Light weight post and beam construction system based on horizontally pre-slotted panels

A wall system built from a plurality of modular panels and a plurality of splines, the wall system comprising:

• a plurality of modular panels, each modular panel comprising:
• a body;
• and
• a plurality of channels extending horizontally through a length of the panel, each channel being configured to receive an elongate spline therein, wherein each elongate spline once received in the channel is disposed within the body, without the elongate spline being exposed on an outside face of the body, so that the elongate spline is restrained once received within the channel;
• and
• a plurality of elongate splines, wherein the splines are received within the channels of the bodies of the modular panels, the splines forming flanges of an I-beam that runs horizontally along a top or bottom of the modular panel;
• wherein the wall system is a post and beam type construction, and wherein the modular panels are oriented so that the channels and splines run horizontally and splines extend beyond panels to integrate with an adjacent post positioned between two adjacent side-by-side modular panels.

A modular panel for use in constructing a building, the modular panel comprising:

• a foam body that is generally rectangular in shape;
• a first top channel extending horizontally through a length of the foam body, the first top channel being off-center relative to a thickness of the foam body, positioned towards a first face of the foam body;
• a second top channel extending horizontally through the length of the foam body, the second top channel being off center relative to the thickness of the foam body, positioned towards a second face of the foam body;
• a first bottom channel extending horizontally through the length of the foam body, the first bottom channel being aligned with and below the first top channel;
• a second bottom channel extending horizontally through the length of the foam body, the second bottom channel being aligned with and below the second top channel;
• wherein each of the top and bottom channels are exposed and open at top and bottom edges of the foam body, respectively, each of the top and bottom channels being rectangular in transverse cross-section, with a length of the transverse cross-section rectangle being oriented vertically, each top and bottom channel being configured to receive an elongate spline therein which is flexible in a direction that is normal to a width of the elongate spline;
• a web center portion of an I-beam member positioned on the top edge of the foam body, so as to be positioned between splines positioned in the top channels, forming an I-beam at the top edge of the foam body, where the splines in the top channels form the end flanges of the I-beam and the web center portion forms the web of the I-beam on the top edge of the foam body;
• and
• a web center portion of an I-beam member positioned on the bottom edge of the foam body, so as to be positioned between splines positioned in the bottom channels, forming an I-beam at the bottom edge of the foam body, where the splines in the bottom channels form the end flanges of the I-beam and the web center portion forms the web of the I-beam on the bottom edge of the foam body;
• wherein the panel includes a cross-sectional geometry that is consistent across the length of the panel, with the top and bottom channels running length-wise through the panel, without any recesses, channels or splines in the panel running cross-wise through the panel, so that the panel can be formed by extrusion.

A transition panel for use in transitioning from a wall to a roof in a building construction, the transition panel being positioned:

• between a stack of standard modular building panels forming a wall;
• and
• one or more standard modular roof panels forming a roof structure, wherein the standard modular building panels of the wall are substantially identical to the standard modular roof panels of the roof structure;
• wherein the transition panel comprises a roof leg and a wall leg, which are at an angle relative to one another, a vertical length of the wall leg accommodating an increased height to the wall by including a vertical length that adds to the wall height, the angle between the roof leg and the wall leg dictating a roof pitch associated with the roof;
• wherein the roof leg and the wall leg each include pairs of channels, into which flanges of an I-beam are selectively positioned.

A transition panel for use in transitioning from a wall to a roof in a building construction, the transition panel being positioned:

• between a stack of standard modular building panels forming a wall;
• and
• one or more standard modular roof panels forming a roof structure;
• wherein the transition panel dictates a roof pitch associated with the roof;
• wherein the transition panel connects to a standard modular building panel used in forming the wall, and another standard modular building panel used in forming the roof, wherein each standard modular building panel comprises:
• a foam body that is generally rectangular in shape;
• a first top channel extending horizontally through the length of the foam body, the first top channel being off-center relative to the thickness of the foam body, positioned towards a first face of the foam body;
• a second top channel extending horizontally through the length of the foam body, the second top channel being off center relative to the thickness of the foam body, positioned towards a second face of the foam body;
• a first bottom channel extending horizontally through the length of the foam body, the first bottom channel being aligned with and below the first top channel;
• a second bottom channel extending horizontally through the length of the foam body, the second bottom channel being aligned with and below the second top channel;
• wherein each of the top and bottom channels are exposed and open at top and bottom edges of the foam body, respectively, each of the top and bottom channels being rectangular in transverse cross-section, with a length of the transverse cross-section rectangle being oriented vertically, each top and bottom channel being configured to receive an elongate spline therein;
• a web center portion of an I-beam member positioned on the top edge of the foam body, so as to be positioned between splines positioned in the top channels, forming an I-beam at the top edge of the foam body, where the splines in the top channels form the end flanges of the I-beam and the web center portion forms the web of the I-beam on the top edge of the foam body;
• and
• a web center portion of an I-beam member positioned on the bottom edge of the foam body, so as to be positioned between splines positioned in the bottom channels, forming an I-beam at the bottom edge of the foam body, where the splines in the bottom channels form the end flanges of the I-beam and the web center portion forms the web of the I-beam on the bottom edge of the foam body.

A wall system built from a plurality of modular panels and a plurality of splines, the wall system comprising:

• a plurality of modular panels, each modular panel comprising:
• a body;
• and
• a plurality of channels extending horizontally through a length of the panel, each channel being configured to receive an elongate spline therein, wherein each elongate spline once received in the channel is disposed within the body, without the elongate spline being exposed on an outside face of the body, so that the elongate spline is restrained once received within the channel;
• and
• a plurality of elongate splines, wherein the splines are received within the channels of the bodies of the modular panels, the splines forming flanges of a flange-web-flange member that runs horizontally along a top or bottom of the modular panel;
• wherein the wall system is a post and beam type construction, and wherein the modular panels are oriented so that the channels and splines run horizontally and splines extend beyond panels to integrate with an adjacent post.