Abstract:
Off-site load-bearing construction pod (module) that incorporate the vertical structure to carry similar pods placed on top of it and part of the on-site structure built around and above these pods. Hybrid method of construction where buildings are erected by combining standardized pods which incorporate smaller, most labor-intensive rooms and components of the edifice to conventional methods of construction for larger, less labor-intensive rooms and components. The very same mass-manufactured pod that incorporates kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room and most of the plumbing and the electric system of a dwelling can be used to build the top floor of a skyscraper or a single-family house.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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                 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 
               
             
          
           
               
                 3,952,465 
                 April 1976 
                 Masiello 
                 52/73 
               
               
                 3,990,193 
                 November 1976 
                 Ray et al 
                 52/79 
               
               
                 4,050,215 
                 September 1977 
                 Fisher 
                 52/79.3 
               
               
                 4,083,154 
                 October 1978 
                 Klink 
                 52/79.9 
               
               
                 4,118,905 
                 October 1978 
                 Shelly 
                 52/79.2 
               
               
                 4,136,492 
                 January 1979 
                 Willingham 
                 52/79.7 
               
               
                 4,135,833 
                 February 1979 
                 Townend 
                 52/745 
               
               
                 4,194,339 
                 March 1980 
                 Fisher 
                 52/745 
               
               
                 4,485,608 
                 December 1984 
                 Kaufman 
                 52/745 
               
               
                 4,512,120 
                 April 1985 
                 Lindal 
                 52/79.1 
               
               
                 4,599,829 
                 July 1986 
                 DiMartino, Sr 
                 52/79 
               
               
                 4,891,919 
                 January 1990 
                 Palibroda 
                 52/79.5 
               
               
                 5,447,000 
                 September 1995 
                 Larsen 
                 52/79.1 
               
               
                 5,706,614 
                 January 1998 
                 Wiley 
                 52/79.1 
               
               
                 6,493,996 
                 December 2002 
                 Alexander et al 
                 52/79.9 
               
               
                 6,625,937 B1 
                 September 2003 
                 Parker et al 
                 52/79.7 
               
               
                 6,826,879 B1 
                 December 2004 
                 Allen et al 
                 52/236.3 
               
             
          
           
               
                 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENT 
               
             
          
           
               
                 WO 2009/005449 
                 January 2009 
                 E04B 
                  1/348 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to building construction. The present invention relates to a construction method combining conventional methods of construction and prefabricated, mass-manufactured load-bearing pods (modules). 
         [0004]    2. Prior Art 
         [0005]    Many patents have been granted for prefabricated or industrialized modular buildings. The simplest form of prefabricated building would be a small self-contained building; an example of such building is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,608. A steel shipping container can be transformed into a small building as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,614. Then there are modular buildings where two or more modules are joined together to form a single story building, examples of such buildings are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,083,154, and 4,512,120. There are also larger modular buildings where many modules are attached together both vertically and horizontally; examples of such buildings are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,952,465, 3,990,193, 4,599,829, 6,625,937 B1, and 6,826,879 B1. The above buildings all have in common that the square footage of the building is simply the sum of the square footage of all its components and are therefore very expensive to transport. 
         [0006]    To reduce transportation costs, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,447,000 and 4,891,919 disclose a containerized prefabricated building kits, the shipping container module becomes part of the building, the rest of the building being made of panels that fit inside the container for transportation purposes. These two patents relate to small buildings (single or double family buildings) where the square footage of a building is slightly larger than the combine size of the container that has to be transported. 
         [0007]    There are many industrialized modular construction systems to build the shell of the building using very elaborate mechanism to fasten the precast modules together, and a lot of specialized work is needed to build everything inside the empty shell, like bathrooms, kitchens, outdoor walls and windows, plumbing, heating system, electricity and so on. Examples of such buildings are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,050,215, 4,118,905, 4,136,492, 4,135,833, 4,194,339 and 6,493,996. 
         [0008]    Finally, WO 2009/005449 discloses a building system where bathroom modules are integrated into a shaft on top of one another, the rest of the building being erected using factory pre-fitted panels and pillars. 
         [0009]    All of the above methods use a specific technique and specific modules, panels or other components to erect the whole building. There is a need for a method construction that combines the advantages of modular off-site construction to the advantages of on-site construction. There is a need for a method of construction that integrates the same standardized mass-manufactured key components into custom made buildings of all shapes and heights. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention substantially reduces the cost of construction, drastically improves quality and considerably reduces construction time by having the most repetitive and labor intensive parts of the building being incorporated into factory-made standardized pods (modules); thus having specialized construction site work replaced by more productive factory work while making construction simpler for both the conception and erection of the building. 
         [0011]    The pods of the present invention are fully finished inside and easy to inspect and connect from the outside. Pods can include the bathrooms, the kitchens, the utility rooms, most of the plumbing system, the electric panels and most of the wiring and electrical receptacle outlets. Many of the smaller rooms can be integrated into a pod while larger rooms are being located outside pods. Transportation costs are reasonable because the pods can easily be the standard size of a trailer or semi-trailer as in the preferred embodiment or the size of a shipping container. Pods can be manufactured in a controlled environment where labor is largely available and inexpensive and the building can be erected where labor is expensive and scarce and where weather conditions can be harsh. 
         [0012]    In the preferred embodiment, the structure of the pod is made of steel; it can also be made of wood, concrete or other material. The rest of the building being constructed using almost any other construction method or materials, in the preferred embodiment, the rest of the building is built using steel. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the main structure of the pod. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a partial enlarged perspective view showing different sizes of columns that can be connected together. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 1  where the structure of the floor has been added. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 3  where the walls and the ceiling have been added. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a stack of four pods. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a floor plan view of the preferred embodiment. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of a chassis semi-trailer used to transport pods. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a floor plan view of single family house built using one pod. 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a partial plan view of a floor of a multi-family residential building using multiple pods. 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a floor plan view of four pods and the structure of the floor attached to these four pods. 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of eight pods and the structure of the floor attached to the main structure of the four upper pods, the pods are shown unfinished for clarity. 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  is a front elevational view of a building being erected using pods of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 13  is an enlarged partial side view of two pods attached together with a structural holt and a nut. 
           [0026]      FIG. 14  is an enlarged partial side view of a pod secured to a chassis semi-trailer by a structural bolt and a nut. 
           [0027]      FIG. 15  is an enlarged partial side view a pod attached to the lilting device using a structural bolt and a nut. 
           [0028]      FIG. 16  is a top plan view of the lifting device. 
           [0029]      FIG. 17  is an enlarged plan view of one of the steel plate that carries the load of the lifting device. 
           [0030]      FIG. 18  is a side plan view of the lifting device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]    The present invention permits the construction of custom made buildings of all sizes, made using diversified materials and styles while using off-site standardized construction pods that integrate the most labour-intensive components of the edifice and a significant part of the structure of that edifice. One pod can be used to build a small building like a single-family house (see  FIG. 8 ), or many similar pods can be stacked on top of one another to erect a multi-story building. 
         [0032]    Pods can be connected on top of one another; the pod located on top of another pod can have a similar structure or a lighter structure since it has to carry a lighter load.  FIGS. 1 and 2  show the main structure of the pods which is made of hot rolled steel. The pod has four columns (elements  1  to  1   c ), one in each corners, the size of the columns varies depending on how many floors it has to carry. In the preferred embodiment the column are made of steel tubing that can go for example from a small 150 millimeters by 75 millimeters by 6 millimeters thick (6 inches by 3 inches by ¼ inch thick) (element  1 ) for pods that can carry the weight of up to live floors to a 200 millimeters by 200 millimeters by 16 millimeters thick (8 inches by 8 inches by ⅝ inch) (element  1   c ) for pods located at the lower floors of a forty-story building. 
         [0033]    Each column has two connection plates (element  2  to  2   g  in  FIG. 2 ), one at each end, each of these connection plates has at least one connection hole including one main connection hole (elements  6  to  6   g ), the main connection holes of different pods are all located at the same location even if pods located at the lower levels of a building with a larger structure have more connection holes to insert more structural bolts. Pods with the same size of columns can be connected together and as presented on  FIGS. 5 ,  11 ,  12  and  13  because all of the connection hole of their lop connection plates and their bottom connection plates are located at the same place; different sizes of columns can also be connected together because even if the larger column has more connection holes in its connection plates, it has connection holes at the same location than the smaller column in order to connect these pods together using structural bolts or other connection device, for example the top column (elements  1 ) in  FIG. 2  can be connected to larger columns (elements  1   a ,  1   b  or  1   c ), even though it has only one connection hole per connection plate, its lower connection hole (element  6   a ) matches the main connection hole of the top connection plate of all of the columns below (elements  6   h ,  6   d  and  6   f ). A connection plate is always fully supported by the identical or the larger connection plate of the pod beneath. 
         [0034]    As presented in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5  and  11 , every two columns are attached together by a cross member (element  3 ) made of steel tubing in the preferred embodiment, these components as well as the connection plates are welded together. The rest of the structure of the building is made of cold-formed steel, in  FIG. 3 , cold-formed steel floor joists (elements  4 ) are attached to the cross members (element  3 ) using common end tracks, L-shaped brackets and self-drilling screws (not show), bolts or other connection device can also be used. As presented in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  6  and  12 , the rest of the building is built using steel studs, for both the walls (elements  5 ) and the ceiling (element  5   a ), these studs are also connected together using common end tracks, L-shaped brackets and self-drilling screws (not show) or other connection device. 
         [0035]    Pods can be used to make the restrooms (toilets) and mechanical rooms of an office tower, an industrial building, a restaurant, a mall or a government building, pods can also be used for the bathrooms of a hotel, a hospital or a student or retirement residence. In the preferred embodiment as presented in  FIG. 6 , pods are used for residential purposes and include one kitchen (elements  7 - 7   d ), one laundry room (element  8 - 8   d ), and two bathrooms (elements  9 - 9   i ), the very same pod can be used to built a single family house ( FIG. 8 ) or can be combine to similar pods to make a multi-family building including a 40-story high-rise. A partial plan view of a floor of a multi-family residential building using multiple pods is presented in  FIG. 9 . In a different embodiment not shown here, a large house can be built using 2 or more pods. 
         [0036]    The structure of the floors built between pods can be attached to the main structure of the pods as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . In the preferred embodiment the structure built outside the pods is made of cold-formed steel joists and tracks. Primary cold-formed steel tracks (elements  11 ) are attached to the outside of the cross members of two pods (elements  3  in drawings  1 ,  3 ,  4  and  5 ) using self-drilling screws, bolts, rivets or other fastener; primary cold-formed steel tracks (elements  11 ) are backed by secondary cold-formed steel tracks (elements  11   a ) where primary cold-formed steel tracks (elements  11 ) are not hacked by the main structure of the pod, secondary cold-formed steel tracks (elements  11   a ) are attached to primary steel track using self-drilling screws and are attached to the pods&#39; columns (elements  1  to  1   c ) at each end using L-shaped brackets and self-drilling screws, bolts, rivets or other fasteners. Floor joists (elements  12  and  12   a ) are attached to these tracks using L-shaped brackets and self-drilling screws. 
         [0037]    The pods of the present invention have a very strong structure that improve the structural integrity of a building, however, until these pods are placed on well leveled foundations or on top of similar pods, they are vulnerable to deformation that can cause cracks in tiles, stone counter tops, plaster panels (drywall), cement boards and joints. It is important that the four columns of the pod being aligned at all time to avoid these problems and that is why this method of construction could only be possible with custom-made trailers or semi-trailers and the lifting device that is part of the present invention. 
         [0038]    A pod can be built directly on a chassis semi-trailer (element  10  in  FIGS. 7 and 12 ) or trailer (element  10   a  in  FIG. 12 ); it can be built on a production line and be moved to the different stages of the production process on that very same chassis trailer or semi-trailer that will transport that pod to the construction site. Pods are secured to chassis trailers or semi-trailer at each corner with a structural bolt (element  15  in  FIG. 14 ) and a nut (element  16  in  FIG. 15 ) or other connection device, custom-made chassis trailer or semi-trailers have four main connection holes (elements  611  in  FIG. 7 ) which fit with the four main connection holes of the lower connection plates of the pod (elements  6   a ,  6   c ,  6   e , or  6   g ). In the preferred embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 12  one chassis trailer (element  10   a ) and one chassis semi-trailer (element  10 ) can be pulled by a truck to deliver two pods at a time. 
         [0039]    The moment where the pod is the most vulnerable for deformation is during lifting, because there is nothing to support the pod underneath. Pods are lifted from the chassis trailer to their permanent location on the construction site using a crane (element  13  in  FIG. 12 ) and the lifting device (element  14  in  FIGS. 12 ,  15 ,  16  and  17 ) that is not only part of the present invention but one of its most important parts. The lifting device of the present invention permits the lifting of the pod from the top of its (bur columns in a leveled position. 
         [0040]    The lifting device is placed on top of the pod, the connection holes of the lifting device (elements  6   i  on  FIGS. 16 and 17 ) being aligned with the main connection holes of the top connection plates of the pod (elements  6 ,  6   h ,  6   d  or  6   f ) and one structural bolt (element  15  in  FIG. 15 ) and nut (element  16  in  FIG. 15 ) or other connection device is being used to secure each corner. In the preferred embodiment the bolts used to connect the pods together or to the lifting device or to the trailer or semi-trailer are 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) high-strength structural bolts. 
         [0041]    The main structure of the lifting device is made of two steel I-beams (elements  17  in  FIGS. 16 ,  17  and  18 ) and two end members (elements  18  in  FIGS. 16 and 17 ) made of steel tubes as well as lateral support made of smaller steel tubes (elements  20 ,  21  and  21   a ) all welded together, the connection holes (elements  6   i ) are drilled directly into the end members. There are many hooking steel plates (elements  19  in  FIG. 16-18 ) at and around the middle of the lifting device, welded between the two long I-beams. The many hooking plates, seven in the preferred embodiment, have many hooking holes (elements  22  in  FIG. 18 ), seven in the preferred embodiment, so in the preferred embodiment, there are 49 hooking hole to choose from to make sure the pod is lifted leveled with a single hook (element  23 ) from its center of gravity that can vary depending on the configuration of the pod and the options it carries. 
         [0042]    Finally, the hybrid method of construction of the present invention makes the conception of the building easier which brings additional savings. The architect and the draftsperson do not have to draw the repetitive details of the elements included in the pods, they just have to ad each pod as a block in the drawings and still they can create buildings of all sizes and shapes and spend more time being creative.