Light weight modular units for staggered stacked building system

Abstract

Manufactured modular units for the creation of multistory buildings are staggered stacked so as to create “bonus spaces” between units. Several lighter weight structural versions are presented. The first is a wood frame or cold rolled shape light gauge metal framed modular unit. The second version uses cross laminated timber panels to create the modular unit. The third version uses hot rolled steel shapes for the structure of the modular unit to be staggered stacked. These lighter weight modular units have many advantages. They are more easily transported and craned into position. Seismic forces are decreased. Less modular unit weight also allows for greater unit area. Thus, fewer units need to be transported and fewer units need to be craned. Also, a larger unit area and larger “bonus” area allows for more flexible space planning.

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         5 . A building, comprising:
 a roof deck having a top side, a first vertical side, and a second vertical side laterally opposite said first vertical side of said roof deck;   a first longitudinal roof beam attached to said roof deck, said first longitudinal roof beam comprising:
 a vertical side, said first vertical side of said roof deck extending beyond said vertical side of said first longitudinal roof beam; and 
 a vertical dimension of said vertical side of said first longitudinal roof beam; 
   a second longitudinal roof beam attached to said roof deck, said second longitudinal roof beam comprising:
 a vertical side, said second vertical side of said roof deck extending beyond said vertical side of said second longitudinal roof beam; and 
 a vertical dimension of said vertical side of said second longitudinal roof beam; 
   a first transverse beam connected to said roof deck, said first longitudinal roof beam, and said second longitudinal roof beam;   a floor deck having a top side, a first vertical side, and a second vertical side laterally opposite said first vertical side of said floor deck;   a first longitudinal floor beam attached to said floor deck, said first longitudinal floor beam comprising:
 a vertical side, said first vertical side of said floor deck extending over said vertical side of said first longitudinal floor beam; and 
 a vertical dimension of said vertical side of said first longitudinal floor beam; 
   a second longitudinal floor beam attached to said floor deck, said second longitudinal floor beam comprising:
 a vertical side, said second vertical side of said floor deck extending over said vertical side of said second longitudinal floor beam; and 
 a vertical dimension of said vertical side of said second longitudinal floor beam; 
   a second transverse beam connected to said floor deck, said first longitudinal floor beam, and said second longitudinal floor beam; and   a modular unit comprising:
 a first column attached to said first longitudinal roof beam with a top end of said first column displaced vertically below said roof deck top side by at least half said vertical dimension of said first longitudinal roof beam, and with said first column attached to said first longitudinal floor beam with a bottom end of said first column displaced vertically below said floor deck top side by at least half said vertical dimension of said first longitudinal floor beam; and 
 a second column attached to said second longitudinal roof beam with a top end of said second column displaced vertically below said roof deck top side by at least half said vertical dimension of said first longitudinal roof beam, and with said second column attached to said first longitudinal floor beam with a bottom end of said second column displaced vertically below said floor deck by at least half said vertical dimension of said second longitudinal floor beam, 
   wherein said first longitudinal roof beam, said second longitudinal roof beam, said first transverse beam, and said second transverse beam are fabricated from steel.   
     
     
         6 . The building of  claim 5 , comprising a first of modular unit and a second of said modular unit joined to said first modular unit with said top side of said roof deck for said first modular unit horizontally aligned with said top side of said floor deck of said second modular unit. 
     
     
         7 . The building of  claim 6 , wherein said first column on said first modular unit is vertically aligned with said second column on said second modular unit. 
     
     
         8 . The building of  claim 5 , further comprising a diagonal brace from said first column to said second column. 
     
     
         9 . The building of  claim 5 , further comprising a lowest level modular unit comprising:
 a roof deck having a top side, a first vertical side, and a second vertical side laterally opposite said first vertical side of said roof deck;   a first longitudinal roof beam attached to said roof deck of said lowest level modular unit, said first longitudinal roof beam comprising:
 a vertical side, said first vertical side of said roof deck extending over said vertical side of said first longitudinal roof beam in said lowest level modular unit; and 
 a vertical dimension of said vertical side of said first longitudinal roof beam; 
   a second longitudinal roof beam attached to said roof deck of said lowest level modular unit, said second longitudinal roof beam comprising:
 a vertical side, said second vertical side of said roof deck extending over said vertical side of said second longitudinal roof beam in said lowest level modular unit; and 
 a vertical dimension of said vertical side of said second longitudinal roof beam; 
   a first transverse beam connected to said roof deck, said first longitudinal roof beam, and said second longitudinal roof beam;   a first column attached to said first longitudinal roof beam with a top end of said first column displaced vertically below said roof deck top side by at least half said vertical dimension of said first longitudinal roof beam, and with said first column attached to said first longitudinal floor beam with a bottom end of said first column displaced vertically below said floor deck top side by at least half said vertical dimension of said first longitudinal floor beam; and   a second column attached to said second longitudinal roof beam with a top end of said second column displaced vertically below said roof deck top side by at least half said vertical dimension of said first longitudinal roof beam, and with said second column attached to said first longitudinal floor beam with a bottom end of said second column displaced vertically below said floor deck by at least half said vertical dimension of said second longitudinal floor beam.   
     
     
         10 . The building of  claim 9 , wherein said lowest level modular unit is joined to said first modular unit with said top side of said roof deck for said lowest level modular unit horizontally aligned with said top side of said floor deck of said first modular unit. 
     
     
         11 . The building of  claim 5 , wherein said first column is a steel tube column. 
     
     
         12 . The building of  claim 5 , wherein said first column is a steel H column. 
     
     
         13 . The building of  claim 5 , further comprising a shim interposed between said first column and said first longitudinal roof beam. 
     
     
         14 . The building of  claim 5 , further comprising a shim interposed between said first column and said first longitudinal floor beam. 
     
     
         15 . A building, comprising:
 a wall panel manufactured from Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), comprising a first end, an exposed top on said first end, a second end opposite said first end, and an exposed bottom on said second end;   a roof panel manufactured from CLT, comprising a top side, a first face having an edge in common with said top side, and a second face having an edge in common with said top side opposite said first face;   a floor panel manufactured from CLT, comprising a bottom side, a first face having an edge in common with said bottom side, and a second face having an edge in common with said bottom side opposite said first face of said floor panel;   a lowest level modular unit, comprising:
 a first of said wall panel; 
 a second of said wall panel; 
 one of said roof panel attached to said first and second wall panels with said first face of said roof panel adjacent said exposed top of said first wall panel and said second face of said roof panel adjacent said exposed on said second wall panel; and 
   a modular unit, comprising:
 a first of said wall panel; 
 a second of said wall panel; 
 one of said roof panel attached to said first and second wall panels in said modular unit with said first face of said roof panel adjacent said exposed top on said first wall panel and said second face of said roof panel adjacent said exposed top on said second wall panel; and 
 one of said floor panel attached to said first and second wall panels in said modular unit with said first face of said floor panel adjacent said exposed bottom on said first wall panel and said second face of said floor panel adjacent said exposed bottom on said second wall panels, 
   wherein said modular unit is attached to said lowest level modular unit with said first face of said floor panel of said modular unit laterally adjacent said second face of said roof panel of said lowest level modular unit, said bottom side of said floor panel adjacent said exposed top of said second wall of said lowest level modular unit, and said exposed bottom of said first wall panel of said modular unit adjacent said top side of said roof panel of said lowest level modular unit.   
     
     
         16 . The building of  claim 15 , further comprising a second of said lowest level modular unit connected to said modular unit with said first face of said roof panel on said second lowest level modular unit laterally adjacent said second face of said floor panel of said modular unit. 
     
     
         17 . The building of  claim 15 , wherein a top side of said floor panel in said modular unit and said top side of said roof panel in said lowest level modular unit are aligned at a same horizontal level. 
     
     
         18 . The building of  claim 15 , wherein said first face of said floor panel of said modular unit is separated laterally from said second face of said roof panel of said lowest level modular unit by a gap of about 0.5 inch. 
     
     
         19 . The building of  claim 15 , further comprising a field-installed steel angle bracket joining said first wall panel of said modular unit to said top side of said roof panel of said lowest level modular unit. 
     
     
         20 . The building of  claim 15 , wherein said modular unit comprises a first modular unit, and further comprising a second of said modular unit joined to said first modular unit with said first end of said second wall panel of said first modular unit in contact with said second end of said first wall panel of said second modular unit.