Method for constructing load-bearing frames using gridshells and a building structure for its implementation

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/458,092, filed 8 Apr. 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A LARGE TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX ON READ-ONLY OPTICAL DISC

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of construction, namely to a method for constructing a gridshell as a load-bearing frame for detached compartments.

The information sources presented below were created at different times and in different countries. To fully understand the existing state of the art and current problems, it will be correct to adopt and adhere to special terms. Some of these terms will be used in the subsequent description of the present invention.

A load-bearing frame—a set of main structural elements of a building that bear and conduct weight and external loads to the foundations.

A gridshell—one of the types of load-bearing frame, which is a building structure having a thickness much less than its other dimensions. The gridshell usually has a cellular structure. Main structural elements that form the gridshell can be relatively small; their dimensions are comparable to the dimensions of the cell which boundaries they form.

A rod—an oblong-shaped object, is the most common, but not the only possible main structural element that forms the boundaries of three or more angular cells of the gridshell.

A dome—a spatial covering of buildings with a round, polygonal or elliptical perimeter. Dome structures allow you to cover large spaces without the use of additional intermediate support. The shape of the dome is formed by various curves that convex upward.

Residential compartments—supposedly detached premises suitable for permanent residence of people.

Detached compartments—residential or non-residential, individual or public premises. Such compartments may have different construction, shape and internal layout. The common features for all detached compartments are separateness, i.e. the absence of adjacent walls and ceilings with other such compartments, as well as the possibility of being integrated with the gridshell. The detached compartment is supposed to have at least one mount mating portion for fastening with the gridshell. It is assumed that the detached compartment has sufficient structural rigidity and does not need a foundation or other points of support or suspension other than the mating part or parts for fastening with the gridshell.

Integration—the process of fastening the detached compartments with the gridshell, whereby the gridshell bears the weight and external loads from the detached compartments. Integration of detached compartments can be temporary or permanent. The integration scheme, including the number of detached compartmens, as well as their location in relation to each other and to the gridshell, can vary widely and depends on the design requirements or operating conditions.

An apartment building—a building in which residential compartments, non-residential compartments, common areas are located, it is also possible to locate transport systems and means for moving people and goods, as well as utilities and other auxiliary equipment.

When constructing apartment buildings, a method of molding a concrete mixture to obtain monolithic reinforced concrete is used. The basic principles of this method are described in patent U.S. Pat. No. 1,219,272A dated Aug. 13, 1908 “Process of constructing concrete buildings”, the inventor is Thomas A Edison. Currently, the mold for pouring concrete mix is not sought to be made for the whole building at once; sequential floor-by-floor molding has become widespread. Often, only a monolithic load-bearing frame of a building is erected in this way, consisting of columns, stiffeners and floors.

However, even a modern monolithic reinforced concrete frame has a limit to its strength. If the earthquake magnitude is higher than the design magnitude, the building may collapse, creating damaging debris for people. The use of a load-bearing frame causes another problem for the apartment building. It is about the need for a contiguous arrangement of residential compartments, with common ventilation systems, common elevator shafts, stairways and corridors. Such a layout in case of fire contributes to the spread of smoke and fire throughout the building. Less obvious disadvantages include the “loss” of land beneath the foundation of the apartment building and the shading of the surrounding area created by its tall and impenetrable construction.

In the building field, there are examples of the use of a load-bearing frame of a fundamentally different design, using a gridshell. In the Privilege of the Russian Empire No. 1896 from Nov. 1, 1896 (analog of the modern patent for invention) Vladimir Grigorievich Shukhov is listed as the inventor of the Openwork Tower, in fact a gridshell with the shape of a single-cavity hyperboloid. Also widely known patent U.S. Pat. No. 2,682,235A from Dec. 12, 1951 where Fuller Richard Buckminster is listed as the inventor of the Building Construction, essentially a gridshell with the shape of a spherical dome. In both cases, the inventors emphasize the exceptional load-bearing capacity and low dead weight of the gridshell frame, as well as the ease of its assembly.

Despite their obvious advantages, gridshells have not found application in the construction of apartment buildings. The uniform structure of the gridshell is not suitable for supporting point loads, for example, from beams and floor slabs in general. There are examples of combined construction, when the interior space of the building is formed by a typical reinforced concrete frame, and the outer surfaces of the building are formed by a gridshell. It is clear that this method of construction is not economically feasible and is mostly used in the construction of public buildings.

Gridshells, as self-sufficient bearing structures, have found application in the construction of tower-type structures and most of all in the construction of domed structures of various shapes and sizes. The properties of gridshells allow covering large areas with a span length of several tens of meters, without the use of intermediate supports. The arrangement of strip or point foundations is required only around the perimeter of the area covered by the gridshell. In case of uniform load distribution, the gridshell serves as a reliable support for the roof and walls. However, even in this case of application there are serious problems. The fact is that each grid cell forms its own plane, which is not parallel with the planes of neighboring cells. This significantly complicates the installation of roofing or wall material and especially the sealing of the many joints formed. The deformations natural to gridshells exacerbate this problem. In the case of extreme deformations caused by an earthquake, for example, it is possible that the covering material, e.g. glass, may be destroyed with the formation of dangerous shatters and their fall inside the building.

The present invention is aimed at solving one or more of the problems discussed above. The prototype chosen is the Building Structure described in patent U.S. Pat. No. 2,682,235A of Dec. 12, 1951, by Fuller Richard Buckminster.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the construction industry there is a need for a new type of load-bearing frames for the construction of apartment buildings. The design of such frames should solve the following technical problems:

• • The load-bearing frame is assembled from uniform and small structural elements with the possibility of prefabrication.
  • Residential compartments can be mounted on and dismounted from the load-bearing frame.
  • Availability of non-residential space between the residential compartments fixed on the load-bearing frame to ensure their separate position.
  • Reduction of the foundation area required to support the load-bearing frame.
  • Permeable structure of the load-bearing frame for sunlight and precipitation.

The mentioned problems are solved with the help of a method of constructing a gridshell comprising the use of main structural elements which is designed for bearing load from detached compartments by means of provided mounts.

It is preferred to use rods and mounts as the main structural elements of the gridshell.

It is preferred for the gridshell to be constructed from prefabricated structural elements.

It is preferred to use at least one main structural element of the gridshell for fastening one detached compartment.

It is preferred that the combination of at least two elementary cells of the gridshell is to be selected as the place for fastening one detached compartment.

It is preferred that a part of the main structural elements of the gridshell is to be used for fastening detached compartments and a part is left free from fastening these compartments, thus ensuring their separate position.

It is preferred that mounts for fastening detached compartments are also provided on those main structural elements which are left free from the fastening of detached compartments.

It is preferred that the gridshell is to be constructed in the form of a dome.

It is preferred that the gridshell is to be constructed in the form of a full sphere.

It is preferred that the gridshell is to be constructed in the form of a single-cavity hyperboloid of revolution, or a combination of at least two single-cavity hyperboloids of revolution representing a tower structure.

It is preferred that the gridshell is to be constructed in the form of a complex amorphous structure.

It is preferred that the gridshell is to be constructed as a combination of at least two of its types.

The mentioned problem may also be solved with the help of a gridshell comprising main structural elements intended for integration of detached compartments with the gridshell, depending on the integration scheme, the main structural elements are used either for fastening the detached compartments or for providing a separate position of these compartments.

It is preferred that the integration scheme is determined at the design stage of the gridshell.

It is preferred that the scheme of integration of the detached compartments may be changed at any stage of construction and operation of the gridshell.

It is preferred that the main structural elements of the gridshell are the rods and mounts.

It is preferred that at least one main structural element can be used for fastening one detached compartment.

It is preferred that at least two different main structural elements can be used for fastening one detached compartment.

It is preferred that the separate position of the detached compartments is ensured by an aggregate of main structural elements forming an area of the gridshell adjacent to the place or places where the detached compartments are fastened.

It is preferred that the main structural elements used as mounts for fastening the detached compartments and for ensuring their separate position are of the same design.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The present invention will be better understood from a description of some exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the following figures:

FIGS. 1A, 1B. Accordingly, a side view and a top view show an example dome. The load-bearing framework of the dome is structurally a gridshell. The dome is depicted with a continuous covering, which may be a roof and, or walls.

FIGS. 2A, 2B. Accordingly, a side view and a top view show, an example of a dome-shaped load-bearing frame is depicted. The load-bearing framework is structurally a gridshell. The gridshell consists of a plurality of rods and mounts. The structure of the gridshell is ¼th of a geodesic sphere constructed from the projection of a regular icosahedron.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C. Accordingly, a side view in section, a top view in partial section, and an additional sectional view, show an example of the mount. Due to its insignificant size, this mount is not depicted in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 4A, 4B. In principle, the mount is not different from that proposed in the prototype, however, in addition to fastening the gridshell rods, it can be used to fasten detached compartments. The dashed line shows a conventional representation of a detached compartment. The combination of rod mount mating portions and detached compartments may vary and depend on the integration scheme of the detached compartments with the gridshell.

FIGS. 4A, 4B. Accordingly, in the isometric and top views, an example of a dome-shaped load-bearing framework is shown. The framework is supported on a foundation, the solid ring a conventional representation thereof. The load-bearing frame is structurally a gridshell. The structure of the gridshell is ¾ part of a geodesic sphere built on the projection of a regular icosahedron. In the central part of each of fifteen segments there are six hexahedral cells representing the combination of six trihedral cells. In each of these cells conditionally one detached compartment in the form of a sphere is shown. The total number of detached compartments is ninety. In fact, this is one of many examples of the integration of detached compartments with the gridshell.

FIGS. 5A, 5B Accordingly, in a top view in partial section and a side view in section, an example of one of the rods of the gridshell is shown. The example is given for ease of understanding, the rod is not fundamentally different from that proposed in the prototype. However, in addition to its primary functions, the rod can be used to fasten detached compartments. The dashed line shows an example of a clamp connection of a detached compartment to the rod. Similar to the mount shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, a portion of the detached compartment is depicted conventionally with a dashed line.

FIGS. 6A, 6B. Accordingly, in the isometric and top views, an example of a load-bearing frame in the shape of a complete sphere is depicted. The load-bearing framework is structurally a closed gridshell. The structure of the gridshell is a geodesic sphere constructed from the projection of a regular icosahedron. This example load-bearing frame can accommodate 1.33 times more detached compartments than the dome-shaped load-bearing frame, an example of which is shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B. The load-bearing frame is attached to 5 half-arches connected at the top and spaced 72 degrees apart. The shape of each half-arch is close to half a parabola, which results in a high load-bearing capacity of the entire arch structure while minimizing dead weight. The construction of the fastening of the gridshell to the arches, as well as the construction of the arches themselves is not discussed in detail and is not within the scope of the present invention. The images and the present description show one possible example of an auxiliary building structure, with a view to obtaining more effective forms of gridshells and their use as load-bearing structures for detached compartments.

FIGS. 7A, 7B. Accordingly, in the isometric and top views, an example of a load-bearing frame comprising a combination of two types of gridshells, a geodesic sphere and a single sheeted hyperboloid of revolution, is shown. In this example, the area of the spherical gridshell is complemented by the area of the gridshell in the form of a single sheeted hyperboloid of revolution. Similar to FIGS. 6A, 6B The construction of fastening the gridshells to each other is not contemplated and is not within the scope of the present invention. The images and the present description show one possible example of combining gridshells of various shapes and types, in order to obtain a greater number of effective shapes thereof and their use as load-bearing structures for detached compartments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The following terms have been mentioned and explained in the BACKGROUND section of the present description: Load-bearing frame; Gridshell; Dome; Rod; Apartment building; Detached Compartments; Integration.

Various illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

The invention relates to the field of load-bearing frame construction, and more specifically to load-bearing gridshells. The basic principles of the construction of gridshells are now widely known to those skilled in the art. Several embodiments of gridshells are described in some detail in a selected prototype. This information is fairly enough for understanding the current invention.

In the preceding sections of this description, the problems of typical apartment building construction have been outlined. Also, the term gridshell has been defined and the reasons why this building structure has not been widely used in apartment building construction have been explained.

However, if you change the approach, the technology of gridshells can become the mainstream in apartment building construction. It is only necessary to abandon the usual, horizontal floor-by-floor arrangement of apartments and fasten them on the gridshell or build them into its cellular structure. Both single cells and combinations of cells can be used. In this way, horizontal, vertical, and in principle any suitable area of the gridshell can be used to fasten the apartments.

In FIGS. 1A, 1B, for illustrative purposes, a dome-shaped gridshell used as a load-bearing frame for a continuous coating (1) is shown. The gridshell, without the continuous coating, is depicted in FIGS. 2A, 2B. The present invention involves the integration of detached residential compartments with a gridshell structure. This means that it is possible to provide for each of the detached compartments to create and maintain its own microclimate. Accordingly, there is no need for a continuous coating of the gridshell itself. Moreover, this becomes undesirable if any vegetation, whether naturally or artificially cultivated, is retained or created under the gridshell. The absence of a continuous coating, in a normally operating building, allows to reduce its sailing, and thus increase its stability. This significantly simplifies the structure of the building and reduces weight. It eliminates or reduces the requirements for tightness of joints between the individual elements of the gridshell. It also reduces the operating costs associated with cleaning and maintenance of continuous gridshell coatings.

The main structural elements of the gridshell are the rod (2) and the mount shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C. Due to its small size, the mount is not shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 4A, 4B. For the purpose of simplification, the example of the mount and rod in the present description is substantially the same as the example of the mount and rod in the prototype description. The mount has a spherical shape and comprises an outer mount portion (3) and an inner mount portion (4). These parts are fastened together by means of a bolt (5). As can be seen in FIG. 3A the outer mount portion (3) has the shape of an inverted bell, the edge of which is turned out, to form an annular recess. The radius (R) of the outer mount portion (3) is equal to the radius (r) of the recess in the inner mount portion (4). The mating part of the mount (7) is rigidly fixed to the rod (2) by means of a stopper (8). The mating part of the mount (7) has an outer and an inner protrusion (9). The shape of these protrusions follows the radii (R) of the outer mount portion (3) and the radius (r) of the inner mount portion (4), this allows the position of the rod to be fixed at any value of the angle (L). Also in FIG. 3B, it can be seen that the shape of the mount mating portion (7) with the outer and inner protrusions (9) allows the mating portion to be rotated around the bolt axis (5) by 360 degrees. The provided possibility for movement of the mating part of the mount (7) is used during assembly for fine adjustment, until the bolt (5) is fully tightened. Accordingly, from two to six mount mating parts (7) can be fastened in this mount. FIG. 3C shows the wedge shape of the mating part and the protrusions, to allow a maximum number of mating parts to be fastened at a minimum angle value (L).

This example represents the best implementation of the present invention. In FIGS. 4A, 4B. an example of a gridshell in the form of a load-bearing frame for ninety compartments that could be called apartments is depicted. However, the present invention not only creates a fundamentally different approach to apartment building construction, it changes the very concept of an apartment. Due to the possibility of separate arrangement of apartments, there are characteristics peculiar to a private house, for example, the absence of common walls and ceilings with neighbors. However, the classical definition of a private house is also inapplicable here. Rather, it is a symbiosis of the two previous concepts, which requires elaboration in a separate patent application. In the present description, the previously disclosed term, detached compartment, is used. The detached compartments (10) are depicted conventionally and deliberately lack any detail. The shape of the compartment (10) is illustrated by way of example and may be different. The present description does not disclose the construction or method of manufacturing the detached compartments. However, the description does include information necessary for understanding the present invention, in particular, examples of the method and construction of a mount for fastening the detached compartments are provided. In FIG. 4C, a mount mating portion (7) rigidly fastened to the detached compartment (10) by means of a stopper (8) is shown. The size of the mount mating portion (7) for fastening the detached compartment, is similar to the mount mating portion for fastening the rod (2). Accordingly, the illustrated detached compartment (10) may be fastened by means of six mounts mating portions (7). This load-bearing frame, as well as the reinforced concrete frame of any apartment building, can be used to a greater or lesser extent for the laying of engineering, transportation and other systems. It is important to take into account that the separate, essentially private nature of the location of detached compartments greatly expands the possibilities for implementing these systems.

In FIGS. 5A, 5B shows the rod (2). Similar to the example in FIG. 4C, the detached compartment (10) is shown conventionally with a dashed line and is depicted for the understanding of the present invention only. For simplicity and clarity, the mating portion of the mount is a clamp (11) which is fastened to the rod by two bolts (12).

Accordingly, the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, it is understood that numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.