System for modular building construction
First Claim
1. A system for construction of a habitable building comprising a plurality of interconnectable pre-fabricated modular building units configurable in tandem to create a habitable building space, each unit comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other units, each said unit meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said unit not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for the transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Construction systems for erecting building structures comprise a plurality of prefabricated interconnectable modular building units, each unit not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for transport of cargo, but each unit comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of framing members and a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other units, the nodes and the exterior dimensions of the frame conforming to ISO shipping standards such that each unit is transportable using the ISO intermodal transportation system, and such that when the units are aggregated horizontally and vertically and adjacent units are interconnected, a building structure comprising at least one habitable space is formed. The modular units are assembled in a factory remote from the job site, and are there constructed to a semi-finished state, including installation of one or more of interior fit-out systems and finishes, exterior envelope systems, plumbing systems, electrical systems, environmental systems, and fire protection systems, following which the semi-finished modular units are transported from the factory to the job site, where they are craned into place and secured to form the structure being erected, a plurality of adjacent pairs of semi-finished modular units also being “stitched” together, and the semi-finished modular units are thereafter constructed to a finished state.
205 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for construction of a habitable building comprising a plurality of interconnectable pre-fabricated modular building units configurable in tandem to create a habitable building space, each unit comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other units, each said unit meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said unit not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for the transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container.
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2. A building structure comprising a plurality of interconnectable pre-fabricated modular building units configurable in tandem to create a habitable building space, each unit comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other units, each said unit meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said unit not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container.
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3. A module for construction of a habitable building structure, said module being prefabricated and configurable in tandem with other modules to create a habitable building space, said module comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other modules, each said module meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said module not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container.
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4. A method for forming a habitable building space comprising the steps of (a) providing a plurality of construction modules, each said module being prefabricated and configurable in tandem with other modules to create a habitable building space, each said module comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of framing members and a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other modules, each said module meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said module not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container;
- (b) fastening to the frame of each said module a floor system and a roof system comprising a ceiling, (c) assembling a plurality of said modules in at least two different dimensions, and (d) securing said modules together to provide a habitable building space.
- View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A method of constructing a habitable building structure comprising the steps of (a) producing in a manufacturing facility a plurality of construction modules, each said module configurable in tandem with other modules to create a habitable building space, each said module comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of framing members and a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other modules, each said module meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said module not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container;
- (b) constructing each of said plurality of modules to a semi-finished state in said manufacturing facility;
(c) transporting said semi-finished modules to a staging area at or near a construction site utilizing the ISO intermodal transportation system;
(d) preparing the construction site by providing a foundation for said building structure, wherein step (d) may be carried out prior to or simultaneously with step (c);
(e) craning a plurality of said semi-finished modules onto said foundation and securing said semi-finished modules to said foundation;
(f) fastening abutting semi-finished modules to one another; and
(g) constructing said semi-finished modules to a finished state, said construction comprising at least connecting utilities to said modules, to form one or more habitable spaces within said building structure, wherein step (g) may be carried out prior to or simultaneously with step (f). - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- (b) constructing each of said plurality of modules to a semi-finished state in said manufacturing facility;
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14. A system for construction of a habitable building comprising a plurality of interconnectable pre-fabricated modular building units configurable in tandem to create a habitable building space, each unit comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other units, each said unit meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said unit not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for the transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container, said habitable building space being selected from the group consisting essentially of residential housing and dwellings, data processing centers, office, retail, industrial, place of assembly, governmental, laboratory, library, exhibition, and arena structures, educational, hospitality, health care, correctional, food and/or beverage consumption, catering, conference, and transportation facilities, and combinations thereof.
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15. A building structure comprising a plurality of interconnectable pre-fabricated modular building units configurable in tandem to create a habitable building space, each unit comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other units, each said unit meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said unit not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container, said habitable building space being selected from the group consisting essentially of residential housing and dwellings, data processing centers, office, retail, industrial, place of assembly, governmental, laboratory, library, exhibition, and arena structures, educational, hospitality, health care, correctional, food and/or beverage consumption, catering, conference, and transportation facilities, and combinations thereof.
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16. A module for construction of a habitable building structure, said module being prefabricated and configurable in tandem with other modules to create a habitable building space, said module comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other modules, each said module meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said module not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container, said habitable building space being selected from the group consisting essentially of residential housing and dwellings, data processing centers, office, retail, industrial, place of assembly, governmental, laboratory, library, exhibition, and arena structures, educational, hospitality, health care, correctional, food and/or beverage consumption, catering, conference, and transportation facilities, and combinations thereof.
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17. A method for forming a habitable building space comprising the steps of (a) providing a plurality of construction modules, each said module being prefabricated and configurable in tandem with other modules to create a habitable building space, each said module comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of framing members and a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other modules, each said module meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said module not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container;
- (b) fastening to the frame of each said module a floor system and a roof system comprising a ceiling, (c) assembling a plurality of said modules in at least two different dimensions, and (d) securing said modules together to provide a habitable building space, said habitable building space being selected from the group consisting essentially of residential housing and dwellings, data processing centers, office, retail, industrial, place of assembly, governmental, laboratory, library, exhibition, and arena structures, educational, hospitality, health care, correctional, food and/or beverage consumption, catering, conference, and transportation facilities, and combinations thereof.
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18. A method of constructing a habitable building structure comprising the steps of (a) producing in a manufacturing facility a plurality of construction modules, each said module configurable in tandem with other modules to create a habitable building space, each said module comprising a frame shaped as a rectangular parallelopiped and comprised of framing members and a plurality of nodes, each node situated at a corner of said frame for selective interconnection with other modules, each said module meeting the ISO International Standards for intermodal transport but each said module not meeting at least one of the ISO certification criteria for transport of cargo in a general purpose cargo container;
- (b) constructing each of said plurality of modules to a semi-finished state in said manufacturing facility;
(c) transporting said semi-finished modules to a staging area at or near a construction site utilizing the ISO intermodal transportation system;
(d) preparing the construction site by providing a foundation for said building structure, wherein step (d) may be carried out prior to or simultaneously with step (c);
(e) craning a plurality of said semi-finished modules onto said foundation and securing said semi-finished modules to said foundation;
(f) fastening abutting semi-finished modules to one another; and
(g) constructing said semi-finished modules to a finished state, said construction comprising at least connecting utilities to said modules, to form one or more habitable spaces within said building structure, wherein step (g) may be carried out prior to or simultaneously with step (f), each said habitable building space being selected from the group consisting essentially of residential housing and dwellings, data processing centers, office, retail, industrial, place of assembly, governmental, laboratory, library, exhibition, and arena structures, educational, hospitality, health care, correctional, food and/or beverage consumption, catering, conference, and transportation facilities, and combinations thereof.
- (b) constructing each of said plurality of modules to a semi-finished state in said manufacturing facility;
Specification