Method of building a building
A method of producing a finished building from a skeletal building structure made up of a plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs, each having an upper surface, is disclosed. A wall supporting structure is secured to the floor slabs, and exterior wall panels are secured to the wall supporting structure to define a plurality of enclosed regions bounded by an upper slab, a lower slab and a surrounding wall comprising a plurality of the exterior wall panels. Each enclosed region has an interior that is isolated from wind and precipitation relative to the environment surrounding the skeletal building structure. From positions on the upper surfaces of the floor slabs and within the enclosed regions, interior wall components are installed on at least one of an interior side of the external wall and the wall supporting structure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/649,967, filed Feb. 7, 2005, and the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELDThe present invention relates to construction of buildings.
INTRODUCTIONA known method for creating a ventilated aluminum, tile or other panel facade for a building employs a technique in which the existing wall of the building is decorated, i.e. finished, with insulation and covered by different exterior finishes like aluminum, ceramic, granite, brick or glass etc. In this known method, all of the substructure, such as joists, railings, anchors, insulation and other wall components such as insulation and external panels are installed from the outside of the building. In most cases, this will require the use of swing stages, scaffolding, safety lines and belts, hoists or jeylifts. In addition, the construction workers will be affected by seasonal and daily weather changes, because they are exposed to the elements, particularly wind and precipitation.
As a result of these difficulties, the productivity of the construction crew can be limited by the capacity of the equipment and by uncontrollable weather changes. In addition, the use of the above system of building construction places limits on ability to carry out quality control activities.
SUMMARYThe present invention provides a method of producing a finished building from a skeletal building structure comprising a plurality of floor slabs.
According to the method of the present invention, while a crane may be used to hoist various pieces into position, all or substantially all of the assembly and installation work is preferably carried out solely by workers positioned on the upper surfaces of the floor slabs. Thus, the present method can reduce or eliminate the need for workers to use scaffolding or other structures on the exterior of the building. In essence, according to the present invention, a building is constructed from the outside in. When following the method of the present invention, the building substructure, including exterior panels (aluminum, ceramic, granite, brick, etc.), insulation and interior walls, may be assembled from the inside the building. Once the exterior panels have been installed, they provide protection from the surrounding environment as the workers install the remaining interior wall components.
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of producing a finished building. The method comprises the steps, in order, of providing a skeletal building structure comprising a plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs each having an upper surface, securing a wall supporting structure to the floor slabs and securing exterior wall panels to the wall supporting structure to define a plurality of enclosed regions. Each enclosed region is bounded by an upper slab, a lower slab and a surrounding wall comprising a plurality of the exterior wall panels, and each enclosed region has an interior that is isolated from wind and precipitation relative to the environment surrounding the skeletal building structure. From positions on the upper surfaces of the floor slabs and within the enclosed regions, interior wall components are installed on at least one of an interior side of the external wall and the wall supporting structure.
The steps of securing a wall supporting structure to the floor slabs and securing exterior wall panels to the wall supporting structure to define a plurality of enclosed regions is preferably carried out from positions on the upper surfaces of the floor slabs.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed toward a method of installing walls on a skeletal building structure where the skeletal building structure comprises a plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs. Main joist supports are secured to each of the floor slabs. The main joist supports are arranged in vertically aligned columns, with each vertically aligned column comprising at least two vertically adjacent main joist supports. Main joists are secured to the main joist supports, with each main joist extending substantially vertically between at least two vertically adjacent main joist supports. Secondary joist supports are secured to at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, with each pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs comprising a first floor slab and a second floor slab located above the first floor slab. The secondary joist supports are arranged in vertically paired sets such that each vertically paired set of secondary joist supports comprises a lower secondary joist support disposed on a first floor slab in a pair of floor slabs and an upper secondary joist support disposed on a second floor slab in the pair of floor slabs, with the upper secondary joist support disposed above and in vertical alignment with the lower secondary joist support. The paired sets of secondary joist supports being positioned according to a desired shape of a wall. Secondary joists and railings are installed, the secondary joists being secured to the secondary joist supports and extending substantially vertically between paired sets of secondary joist supports. The railings are supported by the secondary joists, and extend substantially vertically. Exterior wall panels are secured to the railings and to the main joists to define an exterior wall, and interior wall components are installed on an interior surface of the exterior wall.
Preferably, the main joist supports are positioned to project outwardly beyond the exterior edge surfaces of the floor slabs. Also preferably, the step of installing interior wall components comprises the sub-steps of installing insulation on an interior surface of the exterior wall and installing an interior wall interiorly of the insulation and supported by a floor slab. Preferably, the sub-step of installing insulation on an interior surface of the exterior wall comprises the further sub-steps of installing insulation support members on the interior surface of the wall, installing a first layer of insulation so that it is supported by the insulation support members, and adhering a second layer of insulation to an interior surface of the first layer of insulation.
Each floor slab in the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs has an upper surface and a lower surface, and in one embodiment on the method of the present invention, the secondary joist supports are preferably secured to the upper surface of the first floor slab and to the lower surface of the second floor slab of each pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs.
Each floor slab in the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs has at least one exterior edge surface, and in another embodiment of the present invention, the secondary joist supports are secured to the at least one exterior edge surface of the first floor slab and to the at least one exterior edge surface of the second floor slab of each pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs.
In one embodiment of a method according to the present invention, the step of installing the secondary joists and railings comprises the sub-steps, in any order, of securing hinge supports to the secondary joists, securing hinges to the hinge supports, and securing railings to the hinges, followed by the sub-step of aligning the railings and tightening the hinges.
In an alternative embodiment of a method according to the present invention, the step of installing the secondary joists and railings comprises the sub-steps of providing a plurality of hinge/hinge support assemblies, securing the hinge/hinge support assemblies to one of the secondary joists or the railings, securing the hinge/hinge support assemblies to the other of the secondary joists or the railings, and aligning the railings and tightening the hinges.
Preferably, the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs includes a base slab supporting the skeletal building structure on a ground surface and a roof slab defining a roof supporting surface of the skeletal building structure. Also preferably, the step of securing main joist supports to the floor slabs includes the sub-step of securing main joist supports to the base slab and the roof slab, and the step of securing secondary joist supports to the floor slabs includes the sub-steps of securing vertically paired sets of secondary joist supports to the base slab and to a floor slab adjacent to and above the base slab, and securing vertically paired sets of secondary joist supports to the roof slab and to a floor slab adjacent to and below the roof slab.
In yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of installing walls on a skeletal building structure where the skeletal building structure comprises a plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs each having an upper surface. From at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, main joist supports are secured to each floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs to form columns of vertically adjacent main joist supports. From at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, main joists are secured to the main joist supports, with each main joist extending substantially vertically between at least two vertically adjacent main joist supports. From at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, vertically adjacent, oppositely-faced pairs of secondary joist supports are secured to each floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, so that each pair of secondary joist supports comprises a lower secondary joist support disposed on a first floor slab in a pair of floor slabs and an upper secondary joist support disposed on a second floor slab in the pair of floor slabs, with the second floor slab being located above the first floor slab. From at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, secondary joists and railings are installed, with the secondary joists being secured between vertically adjacent pairs of secondary joist supports, and with the railings being supported by the secondary joists and extending substantially vertically. From at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, exterior wall panels are secured to the railings and to the main joists to define an exterior wall. From at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, interior wall components are installed.
Preferably, the step of installing interior wall components comprises the sub-steps of installing insulation on an interior surface of the exterior wall, and installing an interior wall interiorly of the insulation and supported by a floor slab.
Each floor slab in the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs also has a lower surface, wherein the secondary joist supports are secured to the upper surface of the first floor slab and the lower surface of the second floor slab of each pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs.
Each floor slab in the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs has at least one exterior edge surface, wherein the secondary joist supports are secured to the at least one exterior edge surface of the first floor slab and the second floor slab of each pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe skilled person in the art will understand that the drawings, described below, are for illustration purposes only. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the applicant's teachings in any way.
Referring to
As can be seen in
In a preferred method according to the present invention, the initial step is to secure main joist supports 22 to the floor slabs 12. The main joist supports 22 are preferably secured to the floor slabs 12 so as to be outwardly spaced therefrom. This outward spacing provides the needed distance between the floor slab 12 and what will become the exterior surface of the wall, so as to accommodate structure such as insulation and internal and external wall panels.
Preferably, the main joist supports 22 are secured to the exterior edge surfaces 18 at the corners 24 of the floor slabs 12. Alternatively, the main joist supports 22 can be secured to the upper surface 14 or lower surface 16, or both the upper surface 14 and the lower surface 16, of a floor slab 12. As can be seen in
Now referring to
The mounting plates 26 of the main joist supports 22 need not have an L-shape, but may have any suitable shape. For example, where the main joist supports 22 are to be affixed to a curved exterior edge surface 18, they may have a curved shape. An L-shape is particularly suitable when the main joist supports 22 are to be affixed to the corners 24 of the floor slabs 12.
The brackets 28a and 28b may be affixed to mounting plate 26, and to each other, by any suitable means. For example, they may be welded or riveted. The main joist supports 22 and brackets 28a and 28b may be composed of any suitable material, for example aluminum or galvanized building-grade steel of sufficient strength.
The next step according to the method of the present invention is to secure the main joists 40 to the main joist supports 22, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8. The main joists 40 may be secured to the main joist supports 22 by any suitable means, such as screws, bolts, rivets or welding. As can be seen, when installed, each main joist 40 extends substantially vertically between at least two vertically adjacent main joist supports 22. In particular, a given main joist 40 will typically be supported by two main joist supports 22, but may be supported by three or more main joist supports 22. The main joists 40 and the main joist supports 22 will of course have complementary shapes, and will typically define the shape of the corners of the building being constructed. Like the main joist supports 22, the main joists 40 may be constructed of any suitable material, such as aluminum or galvanized building-grade steel. As with the main joist supports 22, the main joists 40 are preferably installed by workers positioned on the upper surfaces 14 of the floor slabs 12. One skilled in the art will appreciate that while a crane of other apparatus may be used to hoist the main joists 40 into position, the actual installation is preferably carried out from the upper surface 14 of the floor slab 12.
Once the main joists 40 have been secured, the next step in the method of the present invention is to install the secondary joist supports 50. As shown in
Now referring to
The secondary joist supports 50 are secured to pairs of vertically adjacent floor slabs 12, or, in the case of a single-storey structure, a single such pair. Each pair of floor slabs 12 comprises a first floor slab 12 and a second floor slab 12 located above the first floor slab 12. For example, referring to
Now referring to
The secondary joist supports 50 are arranged in vertically paired sets such that each set of secondary joist supports 50 comprises a lower secondary joist support 50l disposed on a first floor slab 12 in a pair of floor slabs 12, and an upper secondary joist support 50u disposed at a lower surface 16 of a second floor slab 12 in the pair of floor slabs. The upper secondary joist support 50u in each set is disposed above and vertically opposite the lower secondary joist support 50l. This can be seen in
The next step according to the method of the present invention is to secure the secondary joists 60 to the secondary joist supports 50.
Now referring to
According to the method of the present invention, the next step is to secure hinge supports 70 and hinges 72 to the secondary joists 60. With reference now to
Next, the hinges 72 are secured to the hinge supports 70 by way of fasteners 80, as shown in
The next step according to the present invention is to secure railings 90 to the hinges 72, as shown in FIGS. 23 to 25. This may be done by means of suitable fasteners 92, such as rivets, bolts or the like. Referring specifically to
In a preferred embodiment, the hinges 72 can be leveled so that their railing mounting portions 84, and hence the attached railings 90, will be parallel to the exterior wall supporting portion 62e of the secondary joist 60 on which the hinges 72 are mounted. Preferably, the hinges 72 and hinge supports 70 do not pivot relative to each other, and it can be seen that the placement of fasteners 80, as shown in FIGS. 23 to 25, will prevent such pivoting. Rather, the hinges 72 are preferably initially loosely secured to the hinge supports 70 by fasteners 80, thereby permitting small adjustments of the precise position of each railing 90 so that all the railings 90 are properly aligned. The fasteners 80 are then tightened so that each hinge 72 is tightly secured to its respective hinge support 70 so as to maintain the respective railing 90 in position. Thus, the railings 90 are supported by the secondary joists 60, and extend substantially vertically.
One skilled in the art will recognize that the hinges 72 and hinge supports 70 may be provided in a pre-attached form, i.e. a single combined hinge component (not shown) comprising a hinge 72 and a hinge support 70 loosely secured together by fasteners 80. In addition, other pre-attachment arrangements may be used. For example, the hinge supports 70 may be secured to the secondary joists 60 before the secondary joists 60 are secured to the secondary joist supports 50. In such a case, the hinges 72 could be secured to the hinge supports 70 either before or after the secondary joists 60 are installed. Similarly, the hinges 72 could be secured to railings 90 before the railings 90 are installed. If this were done, the hinge supports 70 could also be secured to the hinges 72 before the railings 90 are installed. Another alternative is to provide an assembly in which a railing 90 is secured to a hinge 72, the hinge 72 is loosely secured by fasteners 80 to a hinge support 70, and the hinge support 70 is secured to a secondary joist 60. This assembly could then be installed in a single step, similar to that used for installing a secondary joist alone as described above. The position of the railing 90 could then be adjusted and the hinge 72 and hinge support 70 tightened. Thus, one skilled in the art will appreciate that there are a wide variety of ways in which the railings 90, hinges 72, hinge supports 70 and secondary joists 60 can be installed, while still achieving the objects of the present invention.
Preferably, workers positioned on upper surfaces 14 of the floor slabs 12 install the railings 90 and secondary joists 60.
Now referring to
Each exterior wall panel 100 is preferably shaped at its side edges 108 to interlock with the side edge 108 of an adjacent panel once installed on a railing 90 so as to form a moisture-resistant seam (this interlocking is not shown in the figures). The top edges of each exterior wall panel are preferably shaped to interlock with the bottom edges of adjacent panels in a similar manner to that of the side edges 108. The exterior wall panels will, of course, be appropriately sized to facilitate mating of their various edges. Optionally, a sealant may be applied at the side-to-side and top-to-bottom junctions of the exterior wall panels 100. For example, any suitable moisture-resistant, building-grade caulking substance may be used.
Specialized exterior wall panels (not shown) may be secured to the main joists 40 to span the distance between the main joists 40 and the nearest adjacent secondary joists 60. These specialized exterior wall panels would preferably have edges adapted to interlock with the edges of the standard exterior wall panels 100. The specialized exterior wall panels may comprise a single panel shaped to overlie and extend beyond the edges of the respective main joist 40, or may comprise a set of two panels each having first and second side edges, and which interlock in front of the main joist 40 at their first side edges while their second side edges extend beyond the edges of the respective main joist 40. Alternatively, the main joists 40 may themselves have edges shaped to interlock with the edges of the standard exterior wall panels 100, so that no specialized exterior wall panels are necessary.
If desired, some or all of the exterior wall panels 100 may have apertures (not shown) defined therein for installing windows, or may have windows pre-installed. If apertures are provided in the wall panels 100 for installing windows, it is preferred that the windows be installed as soon as possible after the wall panels have been secured in place, so that the apertures do not compromise the protection against the elements afforded by the wall panels 100.
While the wall panels 100 may be lifted into position by a crane or other mechanism, it is preferred that the wall panels 100 be installed by workers positioned on the upper surfaces 14 of the floor slabs 12.
One skilled in the art will appreciate that once the exterior wall panels 100 have been installed, there will be defined a plurality of enclosed regions each bounded by an upper slab 12, a lower slab 12 and a surrounding wall made up of a plurality of exterior wall panels 100. Because of the interlocking edges 108 of the exterior wall panels 100, each enclosed region will have an interior that is isolated from wind and precipitation, relative to the environment at the building location, thereby facilitating the provision of a comfortable working environment for a construction crew working therewithin. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the remaining steps according to the present invention are preferably carried out from within the enclosed region.
With reference now to
Now referring to
With reference now to
As can be seen particularly in
It is preferred that the installation of the insulation support members 110 and of the insulation layers 114, 122 be carried out by workers positioned on the upper surfaces 14 of the floor slabs 12, within the enclosed regions defined by the wall panels 100 and floor slabs 12.
With reference now to
As described above, the various steps of the present invention may, and preferably are, carried out by workers positioned on the upper surfaces of the floor slabs 12. Although a crane may be used to hoist various pieces, such as the main joists 40 and exterior wall panels 100, into position, the actual assembly and installation work is preferably carried out solely by workers positioned on the upper surfaces of the floor slabs 12, and not by workers occupying scaffolding or other structures on the exterior of the building. In other words, in accordance with aspects of the present invention, a building is constructed from the outside in.
One skilled in the art will appreciate that various additional components and steps could be used in accordance with the method of the present invention. For example, thermal bridges may be added, or additional hinges or supports may be used to improve the thermal, structural or moisture exchange properties of the building facade. Additionally, specific apertures or retaining members could be provided for other equipment to be included in the structure, such as electrical cabling, lighting, fresh water and sewage pipes, air conditioning and ventilation ducts. Various decorative features could also be provided.
While the applicant's teachings are described in conjunction with various embodiments, it is not intended that the applicant's teachings be limited to such embodiments. On the contrary, the applicant's teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art.
Claims
1. A method of producing a finished building, the method comprising the steps, in order, of:
- (a) providing a skeletal building structure, the skeletal building structure comprising a plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs, each vertically spaced floor slab having an upper surface;
- (b) securing a wall supporting structure to the floor slabs;
- (c) securing exterior wall panels to the wall supporting structure to define a plurality of enclosed regions, each enclosed region bounded by an upper slab, a lower slab and a surrounding wall comprising a plurality of the exterior wall panels, each enclosed region having an interior that is isolated from wind and precipitation relative to an environment surrounding the skeletal building structure;
- (d) from positions on the upper surfaces of the floor slabs and within the enclosed regions, installing interior wall components on at least one of an interior side of the external wall and the wall supporting structure.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is carried out from positions on the upper surfaces of the floor slabs.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) is carried out from positions on the upper surfaces of the floor slabs.
4. A method of installing walls on a skeletal building structure where the skeletal building structure comprises a plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) securing main joist supports to each of the floor slabs, the main joist supports arranged in vertically aligned columns, each vertically aligned column comprising at least two vertically adjacent main joist supports;
- (b) securing main joists to the main joist supports, each main joist extending substantially vertically between at least two vertically adjacent main joist supports;
- (c) securing secondary joist supports to at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, each pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs comprising a first floor slab and a second floor slab located above the first floor slab, the secondary joist supports being arranged in vertically paired sets such that each vertically paired set of secondary joist supports comprises a lower secondary joist support disposed on a first floor slab in a pair of floor slabs and an upper secondary joist support disposed on a second floor slab in the pair of floor slabs, the upper secondary joist support disposed above and in vertical alignment with the lower secondary joist support, the paired sets of secondary joist supports being positioned according to a desired shape of a wall;
- (d) installing secondary joists and railings, the secondary joists being secured to the secondary joist supports, the secondary joists extending substantially vertically between the paired sets of secondary joist supports, the railings being supported by the secondary joists, the railings extending substantially vertically;
- (e) securing exterior wall panels to the railings and to the main joists to define an exterior wall; and
- (f) installing interior wall components.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein in step (a) the main joist supports are positioned to project outwardly beyond the exterior edge surfaces of the floor slabs.
6. The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein step (f) comprises the sub-steps of
- (i) installing insulation on an interior surface of the exterior wall; and
- (ii) installing an interior wall interiorly of the insulation and supported by a floor slab.
7. The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein each floor slab in the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs has an upper surface and a lower surface and wherein in step (c), the secondary joist supports are secured to the upper surface of the first floor slab and to the lower surface of the second floor slab of each pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs.
8. The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein each floor slab in the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs has at least one exterior edge surface, and wherein in step (c), the secondary joist supports are secured to the at least one exterior edge surface of the first floor slab and to the at least one exterior edge surface of the second floor slab of each pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the sub-step (f)(i) of installing insulation on an interior surface of the exterior wall comprises the further sub-steps of:
- (i) installing at least one insulation support member on the interior surface of the wall;
- (ii) installing a first layer of insulation so that it is supported by the at least one insulation support member; and
- (iii) adhering a second layer of insulation to an interior surface of the first layer of insulation.
10. The method of claim 4, wherein step (d) comprises the sub-steps, in any order, of:
- (i) securing hinge supports to the secondary joists;
- (ii) securing hinges to the hinge supports, and;
- (iii) securing railings to the hinges;
- followed by the sub-step of
- (iv) aligning the railings and tightening the hinges.
11. The method of claim 4, wherein step (d) comprises the sub-steps of:
- (i) providing a plurality of hinge/hinge support assemblies
- (ii) securing the hinge/hinge support assemblies to one of the secondary joists or the railings;
- (iii) securing the hinge and hinge support assemblies to the other of the secondary joists or the railings; and
- (iv) aligning the railings and tightening the hinges.
12. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs includes a base slab supporting the skeletal building structure on a ground surface and a roof slab defining a roof supporting surface of the skeletal building structure, and wherein:
- (i) step (a) further comprises the sub-step of securing main joist supports to the base slab and the roof slab; and
- (ii) step (c) further comprises the sub-steps of (I) securing vertically paired sets of secondary joist supports to the base slab and to a floor slab adjacent to and above the base slab, and (II) securing vertically paired sets of secondary joist supports to the roof slab and to a floor slab adjacent to and below the roof slab.
13. A method of installing walls on a skeletal building structure wherein the skeletal building structure comprises a plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs each having an upper surface, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) from at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, securing main joist supports to each floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs to form columns of vertically adjacent main joist supports;
- (b) from at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, securing main joists to the main joist supports, each main joist extending substantially vertically between at least two vertically adjacent main joist supports;
- (c) from at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, securing vertically adjacent, oppositely-faced pairs of secondary joist supports to each floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, so that each pair of secondary joist supports comprises a lower secondary joist support disposed on a first floor slab in a pair of floor slabs and an upper secondary joist support disposed on a second floor slab in the pair of floor slabs, the second floor slab being located above the first floor slab;
- (d) from at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, installing secondary joists and railings, the secondary joists being secured between vertically adjacent pairs of secondary joist supports, the railings being supported by the secondary joists and extending substantially vertically;
- (e) from at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, securing exterior wall panels to the railings and to the main joists to define an exterior wall; and
- (f) from at least one position on an upper surface of at least one floor slab in the at least one pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs, installing interior wall components.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein step (f) comprises the sub-steps of
- (i) installing insulation on an interior surface of the exterior wall; and
- (ii) installing an interior wall interiorly of the insulation and supported by a floor slab.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein each floor slab in the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs also has a lower surface and wherein in step (c), the secondary joist supports are secured to the upper surface of the first floor slab and the lower surface of the second floor slab of each pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein each floor slab in the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs has at least one exterior edge surface, and wherein in step (c), the secondary joist supports are secured to the at least one exterior edge surface of the first floor slab and the second floor slab of each pair of vertically adjacent floor slabs.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the sub-step of installing insulation on an interior surface of the exterior wall comprises the further sub-steps of:
- (i) installing at least one insulation support member on the interior surface of the wall;
- (ii) installing a first layer of insulation so that it is supported by the at least one insulation support member; and
- (iii) adhering a second layer of insulation to an interior surface of the first layer of insulation.
18. The method of claim 13 wherein step (d) comprises the sub-steps, in any order, of:
- (i) securing hinge supports to the secondary joists;
- (ii) securing hinges to the hinge supports, and;
- (iii) securing railings to the hinges;
- followed by the sub-step of
- (iv) aligning the railings and tightening the hinges.
19. The method of claim 13 wherein step (d) comprises the sub-steps of:
- (i) providing a plurality of hinge/hinge support assemblies
- (ii) securing the hinge/hinge support assemblies to one of the secondary joists or the railings;
- (iii) securing the hinge and hinge support assemblies to the other of the secondary joists or the railings; and
- (iv) aligning the railings and tightening the hinges.
20. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of vertically spaced floor slabs includes a base slab supporting the skeletal building structure on a ground surface and a roof slab defining a roof supporting surface of the skeletal building structure, and wherein:
- (i) step (a) further comprises the sub-step of securing main joist supports to the base slab and the roof slab; and
- (ii) step (c) further comprises the sub-steps of (I) securing vertically paired sets of secondary joist supports to the base slab and to a floor slab adjacent to and above the base slab, and (II) securing vertically paired sets of secondary joist supports to the roof slab and to a floor slab adjacent to and below the roof slab.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 13, 2006
Publication Date: Aug 17, 2006
Inventor: Dmytro Lysyuk (Brantford)
Application Number: 11/331,205
International Classification: E04B 1/00 (20060101);