TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an apparatus for lifting, longitudinal movement, transverse movement, lowering and installing load elements such as building modules, and more particularly, to prefabricated volumetric building modules. More specifically, the present invention relates to an assembly and a corresponding method for lifting, longitudinal movement, transverse movement, lowering and installing prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) building modules having a heavy weight, for instance a weight of at least one tonne. Preferably, the assembly is capable of handling load elements having a weight of 10 tonnes, 20 tonnes or more.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The needs for a shortened construction process at any chosen location and requiring a reducing number of construction workers have resulted some national building authorities to encourage the industry to embrace the concept of Design for Manufacturing Assembly (DfMA), where construction is designed such that as much work can be done off-site as possible in a controlled manufacturing environment.

Modular building (building modules) construction method such as a “Prefabricated, Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC)” is one of the game changing technologies that support the DfMA concept to significantly speed up construction. It can potentially achieve a productivity improvement of up to 50% in terms of manpower and time savings, depending on the complexity of the projects. Furthermore, dust and noise pollution can be minimised as more activities are done off-site. With the bulk of the installation activities and manpower moved off-site to a factory controlled environment, site safety could also be improved.

For these reasons, the use of building modules construction method such as PPVC module is made mandatory for selected projects in some countries, with the government releasing land parcels on the condition that PPVC construction method is applied. In general, there is increasing demand for building built with PPVC modules.

Such PPVC modules are predominantly installed using either mobile crane for a low rise building or tower crane for a high rise building. In fact, no other method is known to be employed to date.

Patent document US 3,982,732 is one typical example showing how light weight housing modules are first transported to an erection site on a flat bed trailer drawn by a winch-equipped towing truck. A construction crane tower is then towed to the site on a trailer vehicle which is later utilized as a counter- weight for a simplified fixed radius non-rotating crane based on one of the trucks and erected by use of the second truck. Twin opposing cranes are employed to lift and manipulate housing modules at the site. However, due to the limitation of the mobile crane, only low rise housing modules can be built in this manner. Moreover, the weight of the PPVC module is limited by the lifting capacity of the lifting equipment, such as the aforementioned conventional tower crane or mobile crane. For instance, the weight of PPVC steel module is about 10 T to 20 T while the weight of a full concrete module is about 20 T to 35 T. The reach required would be normally 35 m to 75 m for practical application. This gives the crane capacity range for steel modules from 300 tonne metres (Tm) to 1500 Tm whereas the crane capacity range for full concrete modules from 600 Tm to 2650 Tm. There are not many crane capacity for full concrete modules in the market and hence such cranes fall under a special category of heavy duty cranes. Noteworthy, the cost of a tower crane increases significantly with the increased capacity and reach. Apart from the above-mentioned restrictions such as availability and cost issues, other limitation issues include: site dimensional constraints, difficulties in obtaining approval from regulatory bodies and requirements of a larger foundation for heavy duty tower cranes and requirement for larger work area for heavy duty mobile cranes as well as sizes and forces coming from the horizontal ties to the permanent structure.

On the other hand, it is in the interest of the building industry to introduce more cost effective and stable concrete PPVC for high rise buildings. Unfortunately it remains to be seen an effective solution to overcome all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks of the existing lifting equipment, in particular the mobile crane and tower crane, in order to install huge and heavy load elements such as full concrete building modules for high rise buildings.

Therefore, improved assemblies and methods for lifting, longitudinal movement, transverse movement, lowering and installing heavy load elements are needed for building high structures while is cost effective. The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome at least some of the problems identified above related to the lifting, longitudinal movement, transverse movement, lowering and installing of heavy loads such that high rise building can be built in an efficient, safe and cost effective manner compared to the conventional manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors of the present invention have found out an inventive solution to overcome all or at least a part of the above-described problems and restrictions of constructing and installing modular buildings, in particular building modules that are very heavy (such as predominantly made of steel or concrete materials), and to overcome the limitations of building high rise building from these building modules. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an assembly for lifting, lowering and installing load elements according to claim 1.

More specifically, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembly for lifting, lowering and installing load elements, from a base region of a construction, in particular a habitable building, to a predetermined region of the construction and vice versa, wherein the load elements are arranged side by side to one another and/or are stacked up on top of each other, forming a partially- or fully completed construction, the assembly comprising:

- lifting means having a load engaging element for carrying the load element substantially vertically, wherein the lifting means is configured to lift up and down the load engaging element from the base region of the construction to a predetermined height of the construction;

- shifting means capable of shifting back and forth the load elements substantially horizontally, from the load engaging element to the predetermined region of the construction, wherein the shifting means with or without the load element are supported by the partially- or fully completed construction or together with the lifting means;

- adjusting means for a final positional adjustment of the load elements.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for lifting, lowering and installing load elements, comprising the steps of: a) engaging the load elements to a load engaging element, or disengaging the load elements from the load engaging element, b) lifting the load engaging element substantially vertically from a base region of the construction to reach a predetermined height of the

construction, or lowering the load engaging element substantially vertically from said predetermined height of the construction to the base region of the construction, c) shifting the load elements substantially horizontally from the load engaging element to the predetermined region of the construction, or from the predetermined region of the construction to the load engaging element, d) adjusting the position of the load element prior to installing the load elements such that the load elements are stacked up on top of each other and/or are arranged side by side to one another, forming a partially- or fully completed construction; or uninstalling the partially- or fully completed construction.

In one embodiment, the load engaging element comprises a platform element and/or a crane-type spreader beam (or known as a lifting beam or a lifting spreader). The platform element has the advantage of lifting load elements which are built up from less rigid surfaces and required more care when installation whereas the crane-type spreader beam are suitable for rigid modules which can be lifted up easily.

In a further embodiment, the platform element is provided to carry the load element from below whereas the crane-type spreader beam is provided to carry the load element from above. Platform element carrying the load element from below ensures that the load element is not distorted by the lifting movement and it is especially suited for those load elements having less rigid wall. The crane-type spreader beam carrying the load element from above allows a more efficient transportation method in case the load element to be carried allows for such lifting movement. According to another embodiment, the shifting means further comprise rails and/or grooves, and at least one carriage such as a wheeled wagon, a bogey or a trolley, configured in such a way that the load elements are movable back and forth from the load engaging element to the predetermined region of the construction by means of the rails and/or grooves, and the carriage. The carriage allows the load element to be placed to the carriage such that can be transported along the provided rails and/or grooves.

According to yet another embodiment, the load element is placed on top of the carriage such that the load element is supported from beneath. According to a further embodiment, the load element is loaded on the carriage, preferably while the carriage is at the platform element, wherein the load element is only being unloaded from the carriage upon arriving at the predetermined region of the construction for a final positional adjustment. Such configuration allows for a minimal loading/unloading actions of the heavy load element, thereby increasing the efficiency of the overall construction process. For instance, when the load engaging element is a platform element, the carriage loaded with load element can be shifted substantially horizontally and continuously from the platform element to the predetermined region of the construction before unloaded from the carriage for a final positional adjustment. In a preferred embodiment, the lifting means comprising at least one support tower and/or at least two support beams. Such structures allows the platform element to be installed thereon for lifting substantially vertically the load element.

According to one preferred embodiment, one or more adjustable load bearing device such as hydraulic jacks are provided at the shifting means, load engaging element and/or edges of the load elements. In another embodiment, the adjustable load bearing device could also be provided at the platform element, carriage such as wheeled wagon and/or the support bracket. Such device allows for an additional degree of movement to the load element (for instance a slight upwards lifting movement).

According to one particular preferred embodiment, the assembly is capable of lifting, lowering and installing the load elements having a weight of more than 5 tonnes, preferably more than 10 tonnes or 20 tonnes. Such assembly is especially suited for assembling very heavy load elements, and in particular forming high-rise buildings. According to another preferred embodiment, the load elements are stacked up on top of each other, forming multiple levels (N, N-1 , N-2,...), N being the top level, wherein the lifting means are connected to the each level or at regular intervals by means of multiple connecting points, such that the lifting means are supported and/or stabilised by the partially- or fully completed construction. The multiple connecting points allow the lifting means to be stabilized and/or supported by the partially- or fully completed construction.

According to another preferred embodiment, the lifting means is connected to each level or at certain intervals by at least two, four, eight or sixteen connecting means. The connecting means may be the multiple connecting points. Alternatively, the lifting means is connected to each level by an identical number of connecting means.

According to yet a further embodiment, when the load engaging element is a platform element, the lifting means does not exceed the top level N such that the shifting means are capable of moving back and forth to deliver the load element from the platform element to the predetermined region of construction, at one level above the top level (N+1 ). Such configuration allows for an efficient horizontal movement of the load element, through the carriage, from the platform element to the final destination, and is not hindered by the lifting means.

In one further embodiment, it has a step of assembling the platform element at the base region of the construction and engaging the platform element with the lifting means. This allows for a quick assembling and disassembling. According to one particular preferred embodiment, the load elements are mechanically secured to the platform element.

According to one further embodiment, the load element is shifted by means of shifting means comprising rails and/or grooves, and a carriage, from the load engaging element to the predetermined region of the construction. Such continuous shifting movement allows the load element to be shifted with minimal effort required and allows a smaller lifting arm of the lifting means to be utilised.

According to a further embodiment, the load element is adjusted through adjusting means such as a lowering frame and/or one or more adjustable load bearing device. The use of a lowering frame has the advantage of a faster and a more efficient transfer of load element from the shifting means to the adjusting means whereas the advantage of using one or more adjustable load bearing device is that it allows for adjustment of the first load element to be placed on the new floor being constructed. In another embodiment, each of the installing/assembling steps are controlled independently from one another.

In one further embodiment, it further comprising a step of mechanically securing the load elements to one another, after a final positional adjustment has been performed. In one further embodiment, the method further comprising a step of mechanically securing the load elements to one another, after a final positional adjustment has been performed, forming the partially- or fully completed construction.

Noteworthy, it is emphasized that the lifting, shifting and installing of various load elements can be done simultaneously, separately or independently from one to another. Also, it shall be noted that the present invention also relates to the method for lowering/uninstalling load elements from any region of the construction to the base region of the construction, for example in case of replacing one or more units of the load elements or dismantling of the construction. The assembly as disclosed herein thus allows for a very efficient construction of building modules.

The proposed assembly and method offer a new and innovative solution for lifting heavy loads to an elevated region, or vice versa, whereby the load elements are arranged side by side to one another and/or are stacked up on top of each other, forming a partially- or fully completed construction, which may be low rise- or high rise buildings. The proposed assembly allow for a very efficient installation process by significantly reducing approximately more than 50 % of the time needed using a conventional construction method, thanks to its ability to install multiple load elements simultaneously with substantially simplified equipment.

Furthermore, thanks to the proposed assembly of the present invention which comprises shifting means, wherein the shifting means with or without the load element are supported by the partially- or fully completed construction or together with the lifting means, the costs of the lifting means can substantially be reduced compared to other conventional construction methods involving the use of conventional tower cranes (e.g. the size of horizontal bracing attached to the structure and the size of the tower crane itself). In other words, when load elements in particular very heavy load elements are to be installed, the assembly of the present invention is superior compared to the conventional tower/mobile crane, as cost increases significantly for higher capacity and reach.

The assembly of the present invention and the method thereof have the following advantages: Compared to conventional lifting means such as a tower crane or a mobile crane, the assembly of the present invention is lighter, requires smaller foundation, more efficient, has a smaller lever arm (or boom, jib or any similar arms), easier to assemble while capable of lifting, shifting and installing very heavy load elements for the construction of high rise building. For instance, thanks to the different means provided (lifting, shifting and positional adjusting), the assembly can handle multiple load elements simultaneously. Moreover, thanks to the shifting means, smaller lifting means are required, thereby reducing its cost efficiently.

- While mobile crane is suitable for low rise building and tower crane requires more extensive stabilization for an increasing height and a larger lever arm, present invention is not constrained by the height of the construction to be built.

- Lifting means, shifting means and adjusting means can be controlled individually, thereby allowing an independent or simultaneous movements such as vertically, horizontally or a final positional adjustment.

- The assembly is capable of handling several load elements simultaneously, thus reducing construction time with an increased productivity.

- Significant smaller foundation is required compared to a conventional tower crane thanks to the shifting means of the present invention, as the reach of a conventional tower crane is replaced by the shifting means.

- More cost competitive compared to big tower cranes having higher capacity and reach for transporting heavy loads (more than 10 T for instance).

- Allowing heavy load elements such as building modules including PPVC, which is made of steel or concrete (with a weight of more than 10 tonnes) to be lifted through a load engaging element from above or beneath and to be installed.

- Has more control over the final positional adjustment of the load elements while requiring less workers during operation.

- The assembling system can be assembled on the ground with the help of small mobile crane. Once it is partly assembled such that it is able to move vertically or horizontally using its own drive systems, additional extension pieces and relocation of equipment can be done with the assembly system itself without the need of a tower crane. Tower crane is also not required for dismantling of the system. - In terms of material consumption, the assembly system of the present invention is more efficient as it largely utilizes the structure being built to support the weight of the load elements that is being transported. - Higher productivity than a conventional tower/mobile crane.

- Reusability of components for next projects. The modular design allows for an easier adaptation.

- Lighter bracings are required to the structure being built. Less intrusion and patch up work on the permanent works.

- Allowing a quick assembling, disassembling and transporting (about 20 % crane time can be saved) of the load elements such as heavy PPVC building modules while requiring a reducing number of about 30 % of the construction workers. - Increasing the safety of the construction site while reducing dust- and noise pollution of the construction site.

- Suitable to be used for the construction of any tall structures such as low rise buildings or high rise building as well as chimneys, piers, towers, core walls or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of non-limiting exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 a is a perspective view of a partially completed construction, wherein a first embodiment of the lifting means is shown which comprises a support tower.

- Figure 1 b shows a schematic side view of the assembly and the partially completed construction according to the Figure 1 a. - Figure 2a is a perspective view of a partially completed

construction, wherein a second embodiment of the lifting means is shown which comprises a support beam.

Figure 2b shows a schematic side view of the assembly and the partially completed construction according to the Figure 2a.

Figure 2c is a perspective view of the lifting means connected to the partially- or fully completed construction according to the second embodiment.

Figure 3a is a perspective view of a partially completed construction, wherein a third embodiment of the lifting means is shown which comprises a portal tower with two lever arms having a small reach on top of the portal tower.

Figure 3b shows a schematic side view of the assembly and the partially completed construction according to the Figure 3a.

- Figure 4 is a perspective view of adjustable load bearing devices provided to the load element. - Figure 5A to 5N are side views of a partially completed construction according to a fourth embodiment and a fifth embodiment of the invention, showing the method of lifting, shifting and installing load elements at their predetermined region of the construction, with (shown in Figs. 5F-5I) or without (shown in Figs. 5A-5E and 5J-5N) hydraulic jacks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Some embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following in more detail with reference to the figures. Identical functional and structural elements which appear in the different drawings are assigned to the same reference numerals. For the sake of easiness, specific reference numerals in various figures are given only to those functional and structural elements which are necessary for a good comprehension of the drawing.

However, their omission in a particular figure does not automatically imply that they are not present. Due to the current limitations of tower crane and mobile crane lifting devices for use in lifting and installing heavy building modules, the inventors of the present invention have come up with a solution, as disclosed in the present patent specification.

In more detail, the present invention relates to an assembly 100 and a method for lifting, lowering and installing load elements, especially very heavy load elements 10 which typically have a weight of more than 10 tonnes or 20 tonnes or more, for instance those made predominantly with concrete or steel or the mixture thereof. The assembly 100 of the present invention comprises a load engaging element 20, lifting means 30, shifting means 40 and adjusting means 50. The load engaging element 20 is configured to the lifting means 30 such that load elements 10 on the load engaging element 20 can be lifted up and down substantially vertically along the lifting means 30. The load engaging element 20 can be a platform element 21. In some examples, the load engaging element 20 can be a crane-type spreader beam (or a lifting beam/lifting spreader).

Figure 1 a is a perspective view showing a partially completed construction being built using an assembly 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In more particular, a number of load elements 10’ have been installed at their predetermined region of the construction, wherein they are arranged side by side to one another and are stacked up on top of each other, forming a partially completed construction 10’ as can be seen in the Figure 1. Lifting means 30 comprising a load engaging element 20 in form of a platform element 21 and a support tower 31 are shown in this embodiment.

Figure 1 b is a side view according to the Figure 1 a. In this embodiment, the assembly 100 comprises a load engaging element 20 which is in form of a platform element 21 , lifting means 30 which is in form of support tower 31 , shifting means 40 and adjusting means 50. The platform element 20 is assembled and attached to the lifting means 30. Load elements 10 can be carried by a trailer truck to the construction site and are off-loaded either directly on to the platform element 21 which is lowered to a low elevation or less preferably, off-loaded on the ground near to be construction site. A drive system 37 can be used to lift up and down the platform element 21 along the lifting means 30. The lifting means 30 which is a substantially vertical element, is built next to one edge of the partially completed construction such that multiple connecting points can be connected between the support tower 30 and the completed part of the construction. The load elements are for example building modules, in particular prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC).

A drive system 37 can be placed at the base region of the construction and within the support tower 30 such that the drive system 37 can be as close to the edge of the permanently built construction as possible. The drive system 37 can be for instance a lifting winch, rack and pinion system, a chain pulling unit or a hydraulic jack. Such drive systems can be used to lift up and down the platform element 21 along the lifting means 30.

A plurality of connecting points can be provided to connect the support tower 31 to each level of the completed construction. However, it should be understood that not each level requires to be connected with the multiple connecting points.

The shifting means 40 comprises for example rails 46 and a carriage 44 such as a wheeled wagon, a bogey or a trolley. The rails 46 are arranged in such a way that, when the platform element 21 reaches a predetermined height (or a required level) of the construction, the rails form a continuous track such that the carriage 44 can be slid or moved substantially horizontally from the platform element 21 directly to a predetermined region of the construction without requiring any other loading or unloading actions of the load element 10 from the carriage 44. To this end, it can be foreseen that grooves instead of rails can be provided such that the carriage 44 can also be effectively slid along those grooves. Figure 2a is a perspective view of a partially completed construction 10’ according to a second embodiment of the invention with the assembly 100 of the present invention. In this second embodiment, the lifting means 30 comprises two support beams 32 erected/installed at two opposite ends (front and back) of the load element 10. A load engaging element 20, which is a platform element 21 in this embodiment, is further provided to the support beams 32. In other words, the support beams 32 shown in the second embodiment are the only difference compared to the first embodiment shown in the Figures 1 a and 1 b while the shifting means 40 and adjusting means 50 are similar to the first embodiment.

Similar to the support tower 31 as shown in the first embodiment, the support beams 32 are built next to one edge of the partially completed construction such that multiple connecting points can be connected between the support beams 32 and the completed part of the construction. The platform element 21 which can be lifted up or down through a winch 37 for instance.

Figure 2b is a schematic side view of the Figure 2a. Similar to the first embodiment shown in the Figures 1 a and 1 b, the height of the lifting means 30 including the platform element 21 does not exceed the height of the partially- or fully completed construction 10’. In some cases, the height of the lifting means can reach approximately about the height of the partially- or fully completed construction 10’. Such configuration allows the load element 10 to be transferred smoothly from a vertical movement (carried out by lifting means 30) to a horizontal movement (carried out by shifting means 40) and eventually a final positional adjustment (carried out by adjusting means 50) before

installation. To this end, it is noted that according to the present invention one level is completed before another level is to be built over the previous level.

The shifting means 40 and the adjusting means 50 shown in the second embodiment are the same as those shown in the first embodiment. The shifting means may comprise of rails 46 or grooves and a carriage 44 while the adjusting means 50 may comprise of a lowering frame 52 and a support bracket 55 connected by a horizontal arm 53. Figure 2c is a closed-up view of the lifting means 30 according to the second embodiment of the invention, where load element 1 0 can be lifted up and down substantially vertically along the support beams 32 through the platform element 21. A number of diagonal bar supports 35 could be provided at each level (N, N-1 , N-2, ...), connecting between the support beams 32 and the wall of the load elements that have been installed 10’. These diagonal bar supports 35 provide multiple connecting points Z to the lifting means 30 with the construction 10’ such that the lifting means 30 can be stabilized by the existence of the partially- or fully completed construction 1 0’, thereby avoiding buckling effect.

To this end, it may be worth mentioning that the two embodiments of the lifting means 30 shown in the Figures 1 a, 1 b, 2a and 2b may share some similarities with a conventional formwork hoist. For instance, a platform element is used in a formwork hoist to vertically lift up and down loads. Nevertheless, the lifting means 30 of the present invention is fundamentally different to formwork hoist in many ways.

Formwork hoists have been known in the construction field. It usually does not require support from the site crane to climb the building line vertically. This enables quick relocation of the device on the building and minimizes interference with the performance of fagade works while the device is installed.

More specifically, formwork hoist is widely used for carrying construction workers or small equipment in a lifting bracket. Through this bracket, the construction workers are able to reach to different levels of the construction. Noteworthy, such bracket is designed for carrying light-weight purposes only.

Formwork hoist has vertically-erected beam elements which extend from a base region of the construction to above the top floor. Typically the vertically-erected beam elements extend beyond the top level (or the floor being built) as it is required to safely secure the bracket and to allow the bracket to reach the top floor. In other words, such configuration only allows the lifting bracket to move in one degree of freedom, namely the vertical movement. Contrary to the conventional formwork hoists, present invention overcomes said limitation. For instance, the vertically-erected beam

components of the support tower 31 or the support beams 32 of the lifting means 30 are provided in such a way that they are not only suitable to be used for carrying very heavy load elements 10, the height of the lifting means

(including the platform element 21 ) also does not exceed the top level of the construction. Such configuration is important for a smooth transition from a vertical movement to a horizontal movement.

The configurations of the assemblies as shown in the first and second embodiments allow a smooth transition of the load elements to be transferred from a substantially vertical movement to a substantially horizontal movement. Such transfer movements cannot be realised through a

conventional formwork hoist. To this end, it is noted that a conventional formwork hoist carries loads that have footprint area less than the footprint area of the hoist. In contrast, present invention allows for load element with larger footprint than the platform element to be transported vertically and then horizontally at the required level.

Figure 3a shows a third embodiment according to the assembly 100 of the present invention. The third embodiment differs to the first and second embodiments only in the lifting means 30. In more details, the lifting means 30 comprise two support towers 31 with a load engaging element 20 in form of an underslung beam 25 carrying spreader beam 22. It should be understood that the underslung beam 25 can be provided with different numbers of spreader beam 22, depending on the needs, weight and size of the load element 10 to be transported.

Figure 3b is a schematic side view of the Figure 3a. As mentioned above, in this particular embodiment the lifting means 30 comprise a load engaging element 20 in form of a spreader beam 22. The spreader beam 22 are movable along the underslung beam 25 provided on the lifting means 30. Load element 10 can be engaged from above to the spreader beam 22, thereby being lifted from above substantially vertically up and down by the lifting means 30. Furthermore, due to this alternative form of the load engaging element 20 which is in form of spreader beam 22 provided to underslung beam 25, the height of the lifting means 30 is possible to go beyond the height of the partially- or fully completed construction 10’ while allowing a smooth transformation from a substantially vertical movement (by the lifting means 30) to a horizontal movement (by the shifting means 40), before final positional adjustment (by the adjusting means 50) can be done prior to installing the load element 10.

Load engaging element 20 in form of a spreader beam 22 which is connected to the lifting means 30 through the underslung beam 25 is

advantageous due to the fact that such configuration allows a more efficient installation process compared to a platform element. The spreader beam 22 further enhances the flexibility of the installation process.

To this end, it is reiterated that the load engaging element 20 in form of a platform element 21 could also be advantageous as the load element 10 can be supported and lifted from beneath. Load elements 10 especially building modules such as PPVC modules normally have walls or surfaces that are prone to damages during transportation.

Such PPVC modules are normally designed and built only for permanent stage loading condition. However, due to the increased weights of the load elements (more than 10 T or 20 T), it inevitably increases the chances of distorting the shape and structure of the load elements 10, in case they are being lifted from above. For this reason, care must be taken when installing the load elements 10 in order to form the partially- or fully completed construction 10’. In such instances, load elements having weaker surface are preferably to be lifted through the load engaging element 20 in form of a platform element 21. Nevertheless, such load elements 10 can also be carefully lifted from above with the load engaging element 20 in form of a spreader beam 22.

In this connection, the third embodiment according to the assembly 100 of the present invention comprises lifting means 30 which differs

fundamentally to conventional tower crane. As mentioned in the background part, larger foundation is required for a conventional tower crane due to the need to transport very heavy loads (higher capacity). The longer reach of such conventional tower crane also requires larger foundation for stabilization.

Needless to say, the cost of a tower crane also increases significantly with the increased capacity and reach.

Thanks to the shifting means 40 of the present invention, smaller lifting means 30 are required for the installation process. Due to the inherent design of the shifting means 40 of the present invention, as can be seen in all embodiments, the weight (with or without the load element 10) of the shifting means are supported by the partially- or fully completed construction 10’ or together with the lifting means 30. Such configuration allows smaller, more efficient and more cost-effective lifting means 30 to be used in the present invention.

Moreover, a shortened spreader beam 22 as shown in the third embodiment in the Figures 3a and 3b can be achieved, thanks to the shifting means 40 of the present invention, therefore the higher capacity and reach of a conventional tower crane are not required. Hence, the assemblies 100 of the present invention are cost effective compared to conventional tower crane when load elements with such heavy weights are to be carried and installed.

It is reiterated again in this part that the different means of the assembly 100 of the present invention can be controlled independently and separately. Higher productivity and reduced construction time can be achieved by the present invention. This has not been possible in the prior art.

The lifting means 30 which is in form of a support tower 31 (shown in the first and third embodiments) or the support beams 32 (shown in the second embodiment) can be an independent system away from the structure being constructed, having only bracing elements to resist nominal lateral load attached to the structure being constructed. Alternatively, the support tower 31 or the support beam 32 can be closely attached to part of the structure being constructed through multiple connecting points, such that the buckling effect can be deterred. Nevertheless, these structures must be checked whether the load element 10 that is imposed on them can be taken. The shifting means 40 and adjusting means 50 disclosed in the first, second and third embodiments are the same. In more detail, the shifting means 40 comprises rails 46 and/or grooves, and a carriage 44, wherein load element 10 can be loaded and be transported by the carriage 44. The carriage 44 of the shifting means 40 such as the bogey system is running on rails that are laid (or grooves that are provided) on specific locations such that the weight of the shifting means 40 (with or without load element 10) are not applied directly onto the weak surface part of the load element 10.

The adjusting means 50 comprises a lowering frame 52 which is connected by a horizontal arm 53 to a support bracket 55 (as shown in Figures 2b and 3b). The adjusting means 50 disclosed in the present invention is only suitable for a local positional adjustment due to the inherent small structure of the adjusting means 50 of the present invention, where the adjusting means 50 can either be entirely positioned on the partially- or fully completed construction 10’ or can be positioned away from the partially- or fully completed construction 10’, for instance on top of the load element 10 on the platform element 20 (e.g. Fig. 5D).

The adjusting means 50 disclosed herewith can for example be positioned at the topmost surface region of the construction. In more precisely, the adjusting means is positioned above the topmost surface of the level to be constructed (Figures 1 b, 2b, 3b) such that a final positional adjustment of the load elements 10 can be adjusted accordingly (eg. vertically and horizontally) and locally by the adjusting means 50.

In this example, the adjusting means 50 comprises a lowering frame 52 connected to a support bracket 55 through a horizontal arm 53 (see figure

3b). The lowering frame 52 is a component of the adjusting means 50 used for positional adjustment purpose. The support bracket 55 stabilizes the adjusting means 50 on the rails 46. Due to the heavy weight of the adjusting means 50, the adjusting means 50 can for example be located on a plurality of rails 46. Noteworthy, the adjusting means 50 is capable of sliding or rolling horizontally on top of the installed load elements (e.g. on level N or N+1 ), through the shifting means 40 as described above or through any other suitable means, for example by sliding pads/surface or moving rollers.

Figure 4 shows a plurality of adjustable load bearing devices 57 such as hydraulic jacks can be provided to the edges of the load elements 1 0, 10’. The function of such components will be discussed below in more detail.

Figures 5A to 5N are a series of schematic side views demonstrating the method for lifting, shifting and installing load elements 1 0 according to a fourth embodiment (Figs. 5A-5E and 5J-5N) and a fifth embodiment (Figs. 5F- 5I) of the present invention. As can be seen in Figure 5A, the installation of three levels (N, N-1 ,

N-2) made up with a plurality of load elements 10 have been fully completed, thus forming a partially completed construction 10’. To this end, support beams 32 have been installed only at two levels, namely at the levels N-1 and N-2 but not yet installed at the newly completed top level N. The platform element 21 which is attached to the lifting means 30 can therefore only reach to the level N- 1. The platform element 21 is moved vertically to the level N-1 and its position at the support beam 32 is then locked through a locking pin 28.

The final positional adjusting means 50 comprises a lowering frame 52 and a support bracket 55. The adjusting means 50 is first moved to a nearest location to the support beams 32. The lowering frame 52 is then moved towards the location of the platform element 21 through the horizontal arm 53. A chain element 54 extending from the lowering frame 52 can be attached to an extension piece of a support beam 32 to be erected. This extension piece of the support beam 32 to be installed, which has the same length as the height of the load element 10, is then lifted upwards (see arrowhead X in Fig. 5A), and is later connected to the support beam 32 of the level N-1. The newly installed support beam 32 at the level N can now be provided with multiple connecting points between the support beam 32 and the completed part of the construction at the level N. Upon the completion of installing the support beam 32 at the level N, the construction of level N can now be considered to be fully completed (Fig. 5B). Figures 5C to 5E show the following steps of how a new level N+1 can be built. Prior to the construction of the new level N+1 , the shifting means 40 for example may be installed on the ground of the level N+1 (or top surface of the level N) for the subsequent horizontal movement of the load elements 10 to-be-installed. An easier alternative would be installing the rail tracks 46 on top surface of each load element 10 prior to loading the load element 10 on the platform element 21.

Figure 5C shows that the lowering means 52 is moved back towards the position of the support bracket 55, such that the space above from the platform element 21 is free and does not block the subsequent load element 10 to be lifted up. This step is also necessary for the adjusting means 50 to be moved as a whole due to its centre of gravity.

Also shown in the Fig. 5C is that a load element 10 to be installed to the new level (N+1 ) has been loaded on to the platform element 21 , where the platform element 21 has reached the level N-1 while the load element 10 to-be- installed is positioned at the level N. Rails 46 which are installed on top of the load element 10 thus form a continuous track with the other rails 46 that are installed on the installed units of load element 10’.

The adjusting means 50 can then be moved as an integrated unit towards the load element 10 on the platform element 21 , as shown in Figure 5D. Shown in the Fig. 5E is that the platform element 21 is now lifted vertically up (direction X) to reach one level higher (level N) and the platform element can be locked at this position to the support beams 32 via a locking pin 28 (Figure 5E).

To this end, it is noted that the carriage 44 can be positioned on the platform element 21 , as shown in the Figures 5A to 5E, such that the load element 10 to be installed can later be transferred to any location of the construction. Once a required height is reached, a transition from a vertical movement (direction X) to a horizontal movement (direction Y) can be realised thanks to the configuration of the present invention (see Fig. 5H). The load element 10 may be shifted substantially horizontally, on the carriage 44, along the rails 46 until reaching its assigned position, as shown in the Figure 5F. At this point, it is noted that the adjusting means 50 is now located directly above (on level N+2) the load element 10 that is at the level N+1 (see Figure 5F).

Figure 4 illustrates a closed-up view of the Figure 5F, wherein a plurality of adjustable load bearing devices 57 may be provided to the edges of the load element 10. The adjustable load bearing device 57 can be provided with a jack support bracket 58, which is a component used for the load transfer with hydraulic jacks 57. These jack support brackets 58 can be used to support/transfer the vertical reaction force for example from the hydraulic jacks that are attached to the wall of the load elements 10, such as the thin concrete wall of the PPVC. These jack support brackets 58 use shear keys to transfer shear to the wall while tension can be transferred by cast in bolts to wall position where there is a horizontal concrete slab to take the pull-out force. Compression force can be spread over sufficient height of the jack support bracket 55 to the wall of the load elements 10. The combination of these elements (hydraulic jack and jack support bracket) allow the introduction of a vertical- , shear- and bending force into the wall of the load element 10. Figures 5F to 5I demonstrate method steps involving hydraulic jacks 57 together with the jack support brackets 55 for adjusting the load element 10 to a final positional adjustment.

According to this fourth embodiment of the invention, adjustable load bearing device 57 is used predominantly for the installation of the first load element 10 at the new level of the construction. However, said device 57 can of course also be used in each of the load element 10 installation process. When the load element 10 reaches its assigned region, the hydraulic jacks can be activated (Fig. 5G) such that the weight of the load element 10 can be lifted off from the carriage 44. The carriage 44 can then be returned to the platform element 21 (Fig. 5H), and can be ready to transport the next load element 10. The rails 46 which are directly beneath the load element 10 to be installed can then be removed, such that the load element 10 is ready for a final installation process (Fig. 5H). Upon the final positional adjustment and the installation of the load element 10, the adjustable load bearing device can be deactivated and be removed, as can be seen in the Figures 5I and 5J. Meanwhile, a new load element 10 has been loaded onto the platform element 21 , and has reached to the level N+1 , waiting to be transferred to its assigned region of the construction on the level N+1 . The load element 10 can be transferred via the carriage 44 of the shifting means 40 to reach its predetermined destination (Fig. 5J).

Figures 5J to 5N show the process is repeated as described in the Figures 5F to 5I, except that hydraulic jacks 57 are not being used in the final positional adjustment. According to this fifth embodiment of the invention, instead of the adjustable load bearing device 57, the lowering frame 52, support bracket 55 and chain element 54 of the adjusting means 50 are involved in the final positional adjustment.

As can be seen in the Fig. 5J, the lowering frame 52 is moved towards the to-be-installed load element 10 and the lowering frame 52 is secured with the load element 10, while the support bracket 55 is positioned above the last installed load element 10’ at level N+1. The load element 10 is then lifted up by the lowering frame 52 such that the carriage 44 can be returned (direction Y) to the platform element 21 and the rails 46 directly beneath the load element 10 to be installed can be removed (Fig. 5K). Upon a final positional adjustment, for example the load element 10 being lifted is rotated about its vertical axis to reach a final orientation, the load element 10 can be lowered down (direction X) by the lowering frame 52 such that a final installation process of the load element 10 with its neighbouring load elements 10’ can be performed (Fig. 5L). To this end, it is noted that the lowering frame

52 can be self-launched to sit on the newly installed load element 10’.

Due to the centre of gravity of the final adjusting means 50, the lowering frame 52 has to be returned to the support bracket 55 before the final adjusting means 50 can be moved forward as a whole to the last installed load element 10’, as shown in the Fig. 5M. Also shown in the Fig. 5M is that a new unit of load element 10 to-be-installed has reached the level N+1 , waiting to be transferred to its assigned position of the construction on the level N+1. Fig. 5N shows that the adjusting means 50 is launched forward to position itself on top of the load element 10’ which has just been installed as shown in the Fig. 5L. The installation process repeats until the construction is completed.

To this end, it becomes clear that according to all embodiments of the present invention, the lifting means 30 and shifting means 40 are designed for longitudinal movements i.e. substantially vertical and horizontal movements, respectively, whereas the adjusting means 50 are designed for local and/or transverse movements including basic rotation about x, y and z axes in three dimensions by an angle of up to about 50°. The term“load element” as used herein is meant for any components which can be transferred by the assembly of the present invention for constructing part of or the entire construction. The load element is preferably a modular volumetric object (prefabricated steel, precast concrete) in building construction or even civil construction. The load element could also be a precast bathroom unit (PBU), a precast core walls of building structure or a precast segmental tall piers of a bridge structure.

By“about” or“approximately” or“around” or“substantially” in relation to a given numerical value for unit, amount, temperature or a period of time, it is meant to include numerical values within 25 % of the specified value. More preferably, a specified value of 1 0 % is meant.

By“comprising” it is meant including, but not limited to, whatever follows the word“comprising”. Thus, the use of the term“comprising” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present. The terms“comprising” and “including” as used herein are interchangeable with each other.

By“consisting of” it is meant including, and limited to, whatever follows the phrase“consisting of”. Thus, the phrase“consisting of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, and that no other elements may be present. By“completely” or“entirely” it is meant totally and utterly. Thus, the use of the term“completely” or“entirely” as used herein represents almost 100 %.

The terms“at least one” and “one or more” as used herein are interchangeable and relate to at least 1 and include 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and more.

The invention has been described broadly and generically herein. Each of the narrower species and sub-generic groupings falling within the generic disclosure also form part of the invention. This includes the generic description of the invention with a proviso or negative limitation removing any subject matter from the genus, regardless of whether or not the excised material is specifically recited herein.