Abstract:
A building construction method includes the steps of forming pile holes, installing piles, installing pile connecting beams, forming a concrete ground floor structure, erecting a building framework, forming walls on the building framework, and forming floors on the building framework. The construction method facilitates the construction of low-rise buildings at a relatively low cost.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to a construction method suitable for constructing low-rise buildings.  
           [0002]    The object of the invention is to provide a construction method that facilitates the construction of low-rise buildings at a relatively low cost.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Accordingly, the building construction method of this invention includes the steps of:  
           [0004]    (a) dividing a ground surface of a building site into a plurality of polygonal areas, and forming a plurality of pile holes in the ground surface, each of the pile holes being disposed in a respective corner of one of the polygonal areas;  
           [0005]    (b) installing a pile in each of the pile holes, and filling each of the pile holes with concrete such that the piles have lower pile portions that are fixed in the pile holes, and upper pile portions that protrude upwardly and outwardly from the concrete in the respective one of the pile holes;  
           [0006]    (c) forming trenches in the ground surface along boundaries of the polygonal areas such that the upper pile portions of the piles are disposed in the trenches,  
           [0007]    mounting a plurality of pile connectors on the upper pile portions of the piles such that the pile connectors have lateral beam connecting parts that are disposed in the trenches, and vertical framework connecting parts that project upwardly from the ground surface,  
           [0008]    installing a plurality of pile connecting beams in the trenches, each of the pile connecting beams having opposite ends connected to the lateral beam connecting parts of the pile connectors on the upper pile portions of an adjacent pair of the piles, and  
           [0009]    filling the trenches with concrete to embed the lateral beam connecting parts of the pile connectors and the pile connecting beams therein;  
           [0010]    (d) forming a concrete ground floor structure on the ground surface on top of each of the polygonal areas;  
           [0011]    (e) erecting a building framework including the sub-step of forming a lower frame structure by  
           [0012]    connecting lower ends of a plurality of framework columns to the vertical framework connecting parts of the pile connectors,  
           [0013]    mounting a plurality of framework connectors on upper ends of the framework columns, and  
           [0014]    installing a plurality of framework beams, each having opposite ends connected to the framework connectors on the upper ends of an adjacent pair of the framework columns;  
           [0015]    (f) forming walls on the building framework by mounting pre-cast vertical slabs thereon; and  
           [0016]    (g) forming floors on the building framework by mounting pre-cast horizontal slabs thereon. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of the preferred embodiment of the building construction method according to this invention; and  
         [0019]    FIGS.  2  to  11  illustrate how a building is constructed according to the preferred embodiment of the method shown in FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]    Referring to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the building construction method according to this invention is shown to comprise the steps of:  
         [0021]    (a) Forming pile holes  11 :  
         [0022]    With further reference to FIG. 2, a ground surface  10  of a building site is divided into a plurality of polygonal areas  100 , and a plurality of pile holes  11  are formed in the ground surface  10 . Each of the pile holes  11  is disposed in a respective corner of one of the polygonal areas  100 .  
         [0023]    (b) Installing piles  12 :  
         [0024]    With further reference to FIG. 3, after installing a pile  12  in each of the pile holes  11 , each of the pile holes  11  is then filled with concrete  13  such that the piles  12  have lower pile portions  121 ′ that are fixed in the pile holes  11 , and upper pile portions  121  that protrude upwardly and outwardly from the concrete  13  in the respective one of the pile holes  11 . Preferably, each of the piles  12  is made of quenched steel and has a roughened periphery  122  for secure engagement with the concrete  13  in the respective one of the pile holes  11 .  
         [0025]    (c) Installing pile connecting beams  20 :  
         [0026]    Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, trenches  11 ′ are formed in the ground surface  10  along boundaries of the polygonal areas  100  such that the upper pile portions  121  of the piles  12  are disposed in the trenches  11 ′. A plurality of pile connectors  14  are mounted on the upper pile portions  121  of the piles  12  such that the pile connectors  14  have lateral beam connecting parts  141  that are disposed in the trenches  11 ′, and vertical framework connecting parts  142  that project upwardly from the ground surface  10 . A plurality of pile connecting beams  20  are subsequently installed in the trenches  11 ′. Each of the pile connecting beams  20  (only one is shown in FIG. 3) has opposite ends connected to the lateral beam connecting parts  141  of the pile connectors  14  on the upper pile portions  121  of an adjacent pair of the piles  12 . The trenches  11 ′ are then filled with concrete to embed the lateral beam connecting parts  141  of the pile connectors  14  and the pile connecting beams  20  therein.  
         [0027]    Preferably, the lateral beam connecting part  141  of each of the pile connectors  14  is tubular, and each of the pile connecting beams  20  includes a first beam member  201  and a second beam member  202 , each of which has an insert end  203  retained in the lateral beam connecting part  141  of one of the pile connectors  14 , and a coupling end  204  coupled to the other of the first and second beam members  201 ,  202 . The first and second beam members  201 ,  202  are preferably made of quenched steel. Referring to FIG. 4, each of the pile connecting beams  20  further includes a beam coupler  41 , which has a first sleeve  412  secured to the coupling end  204  of the first beam member  201 , a second sleeve  413  secured to the coupling end  204  of the second beam member  202 , and a third sleeve  411  threadedly engaging the second sleeve  413  and urging the first sleeve  412  to abut tightly against the second sleeve  413 .  
         [0028]    (d) Forming a concrete ground floor structure:  
         [0029]    A concrete ground floor structure is formed on the ground surface  10  on top of each of the polygonal areas  100 . Referring once again to FIG. 3, the concrete ground floor structure is formed by laying a ground floor grid  15  on the ground surface  10  on top of each of the polygonal areas  100 , and by applying a layer of concrete  31  to embed the ground floor grid  15  therein and to form a ground floor surface of the ground floor structure  300 .  
         [0030]    (e) Erecting a building framework:  
         [0031]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a building framework is erected in the following manner:  
         [0032]    (e1) Forming a lower frame structure:  
         [0033]    Lower ends  4011  of a plurality of framework columns  401  are connected to the vertical framework connecting parts  142  of the pile connectors  14 . A plurality of framework connectors  50  are mounted on upper ends  4012  of the framework columns  401 . A plurality of framework beams  402  are then installed. Each of the framework beams  402  has opposite ends  4021  connected to the framework connectors  50  on the upper ends  4012  of an adjacent pair of the framework columns  401 .  
         [0034]    (e2) Forming an upper frame structure:  
         [0035]    The lower ends  4011  of a plurality of framework columns  401  are connected to the framework connectors  50  on the upper ends  4012  of the framework columns  401  of the lower frame structure. A plurality of framework connectors  50  are mounted on upper ends  4012  of the framework columns  401  of the upper framework structure. A plurality of framework beams  402  are then installed. Each of the framework beams  402  has opposite ends connected to the framework connectors  50  on the upper ends  4012  of an adjacent pair of the framework columns  401  of the upper frame structure.  
         [0036]    The sub-step of forming the upper frame structure is repeated until a required number of stories is obtained, as shown in FIG. 5.  
         [0037]    Referring again to FIG. 4, similar to the pile connecting beam  20 , each of the framework columns  401  and the framework beams  402  includes a first beam member  201  and a second beam member  202 , each of which has a coupling end  204  coupled to the other of the first and second beam members  201 ,  202 . The first and second beam members  201 ,  202  are preferably made of quenched steel. Each of the framework columns  401  and the framework beams  402  further includes a beam coupler  41 , which has a first sleeve  412  secured to the coupling end  204  of the first beam member  201 , a second sleeve  413  secured to the coupling end  204  of the second beam member  202 , and a third sleeve  411  threadedly engaging the second sleeve  413  and urging the first sleeve  412  to abut tightly against the second sleeve  413 .  
         [0038]    (f) Forming walls  80  on the building framework:  
         [0039]    Referring to FIGS.  6  to  8 , a plurality of vertical wall grids  60  are installed on the building framework. Each of the vertical wall grids  60  is secured to an adjacent pair of the framework columns  401  and to an adjacent pair of the framework beams  402 . Preferably, each of the vertical wall grids  60  is one of a channel beam grid, an H-beam grid and an I-beam grid, and is made of quenched steel. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, each of the vertical wall grids  60  is welded to L-shaped braces  43  that are fixed on the framework columns  401  and the framework beams  402  of the building framework. As shown in FIG. 7, in a modified embodiment, each of the vertical wall grids  60  is welded to channel supports  43 ′ that are fixed on the framework columns  401  and the framework beams  402  of the building framework. The pre-cast vertical slabs  70  are then mounted on opposite sides of the vertical wall grids  60  by high-impact nailing. Insulating material (not shown) can be further installed in the space confined by opposite pairs of the pre-cast vertical slabs  70  for sound insulation purposes. As shown in FIG. 9, in yet another embodiment, concrete  64  can be poured into a concrete pouring space confined by the pre-cast vertical slabs  70  on the opposite sides of the vertical wall grids  60 . Preferably, each of the vertical wall grids  60  is formed with a plurality of holes  63  in horizontal parts  62  thereof so that the concrete  64  can pass through the holes  63  for enhancing the engagement among the aforesaid wall constituting components.  
         [0040]    (g) Forming floors  90  on the building framework:  
         [0041]    Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a plurality of horizontal floor grids  60 ′ are installed on the framework beams  402  of the building framework. Preferably, each of the horizontal floor grids  60 ′ is one of a channel beam grid, an H-beam grid and an I-beam grid, and is made of quenched steel. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, each of the horizontal floor grids  60 ′ is welded to L-shaped braces  43  that are fixed on the framework beams  402  of the building framework. As shown in FIG. 7, in a modified embodiment, each of the horizontal floor grids  60 ′ is welded to channel supports  43 ′ that are fixed on the framework beams  402  of the building framework. Referring to FIG. 10, the pre-cast horizontal slabs  70 ′ are mounted on a lower side of the horizontal floor grids  60 ′ by high-impact nailing. Concrete  65  is then poured on top of the pre-cast horizontal slabs  70 ′ to embed the horizontal floor grids  60 ′ therein and to form an upper floor surface. As shown in FIG. 11, in a further embodiment, the pre-cast horizontal slabs  70 ′ are mounted on opposite sides of the horizontal floor grids  60 ′ by high-impact nailing. Similar to the walls  80  of FIG. 8, insulating material (not shown) can be further installed in the space confined by opposite pairs of the pre-cast horizontal slabs  70 ′ for sound insulation purposes.  
         [0042]    In the embodiments of FIGS.  8  to  11 , electrical wiring and water distribution pipes can be disposed in the space confined by the opposite pairs of the pre-cast horizontal and vertical slabs  70 ′,  70 .  
         [0043]    While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.