SUBS #4:
Modular Connections for Modular Panels

So far we have defined the design modulus, and specified dimensions for a basic panel.   This brings up the question: how do we connect these modular panels?

We haved already discussed that where panels join in the same plane, they are bolted edge to edge making a continuous shear diaphram.  We have not discussed wall meeting wall, ceiling or floor.

Traditional construction methods set a floor on top of a wall.  Two floors on opposite sides of a wall can indeed split the wall top.   This has some workability, and the Simple Universal Building System can use this technique to set floors on foot thick walls.

However, in most cases, setting the floor on top of the wall causes complexity and problems, not simplicity and solutions.  On a normal wall, it splits the modulus in half and the geometry no longer mates properly.

The KEY to the Modular Geometry of the Simple Universal Building System is how to connect intersecting planes.

The KEY to rigidly connecting intersecting planes is they are both bolted to a connector that occupies the void of the space common to both.   The planes are discontinuous at the intersection, with connectors in the space between.  The space common to both walls is left empty except for connectors.

When one 6" thick wall intersects another 6" wall, there is a 6" square void running the length of the intersection, so the corners of the wall panels just kiss each other around the square "chimney" between the panels.  In this "chimney" are the connectors.

The connectors are simple 6" square steel rings.   Imagine four of the 6" square modulus design units in a row, folded and joined to make a cube shape with 4 sides and two open ends.  Each face has a bolt hole in the center.

These connectors are manufactured by simply cutting 6" lengths of 6" square tubing, and drilling a bolt hole in the center of each face.  This square tubing is a standard industrial commodity and is commonly available in 20 foot lengths and wall thicknesses from 1/8" to 1/2", allowing the connector to be essentially as strong as you want it.

In constructing a wall, when you come to the corner, you simply bolt 3 connectors to the open side of the last panel.  One at the top, one at the bottom, and one at middle.  Across the 6" gap spanned by the connectors, you continue the wall with another panel.  On the open two sides of the connectors, you bolt the panels of the intersecting wall at right angles.

The exact same geometry applies to the corners where wall meets ceiling or floor.  Thus a floor panel would be simply HUNG with bolts from the connectors at the end.  It doesn't need to sit on TOP of anything.  The wall panel would be placed on top of the same connector that the floor hangs from.  On top of the wall panel would be connectors with the roof or upper floor hanging from them.

One HUGE advantage of this system is that there is a 6" square plenum running the entire length of every corner to run wires and pipes.   To bring them from the plenum into the room you have only to nick the edges of the panels the diameter of the wire or pipe.  There is NO NEED whatsoever to run piping and wiring through holes in the wall studs as in traditional construction.  The wires and pipes all conveniently appear anywhere you want from the corners.

The thickness of the connector rings reduces the plenum size slightly, but even with 1/2" thick rings, the open area is 5" x 5" minus bolt heads.  This is plenty of room and makes it extremely quick and easy to plumb or wire such a modular building.

Anywhere four panels are bolted to all faces of a connector, the plenum can only be reached from the ends or though the just touching edge intersections.  However, at any corner where less than 4 panels surround a connector, the plenum is OPEN on one or more sides.

For instance, at every outside corner, there would be two open sides to the plenum.  Halfway up around the entire outside of a two story building would be a 6" wide opening to the plenum joining the second floor with the first and second story walls.

Covering these 6" wide channels around the building is very simple.  22 guage galvanized sheet steel is stiff enough to span a 6" gap, and comes in 4' x 10' sheets.  You shear it into six 8.0" wide flashing strips to overlap the open plenum by about 1" on each side for weather protection and appearance.  If you want it really pretty, use thicker aluminum or thinner stainless steel.  To cover corners with two open plenum sides, simply brake the sheet metal strips at right angles with one 1.0" leg and one 7" leg.  The 1.0" legs overlap at the corner.  The 7.0" legs covers 1.0" past the 6.0" duct.  A bead of sealant will make a waterproof joint.   Flashing is attached to the building by simply drilling holes at modular points and bolting to the empty connector sides.  Silicone or epoxy will hold the final bolts from behind while the nut is attached from the outside.

This means that most of the wiring and plumbing is easily accessible from the OUTSIDE of the building by simply spinning a few nuts and removing the flashing.  This makes additions, upgrades or repairs enormously easier than in the typical wall where you smash the plaster to get at the guts.

It also allows temporary "modular" wiring and plumbing to be easily installed in a temporary building, then removed and reused when the building is disassembled and reassembled somewhere else.  Twist-lock cabling and industrial duty quick-connect hose would allow almost instant wiring and plumbing that would last indefinitely, but could also be easily removed and reused.  You could leave your "temporary" building up for three months, or 200 years.

The universal geometry allows long sections of 6" square tubing to be used for posts, beams and other connectors.  This allows enormous design freedom for long spans, high floating decks, hanging rooms, or other artful creations.

Would you like a cantilevered deck?  Perhaps you're on a flood plain and want only a second and third floor, with parking on the ground?   Or maybe you want to skip the second floor of your building, and have just first and third floors with a basketball court between?  Do you want your house to hang across a river bed with a bedroom boat dock/swimming-fishing-hole AND a roof top road to drive your truck accross?  NO PROBLEM!

The combination of universal modular geometry and a standard industrial commodity for posts and beams that perfectly mate with modular panels makes all these designs quick, easy, efficient, moderately priced, and effectively as strong as you want them to be.

Thus the entire architectural system is completely constructed of mass produced commonly available minimally priced BASIC industrial commodities, and can be easily and efficiently manufactured with minimal tooling in small enough batches to do one building at a time.

Almost all the work is done in the shop.  You don't have to take a bunch of tools to the job site and hand build everything in place.

Design becomes mostly a matter of simply combining a few simple components into infinite variations.  A twelve year old can be a really good architect.

Construction is a simple matter of bolting pieces together. A six year old girl and a gorilla can assemble a building with TWO WRENCHS.

Further, the design guarantees that everything is level and everything is plumb.  You CAN put the door in the "wrong" place, [though it's easy to move] but you CAN'T install it out of plumb.

And if you change your mind and want a different building, or want the same building in a different place, you can take it apart and reconstruct it how and where you want.

Like the name says: Simple Universal Building System!

Bill Dur <billdur@net-prophet.net>

modular.systems * Simple Universal Building System * "Superior By Design"