Patent Description:
Residential and commercial buildings need a foundation to shoulder the considerable weight of the building materials, provide a flat and level base for construction, and separate wood-based materials from contact with the ground, which would cause them to rot and be infested by termites.

Foundations are commonly constructed with concrete. First, a hole corresponding to the size of the foundation is dug in the ground to a desired depth based on the size and height of the area of the building that is below grade, such as a basement or crawl space. Once the dirt is removed, inner and outer forms made out of wood or steel, are erected along the perimeter of the building and are spaced apart based on the designated thickness of the foundation walls. After concrete is poured in the space between the inner and outer forms and sets, the inner and outer forms are removed to reveal the foundation. Next, additional forms are erected on the foundation to form the walls of the below-grade area. Installing the forms, pouring the concrete, allowing the concrete to set and then removing the forms takes several days and sometimes weeks. This adds significant time to the overall construction schedule for residential and commercial buildings as well as increases the construction costs.

It is a growing trend to construct multi-story residential buildings, using modular units, especially in crowded urban areas where heavy construction equipment has difficulty maneuvering. Modular construction reduces material waste, and since the units are assembled indoors at remote locations, labor costs and working conditions are more closely controlled. Such modules are remotely constructed and assembled, transported to the building site, then placed in position using a crane. Many modules are as long as <NUM>,<NUM> (<NUM> feet) and are assembled by stacking the modules vertically, side-by-side and end-to-end, thus providing a variety of configurations of a final building design. These modules, however, are typically made of lightweight materials that are typically not structurally strong enough for the vertical, lateral and shear forces applied to the foundation and below-grade walls by the surrounding dirt and by the weight of the building materials used to construct the floor or floors built above the below-grade area.

Thus, there is a need for a modular assembly for below-grade structures of residential and commercial buildings.

<CIT> discloses a reinforced basement space container/ basement space module including side walls that are attached in front of external walls of the basement space container/ basement space module. A front wall is attached by an adapted recess in a horizontal reinforcer of the front wall by steel hooks. The hooks are brought to the corresponding oppositely lying positions in a steel frame of the container/module.

The above-listed need is met or exceeded by the present modular assembly that is configured at least in preferred embodiments to be installed below grade and support one or more floors of a residential or commercial building. To save time and costs, the modular assembly is manufactured at a remote location and transported to a site for quick and easy installation in a below grade open area formed in the ground.

A modular assembly is provided and includes a modular frame to be installed at least partially below grade and at least two panels attached to the outer side of the modular frame, where the at least two panels are made of a material that withstands lateral, vertical and shear forces generated by surrounding below grade materials. The modular frame and the at least two panels are joined together as a unit prior to installation.

In another embodiment, a modular system for below-grade installation is provided and configured to support a multi-story building. The system includes at least two modular assemblies secured together as a unit, where each of the modular assemblies is configured to be installed at least partially below grade. The modular assemblies each include a modular frame and at least two panels attached to the modular frame, where the at least two panels are made of a material configured to withstand lateral, vertical and shear forces generated by surrounding below grade materials, and where the modular frame and at least two panels are joined together as a unit prior to installation.

Referring now to <FIG>, the present modular assembly <NUM> is constructed to be installed below ground level <NUM> for structural walls of an area that is below ground level or sub-grade, such as a basement, crawl space or cellar, of residential and commercial buildings. As shown in <FIG>, the modular assembly <NUM> is constructed at a remote location and then transported as a modular unit to a work site. Typically, as described above, a foundation and structural walls of a building are formed with poured concrete, which takes significant time due to the installation and removal of forms and additional time to allow the concrete to set and harden. The present modular assembly <NUM> significantly decreases the preparation and installation time because the structural walls are pre-fabricated and assembled as a modular unit at a remote location. When the modular assembly <NUM> arrives at a work site, it is positioned in a hole or area <NUM> dug for a building as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The modular assembly <NUM> may be positioned or placed on a foundation <NUM> as shown in <FIG> or on gravel or other sub-surface depending on the type of building being constructed.

Referring to <FIG>, the modular assembly <NUM> includes a modular frame <NUM> made of primary structural supports <NUM> and secondary structural supports <NUM>. The primary structural supports <NUM> are connected together by suitable fasteners to form the outer structure of the modular frame <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the primary structural supports <NUM> are made of iron, but may be made with another metal, wood or any suitable material. Also, the primary structural supports <NUM> are preferably <NUM>,<NUM> by <NUM>,<NUM> (two inch by twelve inch) supports with a designated length but may have any suitable thicknesses, dimensions and length. In <FIG>, the outer structure is made with individual primary structural supports <NUM>. Alternatively, two or more of the primary structural supports <NUM> may be connected together at the top, bottom or sides of the outer structure to enhance the strength and rigidity of the modular frame <NUM>.

After the outer structure of the modular frame <NUM> is assembled, a plurality of secondary structural supports <NUM>, i.e., studs, are attached between the upper and lower ends of the modular frame <NUM> to form the walls of the modular assembly <NUM>. The secondary structural supports <NUM> are <NUM>,<NUM> (two inches) by <NUM>,<NUM> (eight inches) and a desired length but may have any suitable thicknesses, dimensions and length. Also, the secondary structural supports <NUM> are made of cold-formed steel, but may be made with wood or any suitable material. In an embodiment, the secondary structural supports <NUM> may be attached between the walls at the upper end, lower end or both the upper and lower ends of the outer structure as structural support for installing a floor, a ceiling or both a floor and ceiling on the modular assembly <NUM>.

When the construction of the modular frame <NUM> is finished, a plurality of sub-grade panels <NUM> (<FIG>) are attached to the outer surface <NUM> (<FIG>) of the modular frame <NUM>. It should be appreciated that one or more of the panels <NUM> may be attached to the modular frame <NUM>. Preferably, at least two of the panels <NUM> are attached to the modular frame <NUM> to form a desired modular assembly <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the panels <NUM> is attached to the modular frame <NUM> using suitable fasteners, such as screws, that are driven through the outer surface of the panels and into the primary and/or secondary structural supports <NUM>, <NUM> of the modular frame <NUM> to secure the panels to the modular frame. Alternatively, the fasteners may be inserted through the primary and secondary structural supports <NUM>, <NUM> and then into the interior surfaces of the panels <NUM> to secure the panels to the modular frame <NUM>.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sub-grade panels <NUM> are made of a fiberglass reinforced cementitious material that is non-rotting, termite-resistant, mold-resistant and moisture-resistant (change in moisture content of less than <NUM>%). Further, the material used to form the panels <NUM> is stable, i.e., the panel will not buckle or warp like conventional wood sheathing, non-combustible and dimensionally stable and strong to support backfill loads of <NUM>,<NUM>/m<NUM> (<NUM> pounds per square foot) and greater, and to carry shear and gravity loads. Preferably, each panel <NUM> is configured to support a uniform load of up to <NUM>,<NUM>/m<NUM> (<NUM> pounds per square foot) when is the secondary structural supports <NUM> are spaced <NUM>,<NUM> (<NUM> inches) apart and shear wall design ratings of up to <NUM>,<NUM>/m (<NUM> pounds per linear foot). In the illustrated embodiment, the panels <NUM> each have a width of <NUM>,<NUM> (<NUM> feet) and a length of <NUM>,<NUM> (<NUM> feet) with a thickness of <NUM>/<NUM> (<NUM>) inches. The panels <NUM> may also have a thickness of <NUM>,<NUM> (<NUM>/<NUM> (<NUM>) inches). It should be appreciated that the panels <NUM> may have any suitable width, length and thickness based on desired construction specifications. Additionally, each panel <NUM> has a weight <NUM>,<NUM>/m<NUM> (<NUM> pounds per square foot). which is significantly less than the weight of concrete walls used for conventional below-grade areas of residential and commercial buildings. The lighter weight of the panels <NUM> also makes transport and installation of the modular assemblies <NUM> easier and less expensive.

In an embodiment, the physical and mechanical properties of the sub-grade panels <NUM> are described in the following table:.

Additionally, in applications where plywood is typically used as on the exterior or interior of a wall, floor or ceiling, the sub-grade panels <NUM> may be used instead of plywood in accordance with the ANSI PWF-Specification and the CAN CSA S406 Specification.

As shown in <FIG>, the modular assembly <NUM> is placed on a foundation <NUM>, which may be one or more foundation walls or supports, where the entire assembly is at least partially below grade to form a sub-grade area, such as a basement, of a residential or commercial building. In this embodiment, a waterproof membrane or waterproof coating <NUM> is applied to the exterior surfaces of the modular assembly <NUM> to inhibit moisture and water from penetrating the panels <NUM> and the seams between the panels and entering the interior space of the modular assembly. Additionally, as described below, the interior portion of the walls of the modular assembly <NUM> may be finished with insulation <NUM> placed in the spaces formed between the primary and secondary structural supports, and/or interior panels, such as wallboard panels, attached to the inner surfaces of the primary and secondary structural supports. In another embodiment, the insulation <NUM> is placed on the exterior or outer surface of the modular assembly between the waterproof membrane/coating <NUM> and the surrounding backfill soil.

Referring to <FIG>, each modular assembly <NUM> preferably includes at least four walls <NUM> made with the primary and secondary structural supports <NUM>, <NUM> as described above. A plurality of the panels <NUM> are attached to the modular assembly <NUM> to form a modular structure having solid outer walls. The modular assembly <NUM> shown in <FIG> has a rectangular shape but it is contemplated that the modular assembly may have any suitable shape or combination of shapes. <FIG> and <FIG> show different embodiments of the modular assembly. For example, <FIG> shows a modular assembly <NUM> having one open side <NUM>, i.e., there are no secondary structural supports or panels attached to this side of the modular assembly. This modular assembly <NUM> may be positioned adjacent to or connected to another modular assembly for form a large sub-grade area. It should be appreciated that two or more of the modular assemblies may be positioned adjacent to and/or connected together to form a larger modular assembly. In another alternative embodiment shown in <FIG>, the modular assembly <NUM> has two open sides <NUM>. It should be appreciated that one or more of the sides of the modular assembly may be open sides and/or a portion of the walls of the modular assembly may have openings, such as for windows, doorways or stairwells.

Typically, openings and holes are formed in structural below grade or sub-grade walls to enable water pipes, electrical pipes or other structures to extend through the walls. In conventional concrete walls, such openings and holes must be cut after the concrete has set. The cutting of the concrete walls requires a concrete blade and/or drill bit and generates a significant amount of dust that is hazardous to the person cutting the walls and also creates a lot of dust. The panels of the present modular assembly <NUM> are made to withstand the shear, lateral and vertical loads from the surrounding ground materials used as backfill, such as dirt, rock and gravel, and above grade construction while enabling conventional blades and drill bits, such as carbide-tipped blades and bits, to be used to cut openings and holes in the panels. In this way, the panels <NUM> of the below-grade modular assembly <NUM> are much easier to cut and generate significantly less dust.

Referring to <FIG>, in another embodiment, the modular assembly <NUM> includes a modular frame <NUM> and a plurality of panels <NUM> secured to the modular frame as described above. In this embodiment, the modular assembly <NUM> also includes a finished interior walls <NUM> having a plurality of wallboard panels <NUM> secured to the modular frame <NUM> adjacent to the inner surfaces of the panels <NUM>. The finished interior walls <NUM> may also include tile, carpet or any suitable combination of finishing materials. In the illustrated embodiment, the seams of the wallboard panels <NUM> are taped and filled with joint compound and coated with at least a primer. It should be appreciated that the inner surfaces of the wallboard panels <NUM> may also be painted so that the modular assembly <NUM> is completely finished when it is installed on a foundation or other underlying surface.

Claim 1:
A modular assembly (<NUM>) for below-grade, comprising:
a modular frame (<NUM>) to be installed at least partially below grade; and
a layer of at least two fiberglass reinforced cementitious panels (<NUM>) attached to an outer side of said modular frame (<NUM>) to form an outermost side of the modular assembly, said cementitious panels (<NUM>) being made of a material configured to withstand lateral, vertical and shear forces generated by surrounding below grade materials, wherein each of said plurality of cementitious panels (<NUM>) is configured to withstand a uniform lateral load of up to <NUM>,<NUM>/m<NUM> (<NUM> pounds per square foot)
wherein said modular frame (<NUM>) and said cementitious panels (<NUM>) are joined together as a unit prior to installation.