Building system and method

Abstract

A system and method for construction of a building from components, supplies and tools which are transported to the desired building site in a shipping container. The building components loaded and transported in the shipping container include preassembled wall panels, ceiling panels, roof trusses, roof panels, roof cladding sheets and wall cladding sheets. Each preassembled component is sized so that no measuring or cutting of same is required during construction at the building site, and each component may be manually carried without the need for using a lifting device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for the shipment of building components to a desired building site, and the erection of a building at that site, the system comprising:
 a. a shipping container housing all the components of the system during transit to the building site;   b. preassembled side, front and rear wall panels for use in constructing side, front and rear walls for the building, said wall panels configured to be fastened together along their adjoining edges when erected at the building site, wherein each wall panel has an inner and an outer surface, and wherein each wall panel when erected at the building site is configured to be supported by a suitable foundation;   c. preassembled ceiling panels for use in constructing a ceiling for the building, wherein each ceiling panel has an inner and an outer surface, and wherein each ceiling panel when erected at the building site is configured to span the distance between, and be supported by, the side walls of the building;   d. preassembled roof trusses configured to rest upon and be supported by the ceiling panels, said roof trusses when erected at the building site configured to extend the distance between the side walls of the building;   e. preassembled roof panels which, when erected at the building site, are configured to rest upon and be supported by roof trusses;   f. precut sheets of roof cladding which, when erected at the building site, are configured to be attached to and supported by roof panels; and   g. precut sheets of wall cladding which, when erected at the building site, are configured to be attached to and supported by wall panels.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the preassembled wall panels, ceiling panels, roof trusses, roof panels, roof cladding sheets and wall cladding sheets are each sized so that no measuring or cutting of the same is required during the construction of the building at the desired site. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein:
 a. the loaded container further comprises 6 wall panels and 8 ceiling panels; 
 b. each wall panel comprises four adjacent sheets of wall board, each wall board measuring 4 feet wide and 8 feet high, and wherein each wall panel is approximately 16 feet long and 8 feet high; and 
 c. each ceiling panel comprises 2 adjacent sheets of wall board, each wall board measuring 4 feet wide and 8 feet long, and wherein each ceiling panel is approximately 16.75 feet long and 4 feet wide. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2  wherein each building component as loaded in the container weighs no more than 380 pounds. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2  wherein each building component as loaded in the container can be carried by no more than 6 workers without the need for using a lifting device. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the container is a 20 foot long metal container which complies with the specifications and standards set by the International Organization for Standardization. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2  wherein:
 a. the building as erected has 4 corners; 
 b. each corner includes upper and lower sets of brackets; and 
 c. each set of brackets is comprised of an outside bracket and an inside bracket which are configured to be fastened together by bolts configured to pass through the building wall. 
 
     
     
         8 . A system for the shipment of building components to a desired building site and the erection of a building at that site from those components without the need for any on-site measuring or cutting of components, the building having a rectangular footprint 16 feet wide and 32 feet long, the system comprising:
 a. a 20-foot long shipping container housing the components of the system during transit to the site where the building is to be erected, wherein the components comprise the following:   b. preassembled, modular wall panels for use in constructing walls for the building, wherein the wall panels as shipped comprise a front wall panel and a rear wall panel, each measuring approximately 16 feet long and 8 feet high; 2 left side wall panels, each measuring approximately 16 feet long and 8 feet high; and 2 right side wall panels, each measuring approximately 16 feet long and 8 feet high; wherein each wall panel when erected at the building site is configured to be supported by a suitable foundation; wherein each wall panel as shipped is comprised of 4 full sheets of wall board, each sheet being 4 feet wide and 8 feet long, which are affixed to wall framing members; and wherein each wall panel as shipped has a finished inner surface, an outer surface and insulation covering said outer surface;   c. preassembled, modular ceiling panels for use in constructing a ceiling for the building, wherein each ceiling panel is approximately 16.75 feet in length such that in the constructed building each ceiling panel is configured to span the distance between and be supported by the left and right side walls; wherein each ceiling panel is approximately 4 feet wide such that 8 ceiling panels placed side-by-side will span the distance between the front and rear walls; wherein each ceiling panel as shipped is comprised of 2 full sheets of wall board, each sheet being 4 feet wide and 8 feet long, which are affixed to ceiling framing members; and wherein each ceiling panel as shipped has a finished inner surface, an outer surface, and insulation covering said outer surface;   d. preassembled, modular roof trusses for use in supporting roof panels for the building, wherein each roof truss is triangularly shaped and has 2 ends, a horizontal framing member extending between the 2 ends and an apex extending above said horizontal framing member; wherein each truss measures approximately 16.75 feet long from end to end such that when erected at the building site each truss is configured to extend the distance between the left and right side walls, said roof trusses configured to rest upon and be supported by ceiling panels; and wherein a total of 9 trusses spaced 4 feet apart from each other are configured to extend the distance between the front and rear walls when erected at the building site;   e. preassembled, modular roof panels configured to be supported by roof trusses when erected at the building site, wherein each erected roof panel has a length sufficient to extend from at least the apex to an end of its supporting roof trusses, and wherein 4 equal-sized roof panels placed side-by-side are configured to extend the distance between the front and rear walls;   f. pre-cut sheets of roof cladding configured to be attached to and supported by the roof panels when erected at the building site, wherein each sheet of roof cladding is at least as long as its supporting roof panel, and wherein adjacent sheets of roof cladding are configured to cover the entire roof of the building; and   g. pre-cut sheets of wall cladding configured to be attached to the outer surfaces of the wall panels when erected at the building site, and wherein adjacent sheets of wall cladding are configured to cover the entire walls except for door openings, air conditioner openings and other wall openings which accommodate other building accessories.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising building tools and supplies necessary for assembling the building components into a finished building, said building tools and supplies loaded in and shipped with the container, said building tools and supplies comprising screws, screwdrivers, wiring, electrical outlets, switches, light fixtures and insulation. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein no other building components, tools and supplies are necessary to erect a finished building except those that are loaded in and shipped with the container. 
     
     
         11 . A system for the shipment of building components to a desired building site, and the erection of a building at that site from those components, the system comprising:
 a. a shipping container housing all the components of the system during transit to the building site;   b. preassembled side, front and rear wall panels for use in constructing side, front and rear walls for the building, said wall panels fastened together along their adjoining edges when erected at the building site; wherein each wall panel has an inner and an outer surface, and wherein each wall panel when erected at the building site is supported by a suitable foundation;   c. preassembled ceiling panels for use in constructing a ceiling for the building, wherein each ceiling panel has an inner and an outer surface, and wherein each ceiling panel when erected at the building site spans the distance between, and is supported by, the side walls of the building;   d. preassembled roof trusses which, when erected at the building site, rest upon and are supported by the ceiling panels and extend the distance between the side walls of the building;   e. preassembled roof panels which, when erected at the building site, rest upon and are supported by roof trusses;   f. precut sheets of roof cladding which, when erected at the building site, are attached to and supported by roof panels; and   g. precut sheets of wall cladding which, when erected at the building site, are attached to and supported by wall panels.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein:
 a. the building as erected at the desired site has 4 corners; 
 b. each corner includes upper and lower sets of brackets; and 
 c. each set of brackets is fastened together by bolts passing through the building wall. 
 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising preassembled floor panels which, when erected at the building site, are anchored to the ground and provide support for the walls which are erected thereon. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein each floor panel comprises 2 adjacent sheets of wall board, each wall board measuring 4 feet wide and 8 feet long, and wherein each floor panel is at least 16 feet long and approximately 4 feet wide. 
     
     
         15 . A method of constructing a building from components, supplies and tools shipped to a desired building site, comprising the steps of:
 a. loading into a shipping container all the components, supplies and tools needed to construct the building, comprising preassembled wall panels, ceiling panels, roof trusses, roof panels, sheets of roof cladding and sheets of wall cladding;   b. transporting the loaded shipping container to the desired building site;   c. unloading the shipping container at the desired building site;   d. erecting front, rear and side walls for the building by standing the wall panels up on a suitable foundation at the building site, and fastening the wall panels together along their adjacent edges to form the building perimeter;   e. lifting the ceiling panels in place such that they span the distance between and are supported by the erect side walls of the building;   f. lifting the roof trusses in place such that they rest upon and are supported by ceiling panels;   g. lifting the roof panels in place such that they rest upon and are supported by roof trusses;   h. attaching the sheets of roof cladding to the roof panels; and   i. attaching the sheets of wall cladding to the wall panels.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the preassembled wall panels, ceiling panels, roof trusses, roof panels, roof cladding sheets and wall cladding sheets are each sized so that no measuring or cutting of same is required during the construction of the building at the desired building site. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the preassembled wall panels, ceiling panels, roof trusses, roof panels, roof cladding sheets and wall cladding sheets are each sufficiently light to be carried and installed by no more than 6 workers at the building site without the need for any lifting device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the steps of:
 a. loading into the shipping container, prior to transporting it, preassembled floor panels; 
 b. erecting a floor for the building, prior to erecting the building walls, by placing the floor panels on ground support at the desired building site; and 
 c. erecting the walls on the floor panels, said floor panels providing a suitable building foundation at the site.