Constructive Disposition Used in the Construction of Buildings

Abstract

The present invention provides a modular construction system to be applied to buildings, comprising a steel structure composed by octagonal tubing that acts as external beams, octagonal tubing that acts as external beams, octagonal tubing that acts as internal beams, structural connections, cross members for the roof structure, a hollow roof ridge member, panels acting as structural walls and partitions, bracing plates to connect the panels, external finishing member and internal finishing member, whereas the whole structure is anchored to the floor. When creating an edge column to connect the panels to the steel structure, internal angular shaped bracing plates are used and external ones with a shape similar to letter “C”, provided with holes along the length for the bolts and connection slot to connect the external finishing member by means of internal clips with a rim for connection to the clamp through the recesses arranged in the interior. When there is a need to create an intermediate column in the junction of three panels, a bracing plate will be used which also has a connection slot to connect to the external finishing member, by means of internal clips, with a rim to connect to the clamp through the recesses arranged in the interior, internally connected by the bracing plates similar to the letter “T”, furthermore connected by the spacer, to finally receive the internal finishing member which has a shape similar to the letter “L”. In order to connect two panels to compose an intermediate column, two bracing plates will be used with a connection slot to connect to the external finishing member by means of internal clips, with a rim to connect to the clamp through the recesses arranged in its interior.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a new constructive arrangement applied to buildings, presenting a low cost and fast installation modular set-up using the most recent materials and bearing characteristics that facilitate the adaptation to any site, offering high quality, durability, easy maintenance and possibilities of expansion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nowadays, all kinds of materials are used for the construction of modular housing, such as pre-cut wood, steel, concrete panels, dry walls, etc. However, this type of modular conventional construction has the inconvenience of mixing a great variety of materials, which somewhat complicates the construction process, sometimes requiring welding operations when the building structure is composed of steel tubing, generating noxious gases to the operators. In addition, the use of cement aggravates the conditions of neatness of the job site.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the present invention is to present a modular construction system to be applied to buildings so as to facilitate and expedite the erection of the building and reduce to the very minimum the handling of parts and components. This result is achieved through a new building conception, which uses a structure developed from octagonal cross section tubing, produced from hot rolled seamed structural steel with adequate thickness. The structure also comprises roof trusses and purlins and square steel plates to anchor the columns to the floor. The tubular components are combined by means of octagonal connecting members and bolts to assure perfect rigidity of the structure. Wall bracing plates connect thermo-acoustical and fire resistant panels to the tubular framework so as to assure full stability of the structure. In developing this system, full attention was dedicated to assure the best technical use of each material, thus eliminating waste and reducing the required resources during the construction/installation phases.

The proposed constructive arrangement offers the following advantages when compared with other conventional modular constructions:

• • The erection is developed in an ambient with a reduced number of parts and components;
  • The construction process is so simple it does not require skilled labor;
  • The number of construction steps is substantially reduced;
  • The job site is very clean due to the elimination of welding, cement and plaster;
  • The workers are not exposed to noxious gases from welding and grinding operations;
  • The environment is preserved since no waste is generated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The details of this new constructive arrangement applied to buildings, as well as its advantages, are depicted in the following figures:

FIG. 1—perspective of the octagonal tubular structure, location of the columns, beams, support, connections and anchor plates of the truss and floor;

FIG. 2—exploded view of the tubular structure;

FIG. 3—perspective of the octagonal tubular structure, location of the columns, beams, support, connections and truss anchor plates, floor and roof ridge;

FIG. 4—perspective of the octagonal tubular structure, showing the columns, beams, support, connections, truss and purlin anchor plates for the subsequent installation of the wall;

FIG. 5—perspectives of columns and base;

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12—perspective of the connections to anchor the columns, beams and construction support;

FIG. 13—perspective of the connections to anchor the edge supports for the truss bearing;

FIG. 14—perspective of the beams to receive the intermediate supports for the trusses;

FIG. 15—perspective of the connection of the trusses to the intermediate supports;

FIG. 16—perspective of the connection of the trusses to the roof ridge;

FIG. 17—perspective of the roof ridge connection;

FIG. 18—exploded view of the connection of the internal wall bracing plates;

FIG. 19—upper view of the connection of the bracing plates;

FIG. 20—perspective of the wall connection creating an edge column;

FIG. 21—upper view of the wall connection creating an edge column;

FIG. 22—upper view of the wall connection creating an edge column and connection of the finishing member;

FIG. 23—exploded upper view of the wall connection assembly creating an edge column, clamp and finishing member;

FIG. 24—detail of the finishing member connection to the bracing plates;

FIG. 25—upper view of the wall connection creating an intermediate column at the junction of three walls;

FIG. 26—exploded upper view of the wall connection assembly creating an intermediate column at the junction of three walls; and

FIG. 27—exploded upper view of the wall connection assembly creating an intermediate column at the junction of two walls.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

According to FIGS. 1 to 27 the proposed constructive arrangement to be applied to buildings comprises a steel structure (1) composed of octagonal tubing (2) which acts as columns, octagonal tubing (2′) acting as external beams, octagonal tubing (2″) acting as internal beams, structural connections (3), cross members (4) for the roof structure, hollow roof ridge members (5), panels (6) acting as structural walls and partitions, bracing plates (7), (7′), (7″), (7′″), to fasten the panels (6), external finishing member (26), and internal finishing member (30), with the entire structure anchored to a floor (8).

The octagonal tubing (2) that acts as columns is provided with a base at the lower end (9), with holes (10) for anchoring to the floor (8) or to the roof ridge (5) of the construction through bolts (11), with lock nuts (12) to connect and fasten the structural connections (3). The octagonal tubing (2′) that acts as external beams is provided with curved supports (13), arranged so as to receive the cross members (4) of the roof, through holes (14), with ends provided with lock nuts (15) to connect and fasten the structural connections (3). The octagonal tubing (2″) is also provided with lock nuts (15) for the structural connections (3).

The structural connections (3) shown in FIGS. 6 through 13, are designed to allow a perfect connection of the steel structure (1), with a provision of holes at the ends (16) to connect to the octagonal tubing (2, 2′ and 2″) by means of bolts (17), while also considering that the structural connection (3) applied over the octagonal tubing (2) which acts as columns, has the same inclined support (13) with holes (14) to receive the roof cross members (4), thus allowing for the necessary bracing of the steel structure (1).

The cross members (4), in their upper end, have an angled connection area (18) and holes (19) so as to allow the connection to the hollow roof ridge (5) by means of bolts (17) fastened to the lock nuts (20) of the hollow roof ridge (5) and slots (18′) to connect to the inclined support (13) by means of bolts (17).

In the sequence we have the connection of the panels (6) to compose the external structural walls and construction partitions, which present the shape and dimension according to the module to be connected. That means the possibility of arranging a window, door or tilt window in a certain position. When an edge column is created to connect the panels (6) to the steel structure (1), internal bracing plates are used (7) provided with external angled shapes (7′), which have a “C” shape with holes along the length (21) for the bolts (22), and a connection slot (27), with a slightly curved end, to receive the external finishing member (26) through the internal clips (28) provided with a rim (31) to be connected to the clamp (29), through the recesses (32) arranged in the interior as illustrated in FIGS. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24.

When there is a need for an intermediate column in a junction of three panels (6), a bracing plate will be used (7″) with a connection slot (27) to receive the external finishing member (26) through the internal clips (28), provided with a rim (31) to connect to the clamp (29) through the recesses (32) arranged in the interior, being internally connected by means of the bracing plates (7′″) with a “T” shape, furthermore connected by the spacer (23), to finally receive the internal finishing member (30) with an “L” shape, as illustrated in FIGS. 25 and 26, connected to the structural steel (1) octagonal tubing (2′), by means of bolts (22). In order to connect two panels (6) to compose an intermediate column, two bracing plates will be used (7″) with a connection slot (27) to receive the external finishing member (26) by means of internal clips (28) with a rim (31) to be connected to the clamp (29) through recesses (32) arranged in the interior, as illustrated in FIG. 27.

As an example and obeying the order of connecting the internal bracing plate (7) to the octagonal tubing (2) we have the arrangement of the panel (6) close to this junction, and then with completion of the connection of the bracing plate (7′) with the connection of the external finishing member (26) by means of a connection slot (27), internal clips (28), provided with a rim (31) to be connected to the clamp (29) through recesses (32) arranged in the interior, allowing the connection of the panels (6) to the steel structure (1) up to the construction closing and modular partition, as illustrated in FIGS. 18 through 27.

Claims

1. A modular building comprising: a plurality of spaced-apart external columns extending vertically upward from a floor to which a lower end of each of the columns is attached, the plurality of columns defining external sides of the building;a plurality of external beams joined to upper ends of the columns and being disposed about a perimeter of the sides of the building, wherein said columns and said external beams are composed of octagonal shaped tubing;a plurality of structural connections joining the columns to one or more of the external beams, the structural connections including two or more receiving members having octagonal shaped sidewalls for receiving the upper end of a column or an end of one of the external beams therein, wherein the receiving members are configured and arranged in a perpendicular relation with each other;a roof ridge member extending between two opposite sides of the building along a length of the building, the roof ridge member being disposed in an elevated position with respect to the external beams;a plurality of spaced-apart roof cross members disposed on opposite sides of the roof ridge member, the roof cross members each extending laterally downward from the roof ridge member to an external beam, wherein the roof ridge member and the plurality of cross members define a roof structure for the building; anda plurality of spaced-apart inclined supports that are attached to one or more of the external beams or the upper end of one of the columns, each of the inclined supports including an inclined surface for receiving a lower end of the roof cross member thereon.

2. The modular building of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of panels disposed between adjacent columns, the panels defining structural walls of the building.

3. The modular building of claim 2, further comprising an internal bracing plate and an external bracing plate for connecting the panels to the columns, wherein the internal and external bracing plates are attached to the columns opposite each other and are configured and arranged to engage opposite surfaces of a panel disposed therebetween to thereby connect the panels to the columns, and wherein the external bracing plate has a “C” shape.

4. The modular building of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of internal columns and a plurality of internal beams disposed in an internal portion of the building and composed of octagonal shaped tubing, wherein one or more of the internal beams are joined to the external beams by one of said structural connections.

5. The modular building of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of internal panels disposed between adjacent external and internal columns, the internal panels defining internal walls of the building.

6. The modular building of claim 1, wherein the ends of each external beam includes a bolt and the sidewall of each receiving member includes a corresponding hole, wherein the bolt and corresponding hole are configured and arranged to be aligned with each other when the end of the external beam is inserted into the receiving member such that the bolt is insertable through the hole for joining the external beam to the structural connection.

7. The modular building of claim 1, wherein the upper end of each column includes a bolt and the sidewall of each receiving member includes a corresponding hole, wherein the bolt and corresponding hole are configured and arranged to be aligned with each other when the end of the column is inserted into the receiving member such that the bolt can be inserted through the hole for joining the column to the structural connection.

8. The modular building of claim 6, wherein each external beam includes at least two bolts disposed on opposite sides of the octagonal tubing, and each receiving member includes at least two corresponding holes.

9. The modular building of claim 1, wherein the structural connections include two or more receiving members arranged in an L-like shape, T-like shape, or cross-like shape.