Abstract: The invention provides a modular composite floor unit and a method for its manufacture. The floor unit is factory-made. An edge frame (10) is provided from cold-rolled sheet metal members (24 and 32) welded or brazed together to create edge shuttering. A cast concrete ceiling slab (12) is cast within the edge frame (10) over a smooth casting surface. The cast ceiling slab (12) encases a first inturned lip of the edge frame (10), a first lattice (26) of reinforcing rods or wires anchored at their ends to opposite sides and ends of the edge frame (10), and the bottom edges, or hangers (70) suspended below the bottom edges, of an array of mutually parallel spaced metal joists (18) which are welded or brazed to the edge frame (10) at their opposite ends. An infill layer is then created from blocks (16) or particulate material filling most of the height of the exposed portions of the array of mutually parallel spaced joists (18).

Abstract: The invention provides a method of constructing a multi-storey building from modular panel components. Each panel component comprises a framework of cold-formed C-profile structural steel members including vertical members, horizontal members and optional diagonal cross-brace members. The vertical members include some load-bearing structural uprights of the finished building, each of which is provided with an end cap on each of its top and bottom ends, connected to the corresponding load-bearing structural upright by welding or by brazing. Each end cap comprises a back plate portion secured across the open side of the C-profile of the associated structural upright, to side plate portions secured to opposite sides of the associated structural upright and an end plate portion which lies across the otherwise open end of the associated structural upright.

Abstract: The invention provides a modular building unit comprising a shell formed from side wall lattice frameworks connected together by cross-beams at floor and ceiling height and end wall lattice frameworks secured to the ends of the resulting structure. The wall lattice frameworks are constructed at a first site where each is formed from an array of mutually parallel spaced structural uprights made from cold-formed structural steel sections, secured together by horizontal or diagonal cross-braces also made from cold-formed structural steel sections. The wall lattice frameworks are build up into the shell at a second site where each of the cross-beams, made from a cold-formed structural steel C-section, is connected to the wall lattice frameworks by being sleeved into or around lateral spur members extending from the wall lattice frameworks prior to being welded thereto.

Abstract: The invention provides a modular building unit (1) comprising walls, a floor and a ceiling, which is preferably assembled off-site and furnished or fitted out off-site prior to being transported to a building site for assembly in a stack as a vertical and horizontal array to form a building. The modular building unit is essentially a lined shell defining the walls of a room. Vertical location of one such modular building unit (1) on the unit below it in the stack is established by a downwardly extending location flange (6) around the outside bottom edge of each module, engaging in a peripheral recess (2b, 2c) around the top perimeter of the outside top edge of the vertically adjacent module beneath it in the stack.

Abstract: The invention provides a mechanism for securing together room sized modular building units in the construction of a building. The mechanism comprises mutually aligned detent means on the facing outside walls of each pair of adjacent modular building units, link means to be lowered between two adjacent but mutually spaced modular building units in the final building for engaging with the mutually aligned detent means to lock them together in the vertical direction, and resilient means permitting the link means to engage the detent means but preventing movement in the return direction. By lowering the link means into the gap between adjacent modules and linking together the modules at a number of spaced points around their entire peripheries, the modules can be connected together along all edges in the vertical and horizontal planes.

Abstract: The invention provides a structural building element formed from cold-rolled lightweight sheet steel. The building element may be used as a structural upright or as a beam, and is based generally on building elements with a known C-shaped profile. The profile of the building element of the invention is however based on a continuous curve. Each of a pair of front wall portions extends in a wholly or substantially smooth arc from a central slot opening onto the corresponding lateral side. The rear portion is sinusoidal, comprising a pair of convex wall portions each extending in a wholly or substantially smooth arc from a concave arcuate or substantially arcuate rear central wall portion onto a respective one of the lateral sides.