Accommodation units

An accommodation unit to form, with a plurality of such units, a building, comprises a housing having corner posts, sidewalls, floor and ceiling panels, a window unit at one end and an end wall with a doorway at the other end. The housings are intended to be located side-by-side and stacked one on top of the other secured together at the corner posts. Concrete is cast between the adjacent side walls of the housings and the outer faces of the side walls are formed with T-section ribs which key with the concrete to provide a composite rigid wall.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to accommodation units for forming, with a 
multiplicity of such units, a building. 
A building has been constructed from a plurality of box shaped metal 
housings secured together side-by-side and one on top of the other at 
their corners with in-fill concrete between adjacent sidewalls. The 
building was reliant on the structural strength of the housings and the 
concrete infill was intended principally to provide a fire barrier and 
sound deadening between adjacent units. 
An object of the invention is to devise an accommodation unit which can be 
erected with other such units to form a building in which the initial 
concrete can contribute to the structural strength of the building as a 
whole. 
The invention provides an accommodation unit for forming, with a 
multiplicity of such units, a building comprising a box shaped metal 
housing having four upright corner posts for attachment to corner posts of 
adjacent units and at least one side wall extending between one pair of 
corner posts and having ribs extending over the outer surface of the side 
wall, which ribs are formed with heads spaced from the wall to be 
enveloped and thereby form an integral rigid structure with an in-fill of 
a cast aggregate material between that side wall and an adjacent side wall 
of a further unit. 
The unit may have such side walls on both sides thereof or may have a side 
wall on one side only thereof. 
Preferably the panels of the side wall extend vertically and the T-section 
ribs of the panel extend vertically. 
A ceiling may be mounted on the upper sides of the channel section on 
either side of the housing. 
For example the ceiling may comprise a plurality of panels having T-section 
ribs on the upper side thereof to be enveloped in a cast aggregate 
cladding provided on the upper surface of the ceiling for providing a fire 
proof membrane. 
Preferably the panels of the ceiling extend transversely across the 
housing. 
The posts at one end of the unit may be connected at the upper and lower 
ends thereof by cross members and a window frame may be mounted in the end 
of the unit with bracing also provided to render the end rigid. 
The corner posts at the other end of the housing may be connected by upper 
and lower cross-members and a bulk-head may extend part way across the end 
of the housing with a doorway to provide access to and from the unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring firstly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown an 
accommodation unit which, with a multiplicity of such units, forms a 
building. The accommodation units can be located side-by-side to form a 
row of the required length and stacked vertically one on the other to 
provide the required number of storeys. 
The accommodation unit as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings comprises a 
box shaped housing formed in metal having four upright hollow generally 
square section corner posts 10 between which side walls indicated 
generally at 11 extend. Each side wall has a lower Z-section member 12 
secured at its ends to the corner posts 10 and having an upper outwardly 
extending flange 12a and a lower inwardly extending flange 12b. The upper 
end of the side wall has a channel section member 13 extending between and 
secured to the corner posts. The side wall is completed by a number of 
vertically extending metal panels 15 extending between the members 12 and 
13, each panel having L-section flanges 16 extending along the side edges 
thereof. The flanges of adjacent panels abut one another and are secured 
together by spot welding or rivetting and form vertically extending 
T-section ribs 17 on the outer sides of the side walls 11. 
As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings and described in greater 
detail later, a cast concrete in-fill 18 is provided between adjacent side 
walls of two side-by-side accommodation units and the T-section ribs 17 
formed by the flanges key into the concrete 18 to form a rigid composite 
structure between the side walls and concrete and to provide fire proofing 
and sound insulation between adjacent modules. 
As can be seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the lower inwardly extending 
flanges 12b of the Z-shaped members 12 support a galvanized steel 
corrugated floor 19 which may be provided with a chipboard surface 19a 
secured by adhesive and screws to the peaks of the corrugations. 
The upper members 13 of the side walls carry a ceiling panel or panels 20 
which lie on the top of the members 13 and are secured thereto by 
rivetting or spot welding. The ceiling 20 is formed from a plurality of 
panels 21 similar to the panels 15 forming the side walls and the ribs 22 
formed between adjacent panels 21 are located on the upper side of the 
ceiling. An overlay of lightweight concrete 23 is cast over the surface of 
the ceiling panels 21 to provide fire protection between vertically 
adjacent modules and also to dampen noise transmitted from one module to 
the vertically adjacent module. 
Referring again to FIG. 1 of the drawings, at one end of the housing the 
corner posts 10 are connected by an upper cross member 24 and a lower 
cross member 25 secured to lugs on the posts by bolts (not shown). A 
vertical member 26 connects the upper and lower members part way between 
the posts 10. To one side of the member 26 there is diagonal cross bracing 
27 to render the end of the housing rigid. The space between the upright 
26 and posts 10 occupied by the diagonal bracing 27 is covered over by 
non-structural trim panels. On the other side of the member 26, there is a 
cross member 28 rigidly connecting the member 26 to the post 10 and 
defining, above the member 28 an aperture 29 for a window unit. The space 
below the member 28 is filled in with non-structural trim panels. 
The other end of the housing has, at the upper ends of the posts 10 a heavy 
section cross member 30 joining the upper ends of the posts and a rather 
lighter section 31 joining the lower ends of the posts. Vertical panelling 
32 similar to the panels 15 extend between the upper and lower cross 
members part way across the end of the housing leaving a doorway 33 for 
access to and from the accommodation unit. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A, the head of each post 10 has a head plate 34 
mounted thereon formed with an upwardly projecting screw threaded stud 35 
which lies on a centre line extending through the post 10. The plate 34 
has a lateral extension 36 extending to one side of the post 10 across the 
housing and provided with two spaced bolt holes 37. 
The lower end of each post 10 has a similar foot plate 38 except that the 
screw threaded stud 35 is omitted and, in its place, there is an opening 
38a to receive a stud 35 at the head of the post below. 
The screw threaded studs at the upper ends of the posts provide convenient 
attachments for lifting eyes 39 to be screwed on to the upper ends of the 
posts (see FIG. 5) for lifting an accommodation unit by crane during 
erection of a set of units. When the unit has been lifted and located in 
place, the lifting eyes are removed. The accommodation units are arranged 
side-by-side with one another and a tie plate 40 is located on the head 
plates of the corner posts 10 of adjacent modules. Each tie plate 40 has a 
pair of spaced holes to receive the upwardly projecting studs 35 for the 
two corner posts and has a further pair of holes adjacent each end of the 
tie plate to receive bolts passed through holes 37 in the lateral 
extensions 36 of the two head plates. When the next row of accommodation 
units is superimposed on the first row to be assembled, the foot plates of 
the accommodation units seat on the tie plates, with the studs 35 engaging 
in the apertures 38a in the foot plates 38 and then the foot plates of the 
upper posts are bolted through the tie plate to the head plates of the 
lower post by bolts 41 as can be seen in FIG. 5. The structure is then 
rendered rigid and is then ready for the insertion of the in-fill concrete 
18 to be cast between adjacent side walls of the accommodation units. 
A structural reinforced cross wall is formed by the cast in fill of 
concrete 18 between adjacent side walls 11 and the T-section ribs 17 on 
the side walls embedded in the concrete. The strength of the sidewall can 
be varied in accordance with the height of the structure to be erected by 
varying the quality of the concrete and, further, additional reinforcement 
for the concrete can be provided where necessary. Such additional 
reinforcement can be attached to T-section ribs of the side walls or to 
the upper and/or lower members of the side-walls. 
To limit the flow of the concrete into the voids between the ceilings 20 of 
the accommodation units and the floors 19 of the accommodation units 
above, foam or resilient compression strips 42 are accurately located 
along the sides of the lightweight concrete overlay 23 to engage the 
underside of the floor of the unit above as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
The accommodation units can be fully fitted out internally and externally 
with all the necessary services required for their intended purpose at the 
factory, leaving only the final connecting up of the services to common 
supply and disposal services as required on site. For example the 
accommodation units can be fully fitted out to include a bedroom and a 
bathroom with electrical supply and plumbing as required. Alternatively 
the accommodation units could be fitted out to provide Offices, Private 
Dwellings, Hospitals or Dormitories. Where a larger area than that 
provided by one accommodation unit is required, the panels 15 of side 
walls between two adjacent accommodation units or between a number of 
adjacent units, can be omitted. 
Corridors and staircases or lifts between the floors of the building are 
provided as required or can be accommodated in similar units. 
Reference is now made to FIGS. 6 to 8 which show details of a modified form 
of construction of the housing. Firstly the Z-section members 12 along the 
lower edges of the housing walls are replaced by simple angle sections 50 
the upright limbs of which are secured to the side walls 11 of the 
housing. The lower limbs of the angle sections 50 extend inwardly across 
the housing and support the corrugated floor 19 of the housing. Likewise 
the upper channel section members 13 extending along the tops of the side 
walls 11 are replaced by angle section members 51 each having a vertical 
limb secured to a side wall 11 of the housing and a horizontal outwardly 
extending limb on which the ceiling panels 20 of the housing rest. A 
further difference is that the hollow generally square-section corner 
posts 10 of the housing are replaced by simple outwardly facing channel 
sections 52 secured to the upright ends of the side walls 11. Brackets 53 
are bolted within the channels at the upper and lower ends thereof by 
bolts 54. The brackets of vertically adjacent channels are secured 
together by bolts 55 with a tie plate 40 extending from the joint between 
one pair of channels to the joint between the laterally adjacent pair of 
channels to tie the two housings rigidly together. The remaining details 
and manner of erection of the housing are similar to those of the first 
embodiment described above. 
To facilitate the transport of an accommodation unit, a kit of parts of the 
unit may be assembled as a crate as shown in FIG. 9 comprising the two 
side walls 11 spaced one above the other with a space 60 between the walls 
for all the remaining components of the unit including the floor and 
ceiling panels, cross-members, other panels of the ends of the housing and 
all the necessary internal fittings required. The perimeters of the two 
side walls are connected by bolted on plywood panels 61. At suitable 
slinging and supporting points, struts 62 in either timber or steel are 
secured to the side walls to enable the crate to be lifted by normal 
methods such as slinging or hooks. The struts having bearing points at the 
top and bottom thereof to enable stacks of crates to be erected and bolted 
or lashed together in convenient heights and weights for transporting and 
shipping. The arrangement of the kit of parts thus provides a convenient 
way of transporting an accommodation unit occupying the minimum space with 
the side walls of the unit protecting all the remaining components of the 
unit and the unit can then be readily assembled on or near the site of the 
required building. 
A further arrangement is illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 to which reference 
will now be made. The accommodation unit comprises a main section 70 and a 
short end section 71. The end section 71 is factory built and includes all 
the necessary services for the unit. End section 71 has at both ends 
thereof a bulk-head, one of which can be seen at 72 and each provided with 
doorways as at 73. The main section 71 of the unit is supplied in 
component form for erection on site. The end section 71 can be delivered 
with items such as furnishings and loose furniture for the unit stored in 
the section. Heavier structural parts of the unit such as the window, 
sides, ceiling, decking and flooring panels can also be transported housed 
in the end section or can be separately delivered. The components used for 
the side walls, ends, floors and ceiling are as described with reference 
to the two previous embodiments and the parts of the main section can 
easily be part-bolted, part spot-welded together on site to form a 
complete unit as described earlier ready for erecting. The building up of 
the services for the unit in a separate section in a factory enables the 
more difficult assembly work of the unit to be carried out under factory 
conditions providing better quality control over the construction of the 
unit.