System for constructing a building

An improved system for constructing a multiple-story building using prefabricated panels, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a level-topped foundation for the prefabricated wall panels, utilizing templates having a plurality of preformed holes at preselected locations, fitted with removable vertically extending dowels, with the templates placed on top of foundation pouring forms so that anchoring holes are formed at predetermined locations in the top of the foundation following setting and curing of concrete poured into the forms;
• preparing forms for socket type pedestals each with an opening to fit a prefabricated, precast column to be located at an end of a wall section;
• preparing a floor slab by embedding a plurality of wooden blocks or pegs during the pouring of the concrete for the floor slab, whereby a plurality of angled wall panel stabilizing braces can be secured to the wooden blocks during erection of the building;
• hoisting the prefabricated, precast columns with hoisting equipment provided with means for connection to the column, and lowering the columns into place in the socket type pedestals;
• providing a plurality of prefabricated wall panels, all suitable as load-bearing wall panels and all being similar in outer dimensions, each panel also including protruding bolts and nuts at the top end corners of the panel and each including downwardly protruding steel bar dowels at its bottom, spaced for registry with and for close fit with the preformed anchoring holes in the foundation;
• hoisting the prefabricated panels, one by one, with hoisting equipment including a steel cable stretching between the ends of a panel, and including steel cup-claws attached to the ends of the steel cable and slipped and locked onto the bolts and nuts protruding at the top end corners of the panel;
• installing the first prefabricated wall panel in place on the foundation by positioning it over the foundation and lowering the panel so that the steel bar dowels at the bottom of the panel fit into the anchoring holes of the foundation;
• temporarily retaining the installed wall panel in place using said angled brace, secured to one of the wooden blocks embedded in the floor slab, including connecting the other end of the brace to the installed wall panel and manipulating the brace to assure the plumb of the panel, and removing the cup-claws from the bolts and nuts at the top ends of the panel;
• erecting succeeding prefabricated wall panels in like manner as the first panel, but instead of using a brace, interconnecting the subsequent panel with the previously installed panel by securing a flat bar strap onto the bolts and nuts at the adjacent top ends of the adjoining panels, and continuing this procedure for succeeding panels along the same wall;
• at corners, installing adjacent prefabricated wall panels in the same manner as subsequent panels, but utilizing an L-shaped flat bar strap;
• at T-shaped wall intersections, installing adjacent prefabricated panels in the same manner as subsequent panels, but utilizing a T-shaped flat bar strap for connection to the protruding bolts and nuts at the top ends of three adjacent panels in the T-shaped intersection;
• following the erection of prefabricated wall panels on the foundation, installing precast beams having preformed holes at preselected locations in their upper surfaces, along the top of the panels, securing them to the columns and interlocking them with the plurality of wall panels previously installed;
• installing precast floor slabs at the upper floor, resting on top of the installed beams;
• installing prefabricated, precast wall panels at the upper floor in the same manner as the lower floor wall panels, but positioning the steel bar dowels at the bottoms of the panels in the preformed holes in the upper sides of the beams;
• installing prefabricated roof trusses across the tops of the upper floor prefabricated wall panels by positioning each truss to fit, at each end, between angled brackets bolted to a flat bar strap connecting adjacent wall panels, with flanges of the brackets extending upwardly, and bolting the truss to the flanges of the brackets while the truss rests on the flat bar strap and on the tops of the wall panels, which serve as a roof beam, with no separate roof beam required;
• and
• placing bonding mortar into voids formed along the joints of adjoining panels.