Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~231850
The present invention relates in general to improve-
ments in building techniques and more particularly, but
not exclusively, to an improved method for the provision
of a stable foundation structure (preferably elevated! for
supporting a building or the like. The invention also
relates to an improved flooring or foundation structure
and to improved elements or components for use in such a
structure and in the method of construction thereof.
The method and structure (equipment) in accordance
with the present invention is particularly designed for
use on hilly or uneven sites. It should be understood,
however, that the method and equipment in accordance with
the invention could equally well be employed on any site,
hilly, sloping, uneven, flat, unstable, rocky or otherwise.
For purposes of explanation, however, throughout the
ensuing description reference will be made to the utilizat-
ion of the subject method or building technique on a site
that is hilly or uneven, or perhaps more correctly sloping.
Nowadays it has become a common practice to employ
a concrete slab of a predetermined size as the foundation
upon which a building or the like structure is to be sub-
seauently erected. Such a now traditional slab-on-ground
technique has been found to require for its effectiveness
a substantially level site. In order to achieve such a
substantially level site, especially in hilly, sloping or
undulating terrain, it has generally been found necessary
' I'
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to employ heavy earthmoving machinery, for purposes perhaps
of excavating and levelling an undulating site, or alternat-
ively back-filling such a site. Such a requirement for
the use of heavy earthmoving machinery and the like equip-
ment gives rise to a number of practical disadvantages.
First of all, such equipment is expensive both to
secure and operate. Secondly such machinery or equipment
has been found to be in itself responsible for damage not
only to the site being worked, but also to surrounding
areas. By way of explanation, earthmoving equipment of
the type under consideration is, by its very nature, rather
substantial in size. The continued passage of such heavy
equipment over any site in the long term can give rise to
problems insofar as drainage of such a site itself is con-
cerned. Furthermore, and if the site being worked happens
to be in an otherwise established or built-up area, damage
can be caused to other sites (albeit inadvertently).
Indeed, such equipment may well cause such damage to the
environment as to ultimately call for or require the re-
establishment of vegetation, of expensive paths, pavings
etc. cracked by the very weight of the equipment, etc.
furthermore, the usage of excavating or earthmoving equip-
ment invariably gives rise to a need for either the removal
from the building site of large volumes of unwanted material,
2, or alternatively the delivery to the site of back-filling
material.
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The traditional building techniques, such as for
example the slab-on-ground technique as previously
referred to, can also suffer because of the weather. By
way of example, during wet or wintry weather excavated
sites or sites to be excavated can very often become to
all intents and purposes physically unworkable, thereby
leading in turn to annoying and expensive delays in actual
construction. By way of further example, if after heavy
rain previously erected trenches or the like have to be re-
dug or re-excavated, with a resultant widening or deepening
thereof, additional costs by way of filling can be incurred.
The present invention seeks to overcome the problems
associated with the prior art building techniques by provid-
ing what might be termed a suspended floor system or
structure which involves in its construction minimal inter-
ference with a building site, thereby leaving the site and
its inherent natural drainage and vegetation substantially
intact.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invent-
ion, therefore, there is provided an improved technique or
method for use in the construction of a suspended floor
structure for buildings and the like, said method including
the steps of:
(i) forming a plurality of spaced-apart holes in a
predetermined pattern, over a proposed building
site;
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(ii) positioning a temporary load-supporting structure
over said pattern of formed holes in a predeter-
mined manner (in accord with the intended floor
plan for the building), said structure including
at least a longitudinal array of load-supporting
beams (preferably of steel) of any desired cross-
section;
(iii) affixing a plurality of downwardly extending
support or column members to said longitudinal
array of load-supporting beams, said columns
being adapted to be located in said formed
holes;
(iv) adjusting the location of said temporary structure
and associated beams and columns whereby to provide
a substantially level or horizontal structure;
(v) fixing said column members in said holes, prefer-
ably per medium of concrete, cement or the like
material poured thereinto; and
~vi) affixing a suitable decking material to the
structure whereby to provide a substantially
level, stable, suspended floor support structure
or configuration for subsequent building.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present
invention there is provided an improved cleat for use in
connecting said support or column members to said load-
supporting beams, said cleat including a connection plate
iL2318S~)
portion or member having a base portion dependent there-
from, said base portion including at least one downwardly
extending protrusion or spigot.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invent-
ion there is provided a building clamp as illustrated.
In order that the invention may be more clearly
understood and put into practical effect there shall now
be described in detail a preferred method of construction
or building technique in accordance with the invention.
The ensuing description is given by way of non-limitative
example only and is with reference to the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a building site having
a floor system in accordance with the present invention in
a first stage of construction thereon;
Figure 2 is a view taken in the direction of the
arrow 2 in Figure l;
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of part of
a floor system in accordance with the present invention,
including a support beam, vertically disposed column and
layer of decking material, in a later stage of construction
to that of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure
1 ;
Figure 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure
l; and
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Figure 6 is a perspective view of a construction
(house) incorporating the floor system in accordance with
the present invention.
The first step in the preferred method or building
technique in accordance with the present invention involves
the drilling of a number of holes 1 on a building site in
a prearranged or predetermined pattern. In this regard,
and from a practical point of view, it has been found that
a drilled hole constitutes a very stable excavation and
will be less susceptible to collapse than will a dug hole
or a trench (procedures employed in the prior art). These
holes may be located over the building site to suit floor
plan requirements. The spacing between holes and the
relative location thereof can be altered as desired.
It should be understood that, strictly speaking, no
other preliminary work will be required on or to the prop-
osed construction site. Preferably, however, it would be
desirable to clear any unwanted vegetation, rocks, etc.
Once the aforementioned holes 1 are drilled on the
proposed site, a structure made up of what might be termed
temporary support beams 2 is adapted to be located on that
site and are fixed and levelled by any suitable means, as
for example by means of an appropriate number of jacks 3
located around the periphery and internally of the structure.
Once in position, the structure of temporary beams 2 can be
seen to provide a substantially level configuration. The
lZ318~0
method in accordance with the present invention can there-
fore be seen to remove altogether the need for any prelim-
inary levelling, back-filling etc. of the building site in
order to provide a level surface for subsequent construction
of a building on that site.
A floor support structure of the desired size, shape
etc. can either be constructed on site or prefabricated
off-site and then be laid out on the structure of temporary
beams previously provided. Such a floor support structure
includes a framework or load-supporting or load-bearing
beams 4 (of a predetermined size, strength etc. to suit
engineering and strength requirements), that framework
having depending therefrom a plurality of downwardly extend-
ing columns 5 of any suitable material, as for example
steel, the downwardly extending columns 5 being located on
the framework in a predetermined pattern, there being a
number of such columns equivalent to the number of holes 1
previously drilled on the building site.
In practice it has been found that, so long as the
building under construction, or more correctly the proposed
floor thereof, is no more than three metres above ground
level, then a structure consisting of a plurality of long-
itudinally extending temporary beams 2 is necessary and
sufficient (with no transverse or lateral bracing members
being required). However, and again in practical terms,
when the proposed floor level is in excess of three metres
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above ground level, it is recommended that some form of
lateral bracing be employed. It should be understood,
however, that such lateral bracing does not constitute
a necessary and essential feature of the subject invention.
When the floor support structure is properly located
on the system of temporary beams, the columns 5 depending
therefrom will be located in the previously drilled holes 1.
When in such a position the floor support structure may be
readily squared and final levels taken to ensure that an
effectively horizontal surface is provided for any subse-
quent structure to be built thereon. Once the composite
structure is deemed level, concrete or the like material
may be poured into the holes formed on site such that the
downwardly extending columns 5 are ultimately embedded
therein. When the thus poured concrete has set, then the
structure of temporary beams or supports 2 may be removed.
The result will be a substantially level structure, sus-
pended above ground level to a prearranged height. In
accordance with known building techniques a layer 6 of so-
called Bondeck or other equivalent decking material of any
suitable type, as for example consisting of lengths of
sheet steel or the like, may be located on the floor support
structure in any known manner, as for example by bolting.
In an especially preferred embodiment, as illustrated, a
plurality of panels of pre-cast steel may be employed, with
adjacent panels to be connected in any known manner to the
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beams 4, as for example by puddle welding, gun nailing,
screwing or bolting. The temporary support structure and
associated floor support structure then consti.tute an
enclosure and, if required a concrete sheet or slab may
then be formed thereon in any suitable manner, again in
accordance with known building techniques. Alternatively,
a system of floor boards or the like or indeed any suit-
able flooring material may be employed.
The method and apparatus in accordance with the
present invention preferably and primarily employs galvan-
ized steel cold-formed sections as the major load-bearing
and structural components of both the system of temporary
beams and the prefabricated floor support structure. Load
is transferred to ground by the columns 5 set in concrete,
the columns 5 being either substantially circular or sub-
stantially parallelepipedal in cross-section in accordance
with known techniques.
In order to allow for connection or interconnection
of the beams and downwardly depending columns making up,
with the temporary support members, the so-called floor
support structure, in accordance with a further aspect of
the present invention there is provided a special and part-
icular form of so-called cleat 7. The accompanying
representations illustrate preferred ernbodiments of a cleat
7 in accordance with the present invention. In general
terms, when viewed in side elevation, a cleat 7 in accord-
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~.X~1850
ance with the invention is of a substantially inverted
T-shape, comprising a connection plate 8 (preferably
cast) having either a circular or a parallelepipedal base
9 depending therefrom, the actual shape of that base 9
being governed by the cross-sectional shape of the column
5. The base 9 has one or more spigots (not shown) extend-
ing therefrom whereby to allow for accommodation of at
least two different cross-sectional sizes of columns. In
other words a column of one size (cross-section) is adapted
to fit internally of the depending spigot, or alternatively
a larger-sized column may be located externally of that
spigot. The cleat may be connected to a beam of the pre-
fabricated floor structure in any suitable manner, as for
example by having the connection plate portion bolted to
that beam (see Figure 2). In an especially preferred
embodiment two pairs of horizontally aligned apertures are
provided at spaced-apart positions on the connection plate
of the cleat 7, such an arrangement allowing for vertical
alignment of a column 5 along the axis of an associated
load-bearing beam 4.
Once the floor support structure is fixed in the
desired position on the site, as for example by setting of
the poured concrete in the previously-drilled holes, and
the temporary beam structure is removed, the next step in
the building of a house or the like involves the laying of
bricks. In order to assist in bricklaying lintels 10 of
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any known type are adapted to be fastened to the downwardly-
depending columns 5 in any suitable manner, and more part-
icularly through use of a suitable clamping means. In
accordance with known techniques such lintels 10 may be
stepped in courses around the overall structure to follow
the terrain and changes in floor levels as a result of
accurate positioning of such clamps on the downwardly-
depending columns (as desired). The provision of such
clamped lintels 10 etc. facilitates the task of a brick-
layer in setting and levelling an initial course of
bricks, and furthermore effectively eliminates the possib-
ility of errors occurring therein.
The clamp as referred to in the preceding paragraph
may also be employed for other purposes, as for example
the attachment of timber beams to the columns or the floor
structure, as would be required in the instance of a timber
decking, verandah or the like required to be disposed
around the perimeter of a house or other structure.
The technique or method of construction in accordance
with the present invention, and the elements utilised there-
in, can be seen to be responsible for a number of advantages,
as explained in detail hereinafter.
One of the major advantages of the technique in
accordance with the present invention resides in the utiliz-
ation of a floor support structure which is adapted for
easy positioning on a previously-prepared (or even
12318~0
unprepared) site. The utilization of such structures,
prefabricated off site or built or erected on site serves
to minimise the amount of on-site preparation and labour,
not to mention tooling. In a practical sense, once the
columns 5 with associated temporary beam structure are
fixed in position on site and the floor support structure
located thereon, then effectively the only tool required
will be a spanner or the like. This reduction in on-site
labour can be seen to be especially important in cold or
wet climes. The lack of a need for any sophisticated
equipment, as for example electrically-operated tools,
reduces the possibility of accidents on building sites,
it being understood that the use of electrical tools with
depending wiring in wet conditions is somewhat dangerous,
to say the least.
The utilization of preferably prefabricated struc-
tures also is responsible for minimisation of wastage of
material on site. Indeed only material which will
ultimately be used on site need be transported to that
site, thereby reducing transport costs (delivery and
removal).
As stated earlier, a further advantage associated
with the method or technique in accordance with the present
invention is that minimal disturbance of the site prior to
construction is necessary. Indeed, and in contrast with
the prior art techniques, no excavation or back-filling is
~2~850
required in accordance with the method of the present
invention.
In terms of cost, a substantial reduction is achieved
with the method in accordance with the present invention by
reason of the need, first of all for utilization of a much
reduced quantity of concrete or the like material. Indeed
when compared to conventional techniques, utilizing a
concrete slab extending over the entire si-te for building,
the method in accordance with the present invention, which
requires concrete only in certain localised areas - around
the downwardly depending columns 5 in the drilled holes 1
- has been found to give rise to a reduction in the volume
of concrete of the order of perhaps 50~. This need for
utilization of concrete only in localised areas in turn
lS means that the actual volume of concrete employed is con-
trollable, a fact which allows for construction to go ahead
at a fixed price. This is in marked contrast to prior
techniques, wherein the volume of materials, such as
concrete, to be employed was largely uncontrollable, thereby
giving rise to substantial fluctuation in price for any
given structure, dependant on such variables as soil
conditions, etc.
The holes 1 drilled for receiving the columns 5 in
accordance with the method of the present invention are in
fact drilled to a depth below what might be termed unstable
soil conditions. In other words, the columns 5 are more or
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l23~as~
less sited on bedrock. This factor alone can be seen to
give rise to a substantial reduction in the likelihood of
any subsequent movement of a completed building or struct-
ure. With the prior art techniques, even when a substantial
solid concrete slab was employed a certaln degree of move-
ment could take place dependant upon changes in, for example,
the moisture content of the surrounding soil. Any movement
of the concrete slab in the prior art gave rise to subse-
quent cracking of brickwork, plaster etc. The arrangement
in accordance with the present invention, set as it is sub-
stantially in bedrock, is not susceptible to such cracking
or the like.
It should be understood that, whilst the method ln
accordance with the present invention is especially suited
for use with the building of new homes, the method or
technique can in fact be adapted to suit any home design.
In a practical sense, however, savings in time, material,
labour and expense can be expected to be more significant
if the flooring system as produced by the subject method
is incorporated in any plans or the like right from the
outset. A flooring system as produced by the present method
has been found to be especially successful in the construct-
ion of external decking, car-ports and/or recreation areas
on existing homes. Again in a practical sense, and in
contrast to conventional building techniques involving the
utilization of a concrete slab, the flooring system in
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1Z3~
accordance with the present invention has been found to
provide up to double the usable floor or living space,
depending of course on the building site itself, over the
same ground area and with substantial savings in construct-
ion time, labour, materials and accordingly money.
In an especially preferred embodiment the method of
the present invention may be used in conjunction with what
may best be described as a "kit", constituting all the
components required for construction of a suspended floor-
ing system in accordance with the invention. Indeed all
material needed for construction, including load-supporting
beams, columns, decking material, edging material and re-
inforcing fabric or material, may be supplied on site to
suit the specific requirements of a builder (together of
course with appropriate instructions for the correct utiliz-
ation thereof). The flooring system may then be installed
either by the builder, or by licensed sub-contractors,
thereby ensuring speedy erection and structural reliability.
Once the decking material 6 is in place, provision
can be made for ultimate connection to or of services, as
for example power, gas, plumbing, heating etc. In an
especially preferred embodiment, not illustrated, those
areas designed for service penetrations may be boxed out.
In an alternative arrangement, suitable penetrations to
accommodate service material may be drilled out in the
correct position once the concrete slab formed on the
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lZ3~ 85~
decking material has set or cured to the desired level.
With the technique in accordance with the present invention
cables, pipes and other service ducting etc. are adapted
to be supported beneath the decking material 6, thereby
to be effectively proof against the possible ravages of
moisture and within easy reach and access for repair,
maintenance, replacement etc.
The method or building technique in accordance with
the present invention, by reason of its very simplicity,
will be seen to be responsible for substantial reductions
in labour time, in terms of site preparation lor rather
lack of such preparation), actual construction time, etc.
Reduction in labour time in turn gives rise to substantial
reduction in overall costs, an important consideration
nowadays when the building industry is at somewhat of a
low ebb.
Finally, it is to be understood that the aforegoing
description refers merely to preferred embodiments of the
present invention, and that variations and modifications
are possible without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention, the ambit of which is to be determined
from the ensuing claims.
