AU2011206928A1 - Prefabrication building system - Google Patents

Abstract

A prefabricated modular building system able to be built up to 7 levels in which each module includes a steel frame built to the standards required for road or sea transportable containers; the walls of the container which are to be external walls or floors' of the building are filled with structural light weight concrete panels; all of the fixed plumbing and electrical fittings are installed prior to transportation and arranged for connection to other modules and or external plumbing and electrical installations; each module is adapted for transport by road or sea and is able to be connected to adjoining modules to conform with fire and acoustic building standards.

Description

WO 2011/085449 PCT/AU2011/000039 1 PREFABRICATION BUILDING SYSTEM This invention relates to a system of prefabricating buildings to reduce time and labour requirements on site. 5 Background to the invention Prefabricated homes have been proposed. USA patent 4599829 discloses a building system composed of modular shipping container units utilising lockable and self levelling connector elements. 10 Spanish patent 2028732 discloses a steel framed prefabricated dwelling in which two walled and two roofed units are welded together prior to external panelling. Canadian patent 2000225 discloses a containerised transportable house which can be shipped unassembled in a standard cargo sized container and assembled on site. 15 USA patent application 2006/0185264 discloses a prefabricated building structure transportable in a standard shipping container which uses panels for both the container when collapsed and the structure when assembled. USA application 2009/0223144 discloses a self contained modular building that is self contained within a standard shipping container which contains the lockable 20 modular panels. USA 2008/0134589 discloses a system that uses a plurality of prefabricated interconnectable modular building units each of which conforms to the ISO container shipping standards. This system still requires significant labour inputs on site including pouring concrete into pre-prepared form work for the floors. 25 W02010/321129 discloses a modular building system using self supporting units that are interconnectable vertically and horizontally. It is an object of this invention to provide a transportable prefabricated module that minimises the onsite labour requirements. 30 WO 2011/085449 PCT/AU2011/000039 2 Brief description of the invention To this end the present invention provides a prefabricated modular building system in which each module includes a) a steel frame built to the structural standards required for road or sea 5 transportable containers; b) the walls of the container which are to be external walls or floors of the building are filled with structural light weight concrete panels; c) all of the fixed plumbing and electrical fittings are installed prior to transportation and arranged for connection to.other modules and or external 10 plumbing and electrical installations; d) each module is adapted for transport by road or sea with minimal flexing when lifted and is able to be connected to adjoining modules to conform with fire and acoustic building standards. By using a steel frame that complies with the structural road and sea freight 15 container standards the modules are easily adapted to be built up to 7 stories high and using the steel frames, balconies can be cantilevered off the modules as desired. The use of the light weight concrete panels provides the necessary acoustic and fire resistance as well as being termite proof. When assembling the modules the air gaps between adjoining walls or floors are sealed off at the wall 20 junctions to ensure fire integrity of each module and of the overall building and separate compartments of the building that may be made up of more than one module e.g. and apartment consisting of 3 modules within a multi apartment building. The flooring may be marine ply or lightweight concrete panels placed on the steel floor joists that are an integral part of the steel frame. 25 The system of this invention is predicated on manufacture off-shore and/or off site and therefore modules are required to be transported by sea and road to a site for construction. In order to be able to be shipped the modules are designed to meet ISO structural Shipping Container Standards. In some cases it is desirable to use a steel frame design which is designed for road 30 freight and installation only (i.e. de-specified as not required to be moved by sea freight). The system is modular and consists of a steel frame engineered to ISO structural standards in order to be sea freighted from the country of origin to the country of WO 2011/085449 PCT/AU2011/000039 3 destination. It is also engineered to minimize flexing when being lifted, each module may be lifted up to 9 times between departing. the factory and installation on the building site. Minimization of flexing is crucial to the quality of finishes inside the modules as they arrive a site. Because the modules are extensively completed in 5 terms of fit-out, flexing has to be minimized to avoid breakages and cracks in surfaces such as plasterboard, windows, mirrors & tiles. The dimensions of the modules may be either ISO compliant or non-compliant however the structural engineering always allows for sea freight shipment. If the dimensions are ISO compliant the modules can be moved by container ships, if they are non-compliant 10 they are moved by break bulk or charter ships. In the latter case, the engineering design is certified by a Maritime Engineer in order for the shipping companies to lift the modules on and off ships and to move the modules by ship. For modules being moved on container ships, the lifting and tie-down points are located at standard ISO dimensions to comply with the requirements for the loading is and unloading onto ships being undertaken by gantries at sea ports. For modules being moved by break bulk or charter ship, the pick up and tie-down points are at the non standard ISO dimensions but, as with the aforementioned ISO compliant modules, the pick up and tie-down steel components of the frames are ISO compliant. 20 The steel frames are in-filled with lightweight concrete wall panels. This material is used on walls, and sometimes as the substrate for floors, as it provides increased thermal and acoustic insulation; fire resistance and a generally more robust appearance. The modules are fitted out with electrical wiring and electrical fixtures such as 25 switches, GPOs, lights, smoke alarms, circuit breakers & switch boards and aerial, telephone and computer cabling. They are also fitted with hot water and cold water pipes, waste and stormwater pipes, plumbing fixtures and often with hot water and air conditioning systems. All fixtures and materials necessarily certified for the country of destination are certified upon procurement as is the installation -of such 30 materials and fixtures to ensure all relevant building codes are met prior to shipment ex factory. Wherever possible, bathrooms are fully fitted including toilets, taps, showers, tiles, mirrors, shower screens, joinery and basins. Kitchens and laundries are similarly WO 2011/085449 PCT/AU2011/000039 4 fitted. Bedrooms are fitted with wardrobes. Floor coverings are, where possible installed as are doors & door furniture and windows & window furniture. The modular system of this invention has been conceived to address several challenges associated with building where there is either high repetition of floor plan 5 layout; multi story construction; construction in remote and semi remote locations or when building timelines are short. The market segments that are particularly suited to the system of this invention are developments in the following sectors: medium density and medium scale apartments, multiple town houses, large scale residential, small to medium scale 1o commercial, student accommodation, hotels and motels, Indigenous'housing and mining accommodation. Detailed description of the invention A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings 15 in which: Figure 1A is a plan view illustrating a detail of the container connection at the top Figure 1B is a plan view illustrating a detail of the container connection at the bottom; Figure 2 A is a side view of figure 1A; 20 Figure 2 B is a side view of figure IB; Figure 3 shows a detail of the bracing connection in the container walls; Figure 4 shows a detail of the container shoe connection; Figure 5 shows a detail of an end/corner of two stacked containers Figure 6 shows a detail of the screw pile connection; 25 Figure 7 illustrates the fire control provision; Figure 8 illustrates a typical ceiling section; Figure 9 illustrates a typical wall to floor section.. The base 'skeleton' is a purpose designed steel frame - this frame is designed once 30 a house, apartment or office design is finalized i.e. it is purpose designed to meet the physical requirements of a house, apartment or office. The frame is designed by an engineer familiar with the ISO structural requirements for shipping containers as WO 2011/085449 PCT/AU2011/000039 5 this frame needs to be certified as ISO compliant with respect to sea freight shipping and movement by crane on and off a ship. In figures 1 and 2 two containers are connected on site by connection plates 20 bolted to adjacent containers at the top and bottom. In figure 2B the connection is 5 for 4 containers two side by side on two containers side by side below. The ceiling beams B2 and joists CJ1 and floor beams B1 and floor joists FJ1 are part of the structural frame of the container. The connections shown are intermediate of the corners but similar connections are made at the corners. On site the prefabricated modules are joined as shown in figures 1 , 2 and 5. i The frame has additional bracing 30 as shown in figure 3 when compared with a standard steel container frame in order to reduce the amount of flexing when the frame is lifted by a crane in order to reduce the flexing of the module thus reducing the likelihood of cracking of panels and fittings within the module. The bracing is diagonally fixed to a fixing plate 31 which is attached to a conventional container 15 shoe 40, The modules incorporate container shoes as shown in figures 3 and 4 spaced at standard or non standard ISO spacings, depending on whether the ISO dimensions are complied with. In figure 4 a floor joist FJ1 welded to beam is illustrated at a junction with a vertical column C1. In figure 5 the use of shims 44 between stacked 20 containers is illustrated. Once built, the steel frame becomes the base frame that the remainder of the modular system is fabricated within. Vertical and horizontal steel beams and posts are welded surrounding all of the window and door openings, as well as openings in ceilings and floors for internal stairwells, within the main steel frame on the exterior 25 walls in order to add additional strength to the frame and to further reduce flexing and cracking. The steel frame is generally designed to standard ISO Dimensions as far as length is concerned - 20ft, 40ft or 45ft (6.1m, 12.192m or 13.716m) but mostly designed to non-standard ISO Dimensions in regards to width and height as these dimensions 30 are determined by project specific variables. The steel frame can be built to non ISO Dimensions with respect to length if required by a certain project and subject only to road and sea freight dimension limitations.

WO 2011/085449 PCT/AU2011/000039 6 The steel frame is then in-filled with a Light Weight Concrete Wall Panelling System (LWC) which is also used for internal walls i.e. all walls are built out of this material. The advantages of the LWC are that it provides a very robust form and finish with high fire and acoustic ratings in addition to being very high in thermal qualities. The 5 LWC used has structural qualities adding to the overall strength of the modules and system. A preferred LWC board is made by Soben International and is a flat external grade high quality facade fibre cement reinforced calcium silicate board. This compressed high density autoclaved fibre cement reinforced calcium silicate board is moisture tolerant, tough, durable and resistance to impact damage. It is to suitable for use in areas where permanent damp or high humidity are anticipated. One module rnay be designed as a pre-fabricated lift shaft in a vertical container frame to be used in 3+ storey developments and one or more of these may be used vertically in a building. The benefits and points of difference of the combination of steel frame and LWC 15 used are as follows: * Robust and solid walls when compared with other pre-fab systems e Minimal flex when transported * High acoustic, fire and thermal qualities 0 Can be built to 7 levels without external engineering and structure 20 0 High level of structural integrity and resistance to storm and tremor damage Once the LWC walls are installed into the steel frames the remainder of the fit-out of the modules is completed in the factory including: * Installation of doors and windows * Electrical wiring and fittings 25 * Plumbing pipes and fittings * Joinery units - kitchens, robes, bathrooms & laundry cabinets/joinery * Bathroom, laundry and kitchen fittings and fixtures * Architraves, cornices and skirtings * Floor coverings, tiled walls etc 30 e Ducting for air conditioning heating etc. * Optionally the external finish can be provided in the factory.

WO 2011/085449 PCT/AU2011/000039 7 The modules are 90% prefabricated in the factory prior to fumigation, wrapping and shipping. The wrapped modules are sealed and maintain the fitted modules in pristine condition. All products used in the fabrication of modules may be sourced specifically to suit the project specific specification in addition to meeting the 5 relevant building codes, in the case of production destined for Australia this is the Building Code of Australia (BCA). Once delivered to site the modules are installed by a registered builder and in line with engineering specifications developed specifically for the system. The footings, 10 roofing and exterior cladding for the system are conventionally built and installed. The modules are unwrapped and placed in position on the site and then temporary bracings and vertical posts are removed as modules are connected together vertically and horizontally to maintain structural integrity. Figure 6 illustrates the connection of the modules to the footings which in this case 15 are screw piles 50 with a cast in plate 51 on which the container shoe 40 is connected. In figure7 an external wall and door of an apartment is shown where the LWC panels 61 form the wall and floor. The floor is covered with any suitable floor finish 62 and the external wall finish 63 may be paint or render. On the internal wall the 20 plasterboard 65 is covered by two layers of fire proof material 66. The door 67 is of solid timber. The door trim 68 is attached to the LWC wall panel 61 and surrounded by fire proof materials 66. In Figure 8 the ceiling construction is illustrated with a container foot 40 connected to a frame member 71 that carries a LWC wall panel 61 by way of a dowel bar 72. 25 In figure 9 the floor joist 81 is connected to the floor beam 82 and both are connected to the container foot 40. The floor and wall is composed of LWC panels 61. The floor panel is covered by a suitable floor finish 62. The internal walls are covered with a plasterboard sheet 65 These are dependent upon site conditions and architectural requirements of the 30 owner/developer and architect. The system may be built onto a variety of footing types such as but not limited to screw piles, concrete posts, mega-anchor, strip footings and concrete slab.

WO 2011/085449 PCT/AU2011/000039 8 This invention provides a fire check solution using a combination of light weight concrete wall panelling, fire rated plasterboard or fibre cement sheet and fire collars to give necessary fire protection to the structural steel elements of the container frames 5 The installation of fire rated materials is shown in figures 7 to 9. The columns and beams are insulated during construction. The materials used to close off the openings between module walls as shown in figure 7 are inserted during connection of the modules on site. The system of this invention is adapted to suit each project i.e. is custom designed 10 and built. Where the building plan requires open plan spaces where modules are joined the modules need to be strengthened for sea freight travel, crane lifting onto and off trucks and ships and freight by trucks. Modules are strengthened by installation of temporary steel columns as required for 15 stiffening of the modules (to reduce flexing in transport). Temporary posts are bolted, instead of welded, into position for easy disassembly on site. When the modules are in position in the building on site the temporary columns are removed and in some cases prior to the removal of the temporary columns ceiling and/or floor beams (acting as joists) are connected by bolting or welding a steel 20 connector between the adjacent beams, thus transferring the load from the temporary posts to the external walls. Once the temporary columns are removed the areas exposed are patched with plasterboard (ceiling) or light weight concrete panels (floors). The standard steel design allows for the modules to be stacked to 4 storeys. 25 It is possible to build up to 12 storeys using the modules as a self supporting structure but linked into a building core. The benefit of the system of this invention is that the additional steel structure required to build to 12 storeys is included in the steel frame of the module thus not requiring a steel or concrete superstructure in addition to the modules. 30 The system of this invention can be built higher than 12 storeys by utilizing a superstructure that would be designed to suit a specific building's requirements.

WO 2011/085449 PCT/AU2011/000039 9 The advantages of the system of this invention when compared with other prefabricated systems, in addition to those stated above, are: * All products used meet BCA (or other) standards * Extent of prefabrication results in less on site labour and materials = reduced 5 installation costs and total building costs in most applications Increased speed for installation = less time on site * Flexibility of this system to meet architectural design requirements of a specific project resultant from the customization of the system A Benefits associated with the properties of the LWC system 10 * Large ceiling spans using a hanging beam system which spreads the load across the width of 2 or more modules - transfers load to outer walls and provides wider rooms without posts and beams. This construction system also produces buildings that meet cyclone or storm 15 resistant ratings and also earthquake resistant requirements. The system is very. suitable to areas susceptible to high levels of earthquake due to the innate structural integrity of the steel frame and light weight concrete wall system. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this invention provides a unique and cost 20 effective solution to the provision of prefabricated buildings that can be transported over long distances and be used in multi storey projects. Those skilled in the art will also realise that this invention maybe implemented in embodiments other than those described without departing from the core teachings of this invention.

Claims (7)

1. A prefabricated modular building system in which each module includes a) a steel frame built to the structural standards required for road or sea 5 transportable containers; b) the walls of the container which are to be external walls or floors of the building are filed with structural light weight concrete panels; c) all of the fixed plumbing and electrical fittings are installed prior to transportation and arranged for connection to other modules and or external 10 plumbing and electrical installations; d) each module is adapted for transport by road or sea with minimal flexing when lifted and is able to be connected to adjoining modules to conform with fire and acoustic building standards. 15

2. A prefabricated module as claimed in claim 1 in which the floors are composed of wood or light weight concrete, panels mounted on the steel floor joists that are an integral part of the steel frame.

3. A prefabricated module as claimed in claim 1 or 2 which includes container 20 shoes to be used in lifting and stacking the modules for transportation.

4. A prefabricated module as claimed in claim I in which temporary steel columns are for stiffening of the modules, and the temporary columns are removed on site to provide open plan spaces where modules are joined. 25

5. A prefabricated module as claimed in claim 3 or 4 which is fumigated and wrapped for transportation.

6. A multi storey building formed from prefabricated modules as claimed in 30 claim 1.

7. A building as claimed in claim 3 in which a lift Well is provided using a pre fabricated lift shaft in a vertical container frame.