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Methods of Constructing Buildings using steel containers

a technology of steel containers and buildings, applied in special buildings, building repairs, parkings, etc., can solve the problems of high cost of supply, high transportation cost, and insufficient strength and durability of typical construction,

Inactive Publication Date: 2013-01-31
BALFANTZ III GOTTFRIED
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a building made up of two shipping containers that are placed next to each other on a foundation. The containers have been removed from their original manufacturing process and have additional features such as a roof attached to them. The result is a building that is made up of interconnected shipping containers.

Problems solved by technology

Such supplies are often very costly.
Furthermore, typical construction may not be strong or durable enough in certain areas of the country more prone to earthquakes, hurricanes, and other serious weather.
However, the metal used in such construction is very heavy and expensive to transport.
Also, when using a traditional pre-fabricated metal building, there is a subsequent inability to expand the interior user space.
Furthermore, steel buildings are frequently not as aesthetically pleasing, and do not have the look or feel of a traditionally constructed building.
Consequently, it is oftentimes less expensive to buy new shipping containers in Asia than it is to ship the old containers back to the U.S. Moreover, the useful life of a standard shipping container is only about five (5) years.
Therefore, there is also a long-standing yet unmet need to design methods of using the shipping containers in new and novel ways.

Method used

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  • Methods of Constructing Buildings using steel containers
  • Methods of Constructing Buildings using steel containers
  • Methods of Constructing Buildings using steel containers

Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0022]In an example embodiment of the present invention, metal shipping containers or other suitable metal containers are used in combination with traditional construction methods and materials in order to produce a hybrid-construction building. In example embodiments, the shipping container(s) serve as strong structural elements of the building. Unlike more traditional, all-metal pre-fabricated buildings, hybrid-construction buildings look and feel more like traditional buildings, yet still have the advantages of a pre-fabricated metal building, including faster construction, simplified labor, and reduced construction costs.

[0023]The cost of purchasing the shipping containers is less than that of traditional construction materials, such as bricks and mortar. Furthermore, using the containers as the structural element of a building requires a smaller and less expensive foundation than traditional materials.

[0024]In exemplary embodiments, the shipping containers are used as modular e...

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PUM

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Abstract

A building is provided, comprising at least two shipping containers, said containers comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, and two opposed side walls, said containers being mounted to a foundation in a spaced-apart, parallel manner, wherein portions of the adjacent inner side walls of said containers are removed, and further wherein a roof is attached to the top walls of said containers.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 503,045, with a filing date of Jul. 27, 2011, which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference hereto.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to methods of constructing buildings for commercial and residential use, and in a particular though non-limiting embodiment, to a method of constructing buildings using a combination of standard construction materials and steel containers.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]There are many known methods in the art for constructing a building. Typically a building is constructed on-site, requiring many hours of skilled labor and using common construction supplies, such as brick, mortar, and lumber. Such supplies are often very costly. Furthermore, typical construction may not be strong or durable enough in certain areas of the country more prone to earthquakes, hurricanes,...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): E04H1/00
CPCE04B1/34315E04H1/005
Inventor BALFANTZ, III, GOTTFRIED
Owner BALFANTZ III GOTTFRIED