System and method for constructing a set or stage

Abstract

A modular wall assembly has one or more wall portions defined by one or more rows of stacked wall modules. Two wall portions can be spaced from each other to define an opening for a door. A header assembly can be attached over the two wall portions to distribute load onto both wall portions and define a top portion of the opening for the door. A door frame with an adjustable throat can extend over side edges of the two wall portions and the bottom edge of the header assembly to mount a door (e.g., double-door, panic doors) to the modular wall assembly. Buttress walls, having removable counterweights, can extend perpendicular to the wall portions to counteract forces on the wall portions. The wall assembly can be supported on a skid plate that facilitates alignment of the wall modules when assembling the wall portions of the wall assembly. The skid plate can have resilient material that facilitates leveling of the wall modules relative to a support surface underneath the skid plate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A modular wall assembly, comprising:
 a first wall portion and a second wall portion spaced apart from the first wall portion, the first and second wall portions defining an opening therebetween sized to receive a door, each of the first and second wall portions defined by two or more stacked rows of wall modules removably coupled to each other, each wall module comprising
 a pair of monolithic panels, each of the panels comprising an outer perimeter edge defined by a pair of substantially parallel side edges and a pair of substantially parallel top and bottom edges, 
 a first support element interposed between and coupled to a top end of the pair of monolithic panels, the first support element comprising a first plurality of connection members, and 
 a second support element interposed between and coupled to a bottom end of the pair of monolithic panels, the second support element comprising a second plurality of connection members, the second plurality of connection members configured to removably couple to the first plurality of connection members of another wall module to thereby interconnect vertically adjacent wall modules, two or more of the wall modules being coupled to define a left side edge of the first wall portion, and two or more of the wall modules being coupled to define a right side edge of the second wall portion, the left side edge spaced apart from the right side edge across the opening; and 
   a header assembly configured to removably couple to a top row of the first wall portion and a top row of the second wall portion so as to span across the opening, at least a portion of a bottom edge of the header assembly defining a top edge of the opening, the header assembly comprising:
 a pair of monolithic rectangular panels, each of the panels comprising an outer perimeter edge defined by a pair of substantially parallel side edges and a pair of substantially parallel top and bottom edges, 
 a third support element interposed between and coupled to a bottom left portion of the monolithic rectangular panels, the one or more third support elements comprising a third plurality of connection members; and 
 a fourth support element interposed between and coupled to a bottom right portion of the monolithic rectangular panels, the one or more fourth support elements comprising a fourth plurality of connection members, 
   wherein the third plurality of connection members are configured to couple with one or more of the first plurality of connection members of the top row of the first wall portion and the fourth plurality of connection members are configured to removably couple with one or more of the first plurality of connection members of the top row of the second wall portion to thereby couple the header assembly to the first and second wall portions, the header assembly configured to distribute weight over the first and second wall portions.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the left-side edge of the first wall portion, the right-side edge of the second wall portion and the bottom edge of the header assembly are configured to receive thereover a door frame for mounting a door thereto that extends across the opening. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the third and fourth plurality of connection members are male connection members that protrude past the bottom edge of the header assembly and said one of more of the first plurality of connection members of the top row of the first and second wall portions are female connector members. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a buttress wall attached to one or both of the first and second wall portions, the buttress wall extending generally perpendicular to one or both of the first and second wall portions, the buttress wall defined by one or more stacked wall modules and configured to counteract a force exerted on one or both of the first and second wall portions. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4 , further comprising a counterweight coupleable to an end of the buttress wall to increase a rigidity of the buttress wall, the counterweight comprising a block portion attached to a plate portion, the plate portion being longer the block portion and having substantially the same width as the block portion, wherein the counterweight couples to a wall module of the buttress wall such that the block portion extends through a side opening of the wall module between the pair of monolithic panels and so that the plate portion abuts the end of the buttress wall. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a skid plate defining a channel configured to receive a bottom end of one or both of the first wall portion and second wall portion, the skid plate configured to align the wall modules to facilitate assembly of the wall assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein a bottom surface of the skid plate comprises a resilient material to facilitate leveling of the wall modules relative to the floor surface under the skid plate. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein a bottom surface of the skid plate frictionally engages the floor surface under the skid plate to inhibit shifting or skidding of the wall assembly on the floor surface. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more door bucks configured to be inserted through side openings of the wall modules that define the left-side edge of the first wall portion and the right-side edge of the second wall portion to facilitate coupling of a throat of a door frame to the left-side edge of the first wall portion and the right-side edge of the second wall portion, the throat fastened to the one or more door bucks with one or more fasteners. 
     
     
         10 . A modular wall assembly, comprising:
 a first wall portion and a second wall portion, each of the first and second wall portions defined by two or more stacked rows of wall modules removably coupled to each other, each wall module comprising
 a pair of monolithic panels, each of the panels comprising an outer perimeter edge defined by a pair of substantially parallel side edges and a pair of substantially parallel top and bottom edges, 
 a first support element interposed between and coupled to a top end of the pair of monolithic panels, the first support element comprising a first plurality of connection members, and 
 a second support element interposed between and coupled to a bottom end of the pair of monolithic panels, the second support element comprising a second plurality of connection members, the second plurality of connection members configured to removably couple to the first plurality of connection members of another wall module to thereby interconnect vertically adjacent wall modules; and 
   a buttress wall attached to one or both of the first and second wall portions, the buttress wall extending generally perpendicular to one or both of the first and second wall portions, the buttress wall defined by one or more stacked wall modules and configured to counteract a force exerted on one or both of the first and second wall portions.   
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a counterweight coupleable to an end of the buttress wall to increase a rigidity of the buttress wall, the counterweight comprising a block portion attached to a plate portion, the plate portion being longer the block portion and having substantially the same width as the block portion, wherein the counterweight couples to a wall module of the buttress wall such that the block portion extends through a side opening of the wall module between the pair of monolithic panels and so that the plate portion abuts the end of the buttress wall. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are spaced apart from each other, the first and second wall portions defining an opening therebetween sized to receive a door, two or more of the wall modules being coupled to define a left side edge of the first wall portion, and two or more of the wall modules being coupled to define a right side edge of the second wall portion, the left side edge spaced apart from the right side edge across the opening. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a header assembly configured to removably couple to a top row of the first wall portion and a top row of the second wall portion so as to span across the opening, at least a portion of a bottom edge of the header assembly defining a top edge of the opening, the header assembly comprising:
 a pair of monolithic rectangular panels, each of the panels comprising an outer perimeter edge defined by a pair of substantially parallel side edges and a pair of substantially parallel top and bottom edges,   a third support element interposed between and coupled to a bottom left portion of the monolithic rectangular panels, the one or more third support elements comprising a third plurality of connection members; and   a fourth support element interposed between and coupled to a bottom right portion of the monolithic rectangular panels, the one or more fourth support elements comprising a fourth plurality of connection members,   wherein the third plurality of connection members are configured to couple with one or more of the first plurality of connection members of the top row of the first wall portion and the fourth plurality of connection members are configured to removably couple with one or more of the first plurality of connection members of the top row of the second wall portion to thereby couple the header assembly to the first and second wall portions, the header assembly configured to distribute weight over the first and second wall portions.   
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the left-side edge of the first wall portion, the right-side edge of the second wall portion and the bottom edge of the header assembly are configured to receive thereover a door frame for mounting a door thereto that extends across the opening. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the third and fourth plurality of connection members are male connection members that protrude past the bottom edge of the header assembly and said one of more of the first plurality of connection members of the top row of the first and second wall portions are female connector members. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising one or more door bucks configured to be inserted through side openings of the wall modules that define the left-side edge of the first wall portion and the right-side edge of the second wall portion to facilitate coupling of a throat of a door frame to the left-side edge of the first wall portion and the right-side edge of the second wall portion, the throat fastened to the one or more door bucks with one or more fasteners. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a skid plate defining a channel configured to receive a bottom end of one or both of the first wall portion and second wall portion, the skid plate configured to align the wall modules to facilitate assembly of the wall assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein a bottom surface of the skid plate comprises a resilient material to facilitate leveling of the wall modules relative to the floor surface under the skid plate. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein a bottom surface of the skid plate frictionally engages the floor surface under the skid plate to inhibit shifting or skidding of the wall assembly on the floor surface. 
     
     
         20 . A kit, comprising:
 a plurality of wall modules, each wall module comprising
 a pair of monolithic panels, each of the panels comprising an outer perimeter edge defined by a pair of substantially parallel side edges and a pair of substantially parallel top and bottom edges, 
 a first support element interposed between and coupled to a top end of the pair of monolithic panels, the first support element comprising a first plurality of connection members, and 
 a second support element interposed between and coupled to a bottom end of the pair of monolithic panels, the second support element comprising a second plurality of connection members; and 
   a header assembly, comprising:
 a pair of monolithic rectangular panels, and 
 one or more third support elements interposed between and coupled to a bottom portion of the monolithic rectangular panels, the one or more third support elements comprising a third plurality of connection members, 
   wherein one of the first and second plurality of connection members are male connection members and the other of the first and second plurality of connection members are female connection members, the female connection members of one wall module configured to receive the male connection members of another wall module to couple the wall modules together, and wherein the third plurality of connection members of the header assembly are configured to couple to one or more wall modules.