GB2364333A - A prefabricated modular building structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular building structure is provided, where each module includes a support frame assembled from planar sections (11, 12) connected together by interlocking joints (13). Preferably the support frame comprises a plurality of arches (6) each formed from at least two planar sections connected together by a 'T' shaped or dovetailed jig-lock joint (See Figures 4a-4c). The jig lock joints may be strengthened by at least one pair of washers (14, Figures 4a-4c), held by bolts (15, Figures 4a-4c) that are secured through apertures in the joint. The support frame may further include a number of horizontal beams (7), located in grooves (20) in the outer periphery of the arches, and retaining blocks (23, Figure 3) attached to the beams on either side of an arch.

Description

2364333 A PREFABRICATED MODULAR BUILDING STRUCTURE The present invention

relates to a prefabricated modular building structure primarily for the construction of 5 temporary outbuildings such as greenhouses, garages, kiosks and the like.

Conventionally, buildings such as garages, greenhouses, sheds and the like are manufactures from prefabricated 10 sections which are assembled on site. Such structures tend to comprise simple, rectangular floor-plans which are generally self-contained and cannot be extended at will by the addition of extra rooms. This is because the walls of the building bolt together to form a supporting structure for the roof and 15 there is no underlying main support frame which allows the ground plan of the building to be altered.

The object of the present invention is to provide a prefabricated building with a modular structure which enables 20 a plurality of similar modules to be interconnected to vary the ground plan and size of the building as desired.

According to the present invention there is provided a prefabricated modular building structure wherein each module 25 comprises a main support frame that is assembled from laminar sections which connect together by interlocking joints.

It has been found that by designing a building structure in this way with a main support frame that is manufactured 30 from laminar sections, the pre-assembled sections can be flat-packed for transportation. This is a significant advantage over conventional prefabricated buildings. In addition, the fact that the main support frame is manufactured from laminar sections rather than solid wooden 35 beams and pillars, or from metal girders significantly reduces the cost and weight of the structure. Such laminar sections which interlock together can, for example be manufactured from standard size sheets of plywood, Stirling board, laminated boards, block boards, plastics sheeting, glass reinforced plastics sheeting, chipboards, and the like.

Preferably, the main frame comprises a plurality of arches each formed from at least two laminar components connected together by a jig-lock joint.

10 Preferably also, each jig-lock joint comprises either an interlocking T-joint or an interlocking dove-tailed joint Preferably also, each jig-lock joint is strengthened by at least one pair of washers held by bolts that are secured 15 through apertures defined by registering grooves formed by both components of the joint.

Preferably also, each arch of the main frame comprises at least three laminar components defining a lintel and two 20 side jambs.

Preferably also, the main frame comprises a plurality of substantially horizontal beams which locate in grooves formed in the outer periphery of the arches.

Preferably also, retaining blocks are attached to the beams on either side of an arch to prevent significant relative movement between the arch and the beam.

30 Preferably also, the arch defines a slot adjacent at lease one of its grooves through which a toggle can be located and secured to the retaining blocks on both sides of the arch.

35 Preferably also, the main frame has a polygonal ground plan wherein at least one arch is located bisecting each angle of the polygon and the horizontal beams are located parallel with the sides of the polygon. Advantageously, the ground plan comprises an octagon.

5 The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a 10 prefabricated modular building structure according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an arch comprising a main support frame of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the joints formed between two of the components making up the arch shown in Fig. 2 and various horizontal beams; 20 Figs. 4a - 4c are scrap views showing alternative interlocking joints between two of the components of the arch shown in Fig. 2; and Figs. 5a - Sc show various different combinations of 25 components making up arches similar to those shown in Fig. 2 including, as shown in Fig. 5b a double arch.

As shown in Fig. 1, the building structure comprises an prefabricated superstructure 1 which is assembled on a 30 prepared concrete raft 2. Supporting steel legs 3 are bolted to the superstructure 1 and secured to concrete pads 4 formed in the ground at appropriate intervals around the exterior of the superstructure 1. Alternatively, for a less permanent structure, the superstructure 1 could be supported directly 35 on a steel framework (not shown)and the steel legs 3 secured by means of pins or spikes (not shown) driven directly into the ground.

Each module of the superstructure 1 comprises a main 5 polygonal support frame 5 which comprises a plurality of arches 6 which are interconnected by horizontal beams 7. This frame 5 is then used to support a roof structure 8 and exterior cladding 9, which forms the outer skin of the building. It will be appreciated that the ground plan of the 10 superstructure 1 can be varied as desired and that it is comparatively simple to design and construct a polygonal structure comprising two or more adjacent modules interconnected by covered walkways or corridors without the need to vary the shape of the main support frame 5 of each 15 module.

The roof structure 8 can be made from struts 10 joined and jointed using conventional joinery techniques in accordance with any desired design according to the use 20 which the building is to be put. The roof structure 6 can therefore be made more or less complex dependent on the effect it is desired to achieve and appropriately covered using a conventional weather-proof skin or sheeting. With complex designs as shown in Fig. 1, the steel legs 3 can be 25 designed as buttresses to provide support for the roof structure 8.

The module shown in Fig. 1 has an octagonal ground plan wherein outwardly radiating arches 6 are located bisecting 30 each angle of the polygon. Hence, the main support frame 5 has eight arches 6, four of which are visible in Fig. 1. If the superstructure 1 is large, each of these arches 6 can be made of two separate but identical arches 6a, 6b placed side by side and bolted together as shown in Fig. 1. This adds 35 strength to the laminar sections used, which may comprise any suitable easily cut laminar material such as plywood, Stirling board, laminated boards, block boards, plastics sheeting, glass reinforced plastics sheeting, chipboard3, and the like.

5 As shown in more detail in Fig. 2, each arch 6 is formed from at least two laminar components 11, 12 connected together by jig-lock joints 13. The size and number of the components 11, 12 will be dependent on the size of laminar material available as compared to the size Of superstructure 10 1 required. It is expected that most superstructures 1 will be capable of being constructed from sheet sizes of 2400 mm by 1200 mm.

As shown in Figs 4a - 4c, the shape of the jig-lock 15 joints 13 can vary, defining rounded T and square-cut T joints, as shown in Figs 4a and 4b respectively. A dove-tail joint, as shown in Fig. 4c can also be used. The joints 13 may be additionally strengthened by being clamped between at least one and preferably three pairs of washers 14 each held 20 by a bolt 15 that is secured through an apertures defined by registering grooves formed by both components 11, 12 of the joint 13. The washers 14 should be Of sufficient size to clamp the two components 11, 12 together firmly and thereby prevent them sliding apart. Advantageously, the pairs of 25 washers 14 are located centrally of the actual interlocking joint itself and at either side thereof.

The arches 6 themselves can be of any desired shape and number of component 11, 12. Preferably, to prevent wastage of 30 material when cutting the components 11, 12 the arch comprises at least three components defining a lintel 11 and two side jambs 12, an interlocking joint 13 being located at each angle of the arch 6. However, as shown in Fig. 5a the arch 6 may comprise a lintel 11 formed from two components 35 lla and llb which are themselves jointed using a double jiglock joint 16. In this case supporting strips 17 can be secured to both of the components lla, llb of the lintel across the joint 16 on either side of the arch 6. Alternatively, the arch 6 may comprise a double arch 18, as shown in Fig. 5b. In order to accommodate any angle of join 5 between a jamb 12 and a lintel 11, an additional corner component 19 may also be provided, as shown in Fig. 5c, to which the jamb 12 and the lintel 11 are jointed.

The arches 6 of the main support frame 5 are 10 interconnected by the substantially horizontal beams 7 which locate in pre-cut grooves 20 formed in the outer periphery of the arches 6. The beams 7 are located parallel with the sides of the polygon defined by the ground plan of the module. Those beams 21 around the sides of the arches 6 are 15 used to support exterior, weatherproof cladding for the module and frameworks for doors and windows whereas beams 22 located along the top of the arches 6 are used to support the roof structure 8, as shown in Fig. 1.

20 In order to give rigidity to the support frame 5 and to ensure that there is no significant relative movement between the arches 6 and the beams 7, each beam 7 is clamped to an arch 6 as shown in Fig. 3. After each beam 7 has been located in its appointed pre-cut groove 20, a retaining block 23 is 25 butted up to the arch 6 on each side thereof and secured in Position to the beam 18 using screws 24 or other fasteners.

The beams 7, particularly those beams 21 connected to the jambs 12, are additionally secured using toggles 25 which locate through slots 26 cut in the jambs 12 adjacent and 30 inwardly of each groove 20. The toggles 25 are secured to the retaining blocks 23 attached to each beam 7 by screws 27 on each side of the slot 26.

Once the a main support structure S of a module has been 35 constructed, doors and windows along with the exterior cladding and roof structure can be added to the superstructure 1 according to the desired visual effect required. The superstructure may then be painted or surface treated and decorated as desired. The interior space can also be easily subdivided into separate rooms and finished using 5 conventional partitioning. Additional interconnecting modules can also be added at any time without significant disturbance to the original structure. Hence, the prefabricated modular building structure of the invention provides a temporary building which has a high degree of flexibility in its 10 design. In addition, it can be readily assembled or dismantled for rapid relocation or storage.

Claims (12)

1. A prefabricated modular building structure wherein each module comprises a main support frame that is assembled from 5 laminar sections which connect together by interlocking joints.

2. A structure as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the main frame comprises a plurality of arches each formed from at 10 least two laminar components connected together by a jig-lock joint.

3. A structure as claimed in Claim 2, wherein each jig-lock joint comprises either an interlocking T-joint or an is interlocking dove-tailed joint.

4. A structure as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein each jig-lock joint is strengthened by at least one pair of washers held by bolts that are secured through apertures 20 defined by registering grooves formed by both components of the joint.

S. A structure as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein, each arch of the main frame comprises at least three 25 laminar components defining a lintel and two side jambs.

6. A structure as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the main frame comprises a plurality of substantially horizontal beams which locate in grooves formed 30 in the outer periphery of the arches.

7. A structure as claimed in Claim 6, wherein retaining blocks are attached to the beams on either side of an arch to prevent significant relative movement between the arch and 35 the beam.

8. A structure as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the arch defines a slot adjacent at lease one of its grooves through which a toggle can be located and secured to the retaining blocks on both sides of the arch.

9. A structure as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the main frame has a polygonal ground plan wherein at least one arch is located bisecting each angle of the polygon and horizontal beams are located between the arches parallel with the sides of the polygon.

10. A structure as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the ground plan comprises an octagon.

15

11. A structure as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the interlocking laminar sections are manufactured from at least one of plywood, Stirling board, laminated boards, block boards, plastics sheeting, glass reinforced plastics sheeting, and chipboards.

12. A prefabricated modular building structure substantially as described herein with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.