Building construction using braced frame slab assemblies having heavy perimeter rails

Abstract

This invention relates to the construction of a building using Braced Frame Slab Assemblies Having Heavy Perimeter Rails that comprise Floor Slab and Wall Slab Assemblies formed of heavy perimeter Rails, with Rail Frame Connectors, such as a plurality of heavy threaded screws, joining the heavy perimeter Rails to form the Floor Slabs and Wall Slabs. The Slab can then be equipped with joists for floors or studs for walls, and with structural sheathing to provide shear load carrying capacity. The Slab to Slab Connectors also secure juxtaposed Floor Slabs and Wall Slabs.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to the construction of a budding using Braced Frame Slab Assemblies Having Heavy Perimeter Rails that comprise Floor Slabs and Wall Slabs formed of heavy perimeter Rails, with Rail Frame Connectors joining the heavy perimeter Rails to form the Floor Slabs and Wall Slabs. Slab to Slab Connectors also secure juxtaposed Floor Slab and Wall Slabs. The structurally interconnected Slabs provide the required structural capacity for the building to resist high lateral shear loads. The prefabricated braced frame Floor Slabs and Wall Slabs can be placed into the building under construction using a crane or other load lifting mechanism.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe Housing Industry Today[0002]In the prior art, the stick-built building is a product that is either custom built according to individual specifications, or as a builder's spec, or constructed as one of a plurality of pre-existing models in a housing development. These buildings are ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]Significant time savings can be attained since this subassembly operation is weather independent and Slab Assemblies or large subassemblies can be produced, and then moved with a plurality of hoisting devices. Additionally, significant material cost savings are realized due to an ability to bulk purchase materials and supplies directly from manufacturers without mark-ups to middlemen. Since shipment is also direct from the manufacturers to the manufacturing site, there is far less breakage and damage losses because material handling has correspondingly been reduced. Labor savings are achieved by the hoisting devices which enable a worker to move large quantities of raw materials from the delivery vehicles to storage areas integral to the production lines and hence into the shell of each dwelling being assembled. The manufacturing operation is executed within the environmentally controlled volume that is encompassed by the exterior shell of the manufacturing facility. The use of precision tools, preformed jigs, substantial hoisting devices and hydraulic assemblies are justified and cost-effective since large numbers of quality dwellings are being produced in a short time frame. The use of substantial hoisting devices in the manufacturing facility reduces the labor content, speeds up the manufacturing process as well as enables the use of heretofore nontraditional structural concepts.

Problems solved by technology

There is a need for shear resistance in a wall, but large openings reduce the lateral (shear capacity) of the wall.

However, this solution is limited by the placement of windows and doors.

There are few architectural, structural or dimensional limitations with stick-built buildings like those imposed on modular and manufactured design by virtue of the roadway transportation limitations of manufactured structures.

While this method of construction has worked for many years, there are inherent inefficiencies in this method that result in significant cost penalties to the building buyer.

However, proper installation can be a problem using conventional methods.

The division of labor on job sites can result in improper connections.

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