System and methods employing prefabricated volumetric construction modules including transforming truss elements

Abstract

Disclosed herein is the fabrication and implementation of prefabricated volumetric construction modules that include transitioning members that adjust between vertical support columns and structural trusses via lateral joints. Modification of vertical support columns to trusses enables open space configurations in volumetric construction. Each volumetric module includes a habitation zone and a truss zone. Folding or transitioning a vertical support column at the lateral joint positions a lower region of the support column from the habitation zone into the truss zone. The vertical support columns are transitioned in a specified order where within a given row of vertical support columns. Beginning from a first interior column on an edge-positioned transforming volumetric module, workers fold half of the vertical support columns of the given row into the truss arrangement in a first direction toward the edge-positioned transforming volumetric module. Continuing from a second interior column on an opposite edge-positioned transforming volumetric module, a worker folds a remaining half of the vertical support columns of the given row into the truss arrangement in a second direction toward the opposite edge-positioned transforming volumetric module.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.