AU705837B2 - Modular prefabricated building structures - Google Patents

Description

la Fig. 1 is a plan view of a modular prefabricated building component of a first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a side view of the component of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a left side view of the component of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a right side view of the component of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a transverse cross sectional view along the lines V-V of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is a transverse cross sectional view along the lines VI-VI of Fig. 00 *00 0.

[N:\Ibcc]0011 7:rhk:TCW -2- Fig. 7 is a plan view of a pair of components of Fig. 1 joined together in the same plane, Fig. 8 is a schematic plan view of a number of pairs of joining components as illustrated in Fig. 7, the components being shown joined in the same plane, Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the joined pair of components of Fig. 7, Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the joined pair of components joined with another pair of components in the same plane, Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a joined pair of components being joined to another pair of components by their respective columns, Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a pair of components of a second embodiment, Fig. 13 is a side view of a stair component which is used in conjunction with a pair of components of Fig. 12, and Fig. 14 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of joined columns illustrating the method of joining them together.

Description of Preferred Embodiments A modular prefabricated building component 10 of a first embodiment is illustrated with respect to Figs. 1-11 of the accompanying drawings. The component includes a concrete slab 11 having two pairs of concrete columns 12 which extend perpendicularly from the concrete slab 11. The columns 12 are located at adjacent corners 13 and 14 of the slab 11.

The modular prefabricated component 10 as illustrated in Fig. 1 is substantially L-shaped and is arranged to be joined with another modular prefabricated component 0 to form a rectangular slab 16 having four pairs of columns 12 which extend perpendicularly from the slab 16. The slab 16 is illustrated in Fig. 8. The concrete slab 16 has two ends 17 which are formed by the opposite short end 18 and long end 19 of the component 10. The two components 10 are joined along joining edges The ends 17 and joining edges 20 are substantially perpendicular to the plane of the rectangular slab 16 while the sides 15 are stepped and sloping as illustrated in Figs. 3 S•and 4. The concrete slabs 11 have steel reinforcement bars (not illustrated) and have as a preferable feature a number of foam blocks 21 encased therein. The foam blocks 21 lessen the weight of the slab 11. The blocks 21 are encased by the concrete in the slab 11 according to the structural requirements of the building.

The slabs 11 have a number of ducts 22 passing from the edges of the slab in a criss-cross manner. When adjacent components 10 are to be joined steel rods 23 are inserted in the ducts 22 and are tensioned. An epoxy resin is used to cement the rods 23 in position when the components 10 have been joined together. The components 10 also have three joining boxes 24 into which steel reinforcing bars protrude. The steel reinforcing bars of the adjacent components 10 are then joined together and concrete is poured into the joining boxes 24 to assist the joining of adjacent components [N:\Iibcc]O011 7:rhk -3- Each column 12 (as illustrated in Fig. 14) has a central duct 25 extending longitudinally along its length. The columns 12 of each of the components 10 are arranged to be joined in a longitudinal manner to other columns 12 of a like component which is parallel thereto. Each pair of columns 12 to be joined includes a male joining member 26 at the end of one column, and a female joining member 27 at the end of the other column. The columns 12 are joined using conical pins 28 which fit into conical apertures 29 which are transverse to the longitudinal axes of the columns.

Epoxy resin can be used to assist in the joining.

The basic arrangement of a building using the modular prefabricated components 10 is illustrated in Figs 8-11 of the drawings. In Fig. 9, a pair of components 10 are joined to form a rectangular slab 16 and in Fig. 10, two slabs 16 are illustrated joined at their sides 15. As the sides 15 have the stepped ramp profile, it is seen that a pair of columns 12 extend from opposite sides of the joined slabs 16. It is noted that the pair of columns 12 are vertically aligned and they are able to be joined by a rod (not illustrated) passing through their central duct 25. Fig. 8 illustrates three slabs 16 joined in an L-shaped configuration with two slabs 16 joined along the sides 15 and two slabs joined along the ends 17. It is seen that rods 23 are used through the ducts 22 to join the abutting slabs 16 together. The rods 23 extend through the ducts 22 which have not been used to join the two components 10 together to form a single rectangular S 20 slab 16.

S" In Fig. 11, a pair of rectangular slabs 16 are joined via their columns 12 to form two parallel slabs 16 which are spaced apart by the cumulative length of two pairs .:oo.i of columns 12.

oooeo The modular arrangement of the components 10 provides a variety of ways in which the concrete slabs 16 can be joined in a building structure. Each concrete slab 16 is formed as two pairs of modular prefabricated components 10 each of which is easily transported from the factory to the building site. At the building site, the components are joined to form the rectangular slab 16 which is then erected on site.

The basic building components have been described above, and another S: 30 embodiment using two components 50 and 51 is illustrated with respect to Figs. 12 and 13. The components 50 and 51 are similar to the previously described components except that when they form a rectangular slab 56 an aperture 57 is formed therein. The aperture 57 is arranged in the rectangular slab 56 for a stairwell 58 to be installed therethrough. The stair well 58 is illustrated in Fig. 13 and is also prefabricated and transported to site for installation. The stair well 58 can be used at a number of different angles. The two separate components 51 and 50 also include foam blocks (not illustrated) similar to those previously described and are joined by rods passing through ducts (not illustrated) in a similar manner as previously described. The rectangular slab 56 with the aperture 57 is selectively erected on site as required.

[N:\libcc]O011 7:rhk The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the component can be formed as a rectangular slab with four pairs of columns or even as two parallel slabs with columns therebetween. Arrangements for building services such as electricity, water supply, etc. can be prefabricated into the components 10 as required.

[N:\libcc]0011 7:rhk The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. A modular building structure comprising at least two like prefabricated components, each component comprising a substantially planar component slab of concrete having at least two column means extending substantially perpendicularly from a first face thereof, and each component having an edge of substantially complementary shape to an edge of another said component to allow the two complementary shaped edges to mate together so that the two planar component slabs of concrete form a single slab having at least four column means extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom, wherein each component slab is provided with interior ducts adapted to receive rods which pass through adjacent component slabs in order to secure said adjacent component slabs together.

2. A modular building structure as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each of said component slabs is generally L-shaped, and said single slab is generally rectangular.

3. A modular building structure as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one edge surface of said single slab has a profiled cross-sectional shape adapted to S• mate with a profiled edge surface of a further like single slab in complementary fashion, the two single slabs thus lying substantially coplanar with each other and forming an enlarged substantially planar surface.

S4. A modular building structure as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said S 20 single slab and said further single slab are arranged with their respective column means Spointing in opposite directions.

A modular building structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the ends of the column means remote from the component slabs are shaped to interengage with the ends of the column means of like components thus allowing two component slabs to be arranged in two parallel planes separated by twice the length of each column means.

6. A modular building structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the column means contain interior ducts adapted to receive rods which pass through adjacent column means in order to secure said adjacent column means together.

S. 30 7. A modular building structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said component slabs comprise one or more cavities containing a material of lower density than the concrete of the component slabs.

8. A method of construction of a building framework, said method comprising the steps of: installing in a first plane a first set of substantially planar concrete slabs each of which has a first set of column means extending from a first face thereof substantially perpendicularly to said first plane, said first set of substantially planar concrete slabs being joined together by rods passing through ducts provided in and communicating between adjacent said substantially planar concrete slabs of said first set, and [N:\libcc]l00117:GJG

Claims (2)

1. 9. A method as claimed in Claim 8, using modular building structures as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein each of said substantially planar concrete slabs corresponds with said component slabs of concrete. A modular building structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. 11. A method of construction of a building framework, said method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this Sixteenth Day of March 1999 Explorer Drilling Co. Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON 0* 0.. [N:\Iibcc]0011 7:GJG Modular Prefabricated Building Structures Abstract A modular building structure (16) comprising at least two like prefabricated components each component (10) comprising a substantially planar component slab (11) of concrete having at least two column means (12) extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom, and each component (10) having an edge (20) of substantially complementary shape to an edge (20) of the other component (10) to allow the two complementary shaped edges (20) to mate together so that the two planar component slabs (11) of concrete form a single slab (16) having at least four column means (12) extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom. Figure 9 **o 6 0 1 SI [N:\libcc]00117:rhk