WO2008141366A1

WO2008141366A1 - Load bearing during transportation of portable buildings

Info

Publication number: WO2008141366A1
Application number: PCT/AU2008/000687
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stephen Donovan
Original assignee: Embleton Limited
Priority date: 2007-05-17
Filing date: 2008-05-16
Publication date: 2008-11-27
Also published as: AU2008253581A1

Abstract

A building or building module arranged for transportation by a containerised transportation network includes a plurality of mounting locations each arranged to receive a load supporting member having a lifting point. The load supporting members engage with the mounting locations in a releasable fashion. When engaged, the weight of the building may be transferred through the mounting locations to the load supporting members. When they are no longer required the load supporting members can be disengaged from the mounting locations.

Description

LOAD BEARING DURING TRANSPORTATION OF PORTABLE BUILDINGS FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the transportation of modular and other transportable buildings. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

A number of styles of modular and transportable buildings are known. These range from buildings which are small enough to be assembled at a first location and transported whole to a second location, to buildings which are transported in small portions for assembly at the desired location. In this range falls buildings or building modules which are expandable between a transportable configuration and an assembled configuration. Such buildings may be arranged to be substantially in the size and shape of a standard shipping container in their transportable configuration, with panels arranged to hinge outwardly to form the assembled configuration. Such buildings or building modules have the advantage of being readily transportable using standard'containerised storage and transportation networks.

One problem experienced in using these networks is the provision of suitable lifting points on the building or building module in its transportable configuration. Shipping containers are often required to have standardised lifting points located at standardised locations, to enable ready movement of the containers by specialised equipment. For example, containers which are to be loaded onto a ship must have the lifting points required by wharf machinery. These lifting points support the entire weight of the shipping container during loading and unloading operations. Buildings or building modules which are to transported using such machinery thus require lifting points mounted to the modules in such a way that they support the entire weight of the building in its transportable configuration. This requires the lifting points to be integrally formed with the structural elements of the building or module. . The lifting points are not generally used once the building or module has reached its final location. Their presence, however, can limit the ways in which the building can be altered between its transportable and assembled configurations. It can also limit, for instance, the placement of suitable footings for the building. Even when these problems are avoided, the presence of lifting points can prove unsightly.

The present invention has been derived in light of this background. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a building arranged for transportation by a containerised transportation network, the building including a plurality of mounting locations each arranged to receive a load supporting member, each load supporting member including at least one lifting point by which the building can be lifted during transportation, wherein the load supporting members engage with the mounting locations in a releasable fashion such that, when engaged, the weight of the building may be transferred through the mounting locations to the load supporting members, and when no longer required the load supporting members can be disengaged from the mounting locations. In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a building module arranged for transportation by a containerised transportation network, the building module including a plurality of mounting locations each arranged to receive a load supporting member, each load supporting member including at least one lifting point by which the building module can be lifted during transportation, wherein the load supporting members engage with the mounting locations in a releasable fashion such that, when engaged, the weight of the building module may be transferred through the mounting locations to the load supporting members, and when no longer required the load supporting members can be disengaged from the mounting locations. In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a load supporting member for a building or building module, the load supporting member including at least lifting point by which the building or building module can be lifted during transportation, the load supporting member being arranged to engage at least one mounting location of the building or building module in a releasable fashion such that, when engaged, at least a portion of the weight of the building or building module can be transferred through the mounting location to the load supporting member, and where the load supporting member can be disengaged from the mounting location when no longer required. Advantageously, this allows for transportation of the building or building module using standard containerised transportation networks and equipment, whilst avoiding the potentially unsightly and/or awkward presence of lifting points on assembled buildings. In a preferred form of the invention, each load supporting member comprises a single lifting point fixed by suitable means, such as butt-welding, to an attachment portion arranged for engagement with a mounting location. This allows an economy of design, and aids in ease of use.

Desirably, the attachment portion and the mounting location are complementary in shape. In a particularly preferred form of the invention, both the attachment portion and the mounting location are flat, and include a plurality of corresponding apertures. The apertures of the attachment portion are arranged to align with the apertures of the mounting location to allow suitable fixing means such as bolts to connect the attachment portion to the mounting location. Preferably the mounting locations are securely fixed to structural elements of the building or building module. Desirably, the mounting locations are placed in alignment with vertically aligned structural members of the building or building module, such as columns. This allows the weight of the building or module to be supported efficiently. The mounting locations may be located along horizontal supporting members of the building or building module.

Each mounting location may extend beyond the confines of the vertical and/or horizontal members of the building or building module with which it is associated. This may allow, for instance, at least some of the apertures of the mounting location to be readily accessible for the engagement and disengagement of fastening means.

The mounting locations are preferably spaced in accordance with standardised shipping container placements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It will be convenient to further describe the invention with reference to preferred embodiments of the building and associated load supporting member of the present invention. Other embodiments are possible, and consequently, the particularity of the following discussion is not to be understood as superseding the generality of the preceding description of the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective of structural elements of a building module in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic end perspective of structural elements of the building module of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a schematic side cross sectional view of the building module of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a schematic end view of the building module of Figure 1 , shown during construction;

Figure 5 is a plan view of structural elements of a portion of the building module of Figure 1 , including an attached load supporting member;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional side view of structural elements of a portion of the building module of Figure 1 , including an attached load supporting member, Figure 7 is a cross sectional end view of structural elements of a portion of the building module of Figure 1 , including an attached load supporting member;

Figure 8 is a cross sectional side view of structural elements of a portion of the building module of Figure 1 , including an attached load supporting member; and Figure 9 is a cross sectional plan view through a load supporting member attached to the building module of Figure 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings, there is shown schematically a building module

10 which is moveable between a transportable configuration, as shown in Figure 1, and an assembled configuration. When in the transportable configuration, the building module 10 has the same dimensions as a standard ISO shipping container. In the embodiment of the drawings, the building module has the dimensions of a standard 40' container, having a width of about 2.4m, a height of about 2.6m_vand a length of about 12.2rn. It will be appreciated that the present invention can be applied to shipping containers of other dimensions.

The module 10 has two end walls 12, two side walls 14, a top 16 and a base 18. One of the two side walls 14a includes several panels which can hinge outwardly to move the building module 10 into its assembled configuration. Each of the end walls 12 includes a plurality of vertically aligned supporting members, being columns 20. In the embodiment of the drawings, each end wall

12 includes two outer columns 20 which define comers of the module 10 and three internal columns 20. The columns 20 provide structural support for the module 10.

The columns 20 extend between horizontal supporting members being lateral end members 22. The lateral end members 22 extend across the ends of the top 16 and bottom 18 of the module 10. There are thus four such lateral end members 22. The building module 10 of the drawings includes eight mounting locations

30 and associated load supporting members 40. The mounting locations 30 are situated with two on the outside of each of the lateral end members 22. Each of the mounting locations 30 is aligned with internal columns 20. The arrangement is such the central internal column 20 of each end 12 does not have mounting locations aligned with it, but each of its two neighbouring columns 20 has mounting locations aligned both above and below the column 20. This can be perhaps most clearly seen in Figure 2.

The particular arrangement of the mounting locations 30 and load supporting members 40 is best seen in Figures 5 to 9. Each mounting location 30 comprises a substantially, flat, rectangular plate

32. The plate 32 is preferably formed of steel. The plate 32 has a width greater than that of the lateral end member 22. In the embodiment of the drawings the width of the plate 32 is about three times that of the lateral end member 22. The plate has a length greater than the width of the column 20. In the embodiment of the drawings the length of the plate 32 is about four times the width of the column 20.

The plate 32 is located such that in the direction defined by the length of the lateral end member 22 the plate 32 is centred over the column 20. In the perpendicular direction, that is the direction defined between the respective module ends 12, the plate 32 is located such that about half of its width is internal of the lateral end member 22. In other words, the plate extends beyond the lateral end member 22 and column 20, internally of the top 16 or bottom 18 of the module 10. The plate 32 is fixed to the lateral end member 22 by suitable means, such as butt-welding.

The plate 32 includes four apertures 34 arranged to receive fastening means such as bolts 36. In a preferred embodiment the plate 32 has nuts 38 aligned with each aperture 34, and welded to the internal side of the plate 32.

Each load supporting member 40 comprises a lifting point 42 and an attachment portion 44. The lifting point 42 is lug including a recess which can be engaged by standard container moving equipment. The attachment portion 44 is complementary in shape to the mounting location 30, and thus in this embodiment is a plate with four apertures in corresponding locations to the apertures 34 of the plate 32.

The lifting point 42 is connected to the attachment portion 44 by suitable means such as butt-welding.

In use, the attachment portion 44 is engaged with the mounting location 32 by bolting the two complementary members together. When this has been done on all eight locations (four on the top 16 and four on the bottom 18 of the module

10), the modules in its transportable configuration can be readily moved by standard means within a containerised transportation network. It will be appreciated that the weight of the module 10 can be transferred through the columns 20 to the mounting locations 30 and thence to the load supporting members40.

When the module 10 has been moved to its desired location, the bolts 36 can be removed, thus releasing the load supporting members 40. A cover plate can then be placed over the exposed mounting locations 30, with the apertures sealed by, for instance, silicone sealant.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A building arranged for transportation by a containerised transportation network, the building including a plurality of mounting locations each arranged to receive a load supporting member, each load supporting member including at least one lifting point by which the building can be lifted during transportation, wherein the load supporting members engage with the mounting locations in a releasable fashion such that, when engaged, the weight of the building may be transferred through the mounting locations to the load supporting members, and when no longer required the load supporting members can be disengaged from the mounting locations.

2. A building module arranged for transportation by a containerised transportation network, the building module including a plurality of mounting locations each arranged to receive a load supporting member, each load supporting member including at least one lifting point by which the building module can be lifted during transportation, wherein the load supporting members engage with the mounting locations in a releasable fashion such that, when engaged, the weight of the building module may be transferred through the mounting locations to the load supporting members, and when no longer required the load supporting members can be disengaged from the mounting locations.

3. A load supporting member for a building or building module, the load supporting member including at least lifting point by which the building or building module can be lifted during transportation, the load supporting member being arranged to engage at least one mounting location of the building or building module in a releasable fashion such that, when engaged, at least a portion of the weight of the building or building module can be transferred through the mounting location to the load supporting member, and where the load supporting member can be disengaged from the mounting location when no longer required.

4. A load supporting member as claimed in claim 3, wherein the load supporting member comprises a single lifting point fixed by suitable means to an attachment portion arranged for engagement with a mounting location.

5. A building as claimed in claim 1 or a building module as claimed in claim 2 wherein the load supporting member is as claimed in claim 4.

6. A building or building module as claimed in claim 5, wherein the attachment portion and the mounting location are complementary in shape.

7. A building or building module as claimed in claim 6, wherin both the attachment portion and the mounting location are flat, and include a plurality of corresponding apertures.

8. A building or building module as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the mounting locations are placed in alignment with vertically aligned structural members of the building or building module, such as columns.

9. A building or building module as claimed in claim 8, wherein each mounting location may extend beyond the confines of the vertical and/or horizontal members of the building or building module with which it is associated.