Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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STRUCTURE
DESCRIPTION
This invention relates to a structure and, more specif cally, to a low
cost structure which can be assembled with little or no technical acumen and
in a number of environments.
It is well established that housing represents a significant fiscal burden
Io to all but the most affluent of society. In many places around the world,
families are forced to construct homes from, for example, waste materials
discarded by others due to their economic and/or political disenfranchisement.
Moreover, in times of environmental catastrophe, such as floods,
earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and so on, many people are dislocated due
to damage to their homes. In such conditions, it is necessary to provide
emergency shelter, such as tents, to facilitate. survival. In order that the
individuals involved do not end up spending an inordinate amount of time in
this temporary accommodation, it is desirable to construct more resilient
2o housing at the earliest convenience.
Obviously, the provision of such housing can only be considered once
the environmental factor has receded - the storms have abated, the flood'
dispersed or the aftershocks have ceased for example - and once suitable sites
2s have been selected and cleared or prepared.
In the aftermath of an environmental disaster, a number of interest
groups are often involved in xhe re-building of an area. These may involve
central and local governments, insurers, "big business", charitable
30 organisations and inter-governmental organisations such as the United
Nations. The conventional onus has not been on making the temporary sites
CONFIRMATION COPY
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"more permanent" but rather to make the people using such temporary
accommodation as comfortable as possible,'whilst attempting to re-build the
affected area completely. Conventional reconstruction theory considers it
desirable that like should be rebuilt with like. However, due to the economic
situation in the affected region this may not be possible If the affected area
is
in the United States of America, for example, it is likely that most of the
affected individuals will have insurance which will allow a house to be
rebuilt
or an equivalent purchased.
In certain areas of the World however, it is much less likely that
insurance is maintained on homes and these impoverished individuals lose
everything during and after such crises. If it is impossible to replace the
destroyed housing stock with like-for-like, then a cheaper alternative, which
can be constructed speedily, must be found. Conventionally, cheap, alternative
housing has not been as resilient as the housing which it replaced and,
consequently, it has been seen as temporary at best.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an easy
to produce housing structure, conforming to building regulations and
2o standards, which affords the resident a warm, stable, resilient structure
which
is cheaper than other forms of replacement housing and can be constructed
without heavy or specialised machinery. It is another object to provide a
housing structure which can be constructed after an environmental disaster,
such that affected individuals are housed in resilient structures which can be
inhabited for extended periods.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a housing
structure, preferably temporary, comprising a plurality of prefabricated wall
panels and a frame, wherein the panels comprise a thermally insulating
3o material sandwiched between parallel plates.
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A second aspect of the invention provides a seismic resistant housing
structure, preferably temporary, comprising a plurality of prefabricated wall
panels and a frame, wherein the frame is ~'emovably connected to a laid
concrete foundation.
The thermally insulating material is preferably an expanded
polyurethane foam with a density greater than 25 kg ni 3, and more preferably
a density in the range of 35 to 45 kg m 3. The parallel plates preferably
comprise a metal, which may be steel provided with a protective coating such
to as a plastics, for example polyester, lacquer and a polyvinyl chloride
film.
The wall panels preferably have a thermal conductivity (k-value) of
less than 1.5 kJ m 2hr-1, and more preferably still of 1.3 kJ m Zhr~l .
The frame preferably comprises a plurality of members which support
and retain the panels, preferably forming a monocoque structure. The panels
may comprise a groove or slot and a correspondingly-shaped tongue provided
on opposed respective edges thereof, such that, upon construction, a tongue of
a panel engages a groove or slot of an adjacent panel.
The structure may comprise a roof formed from a plurality of roof
panels. Each panel may be formed with an upper surface provided with a
plurality of peaks and troughs to facilitate drainage from the installed roof.
The peaks and troughs may provide a castellated or sinusoidal cross-section..
A third aspect of the invention provides a method of constructing a
housing structure from a plurality of prefabricated wall panels and a frame,
wherein the panels comprise a thermally insulating material sandwiched
between parallel plates, comprising the steps of
levelling an area to provide a horizontal~working-surface with a minimum soil
resistance of 5 N cm 2;
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digging a peripheral trench and installing a foundation therein; and
>,
constructing the housing structure from the panels and frame.
'
Embodiments of the inventive structure will now be described by way
of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a housing structure;
to
Figure 2 shows a plan view of the structure shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 shows an isometric cutaway view of the frame of a further
housing structure;
Figure 4 shows a cross-section of a lower frame member and a wall
panel;
Figure Sa shows a plan view of a "T-shaped" joining frame member;
Figure Sb shows a plan view of a corner joining frame member;
Figure 6 shows a cross-section view through an installed wall and roof
panel;
Figure 7 shows a cross-section through an installed roof at the roof
ridge; and
Figure 8 shows an isometric view of a ridge member.
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Referring firstly to Figures l, 2 and 3, there are shown structures,
generally indicated at 1 and la, comprising a plurality of standard size wall
panels 2, a plurality of joining sections or frame members 3, gable panels 4
and a plurality of roof panels 5. Etch structure l, la is mounted upon a
concrete foundation and is provided with prefabricated door 7 and window
units 8
As shown in Figure 4, each wall panel 2 is formed by two steel plates
21 joined by high-density rigid polyurethane foam 22. Each steel plate 21 may
1o be galvanised and lacquered with an epoxy resin base coat and a polyester
silicone lacquer and finished with a protecting film, or it may be a steel
plate
finished with an aluminium-zinc alloy. Each plate 21 weight is of the order of
185 g ni 2. The polyurethane foam 22 may be of a density of 40 ~ S kg m 3 and
may contain fireproofing and stabilising agents. The foam 22 is preferably
blown using pentane.
The denser the foam 22, the better the insulating property of each panel
2. Indeed, the thermal conductivity or k-value is preferably less than
1.5 kJ m 2hr'~, although if the foam 22 has a density of 40 kg m 3, the k-
value
is about 1.3 kJ m 2hr'!. The roof panels 5 typically have similar core foam
densities and k-values to those of the wall panels 2, although in some cases a
k-value of 1.9 kJ m 2hr'1, with a core foam density of 30 kg m 3 may be
utilised.
The gable panels 4 are similarly formed from steel plates joined by
high-density polyurethane foam, as are the roof panels 5. However, the plates
of the roof panels 5 which are presented uppermost once installed, as at S l,
are
formed with regular trapezoidal trenches 52 to facilitate adequate drainage of
water. The frame members 3 are constricted from extruded aluminium which
3o are lacquered with a polyurethane paint to finish and protect the surfaces
thereof.
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The components are fixed together, as is described below, by rivets 6
or screws, the rivets 6 preferably being fabricated from aluminium.
To manufacture a panel 2, the steel from each of two rolls, mounted in
parallel, is delivered from a mounting means to a cold-rolling machine where
it is shaped as it passes through cylindrical rolls to the required
dimensions.
The lower steel plate is heated and the polyurethane foam is evenly
distributed
thereon. The steel plates are delivered such that they are parallel with
respect
1o to one another and at the same speed. Theoretically, by this continuous
process, any length of panel can be made but, due to transport limitations,
the
panels 2 are usually cut to a maximum length of 16 m.
The panels 2 are pressed, so as to provide a constant thickness panel,
and are then left to allow the foam 22 to mechanically and chemically
stabilise, at a constant temperature, for a period of time determined by the
desired thickness of the panel, but usually about 10 hours. Once the panels 2
have stabilised, the edges thereof are milled to provide a panel of the
desired
measurements. Opposed longitudinal edges are provided with a tongue 28 and
2o groove 29 respectively such that once assembled, adjacent panels can engage
one another in a mating relationship and to ensure that at the abutment of two
panels 2 a "cold-bridge" is not formed. As previously stated, opposed faces of
the plates 2 are lacquered and they may also be provided with a contoured
finish on one or both surfaces.
The interior and exterior wall panels 2 are produced such that they
have an identical width and thickness, irrespective of their function within
the
completed structure. Thus, for example, all of the panels for a 57 m2
structure
1 will be 6 cm thick and 114 cm wide. The height of the individual panels 2,
or the provision of apertures therein, will be determined by the role of each
respective panel in the assembled structure.
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The roof panels 5 are' manufactured according to the method of
manufacture utilised for the wall panels 2. However, one of the steel sheets,
the one produced with rows of regular trapezoidal waves 52, is first sent
through a machine to form the waves 52. This sheet i,s then delivered to the
panle forming machine not in rolls but rather in set lengths. The sheet
provided with the trapezoidal waves forms the upper sheet 51 of the roof panel
5, which is to say the externally facing sheet once the structure l, la has
been
assembled. The roof panels 5 may be up to 10 cm thick at their extreme and,
to due to their large inertia, only require fxing at a few points once
installed.
In contrast to the method of production of the wall 2 and roof 5 panels,
the gable panels 4 are not continuously produced. Rather, profiles and steel
plates are placed in special presses which have the shape of the panels 4 and
the press is closed. The polyurethane foam is injected through a small
aperture
at the side of the press and it is evenly spread between the two plates. Once
the
foam has evenly spread between the two plates, the gable panels 4 are allowed
to rest so that the foam may stabilise. The angle formed by the slope of a
gable
panel 4 is altered depending upon the model of structure 1, 1a desired.
The frame members 3 are constructed by passing aluminium through
an extrusion machine and then cutting the extruded material to determine the
required length of member 3. The edges of each member 3 are conditioned to
guarantee that the dimensions axe within the specified limits and that each
makes a perfect fit in the final position. The members 3 are drilled, polished
and lacquered with, for example, a polyurethane or other finishing paint to
achieve a perfect external look.
T'he members 3 are formed in a variety of shapes and sizes depending
3o upon which part of the structure they are. to be used in and for.
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As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base frame member 31 comprises a
pair of opposed longitudinal side walls 310, 311, joined by a longitudinal
base
wall 312. Each of the side walls 310, 311 is provided with a lateral
longitudinal, support 314 which, in combination, support the base of an
s , inserted panel 2. The side walls 310, 311, at regular positions alongthe
length
thereof, such as every 300 mm, are provided with apertures, through which
rivets 6 can be thrust. The base wall 312 is similarly provided, at points
along
its length, with apertures 317.
1o The external side wall 311 of the base frame member 31 is provided
with a longitudinal cavity or recess 318 of rectangular cross-section. The
recess 318 is provided with upper and lower flanges 319 each with a sloping
surface facing in the general direction of side wall 311.
15 Referring now to Figures 3, Sa and Sb, joining frame members 33 and
35 axe shown. The corner frame member 35 is provided with a bore 3S0 of
substantially square cross-section and two slots 35I each defined by a pair of
vertical parallel walls 352. The slots 351 are so-dimensioned that they can
accept an edge of a wall panel 2. Similarly, the T-shaped edge frame member
20 33 is provided with a bore 330, and three slots 331 each defined by a pair
of
vertical parallel walls 332 such that each slot 331 can accept an edge of a
wall
panel 2.
As can be seen from Figure 3, the T-shaped member, 33 is used to
25 provide joining means at the point at where an internal wall panel abuts an
external wall panel 2, and the corner member 35 is utilised at an external
wall
corner. The walls 332, 352 of each member 33, 35 respectively are pre-drilled
at points along their length in,order that rivets 6 may be thrust therethrough
to
facilitate the construction of the structure 1.
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In order to secure the roof panels 5 to the structure 1 upper finishing
frame members 37, as shown in Figure 6, are attached to the upper edge of the
exterior wall panels 2. The upper member 37 comprises a pair of parallel side
walls 370 and 371 and a sloping upper wall 372 interconnecting the side walls
370, 371. The side walls 370, 371 are pre-drilled at regular positions along
their length to provide apertures 375 through which rivets 6 can be thrust to
secure the member 37 to an exterior wall panel 2.
The interior facing side wall 370 is provided with a lateral longitudinal
to ledge 374 which runs the entire length of the, member 37. As shown, the
upper
member 37 is fitted about the top of the panel 2 such that the side walls 370,
371 embrace the top portion of the panel 2 with the ledge 374 abutting the top
edge thereof. In this fashion, the sloping upper wall 372 is presented to a
roof
panel 5, which is secured thereto by a screw or self tapping bolt 54.
The lower base frame member 31, as shown in Figure 6, is provided
with a drainage aperture 313 to allow any water which collects therein to
drain
to the exterior of the structure 1. In order to reduce ingress of water
through
the aperture 313, a "F-shaped" member 39 is attached to the exterior wall 311
of the lower base frame member 31.
To facilitate this connection, a member 38 of substantially "I-shaped"
cross-section is inserted into the recess 318 of the main base member 31. The
horizontal upper and lower arms of the member 38 are provided with
longitudinal grooves which are engaged by the flanges 319 formed on the
recess walls to secure the member 38 therein. The member 38 is so-
dimensioned that once inserted the vertical body portion 3 81 is aligned with
the external wall 311 of the base member 31.
3o The externally facing upper and lower horizontal arms of the member
38 similarly engage the upper and lower horizontal arms of the F-shaped
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member 39 such that the arms of the member 39 abut the wall 311 of the lower
base frame member 3I. The vertical leg 391 of the F-member 39 projects
below the aj~erture 313 of the lower frame member 31 and thereby reduces or
prevents ingress of water into that member 31.
Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, there is shown a roof frame member
40 comprising a pair of vertical, parallel, side walls 401, 402 joined by a
perpendicularly arranged upper wall 403. The roof frame member 40 further
comprises a pair of downwardly sloping arms 404 extending from either side
to of the upper wall 403. Upwardly extending support members 408 extend from
the side walls 401, 402 to the underside of the arms 404 to ensure that the
roof
member can support the weight of the roof. The walls 401, 402 are pre-drilled
at positions along their length to provide apertures 405 through which rivets
can be thrust to secure the roof member 40 to wall panels 2.
In order to construct accommodation in accordance with the invention,
it is frst necessary to prepare a surface 100 where the structure l, la will
be
erected. Thus, all underlying vegetation must be manually or mechanically
removed and the upper layer of soil, containing organic material, must be
2o removed to so-obtain a totally clean, flat and horizontal working surface
with
the minimum required soil resistance of 5 N cm 2.
The next stage of the operation is the excavation of a trench 800,
cm wide and 40 cm deep, corresponding to the perimeter of the floor space
for locating the foundation stalls 80 therein such that they are protected
from
frost and erosion damage. At the same time trenches are also dug for the
internal sewer system and pipe sections for the provision of water, gas,
electricity and other desired services are installed in the peripheral trench.
The
width and depth of the trench 800 may be varied depending upon the local
3o building site conditions.
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The sewer system trench is configured such that it slopes to a low.point
outside the periphery of the house 1, la to facilitate the drainage of sewage
therefrom. A' polyvinyl chloride sewer pipe net is installed in the sewer
trench
to act as the sewer pipes and it is retained in place by filling with s~.nd,
which
is then compacted, as is well known in the art.
Concrete foundation stalls 80 are located in the peripheral trench 800,
and the whole area defined by the trench 800 is brought to a level with
compacted sand. A steel plank moulding is then installed around the perimeter
to to guarantee a horizontal level and the desired finish to the upper surface
of
the lateral edges of the foundation stalls 80. At this stage, if the soil
resistance
is below 5 Ncni 2, a reinforcement net or steel fibres may be installed inside
the perimeter of the trench 800 to aid in the support of the structure 1. The
foundation is formed by filling the plank moulding with concrete. This is
I5 " leveled such that it is perfectly flat and horizontal. The upper surfaces
of the
foundation stalls 80 are polished manually to remove imperfections and to
ensure that they are perfectly flat and horizontal to ease the later
construction
stages.
20 The concrete of the foundation is allowed to "go-off' over a period of
twenty four hours, if necessary by covering with plastics sheeting to ensure a
slow set. Once the concrete has set the steel plank moulding is removed and
cleaned such that it may be re-used. Any imperfections in the foundation
stalls
80 must be repaired before assembly of the house can be attempted.
2s
Referring again to Figures 4 to 8, the lower frame members 31, which
make up the base of the frame 3, are then positioned on the foundation stalls
80, such that their upper surfaces are horizontal. These lower frame members
31 are provided with pre-drihed through holes 317, through which holes 81
3o are drilled into the foundation stalls 80 and into which fixing bolts 85
are
inserted, such that the lower frame members 31 are attached to the foundation
stalls 80. If any correction is necessary to ensure the horizontal aspect of
the
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upper surface of the lower frame members 31, galvanised steel spacer plates
may be utilised.
Once all of the lower frame members 31 making up the base of the
s frame are fixed, a corner structural member 3S is attached thereto togethcir
with two wall panels 2 in one of the corners. The corner members 3S and the
wall panels 2 are maintained in a vertical aspect. The corner member 3S, like
the lower frame members 31, are provided with through holes, and through
these, mating holes are drilled into the wall panels 2. The wall panels 2 are
Io attached to the frame members by rivets 6 or bolts, ensuring that the wall
panels 2 are vertical before such connections are made.
The rest of the panels 2 are likewise installed, ensuring that adjacent
tongues 28 and grooves 29 are in a mating relationship as shown in Figure 2,
15 according to the plans of the structure provided. Thus, certain panels are
provided with apertures for windows 8 and doors 7. At these apertures, the
corresponding prefabricated window 8 and door units 7 are installed. The
unions between the frame of the window 8 or door 7 and the wall panels 2 are
waterproofed with, for example, a silicone sealant and then sealed with
2o polyurethane foam. The window units 8 may be constructed with extruded
PVC, aluminium or steel frames, as is well known in the art. The external door
7 may be constructed from a polyester framework with an insulated
polyurethane injected polyester door panel and the internal door a metal frame
with a pre-painted cellular structure door panel, as is well known.
Once all of the wall panels 2 have been installed and the join between
adjacent panels sealed with a sealant, upper frame members 37 are positioned
on top of the exterior wall panels 2' and are fixed with rivets 6 or bolts via
previously provided through holes. It is necessary to ensure that the
longitudinal axes of the upper frame members 37 are horizontal. The gable
panels 4 are then installed in a manner similar to that of the wall panels.
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A roof member 40 is installed between the apices of the gable panels 4,
along the upper surface of a central wall 20, 20a, as shown in Figures 2 and
3,
respectively. The member 40 is attached to the wall 20 by rivets 6 or bolts
ensuring that its longitudinal a axis is horizontal. A first roof panel 5 is
then
installed, which has to be completed with extreme diligence as the alignment
of the first roof panel determines the alignment of the whole roof. The roof
panel 5 is fixed to the roof member 40 and the upper frame member 37 by
means of sel~ tapping screws 54, after pre-drilling of the roof panel 5, and
~ completed preferably with a drill provided with a torque-control device. The
screw heads 541 are provided with a cap 542 of a plastics material to prevent
the ingress of water through the pre-drilled holes.
Once all the roof panels 5 are installed, the space between the panels at
the roof ridge is filled with polyurethane foam 56 and ridge caps 58 and roof
end members 60 are installed, by means of self tapping screws 57, to
effectively seal the joints.
As soon as this stage has been completed, the structure 1 is waterproof
2o and wind-resistant and it is ready to receive the occupants desired
internal
fixings and finishings. For example, the floor can be finished by gluing
ceramic tiles directly to the concrete foundation or, at the occupant's
discretion, parquet or laminated wooden floors can be installed. The surface
of
the exterior panels 2 which is presented to the interior of the structure 1,
la
zs can also be f nished by applying a variety of wall coverings and decorative
finishes.
Interior walls, to subdivide the internal living space as shown in
Figures 2 and 3, are installed similarly to the external wall installation,
which
3o is to say that lower frame members 31 according to the internal floor plan
are
installed after the concrete foundation has been laid. The particular interior
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floor members 31 used will depend on the floor plan desired, with
corresponding wall panels 2, provided with the requisite apertures for doors,
and completed by the necessary upper frame members. The provision of the
upper and lower members braces the internal panels, adjacent ones of which
are locked together by their peripheral mutual engaging means as previously
described, which affords the internal wall structure a rigid nature. Tndeed,
the
internal wall panels 200 provide structural support. The interior panels may
be
so-dimensioned that they exactly abut the roof panels 5 under which they
stand. Alternatively, the interior panels 20, 200 may be of a height
to corresponding to a regular interior wall, in which case, if desired, a
light-
weight ceiling can be installed to confine the living space, and to further
brace
the internal wall structure 200 if considered necessary.
For example, in order to construct a structure of S7 m2 as shown in
Figure 2, with two bedrooms 90, a living room 91, a kitchen 92 and a
bathroom 93, it is necessary to have about ~ 105.2 m2 of panels 2 to complete
the internal and external walls, 81.3 mz of roof panels 5, a total of 24 m2 of
gable panels 4 and 169.4 m of various lengths and shapes of frame member 3,
and the required door 7 and window frames 8. The exterior walls are
2o completed by nineteen 1.14 m wide exterior wall panels of various heights
to a
total area of 61.2 m2, and fourteen 1.14 m wide interior wall panels to a
total
area of 44.0 m2. The roof is completed by eighteen 1 m wide panels 5, and the
gables 4 by eight panels, six of which are equivalent in dimensions.
The internal floor plan is such that the bathroom 93 and kitchen 93
correspond with "up-points" in the sewer net. Therefore, all that is required
is
to install the bathroom and kitchen fittings which require a sewer outflow to
the walls of those respective spaces, and connect the pipes thereto.
3o Electricity, gas and water are supplied to the structure 1 through the
conduits laid in the foundation. The cables or pipes, which carry these
utilities,
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are simply installed along the internal walls of the structure to deliver them
to
the desired location.
The structure 1 may be delivered with bathroom, kitchen and heating
facilities ready to be installed and, in this case, the utility conduits are
simply
directed to the respective identified points-of use.
The external walls of the structure may be decorated according to the
occupant's taste. For example, brick plates can be directly glued to the
panels
to give the structure the impression of a traditional construction. Also, the
panels can be painted or other finishes applied to vary the texture and colour
of the structure.
Thus, this construction is advantageous for a plurality of reasons. In
the first instance, it can be constructed very rapidly. It has been estimated
that
it Will take 1 man-hour for each square metre of coverage, consequently, two
or three people could build a 57 m2 structure in about a day. This is further
advantageous as the construction of each structure does not require a skilled
work-force. The elements are constructed according to simple instructions and
2o the "kit" nature of the flat-packed structure facilitates the ease of
construction.
Furthermore, no specialised machinery is required for construction and each
structure may be built on a variety of soil types due to the low overall
weight.
The nature of the system also provides for extensions of each structure
1 as and when they are required. In order to do so, a fresh, adjoining
foundation is laid and the requisite floor frame members are installed. The
portion' of the structure, which the extension is to adjoin, is partially
disassembled and the necessary replacement members 3 and panels 2 are put
in place.
Furthermore, it is possible to co join a traditionally constructed wall
with the inventive structure 1. To do so a frame member dimensioned to
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accept an edged of a panel 2 is fixed to the traditional wall with a milled
bolt
with a steel or rubber washer. Between the member and the traditional wall a
sealer is placed to waterproof the joint and avoid corrosion problems.
Thereafter, construction according to the above-exemplified ~ assembly is
continued.
The above-described structure 1 is obviously temporary in nature,
which is to say that the whole structure can be simply unscrewed, the panels 2
" removed and the lower frame members 31 unscrewed from the foundation 80.
to However, if a more permanent structure is required one component of a
mating element can be set into the concrete of the foundation. A matching,
mating element can then be connected thereto and the lower frame members
31 can then be attached to these mutually mated elements, or a layer of resin,
which rnay be Icm thick, can be spread over the bottom of the Iower member
31 to render the fixing bolts 85 inaccessible.
The accommodation structures built in accordance with the invention
are not necessarily single-storey. Indeed, a mufti-storey structure can be
. constructed from the frame members and wall panels described above. Floor
2o supporting beams can be linked to the vertical frame members and panels 2
through adapted floor supporting members. The floor panels are suspended
between the up going wall panels with specially designed load-spreading
bolts.
The components of the structure 1 have been designed such that the
required upkeep is minimal. Basic maintenance comprises ensuring that the
surfaces of the panels have not been damaged such that the anti-corrosive
lacquer or coating has been removed. If the lacquer is discovered to have been
damaged it can be simply repaired by cleaning the effected area to remove any
3o grease adhering thereto and applying a proprietary lacquer.
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In normal use, the panels 2 can be cleaned with conventional domestic
detergents which do not comprise abrasive powders or solvents, for example.
The door and window units are maintenaflce free, simply requiring cleaning as
and when required.
To affix wall lamps or other fzxtures to the wall or roof panels, self
tapping screws can be used or, alternatively, such fittings may be temporarily
attached with magnets.
1o It has been calculated that three structures 1, each covering 57 ma, may
be carried in a single container. Therefore a vast number of structures can be
transported to a desired location in a short period of time. This is
particularly
advantageous for locations which have suffered environmental disasters, or in
other situations of wide-scale and permanent dislocation of a population. In
these instances a large number of cheap, high-standard structures 1 can be
built in a short space of time, by the affected population, with a minimum of
,
instruction.
The structures 1 are designed to be seismic resistant, satisfying the
official French and Belgium government standards. Consequently, these
structures 1 are ideal for use in areas in which a large proportion of the
housing stock has been destroyed following an earthquake, and there is a
chance of aftershocks or other low-level seismic activity. The structures are
also resistant to high speed winds (up to 240 km hr-z). Furthermore, areas of
slum housing or so-called shanty towns can be replaced by these high-quality,
low-cost, structures with a minirilum of investment.
