Modular construction with B.T. innovation
With the construction of prefabricated houses, a construction method developed in the 1970s that has evolved considerably to this day. Modular construction, which for a long time was mentally equated with container construction, is fighting its bad image with versatile design options and increasing quality.
The modular construction principle can be used for office and administration buildings as well as sales rooms, kindergartens, schools, residential buildings or nursing homes. In addition, the modules are suitable for new buildings, extensions or additions. For the production and anchoring of the individual parts, B.T. innovation GmbH provides various products for you.
Building according to the system
The term “modular building” is not clearly defined. In general, however, this includes construction methods in which buildings are not erected as a whole on the construction site, but are manufactured in individual modules and assembled on site according to the modular construction principle.
In view of the lack of living space nowadays due to advancing urbanisation, the modular building principle offers a flexible solution. The design possibilities are manifold, with the construction principle corresponding to the prevailing complex requirements. The design possibilities are manifold, with the construction principle corresponding to the prevailing complex requirements. More and more often, people are opting for a modular building because the areas of application are diverse.
Variants of modular construction
Depending on the area of application, three forms of modular construction can be used. These construction methods each follow the modular principle.
Room cell construction
The best-known construction method is the room cell construction method. Here, the individual room cells are already completely pre-assembled. A construction crane is used to position the modules, some of which are already fully equipped inside, in the desired location. The modular room solution counts as a special form, because the modules used are characterised by effective use of space.
Large panel construction
The “large panel construction”, also known as slab construction, is known as the second form. The modular house is assembled from the pre-produced wall and ceiling panels. In addition, the stiffening element, the lift core, can be made from in-situ concrete.
Skeleton construction
The last variation of modular construction is skeleton construction. Here, a frame made of steel, wood or reinforced concrete forms the basic framework of the building. Now the pre-produced floor, ceiling and wall panels as well as façade elements have to be positioned. In addition, the room furnishings are based on the modular principle. This makes an individual composition of the modular house possible and reduces costs at the same time.
B.T. innovation offers several formwork variants
Formwork variant 1: Battery Formwork® for the production of slab-shaped precast concrete elements
The battery mould is used for the vertical, simultaneous production of panel-shaped precast concrete parts with 5-sided formwork-smooth surfaces. Battery Mould contains several concreting pockets suspended in a frame for this purpose (therefore also called pocket battery).
Battery Mould enables the vertical production of precast concrete elements. Here, the concreting chambers suspended in a frame consist of formwork panels and bulkhead wall for demarcation from further pouring compartments.
Shuttering chambers and bulkhead walls are braced between an end panel and a movable tensioning wall. This allows hydrostatic pressure to be absorbed.
Advantages of battery formwork:
- Lower space, heating and investment requirements compared to production with tilting tables or circulation systems
- Suitable for use with magnetic technology
- Features 5-sided formwork-smooth precast surface Magnetic technology
- Enables the production of solid walls, balcony and ceiling slabs as well as 1-layer curtain walls and 2-layer insulated elements
Formwork variant 2: Butterfly Battery® for the production of slab-shaped precast concrete elements
The Butter Battery® is the combination of battery formwork and butterfly formwork. With the use of the Butter Battery®, it is possible to carry out a horizontal preparation and to use 2 times the surface area. For concreting, the Butterfly Battery® is lifted in the middle, causing it to collapse, and then the prepared formwork faces are hooked into the battery formwork.
Advantages of the Butterfly Battery®:
- Enables the production of 3-layer sandwich walls (core insulation)
- Prefabricated clinker parts with clinker facing and core insulation can be manufactured
- Measuring can be done by laser projection and positioning can be marked with plotter
- Allows more than 3 concreting operations per day
- A tilting table function is achieved by lifting
- Available as a circulation system or can be integrated into circulation systems
- Enables the use of formwork robots
- Maximum utilisation of the battery formwork due to faster lifting of the panels after pre-curing time with the butterflies.
Room cell production
For the production of room cells, it is also possible to use Butterfly Formwork® and Butterfly Battery® Mould. For example, our technology was used to manufacture the maxmodul precast concrete parts of the Max Bögl group of companies. For more comprehensive information on this exciting project, click here.
Connecting precast concrete parts with BT turnbuckle
To join precast concrete parts dry and quickly, we recommend using the BT turnbuckle. With the easy-to-use joining system, precast parts can also be joined without additional filler materials and auxiliaries. Different sizes are available depending on your needs: M12, M16 and M20. The respective version of the turnbuckle consists of three essential components: the BT turnbuckle, the washers and the hexagon bolts.
Application of the connection system
The BT turnbuckle can be used universally in a wide variety of areas. This includes, among other things, the assembly and connection of angle supports and shaft elements or for ceiling and wall connections in residential and social construction. In the following, we explain the basic procedure for the two-point or three-point connection of precast concrete elements:
- Before the prefabricated parts are joined, additional crimping tapes such as RubberElast® can be used, e.g. for flood protection (More information on the correct application can be found here).
- Then the anchor pockets of the precast elements to be connected must be positioned at the same height for the BT turnbuckle.
- After the matching BT turnbuckle has been inserted, the hexagonal bolts supplied can be tightened evenly with the washers
- Depending on the desired joint pattern, tension can be selected between the precast elements themselves
- The grooves incorporated in the BT turnbuckle also enable corrections to be made for misalignments through their play, with the aim of achieving a clean joint pattern even across many connected precast elements.
Tips and tricks
The turnbuckle can tolerate dimensional tolerances of the joints as well as involved components For this purpose, the tensile force transfer of the anchor must be guaranteed and the minimum screw-in depth of the screw must have been reached. Installation can take place regardless of weather conditions, even in low temperatures or precipitation. In addition, the turnbuckle is corrosion-protected and fire protection-compliant when installed in accordance with the approval.