FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a prefabricated dwelling structure and the method of construction of said structure. STATE OF THE ART

As is known, both in the residential building sector, i.e., in the construction of dwellings, and in the industrial building sector, i.e., in the construction of factory sheds, warehouses, and the like, recourse is frequently had to prefabricated structures. Said prefabricated structures are then constituted by the assemblage of individual elements that are produced in a factory, possibly stocked in the warehouse, and then transported up to the building site, where they are laid in place. In general, the prefabricated elements are mounted and/or assembled with other prefabricated elements directly on the building site. It is moreover known how, precisely on account of the fact that the elements constituting the structure are produced in the factory, prefabricated buildings enable a considerable reduction, as compared to traditional buildings, in the time required on the building site for erection of the buildings. The reduced times required for erection hence mean reduced costs both on account of the reduced use of labour force on the building site and on account of the industrialization of the production of the constitutive elements, which can be produced on a large scale in the factory and possibly stocked in the warehouse up to the moment of transport onto the building site.

Prefabricated structures have hence proven very useful for building a large number of dwellings in a very short time, and this advantage may be particularly appreciated above all in the cases where it becomes necessary to rebuild areas hit by natural calamities or in the cases where the demand for dwellings in urban areas is particularly high owing, for example, to a marked expansion of the local economy, which attracts new inhabitants. The use of prefabricated dwellings has proven particularly indicated, for example, also for building tourist villages made up of numerous small dwellings. In all these cases, where the prefabricated structures would constitute the solution best suited for dealing with the contingent requirements, said structures are frequently little used in so far as they generally prove unsatisfactory principally in terms of aesthetic appearance, quality of the finishings, and adaptability of the architectural design to the tastes and needs of the individual users. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main task of the present invention is hence to provide a prefabricated dwelling structure that will be able to unite the advantages in terms of economy and rapidity of construction typical of prefabricated structures with a high level of variability, and hence possibility of personalization of architectural design, said dwelling structure thus proving more versatile from the standpoint of adaptability to the different requirements thanks to a high architectural variability of the design.

In the framework of said task, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a prefabricated dwelling structure of a modular type, which, with just a few structural elements of the prefabricated building, will enable single dwellings with a few square metres of surface or else entire complexes or blocks of flats to be obtained by setting a finite number of modules alongside one another and joining them together.

A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a prefabricated dwelling structure that optimizes the method of production of the structural elements of the prefabricated building, in this way reducing the waste of material and hence the production costs.

Not the least important purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for obtaining a prefabricated dwelling structure that will enable optimization of the steps of construction of the structural elements constituting the prefabricated building itself and that will enable, with just a few structural elements, a great variability of different types of dwelling to be obtained. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the ensuing detailed description, which is provided purely by way of non-limiting example and is illustrated in the attached figures, wherein: each of Figures 1 to 8 is a schematic perspective view of a different structural element for the construction of the prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention;

Figures 9, 10 and 11 are schematic perspective view of three successive steps of assemblage of an example of prefabricated dwelling structure of the type according to the present invention;

Figure 12 shows an example of final architectural configuration according to a possible embodiment of the prefabricated dwelling structure in accordance with the present invention; Figure 13 shows an example of another possible final architectural configuration of the prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention; Figure 14 shows a further, more complex, example of a possible final architectural configuration of the prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention; Figure 15 is a schematic illustration of a possible combination of the panels of various size used for the construction of the dwelling structure according to the present invention, purposely equipped for optimizing the volume of a formwork. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the aforesaid figures, according to a preferred embodiment the prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention comprises a plurality of prefabricated elements.

In particular, illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 are the load-bearing pillars of the structure. In even greater detail, Figure 3 shows a standard pillar 30, having preferably the shape of a parallelepiped with square base and with prevalently longitudinal development, the prevalent direction defining the height of the pillar, which can advantageously be in the region of three metres. Figure 2 shows a side pillar 20 preferably having the shape of a parallelepiped with square base as for the standard pillar 30 and presenting moreover, fixedly connected to and projecting from the central body 21 , a supporting bracket 22. Finally, also Figure 1 shows a third type of pillar, which is defined as "central pillar" 10. Also the central pillar 10, which has a shape similar to the side pillar, has a central body shaped like an elongated parallelepiped 11 , projecting from which are two brackets 12. Said brackets extend outwards from two opposite faces of the lateral surface of the parallelepiped 11.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate another two prefabricated structural elements: Figure 4 shows a beam 40 suited to being set in a lateral position in the dwelling structure, so that it can be synthetically defined as "side beam". Said side beam 40 has an L- shaped cross section, with a central parallelepipedal body 41 , laterally projecting from which is a bracket 42. Said bracket is suited for constraining the panels that constitute, for example, the floor of a storey in such a way that they perform a supporting function. Likewise, illustrated in Figure 5 is a central beam 50 having a T-shaped cross section, hence presenting a central parallelepiped body 51 , laterally projecting from which are two brackets 52 and 53. The T-shaped profile of the beam 50 enables support, for example, of the panels that constitute the floor of a storey on either side of the central core of the T-beam, which is consequently suited to being set in a central position of a room of the prefabricated dwelling structure.

The pillars 10, 20 and 30 and the beams 40 and 50 are preferably made of cement, and even more preferably of reinforced concrete. Figures 6 to 8 show panel-type structural elements. In particular, Figure 6 shows a panel 60 having a rectangular cross section with a side W, defining the width of the panel, that is significantly greater than the side H defining the thickness thereof. The panel has then as prevalent dimension the length L. The panel 60 with contained thickness H is suited for use in the construction of the floors of the various storeys, and can consequently be referred to as "floor panel" and is laid in such a way that the surface W x L defines the surface of the floor, and the dimension H defines the thickness or depth in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the floor formed by the panel.

Likewise, Figure 7 shows a panel similar to the previous one designed for construction of the perimetral walls of the building. In greater detail, the panel 70 has a substantially rectangular cross section, in which the dimension W of the horizontal side of the base section constitutes the width of the panel, the dimension H of the vertical side of the base section defines the depth of the panel, and the longitudinal dimension L defines the length of the panel. The wall panel 70 is laid positioned in such a way that the direction W (indicated in Figure 7), which defines one of the two sides of the rectangular base section, constitutes the thickness or depth of the wall, and the direction H defines the height of the panel. The panels 70 are consequently set on top of one another to form the perimetral or internal wall of the building. To facilitate superposition of the panels in such a way that they will be stably positioned on top of one another, the top edge 72 of the panel has a surface that is corrugated or else provided with longitudinal ribbings. The surface of the wall of the building is hence obtained by setting the various wall panels on top of one another so that said wall will be formed by the side surfaces 71 of the panels 70 set on top of one another. Finally, Figure 8 shows a third type of panel, the corner panel 80, which is suited for forming the corner between two walls constituted by the panels 70. As may be seen in the figure, the corner panel 80 advantageously has an L-shaped cross section, and also this has a substantially longitudinal development, in which the prevalent dimension is the height H. The corner panel 80 is laid as illustrated in Figure 8, resting therefore on its surface W x L, once again as viewed in Figure 8, and thus developing in height H in the vertical direction. According to the present invention, the floor panels 60, wall panels 70, and corner panels 80 are all made of autoclaved cellular concrete (ACC), also known as autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC). AAC is formed by concrete, silica and other components, which, once mixed and baked in autoclaves at a high temperature and pressure develop within the mass microcavities that render the material light, with good characteristics of thermal insulation and transpirability, high thermal inertia, and fireproofing features. It is characterized by its great homogeneity of structure without any internal discontinuities and by a high degree of transpirability associated to excellent physical qualities of lightness, strength, thermal insulation, and resistance to fire. All these characteristics make it a material ideal for the construction of buildings for residential use. In particular, the exceptional characteristics of transpirability and of thermal insulation of AAC render its use extremely advantageous in building warehouses and plants for the production of foodstuffs, where it is necessary to ensure constant humidity and temperature. The panels of AAC, also referred to as "porenbeton", are hence used, according to the present invention, in the residential-building sector for the construction of individual dwellings or blocks of dwellings. The prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention, and the corresponding method of construction of said dwelling structure are consequently characterized by the use of porenbeton panels for the construction of multiple parts of the building, such as, for example, the walls and floors. The great simplicity of laying of the panels renders building operations using AAC extremely fast and hence economically advantageous, at the same time ensuring excellent qualities of thermal insulation, which enables high energy saving, whilst its porous structure renders it very light, its weight per unit volume amounting to about 500-700 kg per cubic metre. One of the drawbacks linked to the use of porenbeton panels for building a large number of dwelling structures is constituted by the process of production of the panels themselves, which are obtained by using formworks made of metal material, in which a plurality of panels of different lengths is obtained by means of cuts made in the step of mixing before the formwork is put into the autoclave. The method of production of the porenbeton panels according to the present invention envisages cutting the formwork in various sectors in such a way that the sum of the length of the various panels will amount always to 6 m or 7 m in length. In practice, the composition of the panels is such that, if the factory that produces them has formworks of 7 m in length it is sufficient to add a panel of 1 m in length to a panel having a length of 6 m to obtain the complete formwork even so, the length of 7 m being the standard length of the formworks used by companies that manufacture porenbeton panels. In this way, as illustrated in Figure 15, it is possible to optimize the production of the panels, so preventing production waste. It should in fact be known that manufacturing porenbeton panels according to currently known methods envisages the production of panels upon order according to the specific architectural requirements of the building being erected. This normally involves a dual disadvantage. A first disadvantage is, as has been said, linked to the fact that the production of panels of different dimensions does not enable optimization of the volume of the formwork, hence inevitably entailing waste material. A second disadvantage is then linked to the impossibility of obtaining a proper large-scale production of the panels in so far as the traditional production, which is not optimized, of porenbeton panels in formwork is not economically advantageous, and consequently the factories produce the panels on demand. The production upon order of porenbeton panels is due basically to the fact that since the sizes used for the individual interventions are not known beforehand, it is not possible to set up a large-scale production of the panels. Instead, with the method of erection of the dwelling structure according to the present invention, the size of the panels is common to all the possible design variables, and hence it is possible to start large-scale production of the panels, so obtaining a considerable advantage, as has been said, in terms of costs and times, albeit ensuring a considerable variability of the final architectural design. Plants for the production of porenbeton have extremely high costs, of the order of tens of millions of Euro, and are structured for a standard length of the formworks, which conditions the lines and the autoclaves so that it is not possible to use formworks of different sizes or change the size of the formworks each time. Autoclaves are large vessels that operate at a high pressure and a high temperature, into which the entire formwork is inserted so as to bake the material.

In the case of the prefabricated dwelling structure in accordance with the present invention, instead, as has been said and as is illustrated in Figure 15, since the very same structural elements are always used notwithstanding the great variability of the overall architectural design, it is possible to produce porenbeton panels on a large scale, thus optimizing the production costs and warehousing the panels even in large amounts. Since dwelling units are built using panels that are always of the same size, with the method forming the subject of the present invention there is an approach to the bricklaying, where the bricks have standard dimensions and, according to the process of laying them, it is possible to obtain infinite combinations that give rise to infinite architectural compositions. The prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention hence enables further containment of the overall costs by further reducing the costs of production of the porenbeton panels, and at the same time enables a further reduction of the erection times in so far as, for any final architectural conformation of the prefabricated dwelling, the structural elements are already immediately available at the warehouse and do not have to be ordered.

With particular reference to Figures 9 to 11 , it may be noted how the prefabricated structural elements described above, the pillars 10, 20 and 30, the beams 40 and 50, and the panels 60, 70 and 80, are assembled together on the building site so as to create dwellings having different architectural structures. After preparing the terrain with the necessary foundations for setting up the pillars, the latter are set so as to support the structure, and then constrained thereto are the beams and the panels that constitute the floors of the different storeys and/or the roofs. In particular, in the case of a one-storey structure, at least four standard pillars ,30 may be provided, on which there can be set at least two side beams 40 with L-shaped profile, and resting on the brackets 42 of said beams 40, as illustrated for example in Figures 10 and 11 , there may be set the floor panels 60 to form the roof. This, in particular, can be considered the minimal module to form a single environment comprising four standard pillars 30 at the four corners of the environment and at least two side beams 40 having L-shaped profile for supporting the ceiling panels 60 that form a ceiling. The minimal module here illustrated by way of example can hence be flanked by other minimal modules or by two-storey modules and so forth to provide more complex dwelling units, as illustrated in Figures 9 to 11. Some examples of possible architectural structures that can be obtained with the prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention are illustrated in Figures 12 to 14. As may be seen, even though there are envisaged just a few structural elements constituting the structure they can be associated to one another to create architectural structures that are personalized and hence unique, even though the elements are produced on a large scale, are aesthetically attractive and adaptable to the different needs according to the spaces available and the requirements.

It has been thus shown how the prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention enables the purpose and the objects proposed to be achieved. In particular, it has been illustrated how the prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention enables optimization of production on a large scale of the prefabricated structural elements necessary for erection of the structure, in particular optimizing and hence rendering economically more advantageous large-scale production of the porenbeton panels in large amounts and without having to wait for a specific order of material; in addition, their composition is such as to occupy always the total length of the formwork, thus eliminating production waste.

A further purpose achieved by the method of construction of the prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention is that of reducing the costs and times of production of the porenbeton panels, further reducing the costs and times of construction of the dwelling structure itself.

Not the least important purpose achieved by the prefabricated dwelling structure according to the present invention is to enable, with just a few prefabricated structural elements that can be produced on a large scale, assemblage of architectural structures of variable dimensions and complexity, also obtaining a high degree of personalization of the final dwelling, which is moreover aesthetically attractive and is obtained using a high-quality building material, such as porenbeton.

Numerous modifications may be made to the present invention by the person skilled in the branch, without thereby departing from its sphere of protection.

Furthermore, the sphere of protection of the claims is not to be understood as being in any way limited by the illustrations or by the preferred embodiments presented by way of example in the description, but rather the claims must be understood as comprising all the characteristics of patent novelty that can be deduced from the present invention, including all the characteristics that would be considered as equivalents by a person skilled in the branch.