Abstract:
A structural assembly has a foot assembly anchored to a base. A structural column is received in the foot assembly and connected thereto assuring the vertical alignment of the column. At least one structural beam is connected to the column at a desired height above the base. A deck is disposed on the structural beam. An internal column connector is received in the top of the column. A method of producing a building structure is disclosed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO ELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present invention is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/713,530 filed Sep. 1, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention is related to the fabrication of a building and more particularly to the erection of structural columns and a concrete slab base.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     The inventor is aware of prior studies and procedures for the construction of structures having structural columns. Various means have been disclosed to support the column to a base and to achieve support to a desired height. The inventor is aware of:  
                                                                 Inventor(s)   U.S. Pat. No.                                        Johnson   225,060           Tresidder   960,125           Borg   1,516,074           Varlonga   3,058,264           Besinger   3,110,982           Roberts   5,444,957           Vodicka   6,449,791                      
 
         [0006]     Johnson discloses a plate having hubs on its lower side and hubs on its upper side. Brackets are disposed between the plate and the hub. The purpose is to support a tubular metal column.  
         [0007]     Tresidder discloses a construction in which a lower column is connected the next column by a coupling device. This coupling device consists of a locking pin which is forked at its upper end and extends through an opening in a cap into the base of the next adjacent column. The upper part of the locking pin is held in concrete in the upper column.  
         [0008]     Borg discloses a concrete building pre-fab construction using columns and T-girders. The girders are connected to recesses in brackets on the columns, and the girders have stems and flanges to enter into, and rest upon, the bottoms of the recesses in the brackets as well as on sunken panel portions of the columns.  
         [0009]     Varlonga discloses a unitary member formed by a pair of spaced plates having centrally disposed and axially-aligned openings for receiving vertical columns. The plates have opposed inner surfaces for supporting horizontal parallel forms. A stop member is disposed intermediately of the plates and is aligned with the openings therein for providing abutting surfaces for the tubular columns. A plurality of connecting fins are disposed between the plates and extend radially outwardly of the plate openings and the stop. These fins are integrally joined to the plates and to the stop and provide the sole means for rigidly connecting and supporting the plates and the stop in spaced relationship therebetween.  
         [0010]     Besinger discloses a pre-set reinforced concrete column construction, wherein a central tubular member extends between a pair of end plates. The tubular member has a female guide member at one end and a male guide member at the other end thereof. A plurality of intermediate plates are strung on the tubular member between the end plates, and a plurality of reinforcing rods are disposed around the tubular member and between the plates. Concrete is disposed between the end plates and embeds the tubular member and the reinforcing rods, and a metal mesh tube is disposed around the concrete and is partially embedded therein.  
         [0011]     Roberts discloses a multi-story slab construction and method in which a first tier of vertical columns is erected, the tier including horizontal retaining elements joining the vertical columns adjacent to the terminal portions thereof. A concrete slab is poured into the retaining elements sufficiently deep to cover the upper terminal portions of the columns with a thin layer of concrete. This thin concrete layer is then removed to expose the upper terminal portions of the vertical columns and the vertical columns are extended to erect a second set of vertical columns.  
         [0012]     Vodicka discloses a prefabricated pier system in which steel pier cap sections cooperate end-to-end for forming a pier cap assembly defining a form for receiving concrete. These pier cap sections are permanently installed about the upper ends of the columns, and each of the pier cap sections includes a girder end support means, and a compression member is disposed between each girder retaining slot.  
         [0013]     The present invention improves on the prior art by providing means to assure the vertical alignment of the columns and by providing means to control the height of the column for uniformity of the height between floors.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there is disclosed a structural assembly having a foot assembly anchored to a slab. The foot assembly has an upstanding sleeve. A first column has a top portion and further has a lower portion received within the upstanding sleeve on the foot assembly and anchored therein. At least one beam is secured to the first column transversely thereto and spaced below the top portion of the first column. An internal column connector is partially received within the top portion of the first column secured thereto. A portion of the internal column connector projects upwardly thereabove. A second column has a lower portion received over the upwardly projecting portion of the internal column connector and secured thereto.  
         [0015]     In further accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there is disclosed a method of producing a building structure on a concrete slab. A foot assembly is provided anchored the concrete slab. The foot assembly has an upstanding open sleeve. The sleeve is filled with a semi-liquid non-shrink grout. A column is provided having a box cross-section and further having an open top portion and a lower portion. The lower portion of the column is inserted into the sleeve. Fasteners are driven through the sleeve and into the lower portion of the column. Two beams are provided. The beams are secured to the column, one on either side thereof, transversely of the column and substantially parallel to each other, and just below the top portion of the column and to a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a deck intended to be supported by the beams. The deck is installed over the beams. An internal column connector is provided and the internal column connector is driven into the open top portion of the column. The internal column connector is secured to the column and to the beams wherein the top portion of the internal column connector is accessible.  
         [0016]     These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the enclosed drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the column connected to the structural beam and supporting a floor above the column.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the column of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0020]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are diagrams showing the assembly of the building structure. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     The structural assembly is preferably arranged in a plurality of juxtapositioned grids. A typical 10′×10′ grid system consists of four major parts that are fabricated with minor variations according to the needs of the building&#39;s design. As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , they are 
         1 ) the foot assembly 10;      2 ) the structural column 12;      3 ) the structural beams 14; and      4 ) the internal column connector 16.        
 
         [0026]     The appropriate foot assembly 10 is fastened to the concrete slab 18, spaced in a 10′×10′ grid pattern as directed by the building&#39;s designer. Generally, expansion bolts  20  are used to fasten the foot assemblies  10  to the masonry  18 . Different configurations of the open-top sleeve on the base plate of the foot assembly are used to insure the base plate has minimal intrusion into walkways and other areas the building designer wishes to keep clear of obstructions.  
         [0027]     The foot assembly  10  is formed with an open-top sleeve of approximately 4″×4″×4″ internal capacity. The foot assemblies  10  are designed such that minor variations in the concrete slab  18  to which they attach may be removed from the final elevation of the structural columns. The 4″×4″ structural column  12  is a loose sliding fit within the foot&#39;s sleeve. When the erection of the structural columns begins, the sleeve is partially filled with semi-liquid, non-shrink grout material before the structural column  12  is inserted into the sleeve  10 . The structural column is held plumb in all directions and is also held at the desired height within the sleeve in order to insure the top of all of the ground floor&#39;s structural columns are at a desired elevation, regardless of the variations in elevation of the concrete slab  18  to which they are fastened. The non-shrink grout will cure within the foot assembly under and around the bottom of the structural column, ultimately becoming the carrier of the load forces acting on the column. In order to hold the structural column in this plumb and vertically corrected position until the non-shrink grout cures, four self-drilling screws  22  are installed in the sleeve of the foot assembly, one through each side of the foot assembly&#39;s sleeve and also through the corresponding wall of the structural column  12 .  
         [0028]     The structural beams  14  are then fastened to the structural columns  12 , one “C” shaped beam on each side of the structural column, according to the building&#39;s design. The top of the structural beams  14  are placed below the top of the column to accommodate the thickness of the composite floor decking  24  material and the thickness of the concrete  26  that will later be poured onto the composite decking  24 . This distance is often 4½″, though it can vary. The erector fastens the structural beams  14  to the structural column  12  with self-drilling screws  22  through the web of the structural beam and also through the wall of the structural column. The exact number of screws required is determined by the engineer, however the erector will temporarily NOT install any screws that are within approximately 6″ of the top of the structural column. This distance will also vary from project to project, according to the thickness of the concrete. These skipped screws will be installed later, after the internal column connectors are installed. After the structural beams  14  are installed, the composite floor decking  24  is installed over the structural beams. The composite floor decking  24  is cut as needed to fit around the structural columns  12 . The structural columns  12  will protrude through the decking  24  by an amount exactly equal to the intended thickness of the concrete  26 . The decking is fastened with self-drilling screws  22  through the decking and into the structural beams, as directed by the engineer.  
         [0029]     In preparation for the pouring of the concrete  26  over the composite floor decking  24 , all of the open tops of the structural columns  12  are temporarily sealed with durable adhesive tape to prevent concrete from flowing into the inside cavity of the structural column. The structural columns  12  must also be braced in an upright plumb position, either by the partition sheeting that will become part of the building or by temporary bracing. Standard concrete stop steel edging is installed around the edges of the composite deck as a termination for the concrete. The concrete  24  is poured to a depth that makes the top surface of the finished concrete level with the top of the structural columns  12 . The concrete is finished in a standard manner, as directed by the building&#39;s designer, and then allowed to cure.  
         [0030]     To continue with the erection process the erector cuts away the protective tape on the top of the structural column. The internal column connector  16  is driven into the top of each of the structural columns  12 . The internal column connectors  16  are designed to be a tight but sliding fit within the structural column  12 . The internal column connector is driven to a point that allows the previously skipped screws in the structural beams below the composite floor deck to now be installed through the beam, through the structural column and also through the wall of the internal column connector. The remaining portion of the internal column connector will protrude above the finished concrete floor. The next floor&#39;s structural columns  12  are then placed over the internal column connector and, where needed, driven down onto the internal column connector to insure they are in contact with the top of the column below. The structural columns are held plumb in all directions and the column is fastened to the internal column connector using self-drilling screws  22  through the wall of the structural column and also through the internal column connector. Adjusting for variations in the new floor&#39;s finished concrete surface is not needed because the new structural columns do not have their elevations controlled by the newly constructed floor, they are now in contact with the top of the column on the floor below. The erector, by accurately correcting the top elevations of only the ground floor columns insures that the remaining columns on all floors will have accurate elevations as well.  
         [0031]     Structural beams  12  are again fastened to these second floor structural columns using the same procedure as the ground floor. Additional floors above this second floor will simply repeat the second floor procedure to complete the designed number of floors.  
         [0032]     Obviously, many modifications may be made without departing from the basic spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than has been specifically described herein.