1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to building construction, and more specifically to a method and system for efficiently and economically constructing pre-fabricated residential and commercial buildings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Construction costs and quality of manufacture are major problems in the building trades. Many building systems have been proposed and used by others to cut costs and improve quality. Those prior art systems usually have some form of panelized pre-fabricated wall segment design. Many of such systems are in use worldwide. The shortcomings of the prior art pre-fabricated structures include, but are not limited to, inadequacies in the connection between the pre-fabricated panels, inefficient HVAC systems, and susceptibility to failure under high wind loads.
One type of prior art building system provides complete walls segments with doors and windows. A shortcoming of this type of complete wall system is that it is cumbersome and does not possess the necessary commonality of use required for mass production. Further, often times there are problems associated with connecting these wall segments that results from variations in dimensional characteristics and leads to uneven gaps between the wall segments. Therefore, when typical connectors of the system are steel studs that fit within the panel track framework between wall segments, the web of the studs is incapable of being compressed, as would be needed if the gap spacing were too small, and similarly could not be extended automatically if the gap was oversized. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a pre-fabricated building system that includes uniform wall segments and can be mass produced to reduce costs.
Another shortcoming of the prior art is the lack of sufficient strength of the connection between wall segments. For example, the shape of the opposing track sides of the wall segments, when in contact with each other, is rectangular. A loose fitting stud is inserted between wall segments and attached using screws. However, the stress on the screws connecting the wall segments together is not ideal in that scenario. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a means to join pre-fabricated wall segments that improves the strength of the connection.
Still yet another shortcoming of the prior art is the materials that the wall segments comprise. Several manufactures fabricate wall panel segments with insulation, which are known in the art as structural panels. The structural insulated panels consist of wood or metal faced insulated cores bonded to each other. Metal and wood faced products are typically acceptable in commercial applications everywhere but meet with resistance in residential markets when used as walls. The preferred construction materials for walls in the residential market are cement-based products.
Cement faced insulated tip up panels are available in the market place. These types of panels have gained wide acceptance in commercial buildings. However, a short-coming of the tip up panels is that they are so heavy that heavy equipment is needed for panel erection. Thereby making them unattractive to the residential market. Accordingly, what is need in the art is a pre-fabricated building system that includes wall panels fabricated with cement that are easy to maneuver without the use of specialized equipment.
Another shortcoming of the prior art pre-fabricated building systems is that the HVAC systems are inefficient. For example, high velocity small diameter duct HVAC systems are in general use throughout the United States. Most installations with this type of system have two outlets per room and a secondary single remote location cold air return located elsewhere. Return duct openings must be sized to balance airflow with a minimal pressure drop to maintain maximum efficiency. If the return is too small, the pressure head suppresses airflow in the small diameter duct. Often times, each room does not have individual returns. Instead, the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor becomes the only means of exhaust. If the door is closed, the room becomes “stuffy”.
Further, it is not practical to provide each room with its own large return duct in addition to the two small diameter inlet ducts. This would also lead to an increase in air contaminants. For example, while the inlet ducting airflow is typically high of approximately 2000 feet per minute, the return duct velocity is typically less than approximately 50 feet per minute. The low velocity in the return air duct will cause dirt particles to settle out and collect in the duct itself in contrast to a high velocity airflow that would entrain the dirt particles as it flows through the ducting. Accordingly, what is needed in the art, is a pre-fabricated building system that incorporates a HVAC system that is highly efficient and hygienic.
Another shortcoming of the prior art and conventional building methods is the susceptibility to failure from high wind loads. For example, recent hurricanes caused major structural damage to homes from inadequate retention of roof structures to walls. Various building departments responded to this problem by mandating the use of hurricane straps. These straps comprise a length of light gauge steel, typically placed at intervals equal to stud spacing that connect the wall structure with roofs and to other floor levels. The level of protection has improved thereby but is still inadequate for winds in excess of 150 mph. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a pre-fabricated building system that has improved strength and resistance to high wind loads.
It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed.
However, in view of the prior art at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified needs could be fulfilled.
The invention provides a system and method for constructing pre-fabricated buildings. The system includes providing a plurality of wall panels wherein each said wall panel having a plurality of vertically disposed channel-shaped metal studs equidistantly disposed between a bottom plate and top plate; said wall panel having substantially rigid foam insert disposed between said channel-shaped metal studs wherein said insert having an aperture forming a conduit vertically disposed within said foam insert; providing an interior spline adapted to be inserted between a first wall panel and adjacent second wall panel adaptable to secure said first wall panel and second wall panel together wherein said interior spline comprises rigid foam with a pair of steel facing adhered on opposing faces thereto; providing a bottom track adaptable to receive said bottom plate of said plurality of wall panels; providing a top track adaptable to receive said top plate of said plurality of wall panels; providing a ceiling panel supported by a top portion of said wall panels; and providing a roof panel secured to said ceiling panel and wall panel.
The components within the present invention's pre-fabricated wall panels are equivalent to standard open construction. Accordingly, a visual comparison of walls assembled from pre-fabricated wall panels with typical construction reveals some similarities. For example, both techniques are consistent with building codes for vertical spacing, facings, insulation, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. The major visual difference is in wall straightness, location, and squareness. This is a significant and important difference. The higher quality of the present invention's pre-fabricated wall panels is obtained by following strict quality control for incoming materials dimensional and performance specifications.
The present invention was developed to provide structural insulated wall panels that have cement-like facings, are lightweight, pre-insulated, and easily erected by specially trained labor. An important advantage of the present invention using labor with composite classification assembly skills for electric, plumbing, heating and air conditioning is that a single crew can quickly perform all trade requirements.
In the present invention, the accepted design of building walls with stud type framework is retained. However, the method of construction is changed as tasks performed on-site are instead completed in an off-site factory. A majority of currently common tasks, such as installing doors and windows, installing rough wiring, rough plumbing, placement of AC ducts, and applying wall facings, are done under strict quality control in the factory. For example, to build a four foot wall by traditional on site methods requires a carpenter, a block layer, an electrician, a plumber, HVAC tradesman, a dry wall crew and a painter. Time requirements are estimated in excess of one and one half hours to complete the work per four foot section. In contrast, the same four foot wall section can be constructed using the system and method of the present in approximately one minute. This rapid construction can be accomplished with a factory crew of ten workers. Further, it is estimated that labor costs are reduced to less than about 5% of traditional methods. This is accomplished by the factory placement of insulation, portions of rough wiring, and wall facings thereby eliminating the need for on site installation.
A typical full size wall segment of the present invention is 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Other panel widths of one foot, two feet, and three feet, headers, panels with pre-installed windows or doors, panels with one end framed to math roof slope and panels for special wall heights or widths are also contemplated by the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention, an interior space is defined by wall segments, ceiling panels and roof panels having steel and cement-faced surfaces. The space defined between the ceiling and roof panels (i.e., “attic space”) is used as a ductless cold air return. Each room of a building is connected to the attic space, for example, by a standard 6″×10″ register well known in the art. Thus, restrictions to air circulation caused by using air return ducts are substantially removed. Further, typically only one high velocity small diameter duct is required per room. In the preferred embodiment, air circulation is maintained continuously and all rooms are maintained at approximately the same temperature making balancing the system unnecessary and each room is served by one directly connected duct to the air handler.
The insulation of the attic space is equivalent to that used in commercial blast freezers. An interior temperature rise during the daylight hours is primarily a result of heat input from the occupants and from solar input through the windows. In the preferred embodiment, the windows are tempered double glazed argon fill E rated glass. Accordingly, the building will maintain a given inside temperature with little or no need for cooling or heating under normal conditions. The present invention incorporates approximately 10% minimum outside air. A separate controllable damper system is used in the nighttime hours to bring in up to 100% cooler outside air to lower the temperature in the home without the need for running the air conditioning equipment. Closing the damper in the daylight hours promotes keeping the house cool.
The present invention utilizes a full perimeter mechanical connection capable of withstanding winds up to 200 mph. Full perimeter attachment distributes uplift loads over a wide area. This results in easily managed stress loads. The lower levels of loads permit the use of light-weight easily formed metal components. These members also serve as seals against driving rain penetration similar to roof valley flashing.
The two major components of the present invention are quickly and easily installed. Installation uses a combination of adhesive bonding and mechanical screw connections. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a full perimeter installation can easily be completed at a rate of approximately 10 feet per minute.
Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a pre-fabricated building system that has improved strength and resistance to high wind loads.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide an efficient means of heating and cooling buildings.
Another important object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for large return air ducting in buildings.
An important object of the present invention is to provide an economic, efficient means of connecting cement fiber faced wall panels.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of maintaining contact fit between adjoining members of the pre-fabricated wall panels.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide internal clamping pressure on adjoining members during adhesive bonding.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide an efficient, economic means of producing and installing a lightweight full perimeter hurricane strap for use with construction of all type of buildings using lightweight cement fiber faces wall panels and steel faced structural insulated floor and roof panels.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of maintaining dimensional quality control of the pre-fabricated hurricane strap components.
Yet another important object of the present invention is to reduce the number of high velocity small diameter ducts to increase efficiency of the HVAC system.
Still another important object of the present invention is to replace most of the current HVAC design requirements that can only be met by skilled technicians with new HVAC designs that can be satisfied by general labor.
These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds.
The present invention, accordingly, comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the present invention, the accepted method of building walls with stud type framework is retained. However, factory assembly apparatus and process control methods capable of maintaining dimensional quality control of pre-fabricated wall segments or panels have replaced on-site framing by carpenters.
Referring now to
End stud 30 of a first wall panel 10 is adaptable to receive one end of corner spline 60. An end stud 30 of a second wall panel is adaptable to receive a second end of corner spline 60. In the preferred embodiment wall panel 10 is secured to corner spline 60 using construction adhesive. Screws 40 or other fastener means known in the art are used in alternative embodiments to secure wall panel 10 to corner spline 60.
As shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
In the preferred embodiment and as shown in
It should be understood that although the preferred method of assembling pre-fabricated building wall panels and the methods of application use unique methods, other process and apparatus might be employed. Further it is understood that the apparatus may be altered to accommodate a variety of building sizes and shapes.
Readily understandable diagrams of the present invention described herein illustrate the configurations of the method and system for constructing pre-fabricated buildings. The diagrams show those specific details that are pertinent to the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art of having the benefit of the description herein. Thus, the diagrams shown in the drawings are primarily intended to show the various components of the invention in convenient functional groupings, so that the present invention may be more readily understood.
Accordingly, the particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between.
Now that the invention has been described,
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/754,110 filed Dec. 27, 2005. The disclosure of the provisional application is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60754110 | Dec 2005 | US |