Patent Grant
8429871
This invention relates to buildings made primarily of factory-built, recyclable materials, and methods of constructing and deconstructing such buildings in an affordable, sustainable, and economically- and environmentally-sensitive manner.
The cost of housing and other buildings are extremely high in many areas of the world, and particularly in certain parts of the United States. The desire and need for affordable housing is strong and continuous. In addition, the substantial amount of waste generated in the process of constructing and deconstructing housing and other structures, as well as recent trends in the United States and throughout the world, have made clear the desirability of sustainable, environmentally sensitive structures, including for housing.
Thus, a present and increasing need exists for housing and other buildings such as commercial buildings to be built using “green” materials, systems, and technologies that will make such structures economically- and environmentally-sensitive.
The present invention relates to a new construction paradigm for 21st century housing needs that is efficiently constructed and environmentally friendly to produce a high performance, near net-zero energy, sustainable, affordable, and modern building system.
With the foregoing in mind, one aspect of the present invention is to increase the environmental friendliness of buildings by lowering the carbon footprint of edifice construction through the use of renewable, recyclable, re-usable products for structures built in accordance with the present invention, and by making careful analysis of the life cycle of such products (e.g., determine how much energy was used to make such products, and how much toxicity was removed from them). Ultimately, the goal is to find products that are the most efficiently made, and least polluting, in production, that provide a healthy indoor air quality and environment, and that are easy to recycle.
Another aspect of the present environmentally- and economically-sensitive building paradigm is automation and streamlining of the construction process, which are keys to reducing cost, reducing waste, and increasing efficiency. High costs of labor, insurance, fuel, materials, and waste removal each contribute to the high cost of construction and consequently high cost of living. Costs may be cut by requiring less handling, less processing, less cutting, and less material waste that is so characteristic of the home and office construction industry at present.
Streamlining the design and construction of a home or office structure may be achieved by utilizing a standardized system of mass-produced, prefabricated products. Using mass-produced products fabricated under controlled, efficient conditions in a factory will reduce the amount of cutting and waste prevalent in construction.
Intelligent design, material selection, and utilization of materials fabricated under carefully controlled, factory conditions each increase efficiency, and reduce unnecessary cost and material waste.
A goal of the present invention, therefore, is to build home and office structures, and other structures that come within the spirit of the present invention, using where possible environmentally sensitive building parts that are rapidly and efficiently prepared at a factory or other similar manufacturing facility, that are capable of rapid assembly at the construction site, and that ultimately, at the end of building life cycle, are capable of easy disassembly for re-use or recycling. Every part of a structure is intended to have maximum use during its life cycle and intended to be susceptible to recycling and re-use. Use of such materials, for example, metals, foams that can be re-ground, rubber, and plastics, in building (as opposed to wood and plaster, which are not susceptible to recycling and re-use, just disposal) reduces waste costs and space needed to house waste products, which ultimately benefits the environment and the economy.
Developing sustainable and affordable housing is comprised of some or all of the following steps: (a) designing environmentally and economically sound structures having passive and active design principles; (b) reducing the building's carbon footprint; (c) selecting and using in construction “green” materials, systems, and technologies that are sustainable; (d) using a high percentage of recycled content; (e) using easily deconstructed and recycled parts that can be re-used at the end of the building's life cycle; (f) causing zero waste, diverting all materials away from the landfill; (g) promoting energy efficiency, including designing an energy-efficient building envelope by selecting external wall systems and door/window packages with high “R” (thermal resistance) and “U” (heat transmission) values; (h) taking advantage of thermo mass to reduce the mechanical load and minimize energy use and cost; (i) using renewable energy, including solar and geothermal energy where possible; (j) selecting materials with low embodied energy; (k) selecting standard size materials with lower cost manufacturing and customization.
A building in accordance with the present invention comprises substantially entirely prefabricated constituent parts manufactured off-site, the prefabricated constituent parts comprising a foundation; a frame module comprising a plurality of frames, wherein the frame module is secured to the foundation; a reversible connector to connect the plurality of frames to form the frame module; a wall panel configured to be mounted on to the frame module; a floor panel configured to be mounted on to the frame module; and a ceiling panel configured to be mounted on to the frame module.
Briefly, a foundation is laid at the construction site. Autonomous frame modules are erected by connecting a plurality of individual frames, such as beams and columns, together using reversible connectors. Once the frame module is erected and attached to the foundation, additional frame modules may be erected connected to existing frame modules and/or the panels may be attached to the frame modules to create individual rooms. These panels may be the walls, doors, windows, sliding glass doors, and the like.
Each of these constituent parts may be selected from a cataloged library of parts and components that can be used to build home and office structures. The manufacturing process then becomes the careful selection and assembly of the existing library parts. Nonetheless, substantial creativity can also be applied to the process of designing a home or other building using the library of parts, as further detailed below.
Each frame module is a complete autonomous building block that can not only be operatively connected to other frame modules, but also to which multiple constituent of parts, selected from a library of parts, may be operatively connected. The frames may be prepared according to a variety of shapes and sizes, but are preferably prepared in shapes and sizes that can be easily manufactured, such as frames having dimensions that are a multiple of a standard size, such as eight feet. Likewise, the panels can be constructed in accordance with the various aspects of a house or office building (e.g., doors, windows, cabinets, staircases, etc.), thus providing great flexibility in designing and customizing construction projects.
To achieve a sustainable, zero-energy, or near zero-energy home or office building, the present invention contemplates the use of products, technologies, and design methods such as: (a) passive design (e.g., taking advantage of building orientation, cross ventilation, thermo mass); (b) high “R” value exterior walls, low “E” dual glaze glass, efficient “U” value doors and windows for reduced energy consumption; (c) the latest technology to even further lower the energy load on a home or office building, including LED lighting from Phillips, high-performance appliances by BOSCH, solar hot water by Nobis, low-flow plumbing fixtures by KWC, and a high “R” value building envelope by BASF; and, (d) renewable energies such as PV panels to offset additional energy load and reduce it to or near zero.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed, utilized, or practiced. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
The present invention is directed towards a building 100 and a method of constructing a building 100 in an economical, efficient, and environmentally friendly fashion, so as to make buildings affordable and better preserve the environment. A building 100 used herein refers to any structure that is used as an edifice for living or working, such as houses, condominiums, town homes, office buildings, stores, hotels, motels, and the like. The economy of constructing such a building may be accomplished by establishing a library of parts comprising prefabricated, constituent parts used to manufacture the building, wherein the constituent parts are easily mass produced due to the use of standardized sizing. The efficiency of construction reduces labor and machining time to save energy during construction, thereby reducing pollutants emitted from use of such machines. Such buildings 100 can further be made environmentally friendly by using predominantly recyclable material to minimize waste.
As shown in
In some embodiments, a grid 101 may be laid down on the foundation 300 to map out the dimensions and arrangement of each frame module 102 to facilitate the proper placement of each frame module 102. The grid 101 comprises a plurality of sections 103, either squares or rectangles with the precise dimensions being determined by industry standards. For example, according to current industry standards the length of a beam is a factor of 8 feet. Therefore, each section 103 of the grid may be 8 feet by 8 feet. Alternatively, the dimensions of the sections 103 may be in factors of 2 feet or 4 feet. Utilizing a standardized sizing still allows for versatility in design as the frame modules can be attached to each other in a variety of arrangements, such as side-to-side (for wider rooms), end-to-end (for longer rooms), or end-to-side (for rooms of different shapes).
As shown in
The frame module 102 comprises a plurality of individual frames, such as columns 200 (for vertical support) and beams 202 (for horizontal support) assembled together using reversible connectors 1100, such as bolts and screws, to facilitate construction and deconstruction. This can be accomplished on-site or off-site. The beams 202 may come in a variety of sizes and the entire frame module 102 may be made with recycled steel. Preferably the beam 202 comes in lengths of a predetermined unit. For example, the predetermined unit may be approximately 8 feet. In other words, a beam 202 may be 8, 16, 24, 32, etc. feet long as shown in
The preferred column 200 length is 10 feet 6 inches to provide ample room from floor to ceiling. Thus, a typical frame module 102 may have dimensions of 8 feet wide, (n×8) feet long, and 10.5 feet high. To create a wider room, frame modules 102 may be placed adjacent to each other. To create a longer room, either longer beams 202 may be used or two frame modules 102 may be placed adjacent to each other. This process may be repeated with frame modules of varying sizes until an entire room is constructed. A room includes any space delineated from another space by at least one wall.
The frame module 102 on the ground floor is attached to a foundation 300 to create stability and safety as shown in
Due to the precise alignment required to connect adjacent frame modules 102 so as to render them weatherproof, the foundation 300 requires a means for accomplishing precise alignment. As shown in
Once all the columns 200 of the first frame module 102 are fitted on to a foundation plate 606, an adjacent frame module 102 may be properly aligned by rotating the nuts 610 accordingly until the preferred level and alignment are achieved. Once the preferred level and alignment are achieved the adjustment chamber 602 may be filled with a solidifying material such as cement or grout, preferably, non-shrink grout to secure the height of the foundation plate 606. The foundation plate 606 and the connector plate 1006 can further be welded together to secure the connection between the connector plate 1006 and the foundation plate 606. Once the connector plate 1006 and foundation plate 606 are secured, the portions of the adjustment bars 604 that protrude out beyond the connector plate 1006 may be cut off by standard means. To allow for more precision in the alignment process, as well as greater foundational stability, a plurality of bases 600 may be placed along the beam 202, intermittently spaced. Alternatively, a single foundation 300 may expand the length of a beam 202, with a plurality of adjustment chambers 602, adjustment bars 604, and foundation plates 606 with bar holes 608, intermittently spaced around the foundation 300.
Once a first frame module 102 has been secured to the foundation 300, panels 104, 106, 108, and/or 110 may be installed, or additional frame modules 102 may be connected, to the first frame module 102. By way of example and not limitation, the entire wall system of a home constructed in accordance with the present invention may be comprised of structural insulated panels (SIP), which comprise light gauge recycled metal and expanded polystyrene (“EPS”) foam, preferably EPS manufactured by BASF due to its highest content of regrind. An example of such a panel is the KAMA panel sold by Energy Efficient Building Systems (see www.kama-eebs.com). KAMA panels are preferred for their weatherproof design. Briefly, as shown in
The wall panel 104 further comprises an insulator 700, preferably made of EPS core, supported by plurality of paired elongated studs 714, 716 on opposite sides of the insulator, intermittently spaced along the insulator, each pair of elongated studs extending longitudinally from the bottom end 704 of the insulator to the top end 702 of the insulator with the insulator positioned substantially between the pairs of elongated studs 714, 716. The elongated studs 714, 716 and insulator 700 are also positioned or sandwiched between two pairs of angles 718, 720, the first angle pair 718 extending from a first end 710 of the insulator 700 to a second end 712 of the insulator 700 along the bottom end 704, wherein the first pair of angles at least partially cover the first and second sides at the bottom end, and the second pair 720 extending from the first end 710 to the second end 712 of the insulator 700 along the top end 702, wherein the second pair of angles at least partially cover the first and second sides at the top end. A waterproofing membrane 906 can be used to seal a panel 104.
The elongated studs 714, 716 and angles 718, 720 are made of sheet metal formed to fit the insulator 700. Each angle 718, 720 is generally “L” shaped and partially covers either the top or the bottom and one side. Each elongated stud 714, 716 is generally “L”- or “U”-shaped with a medial bend 722 and a lateral bend 724 embedded within the insulator 700 to secure the elongated studs 714, 716 on to the insulator 700. The end unit studs or the studs located at the first and second ends 710, 712 of the insulator 700 may have an additional flange 726 protruding from the lateral arm 724 at right angles. In addition, the lateral bend 724 of an end unit elongated stud may not be embedded within the insulator 700 as shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the adjacent wall panels 104 may be connected to each other by other means besides the compression gasket 802. For example, an end cap 820 may be used to cap or enclose a pair of adjacent flanges 26 of an insulator 700 as shown in
In some embodiments, one end 822 of the end cap 820 may further comprise a second flange portion 830, while the second end 824 comprises an extension portion 832 that extends beyond the flange 828 as shown in
Utilizing end caps 820 also allows the first insulator 700a to be connected to a second insulator 700b at right angles. Due to the flat surface provided by the end cap 820, the end cap 820 can make a direct and flush contact with the flat, exposed portion of an elongated stud 714 or 716 as shown in
To further improve weatherproofing of the wall panels 104, the elongated studs 714 nearest the outside of the building may further comprise a hat channel 806. The hat channel 806 is a piece of sheet metal formed in the shape of a “top hat.” The rim 808 of the hat channel 806 is fastened to the elongated stud 714. A concrete wall 810 may be erected and attached to the elongated stud 714 via the hat channel. Due to the hat channel 806, an air gap 812 is created between the concrete wall 810 and the elongated studs 714 to further reduce the amount of heat or cold transferred from the outside to the inside. The concrete walls 810 may further comprise holes 814 strategically placed, through which the screw 804 can be tightened to compress the compression gasket 802.
As shown in
The insulation 700 in the wall panels 104 may comprise channels 1000 through which electrical wiring 1002 and plumbing pipes may run, including preinstalled outlets 1004. This reduces the time required to wire the building 100 and hook up the pipes.
As shown in
The connector plates 1006 are adaptable for use in structural, waterproofing, electrical, and plumbing connections. The entire space between the connector plates 1006 are sealed by a vibration dampening pad 1306. The vibration dampening pads 1306 are recycled rubber material with a special adhesive that connects the flat connector plates 1006 to the vibration dampening pad 1306. The vibration dampening pad 1306 thickness exceeds the total dimensions of the connector plates 1006. Once the frame modules 102 are placed at the construction site, the connector plates 1006 are sealed seamlessly due to the compressive weight of the frame module 102 with minimal added sealant connections. In addition, reversible clamp connections, such as nuts and bolts, are designed to create simple, reliable, tight connections.
In some embodiments, weather-stripping and/or magnetic gaskets may be used. Flexible magnets may also be used to attach and connect parts such as lighting fixtures, ceiling materials decorative panels, etc. to the steel frame module.
Within the ceiling 106 is a light emitting diode (LED) 1302 type lighting system, such as, but not limited to, those sold by Philips. To reduce the harshness of the light, the LED 1302 is reflected against a reflector 1304 to light up a room. LED light sources 1302 are far more energy efficient than standard light bulbs, and their use herein is consistent with the goal of creating affordable, sustainable buildings that are environmentally-sensitive. On or within the wall panels 104, cabinets may be installed, veneered with recycled tires.
In some embodiments, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The heating element 1510 may be an electric filament or a heating pipe carrying water. In embodiments in which the heating element 1510 is the pipe, a water source may be placed on the roof to be heated during the day by the sunlight. The water source may be contained in a greenhouse-type containment or enclosure to heat up the water even on cold days. By night, once the water has been sufficiently heated by the sun, the water can be sent through the heating pipes to heat up the floor panels to heat the rooms by heat conduction.
In multi-story buildings, staircases 1600 are required to move from floor to floor as shown in
Because the building 100 is assembled from a library of parts, it is important to assure that each connection point is properly sealed and weatherproofed. As shown in
The size of the waterproofing membrane is standardized to reduce, recycle, and reclaim materials. In addition, a color coding scheme may be implemented to quickly and easily identify specific parts and determine the proper connection. Suitable waterproofing membranes for panel-to-panel connection include sealants and expansion joints sold by EMSEAL Corporation. Color seal combines factory applied low modulus silicone acrylic impregnated expanding foam sealant and closed cell (EVA) foam into a unified binary sealant system.
A new water seal 1700 may be opened and inserted into a pocket created by the thickness of plates. Once the water seal 1700 is exposed to the air, the water seal 1700 will expand, thereby sealing the pocket.
As shown in
The metal flashing 1706 may also be used at the junction where a wall panel 104 meets the ground on the outside as shown in
To assure proper run-off of any water that may fall and collect on the deck 1800, the deck 1800 comprises a drainage system as shown in
Any recyclable material may be used to construct the recyclable building such as plastic, glass, metals, textiles, timber, and the like.
Constructing a recyclable building comprises building at least one frame module 102, attaching at least the first frame module 102 to a foundation 300; inserting or attaching a plurality of panels 104, 106, 108, and/or 110 into/onto the first frame module 102 to form a room comprising a floor, a ceiling and at least one wall, thereby constructing a recyclable building 100. This process may be repeated to attach additional frame modules to the foundation; attaching additional frame modules to previously attached frame modules; and, inserting panels into each additional frame module to form a plurality of rooms for larger buildings.
Each room may be constructed by first erecting the frame module 102 then inserting or attaching the panels 104. Alternatively, each room may be constructed by concurrently assembling the frame module 102 and inserting or attaching the panels 104. Once a room has been constructed it may be fastened to another room as described herein. This process may be repeated until the entire building is complete.
Assembling a first room 120 with a second room 122 may be accomplished by lifting a room with a crane and positioning the room in a predetermined location either on the foundation or on top of another room for multi-story buildings. Each room may have a plurality of lifting elements. A lifting element may be any surface, protrusion, loop, orifice, and the like that serves as an attachment site for a lifting machine, such as a crane. For example, the surface or protrusion may be a powerful magnet. The lifting machine may utilize an electromagnet to attach to the magnetic surface or protrusion in preparation for lifting the room. In another example, the lifting machine may utilize hooks, cables, chains, ropes, and the like to hook, strap, or otherwise fasten to the protrusion, loop, or orifice in preparation for lifting the room.
The lifting elements may be on the panels 104, 106, 108, or 110 and/or the frames 102 that make up the ceiling of a room. The lifting elements may be strategically positioned so that the room is balanced when lifted at the lifting elements. A computer software program may be created to calculate the precise location of the lifting elements based on the dimensions of the room and the weights of the frames and panels.
In other words, because the association or attachment of variously-sized and variously-weighted panels to the frames results in different centers of gravity and different weight distribution for each completed frame, it is important to determine the appropriate points on the frame for a crane, hoist, or other lifting apparatus to attach so that the frame can be transported to, and placed within, the building under construction in a level, even, and safe manner. To accomplish this, it is understood that software programs or codes may be developed so as to ascertain the appropriate attachment points on the frame module for proper balance, as depicted in
Each constituent part has a known measurement and weight. As such, by selecting the constituent parts and inputting the precise arrangement, the software can calculate the center of gravity of a frame module and determine which set of lifting elements to employ for proper balancing.
Because of the library of parts system, a website could be created in which a potential buyer could easily construct a virtual model of his house according to his preferences on a computer. The website could be guided, asking the potential buyer questions to guide him in selecting the appropriate constituent parts and arranging the constituent parts in a practical manner Once completed and checked for structural integrity and compliance with housing and building codes, this virtual model could be converted to an architectural plan and submitted to a manufacturer. The ordered constituent parts would be delivered to the construction site and the building built according to the design specifications of the architectural plan.
Passive and active design principles may be easily taken into consideration in constructing a building according to the present invention. Knowing the location of the building site, the buildings may be arranged in a proper orientation so as to take advantage of cross ventilation, location of sun exposure, shading and thermo mass, and the like, according to energy needs of the building. Utilizing the building system of the present invention, panels may be replaced quickly and easily to suit the needs of the occupants. Walls can be easily changed into windows or sliding glass doors, and vice versa. Computer energy modeling software can be written and utilized to automatically create a building with the walls, windows, doors, and hallways in the proper orientation to maximize the desires of the occupant. For example, a user may input the address or longitude and latitude of the construction site and the program can collect data to determine the weather conditions, the sunlight exposure, the wind speed and direction. The occupants may further input information regarding where they would like sunlight exposure to hit at what time of the day, where they would like the wind to circulate through, and so on. The computer program can then output various modeling designs that would best accommodate the desires of the occupants.
The building system of the present invention not only makes construction and remodeling quicker and easier but also, makes disassembly or destruction easier. The building may be recycled by disassembling the building in the reverse order as it was assembled. Thus, a room may be detached from the foundation or another room. Then the room may be removed by attaching hooks and cables to the lifting elements of the room and using a crane to hoist the room. Once the room is detached the panels 104, 106, 108 and/or 110 may be removed, leaving the frame module 102. The frame module 102 may then be disassembled into its individual frames 200, 202. These pieces may then be recycled when constructing the next building. Alternatively, once the room has been detached, the panels and frames may be disassembled in any logical order. In some embodiments, it may be preferable to transport a detached room without disassembling the room into its constituent parts.
Additionally, because of the manner of construction described herein, the remodeling of a home, portions of a home, an office building, or portions of an office building, becomes more straightforward, less costly, and less time consuming. One of the frequent problems with home remodeling is that walls of the home must be destroyed and ultimately rebuilt, and a substantial amount of waste is created. The process of remodeling is also very time consuming.
The present invention allows for straightforward, efficient, and relatively rapid disassembly of portions of a structure constructed in the manner described herein, and replacement of frames and panels according to a customer's preferences. Little waste is generated and the process can be performed quickly and for substantially less cost that a home or office remodel.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims appended hereto.
This patent application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/082,418, filed on Apr. 11, 2008 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,941,975), which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/911,247 filed on Apr. 11, 2007, which applications are incorporated in their entirety here by this reference.
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| Parent | 12082418 | Apr 2008 | US |
| Child | 13107834 | US |
