Energy efficient assembly building construction using light-gage metal studs and concrete slabs

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a building construction with specially designed light gage metal studs, concrete slabs, and other prefabricated components. In one embodiment, a building construction for a wall structure comprises one or more wall panels; and at least one wall holding track connected to an edge of one of the wall panels, the at least one wall holding track having two flanges connected to a web to form a generally U-shaped track to receive the edge of the wall panel, the web including a plurality of integrally formed threaded nuts to receive threaded fastening members, the integrally formed threaded nuts being disposed at preset locations along the web. The invention gives a solution to modularize buildings, especially for residential homes which makes the building construction more assembly like.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to building construction using prefabricated components and, more particularly, to energy efficient building construction using light gage metal studs, concrete slabs, and other prefabricated components designed to provide an assembly building construction that makes efficient use of materials and labor.

BACKGROUND ART

Prefabricated building panels and associated components have been used to form the walls, floors, and roofs of a building structure for many years. The prefabricated building panels and associated components act as structural components of the building. Construction utilizing prefabricated panels and components offers many advantages, including more rapid construction and standardization, than traditional on-site construction. The prefabricated building panels and components can be constructed on-site or off-site, and then moved into position to form the panel structures. There continues to be a need for improved prefabricated building panels and components to meet the demand for lower labor and material costs, as well as energy efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide a building construction with specially designed light gage metal studs, concrete slabs, and other prefabricated components that eliminate most conventional beams and that integrate wall panels, floor slabs, and roof decks into a well-connected skeletal structure. Compared to traditional metal studs frames, the usage of steel can be greatly reduced. The assembly procedure to build a wall section can be applied to various types of structures, such as wooden frame buildings, metal (heavy or light) frame buildings, or concrete frame buildings. The present system will not only greatly reduce material and labor cost, but can provide a more cost effective and energy efficient building in terms of energy savings, building materials recycling, reduced maintenance needs, cost effectiveness, much shorter construction time, and adaptability to different architectural designs. The building construction assembly process is analogous to the furniture assembly process.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a building construction for a wall structure comprises one or more wall panels; and at least one wall holding track connected to an edge of one of the wall panels, the at least one wall holding track having two flanges connected to a web to form a generally U-shaped track to receive the edge of the wall panel, the web including a plurality of integrally formed threaded nuts to receive threaded fastening members, the integrally formed threaded nuts being disposed at preset locations along the web.

In some embodiments, the web includes one or more access holes that allow access to one or more hollow interior portions of the wall panel. The one or more access holes of the web are open to allow air flow into the one or more hollow interior portions of the wall panel. A filling material is introduced via the one or more access holes of the web into the one or more hollow interior portions of the wall panel. The filling material fills the one or more hollow interior portions of the wall panel to provide solid touch between bearing surfaces of a lower edge and an upper edge of the wall panel which is disposed generally vertically. The web is slanted with respect to two generally parallel flanges. Each wall panel has a lower edge connected to a lower wall holding track and an upper edge connected to an upper wall holding track.

In specific embodiments, at least one of a floor, a roof, a bearing header, or a column is connected to the web of the wall holding track by fastening members threadingly coupled to the integrally formed threaded nuts of the web. Two wall holding tracks are disposed parallel to each other and spaced by a gap to form a double layer wall holding track to hold two wall panels spaced by the gap.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a wall holding track comprises two flanges connected to a web to form a generally U-shaped track to receive an edge of a wall panel. The web includes a plurality of integrally formed threaded nuts to receive threaded fastening members, the integrally formed threaded nuts being disposed at preset locations along the web. The web includes one or more access holes that allow access to the edge of the wall panel received into the generally U-shaped track.

In some embodiments, two additional flanges are connected to another web to form a second generally U-shaped track to receive an edge of another wall panel. The web of the second generally U-shaped track includes a plurality of integrally formed threaded nuts to receive threaded fastening members, the integrally formed threaded nuts being disposed at preset locations along the web. The web of the second generally U-shaped track includes one or more access holes that allow access to the edge of the wall panel received into the second generally U-shaped track. The two generally U-shaped tracks are disposed generally parallel to each other and connected by a connecting member between the two webs that are coplanar with each other.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a wall supporting structure comprises a first floor panel and a second floor panel which are generally coplanar and disposed at a distance spaced above a ground; a first generally U-shaped beam connected to an edge of the first floor panel, the first generally U-shaped beam having a web connected to two flanges; and a second generally U-shaped beam connected to an edge of the second floor panel, the second generally U-shaped beam having a web connected to two flanges. The web of the first generally U-shaped beam and the web of the second generally U-shaped beam are aligned with each other and attached together.

In some embodiments, a first bearing header is provided at an opposite edge of the first floor panel from the first generally U-shaped beam, and a second bearing header is provided at an opposite edge of the second floor panel from the second generally U-shaped beam. An upper wall is disposed above and aligned with the first and second generally U-shaped beams. The first and second generally U-shaped beams are spaced above the ground without a lower wall aligned with the first and second generally U-shaped beams.

These and other aspects of the invention are described in further detail below and shown in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of different concrete slabs or panels;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a double-layer wall or combination wall;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a bearing wall section;

FIG. 4 shows schematic views of (a) a bearing header with floor slab, (b) a front view thereof, (c) a top plan view thereof, (d) a back view thereof, (e) a right side view thereof, (f) a left side view thereof, (g) a bolt therefor, and (h) a wall holding track having holding nuts;

FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment for use of a bearing header and wall holding track when coupling two walls together at a wall corner;

FIG. 6 shows schematic views of (a) a roof panel, (b) a cross-sectional view thereof, (c) a bolt therefore, (d) a wall holding track therefor, and (e) a wall holding track therefor with air circulating holes.

FIG. 7 shows schematic views of (a) an upper wall holding track having holding nuts, (b) an upper wall holding track, and (c) a bottom wall holding track.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a double-layer wall holding track.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a structure including wall holding tracks for a double-layer wall and upper floor panel and bearing header.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the components of a bearing wall section.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a building skeleton formed of columns and light-gage metal studs.

FIG. 12 shows schematic views of (a) a front view of a washer, (b) a back view thereof, (c) a side view thereof, (d) a sectional view thereof, (e) a front view of a rivet-type bolt, (f) a left side view thereof, (g) a right side view thereof, (h) a front view of a screw-type bolt, (i) a left side view thereof, (j) a right side view thereof, (k) a front view of a screw-type nut, (l) a left side view thereof, (m) a right side view thereof, and (n) a sectional view thereof.

FIG. 13 shows schematic views of (a) a structure for supporting floor slabs with U-shaped beams and a 2-U beam member supporting an upper story wall, and (b) a close-up view of the 2-U beam member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1a-d present schematic perspective views of different types of concrete slabs or panels in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, FIG. 1a presents a sandwich panel 10 having an insulation core 12. The insulation core 12 includes any suitable insulation material. The hollow panel 20 in FIG. 1b has a plurality of hollow channels 22. The hollow channels 22 can be left hollow or can be filled with a filling material which can be any suitable construction material. The shape of the hollow channels 22 can be circular, elliptical, square, rectangular, triangular, or the like. FIG. 1c shows a solid panel 30. FIG. 1d shows a reinforced panel 40 having side reinforcements in the form of metal studs 42, 44 to provide additional strength for a load bearing wall. Although the reinforced panel 40 in FIG. 1d is a solid panel, other reinforced panels may include a sandwich panel or a hollow panel with side reinforcements. The panels can be used for building wall sections in various types of structures, such as wooden frame buildings, metal (heavy or light) frame buildings, and concrete frame buildings. The concrete slabs, regular or light-weight, used in walls can be classified as bearing walls for load bearing and non-bearing walls. The non-bearing walls may also be referred to as curtain walls for exterior use or partition walls for interior use.

The different wall panels can be selected to build an energy efficient structure. Depending on the local climate and structure location, one may select to use hollow slabs or panels, sandwich slabs or panels, or solid slabs or panels. Sandwich panels 10 are more heat preserving or insulating, and is suitable for use in cold climate as both inner and outer walls as shown in FIG. 2. For hot climate, the use of hollow panels 20 as outer walls is beneficial by aligning the hollow channels 22 to provide good ventilation from near the ground to near the roof and ensuring that other members used to assemble the outer wall (such as wall holding tracks as discussed below) do not block the ventilation paths through the hollow channels 22. Sandwich panels 10 are desirably used as inner walls.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a double-layer wall or combination wall 50 which includes an inner wall 52 and an outer wall 54 spaced by a gap or air space 56. The double-layer wall 50 can be a combination of two bearing walls, two curtain walls, or a bearing wall and a curtain wall.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a typical wall section. Columns 60 and bottom holding tracks 62 are attached to the base 64. For the first story, the top of the footing is the base. For an upper story, the top of the story just below is the base. Wall panels 66 are mounted on the bottom holding tracks 62. The wall panels 66 may be comprised of solid slabs or panels, sandwich slabs or panels, or hollow slabs or panels. Top holding tracks 68 are fastened at the top of the wall panels 66. A bearing header 70 is placed on top of the top holding tracks 68 and supported by the columns 60. Optional U-shaped side holding tracks 72 are coupled to the vertical sides of the wall panels 66 to provide additional strength against buckling. The side holding tracks may further be attached to the columns or the like. The top, bottom, and side holding tracks are U-shaped with a pair of flanges connected to a web or bearing face, and these U-shaped tracks are sized to match the thickness of the wall panels to be disposed between the pair of webs.

If the wall section is a bearing wall section that is load bearing, all wall panels 66 are vertically installed and each wall panel 66 is a factory-made whole piece. No structural damage on any wall panel is allowed before and during the installation. It is important for a bearing wall section to have solid touch between the wall panels 66 and the bearing faces of the bottom holding track 62 and top holding track 68, and between the holding tracks and the bearing header 70. Solid touch is achieved by filling any open cores, channels, or gaps between the bearing surfaces of the bearing wall section to eliminate open spaces or gaps. Further, side holding tracks 72 installed along the vertical edges of the wall panels 66 are desirable for providing strength against buckling. Optionally, on each wall slab or panel, a side reinforcement metal stud 42 or 44 (FIG. 1) that is poured with the concrete panel can be fixed with upper and lower wall holding tracks by self-drilling screws.

For a non-bearing wall section, solid touch is not required and reinforcement using side holding tracks is not necessary. Further, the filling of any hollow channels or cores of the wall panels can be eliminated.

FIG. 4a shows a bearing header with floor slab structure 80. If the floor slab 81 is on top of the bearing wall directly, the bearing header 82 will serve as the holding end for the floor slab 80 and is poured with the floor slab 81. FIGS. 4b-4f show various views of the bearing header 82. The bearing header 82 includes a plurality of pipes or channels 84 for receiving bolts 86 in FIG. 4g for attaching wall holding tracks or the like to the bearing header 82.

FIGS. 4h(1) and (2) show different views for a preferred embodiment of a wall holding track 90 which includes a web or bearing face 92 and two spaced flanges 94. In a preferred embodiment, the web 92 of the wall holding track 90 includes integrally formed or built-in positioning or holding nuts 96 for coupling with the bolts 86 to fasten the wall holding track 90 to other structural components such as the matching pipes or channels 84 of the bearing header 82. The web 92 may further include access holes 98 that match the hollow channels or openings 22 of the hollow panel 20 in FIG. 1b to provide ventilation or allow filling or serve as conduits for wiring, tubing, and the like. The holes 98 of the wall holding track 90 can be large holes or small holes, and can even be replaced by a wire mesh. The holes 98 facilitate construction and checking or inspecting, allow air flow when ventilation is desired in the wall panels, and allow filling of hollow spaces in the wall panels when solid touch or insulation is desired.

The nuts presumably are integrally formed with the tracks to receive bolts or threaded rods for fastening the tracks to other structural components such as floor slabs, roofs, and the like. For example, a bearing header with floor slab can include matching holes to receive bolts or threaded rods that are connected to the corresponding nuts of the track to fasten the bearing header to the track.

If the same structural idea is applied into wall corners, use of a metal stud column may be eliminated by vertically installed bearing headers. FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment for use of a bearing header and wall holding track when coupling two walls together at a wall corner. As shown in FIG. a, the bearing header 82 is coupled to the edge of the first wall and the wall holding track 90 is coupled to the edge of the second wall such that the holding buts 96 match up with the holes/channels 84 in the bearing header in a vertical fashion such that the bolts 86 can then be used to couple the two walls together.

FIGS. 6a and 6b show a roof panel 100 having holes or apertures 102 for roof holding or fastening. The roof panel 100 may include a layer of insulation sandwiched between layers of concrete. As shown in FIGS. 6b and 6c, each hole 102 receives a bolt 104 for attaching the roof panel 100 to another structural component such as the wall holding track 110 of FIG. 6d. The wall holding track 110 has a slanted web 112 for an inclined roof and a pair of flanges 114. In a preferred embodiment, the web 112 includes integrally formed or built-in positioning or holding nuts 116 for coupling with the bolts 104 to fasten the wall holding track 110 to other structural components such as the roof panel 102, a floor, a bearing header, or a column (for side wall holding tracks that are disposed generally vertically). The web 112 may further include holes 118 that match the hollow channels or openings 22 of the hollow panel 20 in FIG. 1b to provide ventilation or allow filling or serve as conduits for wiring, tubing, and the like. The holes 118 of the wall holding track 110 can be large holes or small holes, and can even be in the form of a wire mesh. The holes 118 facilitate construction and checking or inspecting, allow air flow when ventilation is desired in the wall panels, and allow filling of hollow spaces in the wall panels when solid touch or insulation is desired.

FIG. 6e shows a wall holding track 120 having a slanted web 122, a pair of flanges 124, and preferably with integrally formed nuts 126 and holes 128. The wall holding track 120 further includes a horizontal web 130 with air circulating holes 132 that match the hollow channels or openings 22 of the hollow panel 20 in FIG. 1b for air circulation. In the case where hollow panels 20 are used as the outer wall, the air circulating channels 22 can make the building more energy efficient. The wall holding track 120 can be used just under the roof.

FIG. 7 shows examples of wall holding tracks, including an upper wall holding track 140 having built-in holding nuts 142 and access holes 144 for air flow, checking, or filling. FIG. 7b shows an upper wall holding track 150 with holes 152 for air flow, checking, or filling. FIG. 7c shows a lower wall holding track 160 with holes 162 for air flow, checking, or filling.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a double-layer wall holding track 170 which includes two wall holding tracks 172 spaced by an air layer spacer or gap 174. The two wall holding tracks 172 hold a pair of spaced wall panels to form a double wall structure. The wall holding tracks 172 desirably include access holes 176 at the webs or bearing faces for air flow, checking, or filling. In some embodiments, the wall holding tracks 172 include built-in nuts (not shown). A connecting member 178 in the gap 174 connects the two wall holding tracks 172 which include coplanar webs.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a structure including a double-layer wall holding track for a double-layer wall and upper floor panel and bearing header. A double-layer wall holding track 170 serves as a bottom track for the lower edges of the double walls. An upper wall holding track 180 is disposed to receive the upper edge of one of the walls. The upper wall holding track 180 is disposed below and connected to a bearing header 182 for a floor panel. A second double-layer wall holding track 184 serves as bottom tracks for wall panels of an upper floor, and is aligned with the first double-layer wall holding track 184 for the double walls. The second double-layer wall holding track 184 is connected to the bearing header 182. A second upper wall holding track 186 is connected below the second double-layer wall holding track 184 to receive the upper edge of the other wall.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the components of a bearing wall section 190. A pair of columns 192 are connected to a bottom wall holding track 194, and they are mounted on a base 196. A plurality of wall panels 198 are disposed between the pair of columns 192 and are supported on the bottom wall holding track 194. An upper wall holding track 200 is disposed between the columns 192 and connected to the upper edges of the wall panels 198. A bearing header 202 is disposed above the upper wall holding track 200. Optionally, side wall holding tracks 204 are disposed next to the columns 192 and are fixed on columns 192. The side wall holding tracks 204 are disposed vertically to increase the buckling strength of the wall panels 198. Another option is to add a side reinforcement metal stud 42 or 44 (FIG. 1) which is poured with the concrete panel 198. Then each metal stud 42 or 44 on the panel can be fixed with upper and lower wall holding tracks 200 and 204 by self drilling screws to have a much stronger wall.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a building skeleton 210 formed of columns 212 and light-gage metal studs or wall holding tracks 214 that are connected together. The columns and tracks 214 will function as the skeleton and/or tendons. Concrete slabs will function as the muscles and meat of the building. External walls, floors, and roofs will represent the skin of the building. FIGS. 9-10 illustrate how the various wall holding tracks meet all the wall construction needs of a building.

FIG. 12 shows examples of fastening members. The first is (a) a front view of a washer 220, (b) a back view thereof, (c) a side view thereof, and (d) a sectional view thereof. The second is (e) a front view of a rivet-type bolt 230, (f) a left side view thereof, and (g) a right side view thereof. A tiny hole in the head of the bolt provides better rivet. The third is (h) a front view of a screw-type bolt 240, (i) a left side view thereof, and (j) a right side view thereof. The fourth is (k) a front view of a screw-type nut 250, (l) a left side view thereof, (m) a right side view thereof, and (n) a sectional view thereof.

FIGS. 13a and 13b show a structure for supporting floor slabs with U-shaped beams and a 2-U beam member supporting an upper story wall. The structure includes exterior walls 300, bearing headers 302 for two floor slabs 304, and two U-shaped beams 306 connected to respective edges of the two floor slabs 304. The U-shaped beams 306 each include two flanges connected to a web. The webs of the two U-shaped beams 306 are aligned with each other, desirably in contact with each other, and connected together to form a 2-U beam member supporting an upper story wall 308. The 2-U beam member can support the upper story wall 308 with no lower story wall below the 2-U beam member in the longitudinal direction.

One procedure of constructing a wall section is described herein. The standard dimensions of wall panels are summarized in the following table, as provided by the National Standard Construction Drawing 05J910-1 that is approved by the Department of Construction of P.R.C. and published in 2006.

	Dimension (mm)
	Item	Thick	Width	Length
	Solid Panel (SOP)	60	600, 1200	2100-3000
	Sandwich Panel	60	600, 1200	2100-3000
	(SWP)	90	600, 1200	2100-3300
		120	600, 1200	2100-4200
	Hollow Wall Panel	90	600, 1200	2100-3300
	(HWP)	120	600, 1200	2100-4200
	Hollow Floor Panel	120	600, 1200	4200
	(HFP)

According to the procedure, columns are constructed using light-gage cold-formed metal studs in a conventional manner. Using self-drilling screws and/or concrete nails, upper and lower wall holding tracks are connected to the columns and the base. In each wall section, the outer side web of the lower wall holding track is cut off to the length about 1.25 times of the wall panel width at the place the last piece of wall panel will be installed. Optionally, to increase the buckling strength of the wall, side wall holding tracks can be installed vertically on the respective sides of the columns. The upper edges of the wall panels are inserted into the upper wall holding track, and the lower edges of the wall panels are inserted into the lower wall holding track. The last wall panel is cut to fit to finish the installation of the wall panels. Self-drilling screws can be used to fix reinforcing metal studs on the wall panel to the wall holding tracks. The fastening parts of FIG. 12 can be used to close the opening of the wall holding tracks, which is on the right side of FIG. 9. If the vertical or side wall holding tracks are used, fastening parts of FIG. 12 can be used as well to fasten the side wall holding tracks. Gaps between the upper wall holding track and the wall panels can be filled with cement or any other approved construction material to ensure solid touch for bearing walls. This completes a typical bearing wall panel.

To install the fasteners such as those shown in FIG. 12, holes of about 1/16″ to ⅛″ inch or about 2 mm larger than the bolt diameter are drilled on the wall panels. Using the same center, the wall panel surface is drilled to a size just enough to hold the washer. If the holes are prefabricated in the factory, the holes on the wall holding tracks and the holes on the wall panels are aligned during manufacturing. The bolts and washers are put in place and are either riveted or screwed to tighten.

The floor slabs are hollow slabs with reinforcements in the bottom side (tension side) of the slabs. For floor slabs with end(s) connected with walls, it is preferable to cast the bearing header with the slab and hook up reinforcement with fixing pipes of bearing header. If steel reinforcements are used in the floor slabs when connecting them to the bearing header using a bolting pipe, a stronger structure will be obtained. To preserve energy, sandwich panels are preferably used for roof deck construction. Similar to floor panels, the sandwich panels are preferably reinforced to take designed loads. The construction of the roof decks is similar to the construction of floor slabs but with special design as shown in FIG. 6.

The same composition column used in metal stud buildings can be used in the present construction. In addition, steel columns, wooden columns, or concrete columns may be used. As for the beams, most beams in conventional structures are replaced by bearing header for floor slab (FIG. 4a). For beams supporting upper walls, one may use traditional beams or 2-U beams (FIG. 13).

As seen in FIG. 11, the skeleton of the building includes columns (bones) and light gage metal stud or wall holding tracks (tendons). Some general principles should be followed. Major bearing walls should continue from bottom to top. Columns may be designed at each exterior wall corner and three or four wall joints. As the tendons of a building, columns are connected by wall holding tracks.

The following is an assembly building construction procedure. Footing with anchor bolts are poured in place for columns and shearing walls. Columns and wall holding tracks are installed to form the skeleton of the building. The above-described procedure is used to install the wall panels of the first story (for a double wall construction, only the inner wall is installed and the outer wall is installed after electrical and plumbing lines are in place). The gaps between the top of the bearing wall panel and the wall holding tracks are filled. All floor slabs of the second story are installed. All wall holding tracks on the second story are installed, and the bottom wall holding tracks are fastened to bearing headers. The wall panels of the second story are installed. Any additional stories are constructed following the same procedure for the second story. After the top story is formed, the wall holding tracks for the roof and the roof panels are installed. Electric wiring and plumbing piping lines are installed in air gaps or access holes in the wall panels. All support parts for heavy hanging needs are also installed. The outer walls from the bottom story to the top story are installed one by one to complete the construction of the building.

Although preferred embodiments of this invention have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A building construction for a wall structure, comprising:

one or more wall panels; and

at least one wall holding track connected to an edge of one of the wall panels, the at least one wall holding track having two flanges connected to a web to form a generally U-shaped track to receive the edge of the wall panel, the web including a plurality of integrally formed threaded nuts disposed at preset locations along the web and designed to receive threaded fastening members which are used to couple the edge of one of the walls to the wall holding track.

2. The building construction for a wall structure of claim 1 wherein the web includes one or more access holes disposed at preset location along the web in order to allow access to one or more hollow interior portions of the wall panel.

3. The building construction for a wall structure of claim 2 wherein the one or more access holes of the web are open to allow air flow into the one or more hollow interior portions of the wall panel.

4. The building construction for a wall structure of claim 2 wherein a filling material is introduced via the one or more access holes of the web into the one or more hollow interior portions of the wall panel.

5. The building construction for a wall structure of claim 4 wherein the filling material fills the one or more hollow interior portions of the wall panel to provide solid touch between bearing surfaces of a lower edge and an upper edge of the wall panel which is disposed generally vertically.

6. The building construction for a wall structure of claim 1 wherein the web is slanted with respect to two generally parallel flanges.

7. The building construction for a wall structure of claim 1 wherein each wall panel has a lower edge connected to a lower wall holding track and an upper edge connected to an upper wall holding track.

8. The building construction for a wall structure of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a floor, a roof, a bearing header, or a column which is connected to the web of the wall holding track by fastening members threadingly coupled to the integrally formed threaded nuts of the web.

9. The building construction for a wall structure of claim 1 wherein two wall holding tracks are disposed parallel to each other and spaced by a gap to form a double layer wall holding track to hold two wall panels spaced by the gap.

10. A wall holding track, comprising:

two flanges connected to a web to form a generally U-shaped track to receive an edge of a wall panel;

wherein the web includes a plurality of integrally formed threaded nuts disposed at preset locations along the web and designed to receive threaded fastening members in order to couple the edge of the wall panel to the wall holding track; and

wherein the web includes one or more access holes that allow access to the edge of the wall panel received into the generally U-shaped track.

11. The wall holding track of claim 10 wherein the web is slanted with respect to two generally parallel flanges.

12. The wall holding track of claim 10 further comprising two additional flanges connected to another web to form a second generally U-shaped track to receive an edge of another wall panel;

wherein the web of the second generally U-shaped track includes a plurality of integrally formed threaded nuts disposed at preset locations along the web and designed to receive threaded fastening members in order to couple the other wall panel to the second generally U-shaped track;

wherein the web of the second generally U-shaped track includes one or more access holes that allow access to the edge of the other wall panel received into the second generally U-shaped track; and

wherein the first and second generally U-shaped tracks are disposed parallel to each other and coupled together such that the webs of each of the generally U-shaped tracks are coplanar with each other.

13. A wall supporting structure comprising:

a first floor panel and a second floor panel which are generally coplanar and disposed at a distance spaced above a ground;

a first generally U-shaped beam connected to an edge of the first floor panel, the first generally U-shaped beam having a web connected to two flanges; and

a second generally U-shaped beam connected to an edge of the second floor panel, the second generally U-shaped beam having a web connected to two flanges;

wherein the web of the first generally U-shaped beam and the web of the second generally U-shaped beam are aligned with each other and attached together.

14. The wall supporting structure of claim 13 further comprising an upper wall disposed above and aligned with the first and second generally U-shaped beams.

15. The wall supporting structure of claim 14 wherein the first and second generally U-shaped beams are spaced above the ground without a lower wall aligned with the first and second generally U-shaped beams.