Modular Wall Panels with Orthogonal Tensioners for Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The construction of modular buildings using prefabricated panels faces challenges with alignment and accuracy, leading to misalignment and increased labor and costs due to the difficulty in securing panels to a concrete slab, which can result in inaccuracies that propagate throughout the building, often requiring custom fit-out work.
Innovation Solution
A building system utilizing orthogonal tensioners, including vertical and horizontal tensioners, to securely bind wall panels to a foundation, ensuring accurate alignment and self-shoring, with adjustable and variable length tensioners that are integrated with the panels and anchors, allowing for precise positioning and secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional anchors are cast in or post-pour drilled into the concrete slab, then the panels can be secured to the foundation, but alignment accuracy is lost and skilled tradesmen are required for positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates pre-formed anchor points directly into the modular panels during factory manufacturing. These anchor points are precisely positioned according to the panel design, eliminating the need for on-site positioning and ensuring consistent accuracy. The panels arrive at the construction site with their attachment points already prepared and accurately located.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces adjustable alignment elements and template guides as intermediary components between the pre-formed anchor points and the foundation anchors. These intermediaries facilitate precise positioning during installation, allowing workers to achieve accurate alignment without requiring skilled judgment or complex measurement procedures.
2Ease of manufacture
If anchors are positioned with errors in the concrete slab, then panels can still be attached, but misalignment occurs and corrections are required increasing cost and time
Solution Approach 1:
The modular panels are pre-assembled in the factory with all connection points, brackets, and alignment features already in place. This preliminary preparation ensures that when panels are installed on site, they can be quickly connected to the foundation without requiring time-consuming adjustments or corrections.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention incorporates adjustable connection mechanisms that allow for minor positioning adjustments during installation. These dynamic adjustment capabilities enable workers to compensate for small variations in foundation positioning without requiring complete reinstatement or correction of the entire assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional modular panels are used with site-assembled foundations, then modular construction advantages are achieved, but inaccuracies propagate through the building requiring custom fit-out work
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the building into modular sections, each with its own pre-assembled foundation elements and panel assemblies. By segmenting the construction into discrete, factory-prepared units with standardized connection interfaces, the system maintains modular flexibility while ensuring consistent precision across the entire building through repeated use of the same manufactured components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs universal connection systems and standardized interface designs that work across all modular panels and foundation elements. This universality ensures that the same precision standards are applied throughout the building, allowing consistent alignment to be maintained across all sections without requiring custom adjustments for each module.
Data Source
AI summary
A building having a foundation and abutting wall panels seated on the foundation. Together they define at least one wall section, tied together by orthogonal tensioners. The tensioners include vertical tensioners located parallel and between adjacent wall panels and fixed to the foundation and at a respective anchor positioned at the top of the adjacent wall panel. These vertical tensioners allow a binding of the adjacent wall panel by said vertical tensioner onto the seat of the foundation. The tensioners also a horizontal tensioner extending between said anchors at each end of the wall section to allow a horizontal binding of wall panels of the wall section together.