Affordable, modular concrete homes, condominiums, and apartments
The present invention is directed toward building affordable modular homes, condominiums, apartments, and the like. The invention uses a variety of prefabricated machine compacted steel framed concrete walls which by virtue of their steel perimeters can be welded at the bottom to steel plates anchored in a concrete foundation and welded at the top to prefabricated steel trusses which span two or more walls. Welded to the top of the steel trusses are prefabricated steel framed concrete roof tiles to form a roof and ceiling. Prefabricated steel framed concrete walls are welded at predetermined points of contact to form the interior walls and rooms. It should be noted that the abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the claims pursuant to 37 C.FR Section 1.72 (b).
Construction of an affordable concrete modular building begins with construction of a prefabricated steel framed concrete wall.
In the following descriptions, it should be understood that all walls from
It should be understood that the modes, sequences, arrangement, qualities, sizes, filling materials referred to in this description are the best models I can think of to make it understandable and teach how to make and use this invention. The quantities, arrangement, and brevity of this description disclosure should not be understood or construed to limit the scope of this invention. Example, multi-level houses, condominiums, apartments, motels, rental storage buildings, etc. can be built with the basic components and principles of this invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Because bigger and more expensive homes return bigger profits, the prior art in the home building industry has been and is in a spiraling program of building ever bigger and more expensive homes, creating an ever increasing gap between the ones that can afford a bigger more expensive home and the ones that cannot.
In general Prior Art in the Home Building Industry has failed to address the problem of an affordable house. In particular there has been and are some manufacturers of single and double wide mobile homes that to a certain extent have relieved the demand for more affordable homes, but these aluminum houses, if my speculation is right become sitting ducks in areas of high tornado and hurricane recurrences. The traditional wood construction method does not fend much better. Year in and year out, the destructive forces of these natural calamities make their presence known creating havoc with life and property. The home building industry has come out with the same remedies of years before. That is to build the same. So it seems to be that in general Prior Art has failed to address the problem of affordable houses. It has also failed to create a more sturdy homogeneous building that will stand up better to the destructive forces of Mother Nature.
The terms and factors that are of interest to me are (a) affordable, (b) modular, (c) steel framed concrete walls. In an extensive search of Prior Art that contained some of these terms, I came across a large number of very economical attempts to solve one kind of problem or another. Some of the Prior Art that impressed me the most are:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,982,217 Nov. 27, 1934 To Luehrs makes use of a prefabricated panel, but the width of the panels (about 5 feet) requires too many complicated and costly joints.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,372,200 To Hayes 1941 uses pre-cast components for floor, walls and roof. The double walls with an air space between them for insulation are very smart, but costly. The prefabricated roof and ceiling are clean and smooth. I like Mr. Hayes 1941 house very much, but it is not very affordable in 2005 markets.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,294 Mar. 9, 1976 To Savell uses pre-cast panels for wall construction, but uses a complicated procedure to join to the foundation, to roof structures at top and to adjacent walls.
In one way or another, the patents mentioned above failed to satisfy the terms and factors mentioned above especially regarding the affordable term.
SUMMARYA method to build affordable modular homes, condominium, apartment and the like by using a variety of prefabricated steel framed concrete walls, which by virtue of their steel perimeters can be welded at bottom to steel plates, anchored in a concrete foundation; and welded at top to a plurality of prefabricated steel trusses which support welded prefabricated steel framed concrete roof tiles.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES“Affordable”, “Modular”, and “Concrete Homes” are some of the words used in the title of my invention. Most of the objects and advantages of my invention are derived from the meanings of those words.
In order to be affordable, this invention concept has to offer to the market a comparable product at a lower price. My invention does that and more. By fabricating steel framed concrete walls in a compacting machine, the density of the concrete is maximized. The strength is increased allowing for a reduced thickness of the walls. More than 97% of the material used is concrete, which is a relatively low-cost material due to the large percentage of sand and gravel used in it. The structural strength rendered by the steel frames of the walls in cooperation with the compressive strength of concrete condensed in a compacting machine surpasses many times the strength of the conventional wood wall construction.
Another objective and advantage of this invention is to provide an alternative to the light, fragile mobile home buildings which have very little resistance to the devastating forces of hurricanes and tornados.
Superior durability is another objective and advantage of my invention. This invention offers superior resistance to becoming deformed by the actions of time, wet and dry spells, etc. It is impervious to termites and other insect attacks. Also, it cannot be bored or infested by rodents, it cannot burn, and it presents a greater resistance to high winds such as hurricanes and tornados than the present wood framed method of construction.
The modular design of this invention offers versatility in both size and layout at an affordable price. The design also allows for easy additions to be made even after the original construction is complete.
Another objective of the present invention is to create a new business method that will build in low density areas, where land is reasonably priced, a tract of small, affordable houses that can be afforded and qualified for by young families just starting out and by low wage earners. As their economic condition improves, they can sell back their smaller homes and buy a larger one made with more of the modular panels in another subdivision of larger and upgraded homes. The smaller homes that have been bought back can then be refurbished and sold to another family that is just starting out . . . and so the cycle is started again.
Another similar use would be to provide in high density areas, buildings with small comfortable condominiums to sell to young people just starting out, and low wage earners. As their economic condition improves, buy back the smaller condominiums and sell to them a larger condo in another building of larger condos. The smaller ones that have been bought back are then refurbished and sold to start the cycle again.
This can also be done with apartments. It is an objective to build affordable apartment buildings that will relieve some of the high cost of rent, which sometimes absorbs 50% or more of a young person's income.
It is also an objective to the present invention is to incite university students of U.S.A. and foreign countries to participate in the development of this invention. The reason behind this is that I am 78 years old and with most of the constrictions of that age. I do not have the time or the expertise to do this enterprise by myself. I would like to see a cooperation and exchange between the most advanced students of architecture, of civil engineering, of business of structural engineering, contracting law, accounting, and marketing. There is so much talent out there if only it can be tapped and if the present invention has any merits and a good possibility of becoming successful. The pent-up demand for affordable houses, condos, and apartments is geographically so large that a very extensive network is necessary to reach the majority of the potential customers. Participating university students will be able to acquire, by trial and error, and efficient method of managing the invention's programs. The present invention is willing to give to a university student's foundation at least 90% of the profits they will be able to generate. The function of the students should be that of C.E.O's, General Management, Contract Oversight, hiring full-time employees to manage the routine aspects of the business so that the participating students will manage and oversee the operations without taking too much time from their studies.
To summarize:
-
- A. Create a simple method of fabricating steel framed concrete walls in a compacting machine under factory condition, under better quality control conditions, at lower costs.
- B. Create a method of joining the various structural components by welding, and thereby increasing joint strength and reducing the time required for erection.
- C. Create a method of modular additions that are affordable, efficient, and economical.
- D. Design a building method that builds better homes and a marketing method that makes those homes more affordable.
- E. Design a home that is impervious to termites and other insect attacks, withstand aging better, and impervious to rodents, and stands up better to the destructive forces of nature.
A by-product of this invention will be the large number of new jobs this enterprise will create. The new jobs because it will not take workers away from the home building industry that is trying to keep up with the demand for bigger and more expensive homes. The program of this invention is no to compete with the home building industry, but to compliment the industry with a product that they have no time or desire to develop. The programs described in this application are, as far as I know, the only concerted effort to address the problem of affordable houses. The only objection I can see on this invention is that it departs radically from the traditional method of wood construction, which makes this invention a concept ahead of its time. A house made of concrete will be understood in the future when Mother Nature will not be able to support the demand required to continue the current building practices.
Provisions that are beyond my scope at the present time require that a policy, contract agreements, or some types of programs are created so that the creation of slums will be avoided.
Claims
1. A method for fabricating a plurality of steel framed concrete walls to use in construction of affordable concrete modular buildings comprising the steps of:
- (a) Joining at right angles the ends of four steel members to form a perimeter of a rectangular steel frame;
- (b) Providing a plurality of reinforcing steel rebars to form a grill to insert and secure inside said perimeter of said rectangular steel frame;
- (c) Providing a plurality of prefabricated steel frames welded at interrupted point of said grill and at determined points of said rectangular steel frame to form openings for doors and windows;
- (d) Providing means to insert wires for electricity;
- (e) Inserting means in said walls to lift, move and erect said walls;
- (f) Providing means to pour a formulation of fluid mixed concrete in the grilled sections of said rectangular steel frame whereby by completing steps 1(a) through 1(f) a steel framed concrete wall is formed;
2. Providing means to secure and stabilize the tops of said rectangular steel framed concrete walls.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprises erecting said steel framed concrete walls to form a building by means of welding the bottoms of said steel framed concrete walls to a plurality of steel plates anchored in a concrete foundation and welding the tops of said steel framed concrete walls to a plurality of prefabricated steel trusses, which span a distance between set apart parallel walls, said steel trusses serve to add stability to said set apart parallel walls and also serves as a structure to support roof and ceilings.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprises welding exterior and interior said steel framed concrete walls at determined places of contact to each other.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprises attaching a plurality of prefabricated insulation panels to the exterior or interior of said erected steel framed concrete walls.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprises constructing a roof by means of welding a plurality of prefabricated steel framed concrete roof tiles to roof trusses and to each other at determined points of contact.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprises increasing the size of smaller modular structure by means of adding more steel framed concrete walls adding or subtracting steel framed concrete wall plugs and adding additional structural components to form additional rooms.
8. Claim 1 creating a new business method comprising the steps of:
- (a) Creating a new business method, which will enable young start up families and low wage earners to qualify for a loan to buy a small affordable house or condominium in a developed tract of small houses or condominiums;
- (b) Creating a new business method, which will enable young start up families and low wage earners to increase the size of their house or condominium by selling back to the invention their smaller house or condominium and buying from the invention a larger house or condominium in a developed tract of larger houses or condominiums;
- (c) Renovating said bought back smaller house or condominium to put them back on the market for a new start up young family or a new low wage earner whereby completing steps 8(a) through 8(c) a new business method will be created, which will enable young start up families and low wage earners to qualify and buy a small affordable house and increase its size as needs and/or economic conditions progress.
9. A method for fabricating a plurality of steel framed wood walls to use in constructing affordable modular building comprising the steps of:
- (a) Joining at right angles the ends of four steel members to form a perimeter for a rectangular steel frame;
- (b) Providing means at determined points of said rectangular steel frame to fasten a plurality of wood studs to form a steel framed wood wall skeleton;
- (c) Providing on said steel framed wood walls skeleton means for windows and door openings;
- (d) Providing on said steel framed wood wall skeleton means for introducing all the necessary utilities;
- (e) Providing insulation between said fastened wood studs in a manner familiar with those skilled in the art;
- (f) Covering the sides of said steel framed wood wall skeleton by means of fastening plywood, sheet rock, stucco, or any other suitable material to said wood studs, whereby completing steps 9(a) through 9(f) a steel framed wood structured wall is formed.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprises erecting said steel framed wood structured wall to form a building by means of welding the bottoms of said steel framed wood structured walls to a plurality of steel plates anchored in a concrete foundation and welding the tops of said steel framed wood structured walls to a plurality of prefabricated steel trusses, which span the distance between set up apart parallel walls. Said steel trusses serve to add stability to the set up apart parallel walls and also serve as a structure to support roof and ceilings.
11. The method of claim 9 further comprises providing a roof by means of welding a plurality of prefabricated steel framed concrete roof tiles to a plurality of prefabricated steel roof trusses and to each other at determined points of contact.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 22, 2005
Publication Date: Jun 22, 2006
Inventor: Raul Zamora (Aguanga, CA)
Application Number: 11/317,791
International Classification: E04C 3/38 (20060101); E04B 7/08 (20060101);