WO1991006726A1

WO1991006726A1 - A method of erecting an office building or a structure of like size

Info

Publication number: WO1991006726A1
Application number: PCT/NL1990/000167
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hendrik Nieuwland
Original assignee: Hendrik Nieuwland
Priority date: 1989-11-03
Filing date: 1990-11-02
Publication date: 1991-05-16
Also published as: NL8902720A

Abstract

The method of erecting an office building or structures of like size wherein pillarless spans are required, comprises the construction of a floor (2) built up from Vierendeel girders (6). Leightweight-concrete plates can be detachably mounted on the Vierendeel girders. Further, plaster elements can be suspended at the underside of the Vierendeel girders.

Description

Title: A method of erecting an office building or a structure of like size

The invention relates to a method of erecting an office building or buildings of like size (with floors each having an area of 700-2000 m², for instance) .

In modern office-building construction, a great number of requirements must be satisfied as regards the use of space, the indoor climate, automation and flexibility. The building must offer possibilities of arranging computer, signalling and control apparatus, which possibilities must be flexible so as to permit ready changes to be made in the arrangement of said apparatus.

To that effect the method according to the invention is characterized in that the floor is built up from so-called Vierendeel girders (a Vierendeel girder is an assembly of two rigid chord members and a plurality of parallel rigid parts, in short, lattice girders without diagonals) .

Lightweight-concrete plates can be detachably mounted on the Vierendeel girders, which plates can then serve as a floor to be walked on, but which can be readily opened to permit access to the installation arranged under the floor. In a similar way, at the underside of the Vierendeel girders, plaster elements can be suspended, preferably resiliently.

Mounting wooden boards or the like in the Vierendeel girders between lower flanges of the girders used therein, enables creeping through the girders. For the purpose of sound-damping, rockwool plates may besarranged on the wooden boards or the like.

The proposed method and the resultant structure offer the advantage that in a simple manner all necessary apparatus along with cables and ducts, such as air conditioning ducts, can readily be placed in the space between the floor and the ceiling disposed therebelow, which space is further readily accessible for making changes or repairs. Although the system has been developed particularly for modern office buildings, it can also be used for complex urban development situations which require large pillarless spans, as in constructions over a railway line, underground tube, motorways or the like.

Since a Vierendeel girder does not comprise any diago¬ nals, this means that the load must be transmitted to the support via rigid joints . This means that the bars are su ject to a bending load in addition to a normal force. In view of the bending load, generally, more steel will be used than in "normal" latticed trusses, but in return the particularly great advantage is obtained that Vierendeel girders, being internally free of diagonals, are eminently suitable for accommodating a package of cables and ducts.

To further explain the method of erecting an office building or a structure of like size, one embodiment of such a structure will now be described with reference to the accompa- nying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational/cross-sectional view of an office building;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a detail II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a detail, designated III, of the structure according to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 1. Referring to the drawings, a structure 1 (see Fig. 1) comprises a plurality of floors 2 separated from each other by uprights 3 (Fig. 5) . The whole is closed off on the outside by windows 4 and outer walls 5.

As shown by the drawings, the floors consist of so- called Vierendeel girders 6. A Vierendeel girder is an assem¬ bly of two rigid chord members and a plurality of parallel rigid struts. Since diagonals are absent the joints must necessarily be rigid. The girder is named after Vierendeel, professor at Leuven. Forming the girders as hollow supports enables easy arrangement therein of all cables and ducts for ventilation, heating, lighting, computer and control apparatus and the like .

Hereinafter some details of the structure will be described with reference to Figs. 2-5. Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of a portion of two floors having provided between them an "outer wall" with window 4 and plates 5. Any visible details of a staircase 7 as shown in Fig. 1 have been omitted from the other drawings .

As^" shown in more detail in Fig. 2, outlet passages 8 and air inlet passages 9 with air blow nozzles 10 are arranged in each Vierendeel girder. Fig. 2 further shows that the floor may be provided with a junction box 11 for electrical appara¬ tus as well as a cable conduit 12 for passing electricity cables through. In a similar way, at the underside of the floor, which forms the ceiling of the space therebelow, a light track or fitting 13 may be provided.

As shown more -particularly in Figs. 1 and 4, each Vierendeel girder comprises a top chord member 14 and a bottom chord member 15 with a vertical girder 16 arranged there- between. The top chord member 14 and the bottom chord member 15 are provided with support flanges or ledges 28 and 17, respectively. A floor element 19 rests on the support flanges 28 with interposition of a rubber strip 18. At the bottom chord member a wooden board 18 rests on the support flanges 17, so that the space enclosed by the Vierendeel girders can be crept into. Further, a coat of insulating material 19 may be provided on the wooden board 18.

As shown in more detail in Fig. 3, the bottom chord member 15 of each Vierendeel girder may also consist of two rectangular box girders 23 ' and 23 ' ' , the advantage being that smaller sections can be used, which reduces the quantity of steel to be used.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it is observed that the underside of the Vierendeel girder, which later forms the ceiling, may be provided with known per se suspension sections 20 on which plaster elements 21 can be mounted as ceiling plates .

Referring to Fig. 3, it is observed that for inter¬ connecting the Vierendeel girders in transverse direction, similar or other girders can be used, for instance those designated 22 and 23', 23'', which are vertically inter¬ connected by means of vertical sections 24. The girders 22, 23*, 23' ' and the sections 24 may have their inner and outer surfaces^"provided with a heat insulating layer 25 and 26, respectively, whereby optimum insulation of the building is obtained.

As further shown i ^"Fig. 3, at the floor a plinth channel 27 may be provided for passing cables through.

It will be clear that vithin the framework of the inven- tion, a great number of modif.'.cations are conceivable.

Claims

1. A method of erecting an office building or structures of like size wherein pillarless spans are required, characterized in that the floor is built up from Vierendeel girders.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that lightweight-concrete plates are detachably mounted on the

Vierendeel girders.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that plaster elements are suspended at the underside of the Vierendeel girders.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the plaster elements are resiliently suspended.

5. A method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Vierendeel girders are internally provided with wooden boards or the like, in such a way that one can creep through the girders.

6. A method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Vierendeel girders are interconnected by means of girders and/or sections.

7. A method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the girders and sections are provided with a heat insulating layer.