# US 2013/0152485 A1 · Non-Bearing Modular Construction System > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0152485 A1 - Document ID: US20130152485A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/668,008 - Filed: 2012-11-02 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-18 - Assignees: Pre-Form Systems LLC - Inventors: Douglas Austin; William Jencks - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152485A1 ## CPC - E04B 1/34807: {Elements integrated in a skeleton} - E04B 1/16: Structures made from masses, e.g. of concrete, cast or similarly formed in situ with or without making use of additional elements, such as permanent forms, substructures to be coated with load-bearing material (E04B1/32 - E04B1/36 take precedence) - E04B 1/165: {with elongated load-supporting parts, cast in situ (E04B1/161, E04B1/163 and E04B1/164 take precedence)} - E04B 1/20: the supporting parts consisting of concrete, e.g. reinforced concrete, or other stonelike material - E04B 1/348: Structures composed of units comprising at least considerable parts of two sides of a room, e.g. box-like or cell-like units closed or in skeleton form - E04B 1/34869: {Elements for special technical purposes, e.g. with a sanitary equipment} - E04B 1/35: Extraordinary methods of construction, e.g. lift-slab, jack-block (E04B1/34 takes precedence; falsework, shuttering for shaping walls, floors, ceilings or roofs in situ E04G11/04; conveying or assembling of building materials E04G21/00; working measures on existing buildings E04G23/00) - E04H 1/005: {Modulation co-ordination} - E04B 2103/02: of ceramics, concrete or other stone-like material - E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001}) - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) ## Abstract Methods and apparatus facilitate the construction of a building using prefabricated building units, each having a horizontal upper exterior surface and a plurality of vertical wall surfaces, wherein at least some of the prefabricated building units have at least one hollow column formwork structure. The prefabricated building units are lowered onto a pre-existing base at a construction site. A first story of the building is created by arranging a plurality of the prefabricated building units adjacent to each other on the base. Structural bearing material is applied to fill the hollow column formwork structures to create structural columns connected to the structural deck. Structural bearing material is applied to the horizontal upper exterior surfaces of the adjacent prefabricated building units to create a single structural deck over the prefabricated building units. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A building comprising: a plurality of prefabricated building units, each having a horizontal upper surface, and a plurality of vertical wall surfaces, wherein some of the prefabricated building units include a plurality of vertically disposed formwork structures; a structural deck composed of structural bearing material disposed on said horizontal upper exterior surface and using said horizontal upper exterior surface as permanent formwork; and a plurality of vertically disposed structural elements each formed within one of said vertically disposed formwork structures. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The building of claim 1 wherein a second set of one or more prefabricated building units are stacked on top of a first set of one or more prefabricated modular building units to form a second level of the building, such that said structural deck is disposed between the first and second sets of prefabricated building units, and the weight of the structural deck and structures above are substantially supported by the vertically disposed structural elements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The building of claim 2 wherein the vertically disposed formwork structures are hollow column formwork structures, and the vertically disposed structural elements are columns. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The building of claim 2 wherein the vertically disposed formwork structures are wall formwork structures, and the vertically disposed structural elements are walls. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The building of claim 3 wherein the hollow column formwork structures in the first and second prefabricated building units are aligned to form a single hollow column formwork structure and a structural column is formed within the hollow column formwork structures of the first and second prefabricated building units. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The building of claim 2 further comprising additional prefabricated building units stacked on said first and second sets of prefabricated building units to form additional levels of said building. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The building of claim 1 wherein said prefabricated building units include at least one of: installed floor finish, interior walls, doors, interior glazing, fixtures, cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, fixed appliances, electrical wiring, lighting, water and waste piping, and HVAC equipment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The building of claim 1 wherein a plurality of prefabricated building units have doorways opening into adjacent prefabricated building units, such that a single occupied habitable space unit is created from multiple prefabricated building units. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The building of claim 1 wherein the prefabricated building units include a service shaft with plumbing and electrical components passing therethrough, and connecting to plumbing and electrical components external to said prefabricated units. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The building of claim 2 further comprising at least one tower core containing elevators and stairs adjacent to some of said prefabricated building units. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The building of claim 1 wherein said base further comprises a base upon which the first story of said prefabricated building units rests. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The building of claim 11 wherein said base comprises a podium level building that is not constructed of prefabricated building units. ### Claim 13 A building comprising: a plurality of prefabricated modules disposed on multiple levels of said building; a concrete deck disposed between the prefabricated modules on adjacent levels of said building, wherein the concrete deck uses the top of the prefabricated modules as permanent formwork; and vertically disposed structural elements disposed in openings passing through the prefabricated modules, wherein the vertically disposed structural elements use the openings as permanent formwork. ### Claim 14 A method of constructing a building comprising: constructing a plurality of prefabricated building units, each having a horizontal upper exterior surface and a plurality of vertical wall surfaces, wherein at least some of the prefabricated building units have a plurality of vertically disposed formwork structures; lowering a plurality of the prefabricated building units onto a pre-existing base at a construction site to create a first story of the building; applying structural bearing material to fill the vertically disposed formwork structures to create vertically disposed structural elements; and applying structural bearing material to the horizontal upper exterior surfaces of the prefabricated building units to create a single structural deck over the prefabricated building units. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising creating a second story of the building by stacking additional prefabricated building units on top of the structural deck, such that vertically disposed formwork structures in the second story prefabricated building units line up with the vertically disposed formwork structures in the first story. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the prefabricated building units include a service shaft with plumbing and electrical components passing through the service shaft, and wherein said method includes installing and connecting plumbing and electrical components in the service shaft. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the vertically disposed formwork structures are hollow column formwork structures, and the vertically disposed structural elements are columns. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the vertically disposed formwork structures are wall formwork structures, and the vertically disposed structural elements are walls. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 further comprising: constructing column cages in the locations where column formwork structures will be located; and wherein the step of lowering comprises lowering the prefabricated units such that the column cages fit inside the column form work structures. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 further comprising adding second story column cages to the existing column cages on the first story prior to the step of stacking additional prefabricated building units on top of the prefabricated building units on the base. ### Claim 21 A method of constructing a building comprising: arranging a plurality of prefabricated modules disposed on a first level of said building, at least some of the prefabricated modules having vertically disposed formwork structures; pouring a concrete deck on top of the prefabricated modules on the first level using the top of the prefabricated modules on the first level as permanent formwork, the concrete also filling the vertically disposed formwork structures; and arranging a second level of prefabricated modules on top of the concrete deck. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 further comprising: creating additional levels of said building by repeating the steps of arranging and pouring for said additional building levels.