Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention concerns improvements in or re-
lating to building systems, and in particular it relates to the
fabrication of building structures of a kind having wall sections
or panels provided by skeletal frame units, and to the construction
of such frame units.
These wall sections or panels may form load-bearing up-
standing external walls and may have a modular size and construction,
conforming to standardised dimensions, so as to promote modular
assembly methods.
Although many forms of building systems employing build-
ing frame units of the above-mentioned kind have previously been
proposed, the prior art proposals have generally been less satis-
factory than is to be desired, at least in some respects, and
there is a certain need or demand for improvements, especially to
provide versatile and simple practical systems which can have low
cost characteristics and which do not have to rely heavily on the
availability of skilled labour, especially on site.
It is commonplace for building structures to be construct-
ed from prefabricated units erected on a base foundation comprising
a concrete floor slab or raft, however the particular method of
constructing the base foundation in the building system of the
present invention represents a significant technical advance and
is especially advantageous in contributing towards speedy and
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efficient building construction without the need for highly skill-
ed labour on site. A very important aspect is the manner in which
the base plate elements are initially accurately located and set
in precise pre~etermined relative positions using the skeletal
base sub-frame in effect as a iig in co-operation with the tie
rods, and the manner in which the base plate elements are there-
after held in their correct positions by being moulded into the
floor slab and are then used as precision fixing points for locat-
ing and controlling the positioning of the prefabricated wall frame
units making up the superstructure of the building, while the sub-
frame itself is dismantled ready for re-use in constructing the
base foundation of another similar building. The sub-frame is
therefore not used merely as a mould for casting the floor slab,
and the floor slab does not act merely as a support for the build-
ing as in most prior art systems, but both are used in locating
and holding the base plate elements in precise positions upon
which the successful erection and fitting together of the super-
structure depends.
The present invention also provides a building frame unit
for use as a wall section or panel of a building structure, said
unit comprising a rectangular skeletal metal frame built up of
spaced-apart elongate longitudinal frame members, adapted to form
respective top and bottom horizontal members, connected together
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by elongate end frame members, adapted to form vertical end pill-
ars, and one or more intermediate elongate frame members extend-
ing between, and connected in selected positions to, said longi-
tudinal frame members so as to form intermediate pillars spaced
from and parallel to said end members, and said unit having at
least one aperture, formed by the or those open spaces of the
skeletal frame between any adjacent frame members, end members
or intermediate pillars, which remain after assembling and fitting
other fixtures or components such as windows or door
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closed over b~ sheeting composed of plastics material
providing a sealing and/or insulating barrier.
According to another aspect, wherein the frame members are
hollow metal sections, the longi~udinal frame members and the
intermediate pillars are formed by a pair of flanged channel
sections assembled mouth-to-mouth to form a box-like elongate
structure, and the end frame members are each formed by a
single said flanged channel section assembled with its mouth
presented outwardly in order to engage in confronting mouth-to
mouth relationship a æimilar end frame member of a similar
frame unit assembled in adaacent aligned endwise relationship.
Most conveniently, the pairs of flanged channel sections
forming the longitudinal frame members and the intermediate
pillars are connected together after assembly in their
opposed confronting relationship by C-cleats engaged with
respective pairs of inturned re-entrant flar~es thereof.
In general, the frame units are arranged to support and
mount additional fixtures or components, such as windows or
doors for example, which are accommodated in the openings
between pairs of adjacent end units and intermediate pillars,
and adaustability or selective positioning of the latter
along the length of the top and bottom longitudinal members
car. enable the position and spacing of the openings to be
varied to suit the dimensions and desired position of the
fixtures or components to be so supported and mounted.
In fabrication of the frame units, which may conveniently
and often advantageoufily be performed, either wholly or
mainly, at a location remote from the buildi~g site, after
assembly and co~necting together the frame members, the
additional fixtures or components required to be accommodated
in the spaces between the adaacent pairs of end members and
intermediate pillars are assembled and connected in place~
Supplementary support for these additional fixture~ or
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components may also be provided, if desired, by horizontal
cross-members or stringers between the end members or
intermediate pillars. Then, the remaining openings or
apertureæ of the frame u~it are covered and closed by
applying the sheeting material providing a sealing andYor
insulating barrier.
~he sheeting material may consist of, or include, a
thin plastics skin or membrane connected by any convenient
fastening or connection to the top and bottom members, end
members and intermediate pillars, and any cross-members.
; It is more generally preferred, however, that the
sheeting should consist of, or include, a plastics foam
material, especially a low flammability cellular foam
material having highly favourable thermal insulation
properties such as, for example, polyisocyanate foam
materials marketed under the Trade Name "Qwellflam". Such
foam plastics materials may be applied by in~ection into
the apertures or openin~s, whilst the frame is assembled
in a simple jig, and may form a sheet-like infill of
substantial thickness extending between and bonding to
adjacent frame members. Also, embedded in the foam material,
there may be additionally provided a thin metal plate, again
extending between adJacent frame members, which can provide
an effective fire barrier.
The fully fabricated frame units can then be delivered
to ~he building site for assembly and erection, preferably
on a preconstructed and levelled horizontal base prepared
by using a skeletal sub-frame, which may be composed of
elongate metal sections, to provide a mould for casting a
~0 concrete raft.
The closure of the openin~s of the frame l~nits by the
sheeting has a practical advantage during the building
construction in that, after o~uick erection to provide external
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wall sections or panels followed by a qhick roofing, the
external structure can be sufficiently weatherproof to
permit workmen to complete the interior under inclement
weather conditions.
~he roof may be supported on the adjoining top frame
members of the assembled frame units, or on connectors
coupli~g adjacent frame units together. The roof can be
of conventional design including a plurality of roof trusses
to which, for example, battens are secured for supporting
tiles or other roofing material.
In the completed structure, the frame units will
generally be enclosed by an outer cladding and an inner
lining. The cladding may be of any suitable type, including
brick, precast slabs, stone, wood or even synthetic material
panels. ~he lining may also be of a conventional type
such as plasterboard or panels of suitable finishing material.
By way of example, practical applications of the invention
are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In said drawings,
Figure 1 illustrates in elevation the basic structure
of a skeletal metal frame making up a building frame unit
in accordance with the invention together with part of an
adjacent unit and interconnecting assembly components;
Figure 2 is a horizontal section along line II~
of Figure 1, after adjacent frame units have been assembled
and connected together as in erecting ahd fabricating a
building structure;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional detail view on a larger
scale of the part m rked "M" in Figure 2 representing the
interconnection between opposed end frame members of adjacent
frame units;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional detail view on a larger
scale of the parts marked "P" in Figure 2 representing the
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interconnection of opposed flanged channel sections to
provide box-like structures for ~he intermediate frame
members, or it equally represents a sectional view on
lines I~a-IVa or IVb-IVb through the longitudinal frame
members of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a somewhat simplified schematic perspective
view of a corner portion of an assembly;
~igure 6 is an elevational view of a slightly modified
frame unit completed with additional door and window
components;
~'igure 7 is a horizontal sectional view, again on an
enlarged scale and partially broken away, th~ough part of
two adjacent assembled and interconnected frame units
dhowing the plastics foam material infill which is introduced
to provide a sealing and/or insulating barrier closing
open spaces in the frame units and filling the hollow frame
members thereof,
~igure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showing
in detail a corner portion of an assembly;
~igure 9 is a plan view showing the fabrication of a
base sub-frame structure upon which the frame units may be
erected at the building site;
~igure 10 is a fragmentary detail view of the corner
of a skeletal sub-frame portion of the base sub-frame
structure of Figure 9;
Figure 11 is a view on a larger scale of a portion of
the sub-frame structure during fabrication; and
Figure 12 is a simplified diagrammatic part-sectional
view of a completed building structure.
ln the drawings, building frame units 10 are shown,
assembaed and connected in endwise relationship to one another,
to form an external wall of a building structure, said building
unit being illustrated in several of the Fi~ures primarily
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in its basic form of a rectangular skeletal metal frame.
This frame is built up of top and bottom elongate frame
members~ 11 and 12, connected together by elongate end frame
members 14, 14, forming vertical end pillars, and by
intermediate frame members or intermediate pillars 15
spaced from and parallel to the end members.
The intermediate pillars 15 are connected in selected
positions to the top and bottom members 11 and 12, by
rivetted connecting brackets 17. In a sli~htly modified
structure, not illustrated, the connectors may be of
a clamping tupe, in the form of box-like T-structures for
example, which may permit subsequent positional adjustment
of the intermediate pillars if reaui~ed.
Figure 6 indicates the manner in which the intermediate
pillars may be positioned to suit additional components such
as a door assembly 19 and window assembly 20 accommodated
between adJacent vertical members and adjacent additional
horizontal cross members 21.
The individual frame members are each formed by lengths
of flanged channel form hollow metal sections 25. ~he end
members 14 consist of a single length of this channel
section 25 arranged with the open mouth presented outwardly,
but the other frame members preferably consist of two such
lengths assembled with their mouth portions in opposed
confronting relationship and connected together by C-cleats 26
engaging respective pairs of inturned flanges, a~ indicated
~ost clearly in the sectional views of ~i~ures 4 and 7.
In assembly of each individual frame unit 10, internal
angle connectors similar to the brackets 17 are conveniently
~o used to connect each end frame member to respective top and
bottom members, and after fitting the additional door, window,
or other components, the apertures provided by the rem~ining
openings between adjacent parallel frame members are closed
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over by sheeting which has been omitted for clarity in
many of the Figures.
The sheetin~ may comprise an external or internal
thin plastics skin, or membrane, as shown at 49 in
Figures 7 and 8, but preferably it additionally or
alternatively comprises a plastics foam material 30 ~see
Figures 7 and 8) which provides a low flammability thermally
insulating infill extending between and bonded to adjacent
frame members, and embedded in the plastics foam ~here
may be a thin metal plate 31 providing a fire barrier. Also,
as indicated in Figures 7 and 8, the channel sections of
the frame members are also filled with the plastics foam
material in the final assembly.
It will be seen that the aligned endwise assembly of
the frame units 10 also brings the respective adjacent
channel section end members 14 to~ether in mouth-to-mouth
opposed confronting relationship again to give a box-like
formation,-and these end members of adjacent frame units
are joined by elongate connecting plates 47 rivetted in
place (see Figure 3). Fi~ures 5 and 8 illustrate most
clearly the preferred type of corner formation for adjacent
units in angular relationship, from which it will be seen
that the units are interconnected by an internal corner
closure angle section member 60 andexternal corner closure
angle section member 61, each secured by rivetting to the
respective frame end members.
In employing the building system of this invention, as
previously mentioned the ascembled frame units are preferably
assembled and erected on site on a preconstructed and
levelled horizontal base prepared by using a skeletal base
sub-frame. The fabrication of a typical base will be further
described with reference to Figures 9, 10 and 11. First~
a rectargular skeletal base sub-frame may be laid out using
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elongate metal channel sections 64 supported upon concrete
strips and connected at the corners by external fish-plate
brackets 66 bolted in position (see Figure 10). ~he
channel sections 64 are leve~led by packing or ~hims,
and at intervals along their length, inwardly projecting
angle plates 68 are bolted in position. These are fitted
with depending rag bolts 69 which also provide anchorages
for tie rods 70 which are ad~usted in length to brace the
structure. After levelling and trueing, this skeletal
base sub-frame is used as a mould for casting therein a
concrete floor slab or raft, substantially up to the level
of the top flange of the angle plates 68 (not shown in
Figure 11). Thereafter, upon setting of the concrete, the
sub-frame channel sections ~4 may be removed after removing
the nuts on the bolt fixings to the angle plates 68 (and
to corner angle plate members 68a) and unbolting the corner
fish-plate bracket connectors 66.
A flexible dampproof plastics membrane may be laid
over the entire upper surface of the prepared base foundation,
and the frame units 10 are assembled and erected with their
bottom longitudinal frame members 12 laid over and resting
upon the angle plates 68 and corner angle plate members 68a.
In addition, at intermediate locations, channel section
metal shoes (not shown ) may be provided on the concrete
floor slab or raft to receive the bottom frame members 12
which are finally fixed by rivetting at intervals.
Figure 12 represents a completed buildi~g structure and
indicates a manner in which the frame units 10 may be laid
upon a concrete base foundation 41 which may be prepared as
described above. ~i~ure 12 also indicates the manner in which
the completed and erected frame units 10 ma~ be enclosed by
external cladding 43 and an internal lining 44, and how a
conventional roof assembly 45 may be incorporated with roof
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trusses 46 supported, by suitable connecting means,
upon the top of the frame units forming the externalw~ll
sections.
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