Building modules

A building module having an exterior shape generally of a cuboid having side, end, top and bottom faces, the module being hollow and defining a space adapted for human occupation, the module including fastening elements to allow the module to be fastened to another adjacent module and to allow for engagement by load handling equipment for handling freight containers, wherein the module has an overall exterior width greater than 2700 mm and includes:

• a first set of two first fastening elements at opposite side edges of a top edge of a first end face of the module to allow the module to be fastened to another adjacent module, wherein at least some of the first set of fastening elements are defined by hollow blocks;
• and
• a second set of two second fastening elements across the top edge of the module at locations in the region of the first end face of the module, the two second fastening elements being symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of a central lengthwise vertical plane of the module between the first end face and a second end face, wherein the second set of two second fastening elements are defined by hollow blocks with openings through which connector elements can be inserted for engagement by the load handling equipment for handling freight containers, wherein the first set of two first fastening elements and the second set of two second fastening elements are unconnected;
• and
• connector elements, wherein each connector element comprises a first part and a second part of the same shape, each of the first and second parts including a gasket, and wherein the first part and the second part are each shaped to fit within an opening in one of the hollow blocks of the first set of fastening elements.

A building module having an exterior shape generally of a cuboid having side, end, top and bottom faces, the module being hollow and defining a space adapted for human occupation, the module including fastening elements to allow the module to be fastened to another adjacent module and to allow for engagement by load handling equipment for handling freight containers, wherein the module has an overall exterior width greater than 2700 mm and includes:

• a first set of two first fastening elements at opposite side edges of a top edge of a first end face of the module to allow the module to be fastened to another adjacent module;
• two further fastening elements spaced across the top edge of the module at a centre-to-centre spacing of about 2260 mm, at least one of the two further fastening elements being inboard of the side edges of the module, to allow for engagement by load handling equipment for handling freight containers, wherein one of the further fastening elements is partway along the length of the top side edge of the module in the region of the first end of the module, wherein the two further fastening elements are defined by hollow blocks with openings through which connector elements can be inserted for engagement by the load handling equipment for handling freight containers, wherein the first set of two first fastening elements and the two further fastening elements are unconnected;
• and
• a second set of fastening elements including fastening elements at the opposite side edges of a second, opposite, end of the top of the module to allow the module to be fastened to another adjacent module and two further fastening elements spaced across the top of the module at a centre-to-centre spacing of about 2260 mm, at least one of the two further fastening elements being inboard of the side edges of the module, to allow for engagement by standard load handling equipment for handling freight containers, wherein one of the further fastening elements is partway along the length of the top side edge of the module in the region of the second end of the module.

A building module having an exterior shape generally of a cuboid having side, end, top and bottom faces, and fabricated from metal, the module being hollow and defining a space adapted for human occupation, the module including fastening elements to allow the module to be fastened to another adjacent module and to allow for engagement by load handling equipment for handling freight containers, wherein the module has an overall exterior width greater than 2700 mm and includes:

• a first set of two first fastening elements including two fastening elements spaced across the top edge of a first end face of the module at locations in the region of the first end of the module, the two fastening elements being symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of a central lengthwise vertical plane from the first end face to a second end face of the module and inboard of the side edges of the module at a centre-to-centre spacing of about 2260 mm, at least one of the two fastening elements being inboard of the side edges of the module, to allow for engagement by the load handling equipment for handling freight containers;
• two further fastening elements spaced across the top of the module at a centre-to-centre spacing of about 2260 mm to allow for engagement by the load handling equipment for handling freight containers, wherein the two further fastening elements are defined by hollow blocks with openings through which connector elements can be inserted for engagement by the load handling equipment for handling freight containers, wherein one of the further fastening elements is partway along the length of the top side edge of the module in the region of the first end of the module, wherein the first set of two first fastening elements and the two further fastening elements are unconnected;
• and
• a second set of fastening elements including two fastening elements spaced across the top of the module at locations in the region of the first end of the module, the two fastening elements being symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of a central lengthwise vertical plane of the module and inboard of the side edges of the module at a centre-to-centre spacing of about 2260 mm, at least one of the two further fastening elements being inboard of the side edges of the module, to allow for engagement by the load handling equipment for handling freight containers and two further fastening elements spaced across the top of the module at a centre-to-centre spacing of about 2260 mm to allow for engagement by the load handling equipment for handling freight containers, wherein one of the further fastening elements is partway along the length of the top side edge of the module in the region of the second end of the module.