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RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent (unknown) which issued (unknown) which corresponds to U.S. application Ser. No. 09/616,486 filed Jul. 14, 2000 and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/215,515 entitled Modular School filed Jun. 30, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to the field of building construction and, in particular, to a modular system for assembling school buildings.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    School construction has typically proceeded in a manner very similar to that of traditional residential home construction. An architect first drafts a set of plans for the building. The plans are then checked and approved by the client and the responsible regulatory agency. The design, drafting, and approval process typically takes a year or so, particularly as changes are often required by the client or the approval entity. Once the plans are approved, the actual construction of the building takes place, commencing typically with preparing the building site by clearing and leveling the land. The foundation is then prepared, the frame of the building is erected, covering material is applied to the interior and exterior of the building, and the interior flooring and windows and door are installed. Plumbing and electrical wiring are also installed along with increasingly common telephone and high-speed communication lines.  
           [0006]    While ground up construction offers the advantage that a school can be thereby designed and built specifically for the requirements of a particular building location and client, this specificity incurs significant costs in architect&#39;s and approval fees and time. The typical duration for building a traditional permanent school is four years from inception to completion. With the rapidly changing populations, particularly of school age children, that many portions of the country are experiencing, a four year lag time from request to build a new school building until it is ready for use imposes a significant burden to the schools and the children using them.  
           [0007]    As an alternative to site assembled permanent structures, partially premanufactured school buildings are sometimes used. The portable buildings may be single structures, similar to mobile homes, or more typically, consist of two structures, each enclosed on three sides with one open wall that are joined together at the open walls to form single structures. The partially preassembled buildings, typically referred to as “portables”, are placed on a foundation pad. Plumbing, electrical wiring, telephone lines, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are installed. Portables are available in standard sizes and typically come with insulation, exterior wall finishing, and roofs already included.  
           [0008]    In order to be portable, the structure and materials of the portable buildings are typically lightweight and the size of the structure is such as to fit under overpasses and bridges over roads. While convenient, the lightweight construction and size of portables presents several drawbacks to their use as school buildings. They generally employ a limited amount of insulation in the walls and roof and are often placed directly on a wood foundation. Thus, the insulative capabilities of a portable are generally lower and the associated heating and cooling costs are generally higher than for a better-insulated permanent building of comparable size. In addition, the light structure and the typical manner of joining the two separate sections of typical portables makes the portable buildings not as structurally durable over time. They tend to develop creaky floors and windows and doorframes that distort and make the opening and closing of the windows and doors problematic. The joint between the two sections of the portable is a potential source of drafts, dirt, and pests and also structural flexing.  
           [0009]    The requirement for a portable to fit under overpasses and bridges means that, in practice, the overall height of a typical portable is limited to approximately 12 feet. The ceilings and corresponding roofs are also typically flat in order to simplify construction. The footprint of a portable building is typically constrained by the standard sizes of portables available. With a limited footprint and a ceiling that is typically no more than 9 feet high, the interior volume of a portable building is limited. This can become a concern, because a school classroom building often contains 30 or more children and adults all of who require clean air to breathe and who generate carbon dioxide as they exhale. Excessive concentration or accumulation of carbon dioxide, dust, pollen, particulates, or noxious vapors are a known health hazard, particularly around children. The limited volume of air per person of a portable building places significant demands on the building&#39;s HVAC system to provide fresh air to the inhabitants.  
           [0010]    Another disadvantage of typical portables is the flat roof profile itself. The lack of a pitch to the roof profile allows a significant amount of snow, rainwater, dirt, and debris to accumulate on the rooftop. This imposes a significant weight load on the roof. In areas with significant snowfall, the use of buildings with flat roofs is often precluded. In addition, accumulated water and debris can attack the roofing materials leading to leaks in the roof appearing prematurely.  
           [0011]    Also, since the roof is generally multi-layered, a leak in the outer layer will allow water to ingress, however the water may migrate laterally within the layers of a flat roof so that a water leak into the interior of the building is not necessarily immediately below the external break in the roofing material. This makes locating a leak source and repairing it more difficult.  
           [0012]    The flat roof of a typical portable is typically separated from the interior ceiling by rafter structures and insulation material with a thickness on the order of 1 foot. The outer roof of the portable is exposed to thermal heating from the sun and cooling from exposure to the ambient air. It can be appreciated that the thermal insulation factor of a portable with a flat roof surface in relative proximity to the interior ceiling is inferior in comparison to that of a permanent structure with a pitched roof profile and an enclosed dead air space between the roof surface and the interior ceiling surface, assuming comparable insulation materials in the two structures. In practice, a permanent structure with an upper roof displaced from the ceiling provides additional space for dedicated insulation material in comparison to a portable with the upper roof and the ceiling positioned adjacent each other.  
           [0013]    Many portable building designs lack provision for securely fastening the building to the foundation. A secure attachment is required to inhibit uplift of the building from the foundation in case of a seismic event or high wind conditions. The anchoring methods utilized by many portable designs incorporates metal strapping or anchors shot into the foundation that are typically not strong enough to inhibit building uplift in an extreme stress event.  
           [0014]    It can be appreciated that there is an ongoing need for a system to provide permanent, structurally sound school buildings in a reduced time frame. The system should provide a pitched roofline to facilitate shedding rain, snow, and debris and increased interior volume for a given floor area. However, the system should also be configured to be able to be transported over the road from the manufacturing facility to the building site in a substantially preassembled condition to reduce the time of construction. The system should provide a manner of securely fastening the structure to the foundation to provide increased strength in earthquake and extreme weather.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0015]    The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the modular school building system of the present invention. In one aspect, the modular school building system is a preassembled steel rigid building frame comprising a roof portion extensible between a first, flat configuration and a second, pitched configuration. The roof portion comprises a pivotable roof section and a slidable roof section wherein the pivotable roof portion and the slidable roof portion are pivotably attached. In one embodiment, pivotably attached comprises joining the pivotable roof section and the slidable roof section with a plurality of hinges. The modular school building system also comprises a lift adapted to move the frame from the flat configuration to the pitched configuration. The frame in the flat configuration is sized so as to fit under standard highway overpasses and bridges when the frame is loaded onto a standard low flatbed trailer. The modular school building system further includes anchor assemblies adapted to secure the frame to a building foundation.  
           [0016]    In another aspect, the invention is a system for constructing buildings with a modular preassembled frame with a roof portion movable between a flat and a pitched position. The system includes a lift assembly that moves the roof portion between the flat position and the pitched position and anchor assemblies that secure the frame to a building foundation. The system also includes a plurality of fastening devices that secure the modular frame in the flat and in the pitched positions. The system in the flat position is sized so as to fit under standard highway overpasses and bridges and is thereby transportable over the road.  
           [0017]    The system is used to construct a permanent structure by: transporting a plurality of modular frames to a building site; placing the plurality of modular frames on a prepared foundation with anchor assemblies installed therein; interconnecting the plurality of modular frames; interconnecting the modular frames to the prepared foundation with the anchor assemblies; moving the modular frames to the pitched position with the lift assembly; and installing preassembled interior wall assemblies. Known finishings materials such as exterior wall covering, roofing, plumbing, electrical and telephone wiring, HVAC system, and floor coverings are then installed to complete a permanent structure.  
           [0018]    The region defined between the upper roof in the pitched configuration and the collar creates a dead air space that both increases the insulative properties of the completed building and provides a reservoir of air to reduce the demands on the HVAC system.  
           [0019]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a frame module of the modular school building system in the pitched configuration;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1A is a close-up view of the slotted portion of the slidable roof section;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1B is a close-up isometric view of a pivot assembly of the pivotable roof section;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1C is a close-up isometric view of the pivoting connection of the pivotable and slidable roof sections;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is a detail side view of the slidable roof section and slot in the flat configuration;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 is a detail side view of the slidable roof section and slot in the pitched configuration;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 is a section view of the upper roof secured in the pitched position;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 5 is an end, section view of the pivot assembly or guide pin assembly portion of the upper roof;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 6 is a section view of a typical anchor assembly set in a foundation footing and connected to the frame module;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 7 is a section view of the modular school building system with a typical anchor assembly set in a foundation footing, connected to a frame module, and with the foundation floor slab in place;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 8 is a section view of a typical interior wall assembly;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 9 is an isometric view of three frame modules interconnected together and also anchored to the foundation;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 9A is a detail of a lower outside corner of a frame module; and  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a frame module in the flat configuration. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0034]    Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. FIG. 1, along with details A, B, and C are isometric views of a modular school building system  100  comprising a frame module  102 . The modular school building system  100  provides a substantially preassembled and preapproved design for constructing a permanent school building with a pitched roof. The modular school building system  100  is transportable over the road on standard trucks.  
         [0035]    The frame module  102  of this embodiment is generally rectangular and constructed of steel c-channels and comprises a collar  112  and an upper roof  104 . The upper roof  104  is movable between a pitched configuration  114  illustrated in FIG. 1 and a flat configuration  116  illustrated in FIG. 10. The pitched configuration  114  provides a sloping roof profile to the frame module  102  so that, when the frame module  102  is connected with other frame modules  102  and provided with other materials to comprise a completed building in a manner that will be described in greater detail below, the roof of the completed building has a pitch.  
         [0036]    The pitched roof provided by the modular school building system  100  better sheds rain, snow, and dirt thereby making the modular school building system  100  suitable for regions of the country that are not suitable for standard portables. The pitched roof also provides longer mean life for the roofing materials because dirt, water, and snow will not as readily accumulate on the roof surface. The pitched roof profile further provides a dead air space within the cavity defined under the pitched roof to thereby improve the insulation factor of a building employing the modular school building system  100  particularly with respect to the thermal heating from incident sunlight.  
         [0037]    The flat configuration  116  reduces the overall height of the frame module  102  compared to the pitched configuration  114  to thereby facilitate transportation of the frame module  102  in a manner that will be described in greater detail below. By enabling the modular school building system  100  to be readily transported over the road, the modular school building system  100  can be substantially preassembled at a remote manufacturing facility and transported to the building site. By facilitating manufacturing the modular school building system  100  at a dedicated remote site, the modular school building system  100  obtains the advantages of better dimensional uniformity of the frame modules  102 , more reliable interconnection and alignment of the component pieces, and greater economy of scale as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art. By providing preapproved and preassembled frame modules  102 , the modular school building system  100  reduces the time and expense necessary to construct school buildings as compared to ground up, custom construction because much of the construction is already done before the customer receives the modular school building system  100  and the lengthy plan approval process has already been performed.  
         [0038]    The frame module  102  defines an x axis  120 , a y axis  122  orthogonal to the x axis  120 , and a z axis  124  orthogonal to both the x  120  and the y  122  axes as shown in FIG. 1. It should be understood that references to the x  120 , y  122 , and z  124  axes hereinafter maintain the same orientation illustrated in FIG. 1.  
         [0039]    The upper roof  104  comprises a pivotable roof section  106  and a slidable roof section  110 . The pivotable roof section  106  and slidable roof section  110  are generally rectangular and made of steel c-channel elongate members. The pivotable roof section  106  and slidable roof section  110  permit the frame module  102  to assume the pitched configuration  114  and the flat configuration  116  in a manner that will be described in greater detail below.  
         [0040]    The pivotable roof section  106  and slidable roof section  110  are each comprised of two rafters  126 , a plurality of cross-ties  130 , and two end pieces  132 . The rafters  126 , cross-ties  130 , and end pieces  132  are elongate members made of steel c-channel. The rafters  126 , cross-ties  130 , and end pieces  132 , when interconnected, provide the structure and physical strength of the pivotable roof section  106  and the slidable roof section  110 . A first end  134  and a second end  136  of each rafter  126  is attached to an end of an end piece  132  so as to form a generally rectangular, planar assembly. The plurality of cross-ties  130  are attached to the rafters  126  so as to extend from one rafter  126  to the other rafter  126  in a generally perpendicular manner along the y axis  122 . The cross-ties  130  are disposed between the rafters  126  and the end pieces  132  so as to accommodate the installation of standard size roof substrate materials. By facilitating the use of standard size roof substrate materials, the modular school building system  100  further reduces the time and cost of constructing school buildings employing the modular school building system  100 .  
         [0041]    In this embodiment, attaching the rafters  126 , end pieces  132 , and cross-ties  130  together comprises welding. It should be appreciated that the attachment can also comprise connecting fasteners, adhesives, clinching, press fits, or other methods or materials for joining materials well known in the art.  
         [0042]    The first ends  134  of the rafters  126  are cut on a bias, which in this embodiment is approximately 19° from square as shown in FIG. 1, Detail  1 C, and FIG. 4. The first ends  134  of the rafters  126  of the pivotable roof section  106  and slidable roof section  110  are positioned adjacent each other and substantially coplanar and pivotably connected so as to form the upper roof  104 . In this embodiment, pivotably connecting the pivotable roof section  106  and slidable roof section  110  comprises joining the pivotable roof section  106  and slidable roof section  110  with a plurality of hinges  140  of a known type. In this embodiment, the hinges  140  are attached to the pivotable roof section  106  and slidable roof section  110  via welding.  
         [0043]    The plurality of hinges  140  joining the adjacent pivotable roof section  106  and slidable roof section  110  allow the pivotable roof section  106  to pivot about the y axis  122  with the slidable roof section  110 . The approximately 19° bias cut of the first ends  134  of the rafters  126  provide clearance to thereby allow the pivotable roof section  106  and slidable roof section  110  to move so as to form an approximately 142° included angle, thereby forming the pitched configuration  114  of the upper roof  104 . The pitched configuration  114  of this embodiment is approximately a 4 in 12 pitch. The 4 in 12 pitch of the modular school building system  100  is known by those skilled in the art to provide an advantageous roof profile for shedding rain, snow, dirt and creating a dead air space under the roof profile.  
         [0044]    The collar  112  is generally rectangular and approximately 12′ by 40′. The collar  112  is made from steel c-channel elongate members. The collar  112  provides a horizontal, planar load bearing structure for the frame module  102  extending along the x  120  and y  122  axes and provides an attachment surface for finishing materials such as ceiling panels and insulation. The collar  112  comprises two ridge beams  142 , a plurality of cross-ties  130 , and two end pieces  132 . An end of each perimeter beam  142  is attached to an end of an end piece  132  so as to form a generally rectangular, planar assembly. The plurality of cross-ties  130  are attached to the ridge beams  142  so as to extend from one perimeter beam  142  to the other perimeter beam  142  in a generally perpendicular manner along the y axis  122 . The cross-ties  130  are disposed between the ridge beams  142  and the end pieces  132  so as to be approximately equidistantly spaced between the end pieces  132 .  
         [0045]    The frame module  102  also comprises vertical supports  144   a - d , an outer wall sill  146 , end sills  150 , and anchor stubs  152 . The vertical supports  144 , outer wall sill  146 , end sills  150 , and anchor stubs  152  are made from {fraction (3/16)}″ steel square tube, 4″ by 4″ in this embodiment. The vertical supports  144  are elongate members that are approximately 10′ long and support and elevate the collar  112  and the upper roof  104 . The outer wall sill  146  is an elongate member approximately 40′ long and the end sills are elongate members approximately 12′ long. An upper end  154  of each vertical support  144   a - d  is attached to a corner  158  of the collar  112  so as to extend along the z axis  124 . A lower end  156  of the vertical supports  144   c  and  144   d  is attached to an end of the outer wall sill  146 . The lower end  156  of each vertical support  144   a - d  is connected to an end of an end sill  150 . The vertical supports  144   a - d , the outer wall sill  146 , and the end sills  150  are interconnected so that the vertical supports  144   a - d  extend along the z axis  124 , the outer wall sill  146  extends along the x axis  120 , and the end sills  150  extend along the y axis  122 , thereby defining the rectangular frame module  102  with the collar  112  and the upper roof  104 . In this embodiment, the attachment comprises welding.  
         [0046]    The anchor stubs  152  are approximately 3′ long in this embodiment and provide attachment points for securing the anchor stubs  152  and thereby the frame module  102  to anchor structures set in a building&#39;s foundation to thereby anchor the frame module  102  against uplift and horizontal movement with respect to the foundation. A first end  160  of each anchor stub  152  is attached to the lower end  156  of the vertical supports  144   a  and  144   b  so that the anchor stubs  152  extend along the x axis  120  and further so that second ends  162  of the anchor stubs  152  are proximal.  
         [0047]    The interconnection of the collar  112 , the vertical supports  144 , the outer wall sill  146 , the end sills  150 , and the anchor stubs  152  provides a rigid structure that can be readily moved about from the place of manufacture to the work site and at the work site. Thus, the modular school building system  100  can employ the advantages of preassembled structures previously described.  
         [0048]    The frame module  102  also comprises pivot assemblies  160  and guide pin assemblies  162  as shown in FIGS. 1, 2,  3 , and  5 . The pivot assemblies  160  and guide pin assemblies  162  locate and secure the pivotable roof section  106  and the slidable roof section  110  to the collar  112 . The pivot assemblies  160  and guide pin assemblies  162  comprise a bracket  164  and a pin  166 . In this embodiment, the bracket  164  is an “L” shaped piece formed from ½″ steel plate and is approximately 7″×6″×3″. The pin  166  of this embodiment is a ⅝″ high strength bolt and corresponding nut of a known type extending along the y axis  122 . A bracket  164  is attached to each corner  158  of the collar  112  extending upwards.  
         [0049]    Each bracket  164  and the second ends  136  of the rafters  126  of the pivotable roof section  106  are provided with a hole  170 . The hole  170  provides clearance for the pin  166  to pass through, which in this embodiment, is approximately ⅝″ in diameter. The pin  166  passes through the holes  170  and thus through the rafters  126  and the bracket  164  along the y axis  122 . Thus the pins  166  secure the rafters  126  and thus the pivotable roof section  106  during erection of the upper roof  104  to the brackets  164  and thus the collar  112  so as to restrict lateral translation of the pivotable roof section  106  along the x  120 , y  122 , and z  124  axes and also so as to restrict rotation about the x  120  and z  124  axes, but so as to permit rotation about the y axis  122 .  
         [0050]    The second end  136  of the rafters  126  of the slidable roof section  110  are provided with reinforcement plates  172  and slots  174  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The reinforcement plates  172  of this embodiment are ¼″ steel plate approximately 3″×16″ and are welded to the rafters  126  of the slidable roof section  110  adjacent the second end  136 . The reinforcement plates  172  provide increased structural strength to the rafters  126  to support the upper roof  104  and to secure the upper roof  104  to the collar  112 . The slots  172  are through going openings in the reinforcement plates  172  and the rafters  126 . The slots are generally “L” shaped and in this embodiment are approximately ⅝″ slots 26″ long by 1½″ wide as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0051]    The pins  166  pass through the slots  174  and the brackets  164  so as to secure the rafters  126  and thus the slidable roof section  110  to the collar  112  during erection of the upper roof  104  so as to restrict translation of the slidable roof section  110  along the y  122  and z  124  axes and allow a limited degree of translation along the x axis  120  and also so as to restrict rotation of the slidable roof section  110  along the x  120  and z  124  axes yet allow rotation about the y axis  122 .  
         [0052]    The upper roof  104  also comprises a lifting attachment  176  as shown in FIGS. 1, 4,  9 , and  10 . The lifting attachment  176  is attached to the underneath of the end piece  132  adjacent the first end  134  of the pivotable roof section  106 . The lifting attachment  176  removable attaches to an end of a lift  180 . In this embodiment, the lifting attachment  176  defines a socket and the end of the lift  180  defines a corresponding ball. The lift  180  is a hydraulically extensible jack of a type well known in the art. The lift  180  is positioned underneath the lifting attachment  176  extending vertically along the z axis  124  and further positioned such that the end of the lift  180  mates with the lifting attachment  176 . The lift  180  is then manipulated such that the lift  180  extends. Extension of the lift  180  urges the lifting attachment  176  and thus the first end  134  of the pivotable roof section  106  upwards. As the second end  136  of the pivotable roof section  106  is restrained as previously described, the pivotable roof section  106  pivots upwards such that the first end  134  is elevated relative to the second end  136  and the collar  112 .  
         [0053]    The first ends  134  of the pivotable roof section  106  and the slidable roof section  110  are pivotably connected as previously described. Thus, as the first end  134  of the pivotable roof section  106  is elevated by the lift  180 , the first end  134  of the slidable roof section  110  is correspondingly elevated. As the pivotable roof section  106  and the slidable roof section  110  are two rigid bodies pivotably connected, as the line of connection is elevated relative to the ends, the upper roof  104  triangulates as the lift  180  elevates the lifting attachment  176 . Since the second end  136  of the pivotable roof section  106  is restricted from translation along the x axis  120 , as the first ends  134  of the pivotable roof section  106  and slidable roof section  110  are elevated by the lift  180 , the second end  136  of the slidable roof section  110  moves inwards along the x axis  120  as the pins  166  move within the slots  174 .  
         [0054]    As the first ends  134  of the pivotable  106  and slidable  110  roof sections move upwards, the pins  166  move within the slots  174  of the slidable roof section  110  until the slidable roof section  110  drops into the end of the slots  174  as shown in FIG. 3. The pins  166  are then fastened so as to secure the pivotable  106  and slidable  110  roof sections from further movement in a known manner. Securing fasteners  182  are placed through the first ends  134  of the pivotable  106  and the slidable  110  roof sections to further interconnect the pivotable  106  and the slidable  110  roof sections as shown in FIG. 4. The fasteners  182  of this embodiment are ⅝″ hex bolts and corresponding nuts of known types. The fasteners  182  are secured to the pivotable  106  and the slidable  110  roof sections in a well known manner. The lift  180  is then retracted and removed and the upper roof  104  is thus placed and secured in the pitched configuration  114 .  
         [0055]    The modular school building system  100  also comprises a plurality of anchor assemblies  184  as shown in FIG. 6. The anchor assemblies  184  interconnect the frame modules  102  to the building&#39;s foundation footings  192  to restrict uplift and horizontal displacement forces acting on the building due to seismic events or high wind conditions. The anchor assemblies  184  of this embodiment comprise an angle  186  and two anchor bolts  190 . The angle  186  is an “L” shaped piece of ½″ steel plate approximately 5″×3½2″×8″. The anchor bolts  190  are ½″ “L” shaped threaded rods approximately 8″ long. The foundation footing  192  in this embodiment is a concrete slab of a type well known in the art.  
         [0056]    In this embodiment, the anchor bolts  190  are connected to the angle  186  by welding in a known manner so as to form the anchor assemblies  184 . The anchor assemblies  184  are set in the foundation footing  192  so as to rest flush with the surface of the foundation footing  192  prior to the formation of the foundation footing  192  in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6. The rigid and massive structure of the foundation footing  192  enclosing the anchor assemblies  184  provides high resistance of the anchor assemblies  184  to tensile and compression forces acting on the anchor assemblies  184  along the x  120 , y  122 , and z  124  axes.  
         [0057]    The anchor assemblies  184  are then rigidly connected to the vertical supports  144 , the outer wall sills  146 , end sills  150 , and the anchor stubs  152 . In this embodiment, the connection comprises welding in a known manner. Thus the vertical supports  144 , the outer wall sills  146 , end sills  150 , and the anchor stubs  152  are rigidly connected to the anchor assemblies  184  and thus to the foundation footing  192 . Thus vertical and horizontal forces acting on the frame module  102  are transferred through the vertical supports  144 , the outer wall sills  146 , end sills  150 , and the anchor stubs  152  to the anchor assemblies  184  and thus to the foundation footing  192 . Thus vertical and horizontal forces acting on the building are resisted by the modular school building system  100  and damage to the building is thereby inhibited. The interconnection of the frame modules  102  to the anchor assemblies  184  provides a steel moment resisting frame along both the x  120  and the y  122  axes.  
         [0058]    After the frame modules  102  are connected to the anchor assemblies  184  in the manner previously described, a floor slab  194 , rigid filler  196 , and resilient filler  200  are emplaced on and around the foundation footings  192  and the frame modules  102  as shown in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the floor slab  194  is a planar layer of concrete approximately 4″ thick poured to encase the anchor stubs  152 , end sills  150 , and outer wall sills  146  so that the surface of the floor slab  194  is flush with the upper surfaces of the anchor stubs  152 , end sills  150 , and outer wall sills  146  in a well known manner. The rigid filler  196  comprises grout and the resilient filler  200  comprises bituminous expansion material. The rigid filler  196  and resilient filler  200  fill the cavity defined between the edge of the floor slabs  194  and the anchor stubs  152 , end sills  150 , and outer wall sills  146 . The rigid filler  196  and resilient filler  200  provide additional strength to the modular school building system  100  by providing additional physical support between the foundation footing  192 , the floor slab  194 , and the frame module  102 . The resilient filler  200  provides a restricted freedom of movement between the floor slab  194  and the frame module  102  to accommodate differential thermal expansion between the floor slab  194  and the frame module  102  during temperature changes.  
         [0059]    The modular school building system  100  also comprises interior wall assemblies  202  as shown in FIG. 8. The interior wall assemblies  202  are generally rectangular and in this embodiment are approximately 9′×4′×6″. The interior wall assemblies  202  are non-load-bearing structures that extend from the floor slab  194  to the collar  112  and partition the interior of the frame modules  102 . The interior wall assemblies  202  comprise pre-assembled wall panels  204 . The wall panels  204  are generally rectangular and in this embodiment are approximately 9′×4′×6″. The wall panels  204  comprise a steel frame and insulation constructed in a well known manner.  
         [0060]    The interior wall assemblies  202  also comprise interior finishings  212 . The interior finishings  212  are generally rectangular and, in this embodiment, are approximately 9′×4′×½″. The interior finishings  212  of this embodiment comprise sheet rock panels of a type well known in the art. The interior finishings  212  are placed adjacent to the wall panels  204  and aligned with the wall panels  204  so as to be parallel. The interior finishings  212  are attached to both sides of each wall panel  204  with fasteners  220  so as to be adjacent and aligned with the major plane of the wall panels  204  in a well known manner. In this embodiment, the fasteners  220  comprise Number 10 sheet metal screws. The interior finishings  212  provide additional structural strength and insulation to the interior wall assemblies  202  and further provide an advantageous surface for the application of known coverings such as paint, wood paneling, and wall paper.  
         [0061]    The interior wall assemblies  202  also comprise a header channel  206  and footer channel  210 . The header  206  and footer  210  channels of this embodiment are made of c-channel 20 gauge steel and are approximately 4′×4″×1½″. The header  206  and footer  210  channels define interior cavities  224  as shown in FIG. 8. The header  206  and footer  210  channels are positioned such that a top edge  226  of the wall panel  204  occupies the interior cavity  224  of the header channel  206  and the bottom edge  230  of the wall panel  204  occupies the interior cavity  224  of the footer channel  210 . Thus the header  206  and footer  210  channels are adjacent the top  226  and bottom  230  edges respectively of the wall panel  204 . The header  206  and footer  210  channels are attached to the wall panel  204  in a well known manner with fasteners  220 , which in this embodiment, comprise Number 10 sheet metal screws placed approximately 16″ on center.  
         [0062]    The interior wall assemblies  202  also comprise a ceiling track  214 . The ceiling track  214  is an elongate member made of 16 gauge steel c-channel approximately 4″×2½″ in cross section. The length of the ceiling track  214  is dependent on the placement of the corresponding interior wall assembly  202  and the overall dimensions of the building employing the modular school building system  100 , however would be obvious to one skilled in the art. The ceiling track  214  also defines an interior cavity  224 . The interior cavity  224  and thus the ceiling track  214  is sized such that the top edge  226  of the wall panel  204  with the header channel  206  connected in the manner previously described, fits snuggly within the interior cavity  224  of the ceiling rack  214 . The ceiling track  214  is positioned adjacent the collar  112  preferably extending along the x  120  or the y  122  axes such that the interior cavity  224  faces downwards along the z axis  124 . The ceiling track  214  is attached to the collar  112  with a plurality of fasteners  220  in a well known manner. In this embodiment, the fasteners  220  are Number 10 sheet metal screws placed no more than 24″ on center.  
         [0063]    The interior wall assemblies also  202  comprise footing braces  216 . The footing braces  216  are elongate members made of 16 gauge 90° steel angle approximately  1½″×1½″. The length of the footing braces 216 is preferably substantially equal to the length of a corresponding ceiling track 214 selected in the manner indicated above. A first footing brace 216 is placed adjacent the floor slab 194 so as to be parallel with and aligned to the corresponding ceiling track 214. The first footing brace 216 is attached to the floor slab 194 with fasteners 222 in a well known manner. In this embodiment, the fasteners 222 are  0.145″ diameter concrete nail placed no more than 24″ on center.  
         [0064]    The top edge  226  of the wall panel  204  with the attached header channel  206  is placed into the interior cavity  224  of the ceiling track  214  such that the top edge  226  of the wall panel  204  is approximately ½″ away from the collar  112  as measured along the z axis  124 . The wall panel  204  is then positioned so as to be vertically aligned along the z axis  124  such that the bottom edge  230  of the wall panel  204  with the attached footer channel  210  is adjacent the first footing brace  216 . The second footing brace  216  is then positioned adjacent to and aligned with the bottom edge  230  of the wall panel  204  so as to be parallel with the first footing brace  216  and so as to fit tightly against the floor slab  194  to thereby stabilize the wall panel  204 . The bottom edge  230  of the wall panel  204  is then attached to the first and second footing braces  216  with a plurality of fasteners  220  in a known manner. In this embodiment, the fasteners  220  are Number 10 sheet metal screws placed no more than 16″ on center.  
         [0065]    Thus the interior wall assembly  202  is secured at the top edge  226  to the ceiling track  214  and thus the collar  112  and the bottom edge  230  is secured to the footing braces  216  and thus the floor slab  194 . The approximately ½″ spacing between the wall panel  204  and the collar  112  provides clearance for a limited deflection of the collar  112  without loading the interior wall assembly  202 .  
         [0066]    [0066]FIG. 9 illustrates three frame modules  102  interconnected together and anchored to the floor slab  194 . In this embodiment, the anchor assemblies  184  are placed within the foundation footings  192  in the manner previously described. Then the frame modules  102  are placed on the foundation footings  192  such that the anchor stubs  152  are all aligned with a corresponding anchor assembly  184 . The anchor stubs  152 , end sills  150 , and outer wall sill  146  are then connected to the anchor assemblies  184  in the manner previously described. The three frame modules  102  are then interconnected to each other along the vertical supports  144  and adjacent ends of the end sills  150  and the anchor stubs  152 . In this embodiment, interconnecting the vertical supports  144  and adjacent ends of the end sills  150  and the anchor stubs  152  comprises welding, however, it should be appreciated that interconnecting can also be adapted by one skilled in the art to include fasteners, adhesives, clinches, or other methods of joining materials. The frame modules  102  are further connected along adjacent perimeter beams  142  with a plurality of fasteners  143 . The fasteners  143  of this embodiment are ⅝″ bolts and corresponding nuts placed and secured to the perimeter beams  142  approximately 8″ on center in a known manner.  
         [0067]    The lift  180  is then positioned to mate with the lifting attachments  176  of the frame modules  102  and manipulated so as to raise the frame modules  102  to the pitched configuration  114  in the manner previously described. Adjacent rafters  126  of the frame modules  102  are interconnected, in this embodiment, with a plurality of fasteners  220  placed approximately 8″ on center along the major axis of the rafters  126  so as to form a contiguous upper roof  104  in the pitched configuration  114 . The lift  180  is then distanced from the frame modules 0.102 and the interior wall assemblies  202  are then installed in the manner previously described. Then appropriate building materials such as plumbing, electrical and telephone wiring, ceiling panels, carpeting, and roofing is applied to the modular school building system  100  to complete a school building in a known manner. It should be appreciated that the exact order of assembly of the modular school building system  100  and manner of finishing materials employed can be readily modified by one skilled in the art to meet the needs of particular applications without detracting from the spirit of this invention.  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 10 illustrates a frame module  102  of the modular school building system  100  in the flat configuration  116 . As can be appreciated from comparing the illustrations of FIG. 10 and FIG. 1, the overall height of the frame module  102  in the flat configuration  116  is substantially less than its height in the pitched configuration  114 . In this embodiment, the height of the frame module  102  in the flat configuration  116  is approximately 11½′. The frame module  102  is also approximately 12′ wide by 40′ long. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the frame module  102  of approximately 1½′×12′×40′ in the flat configuration  116  can be readily loaded onto a standard low flat-bed trailer and transported over the road without interference with standard highway overpasses and bridges. Thus, the modular school building system  100  can be readily transported in a substantially preassembled state from the point of manufacture to the intended building site. Thus, the modular school building system  100  provides increased economy and speed of construction to the building trades.  
         [0069]    Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have shown, described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to those embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the detail of the device illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Consequently, the scope of the invention should not be limited to the foregoing description but is to be defined by the appended claims.

Summary:
A substantially preassembled modular frame system for erecting permanent school buildings. The system design, materials, and construction have been pre-approved by state inspectors. The system provides a roof that is extensible from a low position that is configured to permit the system to be transported on highways and fit under common overpasses and bridges to a pitched position that provides a sloped roof profile to improve insulation factors of completed buildings and better shed rain, snow, and debris. The system includes anchor assemblies that are rigidly connected to the frame to inhibit uplift forces acting on the building from distorting or dislodging the building from the foundation. The system also includes preassembled wall panels and a convenient mechanism for emplacing and securing the wall panels within the modular frames.