base.
- the opposed ends comprise walls.
- At least one open side comprises at least one of internal flanges and external flanges for interconnecting the modular building unit to the second modular building unit.
- the modular building unit comprises floor tiles covering the base trusses.
- the base trusses comprise openings for at least one of an in-floor air distribution system, an in-floor electrical distribution system and an in-floor mechanical distribution system.
- the roof trusses are positioned to accommodate at least one of an air distribution system, an electrical distribution system and a mechanical distribution system.
- a modular system for construction of a building comprising: two end building units comprising a roof, a base, two opposed ends and one open side; the building units being configured to be interconnect along the open sides, the open sides of the building units being substantially free of upright structural supports; the building units being dimensioned to enable the building units to accommodated at or within a predetermined width limit for transportation before assembly and the building, when assembled, exceeding the predetermined width limit.
- the modular system further comprises at least one intermediate building unit comprising a roof, a base, two opposed ends and two open sides, the at least one intermediate building unit being located between the two end building units.
- the at least one intermediate building unit comprises a plurality of intermediate building units.
- a method of constructing a building comprising: providing a plurality of modular building units, each of the building units comprising: a roof, a base, two opposed ends and at least one open side, the at least one substantially open side extending between the two opposed ends and being free of structural supports; the modular building units being configured to be interconnected to others of the modular building units along the at least one open side; the building units being dimensioned to enable the building units to be accommodated at or within a predetermined width limit for transportation before assembly and the building unit and the second modular building unit, when assembled, exceeding the predetermined width limit; transporting the plurality of modular building units to a building site; successively positioning the modular building units side-by-side; interconnecting the modular building units.
- FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a first end modular building unit
- FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the opposite side of the modular building unit of FIG. 1A ;
- FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the modular building unit of FIG. 1A with the walls, base trusses and base cover plate omitted;
- FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an intermediate modular building unit
- FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the modular building unit of FIG. 2A with the walls, base trusses and base cover plate omitted;
- FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a second end modular building unit
- FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the opposite side of the modular building unit of FIG. 3A ;
- FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the modular building unit of FIG. 3A with the walls, base trusses and base cover plate omitted;
- FIG. 4A is a side view of the intermediate modular building unit of FIG. 2A with support rigging;
- FIG. 4B is an end view of the modular building unit with support rigging of FIG. 4A ;
- FIG. 4C is a perspective view of the modular building unit with support rigging of FIG. 4A ;
- FIG. 5A is a side view of a mechanical plant modular building unit with support rigging
- FIG. 5B is an end view of the mechanical plant modular building unit with support rigging of FIG. 5A ;
- FIG. 5C is a perspective view of the mechanical plant modular building unit with support rigging of FIG. 5A ;
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the positioning of a second mechanical plant modular building unit
- FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the positioning of the mechanical plant modular building unit and support rigging of FIGS. 5A-5C with the modular building unit of FIG. 6 ;
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the positioning of the modular building unit of FIGS. 1A-1C with the modular building units of FIG. 7 ;
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the positioning of the modular building unit of FIGS. 2A-2B with the modular building units of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the positioning of a the modular building unit of FIGS. 3A-3C with the modular building units of FIG. 9 ;
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the assembled modular building
- FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of the joining of the modular building units
- FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the placement of the long roof joining strips
- FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the placement of the roof seam joining strips
- FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the placement of the wall joining strips
- FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the internal unit joints
- FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the assembled modular building of FIG. 11 with a cooling tower.
- FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the assembled modular building with the cooling tower of FIG. 17 with the exterior shown as wire frame.
- FIGS. 1A-1C , 2 A- 2 B and 3 A- 3 C show modular building units.
- FIGS. 1A-1C show a first side unit 8
- FIGS. 2A-2C show an intermediate unit 10
- FIGS. 3A-3C show a second side unit 12 .
- the units 8 , 10 and 12 may be used, for example, for the construction of a modular computer room.
- FIGS. 1A-1C , 2 A- 2 B and 3 A- 3 C the same reference characters are used to identify the same features. The differences between the units 8 , 10 and 12 will be identified.
- the units 8 , 10 and 12 have a base 14 , a roof 16 and two opposed end walls 18 .
- the first side unit 8 also has a first side wall 20 .
- the second side unit 12 also has a second side wall 22 .
- FIGS. 1C , 2 B and 3 C the units 8 , 10 and 12 are shown without walls, roofs, floor plates and floor trusses for ease of viewing internal features.
- the units 8 , 10 and 12 include a base 14 .
- the base 14 is formed with a frame 24 ( FIGS. 1C , 2 B and 3 C).
- the frame 24 defines a rectangular perimeter of the base 14 .
- the frame 24 of the present embodiment is attached to beams 26 , plates 28 and braces 30 .
- the base 14 is formed of alternating the beams 26 with the plates 28 .
- the braces 30 of this embodiment extend perpendicular to the beams 26 and provide support between the beams 26 .
- the plates 28 may be formed of eight inch thick sheet steel. Other embodiments may use different materials and more, fewer or no plates 28 .
- the number location and orientation of the beams 26 and the braces 30 may be varied or eliminated depending on the weight and strength requirements for the base 14 .
- the base 14 may be formed of a single plate or of an open lattice of beams. All or part of the perimeter frame 24 may also be eliminated.
- the base 14 is rectangular with short opposed ends 32 .
- End posts 34 are provided at the four corners of the base 14 along the opposed ends 32 .
- Two end posts 34 are also located at an intermediate position along the opposed ends 32 .
- the end posts 34 of the present embodiment are upright posts which extend from the base 14 to the top which has the roof 16 .
- the end posts 34 may be, for example, welded or bolted to the base 14 .
- the tops of the end posts 34 are connected to end roof members 36 .
- the end roof members 36 of this embodiment extends horizontally above the opposed ends 32 and define the ends of the roof 16 .
- the intermediate unit 10 of FIGS. 2A and 2B has two sides 38 .
- the sides 38 are opposite and are open.
- the sides 38 are open in that there are no walls, posts or other supports extending across the sides 38 .
- the first side unit 8 has an open side 38 and a first side wall 20 and the second side unit 12 has an open side 38 and a second side wall 22 .
- Side roof members 40 extend along the un-open sides of the first and second end units 8 and 12 and connect to the top of the corner end posts 34 of the side walls 20 and 22 .
- the un-open sides have side posts 42 behind the first side wall 20 and the second side wall 22 .
- the side posts 42 are upright and extend from the base 12 to side roof members 40 .
- two of the side posts 42 also define a door opening 44 .
- the general framing described in respect of this embodiment is exemplary only. Other framing that includes differing structure such as diagonal side and end members may also be used. The posts may also be eliminated if structured strength is provided by the walls.
- the units 8 , 10 and 12 have lengthwise roof trusses 46 , crosswise roof trusses 48 and lengthwise base trusses 50 .
- the lengthwise roof trusses 46 extend between the opposed ends 32 are connected to the end posts 34 .
- the roof trusses 46 comprise a continuous unit.
- the crosswise roof trusses 48 are pairs of trusses that are connected between the lengthwise roof trusses 46 at right angles.
- the units 8 , 10 and 12 all have a pair of crosswise roof trusses 48 extending parallel to and intermediate the opposed ends 32 .
- the intermediate unit 10 has three lengthwise roof trusses 46 extending between the tops of the opposite end posts 32 .
- the three lengthwise roof trusses 46 are connected at their intermediate peak by the pair of crosswise roof trusses 48 .
- the end units 8 and 12 have a similar configuration but do not have lengthwise roof trusses 22 along their walls 20 and 22 respectively.
- the base trusses 50 are shown in FIGS. 1B , 2 A, 3 A and 3 B.
- the base 14 is covered with sections of plate 52 .
- the sections of plate 52 may be sheets of checkerboard steel plate connected to the beams 26 .
- the base trusses 50 extend from end to end and connect between the opposed ends 32 and may connect to braces 33 and end walls 18 .
- the base trusses 50 of this embodiment are parallel to the open sides 38 and the side walls 20 and 22 .
- the lengthwise roof trusses 46 are flat bottomed and are peaked on top to follow the roof line.
- the crosswise roof trusses 48 and the base trusses 50 are flat on top and bottom.
- the trusses 46 , 48 and 50 have triangular positioned struts angled at 60° to each other.
- the roof trusses 22 are spaced at six foot intervals parallel to the open sides 38 and the base trusses 50 are spaced at two foot intervals, also parallel to the open sides 38 .
- the roof trusses 46 and 48 of this embodiment may have a height of approximately 20 inches and the base trusses 50 of this embodiment may have a height of approximately 8 inches.
- the base trusses 50 may incorporate rectangular openings 54 to allow piping or other conduits to extend through the base trusses 50 under the floor plate 52 .
- truss designs and layouts described above are exemplary only. Numerous truss designs and layouts exist that which performed the required function of allowing the units 8 , 10 and 12 to be constructed and transported with open sides 38 . In some embodiments, some or all of the trusses 46 , 48 and 50 may be altered or eliminated. Any truss design and positioning that supports the modular building units 8 , 10 and 12 for transport and installation with open sides 38 at least substantially open may be used. Designs that include some members extending across the open sides 38 , such as braces in the upper corners, are also contemplated by the invention.
- connection of the members may be made by known means.
- the end posts 34 may be, welded or bolted to the base 14 .
- the end walls 18 may be connected to the end posts 34 , for example, by welding, bolting or by being wrapped around the corner end posts 34 .
- the end walls 18 may, for example, be formed of corrugated metal such as corrugated steel. Other embodiments may not be rectangular and may, for example, be rounded or irregular in shape.
- FIGS. 4A , 4 B and 4 C are side, end and perspective views, respectively, of the modular building unit 10 with rigging 60 for lifting the unit 10 .
- the lifting and positioning of the unit 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A , 4 B and 4 C.
- the unit 10 comprises a base 14 with a frame 24 .
- the frame 24 of this embodiment includes side faces 62 . Spaced along the side faces 62 are lifting points 64 . In this embodiment, there are four lifting points 64 spaced along the side faces 62 of the two open sides 38 .
- the lifting points 64 are pairs of angled plates with a hole 66 there through that are connected to the base 14 and angled towards each other at an approximately 45° angle.
- the lifting points 64 may be of a different number and configuration such as eye bolts. They may be differently positioned, for example on the base 14 , posts 34 or roof 16 . They may also be eliminated and a different lifting means used.
- FIGS. 4A to 4C also show rigging 60 .
- the rigging 60 is not part of the modular building unit 10 .
- the rigging 60 may be attached to the modular building unit 10 to allow the modular building unit 10 to be lifted and moved by, for example, a crane.
- the modular building unit 10 can thus be loaded on a truck for transportation to an assembly location and then lifted off of the truck and positioned for assembly.
- the rigging 60 of this embodiment includes two pairs of straps or lower lines 68 for connection to each of the lifting points 64 through the holes 66 .
- the pairs of lifting points 64 are positioned to give an approximately 60° angle between each of the lower lines 68 and the base 14 .
- the lower lines 68 are collected by pulleys 70 to cross-members 72 .
- the cross-members 72 connect to the pulleys 70 on opposite sides 38 of the modular building unit 10 .
- the ends of the cross-members 72 are in turn connected to pairs of upper lines 74 .
- the upper lines 74 from each of the cross-member 72 meet at ends of an upper member 76 .
- the rigging 60 is symmetrical to allow a balanced load support for the modular building unit 10 .
- FIGS. 5A to 5C show a mechanical plant modular building unit 80 that may be used with the modular building units of FIGS. 1A to 4C in forming a modular building.
- the mechanical plant unit 80 may be used to house a mechanical section of the building that includes equipment that heats and cools the building.
- the modular building unit 80 includes a base 82 , end walls 84 , a roof 86 , upright posts 88 and two sides 90 .
- the modular building unit 80 may have the same basic materials and outer shape as the modular building unit 10 .
- the modular building unit 80 of this embodiment does not include any trusses and the sides 90 are not open. Instead, the sides 90 include a series of four support posts 91 along the sides 90 .
- the modular building unit 80 of this embodiment also includes mechanical plant equipment 92 . The number and positioning of the support posts 91 will depend on the weight and weight distribution of the mechanical plant equipment 92 .
- the modular building unit 80 has lifting points 94 .
- the lifting points 94 of the modular building unit 80 are on the roof 86 rather than the base 82 , in contrast to the positioning of the lifting points 64 on the modular building unit 10 .
- Four of the lifting points 94 are vertically aligned with the top of four of the upright posts 88 and four of the lifting points 94 are vertically aligned with the top of four of the support posts 91 .
- the upright posts 88 and the support posts 91 may provide rigidity to prevent deformation of the modular building unit 80 when lifted by the lifting points 94 .
- FIGS. 5A to 5C also depict a rigging 100 which is not part of the modular building unit 80 but which may be used to lift the modular building unit 80 with, for example, a crane.
- the rigging 100 of this embodiment may include fours straps or lines 102 connected to the holes 96 of the lifting points 94 .
- the lines 102 are connected through four pulleys 106 to a lengthwise beam 108 .
- the arrangement and attachment of the rigging 100 of the present embodiment is symmetrical both lengthwise and width-wise to the modular building unit 80 .
- the shape and structure of the modular building unit 80 may be altered, include trusses, have different attachment points for rigging and may include different equipment.
- the modular building unit 80 may also be eliminated.
- FIGS. 6 to 10 schematically show how a modular building can be constructed using the modular building units of FIGS. 1 to 5C .
- FIG. 6 shows a second mechanical plant modular building unit 110 .
- the unit 110 may be similar in construction to the modular building unit 80 of FIGS. 5A to 5C but may contain different equipment than the modular building unit 80 such that the equipment in the two modular building units 80 and 110 may be connectable and may together comprise the equipment for a mechanical plant for a modular building.
- the unit 110 may we lifted and positioned using the same rigging 100 as used for the modular building unit 80 .
- FIG. 7 shows the modular building unit 110 positioned and the rigging 100 removed.
- the rigging 100 is attached to the modular building unit 80 which is being moved with the aid of the rigging 100 to be positioned next to the modular building unit 110 .
- FIG. 8 shows the modular building units 110 and 80 positioned and the rigging 100 removed.
- FIG. 8 also shows the first end unit 8 .
- the rigging 60 used to lift and position the modular building unit 10 may also be used to lift and position the first end unit 8 .
- FIG. 9 shows the modular building units 110 , 80 and 8 positioned next to each other with sides of their bases, their end walls and their roofs aligned. There is no rigging attached to the modular building units 110 , 80 and 8 as they are in their installed positions. The rigging 60 is attached to the intermediate unit 10 which in being moved into position aligned with the first end unit 8 .
- FIG. 10 shows the modular building units 110 , 80 , 8 , and 10 positioned next to each other with sides of their bases, their end walls and their roofs aligned. There is no rigging attached to the modular building units 110 , 80 , 8 and 10 as they are in their installed positions. The rigging 60 is attached to a second end unit 12 which in being moved into position aligned with the modular building unit 10 .
- FIG. 11 shows the five modular building units 110 , 80 , 8 , 10 and 12 aligned in position next to each other to form a modular building 112 .
- the modular building units 110 and 80 which have upright support posts along the side walls and no trusses, may be eliminated.
- the modular building units 8 , 10 and 12 include base and roof trusses which allow the sides of the modular building units 8 , 10 and 12 which face each other to be free of any supports or other elements that block the sides. This allows a large open room to be formed by the modular building units 8 , 10 and 12 which can be used to house computer equipment and racks and which can be transported without any reinforcement of the open sides 38 .
- modular building units with at least one open side may be used.
- any number of building units from one to tens or more with two open sides, such as modular building unit 10 may be used to make any size of building.
- modular building unit 10 may be eliminated and modular building units 8 and 12 , with facing open sides, may be used to provide a smaller open room.
- FIGS. 11 to 16 show various details of how the modular building units 110 , 80 , 8 , 10 and 12 may be joined and sealed to each other. It will be appreciated that these are only exemplary joining and sealing means. Other joining and sealing means know in the art may be used.
- FIG. 12 shows two portions 114 of a modular building unit.
- the portions 114 each have an upwardly extending L-shaped flange 116 along the inwardly facing roof edges.
- the inwardly extending flanges 118 may include pairs of facing unit joining clips 120 .
- this embodiment also includes roof joining strips 122 and wall joining strips 124 .
- FIG. 13 The joining of the walls of the two portions 114 of the modular building unit is shown in FIG. 13 .
- Three caulking beads 126 are applied along the back of the wall joining strip 124 .
- the wall joining strip 124 is aligned over the seam formed by the mating edges of the two portions 114 .
- the wall joining strip 124 is then screwed into place by screws 128 extending through the wall joining strip 124 and into the walls of the portions 114 .
- FIG. 14 The joining of the roofs of the two portions 114 of the modular building unit is shown in FIG. 14 .
- Three caulking beads 126 are applied along the back of the roof joining strip 122 .
- the roof joining strip 122 is aligned over the mating horizontal portions of the L-shaped flanges 116 of the two portions 114 .
- the roof joining strip 122 is then screwed into place by screws 128 extending through the roof joining strip 122 and into the L-shaped flanges 116 .
- FIG. 15 shows a long roof peak joining strip 130 that is positioned over the seam where the roof peaks of the modular building units 110 , 80 , 8 , 10 and 12 join (see FIG. 11 ).
- the long roof peak joining strips 130 first have three beads of caulking 126 applied. The long roof peak joining strips 130 are then screwed into position by the screws 128 into the two portions 114 .
- the final fastening elements of this embodiment are the unit joining clips 120 . As shown in FIG. 16 , these unit joining clips 120 can be connected by a threaded rod 132 extending through aligned holes in the unit joining clips 120 and secured by nuts 134 .
- FIGS. 17 shows the modular building 112 completely installed with a cooling tower and associated walkway 136 installed.
- FIGS. 18 shows the same view of the modular building 112 as FIG. 17 but with the exterior shown as wire frame so that the interior components are visible.
- the large room created by the units 8 , 10 and 12 is filled with computer racks 138 which may be fastened to a floor 140 .
- the base trusses 50 may be are covered by the floor 140 .
- the floor may be assembled to the modular building unit 10 either at the factory or at the end location.
- the floor 140 may be a computer room raised floor tile.
- An in-floor air distribution system may be installed under the floor 140 , between and/or through the trusses 50 .
- Electrical, air distribution and mechanical distribution systems may be run in either or both of the base and roof truss systems. Conduits, both for water and electrical or other functions may be run between the floor 140 and the base 12 in the space created by the trusses 24 through the openings 54 .
- computer equipment 138 racks are installed to the floor at the factory and the modular building units 8 , 10 and 12 are transported with both the floor and computer equipment racks in place to further reduce the assembly required with the modular building units 10 are installed at their final destination.
- FIG. 18 the absence of supports on the open sides 38 of the modular building units 8 , 10 and 12 allows the computer equipment to be installed where required without maneuvering around support posts. Supports may be included angled at the base or roof, or upright adjacent the ends to provide some support while still leaving the sides 38 substantially open and able to accommodate, for example computer racks, without negatively affecting the layout.
- the modular building units 8 , 10 and 12 are 30 to 50 feet long, 10 to 20 feet wide and 8 to 12 feet high.
- the width and length of the modular building units 8 , 10 , 12 , 80 and 110 are each sized to be transported within a predetermined width limit for transportation.
- the maximum dimensions for transportation by road may be 50 feet long, 20 feet wide and 12 feet high. If the modular building units 8 , 10 , 12 , 80 and 11 are each this size, they can be transported by road when unassembled but the resulting building, when assembled, is too large and exceeds the predetermined width limit when assembled.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Architecture (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- Conveying And Assembling Of Building Elements In Situ (AREA)
Abstract
A modular building unit for use in constructing a building comprises a top, a base, two opposed ends and at least one open side. The at least one open side extends between the two opposed ends and is free of upwardly extending structural supports. The modular building unit is configured to be interconnected to a second modular building unit along the at least one open side. The building unit is dimensioned to enable the building unit to be accommodated at or within a predetermined width limit for transportation before assembly and the building unit and the second modular building unit, when assembled, exceeding the predetermined width limit.
Description
- The following relates to a modular building system and method. The system includes modular units that may be constructed at a manufacturing facility and then be transported to a construction site for assembly.
- The power plants and computer rooms of buildings are often large and complex systems with a large amount of interconnected equipment. These systems can be incorporated into a main building. However, it may be advantageous to house such facilities in a separate building. This allows the main building to be reserved for other uses and allows easier access to the equipment in the separate building.
- The complexity of the systems also means that it may be advantageous to assemble, interconnect and test the equipment in a manufacturing facility and then ship the completed system to the construction site. One way this has been done is to use a shipping container as a building in which to assemble the equipment. The equipment is assembled and tested and then shipped to the construction site to be interconnected to the main building.
- A limitation on this approach is the size of a standard shipping container. A standard shipping container may be 8′×8′×40′. If the equipment to be assembled requires more space, a second shipping container is used. The result is that that the equipment is housed in a number of different 8′×8′×40′ building. This limits accessibility to installed equipment, limits the type of cooling system that can be used, and is unattractive.
- According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a modular building unit for use in constructing a building comprising: a top, a base, two opposed ends and at least one open side, the at least one open side extending between the two opposed ends and being substantially free of structural supports; the modular building unit being configured to be interconnected to a second modular building unit along the at least one open side; and the building unit being dimensioned to enable the building unit to be accommodated at or within a predetermined width limit for transportation before assembly and the building unit and the second modular building unit, when assembled, exceeding the predetermined width limit.
- In some embodiments the building unit comprises at least one roof truss interconnecting the top and the two opposed ends.
- In some embodiments the at least one roof truss comprises a plurality of roof trusses.
- In some embodiments the modular building unit comprises at least one base truss interconnecting the base and the two opposed ends.
- In some embodiments the at least one base truss comprises a plurality of base trusses.
- In some embodiments the modular building unit comprises fixtures along the sides, adjacent the sides, for attaching lines for lifting the modular building unit.
- In some embodiments the roof trusses and the base trusses comprise substantially flat trusses.
- In some embodiments the roof trusses and the base trusses are spaced to prevent deformation of the modular building unit when lifted by the lines.
- In some embodiments a white space for computer equipment comprises a plurality of modular building units.
- In some embodiments the modular building unit comprises computer hardware racks mounted to the base.
- In some embodiments the opposed ends comprise walls.
- In some embodiments at least one open side comprises at least one of internal flanges and external flanges for interconnecting the modular building unit to the second modular building unit.
- In some embodiments the modular building unit comprises floor tiles covering the base trusses.
- In some embodiments the base trusses comprise openings for at least one of an in-floor air distribution system, an in-floor electrical distribution system and an in-floor mechanical distribution system.
- In some embodiments the roof trusses are positioned to accommodate at least one of an air distribution system, an electrical distribution system and a mechanical distribution system.
- According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a modular system for construction of a building comprising: two end building units comprising a roof, a base, two opposed ends and one open side; the building units being configured to be interconnect along the open sides, the open sides of the building units being substantially free of upright structural supports; the building units being dimensioned to enable the building units to accommodated at or within a predetermined width limit for transportation before assembly and the building, when assembled, exceeding the predetermined width limit.
- In some embodiments the modular system further comprises at least one intermediate building unit comprising a roof, a base, two opposed ends and two open sides, the at least one intermediate building unit being located between the two end building units.
- In some embodiments the at least one intermediate building unit comprises a plurality of intermediate building units.
- According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of constructing a building comprising: providing a plurality of modular building units, each of the building units comprising: a roof, a base, two opposed ends and at least one open side, the at least one substantially open side extending between the two opposed ends and being free of structural supports; the modular building units being configured to be interconnected to others of the modular building units along the at least one open side; the building units being dimensioned to enable the building units to be accommodated at or within a predetermined width limit for transportation before assembly and the building unit and the second modular building unit, when assembled, exceeding the predetermined width limit; transporting the plurality of modular building units to a building site; successively positioning the modular building units side-by-side; interconnecting the modular building units.
- Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent, to those ordinarily skilled in the art, upon review of the following description of the specific embodiments of the invention.
- The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a first end modular building unit; -
FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the opposite side of the modular building unit ofFIG. 1A ; -
FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the modular building unit ofFIG. 1A with the walls, base trusses and base cover plate omitted; -
FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an intermediate modular building unit; -
FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the modular building unit ofFIG. 2A with the walls, base trusses and base cover plate omitted; -
FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a second end modular building unit; -
FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the opposite side of the modular building unit ofFIG. 3A ; -
FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the modular building unit ofFIG. 3A with the walls, base trusses and base cover plate omitted; -
FIG. 4A is a side view of the intermediate modular building unit ofFIG. 2A with support rigging; -
FIG. 4B is an end view of the modular building unit with support rigging ofFIG. 4A ; -
FIG. 4C is a perspective view of the modular building unit with support rigging ofFIG. 4A ; -
FIG. 5A is a side view of a mechanical plant modular building unit with support rigging; -
FIG. 5B is an end view of the mechanical plant modular building unit with support rigging ofFIG. 5A ; -
FIG. 5C is a perspective view of the mechanical plant modular building unit with support rigging ofFIG. 5A ; -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the positioning of a second mechanical plant modular building unit; -
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the positioning of the mechanical plant modular building unit and support rigging ofFIGS. 5A-5C with the modular building unit ofFIG. 6 ; -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the positioning of the modular building unit ofFIGS. 1A-1C with the modular building units ofFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the positioning of the modular building unit ofFIGS. 2A-2B with the modular building units ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the positioning of a the modular building unit ofFIGS. 3A-3C with the modular building units ofFIG. 9 ; -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the assembled modular building; -
FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of the joining of the modular building units; -
FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the placement of the long roof joining strips; -
FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the placement of the roof seam joining strips; -
FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the placement of the wall joining strips; -
FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the internal unit joints; -
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the assembled modular building ofFIG. 11 with a cooling tower; and -
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the assembled modular building with the cooling tower ofFIG. 17 with the exterior shown as wire frame. -
FIGS. 1A-1C , 2A-2B and 3A-3C show modular building units.FIGS. 1A-1C show afirst side unit 8,FIGS. 2A-2C show anintermediate unit 10, andFIGS. 3A-3C show asecond side unit 12. Theunits FIGS. 1A-1C , 2A-2B and 3A-3C, the same reference characters are used to identify the same features. The differences between theunits - The
units roof 16 and twoopposed end walls 18. Thefirst side unit 8 also has afirst side wall 20. Thesecond side unit 12 also has asecond side wall 22. InFIGS. 1C , 2B and 3C, theunits - As noted above, the
units base 14. In the present embodiment, thebase 14 is formed with a frame 24 (FIGS. 1C , 2B and 3C). Theframe 24 defines a rectangular perimeter of thebase 14. Theframe 24 of the present embodiment is attached tobeams 26,plates 28 and braces 30. Thebase 14 is formed of alternating thebeams 26 with theplates 28. Thebraces 30 of this embodiment extend perpendicular to thebeams 26 and provide support between thebeams 26. In this embodiment, theplates 28 may be formed of eight inch thick sheet steel. Other embodiments may use different materials and more, fewer or noplates 28. Similarly, the number location and orientation of thebeams 26 and thebraces 30 may be varied or eliminated depending on the weight and strength requirements for thebase 14. For example, thebase 14 may be formed of a single plate or of an open lattice of beams. All or part of theperimeter frame 24 may also be eliminated. - In this embodiment, the
base 14 is rectangular with short opposed ends 32. End posts 34 are provided at the four corners of thebase 14 along the opposed ends 32. Twoend posts 34 are also located at an intermediate position along the opposed ends 32. The end posts 34 of the present embodiment are upright posts which extend from the base 14 to the top which has theroof 16. The end posts 34 may be, for example, welded or bolted to thebase 14. The tops of the end posts 34 are connected to endroof members 36. Theend roof members 36 of this embodiment extends horizontally above the opposed ends 32 and define the ends of theroof 16. - In this embodiment, the
intermediate unit 10 ofFIGS. 2A and 2B has twosides 38. Thesides 38 are opposite and are open. Thesides 38 are open in that there are no walls, posts or other supports extending across thesides 38. In contrast, thefirst side unit 8 has anopen side 38 and afirst side wall 20 and thesecond side unit 12 has anopen side 38 and asecond side wall 22. -
Side roof members 40 extend along the un-open sides of the first andsecond end units side walls side posts 42 behind thefirst side wall 20 and thesecond side wall 22. In this embodiment, the side posts 42 are upright and extend from the base 12 toside roof members 40. In thesecond side unit 12, two of the side posts 42 also define adoor opening 44. - The general framing described in respect of this embodiment is exemplary only. Other framing that includes differing structure such as diagonal side and end members may also be used. The posts may also be eliminated if structured strength is provided by the walls.
- In this embodiment, the
units - In this embodiment, the
units intermediate unit 10 has three lengthwise roof trusses 46 extending between the tops of the opposite end posts 32. The three lengthwise roof trusses 46 are connected at their intermediate peak by the pair of crosswise roof trusses 48. Theend units walls - The base trusses 50 are shown in
FIGS. 1B , 2A, 3A and 3B. In this embodiment, thebase 14 is covered with sections ofplate 52. The sections ofplate 52 may be sheets of checkerboard steel plate connected to thebeams 26. The base trusses 50 extend from end to end and connect between the opposed ends 32 and may connect tobraces 33 and endwalls 18. The base trusses 50 of this embodiment are parallel to theopen sides 38 and theside walls - In this embodiment, the lengthwise roof trusses 46 are flat bottomed and are peaked on top to follow the roof line. The crosswise roof trusses 48 and the base trusses 50 are flat on top and bottom. The
trusses open sides 38 and the base trusses 50 are spaced at two foot intervals, also parallel to the open sides 38. The roof trusses 46 and 48 of this embodiment may have a height of approximately 20 inches and the base trusses 50 of this embodiment may have a height of approximately 8 inches. In this embodiment, the base trusses 50 may incorporaterectangular openings 54 to allow piping or other conduits to extend through the base trusses 50 under thefloor plate 52. - The truss designs and layouts described above are exemplary only. Numerous truss designs and layouts exist that which performed the required function of allowing the
units open sides 38. In some embodiments, some or all of thetrusses modular building units open sides 38 at least substantially open may be used. Designs that include some members extending across theopen sides 38, such as braces in the upper corners, are also contemplated by the invention. - The connection of the members may be made by known means. For example, the end posts 34 may be, welded or bolted to the
base 14. Theend walls 18 may be connected to the end posts 34, for example, by welding, bolting or by being wrapped around the corner end posts 34. Theend walls 18 may, for example, be formed of corrugated metal such as corrugated steel. Other embodiments may not be rectangular and may, for example, be rounded or irregular in shape. -
FIGS. 4A , 4B and 4C are side, end and perspective views, respectively, of themodular building unit 10 with rigging 60 for lifting theunit 10. The lifting and positioning of theunit 10 will be described with reference toFIGS. 4A , 4B and 4C. - As noted above, the
unit 10 comprises a base 14 with aframe 24. Theframe 24 of this embodiment includes side faces 62. Spaced along the side faces 62 are liftingpoints 64. In this embodiment, there are fourlifting points 64 spaced along the side faces 62 of the twoopen sides 38. The lifting points 64 are pairs of angled plates with ahole 66 there through that are connected to thebase 14 and angled towards each other at an approximately 45° angle. The lifting points 64 may be of a different number and configuration such as eye bolts. They may be differently positioned, for example on thebase 14, posts 34 orroof 16. They may also be eliminated and a different lifting means used. -
FIGS. 4A to 4C also show rigging 60. The rigging 60 is not part of themodular building unit 10. The rigging 60 may be attached to themodular building unit 10 to allow themodular building unit 10 to be lifted and moved by, for example, a crane. Themodular building unit 10 can thus be loaded on a truck for transportation to an assembly location and then lifted off of the truck and positioned for assembly. - The rigging 60 of this embodiment includes two pairs of straps or
lower lines 68 for connection to each of the lifting points 64 through theholes 66. In some embodiments, the pairs of liftingpoints 64 are positioned to give an approximately 60° angle between each of thelower lines 68 and thebase 14. Thelower lines 68 are collected bypulleys 70 tocross-members 72. The cross-members 72 connect to thepulleys 70 onopposite sides 38 of themodular building unit 10. The ends of the cross-members 72 are in turn connected to pairs ofupper lines 74. Theupper lines 74 from each of the cross-member 72 meet at ends of anupper member 76. The rigging 60 is symmetrical to allow a balanced load support for themodular building unit 10. -
FIGS. 5A to 5C show a mechanical plantmodular building unit 80 that may be used with the modular building units ofFIGS. 1A to 4C in forming a modular building. Themechanical plant unit 80 may be used to house a mechanical section of the building that includes equipment that heats and cools the building. In this embodiment, themodular building unit 80 includes abase 82,end walls 84, aroof 86,upright posts 88 and twosides 90. Themodular building unit 80 may have the same basic materials and outer shape as themodular building unit 10. However, themodular building unit 80 of this embodiment does not include any trusses and thesides 90 are not open. Instead, thesides 90 include a series of foursupport posts 91 along thesides 90. Themodular building unit 80 of this embodiment also includesmechanical plant equipment 92. The number and positioning of the support posts 91 will depend on the weight and weight distribution of themechanical plant equipment 92. - In this embodiment, the
modular building unit 80 has lifting points 94. The lifting points 94 of themodular building unit 80 are on theroof 86 rather than the base 82, in contrast to the positioning of the lifting points 64 on themodular building unit 10. In this embodiments, there are eightlifting points 94 each having a hole there through. Four of the lifting points 94 are vertically aligned with the top of four of theupright posts 88 and four of the lifting points 94 are vertically aligned with the top of four of the support posts 91. The upright posts 88 and the support posts 91 may provide rigidity to prevent deformation of themodular building unit 80 when lifted by the lifting points 94. -
FIGS. 5A to 5C also depict a rigging 100 which is not part of themodular building unit 80 but which may be used to lift themodular building unit 80 with, for example, a crane. The rigging 100 of this embodiment may include fours straps orlines 102 connected to theholes 96 of the lifting points 94. Thelines 102 are connected through fourpulleys 106 to alengthwise beam 108. The arrangement and attachment of the rigging 100 of the present embodiment is symmetrical both lengthwise and width-wise to themodular building unit 80. - The shape and structure of the
modular building unit 80 may be altered, include trusses, have different attachment points for rigging and may include different equipment. Themodular building unit 80 may also be eliminated. -
FIGS. 6 to 10 schematically show how a modular building can be constructed using the modular building units ofFIGS. 1 to 5C . -
FIG. 6 shows a second mechanical plantmodular building unit 110. Theunit 110 may be similar in construction to themodular building unit 80 ofFIGS. 5A to 5C but may contain different equipment than themodular building unit 80 such that the equipment in the twomodular building units unit 110 may we lifted and positioned using thesame rigging 100 as used for themodular building unit 80. -
FIG. 7 shows themodular building unit 110 positioned and the rigging 100 removed. The rigging 100 is attached to themodular building unit 80 which is being moved with the aid of the rigging 100 to be positioned next to themodular building unit 110. -
FIG. 8 shows themodular building units FIG. 8 also shows thefirst end unit 8. The rigging 60 used to lift and position themodular building unit 10 may also be used to lift and position thefirst end unit 8. -
FIG. 9 shows themodular building units modular building units intermediate unit 10 which in being moved into position aligned with thefirst end unit 8. -
FIG. 10 shows themodular building units modular building units second end unit 12 which in being moved into position aligned with themodular building unit 10. -
FIG. 11 shows the fivemodular building units modular building 112. It will be appreciated that themodular building units modular building units modular building units modular building units - In other embodiments, more or fewer modular building units with at least one open side may be used. For example, any number of building units from one to tens or more with two open sides, such as
modular building unit 10 may be used to make any size of building. Alternatively,modular building unit 10 may be eliminated andmodular building units -
FIGS. 11 to 16 show various details of how themodular building units -
FIG. 12 shows twoportions 114 of a modular building unit. Theportions 114 each have an upwardly extending L-shapedflange 116 along the inwardly facing roof edges. There are also inwardly extendingflanges 118 along the inside edges of the facing sides. The inwardly extendingflanges 118 may include pairs of facing unit joining clips 120. For assembly, this embodiment also includesroof joining strips 122 and wall joining strips 124. - The joining of the walls of the two
portions 114 of the modular building unit is shown inFIG. 13 . Threecaulking beads 126 are applied along the back of thewall joining strip 124. Thewall joining strip 124 is aligned over the seam formed by the mating edges of the twoportions 114. Thewall joining strip 124 is then screwed into place byscrews 128 extending through thewall joining strip 124 and into the walls of theportions 114. - The joining of the roofs of the two
portions 114 of the modular building unit is shown inFIG. 14 . Threecaulking beads 126 are applied along the back of theroof joining strip 122. Theroof joining strip 122 is aligned over the mating horizontal portions of the L-shapedflanges 116 of the twoportions 114. Theroof joining strip 122 is then screwed into place byscrews 128 extending through theroof joining strip 122 and into the L-shapedflanges 116. - In this embodiment, an additional seal is used where the peak of the roofs join.
FIG. 15 shows a long roofpeak joining strip 130 that is positioned over the seam where the roof peaks of themodular building units FIG. 11 ). As with the joiningstrips 122 and 124 (seeFIG. 11 ), the long roofpeak joining strips 130 first have three beads ofcaulking 126 applied. The long roofpeak joining strips 130 are then screwed into position by thescrews 128 into the twoportions 114. - The final fastening elements of this embodiment are the unit joining clips 120. As shown in
FIG. 16 , theseunit joining clips 120 can be connected by a threadedrod 132 extending through aligned holes in theunit joining clips 120 and secured by nuts 134. - Some or all of these joining means may be altered or eliminated. For example, it will be appreciated that the weight of the units may prevent their relative movement and caulking or other weather sealing of the seams between the units may be sufficient.
-
FIGS. 17 shows themodular building 112 completely installed with a cooling tower and associatedwalkway 136 installed.FIGS. 18 shows the same view of themodular building 112 asFIG. 17 but with the exterior shown as wire frame so that the interior components are visible. The large room created by theunits computer racks 138 which may be fastened to afloor 140. - In embodiments which include the base trusses 50, the base trusses 50 may be are covered by the
floor 140. The floor may be assembled to themodular building unit 10 either at the factory or at the end location. Thefloor 140 may be a computer room raised floor tile. An in-floor air distribution system may be installed under thefloor 140, between and/or through thetrusses 50. Electrical, air distribution and mechanical distribution systems may be run in either or both of the base and roof truss systems. Conduits, both for water and electrical or other functions may be run between thefloor 140 and the base 12 in the space created by thetrusses 24 through theopenings 54. - In some
embodiments computer equipment 138 racks are installed to the floor at the factory and themodular building units modular building units 10 are installed at their final destination. As can be seen inFIG. 18 , the absence of supports on theopen sides 38 of themodular building units sides 38 substantially open and able to accommodate, for example computer racks, without negatively affecting the layout. - In some embodiments, the
modular building units modular building units modular building units - What has been described is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Other arrangements and methods can be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims (21)
1. A modular building unit for use in constructing a building comprising:
a top, a base, two opposed ends and at least one open side,
the at least one open side extending between the two opposed ends and being substantially free of structural supports;
the modular building unit being configured to be interconnected to a second modular building unit along the at least one open side; and
the building unit being dimensioned to enable the building unit to be accommodated at or within a predetermined width limit for transportation before assembly and the building unit and the second modular building unit, when assembled, exceeding the predetermined width limit.
2. The modular building unit of claim 1 wherein the building unit comprises at least one roof truss interconnecting the top and the two opposed ends.
3. The modular building unit of claim 2 wherein the at least one roof truss comprises a plurality of roof trusses.
4. The modular building unit of claim 1 further comprising at least one base truss interconnecting the base and the two opposed ends.
5. The modular building of claim 4 wherein the at least one base truss comprises a plurality of base trusses.
6. The modular building unit of claim 2 further comprising at least one base truss interconnecting the base and the two opposed ends.
7. The modular building of claim 6 wherein the at least one base truss comprises a plurality of base trusses.
8. The modular building unit of claim 7 further comprising fixtures along the sides, adjacent the sides, for attaching lines for lifting the modular building unit.
9. The modular building unit of claim 7 wherein the roof trusses and the base trusses comprise substantially flat trusses.
10. The modular building unit of claim 8 wherein the roof trusses and the base trusses are spaced to prevent deformation of the modular building unit when lifted by the lines.
11. A white space for computer equipment comprising a plurality of modular building units according to claim 1 .
12. The modular building unit of claim 11 further comprising computer hardware racks mounted to the base.
13. The modular building unit of claim 1 wherein the opposed ends comprise walls.
14. The modular building unit of claim 13 wherein the at least one open side comprises at least one of internal flanges and external flanges for interconnecting the modular building unit to the second modular building unit.
15. The modular building unit of claim 7 further comprising floor tiles covering the base trusses.
16. The modular building unit of claim 15 wherein the base trusses comprise openings for at least one of an in-floor air distribution system, an in-floor electrical distribution system and an in-floor mechanical distribution system.
17. The modular building unit of claim 3 wherein the roof trusses are positioned to accommodate at least one of an air distribution system, an electrical distribution system and a mechanical distribution system.
18. A modular system for construction of a building comprising:
two end building units comprising a roof, a base, two opposed ends and one open side;
the building units being configured to be interconnect along the open sides,
the open sides of the building units being substantially free of upright structural supports;
the building units being dimensioned to enable the building units to accommodated at or within a predetermined width limit for transportation before assembly and the building, when assembled, exceeding the predetermined width limit.
19. The modular system of claim 18 further comprising at least one intermediate building unit comprising a roof, a base, two opposed ends and two open sides, the at least one intermediate building unit being located between the two end building units.
20. The modular system of claim 18 wherein the at least one intermediate building unit comprises a plurality of intermediate building units.
21. A method of constructing a building comprising:
providing a plurality of modular building units, each of the building units comprising:
a roof, a base, two opposed ends and at least one open side, the at least one substantially open side extending between the two opposed ends and being free of structural supports;
the modular building units being configured to be interconnected to others of the modular building units along the at least one open side;
the building units being dimensioned to enable the building units to be accommodated at or within a predetermined width limit for transportation before assembly and the building unit and the second modular building unit, when assembled, exceeding the predetermined width limit;
transporting the plurality of modular building units to a building site;
successively positioning the modular building units side-by-side;
interconnecting the modular building units.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/102,178 US20120279141A1 (en) | 2011-05-06 | 2011-05-06 | Modular building system and method |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/102,178 US20120279141A1 (en) | 2011-05-06 | 2011-05-06 | Modular building system and method |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20120279141A1 true US20120279141A1 (en) | 2012-11-08 |
Family
ID=47089266
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/102,178 Abandoned US20120279141A1 (en) | 2011-05-06 | 2011-05-06 | Modular building system and method |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20120279141A1 (en) |
Cited By (17)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2013177643A1 (en) * | 2012-05-29 | 2013-12-05 | Tmsa - Tecnologia Em Movimentacao S.A. | Modular electrical enclosure |
US20140298734A1 (en) * | 2011-08-05 | 2014-10-09 | Bripco Bvba | Data Centre |
US20150009621A1 (en) * | 2012-01-11 | 2015-01-08 | Frank Baldinger | Server tunnel |
US20150247338A1 (en) * | 2012-09-12 | 2015-09-03 | Yo! Limited | Residential apartment |
US9661778B1 (en) * | 2014-06-27 | 2017-05-23 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Deployable barrier for data center |
US9890545B1 (en) * | 2016-11-14 | 2018-02-13 | Steven James Bongiorno | Erection system |
US10196809B2 (en) * | 2017-06-13 | 2019-02-05 | Hall Labs Llc | Modular building component for floor and ceiling with rod-based dimensions |
US10196808B1 (en) | 2016-01-13 | 2019-02-05 | Garrett B. Gibbs | Building comprising prefabricated composite panels with rigid structural frame |
US20190136552A1 (en) * | 2017-11-06 | 2019-05-09 | Kaercher Futuretech Gmbh | Mobile container building for personnel deployed in military, humanitarian and/or expeditionary operations |
US20190174651A1 (en) * | 2017-12-04 | 2019-06-06 | Vapor IO Inc. | Modular data center |
WO2021024382A1 (en) * | 2019-08-06 | 2021-02-11 | 日揮グローバル株式会社 | Modular transport modules, plant structure, and method for constructing plant structure |
US20220074194A1 (en) * | 2020-09-04 | 2022-03-10 | George Clark | Resilient building and site construction system and method |
US11274465B2 (en) | 2020-01-03 | 2022-03-15 | Nov Canada Ulc | Tower erection and climbing systems |
WO2022061458A1 (en) * | 2020-09-22 | 2022-03-31 | Fero International Ip Inc. | Compound structures with scalable interior room sizes using modular units to form mobile, semi-permanent and permanent structures |
US11346544B2 (en) * | 2019-09-04 | 2022-05-31 | General Electric Company | System and method for top platform assembly of heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) |
US11525257B2 (en) * | 2016-12-02 | 2022-12-13 | MRCB Innovations SDN. BHD. | Connection system and method for prefabricated volumetric construction modules |
US11754048B2 (en) | 2021-03-25 | 2023-09-12 | National Oilwell Varco, L.P. | Tower erection system |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050247024A1 (en) * | 2004-05-05 | 2005-11-10 | Rick Bedell | Modular building structure |
US20070094946A1 (en) * | 2005-09-30 | 2007-05-03 | Ohio Transmission Corporation | Modular industrial equipment facility |
US7738251B2 (en) * | 2006-06-01 | 2010-06-15 | Google Inc. | Modular computing environments |
-
2011
- 2011-05-06 US US13/102,178 patent/US20120279141A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050247024A1 (en) * | 2004-05-05 | 2005-11-10 | Rick Bedell | Modular building structure |
US20070094946A1 (en) * | 2005-09-30 | 2007-05-03 | Ohio Transmission Corporation | Modular industrial equipment facility |
US7738251B2 (en) * | 2006-06-01 | 2010-06-15 | Google Inc. | Modular computing environments |
Cited By (26)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10123451B2 (en) * | 2011-08-05 | 2018-11-06 | Bripco Bvba | Data centre |
US20140298734A1 (en) * | 2011-08-05 | 2014-10-09 | Bripco Bvba | Data Centre |
US10575430B2 (en) * | 2011-08-05 | 2020-02-25 | Bripco Bvba | Data centre |
US9347233B2 (en) * | 2011-08-05 | 2016-05-24 | Bripco Bvba | Data centre |
US11363737B2 (en) | 2011-08-05 | 2022-06-14 | Bripco Bvba | Data centre |
US20150009621A1 (en) * | 2012-01-11 | 2015-01-08 | Frank Baldinger | Server tunnel |
WO2013177643A1 (en) * | 2012-05-29 | 2013-12-05 | Tmsa - Tecnologia Em Movimentacao S.A. | Modular electrical enclosure |
US20150247338A1 (en) * | 2012-09-12 | 2015-09-03 | Yo! Limited | Residential apartment |
US10154611B2 (en) * | 2014-06-27 | 2018-12-11 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Deployable barrier for data center |
US9661778B1 (en) * | 2014-06-27 | 2017-05-23 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Deployable barrier for data center |
US10420249B2 (en) | 2014-06-27 | 2019-09-17 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Deployable barrier for data center |
US10196808B1 (en) | 2016-01-13 | 2019-02-05 | Garrett B. Gibbs | Building comprising prefabricated composite panels with rigid structural frame |
US9890545B1 (en) * | 2016-11-14 | 2018-02-13 | Steven James Bongiorno | Erection system |
US11525257B2 (en) * | 2016-12-02 | 2022-12-13 | MRCB Innovations SDN. BHD. | Connection system and method for prefabricated volumetric construction modules |
US10196809B2 (en) * | 2017-06-13 | 2019-02-05 | Hall Labs Llc | Modular building component for floor and ceiling with rod-based dimensions |
US20190136552A1 (en) * | 2017-11-06 | 2019-05-09 | Kaercher Futuretech Gmbh | Mobile container building for personnel deployed in military, humanitarian and/or expeditionary operations |
US10640998B2 (en) * | 2017-11-06 | 2020-05-05 | Kaercher Futuretech Gmbh | Mobile container building for personnel deployed in military, humanitarian and/or expeditionary operations |
US20190174651A1 (en) * | 2017-12-04 | 2019-06-06 | Vapor IO Inc. | Modular data center |
US10853460B2 (en) * | 2017-12-04 | 2020-12-01 | Vapor IO Inc. | Modular data center |
WO2021024382A1 (en) * | 2019-08-06 | 2021-02-11 | 日揮グローバル株式会社 | Modular transport modules, plant structure, and method for constructing plant structure |
US11346544B2 (en) * | 2019-09-04 | 2022-05-31 | General Electric Company | System and method for top platform assembly of heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) |
US11274465B2 (en) | 2020-01-03 | 2022-03-15 | Nov Canada Ulc | Tower erection and climbing systems |
US20220074194A1 (en) * | 2020-09-04 | 2022-03-10 | George Clark | Resilient building and site construction system and method |
US11891793B2 (en) * | 2020-09-04 | 2024-02-06 | Steel Structures, Llc | Resilient building and site construction system and method |
WO2022061458A1 (en) * | 2020-09-22 | 2022-03-31 | Fero International Ip Inc. | Compound structures with scalable interior room sizes using modular units to form mobile, semi-permanent and permanent structures |
US11754048B2 (en) | 2021-03-25 | 2023-09-12 | National Oilwell Varco, L.P. | Tower erection system |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US20120279141A1 (en) | Modular building system and method | |
CA3011319C (en) | Modular building structure | |
EP2435646B1 (en) | An enclosure for secondary distribution modular switchgears | |
US20140157714A1 (en) | Pivotally erectable structural frame system | |
CN104755678A (en) | Modular building | |
WO2021186481A1 (en) | System for architectural modular building construction | |
US20240254753A1 (en) | Collapsible Structural Support and Storage Module | |
US11339562B2 (en) | Area-covering structure module | |
JP5356298B2 (en) | Building unit | |
CN109296230B (en) | Assembled transformer substation complete machine structure | |
WO2017025847A1 (en) | Convertible shipping container and building fixture apparatus | |
US3755976A (en) | Prestructured building and panels therefor | |
JP5362310B2 (en) | Unit building | |
CA2739393A1 (en) | Modular building system and method | |
US20160237676A1 (en) | Pre-fabricated, portable building with removable roof assembly | |
CN115387463A (en) | Box-type modularized steel structure combined column hinged frame-supporting structure system | |
US8347585B2 (en) | Modular seismically restrained distribution system and method of installing the same | |
CN212742909U (en) | Integrated wallboard prefabricated house | |
JP3808878B2 (en) | Unit-type business facility building | |
AU2016231625A1 (en) | Building Module System | |
AU2020250304A1 (en) | Low cost modular building system | |
NL2018353B1 (en) | A reusable modular building and a method for erecting the same | |
KR830000047B1 (en) | Prefab Building Units for Construction | |
JP2003074122A (en) | Unit building and expansion unit | |
JP7178730B2 (en) | Frame unit and simple structure |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: EPSILON INDUSTRIES INC., CANADA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WIEDERICK, CHRIS;GILLESPIE, DARRYL;MCALLISTER, STEVE;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:026236/0279 Effective date: 20110505 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |