US20170037591A1

US20170037591A1 - Aboveground foundation for building superstructures

Info

Publication number: US20170037591A1
Application number: US14/756,141
Authority: US
Inventors: Alejandro Stein
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-08-06
Filing date: 2015-08-06
Publication date: 2017-02-09
Also published as: CN108474205A; BR112018002454B1; WO2017021509A1; BR112018002454A2

Abstract

A foundation for building superstructures is formed of metalogs that define an aboveground enclosure, a confined first fill that substantially fills the enclosure to a height sufficient to anchor and support the superstructure, and a loose second fill that is placed atop the first fill and leveled and compacted to form a hardpan floor.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to foundations for building superstructures and more particularly to a novel and effective aboveground foundation and method for its construction.
Description of the Prior Art
One of the simplest and fastest methods of constructing relatively small building structures uses fabricated hollow “logs.” They can be made of plastic or other materials but are usually made of metal and are therefore commonly referred to as “metalogs”. To minimize delivery costs, the metal strip material used to form the metalogs is shipped in the form of coils, taking up little room.
At a construction site, it is lock-formed into metalogs by a commercially available tube-forming machine installed with complementary equipment and tools in a containerized trailer. An internal-combustion engine typically powers an electrical generator that drives the machine. Since there are no other power requirements, the construction site can be in a remote location having no connection to the electrical power grid. This type of construction is ideally suited for employment in remote rural areas, where housing and other building needs are difficult to meet.
In this type of construction, connectors fitted to the ends of the metalogs, which have their axes oriented horizontally, are stacked vertically at corners where two superstructure walls meet and are locked together to stabilize the walls. Connectors are also used to connect metalogs forming a roof.
The present applicant is a leading developer of this type of construction, as exemplified by his prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,619,089, 5,282,343, 8,074,413, 8,099,917, 8,122,657, 8,215,105, 8,555,575, and 8,567,139 and an application with an indication of allowable subject matter Ser. No. 13/507,289, plus numerous patents in other countries. The identified U.S. patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference.
The superstructure of a relatively small building comprising metalogs can be assembled, start to finish, in less than an hour using unskilled local labor. Its (typically) steel construction renders it impervious to termites and resistant to water and fire damage, and its structurally integrated walls, upper floor and roof, combined with low weight, render it less susceptible than masonry and other conventional construction to damage by earthquakes. Roofing sheets or, alternatively, a membrane impermeable to water is applied on top of the metalogs of the roof to shed rain. The hollow logs can easily receive internal and external cladding where deemed desirable for aesthetic or other reasons.
These considerations have made this type of construction broadly acceptable in several countries for the construction of buildings of all types of up to two stories and especially as a means of providing new building structures and replacing those destroyed by man-made or natural disasters.
One of the most complicated parts in building construction is the foundation. In conventional practice it requires among other things, bringing cement, gravel, sand and iron rods from a distance, digging ditches, pouring concrete, or doing both, all of which requires the involvement of masons and is time-consuming.
In order to make buildings of this type even simpler, faster and more affordable, there is a need for further improvements in terms of solutions that may offset the need of bringing skilled workers, cement, gravel, sand and iron rods from a distance, to then dig ditches and pour concrete, all of which is expensive and, especially, time-consuming.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a new foundation for building superstructures that is especially adapted for simple and fast construction in remote locations.
Other objects of the invention include providing a foundation that
can easily be put in place on a horizontal piece of land, without having to dig it and pour cement concrete into any ditches and/or pour a cement slab;
is part of the superstructure itself, thus being above the terrain's level and affording a margin of safety in case of a floods by elevating the ground floor;
counteracts externally applied forces due, for example, to wind and earthquake;
requires no maintenance; and
is easy, quick and affordable to construct.
The foregoing and other objects of the invention are attained, in a foundation for a building, which is part of its superstructure by defining with metalogs an aboveground enclosure at the bottom and adding fill to the enclosure to a height sufficient to give it the required weight for the superstructure to withstand horizontal forces the same way it would if it were to be anchored to a conventional foundation. Preferably, the fill comprises a first fill that is contained in a multiplicity of bags each of which is relatively small relative to the enclosure, and a second fill atop the first fill that is initially loose but is then leveled and compacted to support furniture and human traffic.
The first fill has enough weight for the superstructure to withstand horizontal forces, even in a high wind, and is contained in bags so as to avoid horizontal pressure on the metalogs, which are made of light gauge steel and would otherwise be deformed. The second fill extends only a short height above the first fill. While it is initially loose and abuts the metalogs, it has insufficient weight to deform them. In more detail:
Metalogs are simply laid in a rectangular pattern with their axes horizontal to define an aboveground foundation enclosure. The bottommost metalogs rest directly on the ground but are not embedded in the ground. Connectors at each corner of the rectangle connect the metalogs. The connectors with their attached metalogs are stacked to a height equal to the sum of the diameters of a number of metalogs.
Workers using any convenient means such as shovels load a multiplicity of bags with dirt, gravel, sand, a mixture thereof, or another locally available fill.
There are alternatives to bag designs and ways of filling such recipients:
The containers can be wooden barrels, cloth or paper bags, cardboard boxes, short metalogs arranged with their axes oriented vertically, etc.
The containers can be filled and then placed in the enclosure as described below or (preferably, if the containers are relatively large and heavy) placed in the enclosure as described below and then filled.
The loaded containers constitute a first fill and a large number of them, preferably as many as possible, are placed in the foundation enclosure in frictional contact with the metalogs that define the enclosure. The containers occupy the enclosure or at least its periphery to a height (and consequent weight) sufficient to resist foreseeable horizontal forces on the superstructure.
For a one-story superstructure, a fill of high density, or a region of low winds, a height of three to six metalogs may suffice; for a two-story structure, a fill of low density, or a high-wind region, a height of six metalogs or even more may be required in accordance with case-by-case engineering calculations. Depending on the height of the containers and the height of the foundation, one or more layers of containers may be required.
The first fill is confined by the containers so as not to exert a significant lateral force on the metalogs. The metalogs, despite their light construction and the great weight of the first fill, are therefore not deformed by the first fill.
A second fill is added atop the first fill. The second fill is initially loose (not confined by multiple containers) and makes direct contact with the metalogs and with the containers immediately below the second fill. However, the second fill extends only a short height above the containers. While the second fill is in direct contact with at least one metalog in each wall of the foundation enclosure, it does not extend too high above the containers and has insufficient weight to exert enough force against the metalogs to deform them.
Some of the second fill trickles down a certain distance and enters into spaces between the containers and into spaces between the metalogs. Some of the second fill may even be in direct contact with the ground. It is within the scope of the invention to omit containers from the central part of the enclosure and in that case the second fill is of course in direct contact with the ground in the central part of the enclosure.
The second fill, which is initially loose, is raked flat and tamped (compacted) to form a hardpan floor that does not turn appreciably muddy when wet. No additional flooring is required, but flooring made of concrete, plywood or another material is optional, as of course is carpeting.
The superstructure is completed with a roof, one or more door and window frames, etc. Means such as stairs or a ramp is provided for access to the entryway, which is elevated above the surrounding ground.
A number of additional features characterize the preferred embodiment of the invention: Each metalog is cylindrical and substantially tangent to an adjacent metalog, and the second fill follows the cylindrical curvature of at least the uppermost metalogs of the foundation enclosure, possibly up to the tangent line between the uppermost metalogs and the metalogs next below them.
The ratio of the height of the superstructure for which the foundation is intended to the height of the foundation does not exceed 5:1 and in most environments is preferably in the range of 3:1 to 4:1. Optimally, in environments that are not too windy, the ratio is substantially 5:1.
In accordance with the invention, the foundation:
can be constructed by unskilled manual labor, once the metalogs are formed and at hand, without having to bring to the site any skilled labor, cement, sand and iron bars;
can support a building superstructure of up to two stories;
is elevated above the surrounding ground (is not a water sink) and therefore affords a margin of safety in a flood;
resists external forces due, for example, to wind, earthquake, or flood;
requires no maintenance; and
is easy, quick and inexpensive to put in place.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the objects, features and advantages of the invention can be gained from a consideration of the following detailed description of its preferred embodiments, together with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of a first pair of elongated metalogs (with corner connectors attached at either end) about to be laid parallel to each other on bare, flat, level ground in positions indicated by dotted rectangles separated by a distance substantially equal to the length of a second pair of elongated metalogs, shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is an isometric perspective view of the second pair of metalogs (with corner connectors attached at either end), which are about to be laid parallel to each other with their corner connectors atop the corner connectors attached to the metalogs of FIG. 1, the second pair of metalogs of FIG. 2 being perpendicular to the metalogs of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric perspective view of the second pair of metalogs interlocked with the first pair of metalogs;

FIG. 4 is an isometric perspective view of a later stage of the process of assembling a building superstructure, showing the addition of framing for entryways;

FIG. 5 is an isometric perspective view showing the framing of FIG. 4 seated and further showing the addition of contained fill to anchor the superstructure in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 is an isometric perspective view, partly broken away, showing the addition of loose fill atop the contained fill to form a level hardpan floor;

FIG. 7 is an isometric perspective view showing the completion of the hardpan floor;

FIG. 8 is an isometric perspective view showing a later stage of the process, after the addition of windows and entry stairs;

FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, showing a building superstructure, which could be another superstructure substantially the same as the one the construction of which is shown in FIGS. 1-8, put up under the same auspices, at substantially the same time, in the same general area, using the same tube-forming machine, and employing the same laborers; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary end view of a metalog that has a cylindrical curvature and is substantially tangent to a vertically adjacent metalog that also has a cylindrical curvature, showing that some of the second fill follows the cylindrical curvatures up to the tangent line between the two metalogs to assist in locking the foundation to the superstructure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As explained in detail below, whereas in conventional practice a building superstructure is erected on top of a foundation, in accordance with the present invention the foundation is elevated above the surrounding ground, and the lower part of the superstructure surrounds the foundation rather than being erected on top of it.
FIG. 1 shows a first pair of elongated metalogs 10 used at the beginning of the construction of a foundation 11, most clearly seen in FIG. 9. Each is secured at either end to corner connectors 12. The metalogs 10 are about to be laid parallel to each other on bare, flat, level ground in positions indicated by dotted rectangles 14.
The dotted rectangles 14 represent measured positions that can be inscribed on the ground. Alternatively, the metalogs 10 can be roughly positioned, and their precise separation and parallel alignment can be determined by a second pair of metalogs 16 with corner connectors 18 that interlock with the corner connectors 12 as shown in prior art cited above and as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings appended hereto.
The metalogs 10 and 16 form an aboveground enclosure 20 (FIG. 3), which in nearly all cases will be rectangular but could have another shape. In the usual case, the metalogs 10 have equal length, and the metalogs 16 have equal length, but the metalogs 10 do not necessarily have a length equal to the length of the metalogs 16.
In accordance with the invention, fill indicated generally at 22 in FIG. 6 is added to the enclosure 20. The fill 22 is added to a height sufficient to anchor and support the superstructure 25 in the absence of the usual concrete slab or in-ground basement.
That height to which the fill 22 is added will depend on its density, the height of the superstructure 25 (FIGS. 8 and 9), and the external forces expected to be applied to the superstructure 25 in the environment in which it is located. Factors arguing for a greater height of fill 22 include lower-density fill, greater height of the superstructure 25, and higher expected winds in the vicinity of the superstructure 25.
The fill 22 is of two types, described separately below: a multiply contained first fill 24, shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 9, and 10, and an (initially) loose second fill 26, shown in FIGS. 6-10. The first fill 24 is massive and capable by itself of adequately anchoring and supporting the superstructure. The second fill 26 is leveled and compressed into hardpan and provides a solid support for furniture and human traffic.

Contained Fill

24

The contained first fill 24, comprises a multiplicity of containers 28 (FIG. 5) into which any suitable fill 24 is placed, such as sand, clay, dirt, gravel, or a mixture thereof. It is within the scope of the invention to include sizable rocks, fairly large pieces of metal, and other debris in the contained fill 24, though in such case it is preferably mixed with finer fill so that there are no appreciable voids left within the fill containers 28. This helps to ensure that there is no opportunity for the fill 24 to shift within the containers 28 after installation and that the fill in each container 28 rises to the same height.
The containers 28 should be sturdy enough not to break open from the weight of the contained first fill 24. The larger the containers 28 the sturdier they must be to withstand the weight of the contained fill 24. They can in principle be made of wooden barrels, cloth bags, paper bags, cardboard boxes, and/or metalogs, so long as they are sturdy enough and are resistant enough to moisture and other conditions in the environment that might cause rot or other degradation of the containers 28 over time.
Unskilled local laborers using wheelbarrows and shovels can find suitable nearby fill and load the containers 28 either before or after positioning them in their desired locations within the enclosure 20. To avoid having to move filled containers 28, especially if they are large and consequently heavy, it will usually be preferred to place empty containers 28 in their desired locations within the enclosure 20 before adding the first fill 24.
As indicated above, metalogs can be used as containers 28 for fill. When so used they are much shorter than the average length of the metalogs used in the walls of the superstructure and are preferably mounted with their axes oriented vertically. No corner connectors are required.
Since a metalog used as a container 28 is placed on flat ground within the enclosure 20, its ends need not be sealed if the fill is added after placement of the metalog container 28 in its desired position within the enclosure 20. If one end of a metalog container 28 is sealed, first fill 24 can be added to it when it is not in its desired location within the enclosure 20, and the filled metalog container 28 can then be moved to its desired location. Closing the tops of metalog containers 28 is optional but not required.
Depending on the desired total height of the contained fill 24 and the height of the individual containers 28, more than one level of containers 28 may be provided. In that case, the containers 28 in the lowest level rest on the ground, as illustrated in the drawings, the containers in the next level (not separately illustrated) rest on the containers in the first level, and so on if there are additional levels. Higher levels of containers will normally be sealed at least at the bottom.
Metalogs forming the walls of a building superstructure are typically made of thin, inexpensive material to minimize overall construction costs. While they easily resist deformation by wind, they could be deformed by a large weight of loose fill in the enclosure 20. The containers 28 prevent the contained fill 24 from settling horizontally and pressing too forcibly against the metalogs. The containers 28 therefore prevent the fill 24 from deforming the metalogs.
The contained fill 24 is in frictional contact with the metalogs all around the perimeter of the enclosure 20, so that the superstructure 25 has no room to move relative to the fill 24 in response to a high wind or other source of an external force applied to the superstructure 25. The fill 24 is massive, rises to the requisite height in view of the factors mentioned above, and therefore by itself adequately supports and anchors the superstructure 25

Loose Second Fill Raked Smooth and Level and Compacted into Hardpan

The second fill 26 is fine-grained and initially loose and is raked and tamped (compacted) to form a smooth and level hardpan surface. It is in direct contact with the metalogs defining the enclosure 20 at the height of the fill 26 but forms a relatively shallow coating over the contained fill 24 and is of insufficient weight to deform the metalogs.
Since the fill 26 is fine-grained and initially loose, it sifts down to fill or partly fill the typically small spaces between the containers 28, thus forming a monolithic structure that prevents the containers 28 from moving relative to one another after completion of the foundation 11, even in a high wind. To avoid the risk of the unit being washed away in a flowing flood notwithstanding the weight of its base, one may plant one or more solid poles (not shown) in the ground within the foundation walls before placing the bags or containers 28.
Each metalog has a cylindrical curvature and is substantially tangent to a vertically adjacent metalog. As FIG. 10 shows, the second fill 26 follows the cylindrical curvature of any metalogs it makes contact with. In some construction projects, depending on the depth of the second fill 26, the fill 26 will follow the curvature of vertically adjacent metalogs up to the tangent line 30 between the metalogs to further assist in locking the superstructure to the foundation 11.
Wheelbarrows can be used to move locally available second fill 26 to the immediate vicinity of the worksite. The second fill 26 can then be applied atop the contained first fill 24 by unskilled laborers manning shovels and rakes. Compaction can be done with simple hand-held compaction tools plus water-filled drums that are rolled manually.
As the second fill 26 is added, it first begins sifting down into any small spaces between the containers 28 and between the foundation metalogs that define the enclosure 20 and the containers 28 that are in frictional contact therewith.
In accordance with the invention, the ratio of the height of the superstructure 25 to the height of the foundation 11 does not exceed 5:1. If the ratio is greater than that, there is a risk that the superstructure 25 will be “top-heavy” relative to the foundation 11, even in a relatively benign environment with light winds. In most environments, the ratio will be in the range of 3:1 to 8:1. An optimum ratio suitable for most environments is substantially 5:1.

Method of the Invention

The method of constructing a foundation 11 for a building superstructure 25 in accordance with the invention comprises the steps of arranging means such as a plurality of metalogs to define an aboveground enclosure 20 and adding a sufficient quantity of fill 22 to the enclosure 20 in frictional contact with the enclosure-defining means to anchor and support the superstructure.
More specifically, it comprises using metalogs as the enclosure-defining means, adding a first fill 24 to the enclosure, containing the first fill 24 so as not to deform the metalogs, and adding atop the first fill 24 a second fill 26 that is loose and of insufficient weight to deform the metalogs. The second fill 26 is then leveled and compacted to form a hardpan floor.
The operations of adding second fill 26, raking it level, and compacting it will usually be performed sequentially and cyclically: that is, some second fill 26 is added, then it is raked, then it is compacted, then more second 26 fill is added, raked, and compacted, and so on until the desired thickness of compacted second fill 26 is attained.
At suitable points during the erection of superstructures according to the invention, door framing 32, windows 34, stairs 36 providing access to the entrance or entrances, etc., are provided, as those in the industry understand.
Thus there is provided in accordance with the invention a novel and highly effective foundation for building superstructures and method for its construction. The invention has features that make it especially desirable in situations where speed of construction is important and construction costs must be kept to a minimum.
Many modifications of the preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed herein will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of this disclosure. The invention extends to all structures and methods that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A foundation for building superstructures, the foundation comprising:

metalogs resting directly on the ground but not embedded in the ground, the metalogs defining an aboveground enclosure, and

fill filling the aboveground enclosure to a height sufficient to anchor and support the superstructure,

wherein the fill comprises:

a first fill in frictional contact with the metalogs, the first fill having a weight sufficient to anchor and support the superstructure and being confined to avoid deforming the metalogs, and

a loose second fill atop the first fill having insufficient weight to deform the metalogs and being leveled and compacted to form a hardpan floor.

2. (canceled)

3. A foundation according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of containers for confining the first fill.

4. A foundation according to claim 3 wherein the containers are selected from the group consisting of wooden barrels, cloth bags, paper bags, cardboard boxes, and metalogs.

5. A foundation according to claim 4 wherein the metalogs have axes that are oriented vertically.

6. A foundation according to claim 1 wherein each metalog has a cylindrical curvature and is substantially tangent to a vertically adjacent metalog and some of the second fill follows a cylindrical curvature up to the tangent to assist in locking the foundation to the superstructure.

7. A foundation according to claim 1 wherein the ratio of the height of the superstructure to the height of the foundation does not exceed 5:1.

8. A foundation according to claim 7 wherein the ratio is within the range of 4:1 to 3:1.

9. A foundation according to claim 7 wherein the ratio is substantially 5:1.

10. A method of constructing a foundation for a building superstructure, the method comprising the steps of:

laying metalogs directly on the ground but not embedded in the ground, the metalogs defining an aboveground enclosure; and

adding a sufficient quantity of fill to the aboveground enclosure in frictional contact with the metalogs defining the enclosure to anchor and support the superstructure.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein adding the fill comprises:

adding a first fill;

containing the first fill so as not to deform the metalogs;

adding atop the first fill a second fill that is loose and of insufficient weight to deform the metalogs;

leveling the second fill; and

compacting the second fill to form a hardpan floor.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the steps of adding, leveling and compacting the second fill are performed sequentially and cyclically.