Prefabricated Modular Units with Hollow Formwork for Structural Deck
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-rise building construction is cost-inflated due to onsite labor inefficiencies and increased material transportation challenges, making conventional methods unfeasible in many economic climates, necessitating a reduction in construction costs through prefabricated factory work and onsite time reduction.
Innovation Solution
A modular building system comprising prefabricated units with vertically disposed formwork structures that act as permanent formwork for structural bearing materials, allowing for efficient assembly and completion of structural integrity in a factory, minimizing onsite work and relying on conventional materials for permanent structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional onsite construction methods are used for high-rise buildings, then structural integrity and building height can be achieved, but construction costs increase due to labor inefficiencies and material transportation challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The building is divided into modular units that are pre-assembled in factories and then transported to the construction site. Each module contains pre-installed structural elements, walls, floors, and mechanical systems, allowing parallel fabrication of multiple modules while reducing onsite labor requirements and transportation costs compared to traditional sequential construction methods.
Solution Approach 2:
Structural components, mechanical systems, and building assemblies are pre-installed and pre-tested in factory settings before final assembly at the construction site. This preliminary action ensures structural integrity is established during controlled factory conditions while reducing onsite construction time and costs.
2Productivity
If prefabricated modular units are used to reduce construction costs, then construction time and labor costs decrease, but the complexity of integrating modules with conventional structural systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The modular units are designed with universal connection interfaces and standardized dimensions that allow them to be integrated with conventional structural systems using standard construction techniques and materials. This multi-functionality enables the modules to serve both as pre-assembled building components and as elements that seamlessly integrate with traditional concrete or steel structures.
Solution Approach 2:
Transition elements and connection systems are provided that act as intermediaries between the modular units and conventional structural systems. These intermediaries facilitate the integration of different construction methodologies while maintaining structural continuity and simplifying the assembly process.
3Reliability
If more onsite work is performed to ensure structural integrity, then building quality can be maintained, but construction time increases due to sequential assembly processes
Solution Approach 1:
Quality assurance activities including structural assembly, mechanical system installation, and system testing are performed in advance during factory manufacturing. This preliminary quality verification reduces the need for extensive onsite inspection and rework while accelerating the construction schedule through parallel fabrication processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular units are designed to be self-contained with all necessary structural, mechanical, and electrical systems pre-installed and pre-tested. This self-service approach allows modules to be assembled at the construction site without requiring extensive onsite craftsmanship or sequential assembly processes, thereby maintaining quality while reducing construction time.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus facilitate the construction of a building using prefabricated building units, each having a horizontal upper exterior surface and a plurality of vertical wall surfaces, wherein at least some of the prefabricated building units have at least one hollow column formwork structure. The prefabricated building units are lowered onto a pre-existing base at a construction site. A first story of the building is created by arranging a plurality of the prefabricated building units adjacent to each other on the base. Structural bearing material is applied to fill the hollow column formwork structures to create structural columns connected to the structural deck. Structural bearing material is applied to the horizontal upper exterior surfaces of the adjacent prefabricated building units to create a single structural deck over the prefabricated building units.