EP-4739855-A1 - MODULAR BUILDING UNIT

Abstract

There is disclosed a modular building unit (10), a modular building assembly (12) comprising the modular building unit, a building (28) comprising the modular building unit/assembly, and a method of constructing a building comprising the modular building unit. The modular building unit (10) comprises a structural frame (16). The structural frame comprises: a floor frame portion (18) having a first depth (D 1 ), the floor frame portion configured to support a planar floor structure (104); a ceiling frame portion (20) having a second depth (D 2 ); and a support structure (22) extending between and connecting the floor frame portion to the ceiling frame portion. A ratio of the first depth (D 1 ) of the floor frame portion relative to the second depth (D 2 ) of the ceiling frame portion is at least about 1:3. The modular building unit defines a circulation space (42) configured to provide at least one access function for a building comprising the modular building unit. The building can be a hybrid residential building comprising a first building section (36) and a second building section (38). The first building section is an on-site construction at a final building location (40). The second building section comprises the modular building unit (10). The first and second building sections are connected at the final location to form the building.

Inventors

• SHENTON, Edward Ross
• JONES, David Lee

Assignees

• SANO DEVELOPMENT LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240702

Claims (20)

1. 1. A modular building unit comprising a structural frame, the structural frame comprising: a floor frame portion having a first depth, the floor frame portion configured to support a planar floor structure; a ceiling frame portion having a second depth; and a support structure extending between and connecting the floor frame portion to the ceiling frame portion; in which a ratio of the first depth of the floor frame portion relative to the second depth of the ceiling frame portion is at least about 1 :3; and in which the modular building unit defines a circulation space configured to provide at least one access function for a building comprising the modular building unit.
2. 2. A modular building unit as claimed in claim 1 , in which the ratio of the first depth relative to the second depth is up to about 1:6.
3. 3. A modular building unit as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2, in which the first depth of the floor frame portion is up to around 70mm (-2.756”).
4. 4. A modular building unit as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2, in which the first depth of the floor frame portion is up to around 50mm (-1.968”).
5. 5. A modular building unit as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the second depth of the ceiling frame portion is at least about 150mm (-5.906”).
6. 6. A modular building unit as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the second depth of the ceiling frame portion is up to about 300mm (-11.811”).
7. 7. A modular building unit as claimed in any preceding claim, in which: the first depth is defined by a part or parts of the floor frame portion that are in a load path for loading transmitted from the ceiling frame portion through the support structure to the floor frame portion; and the second depth is defined by a part or parts of the ceiling frame portion that are in the load path.
8. 8. A modular building unit as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the floor frame portion comprises a floor frame, and in which the floor frame has an upper surface and a lower surface, the first depth being defined between the upper and lower surfaces.
9. 9. A modular building unit as claimed in claim 8, in which the floor frame comprises a perimeter frame structure comprising elongate beams of the first depth.
10. 10. A modular building unit as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising the planar floor structure, in which the planar floor structure defines a floor of the modular building unit, and in which the first depth of the floor frame portion does not include the planar floor structure.
11. 11. A modular building unit as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the ceiling frame portion comprises a ceiling frame, and in which the ceiling frame has an upper surface and a lower surface, the second depth being defined between the upper and lower surfaces.
12. 12. A modular building unit as claimed in claim 11 , comprising a plurality of mounting members which serve for mounting a further modular building unit on the modular building unit, the mounting members protruding from an upper surface of a frame member or members forming at least part of the ceiling frame, and in which upper surfaces of the mounting members are configured to contact a lower surface of the further modular building unit to form a void between the modular building units.
13. 13. A modular building unit as claimed in claim 12, in which the second depth is defined between the upper surfaces of the mounting members and a lower surface of the ceiling frame member or members.
14. 14. A modular building unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, in which the ceiling frame portion comprises or takes the form of a lattice structure.
15. 15. A modular building unit as claimed in claim 14, in which the ceiling frame portion comprises a load transfer section, the load transfer section comprising: a lower structural member defining a lower surface of the load transfer section, the lower surface seated on an upper surface of the support structure; an upper structural member defining an upper surface of the load transfer section, the upper surface configured to support a further modular building unit; and at least one connecting member which extends between and connects the lower structural member to the upper structural member, for transferring loads from the upper structural member to the lower structural member, and so to the support structure.
16. 16. A modular building unit as claimed in claim 15, in which the ceiling frame portion comprises a ceiling section configured to define or support a ceiling of the modular building unit, the ceiling section disposed inwardly of the load transfer section and connected to it.
17. 17. A modular building unit as claimed in claim 16, in which the ceiling section comprises a lower surface disposed at a position that is lower than the upper surface of the support structure.
18. 18. A modular building unit as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said access function is selected from the group comprising: access between upper and lower living spaces of the building; access between a first living space and at least one further living space of the building, said living spaces being isolated from one another within another part of the building; and access into the building from its exterior.
19. 19. A modular building unit as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the modular building unit defines at least one room, and comprises one or more wall which forms boundaries of said room.
20. 20. A modular building unit as claimed in claim 19, in which at least one room contains a wet facility, said room selected from the group comprising a bathroom, a shower room, an ensuite, a W/C or washroom, and a utility room.

Description

MODULAR BUILDING UNIT The present invention relates to a modular building unit, a modular building assembly comprising a modular building unit, a building comprising the modular building unit/assembly, and a method of constructing a building (particularly a hybrid building) comprising a modular building unit. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a modular building unit comprising a structural frame having a floor frame portion, a ceiling frame portion, and a support structure extending between and connecting the floor frame portion to the ceiling frame portion. Prefabricated buildings (also known as ‘modular’ buildings) are well known in the construction industry, particularly modular residential buildings such as houses, flats or apartments, and hotels. Modular buildings typically comprise a series of building units which are constructed in a factory, transported to a final location (or site) for the building, and then arranged in a predetermined configuration and coupled together to form the finished building. The modular building units are typically constructed to a substantially assembled form in the factory, in which they can be transported to the final location. Construction of the building can involve stacking one or more upper modular building unit on a lower such unit, so that the upper unit is supported by the lower unit. Hybrid buildings have been developed by the applicant which comprise a first building section that is constructed at a final location for the building, and a second building section comprising one or more modular building unit constructed in a dedicated facility, away from the final location. A hybrid building of this type can provide advantages including that: construction of the first building section is simplified, with more complex parts of the building provided in the section formed by the modular building unit(s); and the first building section can provide the primary living space in the building, without being constrained by construction and transport limitations imposed on the modular building unit(s). The hybrid buildings and associated construction techniques are disclosed in International patent publication nos. WO2022/243696, WO2022/243695, WO2022/243694, WO2022/243693 and WO2023/222853. Most modular building units comprise a structural frame including a floor portion, a ceiling portion, and a support structure which serves to connect the ceiling portion to the floor portion, and to transmit structural loading from the ceiling portion to the floor portion. The modular building units are typically generally quadrilateral-shape in plan view (e.g. rectangular). The support structure includes support posts or columns which extend between the floor and ceiling portions. Support posts are typically provided at comers of the unit, with additional posts positioned around its perimeter. The support structure can also include transverse bracing stmts extending between at least some of the support posts. Walls are formed by connecting wall panels or sheets to the support posts. Options for the support structure include a metallic frame, which can be cold- formed (e.g. of light gauge steel), hot formed (e.g. of hot rolled steel), or combinations of the two. A hot- formed metallic frame may provide a sufficiently rigid structure so that additional perimeter support posts and bracing stmts can be dispensed with (or the number of posts/struts reduced). Other options include timber-based frames. The floor portions of conventional modular building units are relatively deep (considered in a vertical sense), and often have depths which are greater than their ceiling portions. The floor portions usually comprise a frame formed from a number of beams and/or joists, which can have a depth of perhaps 30cm (almost 12”) or more. It has conventionally been necessary to provide such a deep floor frame because modular building units forming a lowermost storey or floor of a building are often positioned on a concrete foundation. A thick layer of insulation material must be therefore accommodated within the floor portion itself, in order to reduce thermal energy transfer between the foundation and the modular building unit. It has also been considered necessary to provide a deep floor frame, to provide rigidity to the structure, including for transport. Modular building units having deep floor frames can cause problems in hybrid buildings of the type described above, including that matching a floor level of the building section formed from the modular building unit(s) with that formed by the section constructed at the final building location can be challenging. In addition, the ceiling frames of known modular building units can also be relatively deep. Where modular building units are stacked to form a multi-storey building, this can result in a very deep structure at the intersection between the ceiling of a lower unit, and the floor of an upper unit. This compli