The present invention relates to a modular system prefabricated in reinforced concrete for the construction of buildings with parts in “U” and “Box” shape (
In the field of prefabricating reinforced concrete, “U” and “Box” shaped parts have been extensively used for the construction of hydraulic passages, agricultural passages and other technical passages for the crossing of vehicles.
These free-standing structures are buried, with a rectangular hollow section, and can be constructed by monolithic parts or by two overlapping parts. By being coupled to each other they create a tunnel for various functions. Due to its geometry (“Box” and “U”) and composition (reinforced concrete), the parts have strength and performance characteristics which ensure a prolonged service life. The geometric shape of these parts promotes resistance because there is a redistribution of effort, since they are single parts, whereas there are many points of weakness in conventional structures composed of pillars, girders and slabs.
The versatility of these structures increasingly makes them an option where strength, durability and economy is important.
In the construction sector the execution time of a construction is an increasingly critical factor in the final cost of the property, which led to the appearance on the market of many prefabricated modular systems to minimize this time, through series production.
In the present invention, only one single material (reinforced concrete) and one element (U or Box shaped) are used, while the other systems are composed of several materials/elements (structure+walls+compartimentation+filling layers+plasters+coatings+etc.).
The present invention is directed to a modular system prefabricated in reinforced concrete for building construction with “U” and “Box” shaped parts in which the connection between the parts is continuous in 3 directions (x, y, z):
In a preferred embodiment of the system of the present invention, the distance between the axes of the fitting parts in the longitudinal direction x is equal to the outer width y of the parts, and the joint between the parts is elastic or inelastic.
Another object of this invention is the use of the modular system described above for the construction of buildings.
In the present invention a modular system is proposed, where these parts are applied in the construction of buildings via a geometrically studied association (
The joint between the parts is achieved by tongue and groove fitting (1, 4, 5, 6 and 7), with an elastic or inelastic coupling according to the filling and sealing materials being employed.
Additionally, a mechanical connection may be performed by means of pins (2) and metal plates (8, 9 and 10) to ensure the effective grip between various parts and minimize uneven opening of joints. These additional connecting elements also serve to maintain the stability of the ensemble and to absorb horizontal forces in the case of multi-floor buildings, (see
The combined (or not combined) application of these parts allows the creation of foundations, flooring, walls and ceilings of a building at once, without any local concreting and no additional need for interior or exterior walls.
However, although not required, the system allows for the incorporation of other building elements such as: panel walls and prefabricated slabs of concrete.
The articulation of these parts allows the creation of various types of interior spaces with various hypotheses of architecture (
The pieces will generally be made of reinforced concrete with the following characteristics:
However, components may be added to the composition of the concrete, such as fibers for increased strength and decreased rate of reinforcements, or materials having thermal characteristics for improved thermal behavior.
Other elements, composed of any material, may also be embedded in the walls, floors and ceilings, to lighten the parts or reinforce them thermally.
The proposed system has the following advantages:
There are two types of processes for manufacturing the Box- Culvert, whether they are monolithic parts or the solution of two overlapped “U” type parts or a “U” shaped part.
The process of manufacturing these parts for the construction of buildings, according to the invention, involves incorporating a number of negatives within the molds for creating ports and passages of hydraulic, electrical and telecommunications installations. They will also have some additional metal bonds.
After production of the parts, they will be transported to the construction site and will start being assembled according to the design.
The application process of this concrete prefabricated system in a construction site consists essentially of the following steps:
This system requires neither a foundation nor is it fixed to the ground. The part is self-supporting and its base replaces the foundation, floor, walls and ceilings. That is, it has the peculiarity of being able to be taken to another location.
With the durability that concrete has, this system is an investment that can be leveraged in the future.
There is no mortar in the construction, you do not need water in the construction. It will undoubtedly be a quick modular process to assemble on site, for example, a T3 with 22 parts only requires the 22 parts put together and screwed, so 2 work days will be enough.
For an easier understanding of the invention, the drawings which represent preferred embodiments of the invention were attached, however, they are not intended to limit the scope of this invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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244/2012 | Feb 2012 | MZ | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/PT2013/000009 | 2/15/2013 | WO | 00 |