Patent Application
20200385982
This invention relates generally to the field of prefabricated structures and more specifically to a new and useful panelized structural building system in the field of prefabricated structures.
The following description of embodiments of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments but rather to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use this invention. Variations, configurations, implementations, example implementations, and examples described herein are optional and are not exclusive to the variations, configurations, implementations, example implementations, and examples they describe. The invention described herein can include any and all permutations of these variations, configurations, implementations, example implementations, and examples.
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Generally, the panelized structural building system 100 includes a set of prefabricated structural floor, wall, and roof panels that are constructed offsite and assembled (e.g., for the first time) onsite to form a complete, habitable building (e.g., a house, a pool house, a cabin, a multi-family residential apartment, a carriage house) with little or no onsite (structural) customization (e.g., or on-site trimming or modification) of these panels themselves. In particular, wall panels no in this system include: hardpoints 120 that define vertical and horizontal datums for accurate, repeatable connection to corresponding datums defined by hardpoints 120 in floor and roof panels; and structural, load-carrying elements that connect these hardpoints 120 both vertically and laterally but do not extend beyond datums (e.g., planar surfaces) defined by these hardpoints 120 (or otherwise remain clear of features on adjacent panels), thereby preventing interference between these structural elements 113 in the wall panel 110 and adjacent floor and roof panels when these components are assembled, ensuring accurate location of the wall panel 110 on a floor panel 130, and similarly ensuring accurate location of a roof panel on the wall panel 110.
For example and as shown in
Therefore, hardpoints 120—defining datums for accurately and repeatably locating the wall panel 110 relative to adjacent wall panels 110, a floor panel 130 below, and a roof panel above—can be fixed within a tight tolerance on nominal dimension, planarity, straightness, and/or flatness, etc. within the wall panel jig. Separate structural (i.e., load-carrying) elements can then be assembled around these hardpoints 120 to carry vertical and shear loads between these hardpoints 120, and an insulator 114 can be installed, injected, cast, or molded, etc. between these structural elements 113 to complete the wall panel 110. Thus, the wall panel 110 can include separate, discrete locating elements (i.e., hardpoints 120), load-carrying elements, and a discrete insulating element(s).
Additional wall panels 110 fabricated on this same wall panel jig (and other wall panel jigs of different geometries (e.g., 24″-wide and 36″-wide, 100″-tall panels)) at similar temperatures may therefore exhibit similarly-tight tolerances. Floor and roof panels can be similarly constructed on similar floor and roof panel jigs and may therefore exhibit similarly tight tolerances.
Therefore, the panelized structural building system 100 can include a set of floor, wall, and roof panels, each of which includes a set of features (e.g., hardpoints) that define datums for accurate, repeatable location on adjacent structural panels in the panelized structural building system 100 such that a large (e.g., a 20′-wide by 40′ long) structure assembled from these structural panels exhibits high dimensional and geometric accuracy. Such high dimensional and geometric accuracy of the structure may then enable prefabricated interior and exterior façade panels 150 to be assembled onto this structure to complete the building with little or no customization (e.g., or on-site trimming or modification) of these façade elements without sacrificing final fit and finish of the building as a whole.
Furthermore, by segmenting walls, floors, and roofs for a structure into smaller panels, these structural panels may be sufficiently lightweight to enable an installation team to maneuver these structural panels into position, such as by hand with only low-weight lift and maneuver assist tooling (e.g., a handtruck) and without a crane, forklift, or other heavy equipment. For example, an installation team may assemble structural panels in the panelized structural building system 100 into a poolhouse or backyard office by carrying these structural panels by hand to a side of a house, through a side gate, and into a backyard area without the use of a crane.
Floor, wall, and roof panels are described herein as constructed and assembled to form a building with a rectangular floor plan; however, floor, wall, and roof panels can be assembled to form a structure defining a floor plan of any other size or geometry.
Generally, a higher-expense, high-precision wall panel jig can be implemented to precisely locate (e.g., +0.000/−0.020″ in nominal width, flatness, straightness, and planarity) hardpoints 120 in a wall panel 110 in the panelized structural building system 100. While these hardpoints 120 are precisely located in the jig, structural elements 113 in the wall panel no can be constructed—with loose tolerances—around this set of hardpoints 120. More specifically, features that will locate this wall panel no relative to other structural panels in the panelized structural building system 100 (e.g., adjacent wall, floor, and roof panels) are thus constrained by the jig at known locations with tight dimensional and geometric tolerances. Load-carrying structural elements 113 in this wall panel 110—which do not control location of the wall panel 110 relative to other structural panels in the panelized structural building system 100—are thus assembled with lower precision (and therefore at reduced cost) around the hardpoints 120 in the jig without sacrificing final fit and alignment of this wall panel 110 within the greater structure, which is controlled by datums defined by these hardpoints 120, which are thus located accurately and repeatably by the jig, as shown in
This wall panel jig can be reused to create many (e.g., hundreds, thousands of) panels of the same nominal dimension and geometry (within a tight tolerance, such as +0.000″/−0.020″) over time. For example, a small number of wall panel jigs—such as including 100″-tall by 24″-, 36″-, and 48″-wide wall panel jigs) may be sufficient to construct nearly all wall panels 110 for a wide range of buildings representing a wide range of unique footprint sizes and geometries. Floor and roof panels for these structures can be similarly constructed with a small number of floor panel jigs (e.g., 24″-wide by 8′-, 12′-, 20′-long floor panel jigs) and a small number of roof panel jigs (e.g., 24″-wide by 8′-, 12′-, 20′-long roof panel jigs) or on the same floor panel jigs. A set of panels can therefore be produced on these jigs remotely from a job site and then precisely assembled—by abutting datums in these panels—locally to form a (unique) structure without modification or custom fitting of these panels at the job site. In another example, a single wall panel jig defines a fixed wall panel height (e.g., 100″) and an adjustable wall panel width, such as a series of 24″, 36″, and 48″ insert positions that form one side of a wall panel.
Furthermore, because dimensions and geometries of hardpoints in these structural panels are tightly controlled by these jigs, interior finish panels 160 and exterior façade panels 150 sized for these structural panels can be installed over these structural panels to complete the building with tight, consistent gapping between interior finish and exterior façade panels 150 without necessitating customization (e.g., on-site trimming or modification) of these interior and exterior façade panels 150. Therefore, each structural panel incorporating hardpoints for location and assembly with adjacent structural panels can exhibit high geometric and dimensional accuracy of surfaces configured to mate with other structural panels within the panelized structural building system 100 due to high-precision remote fabrication of this structural panel. These structural panels can thus enable rapid local assembly of a building with little or no onsite customization (e.g., or on-site trimming or modification) of these structural panels and other subsystems while concurrently yielding more consistent, accurate, and repeatable fit between all finished interior and exterior surfaces.
A jig can therefore define tight-tolerance locating features that mate with and precisely locate datums defined by hardpoints within one structural panel such that these datums will accurately and repeatably locate this structural panel relative to adjacent wall, floor, and ceiling panels during subsequent assembly of a structure.
In one implementation shown in
In the foregoing example, floor panel hardpoints 132 in the floor panel 130 can also define raised (or recessed) shoulders: of controlled dimension and geometry (e.g., height, depth, internal corner profile), such as along their exterior edges; and configured to mate with and locate receivers (e.g., recessed or raised receivers)—of similarly controlled dimension—along corresponding wall panel hardpoints 120. Shoulders in a pair of floor panel hardpoints 132 can therefore cooperate with corresponding receivers in a pair of wall panel hardpoints 120 to locate and constrain this wall panel 110 relative to this floor panel 130 in two degrees of freedom (e.g., translation along the “x” axis and rotation about a “z” axis).
In this example, other floor and wall panels 110 can include similar floor panel and wall panel hardpoints 132, 120 of similar geometry and that similarly cooperate to constrain these wall panels 110 relative to the floor panel 130 in these degrees of freedom. Connection of perpendicular groups of wall panels 110—over an assembly of floor panels 130—can also locate and constrain these wall panels 110 in two final degrees of freedom (e.g., translation along a “y” axis and rotation about the “y” axis).
In this implementation, these wall panel hardpoints 120 can also include both: lateral datums defining primary planar surfaces configured to mate with primary planar surfaces of lateral datums of adjacent wall panels 110; and depth datums configured to set a depth of an edge of a first wall panel 110 relative to an adjacent second edge of a second wall panel 110. In one example shown in
Thus, in this implementation, during assembly of a set of structural panels, operators may: visually verify that adjacent edges on the outer wall faces 112 of adjacent hardpoints on two abutting panels fall on (or within a maximum tolerance of) the same plane; and then fasten these structural panels together, such as with: undersized bolts or clevis pins passing through smooth bores in these hardpoints; wedges; or undersized turnbuckles threaded into smooth or threaded bores in these hardpoints.
In another implementation shown in
As described above and shown in
Generally, a wall panel no includes: hardpoints 120 that define maximum dimensions of the wall panel 110 and datums for locating the wall panel 110 on adjacent structural panels; and structural elements 113 that carry vertical and/or shear forces between a roof panel above and a floor panel 130 below.
In one implementation, a wall panel no defines a full single-floor height (e.g., ˜100″) and one of a range of widths, such as up to a maximum width corresponding to a maximum weight that may be carried and maneuvered by two crewmen (e.g., 54″-wide, up to 120 pounds). In this implementation, the width of the wall panel 110 can be selected to meet vertical load-carrying requirements of the structure. For example, narrow wall panels no may enable more hardpoints 120 to be incorporated per unit length of a completed wall within a structure and may therefore support more vertical load paths between hardpoints 120 and thus more load-carrying capacity per linear foot of wall constructed with a set of panels and may therefore be selected for taller structures, structures with multiple floors, or structures with heavier roof systems. Conversely, a wider wall panel no may be selected for building locations with greater local seismic requirements or wind sheer forces. However, a wall panel no can define any other geometry.
(Alternatively, the wall panel 110 can exclude discrete structural elements 113, and hardpoints 120 within the wall panel 110 can be coupled and retained by a foam insulator 114 or other polymer insulator introduced into and hardened within the jig while the wall panel hardpoints 120 are retained in the jig during production of the wall panel 110.)
In one implementation shown in
In one example, a lower wall panel hardpoint 120 defines: a bottom-facing planar surface configured to mate with and to transfer vertical loads downward into an upward-facing planar surface defined by a floor panel hardpoint 132 in an adjacent floor panel 130 in order to vertically locate the wall panel 110 on the floor panel 130; a front- (or rear-) facing surface (e.g., a ridge, semi-cylindrical surface) perpendicular to the bottom-facing planar surface and configured to mate with the rear- (or front-) facing surface defined by the adjacent floor panel hardpoint 132 in order to longitudinally locate the wall panel 110 on the floor panel 130; and a lateral (i.e., “side-facing”) planar surface perpendicular to the bottom- and front-facing surfaces and configured to mate with a lateral surface defined by a lower wall panel hardpoint 120 in an adjacent wall panel 110 in order to longitudinally locate these wall panels 110 relative to one another. Similarly, an upper wall panel hardpoint 120 can define: a top-facing planar surface configured to mate with and to communicate vertical loads from a downward-facing planar surface defined by a roof panel hardpoint 142 in an adjacent roof panel in order to vertically locate the roof panel over the wall panel 110; a front- (or rear-) facing surface perpendicular to the top-facing planar surface and configured to mate with the rear- (or front-) facing surface defined by the adjacent roof panel hardpoint 142 in order to longitudinally locate the roof panel on the wall panel 110; and a lateral planar surface perpendicular to the upper- and front-facing surfaces and configured to mate with a lateral surface defined by an upper wall panel hardpoint 120 in an adjacent wall panel no in order to longitudinally locate these wall panels 110 relative to one another.
A lower wall panel hardpoint 120 can also define features that enable the hardpoint to be fastened or otherwise coupled to an adjacent wall panel 110 and adjacent floor panel 130. For example, the bottom-facing surface of the lower wall panel hardpoint 120 can define a first bore configured to receive a threaded fastener (or a rivet, a weld bead, an adhesive) to fasten this hardpoint to an adjacent floor panel hardpoint 132 in an abutting floor panel 130; similarly, the lateral surface of this lower wall panel hardpoint 120 can define a second bore configured to receive a threaded fastener to fasten this hardpoint to an adjacent wall panel hardpoint 120 in an abutting wall panel 110. In the edge-centric datum implementation described above, the first and second datums can be sized for a loose running fit with these threaded fasteners. Alternatively, in the bore-centric datum implementation described above, the first and second datums can be sized for a clearance or transition fit with these threaded fasteners. An upper wall panel hardpoint 120 can similarly define features that enable the hardpoint 120 to be fastened or otherwise coupled to an adjacent wall panel 110 and adjacent roof panel 140.
In one implementation, wall panel hardpoints 120 also define features configured to locate and retain exterior façade panels 150 (e.g., rainscreen panels). For example, exterior-facing surfaces of wall panel hardpoints 120 can define locating features (e.g., round or keyhole bores) configured to receive pins or threaded fasteners extending from the inner façade face of an exterior façade panel 150. Thus, once a structure of floor, wall, and room panels are assembled to form a building, an exterior façade panel 150 can be installed over one wall panel 110 by inserting pins or shoulder bolts extending from each corner of the exterior façade panel 150 into the exterior-facing slotted bore in the corresponding hardpoint 120 of one wall panel 110, and this process can be repeated for each other wall panel 110 in order to complete assembly of the façade of the building.
In a similar example, the wall panel 110 can include: an outer wall face; and a set of wall panel hardpoints 120, each defining an exterior façade mount 124 facing outwardly from the outer wall face of the wall panel 110. In this example, each exterior façade mount 124 can include a cleat 117 configured to directly engage a shoulder or other feature extending rearward from (proximal) a corresponding corner of an exterior façade panel 150. Alternatively, each exterior façade mount 124 can include a smooth or threaded bore, a pin or slot, or another datum and mounting feature; and the panelized structural building system 100 can further include a set of separate cleats 117 configured to mount directly to these exterior façade mounts 124 during assembly of the building.
A hardpoint can be sandcast, diecast, sintered, molded, fabricated (e.g., welded), additively-manufactured (or “printed”), and/or machined (e.g., from billet), such as in steel, aluminum, nylon, fiberglass, carbon fiber, or any other structural material.
In one implementation, a hardpoint can include a five-sided steel fabricated cube with one open face facing the interior side of the wall panel 110. For example, the wall panel 110 can include a pair of lower wall panel hardpoints 120: in the form of metal cuboid structures of a first thickness (e.g., steel cuboid structures fabricated in ¼″ (or 3-gauge) steel plate); that define the left and right lower corners of the wall panel 110; that define a pair of opposing lower lateral wall panel datums 121 facing outwardly from the left and right sides of the wall panel 110; and that define a pair of lower vertical wall panel datums 122 facing downwardly from a bottom of the wall panel 110. In this example, the wall panel 110 can similarly include a pair of upper wall panel hardpoints 120: in the form of metal cuboid structures of a first thickness (e.g., steel cuboid structures fabricated in ¼″ (or 3-gauge) steel plate); that define the left and right upper corners of the wall panel 110; that define a pair of opposing upper lateral wall panel datums 121 facing outwardly from the left and right sides of the wall panel 110; and that define a pair of upper vertical wall panel datums 122 facing outwardly from a top of the wall panel 110.
Furthermore, a wall panel hardpoint 120 in a lower corner of a wall panel 110 can define any other geometry spanning multiple datum surfaces, such as including: a lateral datum surface configured to mate with a lower lateral datum surface of an adjacent wall panel 110 to repeatably and accurately set a spacing between lower corners of this wall panel 110 and the adjacent wall panel 110; a lower vertical datum surface configured to mate with a vertical datum surface of an adjacent floor panel 130 to repeatably and accurately set a spacing between this wall panel no and the adjacent floor panel 130; and an exterior façade mount 124 configured to locate and mount an adjacent corner (or edge) of an exterior façade panel 150 relative to these lateral and lower vertical datums. Similarly, a wall panel hardpoint 120 in an upper corner of a wall panel 110 can define any other geometry spanning multiple datum surfaces, such as including: a lateral datum surface configured to mate with an upper lateral datum surface of an adjacent wall panel no to repeatably and accurately set a spacing between uppers corners of this wall panel 110 and the adjacent wall panel 110; an upper vertical datum surface configured to mate with a vertical datum surface of an adjacent roof panel 140 to repeatably and accurately set a spacing between this wall panel 110 and the adjacent roof panel 14o; and an exterior façade mount 124 configured to locate and mount an adjacent corner (or edge) of an exterior façade panel 150 relative to these lateral and upper vertical datums.
For example, in the foregoing implementations, a pair of lower wall panel hardpoints 120 can define a pair of opposing lower lateral wall panel datums 121 offset by a target wall panel 110 width dimension (e.g., 48″), within a tolerance range of +0.000″ and −0.020″—such as to yield a maximum width of 48.000″ and a minimum width of 47.980″ between these lower lateral wall panel datums 121. Similarly, in this example, a pair of upper wall panel hardpoints 120 can define a pair of opposing upper lateral wall panel datums 121 offset by the target wall panel 110 width dimension, within a tolerance range of +0.000″ and −0.020″—such as to yield a maximum width of 48.000″ and a minimum width of 47.980″ between these upper lateral wall panel datums 121. Similarly, the upper-left and lower-left hardpoints can be located in the wall panel 110 such that the lateral wall panel datums 121 defined by these hardpoints fall within the same plane, within a tolerance range of +/−0.010″; the upper-right and lower-right hardpoints can be located in the wall panel 110 such that the lateral wall panel datums 121 defined by these hardpoints also fall within the same plane, within a tolerance range of +/−0.010″—such as to yield a maximum effective width of 48.010″ and a minimum effective width of 47.970″ across these wall panel datums. Furthermore, a row of ten such wall panels 110 assembled over a floor panel 130 may yield a wall exhibiting a maximum effective length of 40′-0.10″ and a minimum effective length of 39′-11.70″.
The vertical floor and roof panel datums 133, 143 defined by these hardpoints can be similarly toleranced. Each vertical floor and roof panel datum 133, 143 can also be located within a narrow perpendicularity tolerance—such as +/−0.1°—to the lateral wall panel datums 121 defined by its corresponding hardpoint.
As shown in
In one implementation, these structural elements 113 include perimeter casing components: extending between hardpoints along the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the wall panel 110; mechanically fastened, bonded, or otherwise coupled to these hardpoints; configured to carry vertical load between upper and corresponding lower hardpoints in the wall panel 110; and configured to maintain rigid lateral location of hardpoints on the left side of the wall panel 110 relative to hardpoints on the right side of the wall panel 110. For example, these structural elements 113 can include formed or fabricated sheetmetal sections, such as 20- or 22-gauge galvanized steel bend into elongated U-channel sections. In another example, these structural elements 113 can include molded, extruded, or pultruded fiberglass structural elements 113.
Furthermore, each structural element can be of a thickness that is (significantly) less than a thickness of a hardpoint in the same wall panel 110 (e.g., 20-gauge and 3-gauge, respectively) and/or can exhibit (significantly) less torsional rigidity than hardpoints in the same wall panel no. Therefore, these structural elements 113 may twist and deform when mated (e.g., riveted, bonded, fastened) to the hardpoints during fabrication of the wall panel 110—rather than cause the jig or hardpoints to deform or cause these hardpoints to separate from the jig during fabrication of the wall panel no in the jig.
Therefore, a set of structural elements 113 can be arranged along the perimeter of the wall panel 110 to couple the lower wall panel hardpoints 120 and the upper wall panel hardpoints 120 in this wall panel 110 and to form a first load-bearing structure 113 that carries vertical and lateral loads between these hardpoints.
Furthermore, these structural elements 113 can be inset inside of a maximal wall panel no perimeter of the wall panel 110 defined by the hardpoints, such as offset inside this maximal wall panel 110 perimeter by between −0.020″ and —0.120″, in order to eliminate possibility of interference between these structural elements 113 in the wall panel no and adjacent structural elements 113 in an abutting floor or roof panel 130, 140 when later assembled into a structure.
In one variation, these structural elements 113 also include cross-bracing welded, fastened, or bonded between hardpoints at opposing corners for increased shear strength of the completed wall panel 110. Structural elements 113 can also be arranged vertically in the wall panel 110 and inset from the wall panel hardpoints 120 to increase vertical load capacity of the wall panel 110.
The wall panel 110 can also include an insulator 114 occupying a volume between the set of structural elements 113 and hardpoints 120 . More specifically, the wall panel 110 can include an insulative component arranged inside the maximal perimeter of the wall panel 110 thus defined by the wall panel hardpoints 120. For example, the insulative component can include precast structural foam elements inserted into cavities between the hardpoints 120 and structural elements 113 and bonded (e.g., with adhesive or expanding foam) to these hardpoints 120 and structural elements 113.
Alternatively, the insulator 114 can include expanding foam that can be injected into these cavities and cast in place within the wall panel 110 during fabrication within the jig. For example, the insulator 114 can include a closed-cell foam molded within the wall panel 110 to: form a secondary structure between the structural elements 113 and the hardpoints 120; to incorporate thermal insulation directly into the wall panel 110; and to define a water-impermeable barrier (e.g., a vapor barrier) across the inner and outer wall faces 111, 112 of the wall panel 110.
Alternatively the insulator 114 can be pre-formed to a size of a wall panel 110, and wall panel hardpoints 120 can be pressed into or bonded to the insulator 114 at their target locations to complete assembly of the wall panel 110. Thus, in this implementation, the insulator 114 can also function as the load-bearing structure 113 in the wall panel 110 (i.e., the insulator 114 and the load-bearing structure 113 can be physically coextensive).
In another implementation, the insulator 114 occupies a volume between two load-bearing sheet structures that sandwich wall panel hardpoints 120 in the corners of a wall panel to form a “sandwich constructure” wall panel 110.
In one variation shown in
5.5 Wall Panel Fabrication
In one implementation shown in
Alternatively, in the foregoing implementation, the moisture barrier 115 can be placed in the base of the jig—in place of the first plastic sheet—prior to assembly of the structural elements 113 such that the moisture barrier 115 is integrated and incorporated into the wall panel 110 in situ rather than installed on the outer wall face 112 of the wall panel 110 after structural fabrication of the wall panel 110 is complete. Yet alternatively, the interior faces of the jig and jig cover can be sprayed with a mold release prior to injecting expanding foam around the structural elements and hardpoints 120; a moisture barrier 115 in sheet format can then be applied over the outer wall face 112 of the wall panel 110 once extracted from the jig, or the outer wall face 112 of the wall panel 110 can be coated with a liquid moisture barrier 115 or waterproofing material. Alternatively, the expanding foam can itself form a waterproofing membrane across the structural elements 113 and hardpoints 120.
Furthermore, in the foregoing implementation, pre-cast foam panels can alternatively be inserted between the structural elements 113 and hardpoints 120 in the wall panel 110, and expanding foam or other adhesive can be injected or applied between these precast foam panels and the structural elements 113 to bond this assembly together.
In one variation, the outer face 112 of a wall panel 110 includes a similar exterior wall hanger configured to locate and support an exterior façade panel 150. In this variation, exterior wall hangers—integrated into a row of wall panels 110 that collectively form a wall—can align to form a continuous exterior wall hanger, and exterior façade panels 150 can be set on a fastened to this continuous exterior façade panel 150 to complete the exterior façade across this wall.
However, a wall panel 110 can be constructed in any other way.
As shown in
In particular, a floor panel 130 can be constructed with floor panel hardpoints 132 located—with a tight tolerance—at target positions of wall panel hardpoints 120 in the assembled structure in order to accurately and repeatably register these wall panels 110. For example, a first floor panel 130 designated for a structure can include a row of floor panel hardpoints 132 along one outer long edge of the floor panel 130, wherein each floor panel hardpoint 132 defines one upward-facing planar surface spanning two adjacent wall panel hardpoints 120 of two adjacent and abutting wall panels no at each wall panel no junction along this outer long edge of the floor panel 130. In this example, the first floor panel 130 can similarly include rows of floor panel hardpoints 132 along the two short edges of the floor panel 130; a first corner between the outer long edge of the floor panel 130 and one short end of the floor panel 130 can include a stop: defining an origin of the structure; and configured to mate with a lateral datum of a first side of a first wall panel 110 installed along this outer long edge of the floor panel 130 in order to register this first panel to the floor panel 130 along an x-axis of the structure; datums defined by hardpoints in a second wall panel 110 arranged adjacent and perpendicular to this first wall panel 110 can thus mate with datums defined by hardpoints in this first panel in order to register this second wall panel 110 along a y-axis of the structure. A last floor panel 130 can define a similar geometry, less a stop. Intermediate floor panel 130 between the first and last floor panels 130 can similarly define hardpoints—configured to mate with wall panel hardpoints 120—along their short ends.
In one example, a floor panel 130 defines a rectangular plan and includes: four floor-to-floor panel hardpoints 132 in each corner of the rectangular plan; fabricated steel c-channel joists (on 16″ centers) extending between these four hardpoints; floor-to-wall panel hardpoints (e.g., some physically coextensive with the four floor-to-floor panel hardpoints 132) coupled to the joists and arranged across each target wall panel hardpoint 120 location, as described above; and foundation hardpoints configured to fasten to a foundation or other mooring, such as physically coextensive with the four floor-to-floor panel hardpoints 132 or otherwise coupled to the joists. In this example, two floor panels 130 can be fastened together such that adjacent c-channel joints in these abutting floor panels 130 form a rectangular closed-channel beam or an I-beam for greater torsional strength.
A floor panel 130 can also include: additional joists running along its length in order to increase its load-carrying capacity; pre-installed or formed-in-place moisture barriers 115 across the outer floor face 131 of the floor panel 130; and/or a final floor covering (e.g., wood flooring, carpet, an epoxy-based wear surface) arranged across a top face of the floor panel 130.
However, a floor panel 130 can define any other form or geometry and can be constructed in any other way.
As shown in
For example, a roof panel 140 can be constructed on the same jig as a floor panel 130. Accordingly, the roof panel 140 can include: an inner roof face 141 (e.g., a ceiling face) defining a rectilinear geometry; a set of roof panel hardpoints 142 defining a row of vertical roof panel datums 143 proximal a bottom edge of the inner roof face 141; and a load-bearing structure 144 coupled to the set of roof panel hardpoints 142 and inset from a maximal roof panel dimension defined by the row of vertical roof panel datums 143. The roof panel 140 can therefore be assemblable over a set of wall panels no with the row of vertical roof panel datums 143 vertically located by vertical wall panel datums 122, 123—defined by pairs of upper wall panel hardpoints 120 in these wall panels 110—to set the height and position of the roof panel 140 over this wall panel no and the floor panel 130 below.
In one implementation, upon (or prior to) extraction of a roof panel 140 from a jig, pre-cast tapered foam sheets are bonded to the outer roof face of the roof panel 140 in order to form a slope for roof drainage. Alternatively, such slope can be formed directly into the roof panel 140, such as by molding a closed-cell foam between and around structural elements 144 in this roof panel 140 to form slope across the outer roof face of the roof panel 140.
However, a roof panel 140 can define any other form or geometry and can be constructed in any other way.
In one example implementation shown in
In this example implementation, this process is repeated for additional floor panels 130 to complete a floor assembly of the structure.
Once the floor assembly is completed, a first wall panel no and a second wall panel 110—perpendicular to the first wall panel 110—are loosely installed around the first corner of the first floor panel 130 (i.e., over the origin of the structure), including locating the first lower hardpoint of the first wall panel no in contact with the stop at the first corner of the first floor panel 130. The first and second wall panels 110 are then checked for perpendicularity and tightened onto the first floor panel 130 with threaded fasteners running through lower hardpoints in the first wall panel 110 into bores in corresponding floor panel hardpoints 132 in the first floor panel 130. The adjacent upper and lower hardpoints of the first and second wall panels 110 can be similarly fastened and tightened together.
In one variation, a gap between the bottom edge of structural elements 113 in the first wall panel 110 and the top edge of the first floor panel 130 is filled with caulk or expanded foam once the first wall panel 110 is tightened onto the first floor panel 130. Alternatively, a preformed gasket 116 can be inserted into this gap or preinstalled on one of these surfaces; and the first wall panel no can be tightened onto the first floor panel 130 until adjacent hardpoint surfaces contact, thereby compressing the gasket 116 and sealing the first wall panel no to the first floor panel 130. The second wall panel 110 can be similarly sealed against the first floor panel 130 and the first wall panel 110.
This process is then repeated to loosely install a third wall panel no and a fourth wall panel 110—perpendicular to the third wall panel 110—at a second corner at the opposite end of the outer long edge of the first floor panel 130. Wall panels no can then be similarly loosely fastened to the floor panel 130 and to adjacent wall panels 110 in order to loosely assemble this first wall of the structure along this outer long edge of the first floor panel 130. This row of wall panels no can then be driven toward the first wall panel no to snug lateral hardpoints in these wall panels 110, and these wall panels 110 can then be tightened together and tightened against the first floor panel 130 in order to complete this first wall of the structure.
A first roof panel 140 can then be arranged parallel and overhead the first floor panel 130, set over this first wall, the second wall panel 110, and the fourth wall panel 110, and loosely fastened to the wall panels 110 below at corresponding hardpoints. Once checked for level and square, the first roof panel 140 can be tightened onto the wall panels 110 below to drive downward-facing roof panel hardpoints 142 onto corresponding upper wall panel hardpoints 120 in this first wall.
A next pair of wall panels 110 can then be fastened to the floor assembly panel at the second and fourth wall panels 110; a next roof panel 140 can be installed over this next pair of wall panels 110; abutting joists in this next roof panel 140 and the first roof panel 140 can be fastened together at roof-to-roof hardpoints to form closed-beam or I-beam ceiling joists, as described above; and this process can be repeated until all remaining wall panel 110 and reference points are installed to complete structural assembly.
In this example, “dummy” wall panels 110 can be similarly installed in the structure during assembly but either not fastened to adjacent structural panels or fastened and then removed from the assembly upon completion to form openings for doors and windows.
However, these floor, wall, and roof panels can be assembled in any other way and in any other order.
As described above and shown in
In one implementation shown in
For example, a first wall panel 110 can include a first set of wall panel hardpoints 120: that define a first set of lateral wall panel datums 121 facing outwardly from a left side of the first wall panel 110; and that define a first set of fastener bores 124 proximal the first set of lateral wall panel datums 121. Similarly, a second wall panel 110 can include a second set of wall panel hardpoints 120: that define a second set of lateral wall panel datums 121 facing outwardly from a right side of the second wall panel 110; and that define a second set of fastener bores 124 proximal the second set of lateral wall panel datums 121. In this example, the panelized structural building system 100 can further include a gasket 116 (e.g., a rubberized weather-strip) configured to install between the left side of the first wall panel 110 and the right side of the second wall panel 110 during assembly of the first and second wall panels 110 onto a floor panel 130. (Alternatively, the gasket 116 can be integrated into (e.g., bonded, fastened, or overmolded to) the left side of the first wall panel 110 or the right side of the second wall panel 110.) During assembly of these wall panels 110 into a section of a wall, a set of fasteners can be installed through the first set of fastener bores 124 and the second set of fastener bores 124 in hardpoints in the first wall panel 110 and the second wall panel 110 in order: to mate the first set of lateral wall panels 110 along the left side of the first wall panel 110 against the second set of lateral wall panels no along the right side of the second wall panel 110; and to compress the gasket 116 between the left side of the first wall panel no and the right side of the second wall panel 110. In the implementation described above in which the outer wall faces 112 of the wall panels 110 in the panelized structural building system 100 are sealed or include moisture barriers 115, the gasket 116 can thus cooperate with the outer wall faces 112 of the first and second wall panels no to form a continuous moisture barrier 115 across this wall section.
In this implementation, a gasket 116 can be similarly installed between the bottom faces of wall panels 110 and the top of the abutting floor panel 130 in order to form a continuous moisture barrier 115 across the outer wall faces 112 of these wall panels no and floor panel 130. Similarly, a gasket 116 can be installed between the top faces of wall panels no and the bottom of the abutting roof panel 140 in order to form a continuous moisture barrier 115 across the outer wall faces 112 of these wall panels 110 and roof panel 140.
Alternatively, in this implementation, gaps at junctions between abutting floor, wall, and roof panels can be caulked or sealed (e.g., with an elastomeric sealant or expanding foam) following assembly.
Additionally or alternatively, a moisture barrier flap 115 (e.g., 12″-wide adhesive-backed elastomeric flap) can be adhered over vertical and horizontal junctions between adjacent floor, wall, and roof panels upon completion of the structural assembly.
For example, each wall panel 110—in a set of wall panels 110 allocated for a building—can include a moisture barrier flap 115 extending laterally from a first side of the wall panel 110 and configured to overlap a junction between the first side of the wall panel 110 and a second side of an adjacent wall panel 110 fastened thereto. When assembled to form a wall, these wall panels 110 can first be fastened together and to the abutting floor panel 130; the moisture barrier flap 115 from each wall panel 110 can then be applied over a nearby section of the outer wall face 112 of the adjacent wall panel 110, such as by removing a backing from this moisture barrier flap 115 and sticking the moisture barrier flap 115 onto the adjacent wall panel 110. In this example, each wall panel 110 can similarly include a moisture barrier flap 115 extending beyond its bottom edge and configured to overlap a junction between the bottom edge of the wall panel 110 and the exterior face of an adjacent floor panel 130 fastened thereto. Furthermore, each roof panel 140 can similarly include a moisture barrier flap 115 extending beyond its bottom edge and configured to overlap a junction between the bottom edge of the roof panel 140 and faces of adjacent wall panels 110 fastened thereto.
Yet alternatively, a continuous moisture barrier 115 can be applied to or integrated into an outer wall face 112 of a wall panel 110 and can be extended across junctions between this wall panel 110 and an adjacent wall, roof, and/or floor panel 130. For example, a moisture barrier 115 can be: installed on the outer wall face 112 of a wall panel 110 during construction; trimmed to a top edge and right edge of the outer wall face 112 of the wall panel 110; and trimmed oversize to form flaps that extend beyond the left edge and the bottom edge of the outer wall face 112 of the wall panel 110 by a corresponding minimum overlap distance (e.g., 12″ from the left edge; the full height of a floor panel 130 from the bottom edge). In this example, the moisture barrier 115 can be adhesive-backed, and a backing can be left in place on the flaps. These flaps can thus be rolled or folded back from the left and bottom edges of the wall panel 110 and taped or otherwise held away from hardpoints in this wall panel 110 during assembly at a job site. Thus, once floor, wall, and roof panels are assembled into a structure at the job site: the paper backing from this wall panel 110 can be removed from moisture barrier flaps 115; the left flap can be extended over a junction along the left edge of the wall panel 110 and adhered across a portion of the outer wall face 112 of the adjacent wall panel 110; and the bottom flap can be extended over a junction along the bottom edge of the wall panel 110 and adhered across a portion of the outer wall face 112 of the floor panel 130 below. This process can be repeated for each other wall panel 110 in the structure to seal junctions between the wall panel 110 and between these wall panels 110 and the floor assembly.
In the foregoing implementation, roof panels 140 can similarly include moisture barrier flaps 115 extending from left and bottom edges of their outer roof faces. Upon (or during) assembly of the structure, a moisture barrier flap 115 extending from the left edge of one roof panel 140 can be unwrapped and applied over the right edge and a portion of the outer roof face of an adjacent roof panel 140; and a moisture barrier flap 115 extending from the bottom edge of the roof panel 140 can be unwrapped and applied over the top edge and a portion of the outer wall face of an adjacent wall panel 110, thereby fully sealing the structure. A TPO or TPU membrane can be applied, bonded, and/or welded over the top surface of the completed roof assembly (e.g., over pre-cast tapered foam sheets arranged on the upper exterior surfaces of these roof panels 140) up to (and slightly past) the top edges of the roof assembly.
Additionally or alternatively, TPO or TPU membrane can be applied, bonded, and/or welded over the top surface of the completed roof, and this membrane can extend past the top edges of the roof assembly and down past junctions between these roof panels 140 and the wall panels 110 below in order to form a continuous seal over the top of the roof assembly and down a portion of these wall panels 110.
As described above and shown in
In one implementation, a exterior façade panel 150 defines a nominal width equal to the nominal width of the corresponding wall panel 110, less a nominal gap distance (e.g., 0.150″) between a vertical edge of the exterior façade panel 150 and an adjacent vertical edge of an adjacent exterior façade panel 150. Furthermore, in order to maintain a consistent, repeatable gap between adjacent vertical edges of adjacent exterior façade panels 150 once installed on a wall of like wall panels 110 (e.g., ranging from 0.110″ to 0.190″ across the entire structure) and in order to prevent interference between this exterior façade panel 150 and an adjacent exterior façade panel 150, the exterior façade panel 150 can be constructed with a tolerance—on its width dimension—similar to the width dimension tolerance of the corresponding wall panel 110 (e.g., +.000/−.020″).
The exterior façade panel 150 can also include features configured to mount the exterior façade panel 150 directly to hardpoints in a corresponding wall panel 110. For example, the exterior façade panel 150 can include: shouldered pins extending from the rear of the exterior façade panel 150 near the top corners of the exterior façade panel 150; and threaded shafts or nuts extending from the rear of the exterior façade panel 150 near the bottom corners of the exterior façade panel 150. In this example, exterior façade mounts 124 in the upper hardpoints in the corresponding wall panel 110 can include keyhole features; and exterior façade mounts 124 in the lower hardpoints in this wall panel 110 can include smooth bores sized for clearance or transition fit with a threaded fastener. During onsite assembly, shouldered pins at the top corners of the exterior façade panel 150 can be inserted into the keyhole bores in the upper hardpoints in the corresponding wall panel 110. These keyhole features can thus locate the top edge of the exterior façade panel 150 against the wall panel 110 and set a lateral position of the upper corners of the exterior façade panel 150 relative to the wall panel 110. The exterior façade panel 150 can then be pivoted downward to bring the lower edge of the exterior façade panel 150 toward the lower hardpoints in this wall panel 110 and to bring threaded shafts or nuts in the lower corners of the exterior façade panel 150 into alignment with corresponding bores in the lower hardpoints in this wall panel 110. The lower corners of the exterior façade panel 150 are then fastened to the lower hardpoints of the wall panel 110, which can locate the bottom edge of the exterior façade panel 150 relative to the wall panel 110 and set a lateral position of the lower corners of the exterior façade panel 150 relative to the wall panel 110.
Alternatively, a cleat 117 can be integrated into or fastened onto exterior façade mounts 124 in hardpoints in each wall panel 110; and each exterior façade panel 150 can include shouldered fasteners, hooks, or other mating features extending rearward from (proximal) each corner of the exterior façade panel 150 and configured to drop into a cleat 117 on a wall panel hardpoint 120. Each exterior façade panel 150 can also include a latch 126 (shown in
Alternatively, each exterior façade mount 124 can include a smooth or threaded bore, a pin or slot, or another datum and mounting feature; and the panelized structural building system 100 can further include a set of separate cleats 117 configured to mount directly to these exterior façade mounts 124 during assembly of the building.
Furthermore, each exterior façade panel 150 can define a rainscreen panel that includes an inner façade face and can be configured to install onto exterior façade mounts 124—defined by a set of wall panel hardpoints 120 of a corresponding wall panel 110—with the inner façade face of the exterior façade panel 150 offset from an outer wall face of the wall panel 110. For example, the exterior façade mounts 124 on wall panel hardpoints 120 can define stops that mate with corresponding features on the back side of the exterior façade panel 150 such that the inner façade face of the exterior façade panel 150 is offset from the outer wall face 112 of the adjacent wall panel 110 (e.g., by 1″ per 10′ of exterior façade panel 150 height), thereby enabling air to flow upward and moisture to flow downward between the wall panel 110 and the exterior façade panel 150.
However, an exterior façade panel 150 can be installed on a wall panel 110 in any other way and can define any other geometry.
Therefore, in the foregoing implementations, wall, floor, and roof panels can be assembled to form a waterproof, structural building of tightly-controlled dimension and including exterior façade mounts 124 configured to repeatably and accurately locate and support a set of exterior façade panels 150, which conceal (i.e., visually obscure) moisture flaps, other waterproofing, structural elements, vertical and horizontal junctions between panels, outer faces of these panels more generally, harnessed wiring, mechanical elements (e.g., vents, radiant heating component), and/or plumbing incorporated into these wall panels 110. For example, each exterior façade panel 150 can span a width approximately equal to a width of its corresponding wall panel 110 (less a target or nominal vertical gap between adjacent exterior façade panels 150 in the final structure) such that the exterior façade panel 150 can install directly onto exterior façade mounts 124 defined by hardpoints in its corresponding wall panel 110. However, each exterior façade panel 150 can also span a height greater than the total assembled height of floor, wall, and roof panels in the structure such that the exterior façade panel 150 fully covers and conceals the adjacent outer faces of these floor, wall, and roof panels.
In one example shown in
As described above, a wall panel 110 can also define interior finish receptacles configured to accurately locate and retain an interior finish element, such as a prefinished interior wall panel 110. For example, a prefinished interior wall panel 110 can include a finished surface, (e.g., such as automotive-grade paint or prefinished wood veneer) over a rigid substrate (e.g., MDF-faced plywood; aluminum-honeycomb-backed fiberglass) and can include a mounting feature 166—configured to engage an interior wall hanger 118—on its rear face 164.
In one implementation shown in
However, these prefinished interior wall panels 110 may not necessarily be the same width as wall panels 110 that form this wall. Because wall panels 110 in a completed linear wall form a continuous interior wall hanger 118, multiple (wider or narrow) prefinished interior wall panels 110 may be quickly installed onto this wall while preserving opportunity for crewmen to quickly set and control vertical gaps between adjacent prefinished interior wall panels 110. For example, once wall, floor, and roof panels 140 are assembled to form a structure with first, second, third, and fourth walls, a first set of prefinished interior wall panels 110 are loosely set on a first continuous interior wall hanger 118 formed by discrete interior wall hangers 118 located on inner wall faces 112 of a first set of wall panels 110 that form the first wall of the structure. The left edge of a first prefinished interior wall panel 110 on this first set of wall panels 110—located proximal a first internal corner of the structure—is then located at a target distance—equal to the sum of the depth of these prefinished interior wall panels 110, a target corner gap distance (e.g., 0.125″), and a depth of the mounting features—from the adjacent fourth wall. Edges of the remaining prefinished interior wall panels 110 on the first wall are then set at target gap distances (e.g., 0.000″, 0.125″) such that any variance in total width of this first set of prefinished interior wall panels 110 from the width of the first wall—such as due to lower-tolerance production of these prefinished interior wall panels 110—is stored in the second internal corner of structure.
A second set of prefinished interior wall panels 110 are then loosely set on a second continuous interior wall hanger 118 formed by discrete interior wall hangers 118 located on inner wall faces 112 of a second set of wall panels 110 that form the second wall of the structure. At the second internal corner of the structure, the left edge of a first prefinished interior wall panel 110 on this second set is offset from the last prefinished interior wall panel 110 on the first wall by the target corner gap distance (e.g., 0.125″). The first prefinished interior wall panel 110 in this second set can thus hide any surplus or shortage of total length of the first set of prefinished interior wall panels 110 on the first wall. Edges of the remaining prefinished interior wall panels 110 on the second wall are then set at target gap distances such that any variance in total width of this second set of prefinished interior wall panels 110 from the width of the second wall is stored in the third internal corner of the structure.
This process can then be repeated to install third and fourth sets of prefinished interior wall panels 110 on the third and fourth wall, including: hiding any surplus or shortage of total length of the third set of prefinished interior wall panels 110 (installed on the third wall) with prefinished interior wall panels 110 installed on the fourth wall; and hiding any surplus or shortage of total length of the fourth set of prefinished interior wall panels 110 (installed on the fourth wall) with prefinished interior wall panels 110 installed on the first wall.
Therefore, in one example, each wall panel 110 can include: inner and outer wall faces 111, 112 of a first width (e.g., 48″); a set of hardpoints defining vertical and lateral datums proximal corners of the outer wall face 112; and an interior wall hanger 118 (e.g., an undercut slot, molding, or reglet) extending laterally across the inner wall face 112 of the wall panel 110. Each interior finish panel 160 can include: a pre-finished interior face 162 defining a second width different from (e.g., less than) the first width (e.g., 36″); a rear face 164 opposite the finished interior face 162; and a mounting feature (e.g., a hook) arranged on the rear face 164. Accordingly, a set of wall panels 110 are assemblable into a wall—as described above—with their interior wall hangers 118 aligning to form a continuous track along a length of the wall. The set of interior finish panels 160 are thus configured to install onto this continuous track to conceal inner wall faces 112 of the wall panels 110 that form this wall.
Furthermore, a first floor panel 130—defining one outermost edge of a rectangular floor plan—can include a first row of floor panel hardpoints 132 along its length, and a first set of wall panels 110 can be installed onto this first row of floor panel hardpoints 132 in the first floor panel 130. The first floor panel 130 can also include sub-rows of floor panel hardpoints 132 extending along its short ends perpendicular to the first row of floor panel hardpoints 132. Similarly, a second floor panel 130—configured to mate to the first floor panel 130—can include sub-rows of floor panel hardpoints 132 extending along its short ends perpendicular to its long axis. Thus, the first floor panel 130 and the second floor panel 130—and additional floor panels 130 similar to the second floor panel 130—can be assembled to form a continuous floor structure with sub-rows of floor panel hardpoints 132 along each side of the continuous floor structure aligning to form a second row and a third row of floor panel hardpoints 132 perpendicular to the first row of floor panel hardpoints 132. Furthermore, a third floor panel 130—such as similar to and/or mirroring the first floor panel 130 and installed on the continuous floor structure opposite the first floor panel 130—can define a fourth row of floor panel hardpoints 132 parallel to the first row of floor panel hardpoints 132. Thus: a second set of wall panels no can be installed onto the second row of floor panel hardpoints 132; a third set of wall panels 110 can be installed onto the third row of floor panel hardpoints 132; and a fourth set of wall panels 110 can be installed onto the fourth row of floor panel hardpoints 132 to form a four-sided structure.
Furthermore, each set of wall panels 110 assembled onto a corresponding row of floor panel hardpoints 132 in the continuous floor structure can form a continuous wall with a continuous track along its interior face. More specifically, the first set of wall panels 110 can be assembled into a first wall with their interior wall hangers 118 aligning to form a first continuous track along the length of the first wall; and the second set of wall panels 110 can be assembled into a second wall—perpendicular to and intersecting the first wall—with their interior wall hangers 118 aligning to form a second continuous track along a second length of the second wall.
Accordingly, a first row of interior finish panels 160 can be installed onto the first continuous track defined along the first wall with a first end of a first interior finish panel 160—in this first row of interior finish panels 160—a) located proximal a corner formed by the first wall and the second wall and b) offset from an inner face of the second wall at an uncontrolled corner gap distance to accommodate a surplus or shortage of the total length of this first row of interior finish panels 160 relative to the total length of the first wall.
Furthermore, a second row of interior finish panels 160 can be installed onto the second continuous track with a second end of a second interior finish panel 160—in this second row of interior finish panels 160—a) located proximal the corner formed by the first wall and the second wall and b) offset from a first finished interior face 162 of the first interior finish panel 160 at a controlled corner gap distance (e.g., 0.125″) to conceal the uncontrolled corner gap distance thus formed between the first end of the first panel in the first row of interior finish panels 160 and an inner wall face 112 of a first wall panel 110 in the second of wall panels 110.
The pattern of a second end of a row of interior finish panels 16o concealing any uncontrolled corner gap distances—formed between a first end of an adjacent row of interior finish panels 16o and an inner wall face 112 of an adjacent first wall panel 110—can be repeated at each other interior corner of the building in order to achieve consistent gaps and finish details inside the building while reducing dimensional tolerance requirements of interior finish panels 16o installed in the building.
As a person skilled in the art will recognize from the previous detailed description and from the figures and claims, modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.
This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/848,377, filed on 15-MAY-2019, which is incorporated in its entirety by this reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62848377 | May 2019 | US |
