Modular building unit

Abstract

The present application discloses a modular building unit (10), a modular building assembly (12) comprising the modular building unit, a building (28) comprising the modular building unit / assembly, and a method of constructing a building comprising the modular building unit. The modular building unit (10) comprises a structural frame (16). The structural frame comprises: a floor frame portion (18) having a first depth (D1), the floor frame portion being configured for supporting a planar floor structure (104); a ceiling frame portion (20) having a second depth (D2); and a support structure (22) extending between and connecting the floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion. A ratio of a first depth (D1) of the floor frame portion to a second depth (D2) of the ceiling frame portion is at least about 1: 3. The modular building unit defines a circulation space (42) configured for providing at least one access function for a building containing the modular building unit. The building may be a hybrid residential building including a first building site (36) and a second building site (38). The first building site (36) is built on site at the final building location (40). A second building site (38) comprising the modular building unit (10). The first building part and the second building part are connected at a final position to form a building.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a modular building unit, a modular building component including the modular building unit, a building including the modular building unit / component, and a method of constructing a building including the modular building unit (particularly a hybrid building). Specifically, but not limited to, this application relates to a modular building unit including a structural frame having a floor frame portion, a ceiling frame portion, and a support structure extending between the floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion and connecting the floor frame portion to the ceiling frame portion. Background Technology

[0002] Prefabricated buildings (also known as “modular” buildings) are widely known in the construction industry, especially modular residential buildings such as houses, English or American apartments, and hotels. Modular buildings typically consist of a series of building units constructed in a factory, transported to the building’s final location (or site), and then arranged and connected together in a predetermined configuration to form the finished building. Modular building units are often constructed in a factory in a basic assembled form before being transported to the final location. The construction of a building may involve stacking one or more upper modular building units on top of lower modular building units so that the lower units support the upper units.

[0003] The applicant has developed a hybrid building comprising a first building section constructed at the final location of the building, and a second building section comprising one or more modular building units constructed in a dedicated facility located away from the final location. This type of hybrid building offers the advantages of simplified construction of the first building section, providing a more complex portion of the building within the section formed by the modular building units; and the first building section providing the main living spaces within the building without being constrained by construction and transportation limitations imposed on the modular building units. Hybrid buildings and related construction techniques are disclosed in International Patent Publications WO2022 / 243696, WO2022 / 243695, WO2022 / 243694, WO2022 / 243693, and WO2023 / 222853.

[0004] Most modular building units comprise a structural frame that includes a floor section, a ceiling section, and a supporting structure. The supporting structure connects the ceiling section to the floor section and transfers structural loads from the ceiling section to the floor section. Modular building units are typically quadrilateral (e.g., rectangular) in plan view. The supporting structure includes supporting columns or load-bearing columns extending between the floor and ceiling sections. Supporting columns are typically located at the corners of the unit, with additional columns provided around the perimeter. The supporting structure may also include lateral reinforcing struts extending between at least some of the supporting columns. Walls are formed by attaching wall panels or sheet metal to the supporting columns. Options for the supporting structure include metal frames, which can be cold-formed (e.g., lightweight steel), hot-formed (e.g., hot-rolled steel), or a combination of both. Hot-formed metal frames can provide a structure with sufficient rigidity, thus eliminating the need for additional peripheral supporting columns and reinforcing struts (or reducing the number of columns / struts). Other options include timber-based frames.

[0005] The floor portion of existing modular building units is relatively deep (from a vertical perspective) and is typically deeper than its ceiling portion. The floor portion usually comprises a frame formed by multiple beams and / or joists, with a depth that can be 30 cm (almost 12") or greater. This deep floor frame has traditionally been necessary because the modular building units forming the lowest level or floor of a building are usually situated on a concrete foundation. Therefore, a thick layer of insulation must be incorporated within the floor portion itself to reduce heat transfer between the foundation and the modular building units. The deep floor frame is considered essential to provide structural rigidity, including during transport.

[0006] Modular building units with deep floor frames can pose problems in the aforementioned types of hybrid buildings, including the challenge of matching the floor level of the building portion formed by the modular building units to that formed by the portion already constructed at the final building location. Furthermore, the ceiling frames of existing modular building units may also be relatively deep. When modular building units are stacked to form multi-story buildings, this can result in a very deep structure at the intersection between the ceiling of the lower unit and the floor of the upper unit. This complicates the staircase transitions between units and also affects material usage, weight, and cost. Understandably, these problems also exist in fully modular buildings, including the need to take measures during construction to accommodate deep floors. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to a first aspect of this application, a modular building unit including a structural frame is provided, the structural frame comprising: A floor frame portion having a first depth, the floor frame portion being configured to support a planar floor structure; A ceiling frame section with a second depth; and A support structure that extends between the floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion and connects the floor frame portion to the ceiling frame portion; Wherein, the ratio of the first depth of the floor frame portion to the second depth of the ceiling frame portion is at least approximately 1:3; Furthermore, the modular building unit optionally defines a circulation space, which is configured to provide at least one passageway function for the building including the modular building unit.

[0008] The depth of the floor and ceiling frame sections can be determined or measured approximately vertically. Alternatively, the vertical height of the floor and ceiling frame sections (and / or portions thereof) can be referenced.

[0009] Providing modular building units with the aforementioned depth relationship can offer specific benefits in hybrid buildings of the above types. This includes facilitating the matching of the floor level of the building portion comprising the modular building unit with the floor level of the building portion already constructed in its final location. For example, the portion formed by the modular building unit and the portion already constructed in its final location can rely on a common foundation. It may be desirable to maintain a common (or uniform) floor level within the constructed building to avoid variations in floor height between building portions. Providing floor and ceiling frame portions with this depth relationship allows the depth of the floor frame portion to be relatively shallow, thus requiring only adaptation to small height differences. This can provide additional benefits in terms of material and cost savings. Furthermore, setting the depth of the floor and ceiling frame portions to have the aforementioned ratio allows the ceiling frame portion to be relatively deep without adversely affecting the depth of the floor frame portion. This allows the ceiling frame portion to provide most of the structural strength for the modular building unit and provides space to accommodate, for example, utilities / building service equipment such as: wastewater pipes for wet area facilities provided in the upper modular building unit stacked on top of the lower modular building unit; water supply pipes; ventilation ducts; and electrical and communication cables. Shallow floor framing can also help reduce the structural depth at the intersection between the ceiling of the lower modular building unit and the floor of the upper modular building unit.

[0010] The ratio of the first depth to the second depth can be as high as approximately 1:6. The ratio can range from approximately 1:3 to approximately 1:6. Ratios falling within this range provide a good balance between the relatively thin floor framing and ceiling framing sections, which provide most of the structural strength for the modular building units and / or spaces to accommodate the required utilities / building service equipment. However, this ratio can exceed 1:6, for example, up to approximately 1:7, or up to approximately 1:8.

[0011] The first depth of the floor frame portion can be up to about 70 mm (~2.756”). A floor frame portion with this depth may be relatively shallow and may be much shallower than the floor frame portions of existing modular building units. In a hybrid building comprising a first section constructed in the final location and a second section comprising modular building units, the floor level of the first section can be raised to the floor level of the second section by applying, for example, cement mortar to the floor support structure of the first section. It may be preferable to limit the first depth to up to about 70 mm, which may be the maximum optimal height of such mortar. The first depth can be up to about 50 mm (~1.968”). The first depth can be in the range of about 50 mm to about 70 mm. A depth in the range of about 50 mm may be preferred.

[0012] The second depth of the ceiling frame portion can be at least about 150 mm (~5.906”). The second depth can be up to about 300 mm (~11.811”), optionally up to about 350 mm, and optionally up to about 400 mm. The second depth can range from about 150 mm to about 300 mm. A depth in the range of about 250 mm to about 260 mm may be preferred.

[0013] Modular building units with such floor and ceiling frame sections and first and second depths can provide a good balance of advantages, for example, in minimizing disturbances to accommodate the floor frame section and / or minimizing the structural depth at the transition between the lower and upper modular building units, while providing sufficient strength for the ceiling frame section and / or depth within the ceiling frame section to accommodate utility / building service equipment.

[0014] The first depth of the floor frame portion can be defined by one or more portions of the floor frame portion that are in the load path. The second depth of the ceiling frame portion can be defined by one or more portions of the ceiling frame portion that are in the load path. The load path (which can be a direct load path) can be a load path that is transferred (or passes through) from the ceiling frame portion to the floor frame portion via the supporting structure during normal use of the modular building unit. The load path can be used to transfer loads from other (e.g., upper) modular building units stacked on or situated on the modular building unit, and / or the loads of the modular building unit itself. For the purposes of this analysis, the depth relationship between D1 and D2 can be determined based on the structure that is in or on the load path. Accordingly, D1 can be based on the depth or height of one or more portions of the floor frame portion that are in or on the load path, while D2 can be based on the depth or height of one or more portions of the ceiling frame portion that are in or on the load path.

[0015] Modular building units can be roughly quadrilaterals, rectangles, or cuboids in a floor plan.

[0016] The floor frame portion may include a floor frame. A first depth of the floor frame portion may be defined or described by the floor frame. The floor frame may have an upper surface. The floor frame may have a lower surface. The first depth may be defined between the upper and lower surfaces. The floor frame may include, and / or may be formed or defined by, multiple elongated frame members. The elongated frame members may define the upper and / or lower surfaces. The floor frame may include a peripheral frame structure (or annular member / structure), which may include elongated beams. The peripheral frame structure may include a first side beam and a second side beam, which may be arranged substantially parallel to each other. The peripheral frame structure may include a first end beam and a second end beam, which may be arranged substantially parallel to each other. The first side beam and the second side beam, as well as the first end beam and the second end beam, may collectively form or define most or all of the peripheral frame structure. The floor frame may include at least one support beam that extends in a direction between the first end beam and the second end beam and is disposed between the side beams. The floor frame may include at least one support beam extending in the following direction: between a first side beam and a second side beam; or between one of the first and second side beams and a support beam extending between end beams. The floor frame may include a plurality of elongated joists. At least one joist may extend in the direction between the first and second side beams. At least one joist may be configured to have a depth different from (e.g., less than) the depth of the beams forming the peripheral frame structure (the beams having a first depth).

[0017] The floor frame can be configured to support a planar floor structure. The planar floor structure can define the floor of modular building units. The planar floor structure may include one or more planar floor panels, or may be defined by one or more planar floor panels. The first depth of the floor frame portion may exclude the planar floor structure, other structures or insulating materials located on the floor structure, and / or any decorative floor finishes or coverings (e.g., carpet or tile) located on the floor structure.

[0018] The ceiling frame portion may include a ceiling frame. A second depth of the ceiling frame portion may be defined or described by the ceiling frame. The ceiling frame may have an upper surface configured to support another modular building unit stacked on or situated on a modular building unit. The ceiling frame may have a lower surface situated on a supporting structure. A second depth may be defined between the upper and lower surfaces. The ceiling frame may include, and / or may be formed or defined by, multiple elongated frame members. The elongated frame members may define the upper and / or lower surfaces. The ceiling frame may include a peripheral frame structure, which may include elongated beams. The peripheral frame structure may include a first side beam and a second side beam, which may be configured to be substantially parallel to each other. The peripheral frame structure may include a first end beam and a second end beam, which may be configured to be substantially parallel to each other. The first side beam and the second side beam, as well as the first end beam and the second end beam, may together form or define most or all of the peripheral frame structure. The ceiling frame may include at least one support beam that may extend in a direction between the first end beam and the second end beam and be arranged between the side beams. The ceiling frame may include multiple elongated joists. At least one joist may extend in the direction between the first side beam and the second side beam. At least one joist may be configured to have a depth different from (e.g., less than) the depth of the beams forming the peripheral frame structure.

[0019] The ceiling frame portion may include at least one mounting member, and may include multiple mounting members. The mounting member can be used to mount another modular building unit (e.g., an upper modular building unit) onto the modular building unit. At least one mounting member may project or extend from the upper surface or extent of one or more frame members constituting part of the ceiling frame. At least one mounting member may extend upward and / or in a generally vertical direction, optionally away from the upper surface / extension of the ceiling frame member. At least one mounting member may be in the form of a block, post, strut, dowel, or stud.

[0020] At least one mounting member, particularly its upper surface, can be configured to contact the lower surface of another (e.g., upper) modular building unit stacked on or situated on a modular building unit, particularly the lower surface of the floor frame of that other unit. This provides the advantage that a gap, space, or clearance can be formed between two modular building units using at least one mounting member, which can accommodate, for example, utility / building service equipment, such as sewage pipes as described above. The gap can be created with minimal additional structure, thus saving cost and weight. A second depth can be defined between the upper surface of the mounting member and the lower surface of one or more ceiling sections (which can be defined by the ceiling frame, particularly by the lower surface of its elongated frame members). At least one mounting member can be coupled to or provided by the ceiling frame (e.g., integrated into the ceiling frame). Multiple mounting members can be present, spaced apart around the perimeter of the modular building unit defined by the ceiling frame. Mounting members can be provided at each corner of the modular building unit defined by the ceiling frame. Ceiling frame sections can include multiple mounting members. An opening can be provided between a pair of adjacent mounting members through which utility / building service equipment can pass. Multiple holes can be provided, each defined between a pair of adjacent mounting components.

[0021] The ceiling frame may include or may define load transfer points. These load transfer points can be configured to transfer loads to the supporting structure. Loads can be applied by other (e.g., upper) modular building units, which may be stacked or situated on top of other modular building units.

[0022] The load-transfer point may include the ceiling frame. The load-transfer point may include at least one mounting component.

[0023] The ceiling frame portion, particularly its ceiling frame itself, can be configured to support a planar ceiling structure. The planar ceiling structure can define the ceiling of a modular building unit. The planar ceiling structure may include one or more planar ceiling panels, or may be defined by one or more planar ceiling panels. A second depth of the ceiling frame portion may exclude the planar ceiling structure, other structural or insulating materials connected to the planar ceiling structure, and / or any decorative finishes or coverings (e.g., cement coating) applied to the planar ceiling structure.

[0024] This article discusses the ceiling frame portion and the ceiling of a modular building unit. The ceiling frame portion (and ceiling) should be understood as the superstructure that covers or encloses the interior space of the modular building unit. It should be understood that the ceiling frame portion of a modular building unit typically does not provide a weatherproof roof structure to prevent, for example, water from entering the modular building unit. For example, a separate roof structure can be formed and positioned above the modular building unit to provide weatherproofing. However, a modular building unit may optionally have such a roof, for example, by arranging the ceiling frame portion to additionally set or define an external or exterior roof for the unit. This may be an option, particularly, for example, for a single-story building comprising modular building units, or when the units form the uppermost level of a building. Suitable options may include flat roof structures.

[0025] The ceiling frame portion may include structural (e.g., extended) frame members. The ceiling frame portion, particularly the load-transfer section, may be generally lattice or lattice-like structural in form. The ceiling frame portion, particularly the load-transfer section: may include a lower structural member that defines the lower surface of the load-transfer section; may include an upper structural member that defines the upper surface of the load-transfer section; and may include at least one connecting member that extends between the lower and upper structural members and connects the lower structural member to the upper structural member. At least one connecting member can be used to transfer loads from the upper structural member to the lower structural member, and further to the supporting structure. Multiple connecting members may be present. At least one connecting member may be in the form of a strut, which may be configured substantially perpendicular to the main axis of the upper and / or lower structural members. At least one connecting member may be in the form of a bracket, which may be arranged transversely to the main axis of the upper and / or lower structural members, suitably at an angle other than 90°.

[0026] The ceiling frame portion, particularly the load-transfer area, may include multiple generally elongated members that collectively define the load-transfer area. The supporting structure may define multiple walls for modular building units, which may be exterior walls (e.g., at the perimeter of the unit, or defining at least a portion of the perimeter of the unit). Generally elongated members may be provided for each wall. The generally elongated members may each be positioned laterally (optionally substantially perpendicular to) at least one adjacent generally elongated member. Each generally elongated member may include corresponding lower and upper structural members, and at least one connecting member extending between and connecting the lower and upper structural members. The upper structural members of the elongated members may collectively form a peripheral frame (or annular member), which may be an upper peripheral frame. The lower structural members of the elongated members may collectively form a peripheral frame (or annular member), which may be a lower peripheral frame.

[0027] Service openings may be defined by or located within structural members of the ceiling frame. At least one opening may be defined between at least some lower and upper structural members and connecting members.

[0028] The ceiling frame portion, particularly the load-transfer section, may include a lower surface that may sit on or rest on the upper surface of the supporting structure. The load-transfer section may include an upper surface that may be configured to support another (e.g., an upper) modular building unit.

[0029] The ceiling frame portion, particularly the load-transfer section, may have or can have a certain height (may be a first height). The height may be defined between the upper and lower surfaces of the load-transfer section. The (first) height may range from about 200 mm to about 300 mm, optionally up to about 350 mm, and optionally up to about 400 mm. A (first) height in the range of about 250 mm to about 260 mm may be preferred.

[0030] The ceiling frame may include ceiling sections that can be configured to define or support the ceiling of modular building units. Ceiling sections may be located inside and connected to load-bearing areas. Ceiling sections may include a lower surface that can be positioned below the upper surface of the supporting structure, particularly the walls of the supporting structure or walls defined by the supporting structure.

[0031] The ceiling frame portion may define service gaps. Service gaps may include an upper boundary, which may be defined or formed by a plane containing the upper surface of the load-transfer portion. Service gaps may include a lower boundary, which may be defined or formed by a plane containing the lower surface of the ceiling portion. Service gaps may be defined between the plane containing the upper surface of the load-transfer portion and the plane containing the lower surface of the ceiling portion.

[0032] The service gap may have or may have a height (which may be a second height). The height of the gap may be greater than the height of the load-transfer section. The (second) height may be in the range of about 250 mm to about 350 mm, or greater. A (second) height in the range of about 275 mm to about 295 mm may be preferred.

[0033] The ceiling portion may include a top surface, which may be positioned below (and / or may be below) the top surface of the load-transfer portion. The ceiling portion may have, or may have, a height (which may be a third height). The height may be defined between the top and bottom surfaces of the ceiling portion. The height of the ceiling portion may be less than the height of the load-transfer portion. The third height may be less than the first and second heights. The (third) height may be in the range of approximately 70 mm to approximately 100 mm. A (third) height in the range of approximately 75 mm to approximately 95 mm may be preferred.

[0034] The height of the service opening is determined by the structural features of the ceiling frame portion and the dimensions of the structural members, but may be in the range of approximately 120 mm to approximately 175 mm, with a dimension of approximately 150 mm to 160 mm being preferred.

[0035] The ceiling section can be suspended from the load-bearing area, such that the ceiling section overlaps with the top of the supporting structure, particularly with one or more walls defining the upper surface.

[0036] The load-transferring portion may form the exterior of the ceiling frame portion. The load-transferring portion may define at least a portion of the exterior perimeter of the ceiling frame portion. The load-transferring portion may include a perimeter structure that extends around the perimeter of the modular building unit. The ceiling portion may form the interior of the ceiling frame portion. The ceiling portion may be located inside the load-transferring portion, i.e., it may be located within the exterior perimeter. The load-transferring portion may define or include an interior perimeter. The ceiling portion may be located within the interior perimeter. The ceiling portion may extend below the load-transferring portion within the interior perimeter.

[0037] Load-transferring parts and / or ceiling parts (especially their structural frame members) can be formed from any suitable material and construction technique, but in particular can be cold-formed (e.g., folded) metal components, such as light steel (forming a light steel frame or LGSF).

[0038] This article discusses the upper and lower surfaces of features in modular building units. It should be understood that during normal use of the modular building unit, these surfaces are considered either upper or lower in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the vertical direction, the upper surface of a corresponding feature can be considered to be positioned higher than the lower surface. The article also discusses the height of each feature. Similarly, such height can be measured / determined in the vertical direction during normal use of the modular building unit.

[0039] The second depth of the ceiling frame portion may exclude the ceiling section (which may support or define the ceiling). The second depth may be defined or described by load-transfer sections. The second depth may be defined or described by one or more portions of the ceiling frame portion, which are typically aligned with and / or situated on the supporting structure (particularly one or more walls defined or described by the supporting structure).

[0040] The supporting structure may include at least one supporting column or load-bearing column, and suitably includes multiple supporting columns or load-bearing columns. The supporting columns / load-bearing columns may be located at one or more corners of the modular building unit, particularly at one or more corners of the floor frame portion. At least one supporting column / load-bearing column may be located at a position spaced apart from one or more corners on the periphery of the floor frame portion. The supporting structure may include reinforcing or supporting members that may extend laterally between a pair of adjacent supporting columns / load-bearing columns. Other alternative embodiments of the supporting structure include structural insulation panels (SIPs) and other panels such as cement-based materials.

[0041] The passageway function provided by circulation spaces (also referred to as circulation areas or transition spaces / areas) can be selected from the group of: passageways between upper and lower living spaces of a building (e.g., provided by upper and lower floors of the building), optionally via staircases or elevator shafts and elevators at least partially provided in modular building units; passageways between a first living space of a building and at least one other living space, wherein the plurality of said living spaces are optionally isolated from each other in another part of the building and optionally on the same level / floor (e.g., via corridors / platforms and one or more doorways or walkways at least partially provided in modular building units); and access to the building from the outside of the building (e.g., via one or more doorways or walkways provided by modular building units, and optionally also corridors).

[0042] Circulation spaces can be defined entirely by a modular building unit (or a single unit). For example, when a circulation space provides access from the outside of a building, the space can be defined entirely by a single such unit. Circulation spaces can also be defined by a combination of multiple modular building units. For example, when a circulation space provides access between upper and lower living spaces, two or more units can collaborate to define that access; for instance, each unit can form part of a staircase or elevator shaft.

[0043] At least one modular building unit can define (and suitably can fully or completely define) at least one room, and multiple rooms can be defined. At least one modular building unit can include an interior space, and a room can be defined within said space and accommodate a portion of said space. At least one modular building unit can be arranged to include one or more walls that can define one or more boundaries (optionally all boundaries) of said room. At least one room can contain wet area facilities, which can be selected from the group consisting of a bathroom, shower room, ensuite bathroom, W / C or lavatory, and utility room. One or more other rooms from a plurality of rooms can be arranged to contain wet area facilities.

[0044] At least one modular building unit may be arranged to define at least a portion of the perimeter of a building, which may be the external perimeter. The modular building unit may include one or more walls, which may be arranged to define said portion of the perimeter. The one or more walls may be arranged such that the outer surface of the one or more walls defines the outer surface of the building, or may be covered or coated with an outer surface finish / coating (e.g., panels, brickwork, cement-based plaster).

[0045] According to a second aspect of this application, a modular building component is provided, comprising: The first modular building unit; and The second modular building unit is located on the first modular building unit, such that the second modular building unit is supported by the first modular building unit; The first modular building unit includes a structural frame, which comprises: A floor frame portion having a first depth, the floor frame portion being configured to support a flat floor structure; A ceiling frame section with a second depth; and A supporting structure that extends between the floor frame section and the ceiling frame section and connects the floor frame section to the ceiling frame section; The ratio of the first depth of the floor frame to the second depth of the ceiling frame is at least approximately 1:3; Furthermore, the modular building units optionally define circulation spaces that are configured to provide at least one access function for the building comprising the modular building units.

[0046] The first modular building unit may have any further technical feature related to the first aspect described above. The second modular building unit may be a modular building unit of the first aspect, and therefore may have any of the further technical features described above.

[0047] According to a third aspect of this application, a modular building unit building comprising the first aspect, or a modular building component comprising the second aspect, is provided.

[0048] The building can be a mixed-use building, particularly a mixed-use residential building, comprising a first building section and a second building section. The first building section can be constructed in-situ at the final location of the building. The second building section can be defined by and / or include modular building units of the first aspect or modular building components of the second aspect. The first and second building sections can be configured to connect at the final location to form the building.

[0049] The building may be a modular building, comprising multiple modular building units (at least one of which is a modular building unit according to the first aspect), or at least one (and optionally multiple) modular building components according to the second aspect. The interior space of the building, optionally except for the upper or external roof of the building, may be entirely formed by said units / components or multiple components.

[0050] The building may include a foundation comprising a load-bearing structure and an insulation layer. Modular building units / components may be located on the foundation such that the load-bearing structure provides structural support for the modular building units / components, and the insulation layer insulates the modular building units / components from the ground.

[0051] Circulation spaces (also referred to as passageways or transition spaces / areas) may be arranged to provide one or more passageway functions selected from the group consisting of: passageways between upper and lower living spaces of a first building section (e.g., via staircases or elevator shafts and elevators, between upper and lower floors of that section); passageways between the first living spaces and at least one other living space of the first building section, wherein the plurality of said living spaces are optionally isolated from each other within the first building section and optionally on the same level / floor of that section (e.g., via corridors / platforms and one or more doorways or walkways); and access to the first building section from outside the building, thereby access to the building from outside the building (e.g., via one or more doorways or walkways, and optionally corridors).

[0052] Modular building units may have any of the aforementioned further technical features related to the first aspect.

[0053] According to a fourth aspect of this application, a method for constructing a hybrid building is provided, comprising the following steps: Construct the first building section at the final location of the building; At a location far from the final location, the modular building units according to the first aspect of this application will be constructed in a basic assembly form; Transporting modular building units in their basic assembled form to their final location and arranging them to form at least a portion of a second building section of the building; and Connect the first building part and the second building part to form a building.

[0054] The building is likely a mixed-use residential building.

[0055] The method may include constructing a foundation for a building, which may include providing a load-bearing structure and insulation for the foundation. The method may include positioning at least one modular building unit on the foundation such that the load-bearing structure of the foundation provides structural support for the modular building unit, and that the insulation of the foundation insulates the modular building unit relative to the ground. The method may include arranging a first building portion such that it is supported by the foundation.

[0056] The method may include arranging modular building units to form a planar floor structure for a second building portion, and may include providing an upper supporting surface for the planar floor structure. The method may also include positioning one or more planar floor panels on the floor frame portion of the modular building units to form the planar floor structure, and arranging the panels to form an upper supporting surface.

[0057] The method may include providing a floor for a first building component, and may include providing an upper supporting surface for the floor. The method may include arranging the floor of the first building component such that its upper supporting surface is at the same or uniform height as the upper supporting surface of the modular building unit. The method may include providing a depth to the floor of the first building component equal to a first depth of the modular building unit plus the depth of the planar floor structure of the modular building unit.

[0058] Further features of the method may be derived from the text set forth elsewhere in this document, including any other disclosed aspects, particularly when referring to or relating to any one or more of the first to third aspects.

[0059] According to a fifth aspect of this application, a modular building unit including a structural frame is provided, the structural frame comprising: The floor frame portion is configured to support the planar floor structure, and the floor frame portion has a depth of up to approximately 70 mm (2.756”). A ceiling frame section with a depth of at least approximately 150 mm (5.906”); and It is a supporting structure that extends between the floor frame section and the ceiling frame section and connects the floor frame section and the ceiling frame section; The modular building unit optionally defines circulation space, which is configured to provide at least one passageway function for a building comprising the modular building unit.

[0060] The depth of the floor and ceiling frame sections can be determined or measured approximately vertically. The vertical height of the floor and ceiling frame sections can also be referenced.

[0061] Providing modular building units with the aforementioned depth relationships can offer specific benefits in hybrid buildings of the aforementioned types. This includes facilitating the matching of the floor level of the building portion comprising the modular building unit with the floor level of the building portion constructed at its final location. For example, both the portion formed by the modular building unit and the portion constructed at the final location can rest on a common foundation. It may be desirable to maintain a common (or uniform) floor level within the constructed building to avoid variations in floor height between building portions. Floor frame portions of this depth are relatively shallow, which may result in only small height differences needing to be accommodated. This can provide additional benefits in terms of material and cost savings. Furthermore, ceiling frame portions can be made relatively deep without adversely affecting the depth of the floor frame portions. This allows the ceiling frame portions to provide most of the structural strength for the modular building units and provides space to accommodate, for example, utilities / building service equipment, such as wastewater pipes for wet area facilities provided in the upper modular building units stacked on top of the lower ones. Shallow floor frame portions can also help reduce the structural depth at the intersection between the ceiling of the lower modular building unit and the floor of the upper one.

[0062] The depth of the floor frame portion can be a first depth, and the depth of the ceiling frame portion can be a second depth. The ratio of the first depth of the floor frame portion to the second depth of the ceiling frame portion can be at least about 1:3. The ratio of the first depth to the second depth can be up to about 1:6. The ratio of the first depth to the second depth can be in the range of about 1:3 to about 1:6. A ratio within this range can provide a good balance between the relatively thin floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion, which can provide most of the structural strength for the modular building unit and / or space to accommodate the required utilities / building service equipment. However, this ratio can exceed 1:6, for example, it can be up to about 1:7, or up to about 1:8.

[0063] The floor framing portion having the stated depth may be significantly shallower than the floor framing portion of existing modular building units. In a hybrid building comprising a first section constructed at the final location and a second section comprising modular building units, the floor level of the first section can be raised to the floor level of the second section by, for example, applying cement mortar to the floor support structure of the first section. Limiting the depth of the floor framing portion to up to about 70 mm may be advantageous, as this may be the maximum optimal height for such a leveling layer. The depth may be up to about 50 mm (~1.968”). The depth may be in the range of about 50 mm to about 70 mm. A depth in the range of about 50 mm may be preferred.

[0064] The depth of the ceiling frame portion can be up to about 300 mm (~11.811”). The depth can range from about 150 mm to about 300 mm, optionally up to about 350 mm, and optionally up to about 400 mm. A depth in the range of about 250 mm to about 260 mm may be preferred.

[0065] Modular building units with such depth of floor and ceiling frame sections offer a good balance of advantages, for example, in minimizing disturbances to accommodate the floor frame and / or minimizing the structural depth at the transition between the lower and upper modular building units, while providing sufficient robust ceiling frame sections and / or depth within the ceiling frame to accommodate utility / building service equipment.

[0066] The depth of the floor frame portion can be defined by one or more portions of the floor frame portion located in the load path. The depth of the ceiling frame portion can be defined by one or more portions of the ceiling frame portion located in the load path. A load path (which can be a direct load path) can be a load path that is transferred (or passes through) from the ceiling frame portion to the floor frame portion via a supporting structure during normal use of the modular building unit. A load path can be used to transfer loads from another (e.g., upper) modular building unit stacked on or situated on the modular building unit, and / or the self-load of the modular building unit. For the purposes of this analysis, the depth can be determined based on the structure located in or on such load paths. Accordingly, the depth of the floor frame portion can be based on the depth or height of one or more portions of the floor frame portion located on or in the load path, while the depth of the ceiling frame portion can be based on the depth or height of one or more portions of the ceiling frame portion located on or in the load path.

[0067] Modular building units can be roughly quadrilaterals, rectangles, or cuboids in a floor plan.

[0068] The floor frame portion may include a floor frame. The depth of the floor frame portion may be defined or described by the floor frame. The floor frame may have an upper surface. The floor frame may have a lower surface. The depth may be defined between the upper and lower surfaces. The floor frame may include, and / or may be formed or defined by, multiple elongated frame members. The elongated frame members may define the upper and / or lower surfaces. The floor frame may include a peripheral frame structure (or annular member / structure) that may include elongated beams. The peripheral frame structure may include first and second side beams that may be arranged substantially parallel to each other. The peripheral frame structure may include first and second end beams that may be arranged substantially parallel to each other. The first and second side beams, and the first and second end beams, may together form or define most or all of the peripheral frame structure. The floor frame may include at least one support beam that extends in a direction between the first and second end beams and is disposed between the side beams. The floor frame may include at least one support beam that extends in the direction between the first and second side beams; or between one of the first and second side beams and a support beam extending between the end beams. The floor frame may include multiple elongated support beams. At least one support beam may extend in the direction between the first and second side beams. At least one support beam may be arranged to have a depth different from (e.g. less than) the depth of the beams forming the peripheral frame structure (the beams have said depth).

[0069] The floor frame can be configured to support a flat floor structure. The flat floor structure can define the floor of modular building units. The flat floor structure may include one or more flat floor panels, or may be defined by one or more flat floor panels. The depth of the floor frame portion may exclude the flat floor structure, other structures or insulating materials located on the floor structure, and / or any decorative floor finishes or coverings (e.g., carpet or tile) located on the floor structure.

[0070] The ceiling frame portion may include a ceiling frame. The depth of the ceiling frame portion may be defined or described by the ceiling frame. The ceiling frame may have an upper surface configured to support another modular building unit stacked on or situated on a modular building unit. The ceiling frame may have a lower surface situated on a supporting structure. The depth may be defined between the upper and lower surfaces. The ceiling frame may include, and / or may be formed or defined by, multiple elongated frame members. The elongated frame members may define the upper and / or lower surfaces. The ceiling frame may include a peripheral frame structure, which may include elongated beams. The peripheral frame structure may include first and second side beams, which may be configured to be substantially parallel to each other. The peripheral frame structure may include first and second end beams, which may be configured to be substantially parallel to each other. The first and second side beams, and the first and second end beams, may together form or define most or all of the peripheral frame structure. The ceiling frame may include at least one support beam that may extend in a direction between the first and second end beams and is disposed between the side beams. The ceiling frame may include multiple elongated joists. At least one joist may extend in a direction between the first and second side beams. At least one joist may be configured to have a depth different from (e.g. less than) that of the beams forming the peripheral frame structure.

[0071] The ceiling frame portion may include at least one mounting member, and may include multiple mounting members. The mounting member can be used to mount another modular building unit (e.g., an upper modular building unit) onto the modular building unit. At least one mounting member may project or extend from the upper surface or extent of the frame member constituting part of the ceiling frame. At least one mounting member may extend upward and / or in a generally vertical direction, optionally away from the upper surface / extension of the ceiling frame member. At least one mounting member may take the form of a block, post, strut, dowel, or stud. At least one mounting member, particularly its upper surface, can be configured to contact the lower surface of another (e.g., upper) modular building unit stacked on or situated on a modular building unit, particularly the lower surface of the floor frame of that other unit. This provides the advantage that a gap, space, or clearance can be formed between two modular building units using at least one mounting member, which can accommodate, for example, utility / building service equipment, such as sewage pipes as described above. The gap can be created with minimal additional structure, thus saving cost and weight. The depth of the ceiling frame portion can be defined between the upper surfaces of multiple mounting members and the lower surfaces of one or more ceiling portions (which can be defined by the ceiling frame, particularly by the lower surfaces of its extended frame members). At least one mounting member can be coupled to or provided by the ceiling frame (e.g., integrated into the ceiling frame). Multiple mounting members can be present, spaced apart around the perimeter of the modular building unit defined by the ceiling frame. A mounting member can be provided at each corner of the modular building unit defined by the ceiling frame. The ceiling frame portion can include multiple mounting members. An opening can be provided between a pair of adjacent mounting members through which utility / building service equipment can pass. Multiple holes can be provided, each hole being defined between a pair of adjacent mounting components.

[0072] The ceiling frame may include or may define load transfer points. These load transfer points can be configured to transfer loads to the supporting structure. Loads may be applied by another modular building unit (e.g., an upper modular building unit), which may be stacked or situated on top of other modular building units.

[0073] The load-transfer point may include the ceiling frame. The load-transfer point may include at least one mounting component.

[0074] The ceiling frame portion, particularly its ceiling frame itself, can be configured to support a flat ceiling or ceiling structure. The flat ceiling structure can define the ceiling of a modular building unit. The flat ceiling structure may include one or more flat ceiling panels, or may be defined by one or more flat ceiling panels. The depth of the ceiling frame portion may exclude the flat ceiling structure, other structural or insulating materials connected to the flat ceiling structure, and / or any decorative finishes or coverings (e.g., cement coating) applied to the flat ceiling structure.

[0075] This article discusses the ceiling frame portion and the ceiling of a modular building unit. The ceiling frame portion (and ceiling) should be understood as the upper structure that covers or encloses the interior space of the modular building unit. It should be understood that the ceiling frame portion of a modular building unit typically does not provide a weatherproof ceiling structure to prevent, for example, water from entering the modular building unit. For example, a separate ceiling structure can be formed and positioned above the modular building unit to provide weatherproofing. However, a modular building unit may optionally have such a ceiling, for example, by arranging the ceiling frame portion to additionally provide or define the unit's external or exterior ceiling. This may be an option, particularly, for example, for a single-story building comprising modular building units, or when the units form the uppermost floor of a building. Suitable options may include a flat ceiling structure.

[0076] The ceiling frame portion may include structural (e.g., extended) frame members. The ceiling frame portion, particularly the load-transfer section, may be generally lattice or lattice-like structural in form. The ceiling frame portion, particularly the load-transfer section: may include lower structural members that define the lower surface of the load-transfer section; may include upper structural members that define the upper surface of the load-transfer section; and may include at least one connecting member that extends between the lower structural members and connects the lower structural members to the upper structural members. At least one connecting member can be used to transfer loads from the upper structural members to the lower structural members, and thus to the supporting structure. Multiple connecting members may be present. At least one connecting member may be in the form of a strut, which may be arranged substantially perpendicular to the main axis of the upper and / or lower structural members. At least one connecting member may be in the form of a reinforcement, which may be arranged transversely to the main axis of the upper and / or lower structural members, suitably at an angle other than 90°.

[0077] The ceiling frame portion, particularly the load-transfer area, may include multiple generally elongated members that collectively define the load-transfer area. The supporting structure may define multiple walls for modular building units, which may be exterior walls (e.g., at the perimeter of the unit, or defining at least a portion of the perimeter of the unit). Generally elongated members may be provided for each wall. Typically, the elongated members may each be positioned on their respective walls. The generally elongated members may each be arranged transversely to (optionally substantially perpendicular to) at least one adjacent generally elongated member. Each generally elongated member may include corresponding lower and upper structural members, and at least one connecting member extending between and connecting the lower and upper structural members. The upper structural members of the elongated members may collectively form a peripheral frame (or annular member), which may be an upper peripheral frame. The lower structural members of the elongated members may collectively form a peripheral frame (or annular member), which may be a lower peripheral frame.

[0078] Service openings may be defined by or located within structural members of the ceiling frame. At least one opening may be defined between at least some lower and upper structural members and connecting members.

[0079] The ceiling frame portion, particularly the load-transfer section, may include a lower surface that may sit on the upper surface of the supporting structure. The load-transfer section may also include an upper surface that may be configured to support another (e.g., an upper) modular building unit.

[0080] The ceiling frame portion, particularly the load-transfer section, may have or can have a certain height (may be a first height). The height may be defined between the upper and lower surfaces of the load-transfer section. The (first) height may range from about 200 mm to about 300 mm, optionally up to about 350 mm, and optionally up to about 400 mm. A (first) height in the range of about 250 mm to about 260 mm may be preferred.

[0081] The ceiling frame may include ceiling sections that can be configured to define or support the ceiling of modular building units. Ceiling sections may be located inside and connected to load-bearing areas. Ceiling sections may include a lower surface that may be positioned below the upper surface of the supporting structure, particularly the walls of the supporting structure or walls defined by the supporting structure.

[0082] The ceiling frame portion may define service gaps. Service gaps may include an upper boundary, which may be defined or formed by a plane containing the upper surface of the load-transfer portion. Service gaps may include a lower boundary, which may be defined or formed by a plane containing the lower surface of the ceiling portion. Service gaps may be defined between the plane containing the upper surface of the load-transfer portion and the plane containing the lower surface of the ceiling portion.

[0083] The service gap may have or may have a height (which may be a second height). The height of the gap may be greater than the height of the load-transfer section. The (second) height may be in the range of about 250 mm to about 350 mm, or greater. A (second) height in the range of about 275 mm to about 295 mm may be preferred.

[0084] The ceiling portion may include a top surface, which may be positioned below (and / or may be below) the top surface of the load-transfer portion. The ceiling portion may have, or may have, a height (which may be a third height). The height may be defined between the top and bottom surfaces of the ceiling portion. The height of the ceiling portion may be less than the height of the load-transfer portion. The third height may be less than the first and second heights. The (third) height may be in the range of about 70 mm to about 100 mm. A (third) height in the range of about 75 mm to about 95 mm may be preferred.

[0085] The height of the service opening is determined by the structural features of the ceiling frame portion and the dimensions of the structural members, but may be in the range of about 120 mm to about 175 mm, with the preferred dimensions being 150 mm to 160 mm.

[0086] The ceiling section can be suspended from the load-bearing section, so that the ceiling section overlaps with the top of the supporting structure, especially with one or more walls that define the upper surface.

[0087] The load-transferring portion may form the exterior of the ceiling frame portion. The load-transferring portion may define at least a portion of the exterior perimeter of the ceiling frame portion. The load-transferring portion may include a perimeter structure that extends around the perimeter of the modular building unit. The ceiling portion may form the interior of the ceiling frame portion. The ceiling portion may be located inside the load-transferring portion, i.e., it may be located within the exterior perimeter. The load-transferring portion may define or include an interior perimeter. The ceiling portion may be located within the interior perimeter. The ceiling portion may extend below the load-transferring portion within the interior perimeter.

[0088] Load-transferring parts and / or ceiling parts (especially their structural frame members) may be formed of any suitable material and construction technique, but in particular may be cold-formed (e.g., folded) metal members, such as light steel (forming a light steel frame or LGSF).

[0089] This article discusses the upper and lower surfaces of features in modular building units. It should be understood that during normal use of the modular building unit, these surfaces are considered either upper or lower in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the vertical direction, the upper surface of a corresponding feature can be considered to be positioned higher than the lower surface. The article also discusses the height of each feature. Similarly, such height can be measured / determined in the vertical direction during normal use of the modular building unit.

[0090] The second depth of the ceiling frame portion may exclude the ceiling section (which may support or define the ceiling). The second depth may be defined or described by load-transfer sections. The second depth may be defined or described by one or more portions of the ceiling frame portion, which are typically aligned with and / or situated on the supporting structure (particularly one or more walls defined or described by the supporting structure).

[0091] The supporting structure may include at least one supporting column or load-bearing column, and suitably includes multiple supporting columns or load-bearing columns. The supporting columns / load-bearing columns may be located at one or more corners of the modular building unit, particularly at one or more corners of the floor frame portion. At least one supporting column / load-bearing column may be located at a position spaced apart from one or more corners on the periphery of the floor frame portion. The supporting structure may include reinforcing or supporting members that can extend laterally between a pair of adjacent supporting columns / load-bearing columns. Other alternative embodiments of the supporting structure include structural insulation panels (SIPs) and other panels such as cement-based materials.

[0092] The passageway function provided by circulation spaces (also referred to as circulation areas or transition spaces / areas) can be selected from the group consisting of: passageways between upper and lower living spaces of a building (e.g., provided by upper and lower floors of the building), optionally via staircases or elevator shafts and elevators at least partially provided in modular building units; passageways between a first living space of a building and at least one other living space, wherein the plurality of said living spaces are optionally isolated from each other in another part of the building and optionally on the same level / floor (e.g., via corridors / platforms and one or more doorways or walkways at least partially provided in modular building units); and access to the building from the outside of the building (e.g., via one or more doorways or walkways provided by modular building units, and optionally also corridors).

[0093] Circulation spaces can be defined entirely by modular building units (or a single modular building unit). For example, when a circulation space provides access from the outside of a building, the space can be defined entirely by a single such unit. Circulation spaces can also be defined by a combination of multiple modular building units. For example, when a circulation space provides access between upper and lower living spaces, two or more units can collaborate to define that access; for instance, each unit can form part of a staircase or elevator shaft.

[0094] At least one modular building unit may define (and suitably may fully or completely define) at least one room, and multiple rooms may be defined. At least one modular building unit may include an interior space, and a room may be defined within said space and may accommodate a portion of said space. At least one modular building unit may be arranged to include one or more walls that may define one or more boundaries (optionally all boundaries) of said room. At least one room may contain wet area facilities, which may be selected from the group consisting of bathrooms, shower rooms, ensuite bathrooms, toilets or washrooms, and utility rooms. One or more other rooms among the multiple rooms may be arranged to contain wet area facilities.

[0095] At least one modular building unit may be arranged to define at least a portion of the perimeter of a building, which may be the external perimeter. The modular building unit may include one or more walls, which may be arranged to define said portion of the perimeter. The one or more walls may be arranged such that the outer surface of the one or more walls defines the outer surface of the building, or may be covered or coated with an outer surface finish / coating (e.g., panels, brickwork, cement-based plaster).

[0096] According to a sixth aspect of this application, a modular building component is provided, comprising: The first modular building unit; and A second modular building unit located on the first modular building unit, such that the second modular building unit is supported by the first modular building unit; The first modular building unit includes a structural frame, which includes a floor frame portion configured to support a planar floor structure, the floor frame portion having a depth of up to approximately 70 mm (2.756”). A ceiling frame section having a depth of at least approximately 150 mm (5.906”); and A support structure that extends between the floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion and connects the floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion; The modular building unit may optionally define a circulation space, which is configured to provide at least one passageway function for a building including the modular building unit.

[0097] The first modular building unit may have any of the aforementioned further technical features related to the fifth aspect. The second modular building unit may be a modular building unit based on the fifth aspect, and therefore may have any of the aforementioned further technical features.

[0098] According to the seventh aspect of this application, a building is provided, comprising the modular building unit of the fifth aspect, or the modular building component of the sixth aspect.

[0099] The building may be a hybrid building, particularly a hybrid residential building, comprising a first building section and a second building section. The first building section may be constructed in-situ at the final location of the building. The second building section may be defined by modular building units of the fifth aspect or modular building components of the sixth aspect, and / or include modular building units of the fifth aspect or modular building components of the sixth aspect. The first and second building sections may be configured to connect at the final location to form the building.

[0100] The building may be a modular building, comprising multiple modular building units (at least one of which is a modular building unit based on the fifth aspect), or at least one (and optionally multiple) modular building components based on the sixth aspect. The interior space of the building, optionally except for the upper or external roof of the building, may be entirely formed by the units / components or multiple components.

[0101] The building may include a foundation, which includes a load-bearing structure and an insulation layer. Modular building units / components may be located on the foundation, such that the load-bearing structure provides structural support for the modular building units / components, and the insulation layer insulates the modular building units / components from the ground.

[0102] Circulation spaces (which may also be referred to as passage areas or transition spaces / areas) may be arranged to provide one or more passage functions selected from the group consisting of: passageways between upper and lower living spaces of a first building section (e.g., between upper and lower floors of the section, via staircases or elevator shafts and elevators); passageways between the first living spaces and at least one other living space of the first building section, wherein the plurality of said living spaces are optionally isolated from each other within the first building section and optionally on the same level / floor of the section (e.g., via corridors / platforms and one or more doorways or walkways); and access to the first building section from outside the building, thereby access to the building from outside the building (e.g., via one or more doorways or walkways, and optionally corridors).

[0103] Modular building units may have any of the aforementioned further technical features related to the fifth aspect.

[0104] According to the eighth aspect of this application, a method for constructing a hybrid building is provided, comprising the following steps: Construct the first building section at the final location of the building; In locations far from the final location, the modular building units according to the fifth aspect of this application will be constructed in a basic assembly form; Modular building units in their basic assembled form are transported to their final location, and the modular building units are arranged to form at least a portion of the second building section of the building; and Connect the first building part and the second building part to form a building.

[0105] The building is likely a mixed-use residential building.

[0106] The method may include constructing a foundation for a building, which may include providing a load-bearing structure and insulation for the foundation. The method may include positioning at least one modular building unit on the foundation such that the load-bearing structure of the foundation provides structural support for the modular building unit, and that the insulation of the foundation insulates the modular building unit relative to the ground. The method may include arranging a first building portion such that it is supported by the foundation.

[0107] The method may include arranging modular building units such that they form a planar floor structure for a second building portion, and may include providing an upper supporting surface for the planar floor structure. The method may include forming the planar floor structure by positioning planar floor panels or panels on the floor frame portion of the modular building units, and arranging said panels such that they form an upper supporting surface.

[0108] The method may include providing a floor for a first building component, and may include providing an upper supporting surface for the floor. The method may include arranging the floor of the first building component such that its upper supporting surface is at the same or uniform height as the upper supporting surface of the modular building unit. The method may include providing a depth to the floor of the first building component equal to the depth of the floor frame portion of the modular building unit plus the depth of the planar floor structure of the modular building unit.

[0109] Further features of the method may be derived from the text set forth in other parts of this document, including any other disclosed aspects, particularly any one or more of aspects five through seven, or reference to any one or more of aspects five through seven.

[0110] Also refer to the mixed buildings and related construction methods disclosed in International Patent Publications WO2022 / 243696, WO2022 / 243695, WO2022 / 243694, WO2022 / 243693 and WO2023 / 222853, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Attached Figure Description

[0111] The embodiments of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 This is an isometric drawing of a modular building unit and a modular building component including the modular building unit according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 and Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The side and end views of the modular building unit shown, as well as the modular building components including the unit, are drawn at different scales and in the directions of arrows A and B, respectively. Figure 4 and Figure 5It is an enlarged perspective view of a part or section of the modular building unit structural frame; Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a hybrid building according to an embodiment of this application, including... Figure 1 and Figure 2 Modular building units (and modular building components), the figure shows the outer layer of the building removed; Figure 7 yes Figure 6 The diagram shows a perspective view of the mixed-use building, including its outer layer; Figure 8 and Figure 9 They are drawn at different scales. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The floor plan of the mixed-use building shown; Figure 10 yes Figure 1 The simplified wireframe isometric view of the modular building components shown is relative to... Figure 6 and Figure 7 The building foundation is shown; Figure 11 yes Figure 10 An enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of the foundation and modular building unit shown; Figure 12 and 13 They are Figure 4 and 5 Plan view of the floor and ceiling frame portions of the structural frame shown; Figure 14 It is a wireframe isometric drawing of a plurality of modular building components configured to form part of a building according to an alternative embodiment of this application; and Figure 15 This is an isometric view of the ceiling frame portion of a modular building unit structural frame according to yet another embodiment of this application. Figure 16 yes Figure 15 An enlarged view of a portion of the ceiling frame shown.

[0112] Figure 17 It is a cross-sectional front view of a modular building assembly including first and second modular building units, the first modular building unit including Figure 15 The ceiling frame section shown features modular building components along... Figure 15 Cut along line AA; Figure 18 is an isometric view of the building service equipment mounted on a panel that will be fitted into the ceiling frame portion of Figure 15; and Figure 19 It is shown Figure 15 A further enlarged view of the ceiling component variant shown. Detailed Implementation

[0113] Referring first to Figure 1, an isometric view of a modular building unit according to an embodiment of this application is shown, generally denoted by reference numeral 10. The figure shows the modular building unit 10 with certain features removed to reveal its structure. The figure also shows a modular building assembly, generally denoted by reference numeral 12, including the modular building unit 10 and another modular building unit denoted by reference numeral 14. Also refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 3 These are side and end views of modular building unit 10 and modular building component 12, respectively, drawn at different scales. These figures show the structural features of the walls or surfaces of unit 10 / component 12 as visible from the viewing direction.

[0114] Modular building unit 10 includes a structural frame, typically identified by the designation 16. The structural frame 16 includes a floor frame portion 18 configured to support a planar floor structure (described below), a ceiling frame portion 20, and a support structure 22 extending between the floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion and connecting the floor frame portion to the ceiling frame portion. Figure 4 and 5 As best shown in the enlarged perspective view (showing the lower corner 24 and upper corner 26 areas of the structural frame 16), the floor frame portion 18 has a first depth D1, while the ceiling frame portion 20 has a second depth D2. The ratio of the first depth D1 of the floor frame portion 18 to the second depth D2 of the ceiling frame portion 20 can be at least approximately 1:3. It should be understood that the depths D1 and D2 of the floor and ceiling frame portions 18 and 20 are determined or measured in a generally vertical direction. However, reference can be made to the vertical height of the floor and ceiling frame portions 18, 20 (and portions thereof).

[0115] Several alternatives exist for forming the structural frame 16. Preferred alternatives include a metal frame, which may be cold-formed metal or metal alloy (e.g., lightweight steel), hot-formed metal or metal alloy (e.g., hot-rolled steel), or a combination of both. A hot-formed metal frame can provide a structure with sufficient rigidity, thus eliminating the need for additional perimeter support columns and reinforcing posts (or reducing the number of columns / posts). Other alternatives include a timber-based frame. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the structural frame 16 is formed from a combination of hot-formed and cold-formed steel, and includes elongated members whose cross-section may be generally hollow box-shaped or C, L, or U-shaped. Methods for connecting the structural components of the frame may include welding (for the metal frame), bonding, and mechanical fastening, such as nut and bolt assemblies and rivets.

[0116] Now refer to Figure 6 It is a perspective view of the hybrid building 28 according to an embodiment of this application, including Figure 1 and 2 Modular building unit 10 (and modular building component 12). Figure 6 The image shows a hybrid building 10 with its outer layer removed so that the building's structure can be seen. Figure 7 Is with Figure 6 A similar view, but showing the outer layer 30, which in this embodiment is formed of bricks or blocks.

[0117] In the illustrated embodiment, the mixed building 28 is a house, particularly a detached house. However, the principles of this application can be applied to other types of houses, including semi-detached and terraced houses, as well as single-story houses (bunkers). Furthermore, the principles of this application can be applied to other residential buildings, such as English / American apartments and hotels, and even non-residential buildings, such as industrial or commercial buildings.

[0118] The hybrid building 28 includes a first building portion 36 and a second building portion 38. The first building portion 36 is constructed in situ at the final location 40 of the building and is generally L-shaped in the plan view (but not limited to this shape). A portion of the first building portion 36 has been removed in the drawing to show the interior of that portion. The second building portion 38 includes modular building units 10, which are generally rectangular in the plan view. Units 10 are constructed in a basically assembled form away from the final location 40, for example in a dedicated factory or facility. Units 10 are transported to the final location 40 in a basically assembled form and arranged to form at least a portion of the second building portion 38. In the illustrated embodiment, the second building portion 38 is actually formed by modular building components 12 and thus includes modular building units 10 and another modular building unit 14. The other unit 14 is preferably the unit according to this application and therefore has similar features to unit 10; they share the same reference numerals but with the addition of the suffix '. As explained in detail in International Patent Publications WO2022 / 243696, WO2022 / 243695, WO2022 / 243694, WO2022 / 243693 and WO2023 / 222853, the hybrid building 28 is formed by connecting the first and second building parts 36 and 38 together at the final position 40.

[0119] from Figure 6As can be seen, the second building portion 38 is adapted to the generally L-shaped first building portion 36 to form a building with a generally rectangular shape in the plan view. Of course, other shapes are also possible. The modular building unit 10 can have any suitable size, provided that it typically needs to be transported from the factory to the final location 40 by road or rail. The illustrated unit 10, with a length of approximately 5300 to 5400 mm and a width of approximately 2500 to 2600 mm, is particularly suitable for such transport. Unit 10 is smaller than many existing modular building units, which is advantageous for transport and handling. This also facilitates the installation of the relatively thin floor described herein and saves on materials, weight, and cost. Although the illustrated unit 10 extends only a portion between the front and rear of the building 28, other units according to this application can extend the entire length of the building and thus can, for example, have larger length dimensions.

[0120] Modular building unit 10 defines a circulation space configured to provide one or more passageways to the hybrid building 28. This in Figure 8 and 9 The best illustration is shown in the two figures, which are floor plans of the lower level 32 and upper level 34 of the hybrid building 28, drawn at different scales. Circulation spaces are indicated by the symbol 42 and are shown in the figures with dashed outlines and cross-hatching. In the illustrated embodiment, circulation space 42 provides three passageway functions. One such function is the passageway between the living spaces on the lower level 44 and upper level 46 of building 28, provided by the lower level 32 and upper level 34 respectively. This is achieved via staircase 48 in the modular building unit 10 (but could be achieved, for example, via an elevator shaft and elevator). Living space 44 forms a lounge or living room, while living space 46 forms a bedroom; therefore, circulation space 42 provides passageway between these different living spaces.

[0121] Another such function is as a passageway between the building's primary living space and at least one other living space, which are isolated from each other within another part of the building. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the first building section 36 includes living space 44 (lounge or living room) and other living space 50, the latter forming an open kitchen-dining area. Circulation space 42 provides passage between living spaces 44 and 50 through corridor openings 52 and 54 and a hallway 55. It should be noted here that... Figure 8 and Figure 9 The precise configuration of the walkway opening shown is consistent with that of unit 10. Figures 1 to 3The exact configuration of the corridor openings shown varies slightly. This illustrates possible alternative locations for the openings. Circulation space 42 also provides a passageway between lower living space 44 (and space 50) and upper living space 46, which are effectively isolated from each other within the first building portion 36. Furthermore, other living spaces 56 and 58 (also bedrooms) are provided in the upper level 34 of the first building portion 36, and circulation space 42 provides passageways between these other living spaces 56 and 58, as well as between lower living spaces 44 / 50 and these other living spaces.

[0122] Another such function is access to building 28 from the exterior 60 of the building via a doorway or corridor 62 of unit 10, which in this case forms the front doorway of the building. Doorway 62 leads to corridor 55 to provide access to staircase 48 (for access to upper living spaces 46, 56 and 58) and internal corridors 52 and 54 (for access to lower living spaces 44 and 50).

[0123] Although the modular building unit 10 shown includes circulation space 42 providing all three of the aforementioned passageway functions, it should be understood that various variations may provide only one or some of these functions.

[0124] Modular building units 10, providing a depth relationship between the structural frame floor and ceiling portions 18 and 20 (which practically requires D2 ≥ 3D1), offer specific advantages in the scenario of the aforementioned hybrid building 28. This includes facilitating the matching of the floor level of the second building portion 38 with the floor level of the first portion 36 constructed at the final location 40. Specifically, the first and second building portions 36 and 38 can rest on a common foundation. This in Figure 10 As shown in the figure, Figure 10 yes Figure 1 A simplified wireframe isometric view of the modular building component 12 is shown relative to the foundation 64 of the building 28. The foundation 64 supports the second building section 38 (defined by the modular building component 12) and the first building section 36, which has been omitted from the figure.

[0125] Ideally, a common (or uniform) floor height should be maintained within the constructed building 28 to avoid variations in floor height between building sections 36 and 38. Providing a floor frame section 18 and a ceiling frame section 20 with the stated depth relationship for the modular building unit structural frame 16 results in a relatively shallow depth D1 for the floor frame section, thus requiring only a small height difference to be accommodated in the first building section 36. This yields beneficial effects in terms of material and cost savings. Furthermore, arranging the floor frame section 18 and the ceiling frame section 20 with the stated ratio of depths D1 and D2 results in a relatively deep ceiling frame section without adversely affecting the depth of the floor frame section. This allows the ceiling frame section 20 to provide most of the structural strength for the modular building unit 10 and provides space to accommodate utilities / building service equipment, such as upper modular building units 14 stacked on top of the (lower) unit 10. Utilities / building service equipment may include wastewater pipes, water supply pipes, ventilation ducts, and electrical and communication cables, etc., for wet area facilities provided in the upper modular building unit 14. The shallow floor frame section can also help reduce the structural depth D3 (Figure 5) at the intersection of the ceiling section 20 of the (lower) modular building unit 10 and the floor section 18' of the upper unit 14.

[0126] The ratio of the first depth D1 of the structural frame floor portion 18 to the second depth D2 of the frame ceiling portion 20 can be as high as about 1:6, and can be in the range of about 1:3 to about 1:6. A ratio falling within this range can provide a good balance between the relatively thin floor portion 18 and the ceiling portion 20, which can provide most of the structural strength for the modular building unit 10 and / or provide space to accommodate the required utilities / building service equipment. However, the ratio can exceed 1:6, and can be, for example, as high as about 1:7, or as high as about 1:8.

[0127] The first depth D1 of the floor frame portion 18 can be up to approximately 70 mm (~2.756”). A floor frame portion 18 with this depth can be relatively shallow, and can be much shallower than the floor frame portion of a conventional modular building unit. (Reference) Figure 11 , it is Figure 10 The image shows an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the foundation and a portion of the modular building unit 10. The foundation 64 is an insulated foundation that includes a load-bearing structure 68 and an insulation layer 70. The modular building unit 10 is situated on the foundation 64 such that the load-bearing structure 68 provides structural support for the unit, and that the insulation layer 70 insulates the modular unit relative to the ground 72.

[0128] like Figure 11As shown, by applying, for example, a cement leveling layer 76 to the floor support structure of the first part, in this example, the foundation load-bearing structure 68, the level of the floor 74 of the first building part 36 can be raised to the level of the floor frame portion 18 of the modular building unit 10 (forming part of the second building part 38). It may be preferable to limit the first depth D1 of the floor frame portion 18 to up to about 70 mm, which may be the maximum optimal height of the leveling layer 76. However, in a particularly preferred alternative, the first depth D1 may be up to about 50 mm (~1.968"), although a depth typically in the range of about 50 mm to about 70 mm may be suitable.

[0129] Several options exist for forming the insulation layer 70, including constructing it from molded blocks (not shown) made of a range of suitable insulation materials capable of bearing the loads of the completed building 10. Examples include Isoquick® insulation blocks sold by Build HomesBetter Ltd in the UK, which can be arranged as insulation rafts or insulation pads. These blocks are made of waterproof polymer foam materials, particularly Peripor® sold by BASF SE. The blocks forming the insulation layer 64 are typically arranged in two interlocking layers 70a / b, with interlocking features (not shown), such as protrusions and grooves, provided at the interface between the layers.

[0130] The insulation layer 70 provides a surface 78 for positioning the load-bearing structure 68, and in the illustrated embodiment, provides a substantially continuous surface. After the insulation layer 70 is positioned on the ground 72, the load-bearing structure 68 rests on the surface 78. The insulation layer 70 insulates the load-bearing structure 68 relative to the ground 72, thereby preventing heat transfer between the load-bearing structure and the ground. This, in turn, insulates the modular building unit 10 (located on the foundation 64) relative to the ground 72, thereby reducing / preventing thermal bridging between the unit and the ground.

[0131] The load-bearing structure 68 can be in the form of a reinforced concrete layer, which can be formed in a conventional manner at the final location 40 of the building. A moisture barrier (not shown) can be located below the insulation layer 70 and between the upper surface 78 of the insulation layer and the lower surface of the load-bearing structure 68. The moisture barrier can take any suitable form known in the art. Particularly suitable alternatives may include: a moisture barrier sheet, which can be a substantially waterproof membrane, such as a membrane made of a polymeric material such as polyethylene.

[0132] In one variant embodiment, the foundation 64 can be formed by positioning a load-bearing structure 68 on or within the ground 72, with the insulation layer 70 positioned on the load-bearing structure and supporting the modular building unit 10 (and the first building portion 36). It is understood that the insulation layer will subsequently need to have sufficient load-bearing capacity to withstand the structural loads exerted on it by the modular building unit 10 and the remainder of the building 28. In another variant embodiment, the load-bearing structure can be formed from precast blocks or beams (not shown).

[0133] The second depth D2 of the ceiling frame portion 20 is at least about 150 mm (~5.906”), and in one embodiment, it can be up to about 300 mm (~11.811”), but in other embodiments, it can be up to about 350 mm, and optionally up to about 400 mm. Therefore, the second depth D2 can range from about 150 mm to about 300 mm, and optionally up to about 400 mm. However, a depth in the range of about 250 mm to 260 mm may be preferred.

[0134] Modular building units with such floor frame portion 18 and ceiling frame portion 20 and first and second depths D1 and D2 offer a good balance of advantages, for example, in minimizing disturbances (during construction of the first building portion 36) to accommodate the floor frame portion 18 and / or minimizing the structural depth at the transition between the lower modular building unit 10 and the upper modular building unit 14, while providing sufficient strength in the ceiling frame portion 20 and / or depth in the ceiling frame to accommodate utility / building service equipment.

[0135] As described above, the upper modular building unit 14 is the unit according to this application. Therefore, unit 14 includes a structural frame 16' having a floor frame portion 18', a ceiling frame portion 20', and a supporting structure 22'. Considering the optional depth ranges of D1 and D2 mentioned above, the depth D3 of the structure at the intersection between the lower unit ceiling portion 20 and the upper unit floor portion 18' is typically in the range of 200mm to 300mm. This is particularly advantageous in terms of material saving and reduces the complexity of the transition of the staircase 48 between the two units 10 and 14. After the lower unit is positioned on the foundation 64, the upper unit 14 is installed on the lower unit 10 at its final position 40.

[0136] The following will refer to Figure 12 and Figure 13 Further details describing the structure of modular building unit 10, Figure 12 and Figure 13 These are floor plans for sections 18 and 20 of the floor and ceiling frame, respectively.

[0137] The floor frame portion 18 includes a floor frame 80, which defines a first depth D1. The floor frame 80 has an upper surface 82 and a lower surface 84. Figure 2 and 4 The first depth D1 is defined between these upper and lower surfaces. The floor frame 80 is formed by a plurality of elongated frame members defining the upper and lower surfaces 82, 84. In the illustrated embodiment, the floor frame 80 includes a peripheral frame structure 86, which includes elongated beams, specifically first and second side beams 88 and 90 arranged substantially parallel to each other, and first and second end beams 92 and 94 arranged substantially parallel to each other. A first support beam 96 also extends in a direction between the first end beam 92 and the second end beam 94 and is disposed between the side beams 88 and 90. A second support beam 97 and a third support beam 99 are disposed, the second support beam 97 extending between the side beam 88 and the first support beam 96, and the third support beam 99 extending between the first support beam 96 and the side beam 82. The support beams 96, 97, and 99 provide additional structural stiffness and can support the interior wall structure in the modular building unit 10.

[0138] The floor frame 80 also includes a plurality of elongated joists extending between the first and second side beams 88 and 90. The first and second sets of joists (denoted by reference numerals 98 and 100, respectively) extend between the side beam 90 and the support beam 96. A third set of joists (denoted by reference numeral 102) extends between the side beam 88 and the support beam 96. Typically, the joists in sets 98-102 have the same depth (D1) as the beams in the peripheral frame 86, but at least some joists may be arranged to have a depth different from (e.g., less than) the depth of the beams forming the peripheral frame.

[0139] The side and end beams 88-94 and the support beams 96-99 are typically made of hot-formed metal (e.g., steel) with a suitable box-shaped cross-section. In contrast, the joists in the first and second joist groups 98 and 100 are typically made of lightweight metal (e.g., folded steel) with a possible U-shaped cross-section. Joists 98 and 100 support the floor structure in the modular building unit 10 and therefore do not need to support loads at the same height as the side and end beams 88-94 and the support beams 96-99, which, as mentioned above, may require supporting the inner walls (and optionally the loads transmitted through the inner walls).

[0140] The various beams forming the floor frame 80 can be arranged to transfer loads directly to the foundation and can be arranged as line loads to distribute such loads more evenly on the foundation (compared to point-loaded structures such as lightweight structures). Specifically, each of the side beams and end beams 88-94 can be arranged to contact the load-bearing structure 68 of the foundation to transfer the load from the modular building unit 10 to the foundation more evenly. This can be achieved by constructing the floor frame, for example, of thermoformed metal as described above, in a way that the load applied to the beams is distributed more evenly along their length than in point-loaded structures. Therefore, not only the load of the modular building unit 10 itself, but also the load applied to it, for example, by the upper modular building unit 14, can be transferred more evenly to the ground load-bearing structure 68. This can also be applied to the supporting beams, such as 96, 97. These support beams, 96, 97, and 99, can be similarly made of thermoformed metal and arranged to contact the load-bearing structure 68 of the foundation. Support beams 96, 97, and 99 can also be arranged such that they are substantially aligned with structural features of the upper modular building unit 14 or structural features within the upper modular building unit 14, particularly similar support beams in the floor frame portion of the upper unit, and / or the inner walls of the upper unit (which can transfer loads to the lower modular building unit 10 through the floor frame portion of the upper unit). Arranging the floor frame 80 in this way can have the advantage that the material forming the insulation layer 70 can have a lower density and / or lower compressive strength. This can be beneficial because, generally, insulation materials with higher density and / or greater compressive strength tend to be more expensive.

[0141] The floor frame 80 is configured to support the flat floor structure 104, such as Figure 4 and 11 As shown. The planar floor structure 104 defines the floor of the modular building unit 10 and is defined by one or more planar floor panels (one shown and given reference numeral 106). Various options exist for forming the floor structure 104, but preferred options include wood-based materials for the panels 106, such as particleboard, fiberboard, and plywood. The first depth D1 of the floor frame portion 18 does not include the planar floor structure 104, or virtually does not include other structural or insulating materials located on the floor structure, and / or any decorative floor finishes or coverings (e.g., carpet or tile) located on the floor structure.

[0142] As described above, the leveling layer 76 forming the floor 74 of the first building portion 36 typically has the same depth D1 as the floor frame portion 18 (and frame 80). The floor 74 can be raised to the level provided by the modular planar floor structure 104 by positioning another floor structure 108 on the leveling layer floor 74. This floor structure can also be, for example, panel-based and made of wood to provide consistency in the building portions 36, 38. However, it should be understood that various other options exist, including arranging the leveling layer 74 to have an upper surface that matches the upper surface provided by the modular planar floor structure 104.

[0143] The ceiling frame portion 20 includes a ceiling frame 110 defining a second depth D2. The ceiling frame 110 has an upper surface 112 and a lower surface 114, and the second depth D2 is defined between these surfaces. The ceiling frame 110 is formed by a plurality of elongated frame members defining the upper surface 112 and the lower surface 114. The ceiling frame 110 includes a peripheral frame structure 116 comprising first and second side beams 118 and 120 arranged substantially parallel to each other, and first and second end beams 122 and 124 arranged substantially parallel to each other. A support beam 126 also extends along the direction between the first and second end beams 122 and 124 and is disposed between the side beams 118 and 120. As for the floor support beam 96, the support beam 126 provides additional structural stiffness and can support the interior wall structure in the modular building unit 10.

[0144] The ceiling frame 110 also includes a plurality of elongated joists extending between the first side beam 118 and the second side beam 120. The first and second sets of joists (denoted by reference numerals 128 and 130, respectively) extend between the side beam 116 and the support beam 126. The third and fourth sets of joists (denoted by reference numerals 132 and 134, respectively) extend between the side beam 118 and the support beam 126. Typically, the depth of the joists in sets 128-134 is less than the depth (D2) of the beams in the peripheral frame 116, but at least some may have the same depth.

[0145] The side beams and end beams 118-124, as well as the support beam 126, are typically made of hot-formed steel with, for example, a box-shaped cross section, while the support beams in the first to fourth support beam groups 128-134 are typically made of lightweight steel with, for example, a U-shaped cross section.

[0146] The ceiling frame portion 20 defines a load transfer point configured to transfer loads to the support structure 22. This load is applied by the upper modular building units 14 stacked on top of the lower modular building units 10.

[0147] The ceiling frame portion 20 also includes at least one mounting member for mounting another (upper) modular building unit 14 onto the modular building unit 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the ceiling frame portion 20 includes a plurality of mounting members 136a-d, each located at a corner of the ceiling frame 110. Additional mounting members 136e-h are positioned along end beams 122, 124 and side beams 118 and 120, spaced apart from the corresponding corner mounting members. Furthermore, at least one mounting member may be provided on the support beam 126. Figure 1 Two such mounting members 136i and 136j are shown. They provide support for portions of the upper modular building unit 14, particularly the interior wall structure. Mounting members 136a-j project or extend from or beyond the upper surface of the beams forming the ceiling frame 110, as shown. Figure 5 As shown in 138. Mounting components 136a-j extend in a generally vertical direction away from the upper surface 138 and are suitably in the form of blocks, posts, short posts, pins or studs.

[0148] The upper surface of mounting members 136a-j is configured to contact the lower surface of another (upper) modular building unit 14, which is stacked or sits on the modular building unit 10 and is connected to the mounting member. See also the illustration of mounting member 136c. Figure 5 The mounting members define the aforementioned upper surface 112, which is adjacent to the lower surface 140 of the floor frame of the other unit (defined by its side frame members 18'). This provides the advantage of creating a gap, space, or clearance 142 between the two modular building units 10 and 14, which can accommodate, for example, utility / building service equipment, such as sewer pipes as described above. Figure 2 The location of such conduits is shown in dashed outline and is generally indicated by reference numeral 144. These conduits 144 can connect to the wet area facilities in the upper modular building unit 14, which will be described below, and ultimately reach the sewer (not shown) through the service module 146 in unit 10. The gap 142 can be created with minimal additional structure, thus saving cost and weight. The second depth D2 of the ceiling frame portion 20 is defined between the upper surface 112 of the mounting members 136a-j and the lower surface 114 of the ceiling portion (defined by the ceiling frame 110, and in particular by the lower surface of its frame members). The mounting members 136a-j are generally coupled to or provided by the ceiling frame 110 (e.g., integrated into it).

[0149] Therefore, it can be seen that the ceiling frame portion 20 includes a plurality of mounting members 136a-h. At least one opening is provided between a pair of adjacent mounting members, through which utility / building service equipment can pass. See, for example, [reference needed]. Figure 1 A hole 145 is provided between adjacent mounting components 136b and 136g, through which utility / building service equipment can, for example, enter the first building section 36 to provide utility / services to the first building section.

[0150] The upper modular building unit 14 is connected to the lower unit 10 to form assembly 12, in order to prevent, in particular, lateral movement of the units relative to each other. Various options exist for connecting units 10 and 14, including welding, bonding, and mechanical fastening. Suitable mechanical fastening may include nut and bolt assemblies, pins, and locating sleeves, etc.

[0151] The ceiling frame portion 20, particularly its ceiling frame 110, is configured to support a flat ceiling or ceiling structure 148, such as Figure 5 As shown. The planar ceiling structure 148 defines the ceiling of the modular building unit 10 and is defined by one or more planar ceiling panels (one shown in the figure and given reference numeral 150). Various alternatives exist for forming the ceiling structure 148, but preferred alternatives include drywall panels or sheet metal. The second depth D2 of the ceiling frame portion 20 does not include the planar ceiling structure 148, other structural or insulating materials connected to the planar ceiling structure, and / or any decorative finishes or coverings (e.g., plaster).

[0152] This document refers to the ceiling frame portion 20 of the modular building unit 10 and the ceiling of that unit. The ceiling frame portion 20 (and the ceiling) should be understood as the superstructure that covers or encloses the interior space of the modular building unit 10. It is understood that the ceiling frame portion 20 of the modular building unit 10 typically does not provide a weather-resistant roof structure to prevent, for example, water from entering the modular building unit. For this purpose, refer to... Figure 6 The diagram illustrates a separate roof structure 150 constructed from, for example, multiple roof trusses 152. The roof structure 150 spans the first and second building sections 36 and 38 and provides weather protection for the building 28. However, the modular building unit 10 may optionally have such a roof, for example by providing or defining an external roof for the unit through ceiling frame sections. This may be an optional solution, particularly for single-story buildings containing modular building units, or when the unit forms the uppermost floor of the building. Suitable alternatives may include flat roof structures.

[0153] In the illustrated Light Steel Frame (LGSF) structural frame 16, the supporting structure 22 is relatively complex and will not be described in detail. However, in short, the supporting structure 22 includes multiple supporting columns or load-bearing columns 154a-c (…). Figure 1Each supporting column or load-bearing column is located at a corner of frame 16, extending between and connecting to the floor and ceiling frame portions 18 and 20. Other supporting columns or load-bearing columns are located around the perimeter of floor frame portion 18 at locations spaced apart from one or more corners. Several such other supporting columns are mentioned herein and labeled with reference numerals 154d-k.

[0154] For ease of construction, one end of each support column 154a-k is connected to the floor mounting component and the other end is connected to the ceiling mounting component to form a wall structure that can be connected to the floor and ceiling sections 18, 20. Figure 1 The outer surface or wall 155 of unit 10, defined by support structure 22, is shown, which is located within the constructed building 28. Floor mounting members 157 are mounted on floor side beams 88, and ceiling mounting members 159 are mounted on ceiling side beams 118. Supporting columns 154b, 154d, and 154g-k shown in the figure connect between floor and ceiling mounting members 157 and 59, such that they extend (and support) between the floor and ceiling portions 18 and 20 in the assembled unit 10. It should be noted that the floor mounting members, in particular, do not extend through portions of the perimeter frame structure 116 of unit 10, which provides doorways or walkways for access to the first building portion 36. See, for example, a walkway 52 providing access to an open-plan room 50. This is in order to... Figure 11 A uniform floor level is provided between the first and second building sections 36 and 38 under discussion.

[0155] The support structure 22 also includes lateral reinforcements or support members. Multiple reinforcement members (one of which is identified by reference numeral 156) extend between pairs of adjacent support columns / load-bearing columns 154, generally perpendicular to the support columns. Diagonal reinforcement members (one of which is identified by reference numeral 158) extend between some support columns 154 and floor or ceiling frame portions 18, 20.

[0156] Other options for the supporting structure 22 include structural insulation panels (SIPs) and other panels, such as cement-based materials.

[0157] like Figure 8 and 9As shown, modular building unit 10 defines multiple rooms within building 28, at least some of which provide wet area facilities in the form of a washroom 160 and a utility room 162. Unit 10 is arranged to include inner walls that define one or more boundaries of the washroom 160 and the utility room 162. Referring, for example, to washroom 160, unit 10 includes inner walls 162 to 166 that define the space forming the washroom. Washroom 160 is accessible from corridor 55 of circulation space 42, while the utility room is accessible directly from open room 50.

[0158] Similarly, the upper modular building unit 14 includes a room providing wet area facilities, in the form of a bathroom 168 accessed via a platform 172 of circulation space 42, and an ensuite bathroom 170 accessed from bedroom 58. As described above, sewage pipes 144 connecting to the washing and rinsing facilities in bathroom 168 and ensuite bathroom 170 may be at least partially accommodated in the gap 142 between units 14 and 10. This may include, for example, sewage connections to the toilet 174, bathtub 176, and sink 178 in bathroom 168.

[0159] In the building 28 shown, modular building units 10 and 14 are enclosed within an outer brick layer 30. The walls of units 10 and 14 are formed by connecting wall panels or sheets to structural support frames 16 and 16' (particularly support columns and reinforcing members). For example, as Figure 6 As shown, panels 180-184 can form the outer wall 186 of modular unit 10. However, modular building units 10, 14 can be arranged to define at least a portion of the building perimeter, particularly the outer perimeter. This can be achieved by arranging panels 180-184 as outer cladding panels.

[0160] In a variation of the illustrated embodiment, building 28 may be a modular building comprising multiple modular building units that constitute all (or at least most) of the building's interior space. This is in Figure 14 As shown in the figure, Figure 14 This is a wireframe isometric view of multiple modular building components configured to form part of building 28". Building 28" shares the same reference numerals with similar components of building 28, and is prefixed with "". Building 28" comprises multiple modular building units, at least one of which is a modular building unit according to this application. In a particularly preferred alternative, all modular building units are units according to this application.

[0161] Modular building units are arranged as components in the stacking manner described above for modular building component 12. Thus, modular building component 12" comprises a lower modular building unit 10" and an upper modular building unit 14" stacked on top of the lower unit. Another modular building component 12a" similarly comprises a lower modular building unit 10a" and an upper modular building unit 14a" stacked on top of the lower unit. Between them, the modular building units of components 12" and 12a" define the entire interior space of building 28", except for the upper or external roof (not shown), which may be formed at the final location of the building (e.g., roof structure 150) or formed as a modular (transportable) structure.

[0162] Turn now Figure 15 An isometric view of a ceiling frame portion 20b according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Also referenced is... Figure 16 It is an enlarged view of a portion of the ceiling frame (taken from different angles), and Figure 17 It is a front cross-sectional view of the modular building component 12b, which includes first (lower) and second (upper) modular building units 10b and 14b, along... Figure 15 The first modular building unit 10b includes a ceiling frame portion 20b. Modular building component 12b (including the ceiling frame portion 20b) shares the same reference numerals as similar parts of modular building component 12, but with the addition of the suffix 'b'.

[0163] The ceiling frame portion 20b of this embodiment includes a load-transfer section 188, which is in the form of a lattice or lattice-like structure. The load-transfer section 188 includes elongated structural frame members, including a lower structural member in the form of a beam 278, an upper structural member also in the form of a beam 280, and at least one connecting member extending between the lower and upper structural members and connecting the lower structural member to the upper structural member. In the illustrated embodiment, the load-transfer section 188 includes a plurality of connecting members in the form of supports 282, which are arranged generally perpendicular to the lower and upper structural members 278 and 280, and a plurality of lateral reinforcement members 284, which are arranged at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the lower and upper structural members 278 and 280 (appropriately at an angle other than 90°, for example, between approximately 20° and approximately 45°).

[0164] The lower structural member 278 defines the lower surface 286 of the load transfer portion 188, while the upper structural member 280 defines the upper surface 288. The lower and upper structural members 278 and 280, along with the connecting members 282 and 284, effectively form the sides of the load transfer portion 188. The connecting members 282 and 284 are used to transfer loads from the upper structural member 280 to the lower structural member 278, and thus to the supporting structure 22b of the lower modular building unit 10b (which defines the outer wall of the modular building unit 10b).

[0165] The load transfer portion 188 includes a plurality of generally elongated members that collectively define the load transfer portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the load transfer portion 188 has a generally quadrilateral shape (generally rectangular) in plan view, including left and right elongated members 290 and 292, and front and rear elongated members 294 and 296. The number of generally elongated members generally corresponds to the number of walls provided by the support structure 22b of the modular building unit 10b. Figure 17 An example of such a wall 155b is shown. It should be understood that the remainder of the modular building unit 10b, including its floor frame portion and side structure, is consistent with the above description regarding... Figures 1 to 13 The descriptions are basically the same, so they will not be discussed further here.

[0166] The elongated members 290-296 are each substantially aligned with a corresponding wall, such as 155b, such that they are substantially in the same plane. Each elongated member 290-296 sits on a corresponding wall, such as 155b, and is arranged so that it is laterally (appropriately substantially vertically) positioned on the adjacent elongated members. Typically, each of the elongated members 290-296 includes corresponding lower and upper structural members 278 and 280, and connecting members 282, 284. The upper structural members 280 of the elongated members 290-296 together form the upper peripheral frame or annular member 116b of the load transfer portion 188, while the lower structural members 278 together form the lower annular member 116b' of the load transfer portion.

[0167] In this embodiment, the load transfer portion 188 is configured to provide a plurality of holes 145b through which utility / building service equipment can pass. This is in Figure 16 As shown, the dimensions of, for example, the opening 145b allow ventilation ducts (e.g., 220) to pass through it. This facilitates the placement of building service equipment (in...) within the service gap 142b located between the stacked modular building units 10b and 14b. Figure 15The building service equipment 190 (typically indicated by reference numeral 190) is connected to a first building portion of a building including modular building components 12b (e.g., first building portion 36 of building 28), and to the lower and upper modular building units themselves (and / or items / equipment contained therein). The building service equipment 190 will not be described in detail hereafter, but may include any of the alternative embodiments discussed herein. Thus, the building service equipment 190 may be accommodated within service gaps 142b and connected via holes 145b without requiring the equipment to extend substantially downward into the lower modular building unit 10b, or substantially upward into the upper modular building unit 14b stacked or situated on top of the lower unit (unless it is explicitly desired that building services access / through the lower unit or access / through the upper unit).

[0168] Hole 145b is defined by or between structural members of the ceiling frame portion, particularly its load-bearing portion 188, specifically between at least some lower and upper structural members 278, 280 and connecting members 282, 284. For example, see reference... Figure 16 Hole 145b, marked in the center, is defined between and / or defined by the upper beam 280, the transverse stiffener 284, and the support column 282. Another hole, marked 145b' for ease of discussion, is defined between and / or defined by the lower beam 278, another transverse stiffener 284, and another support column 282. A series of holes 145b are defined around the perimeter of the ceiling frame portion 20b, as shown below. Figure 15 As specifically shown in the text.

[0169] The lower surface 286 defined by the load transfer portion 188 rests on the upper surface 298 of the supporting structure 22b (particularly the wall defined by the supporting structure, such as 155b), as Figure 17 As shown. The load transfer portion 188 also includes an upper surface 300 that supports the upper modular building unit 14b, specifically supporting the floor frame portion 18b' of the upper unit. The load transfer portion 188 has a first height (or depth) H1 defined between the upper and lower surfaces 300, 286, and is typically in the range of about 200 mm to about 300 mm. A height H1 in the range of about 250 mm to 260 mm may be preferred.

[0170] As described above, the floor frame portion (not shown) of modular building unit 10b corresponds to the floor frame portion 18 of unit 10, and is therefore made of thermoformed metal material, having the same depth range D1 as described above, typically in the range of about 50 mm to about 70 mm. The height H1 of the load transfer portion 188 can define or describe the depth D2 of the ceiling frame portion 20b in this embodiment. Therefore, the depth range and the ratio of the floor to ceiling frame portion depth fall within the range described above for... Figures 1 to 13Within the depth and range defined in the embodiments.

[0171] The ceiling frame portion 20b also includes a ceiling section 302 configured to define or support a ceiling 304 for the modular building unit 10b. In this embodiment, the ceiling section 302 includes a lower surface 306 that supports a series of generally planar ceiling components in the form of ceiling panels. Figure 17 A ceiling assembly (shown as reference numeral 308) is configured to form a ceiling 304. Panel 308 is attached to the ceiling portion 302 and disposed below the lower surface 306.

[0172] The lower surface 306 of the ceiling portion 302 is located at the lowest point of the ceiling portion and defines the lower extent of the ceiling portion. The ceiling portion 302 actually includes multiple lower surface portions that together form the lower surface. In the illustrated embodiment, the ceiling portion 302 includes multiple resilient mounting rods through which the ceiling 304 is mounted to the ceiling portion. Figure 17 An example of such a resilient mounting rod 310 is shown, which includes a lower surface defining a lower surface portion 312, which together with other such mounting rods (not shown) forms a lower surface 306. The resilient mounting rod 310 is of a type known in the industry and has a generally corrugated mounting portion defining the lower surface portion 312, which provides sound absorption / noise reduction to reduce vibrations (and sound) transmitted through the ceiling 304 between the stacked modular building units 10b, 14b.

[0173] The ceiling portion 302 is located inside and connected to the load transfer portion 188. The lower surface 306 of the ceiling portion is located below the upper surface 298 of the supporting structure 22b (e.g., wall 155b), such as... Figure 17 As shown. The ceiling assembly 302 actually defines a service gap 142b, which includes an upper boundary defined or formed by a plane 314 containing the upper surface 300 of the load transfer portion 188, and a lower boundary defined or formed by a plane 316 containing the lower surface 306 of the ceiling portion 302. The service gap 142b has a second height (or depth) H2, which is greater than the height H1 of the load transfer portion 188. The second height H2 is typically in the range of about 250 mm to about 350 mm. The second height H2 is preferably in the range of about 275 mm to about 295 mm.

[0174] The ceiling portion 302 includes an upper surface 318 positioned below the upper surface 300 of the load transfer portion 188. The ceiling portion 302 has a third height (or depth) H3 defined between the upper surface 318 and the lower surface 306 of the ceiling portion. The height H3 of the ceiling portion 302 is less than the first and second heights H1 and H2, and can range from about 70 mm to about 100 mm. A third height H3 in the range of about 75 mm to about 95 mm is likely preferred. When the ceiling portion 302 itself defines the ceiling 308, the lower surface 306 defining the boundary of the service gap 142b can be formed by the upper surface of the ceiling. The maximum height (or depth) H4 of the hole 145b is determined by the structural features of the ceiling assembly 20b (including heights H2 and H3) and the dimensions of the structural members 278-284, but may range from about 120 mm to about 175 mm, with a preferred dimension of 150 mm to 160 mm. Of course, the structural members forming the hole include lateral reinforcement members 284. These reinforcing members 284 extend between the upper and lower structural members 280 and 278 at the angle shown in the figure, thereby limiting the height of the hole toward its end near the upper structural member. However, the hole 145b with this maximum height H4 may be sufficient to accommodate most or all different types of services (e.g., pipes or tubes) that may be located in space 142b.

[0175] Ceiling portion 302 is suspended from load transfer portion 188, thus overlapping the top of the supporting structure 22b (e.g., wall 155b) defining upper surface 298, the top taking the form of a top frame member or beam 319 of the supporting structure / wall. Load transfer portion 188 forms the outer portion of the ceiling assembly, defining the outer perimeter 320 of ceiling assembly 20b. Load transfer portion 188 actually includes a perimeter structure defined by various elongated members 290-296 forming its lattice and extending around the perimeter of modular building unit 10b. Ceiling portion 302 forms the inner portion of the ceiling frame portion 20b and is located inside load transfer portion 188, within its outer perimeter 320. Load transfer portion 188 also defines an inner perimeter 322, within which ceiling portion 302 is located. Ceiling portion 302 extends below load transfer portion 188 inside inner perimeter 322.

[0176] Ceiling section 302 also includes surrounding structure 324 ( Figure 16The perimeter structure 324 defines the outer perimeter 326 of the ceiling portion. The perimeter structure 324 connects to the load-transfer portion 188, particularly to the lower structural member 278 of its generally elongated members 290-296. The load-transfer portion 188 also includes a plurality of reinforcing members extending between pairs of generally elongated members, three of which are shown in the figure: 328, 330, and 332. The reinforcing members 328-332 have a similar structure to the elongated members 290-296, which will not be described further here. The perimeter structure 324 may connect to one or more of these reinforcing members 328-332, and in the illustrated embodiment, to the reinforcing member 328. The ceiling portion perimeter structure 324 takes the form of a structural frame and may include structural (e.g., elongated) frame members 334 that define the frame. Figure 17 ), and has elastic rods 310 that define a lower surface 306 coupled thereto (although they can themselves form the lower surface).

[0177] In the illustrated embodiment, the ceiling portion 302 includes a plurality of sub-portions that collectively form the ceiling portion. These are... Figure 15 The figures are shown and are given reference numerals 336, 338, 340, and 342. Each sub-part 336-342 forms part of the ceiling part 302 and has its own peripheral structure as described above. The ceiling sub-parts 336-342 may be connected independently or separately to the load transfer part 188 during the construction of the ceiling assembly 20b. The load transfer part 188 defines separate areas or spaces, each configured to receive one of the ceiling sub-parts 336-342. These areas are defined or defined between two or more elongated members 290-296 and one or more reinforcing members 328-332. For example, referring to sub-part 336, area 344 is defined by side portions 290 and 292, end portion 294, and reinforcing member 328.

[0178] One or more of sub-sections 336-342 may include building service equipment 190, and the building service equipment for each such sub-section may be suitably mounted on a corresponding panel or plate shaped to fit within a service recess 142b in the corresponding area (e.g., area 344). For example, referring to FIG18, building service equipment 190 mounted on panel 192 is shown. The services shown include portions of main air intake and exhaust pipes 216, 218; air supply 220 and exhaust pipes 222, 224; hot and cold water pipes 252, 254; data cable 345; and power cable 347. Panel 192 may be mounted in ceiling section 302 carrying the various services 190, or may be mounted in the ceiling section prior to the connection of the services. This may be done before or after ceiling section 302 is connected to load transfer section 188.

[0179] The top slab 194 covers the building service equipment 190. Figure 18 This is an exploded view prior to the assembly and optional sealing of the base plate 192 and top plate 194 (which provide an upper platform within the ceiling frame portion) to form the building equipment box or module 196. A side portion 198 (which may be in the form of a partial wall and / or include openings through which service equipment can pass) is shown, extending between the top plate 194 and the base plate 192. The building equipment box or module 196 may be permanently or releasably coupled to a structural portion of the ceiling assembly 20b during off-site module fabrication or when stacking the modular building components 12b.

[0180] When multiple ceiling sub-parts 336-342 exist, these sub-parts can be configured to cooperate to provide / route services within gap 142b (each sub-part defines a portion of the gap). For example... Figure 18 As shown, each sub-section may contain / support one or more portions of service equipment 190, which need to connect to another portion contained / supported by another sub-section. For example, air supply and exhaust ducts 216 and 218 pass through sub-sections 338 and 336 along the length of ceiling frame portion 20b. The ducts may be connected after the building service equipment is positioned within the sub-section (whether in box / module form or individually connected as described above). This may involve the use of connectors at the joints or intersections between the portions of service equipment provided in each sub-section. See, for example, connector 343, for connecting portions of exhaust duct 216 located in sub-sections 340 and 338. It should be understood that each ceiling sub-section 336-342 may include or accommodate corresponding panels 192, 194 (and service boxes).

[0181] exist Figure 19In one variant shown in another enlarged view of the ceiling assembly 20b, at least one hole 145b" can be provided without the need for lateral reinforcement members 284, such that the hole is defined (or defined by) the upper structural member 280, a pair of adjacent supports 282, and the lower structural member 278. This allows for a larger hole between adjacent supports 222, with a maximum height of H4 over its entire width. This can be used, for example, in situations where a hole is needed to accommodate larger service equipment (e.g., air ducts 220, 222).

[0182] Figure 17 Also shown is a portion of the first building section 201 connected to the modular building component 1b, specifically one of a plurality of joists 346 extending between at least one side of the modular building unit / component and the wall of the first building section to support the upper floor 348 of the first building section. Sound and / or thermal insulation is provided, including in the walls 155b (and load transfer section 188) and 155b' of the upper unit 14b, and in the voids 142b, such as... Figure 17 As shown in 353 and 355. It should be understood that if insulation 353 is provided, it will be installed around any service equipment and can be omitted depending on factors including the number and size of service equipment passing through the hole 145b. The maximum height H4 of the hole 145b is, of course, less than the height H2 of the space 142b. The hole 145b can be partially obscured by insulation 355, although insulation 355 can also be omitted, or the height of the insulation in the area of ​​the hole (through which the service equipment passes) can be reduced.

[0183] The floor frame portion 18b' of the upper modular building unit 14b can also be made of thermoformed metal, as described above, and can have a height (or depth) H5 ranging from about 50 mm to about 70 mm, with about 50 mm being a preferred choice. The total height of the load-transfer portion 9b and the floor assembly 18b' can be the sum of heights H2 and H5. This defines the structural depth D3 at the intersection between the ceiling assembly 20b of the lower modular building unit 10b and the floor assembly 105b of the upper modular building unit 14b, which can be between about 300 mm and about 500 mm, optionally between about 300 mm and about 400 mm, and optionally about 350 mm. A depth ranging from about 250 mm to 370 mm may be preferred.

[0184] It should be understood that during normal use, the load transfer points 188 of the lower modular building unit 10b, the supporting structure 22b (particularly the wall, for example, 155b), and the floor frame portion (corresponding to...) Figure 1The floor frame portion 18) is in the load path and is used to transfer loads from the upper modular building unit 14b to the lower modular building unit. The ceiling portion 302 is not on or in the load path because it is located inside the load transfer portion 188 and the supporting structure 22b.

[0185] For the purposes of this application, the depth relationship between D1 and D2 can be determined based on the structure located in such load paths. Therefore, in this embodiment, D1 can be based on the floor frame portion (e.g., Figure 1 The height of the floor frame portion 18) is D2, while D2 can be based on the height H1 of the load transfer portion 188, which are the relevant structures on the load path.

[0186] Construction options for the ceiling frame portion 20b, particularly load transfer portion 188 and ceiling portion 302, may include any of the options discussed in other parts of this document. Therefore, construction options may include cold-formed (e.g., folded) metal components, such as lightweight steel materials (forming a lightweight steel frame or LGSF).

[0187] Various modifications and variations may be made to the foregoing without departing from the spirit or scope of this application.

[0188] Other aspects and / or embodiments of this application may incorporate features of one or more aspects and / or embodiments of this disclosure. Accordingly, these other aspects and / or embodiments may include one or more features selected from one or more aspects or embodiments of this application of this disclosure.

[0189] Unless the context explicitly implies or states otherwise, features of any method or process disclosed herein need not necessarily be performed in the exact order listed in the relevant text and / or figures. Accordingly, any method or process of this disclosure may be implemented in a different order than that explicitly listed in the relevant text / figures, if circumstances permit.

[0190] Unless otherwise expressly stated, the features disclosed herein (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings) may be superseded by alternative features having the same, equivalent, or similar purpose. Therefore, the features disclosed herein may represent only one example of a series of equivalent or similar features.

Claims

1. A modular building unit including a structural frame, said structural frame comprising: A floor frame portion having a first depth, the floor frame portion being configured to support a planar floor structure; A ceiling frame section with a second depth; as well as A support structure that extends between the floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion and connects the floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion; Wherein, the ratio of the first depth of the floor frame portion to the second depth of the ceiling frame portion is at least approximately 1:3; Furthermore, the modular building unit defines circulation space, which is configured to provide at least one passageway function to the building comprising the modular building unit.

2. The modular building unit according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first depth to the second depth is approximately 1:

6.

3. The modular building unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first depth of the floor frame portion reaches about 70 mm (~2.756”).

4. The modular building unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first depth of the floor frame portion reaches about 50 mm (~1.968”).

5. The modular building unit according to any of the foregoing descriptions, wherein, The second depth of the ceiling frame portion is at least approximately 150 mm (~5.906”).

6. The modular building unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The second depth of the ceiling frame portion reaches approximately 300 mm (~11.811”).

7. The modular building unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first depth is defined by one or more portions of the floor frame portion in the load path, the load path being used to transfer loads from the ceiling frame portion to the floor frame portion through the support structure; and The second depth is defined by one or more portions of the ceiling frame portion in the load path.

8. The modular building unit according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein, The floor frame portion includes a floor frame, wherein the floor frame has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the first depth is defined between the upper surface and the lower surface.

9. The modular building unit of claim 8, wherein the floor frame includes a peripheral frame structure, the peripheral frame structure including an elongated beam of the first depth.

10. The modular building unit according to any of the foregoing embodiments further includes a planar floor structure, wherein, A planar floor structure defines the floor of a modular building unit, wherein the first depth of the floor frame portion does not include the planar floor structure.

11. The modular building unit according to any of the foregoing descriptions, wherein, The ceiling frame portion includes a ceiling frame, wherein the ceiling frame has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the second depth is defined between the upper surface and the lower surface.

12. The modular building unit of claim 11, comprising a plurality of mounting members for mounting another modular building unit onto the modular building unit, the mounting members projecting from an upper surface of one or more frame members forming at least a portion of the ceiling frame, and wherein the upper surface of the mounting member is configured to contact a lower surface of the other modular building unit to form a gap between the two modular building units.

13. The modular building unit of claim 12, wherein the second depth is defined between the upper surfaces of the plurality of mounting members and the lower surfaces of one or more ceiling frame members.

14. The modular building unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The ceiling frame includes a lattice structure or takes the form of a lattice structure.

15. The modular building unit of claim 14, wherein the ceiling frame portion includes a load-transfer portion, the load-transfer portion comprising: Define a lower structural member for the lower surface of the load-transferring part, the lower surface being situated on the upper surface of the supporting structure; Define a superstructure member on the upper surface of the load-transfer section, the upper surface being configured to support another modular building unit; And at least one connecting member extending between and connecting the lower structural member and the upper structural member, for transferring loads from the upper structural member to the lower structural member, and further to the supporting structure.

16. The modular building unit according to claim 15, wherein, The ceiling frame portion includes a ceiling section configured to define or support the ceiling of the modular building unit, the ceiling section being arranged inside and connected to the load-transfer portion.

17. The modular building unit according to claim 16, wherein, The ceiling portion includes a lower surface located below the upper surface of the supporting structure.

18. The modular building unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the passage function is selected from the group consisting of: passage between upper and lower living spaces of a building; passage between a first living space and at least one other living space of a building, wherein the plurality of said living spaces are isolated from each other in another part of the building; and access to the building from the outside of the building.

19. The modular building unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the modular building unit defines at least one room and includes one or more walls forming the boundary of the room.

20. The modular building unit of claim 19, wherein at least one room includes a wet area facility, said room being selected from the group consisting of a bathroom, a shower room, an en suite bathroom, a toilet or washroom, and a utility room.

21. Modular building components, including: First modular building unit; as well as A second modular building unit located on the first modular building unit, such that the second modular building unit is supported by the first modular building unit; The first modular building unit includes a structural frame, which comprises: A floor frame portion having a first depth, the floor frame portion being configured to support a planar floor structure; A ceiling frame section with a second depth; and A supporting structure that extends between and connects the floor frame section and the ceiling frame section; The ratio of the first depth of the floor frame portion to the second depth of the ceiling frame portion is at least approximately 1:3; Furthermore, the modular building unit defines a circulation space, which is configured to provide at least one passageway function to the building comprising the modular building unit.

22. The modular building component according to claim 21, wherein, The first modular building unit is a modular building unit according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

23. The modular building component according to claim 22, wherein, The second modular building unit is the modular building unit according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. A building comprising a modular building unit according to any one of claims 1 to 20, or a modular building component according to any one of claims 21 to 23.

25. The building of claim 24, wherein the building is a mixed-use residential building comprising a first building portion and a second building portion, and wherein: The first building component is constructed in situ at the final location of the building; The second building component includes the modular building unit; The first building component and the second building component are connected at the final position to form the building.

26. The building of claim 24, wherein the building is a mixed-use residential building comprising a first building portion and a second building portion, and wherein: The first building component is constructed in situ at the final location of the building; The second building component is defined by modular building components; The first building component and the second building component are connected at their final positions to form the building.

27. A building comprising a plurality of modular building units, wherein at least one modular building unit is a modular building unit according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein, The building’s interior space is essentially formed entirely by multiple modular building units.

28. The building according to any one of claims 24 to 27, comprising a foundation having a load-bearing structure and an insulation layer, wherein the modular building unit is located on the foundation such that the load-bearing structure provides structural support for the modular building unit, and such that the insulation layer insulates the modular building unit relative to the ground.

29. The building according to any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein, The circulation space is arranged to provide one or more passageway functions selected from the group consisting of: passageways between the upper and lower living spaces of the first building section; The passageway between the first living space and at least one other living space in the first building portion, wherein the plurality of said living spaces are isolated from each other within the first building portion; and access to the first building portion from outside the building.

30. A method for constructing a hybrid building, comprising the following steps: Construct the first building section at the final location of the building; At a location far from the final location, the modular building unit according to any one of claims 1 to 20 is constructed in a basic assembly form; Modular building units in their basic assembled form are transported to their final location and arranged to form at least a portion of the second building section of the building. and The first building component and the second building component are connected to form the building.

31. The method of claim 30, comprising: Constructing a foundation for a building, including providing a load-bearing structure and insulation for the foundation; The modular building units are positioned on the foundation, so that the foundation's load-bearing structure provides structural support for the modular building units, and the foundation's insulation layer insulates the modular building units relative to the ground; and Arrange the first building component to be supported by the foundation.

32. The method according to any one of claims 30 or 31, comprising: Arrange modular building units to form a planar floor structure for the second building section, including providing an upper supporting surface for the planar floor structure; Provide a floor for the first building section, including providing an upper supporting surface for the floor; as well as The floor of the first building section is arranged so that its supporting surface is at the same height as the supporting surface of the modular building unit.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing a depth to the floor of a first building portion, the depth being equal to the first depth of the modular building unit plus the depth of the planar floor structure of the modular building unit.

34. A modular building unit including a structural frame, said structural frame comprising: A floor frame portion configured to support a planar floor structure, the floor frame portion having a depth of approximately 70 mm (2.756”); The ceiling frame portion has a depth of at least approximately 150 mm (5.906”); as well as A supporting structure that extends between the floor frame section and the ceiling frame section and connects the floor frame section and the ceiling frame section; The modular building unit defines circulation space, which is configured to provide at least one access function to a building comprising the modular building unit.

35. The modular building unit according to claim 34, wherein the depth of the floor frame portion is about 50 mm (~1.968”).

36. The modular building unit according to any of the foregoing descriptions, wherein, The depth of the ceiling frame section is approximately 300 mm (~11.811”).

37. The modular building unit according to any one of claims 34 to 36, wherein: The depth of the floor frame section is defined by one or more portions of the floor frame section in the load path, which is used to transfer loads from the ceiling frame section to the floor frame section through the supporting structure. and The depth of the ceiling frame section is defined by one or more portions of the ceiling frame section in the load path.

38. The modular building unit according to any of the foregoing descriptions, wherein, The floor frame portion includes a floor frame, wherein the floor frame has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the depth of the floor frame portion is defined between the upper surface and the lower surface.

39. The modular building unit of claim 38, wherein the floor frame includes a peripheral frame structure, the peripheral frame structure including an elongated beam having the depth of the floor frame portion.

40. The modular building unit according to any one of claims 38 or 39, wherein the floor frame is defined by a plurality of elongated frame members defining an upper surface and a lower surface.

41. The modular building unit according to any one of claims 34 to 40, further comprising a planar floor structure, wherein, A planar floor structure defines the floor of a modular building unit, and the depth of the floor frame portion does not include the planar floor structure.

42. The modular building unit according to any one of claims 34 to 41, wherein, The ceiling frame portion includes a ceiling frame, wherein the ceiling frame has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the depth of the ceiling frame portion is defined between the upper surface and the lower surface.

43. The modular building unit of claim 42, comprising a plurality of mounting members for mounting another modular building unit onto the modular building unit, the plurality of mounting members projecting from the upper surface of one or more frame members forming at least a portion of the ceiling frame, and the upper surface of the mounting members being configured to contact the lower surface of the other modular building unit to form a gap between the modular building units.

44. The modular building unit of claim 43, wherein the depth of the ceiling frame portion is defined between the upper surfaces of the plurality of mounting members and the lower surfaces of one or more of the ceiling frame members.

45. The modular building unit according to any one of claims 34 to 41, wherein, The ceiling frame includes a lattice structure or adopts a lattice structure form.

46. ​​The modular building unit of claim 45, wherein the ceiling frame portion includes a load-transfer portion, the load-transfer portion comprising: Define a lower structural member for the lower surface of the load-transferring part, the lower surface being situated on the upper surface of the supporting structure; Define a superstructure member on the upper surface of the load-transfer section, the upper surface being configured to support another modular building unit; And at least one connecting member extending between and connecting the lower structural member and the upper structural member, for transferring loads from the upper structural member to the lower structural member, and further to the supporting structure.

47. The modular building unit of claim 46, wherein the ceiling frame portion includes a ceiling portion configured to define or support the ceiling of the modular building unit, the ceiling portion being disposed inside and connected to the load-transfer portion.

48. The modular building unit according to claim 47, wherein, The ceiling portion includes a lower surface located below the upper surface of the supporting structure.

49. The modular building unit according to any one of claims 34 to 48, wherein the passage function is selected from the group consisting of: passage between upper and lower living spaces of the building; passage between a first living space and at least one other living space of the building, wherein the plurality of living spaces are isolated from each other in another part of the building; and access to the building from the outside of the building.

50. The modular building unit according to any one of claims 34 to 49, wherein, The modular building unit defines at least one room and includes one or more walls that form the boundary of the room.

51. The modular building unit of claim 50, wherein at least one room includes wet area facilities, said room being selected from the group consisting of a bathroom, a shower room, an en suite bathroom, a toilet or washroom, and a utility room.

52. Modular building components, including: First modular building unit; as well as A second modular building unit located on the first modular building unit, such that the second modular building unit is supported by the first modular building unit; The first modular building unit includes a structural frame, which includes a floor frame portion configured to support a planar floor structure, the floor frame portion having a depth of approximately 70 mm (2.756”). A ceiling frame section with a depth of at least approximately 150 mm (5.906”); and A support structure that extends between the floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion and connects the floor frame portion and the ceiling frame portion; The modular building unit defines a circulation space, which is configured to provide at least one passageway function to the building comprising the modular building unit.

53. The modular building component according to claim 52, wherein, The first modular building unit is the modular building unit according to any one of claims 34 to 51.

54. The modular building component according to claim 52, wherein, The second modular building unit is the modular building unit according to any one of claims 34 to 51.

55. A building comprising a modular building unit according to any one of claims 34 to 51, or a modular building component according to any one of claims 52 to 54.

56. The building according to claim 55, wherein the building is a mixed-use residential building, comprising a first building portion and a second building portion, and wherein: The first building component is constructed in situ at the final location of the building; The second building component includes the modular building unit; The first building component and the second building component are connected at their final positions to form the building.

57. The building according to claim 55, wherein the building is a mixed-use residential building comprising a first building portion and a second building portion, and wherein: The first building component is constructed in situ at the final location of the building; The second building component is defined by the modular building components; The first building component and the second building component are connected at their final positions to form the building.

58. A building comprising a plurality of modular building units, at least one of said modular building units being a modular building unit according to any one of claims 34 to 51, wherein, The interior space of the building is essentially entirely formed by these units.

59. The building according to any one of claims 55 to 58, comprising a foundation having a load-bearing structure and an insulation layer, wherein the modular building unit is located on the foundation such that the load-bearing structure provides structural support for the modular building unit and the insulation layer insulates the modular building unit relative to the ground.

60. The building according to any one of claims 55 to 59, wherein, The circulation space is arranged to provide one or more passageway functions selected from the group consisting of: passageways between the upper and lower living spaces of the first building section; The passageway between the first living space and at least one other living space in the first building portion, wherein the plurality of said living spaces are isolated from each other within the first building portion; and access to the first building portion from outside the building.

61. A method for constructing a hybrid building, comprising the following steps: Construct the first building section at the final location of the building; At a location far from the final location, the modular building units according to any one of claims 34 to 51 are constructed in a basic assembly form; Modular building units in their basic assembled form are transported to their final location and arranged to form at least a portion of a second building section of the building. and The first building component and the second building component are connected to form the building.

62. The method of claim 61, comprising: Constructing a foundation for a building, including providing a load-bearing structure and insulation for the foundation; At least one modular building unit is positioned on the foundation such that the load-bearing structure of the foundation provides structural support for the modular building unit, and the insulation layer of the foundation insulates the modular building unit relative to the ground. as well as Arrange the first building component so that it is supported by the foundation.

63. The method according to claim 61 or 62, comprising: Arranging the modular building units to form a planar floor structure for the second building portion includes providing an upper support surface for the planar floor structure; Providing a floor for the first building component includes providing an upper supporting surface for the floor; The floor of the first building component is arranged such that its upper supporting surface is at the same height as the upper supporting surface of the modular building unit.

64. The method of claim 63, further comprising providing a depth to the floor of the first building portion, the depth being equal to the depth of the floor frame portion of the modular building unit plus the depth of the planar floor structure of the modular building unit.

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