Abstract:
A substructure and method of forming same for a building assembled from relatively large prefabricated box-shaped elements which are transported on highways to the building site. A concrete base slab is formed either by pouring or precast parts on an excavated building site. Large, heavy concrete substructure sections are transported by truck, tractor trailer or other transport to near the slab, but out of the excavation, where they are orientated with their longitudinal axes parallel to their desired position in the completed building. A plurality of truss-type beams are placed to form a bridge from the truck bed to the slab and pulleys are placed in anchors previously provided on the far end of the slab proximate its sides. Cables, connected on each side of the section remote from the slab, are led through the pulleys and back to a winch on the transport by means of which the section is caused to slide off the transport, across the bridge and the slab to the far end of the slab. This is repeated for successive substructure sections which are thus placed on the slab in an abutting relationship. The seams between them are filled and supporting columns are provided in two rows in the substructure so formed. Slideways are provided on top of the substructure across which building elements are passed and which provide a crawl space between the substructure and the overlying building structure for water, gas, plumbing and electrical lines.

Description:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 393,023 filed Aug. 30, 1973, now abandoned. 
    
    
     This invention relates to building substructures. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of forming at least part of the substructure of a building, wherein the method includes the step of employing at least one prefabricated three-dimensional section or unit. 
    
    
     For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevation illustrating the installation of a building substructure by a method in accordance with one aspect of the invention, 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the completed substructure of FIGS. 1 and 2, 
     FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line IV--IV of FIG. 3, 
     FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line V--V of FIG. 3, 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation, to an enlarged scale, showing details of the connection of a slideway to a transporter at the location indicated by an arrow VI in FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevation, to an enlarged scale, showing the connection of the opposite end of the slideway to a foundation at the location indicated by an arrow VII in FIG. 1, and 
     FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevation, to an enlarged scale, illustrating details of an anchorage to the foundation. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 thereof illustrates a foundation slab 1 upon which four prefabricated three-dimensional concrete sections or units 2, 3, 4 and 5 are arranged in juxtaposed neighboring relationship. A fifth section 6 is required to complete the substructure of the building that is to be erected and this section 6 is shown in FIG. 1 on a vehicular transporter 30 awaiting displacement to its appointed position alongside the section or unit 5. The complete assembled substructure comprising the five sections or units 2 to 6 inclusive and the underlying foundation slab 1 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. 
     The substructure is formed in the following manner. The foundation slab 1 is formed from concrete at a desired level below that of the surrounding terrain which desired level, in the illustrated embodiment, is substantially 2.5 meters beneath that of the surrounding terrain. The slab 1 is formed from concrete and has a flat horizontal upper surface with a shape and area which substantially corresponds to those of a lower region of the building that is to be erected. In the illustrated embodiment, the slab 1 has a width 12 of substantially 13 meters and a length 13 of substantially 14 meters. It is emphasized that, while the foundation slab 1 may alone constitute the foundation of the building that is to be erected, said slab 1 may actually be disposed on top of underlying elements such as piles, beams or the like. This will be decided in each particular case by the nature and location of the ground upon which the building is to be erected in accordance with established surveying and associated techniques. The height and consequential weight of the building that is to be erected must also be taken into consideration. Once the foundation slab 1 is complete, the prefabricated sections 2 to 6 inclusive are disposed thereon. These sections are supplied, ready made, to the building site from vehicular transporters such as the diagrammatically illustrated transporter 30 and it will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings that each transporter 30 is stationed at the building site with its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to one side of the foundation slab 1. A bridge-like slideway 7 is arranged between the load-supporting surface of the transporter 30 and the nearest side or edge of the foundation slab 1, said slideway 7 consisting, in this embodiment, of 4 similar portions 8, 9, 10 and 11 that are arranged in parallel but regularly spaced apart relationship as can be seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings. 
     Each of the portions 8 to 11 of the slideway 7, as can be seen in respect of the portion 8 thereof in FIG. 1 of the drawings, consists of a girder framework at the top of which is disposed a slide beam. It is preferred that the slide beams of the outer portions 8 and 11 should be provided with upright guide rims so that the sections of the substructure can move downwardly along the slideway 7 with guidance against excessive lateral displacement by the rims that have just been mentioned. Each of the slideway portions 8 to 11 inclusive is provided at its upper end where it joins the transporter 30 with a corresponding coupling member 31 (FIG. 6). The coupling member 31 is in the form of a pin that is arranged to be received in a holder 32 of the transporter and to be retained in that holder by a transverse locking pin 33. The locking pin 33 is entered through a transverse slot 29 in the coupling member 31 so that some degree of movement of the member 31 relative to the holder 32 will be possible to facilitate easy connection of the slideway 7 to successive transporters at any particular building site. 
     The lowermost end of each portion 8 to 11 inclusive of the slideway 7 is provided with a corresponding rightangled coupling plate 34 (FIG. 7) that embraces the adjacent edge or rim 35 of the foundation slab 1. The foundation slab 1 may, if considered necessary, be provided with means by which the coupling plate 34 or alternative coupling members can be positively connected to that slab. Winches 36 (FIG. 1) are provided beneath the loadsupporting surface of the transporter 30 adjacent both the front and the rear of that transporter. The foundation slab 1 is provided with co-operating anchorages 37 and 38 (FIGS. 3 and 2) and the details of the anchorage 37 are shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings. The anchorage or fastening means 37 comprises a strong metallic loop firmly embedded in the concrete of the slab 1 but with a portion thereof projecting upwardly into a downward recess in the upper surface of the concrete of the slab. A pulley block 39 is releasably and pivotally connected to the anchorage 37 by an eye member 40. The pulley block 39 carries a rotatable pulley 41 and a winch cable 42 is guided around that pulley. A similar winch cable 43 indirectly co-operates with the anchorage 38 and with the winch 36 (now visible) that is located near the front of the transporter 30. The free ends of the cables 42 and 43 are releasably connected to the sections, such as the section or unit 6 illustrated in FIG. 1, carried by the transporter 30 and it will be noted that the releasable connection is located at the side of that section 6 that is farthest from the already assembled sections 2 to 5 inclusive. 
     Upon winding in the cables 42 and 43 of the winches 36, the section 6 will be displaced to the right as seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings and will move off the load-supporting surface of the transporter 30 and onto the upper end of the slideway 7. As the cables 42 and 43 are farther wound in, the section 6 will progress down the portions 8, 9 and 10 and 11 of the slideway 7 until it eventually arrives on the upper surface of the foundation slab 1. The winches 36 continue to be driven until the section 6 has eventually reached its appointed position alongside the section 5. The sections may, if considered necessary, be provided at the bottoms thereof with slide bars, slide blocks or the like which are so arranged that the sections slide principally on those bars or blocks during their displacement to their appointed positions in the substructure. It is also possible to furnish the foundation slab 1 itself with slideway or slide blocks to assist in the ready displacement of the sections or units without damage. The various slide bars, slide blocks and slide-ways that have just been mentioned may all be left in the sections or units or in the foundation slab 1 when the sections or units 2 to 6 inclusive have reached their final appointed positions in the substructure. The foundations slab 1 may be provided with upright rims for co-operation with the sections 2 to 6 in such a way that said sections fit between the upright rims which thus constitute lateral guides. 
     The cables 42 and 43 push the sections 2 to 6 inclusive into successive abutting relationship with one another because, as noted above, the free ends of the cables 42 and 43 are releasably connected to the sides of the successive sections that are furthest remote from the anchorages 37 and 38. Those sides of the sections 2 to 6 inclusive may be provided with coupling means by which the cables 42 and 43 may be temporarily connected thereto or, alternatively, at least one clamp or the like may be provided for connecting the cables 42 and 43 temporarily to the successive sections. The cables 42 and 43 are disposed along the shortest sides or ends of the sections or units 2 to 6 during an operation such as that indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawings and the anchorages 37 and 38 are disposed in positions which are such that said anchorages will be close to the opposite shorter sides or end of the section 2 once that section has reached its appointed position. The anchorages 37 and 38 are thus disposed quite close to that side or edge of the foundation slab 1 that is farthest from the unloading position of each transporter 30 and in the region of which the first section 2 comes to rest in its final appointed position. The anchorages 37 and 38 are, of course, so disposed that the winch cables 42 and 43 can be employed to displace the section the foundation slab 1 for the full distance that is required to bring that section or unit to its appointed position. When the section 2 has reached its appointed position, the anchorages 37 and 38 are still perpendicularly spaced from a substantially vertical plane containing the side of the section 2 that is closest to the slideway 7 by a distance 44 that can be seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings. It will be realized that the vertical side of the section 2 that has just been mentioned is the side at which the temporary connections of the winch cables 42 and 43 to that section are made during the displacement thereof. The winches 36, their cables 42 and 43 and the anchorages 37 and 38 together afford displacing members by which, in this embodiment, the sections 2 to 6 inclusive are successively moved from the transporters 30 to their appointed positions on top of the foundation slab 1. Seams between the abutting sections 2 to 6 inclusive are closed when those sections are brought into substantial contact with one another or during subsequent operations or both. A seal 45 (FIG. 4) is provided around the foot of the sections 2 to 6 inclusive at the junction thereof with the upper surface of the foundation slab 1. Moisture is thus excluded from the floor 17 of the substructure which floor is afforded by the bottoms of the six sections 2 to 6 inclusive. 
     Each of the sections or units 2 or 6 inclusive is of elongated configuration and has a length 14 which may be substantially 12 meters, a width 15 which may be substantially 2.5 meters and a height 16 that may be substantially 3 meters. These dimensions are, of course, given purely by way of example and other dimensions may be chosen when required. Each of the sections 2 to 6 inclusive substantially encloses a space and said sections may thus be considered as being prefabricated building sections or room units. The enclosed spaces are all part of the interior of the substructure. It can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings (in relation to the section 2) that each section or unit comprises, in addition to its floor 17, two substantially vertical walls 18 and 19 that define the opposite shorter sides or ends of the section concerned. 
     The top of each section is completely closed by a corresponding roof ceiling 20 that is, in fact, located at a vertical distance 21 (FIG. 5) of substantially 60 centimeters beneath a horizontal plane containing the uppermost edges of the walls 18 and 19. The section 2 is an end section or unit of the substructure and is therefore provided at its outermost long side with a vertical wall 22 the height of which is the same as that of the walls 18 and 19. The opposite longer side of the section or unit 2 that adjoins the section 3 is, however, completely open and it will be seen from the drawings that the interior three sections 3, 4 and 5 each have only their floors 17, their upright walls 18 and 19 and their roofs or ceilings 20. The section 6 at the opposite end of the substructure from the section 2 is substantially symmetrically identical to the section 2. There are thus no walls that are parallel to the walls 22 between the outer longer sides of the farthest remote sections 2 and 6. 
     The sections 2 to 6 are prefabricated principally from concrete which may, however, include mesh, rods or other reinforcements. The concrete may, if desired, be pre-stressed. Although it is preferred to make the sections wholly or principally from concrete, the sections may, if desired, include metal beams or other elements. Such beams can be arranged so that they will not have surfaces that are exposed at the exterior of the assembled substructure. It is not essential that the sections should be completely closed at the top by the roofs ceilings 20. They may, as an alternative, be wholly or partly open at the top. Moreover, the internal spaces that are enclosed by the sections may be sub-divided into two or more smaller spaces by at least one internal wall or partition that is preferrably arranged in the section concerned during the prefabrication thereof. The superstructure 61 of a building that is to be erected is assembled on top of the substructure afforded by the sections 2 to 6, the tops of those sections or units being constructed to carry the required superstructure. 
     The substructure that has been described is particularly suitable for carrying a superstructure 61 of prefabricated three-dimensional building sections. The building sections or room units of the superstructure may be slidably displaced into their appointed positions on top of the substructure and the upper edges of the walls 18 and 19 of the sections 2 to 6 inclusive can, for this purpose, be constructed to afford guiding slideways. In order to furnish additional support for the overlying superstructure 61 between the walls 18 and 19, the sections 2 to 6 inclusive are provided with supporting columns 46 and 47 such as those illustrated at the side of the section 2 remote from its wall 22. In this embodiment, the columns 46 and 47 divide the length 14 of each section into three substantially equal parts by this is not, of course, essential and alternative positionings of the columns 46 and 47 are possible. The sections 3, 4 and 5 that are all sandwiched between further sections and which accordingly have completely open longer sides, have supporting columns 48 and 49 at one of those longer sides and further supporting columns 50 and 51 at the opposite longer side. The supporting columns 48 to 51 inclusive register with the columns 46 and 47 in horizontal directions that are parallel to the planes of the walls 18 and 19 and it will be evident that the supporting columns considerably increase the rigidity of the sections and assist in sustaining the roofs or ceilings 20. Connections 52 and 53 (FIG. 3) extend parallel to the walls 18 and 19 between the tops of pairs of columns such as the pairs 48 and 51 on one hand and 49 and 50 on the other. The connections 52 and 53 are preferably located in such positions that their tops are substantially level with the tops of the walls 18 and 19. The connections 52 and 53 constitute substantially horizontally aligned supporting beams that extend throughout substantially the whole of the length 13 of the substructure. As previously mentioned, the upper edges of the walls 18 and 19 may be formed as guiding slideways by the use of upright rims or the like so that the building sections of the overlying superstructure can be displaced slideably therealong to their appointed positions. 
     When the sections 2 to 6 inclusive are intended for use in a substructure on which a superstructure is to be built from a plurality of prefabricated building sections, it is advantageous to construct the slideway portions 8, 9, 10 and 11 with coupling plates 34 or other coupling means that can be releasably connected to the upper edge of the outer long wall 22 of the section 6. Suitably co-operating coupling members may be provided for this purpose at or near the upper edge of the wall 22 concerned. With such a construction, it is possible to use the bridge-like slideway 7 to move building sections of the superstructure from successive transporters 30 into their appointed positions on top of the sections 2 to 6 inclusive of the substructure. The slideway portions 9 and 10 will be connected to the top of the wall 22 of the section 6 in positions that they are in line with the previously described connections 52 and 53 whereas the portions 8 and 11 of the slideway 7 will be disposed so as to be substantially in line with the walls 18 and 19. The winch cables 42 and 43 can again be employed in substantially the same manner as has already been described but, in the case of the superstructure, the pulley blocks 39 will co-operate with alternative anchorages disposed on the top 55 (FIG. 3) of the section 2. 
     The foundation slab 1 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings as being a concrete slab that is cast in situ. However, as an alternative, the foundation may be formed by assembling a plurality of prefabricated concrete plates 60 (FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings) in juxtaposed relationship. Such plates 60 are preferably of oblong configuration and are arranged with their maximum lengths perpendicular to the lengths 14 of the sections 2 to 6 inclusive. This is not, however, essential and they may be square as seen in plan. In either case, they preferably have the inverted shallow channel-shaped cross-sectional configuration that can be seen in FIG. 5 of the drawings. Although it is preferred to displace the sections 2 to 6 to their appointed positions in the substructure in directions that are substantially parallel to their widths 15, this is not essential and it is equally possible to displace them in directions that are substantially parallel to their lengths 14. Under such circumstances, the successive transporters 30 will be located with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the length 13 of the foundation slab 1 and a suitably dimensioned slideway will be arranged to extend between the rear end of each transporter 30 and an appropriate location at an edge of the foundation 1. It is noted that the space above each roof ceiling 20 and below the floor 62 of the superstructure 61, which space has the height 21 shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, can be employed for the reception of pipes and conduits for water, gas, electricity and so on and for waste discharge pipes and the like. The space in question may have sufficient dimensions to enable operatives to crawl therethrough. 
     The method of making a substructure that has been described is particularly convenient in use when that substructure is to be disposed in an excavation so that at least the foundation thereof will be located beneath the general level of the surrounding terrain. The sections of the substructure can be simply and easily moved by the cables 42 and 43 of the winches 36 along the slideway 7 and into their appointed positions in the substructure. The slideway 7 and its associated parts are required only temporarily during the erection of a building and they can readily be placed in position before the major building operation commences. Similarly, they can quickly and easily be removed once the building is complete. It will be noted particularly that no cranes are employed since, when at least the foundation of a building that is to be erected is located in a pit or other excavation, great care must be exercised in the use of cranes inasmuch as they cannot be arranged too close to the edge of that pit or other excavation and because the heavy weight of prefabricated concrete sections prevents the use of most cranes that might possibly otherwise be employed to lift the sections from transporters and swing them to location substantially vertically above their appointed positions. By excluding cranes from the method that has been described, the weights of the various sections or units are rendered much less important and heavy concrete sections be brought to their appointed positions on foundations without difficulty. For example, sections or units having individual weight of as much as 30 tons can be handled readily by a method in accordance with the invention and can be brought to their appointed positions on the foundation slab 1 without difficulty. A substructure of sections that has been formed substantially wholly from concrete is particularly desirable when that substructure is to be located wholly or principally, as in the embodiment which has been described by way of example, beneath the general level of the surrounding terrain. Such a substructure will generally be substantially completely surrounded by soil when the building is finished and it will be evident that it is particularly suitable for use as the cellar of a building. 
     In the embodiment which has been described by way of example, the sections 2 to 6 inclusive are formed with small windows 63 which are so positioned that they will eventually be located just above ground level. At least one cellar door and or other openings may, if required, be provided in appropriate sections. Even if the substructure of a building that is to be erected is to be located wholly or principally above the general level of the surrounding terrain, it is still advantageous to form that substructure from sections or units that are wholly or principally of a concrete construction. The co-operation of the bottoms of the sections directly with an underlying supporting foundation ensures a firm and satisfactory support of the substructure. 
     Although various features of the method of assembly of a substructure that has been described and or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and various features of the apparatus used in that method will be set forth in the following claims as inventive features, it is emphasized that the invention is not necessarily limited to those features and that it includes within its scope all of the steps in the method that has been described or illustrated or both in the accompanying drawings and each part of the apparatus that has been described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings both individually and in various combinations.