A multi-storey prefabricated building structure and the related building method

Technical Field

This invention relates to a multi-storey prefabricated building structure.

Background Art With reference to the state of the art,, the use of vertical structural members commonly known as pillars is well known in the construction of prefabricated buildings.

The pillars are the structural members designed to transfer the load of the floors to the foundation structures and may be made by casting on site or they may be totally or partially prefabricated.

With pillars cast on site it is easier to make a single connection with the other structural members, such as, for example, the horizontal floor members

(beams) whereas, with prefabricated pillars, important advantages can be obtained in terms of rapid installation but it is problematical to guarantee good structural continuity between the pillars and the beams.

To overcome these problems, the prefabricated cementitious components are usually smoothed over with cement mortar infill. The use of infills is necessary because it would otherwise be very difficult to securely fix heavy and voluminous components such as the panels, also prefabricated, that form the floors of multi- storey buildings.

In effect, these prefabricated panels, usually made of reinforced concrete, are designed to be connected to each other and to the respective supporting beams using the above mentioned infills, consisting of concrete castings. Concrete, however, besides necessitating complex preparation and casting operations — suffice it to mention the need for concrete mixers and special equipment for lifting the concrete to the upper storeys of the building must also be allowed to mature for approximately thirty days before work on the floor can proceed.

This length of time, though it may not seem particularly long compared to the total time required to construct a building according to traditional building methods, may constitute a considerable drawback in the construction of a prefabricated building, where thirty days is often much more than the time required to construct the whole building.

Another disadvantage of prior art methods of constructing prefabricated buildings is that the prefabricated components, such as beams and floor elements, are very heavy since they are made of reinforced concrete; that not only complicates installation but also considerably raises transportation costs and hence the overall costs of constructing a building.

Disclosure of the Invention

A first aim of this invention is therefore to provide a prefabricated multistorey building that is free of the above mentioned disadvantages.

Another aim of the invention is to provide a prefabricated multi-storey building that simplifies the tasks of assembling and connecting its parts during construction.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a pillar erection method that is quick and easy to implement.

The technical purpose and aims specified are substantially achieved by a pillar comprising the technical characteristics described in independent claim 1 and in one or more of the claims dependent thereon.

This invention also relates to a method for constructing multi-storey prefabricated buildings.

The method according to the invention is expressed by the contents of the independent claim 9 and of the claim 10 dependent thereon.

Brief Description of the Drawing

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention are more apparent in the detailed description below, with reference to a preferred but non-limiting embodiment of a multi- storey prefabricated building illustrated in the accompanying drawing which is a schematic side elevation view, with some parts in cross section, of a portion of a multi-storey prefabricated building structure according to this invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments of the Invention With reference to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety a portion of a multi-storey prefabricated building structure according to the invention.

In a preferred but non-limiting embodiment of it, the structure 1 comprises a plurality of prefabricated pillars 2, one of which is illustrated in the drawing, each of said pillars comprising two uprights 2a, 2b placed side by side.

The two uprights 2a, 2b are connected to each other by a plurality of brackets 3 equally spaced, one after the other, vertically along the pillar 2 itself.

Besides connecting the two uprights 2a, 2b, the brackets 3 also serve as supporting elements for beams 4 which, as described below, constitute a supporting framework for the intermediate floors.

In another embodiment of the pillar 2, not illustrated, where the pillar 2 is in the form of a single upright, the brackets 3 are used exclusively as supporting elements for the beams 4.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the prefabricated pillars 2 are made of reinforced concrete. hi an alternative embodiment, not illustrated, the pillars 2 are made of steel.

As mentioned above and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the brackets 3 integral with the pillars 2 support respective wooden beams 4 that extend lengthways perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing. The beams 4 are advantageously made of laminated wood so as to reduce the weight of the structure while guaranteeing optimum mechanical load strength properties.

The beams 4 have panels 5 resting on them, with a resistant structural part 5a, the panels 5 being placed side by side uninterruptedly to form intermediate floors 6 of the multi-storey building.

Depending on the specific requirements of a particular building, the panels 5 may also have further layers of insulation and/or flooring material on them, such as those, labelled 7, illustrated in the drawing.

The panels 5 are advantageously made of laminated wood so as to reduce their weight while guaranteeing optimum mechanical load strength properties.

In use, the construction of multi-storey prefabricated building structures 1 according to the invention comprises the initial step of preparing a base, not illustrated, for supporting a plurality of prefabricated pillars 2 in a substantially known manner, also not illustrated. After installing the pillars 2, the beams 4 are placed on the brackets 3 attached to them and distributed at each storey.

Next, the wooden panels 5 described above are laid on the beams 4 to form a continuous floor 6 at each storey of the building.

The floor 6 is advantageously laid "dry", substantially meaning by this that cement mortars or the like are not used at all or are used in proportions of less than 10% by weight of the structures erected.

The invention as described above has important advantages.

A first advantage is that the use of the stated materials on the one hand considerably reduces the time required for the construction of a multi-storey prefabricated building compared to prior art methods and, on the other hand, limits the costs of erecting the structures, not only because cement mortars are not used at all or are used in limited quantities but also because of the reduced weight of the wooden panels compared to equivalent prefabricated panels made of concrete. The invention described above is susceptible of industrial application and may be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.