RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims convention priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2021903376, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference thereto.

FIELD

[0002] This invention relates to a building frame system.

BACKGROUND

[0003] The digital architectural topology on which the tech industry has traditionally built its systems and applications has also reached its limits of scale. Advanced digital technologies such as 6G, MEC (Mobile Edge Computing) Photon Computing and more cannot be optimised on existing tech platforms. Many enterprises dependent on the existing tech platforms are already experiencing its limits of scale. Limits such as bandwidth, latency, security, and effective control.

[0004] There is also a growing concern that access to the existing tech platforms is being mediated by a very small number of very large and aggressive tech giants. The construction industry is just one of the infrastructure industries for which its architectural topology has reached its limits of scale. Once any industries architectural topology has reached its limits of scale, incremental innovation processes can no longer significantly increase their functionalities or improve performance.

[0005] Also, the functionality and performance of Buildings-as-a-platform (BaaP) buildings and the industries that become synergistically connected with them will require a much higher level of security, efficiency and functionality than can possibly be delivered on the existing digital platforms. BaaP offers both the construction and tech industry the potential to innovate higher functioning systems and applications for the needs of the BaaP building and for the needs of Everything-as-a-Service (XaaS) enterprises

SUMMARY

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to at least substantially address one or more of the above emerging needs, or at least provide a useful alternative to the above technology platforms. [0007] The present invention provides a building frame system for providing structural scaffolding of a building, the system including: a first and a second upright column, the columns being spaced apart; one or more horizontal beams extending between the columns; an outer skin and an inner skin extending between the columns to define a cavity between the columns, the skins being connected to the beams so as to be supported thereby; an attachment system connected to the beam, the attachment system having a mounting point for receiving a utility device, wherein the columns include a composite structure having: a stainless steel profile; and a structural plastic profile having ribs formed of resiliently deformable plastic.

[0008] Preferably, the resiliently deformable plastic ribs are coextruded onto the structural plastic profile.

[0009] Preferably, the structural plastic profile is attached to the stainless steel profile using a structural adhesive.

[0010] Preferably, the stainless steel profile is rolled.

[0011] Preferably, the composite structure includes vents for allowing air movement between an exterior of the cavity and the cavity.

[0012] Preferably, the vent includes a motor-driven ventilation device to control and/or encourage air movement between the exterior of the cavity and the cavity.

[0013] Preferably, the motor-drive ventilation device is adapted to generate power from air movement between the exterior of the cavity and the cavity.

[0014] Preferably, the attachment system includes a mounting rail, and the utility device is one or more of: a pipe for conveying fluid; a wire, cable, or bundle of cables for conveying power and/or information. [0015] Preferably, the system further includes: a utility pod received by the attachment system, the utility pod being adapted to interface with the utility device received by the attachment system.

[0016] Preferably, the utility pod includes one or more of: a fluid management system; a power management system; an airflow management system; a radio area network system; and a computing system to provide edge computing services.

[0017] Preferably, the utility pod is formed from a pod shell, the pod shell being formed from a sheet metal blank.

[0018] Preferably, the sheet metal blank is stamped, laser cut, and/or waterjet cut.

[0019] Preferably, the sheet metal blank has a thickness between 0.50 mm to 1.20 mm.

[0020] Preferably, the utility pod has a depth between 110 mm to 200 mm, a height between 400 mm to 3200 mm, and a width between 400 mm to 3200 mm.

[0021] Preferably, the utility pod is attached to two or more mounting points of the attachment system such that the utility pod acts as a cross-brace to resist parallel motion of the columns and/or beams.

[0022] Preferably, the utility pod is formed from thin glass, smart polymers, and/or carbon fibre composite.

[0023] Preferably, a smart coating material is applied to the utility pod.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0024] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0025] FIG. l is a perspective view of a building frame system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. [0026] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the building frame system of FIG. 1 without skins.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a section view of the building frame system of FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a detail of FIG. 3.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a detailed section view of the building frame system of FIG. 1.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a composite structure used in the building frame system of FIG. 1.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a detailed section view of the building frame system of FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a pod top shell used in the building frame system of FIG. 1.

[0033] FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of the pod top shell of FIG. 8.

[0034] FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a pod bottom shell used in the building frame system of FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the pod bottom shell of FIG. 10.

[0036] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a utility pod used in the building frame system of FIG. 1.

[0037] FIG. 13 is a section view of the utility pod of FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a building frame system 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, for providing structural scaffolding of a building (not shown) to replace curtain wall cladding systems. The system 100 provides a structural scaffold onto which the remainder of the building can be constructed onto. As seen in FIG. 2, the system 100 includes a first upright column 110 and, spaced therefrom, a second upright column 110. One or more horizontal beams 120 extend between the columns 110 to define a frame 122. Moving to FIG. 3, an outer skin 130 and/or an inner skin 132 may be connected to the beams 120 to extend between the columns 110 and define a cavity 140 between the columns 110. The skins 130, 132 are preferably supported by the beams 120, but may also or alternatively be attached to the columns 110 to be supported thereby.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the building frame system 100 includes an attachment system 150 connected to the beam 120, and/or connected to one of the skins 130, 132, and/or connected to one of the columns 110. The attachment system 150 includes a mounting point 152 for receiving a utility device 200. The utility device 200 includes any type of reticulated infrastructure required in the building, such as pipes for conveying fluid, or a wire, cable, or bundle of cables for conveying power and/or information. As shown in FIG. 7, the attachment system 150 is located such that adjacent frames 122 have adjacent attachment systems 150 and the utility devices 200 of adjacent frames 122 are interoperable. The attachment system 150 may include a mounting rail 154 for receiving the utility device 200 to assist with distributing the load of the utility device of a larger surface area.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4, the column 110 may include a composite structure 160 that includes a stainless steel profile 162. The stainless steel profile 162 preferably has a top plate 170, arms 172 extending away from the top plate 170 ending in u-shaped feet 174. The composite structure 160 preferably includes two stainless steel profiles 162 oriented such that their top plates 170 are facing in opposite directions. Preferably, the stainless steel profiles 162 are connected by a structural plastic profile 164 having a recess 176 for each u-shaped foot 174, thus closing a second cavity 140. Preferably the structural plastic profile 164 is attached to the stainless steel profile 162 using a structural adhesive. The structural plastic profile 164 further includes ribs 166 formed of resiliently deformable plastic to allow compression between the structural plastic profile 164 and the stainless steel profile 162. In a preferred embodiment, the ribs 166 are coextruded onto the structural plastic profile 164 and the stainless steel profile 162 is manufactured by rolling.

[0041] As seen in FIG. 5, the beams 120 may similarly include the composite structure 160.

[0042] Moving now to FIG. 6, the composite structure 160, and in this example the stainless steel profile 162, may further include a vent 168 for allowing air movement between an exterior 142 of the cavity 140 and the cavity 140. The vent 168 may include a motor-driven ventilation device 178, such as a step-motor driven fan or baffle (not shown) to control and/or encourage air movement between the exterior 142 and the cavity 140. Thus, as many frames 122 are mounted vertically above one another, significant movement of air can be controlled by allowing or preventing movement of air through the vents 168, such that heat transfer from the exterior 142 to the cavity 140, and thus into the building, can be controlled.

[0043] In another embodiment, the ventilation device 178 is a reversible motor such that power may be generated by the movement of air through the vent 168 caused, for example, by the buoyancy of heated air, the stack effect, or the movement of air caused by venturi effects at the vents 168.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 8 to 13, the building frame system 100 further includes a utility pod 300 to be received by the attachment system 150. The utility pod 300 is adapted to interface with the utility device 200 received by the attachment system 150. For example, the utility pod 300 may include a fluid management system having a pump, a valve, and/or a fluid sensor that interfaces with the pipe 200 attached to the mounting rail 154. In another example, the utility pod 300 includes a power management system including a power storage device, a power control device, and/or a sensor device, that interfaces with the wire, cable, or bundle of cables attached to the mounting rail 154. In another example, the utility pod 300 includes an airflow management system that interfaces with the ventilation device 178 to control airflow through the building frame system 100. In another example, the utility pod 300 includes a radio area network system having an antenna, a radio, a wireless transceiver, and a computing device to provide radio area networking services to areas adjacent the building frame system 100, and being connected to the wire, cable, or bundle of cables to receive and provide power and/or information. In another example, the utility pod 300 includes a computing system to provide edge computing services to areas adjacent the building frame system 100 and being connected to the wire, cable, or bundle of cables to receive and provide power and/or information. In this manner, the utility pod 300 may be configured as an interchangeable unifying form factor to provide platform capability to the building frame system 100. Preferably, the system of the utility pod 300 are connected to a central operating system that is secured by loT device-level blockchain security protocols, such that the systems may send information and/or instructions to the operating system and receive information and/or instructions from the operating system. In this manner, a software platform is provided by the utility pod 300, depending on the configuration of the utility pods 300 used in the building frame system 100, that can be used by third party applications to provide services using the systems of the utility pods 300.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, the utility pod 300 is preferably formed from a pod shell 310, including a top pod shell 312 and a bottom pod shell 314. The pod shell 310 is preferably formed from a sheet metal blank that is stamped, laser cut, and/or waterjet cut. The sheet metal blank preferably has a thickness between 0.50 mm and 1.20 mm and is dimensioned such that the utility pod 300 may have a depth between 110 mm to 200 mm, a height between 400 mm to 3200 mm, and a width between 400 mm to 3200 mm. In this way, the dimensions of the utility pod 300 may be parametrically determined to suit the frame 122 and the systems included therein. In the preferred embodiment, the utility pod 300 is dimensioned to connect to at least two mounting rails 154, such that it acts as a cross-brace to resist parallel motion of the columns 110 and/or beams 120.

[0046] In an alternative to stainless steel, the utility pod 300 may be formed from thin glass to improve recyclability, smart polymers, and/or carbon fibre composite. In a preferred embodiment, a smart coating material is applied to the utility pod 300 to provide preferred characteristics, such as reflectivity, absorbility, and transmissibility of heat.

[0047] In the preferred embodiment, the utility pods 300 are manufactured away from the construction site and brought to the construction site to be mounted to the frame 122. In this manner, the building frame system 100 may be significantly increase efficiency of the supply chain of the construction industry by enabling parametric design, ERP-CAD manufacturing, and the modular assembly of the utility pod 300 to the frame 122.

[0048] Integers:

100 building frame system 164 structural plastic profile

110 upright column 166 deformable plastic ribs

120 horizontal beam 168 vents

122 frame 170 top plate

130 outer skin 172 arms

132 inner skin 174 feet

140 cavity 176 recess

142 exterior 178 ventilation device

150 attachment system 200 utility device

152 mounting point 300 utility pod

154 mounting rail 310 pod shell

160 composite structure 312 top pod shell

162 stainless steel profile 314 bottom pod shell