Truss lock floor systems and related methods and apparatus
Top-down construction techniques are disclosed for providing panelized building systems. The systems can include pre-manufactured floor and stem wall panels that can built to a desired specification, e.g., according to site-specific requirements. The floor panels can include height-adjustable members to raise/lower portions of one or more panels to a desired height relative to an underlying surface. The floor panels can be leveled, locked together, and then remaining portions of a building structure can be built around the floor panels in a top-down process. The height-adjustable members can include pier and jack system that includes a jack screw, a sleeve, and a pier. Related grout system are also disclosed.
The present disclosure relates in general to methods and systems useful in the construction of buildings and structures, for example, residential or commercial buildings. Embodiments of the present disclosure are variously directed to panelized or modular building systems and related top-down construction methods. Systems according to the present disclosure can provide floors, walls, roofs, and grout channels.
BACKGROUNDPrevious construction techniques for most building have been “bottom-up” techniques in which a building site is first scrapped and cleaned, a building pad is then prepared and after the building pad is prepared, an engineer or foundation contractor prepares/designs a layout of the foundation for excavation. The time for the layout typical is at least a day. Subsequent to the layout, the foundation is trenched and the spoils are removed. This process also typically requires a day. After the foundation trench is prepared, an engineer or foundation contractor typically set batter boards for elevation and string lines. The forms are set and then adjusted for squareness. Reinforcing steel is then situated in place within the forms. Bolts are set and hardware is usually installed at this point.
A foundation check can be requested or performed at this point in the construction process, and needed corrections may be made to the foundation. The concrete for the foundation can then be cast/poured in the forms on-site. A waiting period is required to allow the concrete to cure. Then the forms are subsequently stripped and cleaned, with the time period required for construction of the foundation typically being one to two weeks.
In such previous construction techniques, the first load of lumber is ordered and arrives at the construction site after or simultaneously with the preparation of the foundation. The lumber is stacked in the proper order, with the sill plate first and then post and girder material on top and then the joist, blocking, and lastly the sub floor. The completeness and order of the material has to be verified. Damage to the material is a common occurrence during the stacking/ordering processes. Also, required fasteners, e.g., nails, bolts, washers, etc., must be checked.
After verification of the type and order of such construction materials, a carpenter typically checks the foundation for squareness and height. Often because of time demands, dimensional tolerances of plus or minus 1.0 inches or greater are accepted. Such deviations from designed dimensions can lead to large amounts of material waste and time spent addressing the problems. For example, lumber typically is delivered from a sawmill in increments of two feet. For example, is a joist is desired to be 12′ 9″ in length, a 14′ would be ordered, with the end being lapped or cut to fit with the excess being scrap lumber. It is common for waste lumber production to account for as much as 5% or more of a typical construction project.
The construction of the foundation typically takes about five or six weeks, resulting with girders ready for plumbing and HVAC installation. At this point in the construction process, the sub floor still has not been installed and a plumber will need to take measurements for plumbing and do the rough-in for the plumbing. A sheet metal contractor typically performs similar measurements. After passing inspection, an insulation contractor typically will then add floor insulation.
Subsequent to the plumbing, sheet metal, and/or insulation, the sub floor is typically added and then the building walls are located on the layout. Often, it will be discovered that correction of the plumbing is required. Additionally, it may be discovered that the layout doesn't fit because the building is not square enough. If not corrected, the out of square nature of the floor/foundation may be incorporated into the rooms, propagating the error.
The above described inadequacies in construction, e.g., misalignment, material waste, etc., can lead to increased cost, which is obviously a disadvantage in the fast-paced and commercially competitive construction industry. Further, the time required for foundation and floor construction is unnecessarily long, e.g., typically around a month in length for a single story building of 2,000 square feet, without plumbing and HVAC. Typical construction costs can range from $17 to $20 or more per square foot.
Even after construction with such prior art techniques, the end product is: (1) made of wood and therefore is subject to mold, dry rot, termites, warping, movement (which may produce undesirable product and noise), and fire damage susceptibility; (2) most likely to not be square or level, and depending on the weather may be water soaked before framing can be completed and a roof installed; and (3) can be very expensive to maintain or repair.
What is needed therefore are systems, methods, and apparatus that address the shortcomings and problems noted previously in association with the prior art.
SUMMARYAspects of the present disclosure are directed to systems, methods, and apparatus that address the shortcomings and problems noted previously in association with the prior art construction techniques and systems.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems, methods, and apparatus useful for top-down construction techniques utilizing one or more factory manufactured (pre-made or prefabricated) floor panels that can be built to a desired specification, e.g., sized or arranged according to site-specific requirements. The floor panels can include one or more height-adjustable members that function to raise/lower portions of the one or more sub panels, so that the floor may be positioned at a desired height relative to the ground and leveled. In exemplary embodiments, the floor panels can include a desired composite structure, such as steel reinforced concrete. The height-adjustable members can include a pier and jack system that include a jack screw, a sleeve, and an extendable supporting pier.
Methods of construction are also provided by the present disclosure. Such methods can include top-down techniques that include preparing a building site; building one or more floor panels remotely from the building site; fabricating a foundation footing; positioning the one or more floor panels at a desired height over the building site; and subsequently positioning a pre-cast foundation stem wall between the one or more floor panels and the foundation footing.
Embodiments according to the present disclosure may include a grout system useful for sealing the joints or connections between adjacent floor panels and/or between one or more floor panels and a supporting foundation stem wall. In exemplary embodiments, a grout system can include a grout channel formed from respective grooves in adjacent faces of two floor panels and/or a floor panel and a stem wall supporting that floor panel. The grout system can include a suitable grout material, for example, an epoxy-containing grout or epoxy component.
Aspects of the disclosure may be more fully understood from the following description when read together with the accompanying drawings, which are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as limiting. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings:
It should be understood by one skilled in the art that the embodiments depicted in the drawings are illustrative and variations of those shown as well as other embodiments described herein may be envisioned and practiced within the scope of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONEmbodiments of the present disclosure provide panelized building systems that are constructed by top-down construction techniques described herein. Building systems according to the present disclosure can be used for floors, walls, and roofs for buildings of both residential and commercial types, as well as others.
Top-down techniques/methods in which pre-made floor panels having height-adjustable members are positioned at a desired height over a job site can be used to construct one or more portions of a building, e.g., floors, roofs, and walls. Subsequent portions of the building can then be built around the positioned floor panels as part of a top-down construction process according to the present disclosure.
In general, for any given work site, a number of such pre-made floor panels can be designed and fabricated in a setting remote from the work site, e.g., a factory. Floor panels according to the present disclosure can include height-adjustable members and/or structure for receiving such, and can be referred to as truss-lock systems. The one or more pre-made panels can then be transported to the work site and positioned above the desired location by positioning/operating the height-adjustable members so that each floor panel is held up over the underlying surface.
The floor panels can be secured or attached to one another if desired. A foundation stem wall, which may also be pre-made, can then be placed under the floor section(s). Use of the height-adjustable members can allow for the floor panels to be positioned as desired, e.g., leveled, over a work site surface, without the need for preparation and installation of an underlying support surface, e.g., concrete slab.
In exemplary embodiments, e.g., as shown and described for
With continued reference to
In exemplary embodiments, the composite material used for a floor panel can include GigaCrete™, as currently available from GigaCrete, Inc. of Las Vegas, Nev. USA, or other approved/suitable structural binding type material(s). The GigaCrete binder is not Portland-cement based but rather, is a different cementatious binder consisting of commonly found nontoxic elements available from many locations throughout the world. One of the key properties of the GigaCrete type of binder is its superior strength relative to Portland-based cement. This allows cementatious building products to be manufactured without the use of heavy aggregates. In many cases, recycled materials, such as bottom ash and fly ash, can be utilized as filler materials. This allows for the development of cementatious building products that are lighter and stronger than conventional Portland-based materials. In addition, the GigaCrete binder requires the use of less water than conventional Portland-based cement.
In exemplary embodiments, the floor panels can be printed or marked at the factory to indicate the desired building plan including location of walls, appliances, fixtures, electrical layout, and/or reflected ceiling plan to aid building construction in the field. For example,
With continued reference to
For a top-down construction process of the floor system 100, trenchings, footings, and panelized stem wall may be added after the floor panels 110(1)-110(2) are put in place in the field, as described in further detail for
As shown, the floor panels may include suitable reinforcement 114. Reinforcement can include steel, e.g., in the form of rebar or other shapes, and may be of any suitable alloy composition. The floor panels can also include suitable trusses 160. The trusses 160 can be attached to, partially embedded within, or fully embedded within a floor panel, as shown at joint 112(1). Suitable holes/apertures may be formed in the trusses 160 shown at joint 112(1) to facilitates attachment or locking of the panels 110(1), 110(2) together at the desired position/height. Suitable bolts or other fasteners may be used for attaching the panels, and such fasteners may pass through a portion of the grout channel 150.
The floor system can also accommodate seismic supports that may be required by local building codes. For example, helix anchors 130 may be connected to a floor panel 110(1) at desired locations or spacings and driven into the underlying surface 10 to a desired depth, as shown.
With continued reference to
As noted previously, reinforcement may be used in the floor panels. Suitable reinforcement can include common rebar and other forms of steel/composite reinforcement. In exemplary embodiments, the trusses 160 can include MegaJoist™ open-web trusses/joists, as commercially available directly or under license from TCMP Building Systems, Inc. of Burlington, Ontario Canada. Other open-web trusses and/or common C or I beam joists may also be used as reinforcement.
While wall 140 is shown as being flush with the top surface of floor panel 110(1), the wall 140 can extend upward for as many floors as desired or to a desired height. In this way, panelized building systems/methods according to the present disclosure can be construct buildings of an desired arbitrary height.
In exemplary embodiments, the jack screw 122 may include a non-removable portion that need-not be removed after the pier is set at a desired position relative to the floor panel. Further, in exemplary embodiments, the sleeve 124 may be positioned against a truss 160 for additional support and/or structural stiffness, as shown.
With continued reference to
In conjunction with the grout system 150, a connection bolt (not shown) connecting the adjacent panels may be added in the field, e.g., before supplying or injecting grout 155 into the grout channel. In exemplary embodiments, an injection fitting (not shown) may be included for the grout system that includes a spring-loaded member adapted admit grout 155 applied to the fitting under pressure and to seal the fitting the when grout is not applied.
As shown in
As is shown, the height-adjustable members 520(1)-520(8), can allow multiple floor panels 510(1)-510(4) to be stacked in a compact configuration as might be useful when transporting the floor panels from a factory to a desired job site, e.g., by way of a flat bed trailer 50. After off-loading from such a vehicle, all jacks would typically be screwed into position and adjusted, positioning each floor panel to a desired height/level to fit a building pad at a job site. The height-adjustable members 520(1)-520(8) could then be used to adjust the height and/orientation of an associated, raising or lowering the connected part of the floor panel a desired amount, e.g., plus or minus four or more inches. The floor panels 520(1)-520(8) would be bolted together, leveled, and adjusted as necessary for site conditions according to building methods, e.g., of
It should be understood that construction methods according to the present disclosure can include additional or substitute operations/actions relative to the ones shown and described for method 600 of
Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure can allow for various advantages over the prior art. Quality control and labor savings can be realized by building floor panels and/or foundation stem walls in a factory environment, e.g., because no time is lost due to inclement weather conditions. Floor/wall systems may be unitized, square, and flat to a desired degree, e.g., within 0.125 inches in 100 feet. The foundation supports needed for the field are factory installed in the floor panels. Like an equipment trailer, the panels are raised using a set of screw jacks (which lower the supporting piers in place and raise the panels to the desired height) and which are left in place for floor/building support. A rigid frame can be included. Heating systems such as hydronic heating can be factory installed in the floor/wall systems. Field layout is not required.
Construction times can been be reduced relative to prior bottom-up construction methods. For example, embodiments can allow off loading and setting of floor panels in place in the field, e.g., at a residential construction site, in a single day. The panel heights can be adjusted with built-in support systems using structural jacks on the same day that the off loading takes place. Plumbing, trenching, and installation of the foundation footings/anchors can be performed quickly after the panels are leveled. No layout is required as the trench/footing matches the outer perimeter of the assembled panels. The pre-cast foundation panels and footing can be cast in one day. Because some of the work is overlapped, the typical project can be completed in a shorter time, e.g., one week, relative to prior art construction techniques that might take a month. Construction costs can be significantly reduced using embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, the cost per square foot may be about $12-$15 for a given project.
Further, floor and/or wall surfaces according to the present disclosure can be insulated and/or sound resistant. Warping, twisting, and/or squeaking of the floor surfaces can be reduced or eliminated. Labor, material, and/or maintenance costs can also be reduced relative to prior art construction techniques. Floors, roofs, and/or walls of any type of building may be built according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
While certain embodiments have been described herein, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the methods, systems, and apparatus of the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, while the height-adjustable members have generally been described as jack and pier systems, one of skill in the art will understand that other suitable configurations can be used, such as hydraulic jacks, pawl and ratchet configurations, etc.
The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive of the present disclosure.
Claims
1. A panelized building system comprising:
- one or more prefabricated floor panels;
- one or more height-adjustable members disposed on the one or more floor panels for adjusting the height of the one or more floor panels; and
- a prefabricated stem wall, wherein the prefabricated stem wall includes one or more sections.
2. The floor system of claim 1, wherein the one or more building panels are composite panels.
3. The floor system of claim 1, further comprising a foundation footing for supporting the one or more sections of the prefabricated stem wall.
4. The floor system of claim 2, wherein the one or more composite floor panels include steel reinforcement members.
5. The floor system of claim 4, wherein the steel reinforcement members include an open-web truss.
6. The floor system of claim 2, wherein the one or more composite floor panels include cement.
7. The floor system of claim 6, wherein the one or more composite floor panels include a Portland-type cement.
8. The floor system of claim 2, wherein the one or more composite floor panels include a non-Portland type cementatious binder.
9. The floor system of claim 8, wherein the one or more composite floor panels include GigaCrete™.
10. The floor system of claim 1, further comprising a grout channel disposed on a lateral surface of at least one floor panel.
11. The floor system of claim 10, wherein the grout channel includes a channel disposed on a lateral surface of each of two or more abutting floor panels.
12. The floor system of claim 10, wherein the grout channel includes a channel disposed on a lateral surface of at least one floor panel and a supporting foundation stem wall.
13. The floor system of claim 10, further comprising an injection fitting configured and arranged to deliver grout to the grout channel.
14. The floor system of claim 10, further comprising an epoxy containing grout disposed within the grout channel.
15. The floor system of claim 1, further comprising one or more fasteners configured and arranged to attach adjacent floor panels to one another.
16. The floor system of claim 1, wherein the one or more height-adjustable members each include a jack and pier system.
17. The floor system of claim 16, wherein the jack and pier systems comprises a jack screw, a sleeve, and a pier connected to the jack screw, wherein sleeve is connected to a building panel, wherein the pier includes a weight-bearing surface, and wherein the jack screw is threadedly received by the sleeve and configured and arranged to adjust the position of the weight bearing surface relative to the building panel connected to the sleeve.
18. The floor system of claim 17, wherein the sleeve is connected to a truss disposed on the building panel.
19. The floor system of claim of claim 13, wherein the injection fitting includes a spring-loaded member adapted to admit grout applied to the fitting under pressure and to seal the fitting when grout is not applied.
20. A top-down method of constructing a panelized floor system, the method comprising:
- preparing a building pad at a construction site for construction of a building;
- building one or more composite floor panels at a location remote from the construction site;
- positioning the one or more floor panels at a desired height above the building site with height-adjustable members;
- fabricating a foundation footing on the construction site; and
- positioning a pre-cast foundation stem wall between one or more of the floor panels and the foundation footing.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming a channel for receiving grout in an outer surface of the one or more floor panels.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising injecting grout into a channel.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein building one or more floor panels comprises incorporating one or more trusses within a floor panel.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein incorporating one or more trusses includes incorporating one or more trusses having an open-web.
25. The method of claim 20, wherein constructing one or more floor panels comprises incorporating a binder in the one or more floor panels.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein incorporating a binder comprises incorporating a cement.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein incorporating a cement includes incorporating a Portland-type cement.
28. The method of claim 25, wherein incorporating a binder includes incorporating a non-Portland type cement.
29. A grout channel system for forming a seal between panelized building system components, the grout channel comprising:
- a first grout channel for receiving grout, wherein the first grout channel is disposed on a lateral surface of one or more floor panels; and
- a second grout channel for receiving grout, wherein the second grout channel is disposed on a lateral surface of one or more floor panels or foundation stem walls adapted to be positioned adjacent the lateral surface including the first grout channel.
30. The grout channel system of claim 29, further comprising a grout disposed within the first or second grout channels.
31. The grout channel system of claim 30, wherein the grout includes an epoxy.
32. The grout channel system of claim 29, further comprising an injection fitting configured and arranged to provide grout to the first or second grout channels.
33. The grout channel system of claim 32, wherein the injection fitting includes a spring-loaded member adapted admit grout applied to the fitting under pressure and to seal the fitting the when grout is not applied.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 19, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 24, 2008
Inventor: Richard Walter (Gardnerville, NV)
Application Number: 11/489,322
International Classification: E04B 1/00 (20060101);