Volumetric Building Unit With Flexible Wall-Frame Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-story structures face challenges due to rigid steel structures that restrict movement, leading to potential damage from external loads during transportation and earthquakes, and result in high costs and labor-intensive construction processes.
Innovation Solution
A volumetric building unit design featuring a support frame with spaced-apart coupling to modular interior walls and ceilings, allowing for flexibility and reducing deformation transmission, thereby enhancing structural robustness and reducing construction time and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel structures are used to connect walls and roofs with exterior frames, then structural strength is improved, but the structure becomes rigid and susceptible to damage from external loads during transportation and earthquakes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing rigid steel connections with flexible coupling mechanisms. The walls and roof are coupled to the support frame in a spaced-apart manner, allowing relative movement and deformation absorption. This dynamic coupling enables the structure to adapt to external loads during transportation and earthquakes, preventing damage while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the connection from rigid to flexible by introducing spaced-apart coupling. This parameter change allows the structure to accommodate deformations without transmitting excessive forces to the walls and roof, thereby improving damage resistance while maintaining adequate structural strength.
2Stability of the object's composition
If walls are made as part of a one package load-bearing structure, then structural integrity is improved, but the risk of surface materials breaking increases under deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wall structure into separate functional components: the load-bearing support frame and the non-load-bearing walls with surface materials. By decoupling these elements through spaced-apart connections, the structure maintains load-bearing integrity while protecting surface materials from deformation-induced breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary spaced-apart coupling mechanism between the load-bearing frame and the walls. This intermediary allows relative movement and absorbs deformations, preventing direct transmission of harmful forces to the surface materials while maintaining overall structural integrity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If rigid load-bearing structures are dimensioned to prevent deformations, then surface material breakage is reduced, but construction costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of over-dimensioning rigid structures to prevent deformations, the patent employs dynamic spaced-apart couplings that allow controlled deformations. This approach reduces material requirements and construction costs while effectively preventing surface material breakage through flexible load distribution.
4Loss of time
If modules are assembled vertically on-site, then construction time is reduced, but labor intensity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the building into standardized volumetric modules that are pre-assembled with spaced-apart couplings. These modular units can be manufactured off-site and quickly assembled vertically on-site, reducing construction time while the standardized coupling mechanisms simplify the assembly process and reduce labor intensity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables consistent quality construction at lower costs and optimized structural robustness, preventing damage during transportation and earthquakes, while allowing for efficient assembly and reduced labor and material usage.
Implementation Method 1
the spaced apart coupling between the support frame and the interior walls and interior ceiling provides flexibility between the support frame and the interior wall and interior ceiling, so that the deformation of the support frame within a predetermined range is not transmitted to the interior wall and/or interior ceiling
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
Disclosed is a volumetric, building unit (100A, 100B) comprising a support frame (102, 402) having a plurality of support frame members (110, 402A-B, 508), a plurality of modular interior wall units (104, 300, 400, 500), a plurality of modular interior ceiling units (106, 502) and a plurality of modular floor units (108) and wherein the spaced apart coupling between the support frame and the interior walls and interior ceiling provides flexibility between the support frame and the interior wall and interior ceiling, so that the deformation of the support frame within a predetermined range is not transmitted to the interior wall and/or interior ceiling. Disclosed also a method for manufacturing a building unit and a modular building (100).