Modular building unit connection system
A modular unit connection system for joining together a plurality of box-shaped modular units to form a single or multistory building. The modular building units have elongated hollow structural framing members at their vertical corners and four substantially perpendicular vertical side walls extending between their vertical corner members. The side walls are topped with horizontal framing members extending between the vertical corner members. The vertical corner members lie within the planes formed by the side walls of the modular units, and their vertical corner members and their adjacent side walls abut with no significant space between them. The modular units may be connected at their vertical corner members with generally flat connection plates. Threaded tension rods may extend through the hollow vertical corner members and may be coupled to tension rods running through the hollow vertical corner members of vertically aligned modular units.
1. A modular building construct comprising prefabricated box-shaped modular building units having vertical hollow interior structural framing members in each of the four vertical corners of said modular units and ceiling edge purlins extending between all four of the vertical corner members in each modular building unit, wherein:
the hollow interiors of said vertical structural framing members form conduits which extend from the bottom to the top of the modular building units,
four of said box-shaped modular building units are in two by two orientation in a first building story with a vertical corner member of each modular building unit having exterior surfaces which are juxtaposed with exterior surfaces of vertical corner members on two other modular units of said four modular building unit construct and wherein each of said modular building units has two ceiling edge purlins the lateral sides of which are juxtaposed with the lateral sides of ceiling edge purlins of two other modular building units of the four modular unit construct with no material separation between said juxtaposed vertical corner member exterior surfaces and said lateral sides of the juxtaposed ceiling edge purlins,
a second building story of four box-shaped modular building units on top of said first story of modular building units and positioned with respect to the modular building units in said first story whereby the vertical structural framing members in each of the four corners of said first and second story modular building units are in axial alignment,
tension rods extend through the conduits in the vertical corner members of said first and second building stories and said tension rods are coupled together to create composite tension rods which runs from the bottom of said first story modular building units to the top of said second story modular building units,
wherein the four modular building units of the first story are connected with a generally flat connection plate which extends over four vertical corner members having juxtaposed exterior surfaces, said connection plate is affixed to connector angles mounted on the ceiling edge purlins extending from each of said vertical corner members, said connection plate has apertures which extend through said connection plate in the positions of the conduits through each of said vertical corner members and the tension rods extend through the apertures in the connection plate.
2. The modular building construct of claim 1 , wherein said vertical structural members with juxtaposed surfaces are rectangular in cross-section.