Interstitial space frame system

Claim 2

A building of modular construction comprising, a foundation underlying said building, a plurality of layers of prefabricated building modules in said building, supported on said foundation, each of said layers forming one story of said building and each of said modules defining an occupiable space therein, said modules each including a pair of spaced opposing vertical side walls and a ceiling; said vertical side walls being formed of corrugated metal panels having vertically extending corrugations and a finished wall surface on the sides thereof facing the interior of said module, said ceiling being formed of corrugated metal extending between said vertical walls and having a finished ceiling surface on the side thereof facing the interior of said module, said modules being arranged in spaced relation to each other in said layers to provide interstices between adjacent module side walls, with the corrugations on said adjacent side walls being spaced from each other, concrete columns formed in predetermined locations, with the side walls forming permanent forms for said concrete when it is in a flowable condition and defining guide means for form members spanning the passage between adjacent side walls to complete a form for said vertical columns when said concrete is in a flowable condition; and at least one horizontal concrete structural member formed between at least some of the vertically adjacent modules in said building and extending between said vertical columns, to transfer vertical loads to and provide lateral stability for said columns.

Claim 3

The building as defined in claim 2 wherein said horizontal structural member comprises a concrete slab covering the corrugated ceiling portion of each of the modules in said layers, said ceiling portions providing a permanent form for said concrete slab to support the concrete when it is in a flowable condition, and horizontal form means extending between and supported by said spaced corrugated side walls to support concrete spanning said through passages when the concrete is in a flowable condition.

Claim 4

The building as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said modules includes a floor formed integrally therewith.

Claim 5

The building as defined in claim 3 wherein the floor of each of said modules is formed from a plurality of spaced wooden joists extending the length of said module and a finished floor surface spanning said joists on the side thereof facing the interior of said module.

Claim 6

The building as defined in claim 4 including a plurality of strips of resilient material spanning said joists on the side thereof opposite said finished flooring surface, between said joists and the concrete slab on the ceilings of the module layer therebelow.

Claim 7

The building as defined in claim 5 including reinforcing bars for said concrete columns secured to said side walls at said predetermined locations.

Claim 8

The building as defined in claim 6 including horizontally extending support members for said horizontal form means secured to said side walls.

Claim 9

The building as defined in claim 2 wherein said slab forms the floor in each of the modules in the layer immediately above it.

Claim 10

The building as defined in claim 4 wherein selected modules in each of said layers have openings formed therein defining windows and doorways providing access between adjacent modules.

Claim 11

The building as defined in claim 8 wherein each of said modules contains substantially all of the electrical wiring and plumbing required, for the type of occupiable space it is to provide, prior to installation in said building.

Claim 12

The building as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said modules includes a floor formed integrally therewith.

Claim 13

The building as defined in claim 11 including a plurality of horizontal structural members formed between the floors and ceilings of the vertically adjacent modules, at said interstices, said horizontal structural members comprising concrete beams extending horizontally between selected modules and said vertical columns and vertically, over a portion of their height, between the side walls of the selected modules between which they are formed, with the side walls of the spaced modules on the lower portion of said beams forming a permanent lateral form for said concrete beam when the concrete is in a flowable condition; and horizontal form means extending between the spaced corrugated side walls of said modules on the lower side of said beam to support the concrete when it is in said flowable condition.

Claim 14

The building as defined in claim 12 including form means mounted on the adjacent top edges of said selected modules for retaining the top portion of the concrete forming the top portion of said beams when said concrete is in a flowable condition.

Claim 15

The building as defined in claim 13 including outwardly opening angle members secured to the lower corners of said modules, said angle members being seated on the beam formed in said form means to support their associated modules on said beam.

Claim 16

The building as defined in claim 13 wherein the floor of each of said modules is formed from a corrugated metal panel having a finished floor surface on the side thereof facing the interior of said module.

Claim 17

The building as defined in claim 15 wherein the corrugations on the metal panel forming said floor are approximately twice as deep as the corrugations of said side wall and ceiling panels.

Claim 18

The building as defined in claim 16 wherein selected modules in each of said layers have openings formed therein defining windows and doorways providing access between adjacent modules.

Claim 19

The building as defined in claim 17 wherein each of said modules contains all of the electrical wiring and plumbing required for the type of occupiable space it is to provide, prior to installation in said building.

Claim 20

The building construction method comprising the steps of initially assembling a plurality of building modules by interconnecting corrugated metal panels to form a ceiling and side walls having vertically extending corrugations, forming a floor between said side walls opposite said ceiling, and defining an occupiable space therebetween, forming a finished ceiling, wall and floor surface on the interior surfaces of said ceiling and wall panels and said floor, forming a building foundation, placing a predetermined number of said modules in one layer on said foundation in spaced relation to define a first story in said building with open through passages between adjacent module side walls, placing vertically extending form panels in predetermined locations between said adjacent module side walls to span the passage therebetween, said panels cooperating with said side walls at predetermined locations to define a form for a concrete column, placing horizontal form panels at predetermined locations between the side walls of adjacent modules adjacent the ceiling panels thereof, forming columns in said building by pouring concrete in a flowable condition in said column forms defined by said vertical form panels and said side walls at said predetermined locations, forming at least one horizontal structural member between said columns by pouring concrete in a flowable condiTion on said horizontal form panels, allowing said concrete to harden, placing a predetermined number of modules on the thus formed horizontal structural member to form another story in said building and repeating said steps of placing said vertically extending forms, placing said horizontal forms, pouring said concrete, allowing said concrete to harden and placing a predetermined number of modules on the thus formed horizontal member to form subsequent stories of said building.

Claim 21

The building construction method comprising the steps of initially assembling a plurality of building modules by interconnecting corrugated metal panels to form a ceiling and side walls having vertically extending corrugations, forming a floor between said side walls opposite said ceiling, and defining an occupiable space therebetween, forming a finished ceiling, wall and floor surface on the interior surfaces of said ceiling and wall panels and said floor, forming a building foundation, placing a predetermined number of said modules in one layer on said foundation in spaced relation to define a first story in said building with open through passages between adjacent module side walls, placing vertically extending form panels in predetermined locations between said adjacent module side walls to span the passage therebetween, said panels cooperating with said side walls at predetermined locations to define a form for a concrete column, placing horizontal form panels at predetermined locations between the side walls of adjacent modules adjacent the ceiling panels thereof, forming columns in said building by pouring concrete in a flowable condition in said column forms defined by said vertical form panels and said side walls at said predetermined locations, forming at least one horizontal structural member between said columns by pouring concrete in a flowable condiTion on said horizontal form panels, allowing said concrete to harden, placing a predetermined number of modules on the thus formed horizontal structural member to form another story in said building and repeating said steps of placing said vertically extending forms, placing said horizontal forms, pouring said concrete, allowing said concrete to harden and placing a predetermined number of modules on the thus formed horizontal member to form subsequent stories of said building.

Claim 22

The method as defined in claim 19, said step of pouring concrete on said horizontal form panels includes the step of pouring concrete in a flowable condition on the exterior side of the ceiling panels of said modules to form said horizontal structural member as a slab extending between said vertical columns.

Claim 23

The method as defined in claim 20 including the step of forming said floor of each of said modules from a plurality of joists extending the length of said modules, with said finished floor surface spanning said joists.

Claim 24

The method as defined in claim 21 including the step of attaching a plurality of strips of resilient material across said joists on the side thereof opposite said finished flooring surface.

Claim 25

The method as defined in claim 19 including the step of securing reinforcing bars for said concrete columns to said side walls at said predetermined locations.

Claim 26

The method as defined in claim 19 including the step of securing support members for said horizontal form panels to said side walls.

Claim 27

The method as defined in claim 24 including the step of initially forming openings in said side walls, prior to placement of said modules in said building, installing windows in selected openings, with the remainder of said openings providing access between modules in the completed building.

Claim 28

The method as defined in claim 25 including the step of initially installing in said modules all of the electrical and plumbing facilities required for the type of occupiable space each module is to provide, prior to installation in said building.

Claim 29

The method as defined in claim 19 including the step of placing vertically extending form members along the top edges of selected modules in a layer thereof adjacent said horizontal form panels and filling the cavities formed thereby between said selected modules with flowable concrete to form a plurality of said horizontal structural members as beams between said columns.

Claim 30

The method as defined in claim 19 including outwardly opening angle members secured to the lower corners of said modules, said angle members being seated on the beam formed in said form means to support their associated modules on said beam.

Claim 31

The method as defined in claim 28 wherein said step of forming a floor between said side walls comprises the step of securing a corrugated metal panel to said side walls.

Claim 32

The method as defined in claim 29 including the step of initially forming openings in said side walls, prior to placement of said modules in said building, installing windows in selected openings, with the remainder of said openings providing access between modules in the completed building.

Claim 33

The method as defined in claim 30 including the step of initially installing in said modules all of the electrical and plumbing facilities required for the type of occupiable space each module is to provide, prior to installation in said building.