Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a method of constructing insulated structures using prefabricated building materials more particularly using wall panels made of insulated material such as polyurethane or polyisocyanurate that is sandwiched between two sheets of fiber boards.

Background of the Invention

Various types of construction are known in the prior art including wood framed buildings, steel framed buildings, pre-cast concrete structures, and cast in place concrete structures. The majority of structural design decisions that are made in conventional practice are driven by cost; there are enormous pressures on structural engineers of most building projects to minimize costs while upholding their first duty to ensure the safety of structures. These pressures tend to minimize the structure in many buildings. This tendency can be unfortunate when a structure is subjected to rare but extreme loads that cannot reasonably be incorporated into statistical load guidance provided by building codes.

Accordingly, engineered structures are typically designed to safely resist code-specified loads without necessarily providing large reserve capacity beyond that achieved by virtue of required safety factors. By building to provide structural capacities that are significantly in excess of those required to resist the minimum loads required by building codes, new opportunities are created in the functionality and versatility of the built structure.

The design of a structure of conventional construction typically seeks to concentrate forces to conserve usable floor space, and relies on secondary lateral systems, such as diagonal braces or shear walls, to stabilize the structure. Benefits can be gained by flaring the upper portion of a column structure to reduce the effective span of the structure supported by the column.

Conventional construction generally consists either cast-in-place construction with obstructive and costly formwork, or of interconnected stick or panel framing that relies on diagonal bracing or shear walls for lateral stability. Because much of conventional construction is inherently unstable until the construction of structural diaphragms and lateral systems are complete, structural failures during the relatively brief construction period are more common than in completed buildings that stand for years of service.

The lateral bracing and shoring that is typically required for conventional construction creates building site obstructions that contribute to many construction accidents. Because conventional construction commonly involves the field assembly of parts that can be lifted and handled by one or two workers, the construction of exterior walls and roofs generally involves a significant amount of labor far above ground level; this creates the potential for falling hazards that generate the most lethal jobsite injuries. Where conventional construction utilizes large parts, such as with tilt-wall construction, expensive crane time is typically consumed holding those parts in position while lateral shoring and bracing members and connections are installed; this is required to stabilize the part prior to releasing the hoisting lines. It is desirable to build using a system of independently stable modules that minimize or eliminate the need for temporary shoring and bracing, and that allow crane time to be utilized efficiently.

In the field of concrete buildings or concrete framed structures, the structural elements are typically either cast in place on site such as with flat-plate or beam and slab type of applications, prefabricated on-site such as with tilt wall construction, or prefabricated off-site such as with precast concrete planks, tees, and wall panels. Most significant building structures are built based on a unique design that is the result of the work a team of design professionals; the design of a given building is generally unique to that project. The design of unique projects under ever-increasing time, budget, and liability pressures presents real challenges to design professionals; it also places an enormous burden on the builder that must interpret and build a unique and complex project from what will inevitably prove to be an imperfect set of drawings and specifications. It is highly desirable to introduce a building system that allows design flexibility while offering vast simplifications in both design and construction; this can be accomplished by means of an expanding kit of compatible parts.

The use of on-site casting for concrete cast-in-place structures requires the expense and delay of field-fabricating the forms for pouring concrete. It is desirable to provide concrete structural elements which can be built in stacks or mass-produced by other means either on- site or under factory controlled conditions.

Tilt wall construction provides some advantage in pre-casting wall elements, but has the disadvantage of requiring the advance construction of large areas of grade-supported slab to serve as a casting surface for the wall blocks. Tilt wall construction also requires the use of temporary shoring during the assembly process to hold walls in place until additional structural elements are attached to the walls. It is desirable to provide pre-cast concrete structural elements that can be assembled into a variety of structural elements and finished buildings without the use of temporary shoring.

Concrete building blocks such as cinder blocks are typically provided in relatively small units that require labor-intensive mortared assembly to form walls and structures. It is desirable to provide larger structural units that can be precast, trucked to a job site, and assembled together into a wide variety of structural forms without extensive use of mortar or adhesive.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method of constructing insulated structures using prefabricated building materials more particularly using wall panels made of insulated material such as polyurethane that is sandwiched between two sheets of fiber boards.

One of the main components of the building block is a prefabricated multi-layered panel or comer panel comprising of polyurethane that is sandwiched between two external surface sheets, preferably in that the hard surface sheets are fibreboards.

The first step is preferred that the construction floor be a light duty reinforced concrete flooring. Step 2 is the area to be built on is defined and a channel is placed according to the desired shape of the structures' floor plan and bolted in place using fasteners. Step 3 is the fitting of the prefabricated corner panel at the corner of the structure on the channel. The following pieces of body panels are placed in relation to the corner panel unit and extend outward from it. The panels are joined by a tongue and groove interlocking mechanism and variations of it. This interlocking mechanism reinforces the strength of the wall in its plurality.

To further strengthen the panels during installation Step 4 illustrates installing the panel in a U-shape and the use of a top channel that runs on the top end of panel units. Step 5 entails adding further prefabricated walls to form partitions within the structure to allow the making of rooms. Step 6 is to place the beam as a further support for the whole structure and also to support the roof. In Step 7 the roofing panel is installed from the left end of the structure to the right end. The roofing panel sheets are placed in a manner where the first rib of an adjoining sheet is placed atop the last rib of the previously placed sheet and they are further reinforced with a self drilling screw or rivet through the ribs of the roof panel sheets and attached to the beam mentioned earlier. The final step is the roof installation finishing with the necessary flashing and capping onto the edges of the roof.

The outer wall which constituted by the corner panel and body panel, is further secured with at least one support member at its inner surface for accommodating floor panels for erecting more than one storey structure. The support member includes a base plate with at least one side plate perpendicular to the base plate, whereby the base plate is secured to the inner surface of the panels and the side plate for supporting the floor panels.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the base flooring for the building of the present invention.

Figure 2 depicts a perspective view of the base flooring of figure 1 with the floor outline and attached with the channel.

Figure 3 illustrates perspective view of the base flooring of figure 2 with the corner panel and body panel attached thereon.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the building structure having the panels built in a U shape to strengthen the structure during installation.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the building structure of figure 4 with an additional inner panel for dividing the outer wall into rooms.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the beam being attached at the top of the building structure to further support the entire structure.

Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of the building structure having the roofing panel mounted thereon.

Figure 8 showing a completed building structure with end caps fitted at the edges of the roofing panels.

Figure 9 showing the installation of door to building structure.

Figure 10 showing the installation of the window to the building structure.

Figure 11 depicts a perspective view of an insulated roofing panel of the present invention.

Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the body panels secured with a support member at its inner surface for accommodating the floor panels.

Figure 13a depicts a cross sectional view of the body panel with an L-shaped support member having the floor panel rested thereon.

Figure 13b depicts a cross sectional view of the body panel with a variation of support member having the floor panel rested thereon.

Figure 14 shows a perspective view of the floor panels rested on the support member at the body panels for a structure with more than one storey.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The construction method in now explained with reference to the drawings. One of the main components of the building block is a prefabricated multi-layered panel or corner panel comprising of polyurethane or polyisocyanurate that is sandwiched between two external sheets, and preferably in that the external sheets are fibreboards.

Following the illustration in Figure 1, it is preferred that the construction floor be a base flooring (30). The base flooring (30) is preferably light duty reinforced cement flooring. Apart from this flooring there is no other foundation needed to hold up the structure. This makes it a simple and convenient way to erect the structure and also add extensions to already existing buildings.

Figure 2 illustrates the framework for the structure itself. Once the floor outline (1) of the area to be built on is defined, a channel (2) is attached with the longitudinal opened end facing upwardly according to the desired shape of the structures' floor outline (1) and secured in place by using fasteners (4) which are preferably vertically fastened into the base flooring (30). The fasteners (4) are fastened at periodic intervals from the channel (2) to the base flooring (30). Preferably the channel (2) used for the construction is a C-shaped or U-shaped channel.

Figure 3 illustrates the following step in constructing the building. Once the channel (2) has been properly fastened, the wall panels are ready to be fitted on the base flooring. The first piece of panel to be inserted into the channel (2) track is prefabricated corner panel (5) at the corner of the floor outline (1). The corner panel (5) is preferably L-shaped panel. The following pieces of panels to be inserted into the channel (2) and attached to the corner panel (5) are the insulated body panels (6) which are placed in relation to the corner panel (5) and extend outward from it. The panels are joined by a tongue and groove coupling mechanism and variations of it. This coupling mechanism reinforces the strength of the panel in its plurality by allowing two pieces that fit into each other, for example the tongue and groove coupling mechanism or the male and female coupling mechanism, to hold the structure together. The tongue and groove coupling mechanism is provided at the opposing sides of the panels. The body panels (6) that are placed on the channel (2) can be further reinforced by running a rivet (not shown) through the channel (2) and a plurality of metal pieces within the insulated body panels (6). This will make the building more structurally sound as the channel (2) is already secured to the ground and will be acting as the foundation supporting the structure.

Additional reinforcement means (48) may be added to the wall panel, which runs along from the top to the lower part of the wall panel. Furthermore, the wall panel units made of fiberboard sheets on the exterior can be painted or decorated as a conventional wall. To further strengthen the structure during installation, the building is built by installing the outer wall in a U-shape as shown in figure 4. At least one top channel (8) with its longitudinal opened end facing downwardly is inserted to the top end of the panels (5, 6) and the top channel (8) can also be reinforced to the panels (5, 6) by rivets or other means.. The top channel (8) is preferably inserted horizontally at the joint of two panels (5, 6). These steps would further ensure that the individual pieces of panel will not slide out or apart and will remain sturdy.

Further panels in likewise manner are installed by inserting corner panels (5) at the other corners of the floor outline (1) and placing body panels (6) at the sides of the corner panels (5), to form an outer wall for the building. Additional inner panel (9) can be added and attached to the body panels (6) for dividing the outer wall into rooms as shown in figure 5.

The insulated body panels (6) are load bearing which makes them support the structure as a whole and eliminates the need for structural beams or lintel. For a single storey structure as shown in figures 5 to 8, the wall panels (5, 6) at the sides of the floor outline (1) and the inner panels (9) are trimmed according to the degree of the slope of a roof. Once the panels (5, 6 and 9) are placed and reinforced as required, the ridges of the trimmed panels are formed with a slot (31) to accommodate a beam (11) as an optional feature to further support the entire structure and also to further support a roofing panel (12) as shown in figure 7. The beam (11) is preferably a prefabricated composite beam.

The roofing panels (12) are installed from one side of the structure to the other side of the structure. The roofing panels (12) can be comprised of polyurethane or polyisocyanurate (51) injected between two pre-painted galvanized sheets (50). This ensures the roofing panels (12) are light and strong. The roofing panels (12) can be added with at least one longitudinal reinforcing channel (41) extending transversely along the roofing panels (12) as shown in figure 11. the reinforcing channel (41) has plurality of holes (42) along the channel section to enable the polyurethane foam in liquid form to flow through the holes (42) and thus securing the reinforcing channel (41) when the polyurethane foam is hardened.

The roofing panels (12) are placed in a manner where a first rib (33a) of an adjoining roofing sheet (33) is placed atop a last rib (32a) of the previously placed roofing sheet (32) as shown in figure 7. When the roofing panels (12) are placed so, each rib on the roofing panel (12) is further reinforced with a self drilling fastener through the ribs of the roofing sheets and attached to the top ends of the panels (5, 6 and 9) and the beam (11) explained earlier. The prefabricated panels (5, 6 and 9) provide structural support for the beam (11) and also the roofing panel (12) to sit on. This eliminates the need for a roof truss, roof battens or false ceiling. The roofing panels (12) are placed and fastened to the top ends of the panels (5, 6 and 9). Therefore the top ends of the panels are cut according to the degree of the slope of the roof to facilitate easy installation of the roofing panel (12) by allowing to sit on the panels (5, 6 and 9) itself without any additional support needed. As shown in Figure 8, the roofing panels (12) installation is completed with a plurality of end caps (13) fixed onto the edges of the roofing panels (12).

For more than one storey structure, the body panels (6) and the corner panels (5) are formed with higher height than the panels for single storey structure and the panels for the outer wall

of more tnan one storey structure are also attached together with the tongue and groove coupling mechanism. At least one support member (43) is mounted at the inner surface of the outer wall at predetermined height for the structure of more than one storey as shown in figure 12. The support member (43) includes base plate (43a) with two side plates (43c) perpendicular to the opposing sides of the base plate (43 a) to form the C or U-shaped channel support member as shown in figure 13a or with a side plate (43b) perpendicular to the base plate (43a) to form a L-shaped support member (43) as shown in figure 13b to support the floor for the upper storey of the structure.

The support member (43) is an elongate member having its base plate (43a) secured across the panels (5, 6) with fasteners (44) and the side plate (43b, 43c) horizontally protruded from the inner surface of the outer wall. The floor panels (45) for the upper storey of the structure are similar in construction with other panels (5, 6 and 9). The floor panels (45) are formed by a layer of resin material (46) of polyurethane or polyisocyanurate which is sandwiched between two external sheets of fibreboards. The panels (45) of the floor are also attached together by the tongue and groove coupling mechanism as shown in figure 14. Additional reinforcement means (48) may also be added to the floor panels (45), which run along the longitudinal section of the panels (45) and parallel to the tongue and groove sections. The floor panels (45) with the side edges are then horizontally rested on the side plate (43b, 43c) of the support member (43) secured on the inner surfaces of the vertically mounted panels (5, 6) as shown in figure 14.

Figure 9 illustrates the installation of doors to the outer wall structure. The door opening (14) on the panels (6) to fit a door will be done on site and the door opening (14) will be finished with the installation of door end caps (15) as shown in figure 9.

Figure 10 shows the methods for installing a window panel (16). The panels for the window area is precut to the size of the window panel (16) which is fitted to the adjoining panels utilizing the same tongue and groove mechanism. The window panel (16) is then covered with the window end caps (17) as the window frame to be mounted onto.

As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the present invention may easily be produced in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The present embodiments is, therefore, to be considered as merely illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within therefore intended to be embraced therein.