WO2003010393A1

WO2003010393A1 - Portable housing

Info

Publication number: WO2003010393A1
Application number: PCT/AU2002/000992
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Baillie; Danny Gower
Original assignee: Gh Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2001-07-25
Filing date: 2002-07-25
Publication date: 2003-02-06
Also published as: CN1311139C; ZA200401391B; AUPR659601A0; CN1558977A

Abstract

A portable housing (11), which can be readily erected or dismantled and is able to be used for emergency housing, comprising a plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms (12, 13, 14 and 15), a plurality of stackable partitions (21), a mounting means (31) for engaging and holding the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms until released and forming a roofed enclosure and a connection means (41) for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions to form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure wherein the construction of the able to be readily erected or dismantled housing is substantially tool free.

Description

PORTABLE HOUSING

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a portable housing, which can be readily erected, or dismantled and is suitable for emergency housing or other housing such as military housing.

Background Art

There is a necessary and urgent need in the global landscape for a commodity, which is used in disaster areas or remote areas or merely used in a particular location for a short term.

Military forces and oil drilling crews and many other groups of people require short term and portable housing in a location that may be remote o in a disaster area.

Unfortunately disasters occur often and worldwide. The aim is to keep people alive in a time of crisis by providing safe, weatherproof and insulated accommodation. The need for such a product is rising dramatically in line with natural and non-natural disasters worldwide. The following tables are derived from the World Disasters Report 1999 and include information from the US Committee for Refugees giving details of disasters and displaced and homeless persons.

Table 1

ANNUAL AVERAGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE REPORTED

MADE HOMELESS BY REGION AND PERIOD

"Homeless" is defined as the number of people reported needing immediate assistance with shelter.

The opportunity for providing emergency housing is so great that it is difficult to comprehend, evaluate or visualise the reality of the need or its potential. To date no one has offered, given or suggested such a commodity as this unique and humane survival accommodation unit, which is instantly erected and dismantled with all its features.

Table 2

ANNUAL AVERAGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE REPORTED MADE HOMELESS BY DISASTERS WITH A NATURAL TRIGGER

Table 3

ANNUAL AVERAGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE REPORTED MADE HOMELESS BY DISASTERS WITH A NON-NATURAL TRIGGER

Table 4 POPULATION OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE IN 1998

More recent disasters of note include floods in Europe in 2000 including Northern Italy and United Kingdom and "wild fires" in US in 1999/2000 and refugee homeless and hostile destruction of housing in East Timor in 1999/2000 and dramatic increases in illegal immigrants into Australia in 1999/2000. It can therefore be seen that there is a substantial need for emergency housing.

It has been known to have collapsible shelters for pets, such as shown in US Patent No 5,950,568. However such are not suitable for emergency housing for people. Such shelters do not provide a structure sufficiently designed to provide shelter of a size suitable for people and that can withstand the elements and is re-usable. Also such a structure does not provide accommodation that is humane for people and families to use over an extended period.

As shown in US Patent No 5,515,659 it is known to provide a building system using preformed panels. However such are used to form a skeleton for use with a layer of concrete and is therefore more a form of low cost housing rather than housing that is able to provide the requirements of emergency housing of being able to be easily assemble, disassembled and moved to the next required disaster position.

Summary of the Invention

It is therefore an aim of the invention to provide a portable housing, which can be readily erected or dismantled structure that at least ameliorates one or more of the aforesaid problems and is suitable for emergency housing.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a portable housing, which can be readily erected or dismantled and is able to be used for emergency housing, comprising: a plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms; a plurality of stackable partitions; a mounting means for engaging and holding the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms until released and forming a roofed enclosure; and a connection means for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions to form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure; wherein the construction of the able to be readily erected or dismantled housing is substantially tool free. The building forms can be convex so as to extend between two parallel extending linear mounting systems and integrally form the roof and walls. In one embodiment the building forms are substantially arched so as to have a height sufficient to allow a person to stand in the erected emergency housing. The arched form can be a corrugated coated steel structure, plastics, fibreglass or other suitable material. It is of a length sufficient to allow ready mounting on trucks or the like. Preferably each arched form is a complete roof and wall section of the able to be readily erected or dismantled housing while a plurality of nestable arched forms allows a selective length of the housing.

The mounting means for engaging and holding the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms until released and forming a roofed enclosure can be an over centre cam section, sliding arrangement clip arrangement or other tool free arrangement.

The able to be readily erected or dismantled emergency housing can further include pre-shaped internal structures on the inner side of the building forms to allow removable interfitting of internal panels to form internal subdivisions of rooms in the housing.

The able to be readily erected or dismantled emergency housing may further include ground engaging restraining means for anchoring the housing to the ground. In one form there is included a corner means for engaging the end of the mounting system in the corner of the housing and including an anchor bolt or expansion bolt or rock bolt or the like for anchoring the structure to the ground.

The connection means for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions to form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure of the able to be readily erected or dismantled emergency housing may further include an elongated linear section having a consistent cross section along its length, the cross section including an open channel on one side of a central body and a protrusion on the other. The connecting means can further include a first resilient means for substantially mounting on at least a portion of the protrusion of the elongated linear section.

In use the elongated linear section can selectively: a) have the open channel receive an internal sized sufficiently relative to the dismantlable emergency housing such that the elongated linear section can be removably wedged to an internal surface by the first resilient means mounted on at least a portion of the protrusion engaging the internal surface; or b) have the open channel receive an end portion of a door adjacent a hinge such that the channel and protrusion form a door jamb substantially covering the gap between the door and wall to which the door is mounted by the hinge; or c) have the open channel receive an end portion of a door, wall, floor or shelf section and have the protrusion or an extension of the central body of the elongated linear section able to engage and connect with another door, wall, floor or shelf section.

The connection means can also include a second resilient means able to mounted within the open channel and resiliency and demountably engage a partition inserted in the open channel.

The open channel of the elongated linear section can be shaped to have substantially parallel sides with one side having an upper cross sectional portion extending away from the opposing side at an arcuate angle to a parallel plane to the other side wherein partitions are more readily insertable to and demountable from the open channel. The elongated linear section can have a consistent cross section along its length comprising a substantially linearly extending central body with substantially planar extensions on either side of and at substantially right angles to the central body at cross section wherein the substantially planar extensions form the open channel on one side of the central body and the protrusion on the other. In one form the protrusion and one of the sides of the open channel are coplanar.

The invention also provides a method of substantially tool free construction of a structure of a portable housing, which can be readily erected, or dismantled housing including the steps of: providing a plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms; providing a plurality of stackable partitions; providing a mounting means for engaging and holding the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms until released and forming a roofed enclosure; and providing a connection means for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions to form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure; wherein the construction of the able to be readily erected or dismantled housing is substantially tool free.

The method includes providing the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms, the plurality of stackable partitions; the mounting means and the connection means to be of a size which is readily transported together on a 12 foot truck. Preferably the nestable roofing forms are arched forms of corrugated metal having an open diameter of about 2 metres and internal height of less than about 2.5metres and the plurality of stackable partitions; the mounting means and the connection means are of a size to fit in stackable form within the nestable roofing forms.

The invention also provides a method of substantially or preferably totally tool free construction of an internal structure of a portable housing, which can be readily erected, or dismantled housing including the steps of: providing an elongated linear section having a consistent cross section along its length, the cross section including an open channel on one side of a central body and a protrusion on the other; providing as first resilient means for substantially mounting on at least a portion of the protrusion of the elongated linear section; wherein the elongated linear section can be used selectively: a) to have the open channel receive an internal partition sized sufficiently relative to the dismantlable emergency housing such that the elongated linear section can be removably wedged to an internal surface by the first resilient means mounted on at least a portion of the protrusion engaging the internal surface; or b) to have the open channel receive and end portion of a door adjacent as hinge such that the channel and protrusion form a door jamb substantially covering the gap between the door and wall to which the door is mounted by the hinge; or c) to have the open channel receive an end portion of a door, wall, floor or shelf section and have the protrusion or an extension of the central body of the elongated linear section able to engage and connect with another door, wall, floor or shelf section.

Preferably the method includes providing a second resilient means able to be mounted within the open channel and resiliently and demountably engage a partition inserted in the open channel.

The open channel can be shaped to have substantially parallel sides with one side having an upper cross sectional portion extending away from the opposing side at an acute angle to a parallel plane to the other side wherein partitions are more readily insertable to and demountable from the open channel.

The elongated linear section can have a consistent cross section along its length comprising a substantially linearly extending central body with substantially planar extensions on either side of and at substantially right angles to the central body at cross section wherein the substantially planar extensions form the open channel on one side of the central body and the protrusion on the other. In one form the protrusion and one of the sides of the open channel are coplanar.

Also the invention provides a portable housing, which can be readily erected or dismantled emergency housing comprising

a plurality of floor panels able to interfit to form a continuous floor;

a plurality of stackable roof panels each extend in across the entire width of the housing and able to interfit with the floor panels and each other to form a continuous roof and side walls over at least part of the continuous floor;

a plurality of wall panels able to fit across the width of the housing to close off, or substantially close of the housing to provide end walls or dividing walls forming rooms along the length of the housing;

The interfitting of the floor panels or roof panels or wall panels can be by overlapping male and female elongated edge flanges so as to provide a strong wateφroof connection. The interfitting includes formation of sealing edge shapes to result in weatherproof connection. Preferably such end shapes also provide a slidable connection means between end flanges.

The interfitting of the roof panels or wall panels with the floor panels can be by a locking means whereby the roof panel or wall panel includes an outwardly extending flange at a lower end and the floor panel includes a ridge or recess and the flocking means further includes a locking member having at one end a recess for receiving the flange of the roof panel or wall panel and at the other end a protrusion or flange for engaging the ride or recess of the floor to lock the roof for wall panel against the floor panel. In one form the locking member can be formed of resilient matter and the intermediate portion between the first and second end is sized relative to the spring of the ridge or recess in the floor panel from the edge of the floor panel to provide a tight locking to the roof or wall panel to the floor panel.

In one form of the invention there is provided a portable housing which is readily erectable and dismountable emergency housing having: a plurality of arcuate stackable roof panels having a span substantially equal to the standard width of the floor and each roof panel substantially overlaying a single \floor panel to thereby allow selection of the required length of housing; and a plurality of wall panels each selectively formed to extend over the arched area formed across the width of the housing between the arcuate roof panel and the floor panel, wall panel having perimeter flanges to interfit in the male and female flange interfitting of adjacent floor panels and adjacent roof panels respectively.

The wall panels and/or the interior of the roof panels can include deformation or protrusions so as to receive or engage bedding or shelving or table structures.

In a particularly advantageous structure a housing can be formed of three floor panels, three roof panels and three wall panels, with the arched housing having two end walls formed by two of three wall panels, one with a door opening and the third wall panel forms an internal bulkhead spaced two lengths from one end of the housing and one length from the other, and said lengths being predetermined to be above half the average height of a person such that a bunk can be mounted between the two wall panels spaced two lengths apart to form suitable bedding accommodation for an average sized person.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In order that the invention may be more readily understood an embodiment will be described by way of illustration only wherein:

Figure 1 is a photograph of a front perspective view of a portable housing in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a photograph of a first part construction of the portable housing of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a photograph of a second part construction of the portable housing of Figure i;

Figure 4 is a photograph of a third part construction of the portable housing of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a photograph of a fourth part construction of the portable housing of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a photograph of a fifth part construction of the portable housing of Figure 1 ; Figure 7 is a photograph of a sixth part construction of the portable housing of Figure 1 ; Figure 8 is a photograph of a seventh part construction of the portable housing of Figure i ;

Figures 9A and 9B are constructional diagrammatic views of an eighth part construction of the portable housing of Figure 1 ;

Figure 10 is a perspective diagrammatic view of a connection means of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a photograph of a front view of a portable housing in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 12 is a second side perspective photographic view of the portable housing of Figure 11 ;

Figure 13 is a close up constructional photographic view of the top front side of the portable housing of Figure 11;

Figure 14 is a close up constructional photographic view of the top front side of the portable housing of Figure 11. Further colour photographs A to M including:

Figure A is a photograph of a front side view of a portable housing in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure B is a photograph of a first part construction of the portable housing of Figure A;

Figure C is a photograph of a second part construction of the portable housing of Figure A;

Figure D is a photograph of a third part construction of the portable housing of Figure A;

Figure E is a photograph of a fourth part construction of the portable housing of Figure

A;

Figure F is a photograph of a fifth part construction of the portable housing of Figure A; Figure G is a photograph of a sixth part construction of the portable housing of Figure A; Figure H is a photograph of a seventh part construction of the portable housing of Figure A;

Figure I is a photograph of an eighth part construction of the portable housing of Figure A; Figure J is a photograph of an internal first portion of the portable housing of Figure A; Figure K is a photograph of a dismantled first portion of the portable housing of Figure J in a second configuration;

Figure L is a second photographic view of the portable housing of Figure 1; Figure M is a close up constructional photographic view of the outer side of the portable housing of Figure L;

Description of Best Known Method of Performing of the Invention

Referring to the photographs, drawings and figures of the first embodiment comprising Figures 1 to 10 there is shown a portable housing 11, which can be readily erected or dismantled and is able to be used for emergency housing, comprising a plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15, a plurality of stackable partitions 21 , a mounting means 31 for engaging and holding the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms until released and forming a roofed enclosure and a connection means 41 for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions to form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure wherein the construction of the able to be readily erected or dismantled housing is substantially tool free.

The roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15 are convex archways, which extend between two parallel extending floor mounted linear mounting systems 31 to integrally form the roof and walls. The roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15 are substantially arched so as to have a height sufficient to allow a person to stand in the erected portable housing.

Pluralities of floor panels 20 are able to interfit to form a continuous floor. The plurality of stackable roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15 each extend in across the entire width of the housing and able to interfit with the floor panels by the mounting means and are connected to each other to form a continuous roof and side walls over at least part of the continuous floor. A plurality of the partitions 21 form wall panels able to fit across the width of the housing to close off, or substantially close off the housing to provide end walls or dividing walls forming rooms along the length of the housing 11. The interfitting of the floor panels or roof panels or wall panels is by overlapping male and female elongated edge flanges so as to provide a strong wateφroof connection.

The arched roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15 are preferably of 3 millimetre, reinforced fibreglass or can be made from a corrugated coated steel structure or can be made of plastics. In the reinforced fibreglass form, construction of each element is by use of a Resin Transfer Moulding (RIM) machine. Both sides of each element are smooth by compression to around 250 pounds per square inch. This results in very strong, aesthetically pleasing and readily portable elements.

Each roofing form 12, 13, 14 and 15 has a length sufficient to allow ready transport by trucks or the like. The method of construction includes providing the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15, the plurality of stackable partitions 21; the mounting means 31 and the connection means 41 to be of a size which is readily transported together on a 12 foot truck. Therefore the nestable roofing forms are arched forms of corrugated form having an open diameter of about 2 metres and internal height of less than about 2 metres. The plurality of stackable partitions 21, the mounting means and the connection means are of a size to fit in stackable form within the nestable roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15. Each arched form is a complete roof and wall section able to be readily erected or dismantled housing while the plurality of nestable arched forms allows a selective length of the housing. In one form having the 4 nestable roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15 the length of the housing is 3.6 metres with the width being 2.6 metres and height of about 2.3 metres.

The mounting means 31 for engaging and holding the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms until released is particularly shown in Figures 9 and 10. The nestable roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15 each have an outwardly extending flange 18 at a lower end and alongside the side edges of the floor panels 20, to form an overall omega shape of the roofing forms. A groove 36 extends in the underneath of the floor panels 20 along the side edges. A continuous ground engaging restraining means in the form of a continuous extruded section 39 is used for anchoring the roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15 to the floor panels 20. The floor panels are anchored to the ground by means of a ground anchor extending through the floor panels 20.

The continuous extruded section 39 includes a U-shaped moulding at one lateral edge which is bulbous and fits within the underneath groove 36 of the floor panels 20. A thin planar part at the bottom of the continuous extruded section 39 extends to the other lateral edge having a rectangular C-shape moulding, which is sized to receive the outwardly extending flange 18 of the roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15. By sliding the continuous extruded section 39 from the end and the two moulded formations being suitably spaced the roofing forms are locked to the floor panels 20 without the use of any tools.

The oval or round slotted hole in the continuous extruded section 39 houses a floor sheeting. Its design also wateφroofs the floor area from outside.

The stackable partitions 21 of the portable housing 11 includes pre-shaped internal structures forming the inner side of the building forms to allow removable internal subdivisions of rooms in the housing. The housing 11 is formed of three floor panels, three roof panels and three wall panels, with the arched housing having two end walls formed by two of three wall panels, one with a door opening and the third wall panel forms an internal bulkhead spaced two lengths from one end of the housing and one length from the other. The lengths of each are predetermined to be above half the average height of a person such that a bunk can be mounted between the two wall panels spaced two lengths apart to form suitable bedding accommodation for an average sized person. The internal wall structures include a plurality of protrusions to allow structures such as bunks or beds or seats can be mounted thereon between opposing walls. The connection means 41 for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions 21 to form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure 11 of the able to be readily erected or dismantled portable housing is in the form of male and female edge flanges to connect with adjacent parts.

In use the elongated linear section can selectively have the open channel receive an internal sized sufficiently relative to the dismantlable emergency housing such that the elongated linear section can be removably wedged to an internal surface by the first resilient means mounted on at least a portion of the protrusion engaging the internal surface; or have the open channel receive an end portion of a door adjacent a hinge such that the channel and protrusion form a door jamb substantially covering the gap between the door and wall to which the door is mounted by the hinge; or have the open channel receive an end portion of a door, wall, floor or shelf section and have the protrusion or an extension of the central body of the elongated linear section able to engage and connect with another door, wall, floor or shelf section.

The internal wall structures include a plurality of protrusions to allow structures such as bunks or beds or seats can be mounted thereon between opposing walls.

The construction of the portable housing, which can be readily erected, or dismantled housing includes the steps of providing a plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15 and a plurality of stackable partitions 21, providing a mounting means 31 for engaging and holding the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms 12,13 14 and 1 until released and forming a roofed enclosure and providing a connection means for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions to form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure. As can be seen the construction of the portable housing 11, which is readily erected or dismantled, is substantially tool free.

The second embodiment as shown by Figures 11 to 14 further extends the tool free construction by means of a roofing expansion panel 65 being a flatter omega shaped arched structure with lateral edge flanges 66. These flanges 65 can be received at the top of spaced wall structures 71 in recesses 72. The shape of the flanges 65 is an inward rectangular C-shape so that a gutter channel 67 is created which allows run off from the roof expansion panel 65 to not enter the modified portable housing 61.

The benefit of the roofing expansion panel 65 is to provide a wider room than is generally possible with the single arched roofing forms 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the first embodiment. However the main construction and anchoring is substantially similar to the first embodiment. Such a wider room can be used as a general community room rather than individual or family or small group accommodation of the first embodiment. One specialised use is as a field hospital or medical room.

It should be understood that the above embodiments are by way of illustration only. Clearly there are modifications and variations, which would be understood by a person skilled in the art without any inventive effort, and these are included within the scope of this invention. For example the mounting means could include a spacer bar extending across or under the floor section and a ground plate at each end which are locked to the ground by anchor bolts and the mounting means further including a locking plate engaging with and locking into the ground plate at each end and having connection means to a tightening strap over the top of the arched roof and walls to engage and hold the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms in position relative to the floor until released and forming a roofed enclosure

Claims

1. A portable housing, which can be readily erected or dismantled and is able to be used for emergency housing, comprising: one or more substantially nestable curved sheet roofing forms which connect to form an arched roof and side walls; a floor section having the same width as the arched roof and side walls; a plurality of stackable partitions to close the end walls and form internal partitions; a mounting means comprising an integral body with two shaped arms a first arm engaging the curved sheet roofing forms and a second arm engaging the floor section to engage and hold the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms in position relative to the floor until released and forming a roofed enclosure; and a connection means for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions to close the end walls and form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure; wherein the construction of the portable housing is substantially tool free.

2. A portable housing according to claim 1 with each nestable curved sheet roofing forms being an arch and having a height sufficient to allow a person to stand.

3. A portable housing according to claim 1 with each nestable curved sheet roofing forms being an arch with base outward extending flanges forming an omega shape and the first arm of the mounting means engaging around the flange of the curved sheet roofing forms to engage and hold the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms in position relative to the floor until released and forming a roofed enclosure

4. A portable housing according to claim 3 with the floor having a recess in an underneath portion and the second arm of the mounting means extending under the floor section to a hand part fitting within the recess so that the first arm engaging around the flange of the curved sheet roofing forms and the second arm engaging around the floor section engage and hold the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms in position

5. A portable housing according to claim 4 with the mounting means being a continuous strip with the cross section having the first and second arms.

6. A portable housing according to claim 1 with the mounting means including a spacer bar extending across or under the floor section and a ground plate at each end which are locked to the ground by anchor bolts and the mounting means further including a locking plate engaging with and locking into the ground plate at each end and having connection means to a tightening strap over the top of the arched roof and walls to engage and hold the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms in position relative to the floor until released and forming a roofed enclosure

7. A portable housing according to claim 1 with the nestable curved sheet roofing forms when connected to form an arched form having a footprint of the same size as the floor sections and cormectable together to allow a readily erected or dismantled portable housing while a plurality of nestable arched forms and floor sections allows a selective length of the housing.

8. A portable housing according to claim 7 with the nestable curved sheet roofing forms and the floor sections forming a plurality in the range of 2 to 4 of a unitary size determined by the being the uniform size of the roofing forms and floor sections are nestable and stackable to be able to be transported in a size substantially about the unitary size which can be transported in such form and at required destination connectable together to allow a readily erected or dismantled portable housing of selective length of the housing wherein the construction of the portable housing is substantially tool free.

9. A portable housing according to claim 8 with the width and size of the unitary unit being sufficient to allow ready mounting on trucks or the like.

10. A portable housing according to claim 1 with the building forms being corrugated coated steel structure, plastics, fibreglass or other suitable material and the connection means for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions to close the end walls and form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure including the corrugation to receive edges of the partitions.

11. A portable housing according to claim 10 wherein the external corrugations are used to hold weatheφroof insulation.

12. A portable housing according to claim 1 with portable housing further including ground engaging restraining means for anchoring the housing to the ground which in one form includes an anchor bolt or expansion bolt or rock bolt or the like for anchoring the structure to the ground.

13. A portable housing according to claim 1 with the mounting means for engaging and holding the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms until released and forming a roofed enclosure can be an over centre cam section, sliding arrangement clip arrangement or other tool free arrangement.

14. A portable housing according to claim 1 with the portable housing able to be readily erected or dismantled further including pre-shaped internal structures on the inner side of the building forms to allow removable interfitting of internal panels to form internal subdivisions of rooms in the housing.

15. A portable housing according to claim 1 with the connection means for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions to form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure of the able to be readily erected or dismantled emergency housing including an elongated linear section having a consistent cross section along its length, the cross section including an open channel on one side of a central body and a protrusion on the other and the connecting means further including a first resilient means for substantially mounting on at least a portion of the protrusion of the elongated linear section which in use the elongated linear section can selectively: a) have the open channel receive an internal sized sufficiently relative to the dismantlable portable housing such that the elongated linear section can be removably wedged to an internal surface by the first resilient means mounted on at least a portion of the protrusion engaging the internal surface; or b) have the open channel receive an end portion of a door adjacent a hinge such that the channel and protrusion form a door jamb substantially covering the gap between the door and wall to which the door is mounted by the hinge; or c) have the open channel receive an end portion of a door, wall, floor or shelf section and have the protrusion or an extension of the central body of the elongated linear section able to engage and connect with another door, wall, floor or shelf section.

16. A portable housing according to claim 15 with the connection means including a second resilient means able to mounted within the open channel and resiliently and demountably engage a partition inserted in the open channel.

17. A portable housing according to claim 15 with the open channel of the elongated linear section shaped to have substantially parallel sides with one side having an upper cross sectional portion extending away from the opposing side at an arcuate angle to a parallel plane to the other side wherein partitions are more readily insertable to and demountable from the open channel.

18. A portable housing according to claim 15 with the elongated linear section having a consistent cross section along its length comprising a substantially linearly extending central body with substantially planar extensions on either side of and at substantially right angles to the central body at cross section wherein the substantially planar extensions form the open channel on one side of the central body and the protrusion on the other. In one form the protrusion and one of the sides of the open channel are coplanar.

19. A method of substantially tool free construction of a structure of a portable housing, which can be readily erected, or dismantled housing including the steps of: providing a plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms; providing a plurality of stackable partitions; providing a mounting means for engaging and holding the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms until released and forming a roofed enclosure; and providing a connection means for connecting the plurality of stackable partitions to form an internal structure within the roofed enclosure; wherein the construction of the able to be readily erected or dismantled housing is substantially tool free.

20. The method according to claim 19 including providing the plurality of substantially nestable roofing forms, the plurality of stackable partitions; the mounting means and the connection means to be of a size which is readily transported together on a 12 foot truck with the nestable roofing forms being arched forms of corrugated metal having an open diameter of about 2 metres and internal height of less than about 2.5metres and the plurality of stackable partitions; the mounting means and the connection means being of a size to fit in stackable form within the nestable roofing forms.

21. A method of substantially or preferably totally tool free construction of an internal structure of a portable housing, which can be readily erected, or dismantled housing including the steps of: providing an elongated linear section having a consistent cross section along its length, the cross section including an open channel on one side of a central body and a protrusion on the other; providing as first resilient means for substantially mounting on at least a portion of the protrusion of the elongated linear section; wherein the elongated linear section can be used selectively: a) to have the open channel receive an internal partition sized sufficiently relative to the dismantlable emergency housing such that the elongated linear section can be removably wedged to an internal surface by the first resilient means mounted on at least a portion of the protrusion engaging the internal surface; or b) to have the open channel receive and end portion of a door adjacent as hinge such that the channel and protrusion form a door jamb substantially covering the gap between the door and wall to which the door is mounted by the hinge; or c) to have the open channel receive an end portion of a door, wall, floor or shelf section and have the protrusion or an extension of the central body of the elongated linear section able to engage and connect with another door, wall, floor or shelf section.

22. The method according to claim 21 including providing a second resilient means able to be mounted within the open channel and resiliently and demountably engage a partition inserted in the open channel.

23. A portable housing, which can be readily erected or dismantled emergency housing comprising a plurality of floor panels able to interfit to form a continuous floor; a plurality of stackable roof panels each extend in across the entire width of the housing and able to interfit with the floor panels and each other to form a continuous roof and side walls over at least part of the continuous floor; a plurality of wall panels able to fit across the width of the housing to close off, or substantially close of the housing to provide end walls or dividing walls forming rooms along the length of the housing; the interfitting of the floor panels or roof panels or wall panels is by overlapping elongated edge flanges forming edge C-shapes preventing lateral runoff and forming longitudinal drainage channels so as to provide a strong wateφroof connection.

24. A portable housing according to claim 23 with a roof panel having a curved expansive middle section extending to edge flanges having reverse C shaped edges and the wall panels having top C -shape edges to allow a slidable connection between respective C shaped edges such that an extended wateφroof arch is formed by the interconnection of two wall panels to the roof panel.

25. A portable housing according to claim 23 with the interfitting of the roof panels or wall panels with the floor panels can be by a locking means whereby the roof panel or wall panel includes an outwardly extending flange at a lower end and the floor panel includes a ridge or recess and the flocking means further includes a locking member having at one end a recess for receiving the flange of the roof panel or wall panel and at the other end a protrusion or flange for engaging the ride or recess of the floor to lock the roof for wall panel against the floor panel. In one form the locking member can be formed of resilient matter and the intermediate portion between the first and second end is sized relative to the spring of the ridge or recess in the floor panel from the edge of the floor panel to provide a tight locking to the roof or wall panel to the floor panel.

26. A portable housing according to claim 23 with the wall panels and/or the interior of the roof panels including deformation or protrusions so as to receive or engage bedding or shelving or table structures.

27. A portable housing according to claim 1 formed of three floor panels, three roof panels and three wall panels, with the arched housing having two end walls formed by two of three wall panels, one with a door opening and the third wall panel forms an internal bulkhead spaced two lengths from one end of the housing and one length from the other, and said lengths being predetermined to be above half the average height of a person such that a bunk can be mounted between the two wall panels spaced two lengths apart to form suitable bedding accommodation for an average sized person.

28. A portable housing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.