Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an Emergency, Temporary, or Permanent Shelter

This application claims the benefit of domestic priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) from Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 63/633,804, filed Apr. 14, 2024, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

The embodiments described herein are generally directed to a house kit for emergency shelter, and, more particularly, to a rapid assembly house kit system for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter.

Emergency shelters pose several challenges. There is an obvious need for rapidly-built, low-cost housing for disaster relief, the unhoused, accessory dwellings, cabins, off-grid houses, labor force lodging, residential homes and any other need for affordable dwellings. One of the impediments to satisfying that need is high labor costs for on-site skilled labor to construct what have become complicated buildings and systems that has made the process so time-consuming and wasteful to complete. Factory-manufactured completed homes are pricey to build as well as being very expensive and difficult to transport; and, even in kit form or prefabricated units, to construct them requires experienced, costly skilled labor using expensive electric tools for assembly and/or installation on site. The traditional building and construction methods do not now, and will not in the foreseeable future, meet the current accelerating need for housing—a necessity of life for every human being.

On the other hand, rapid assembly house kits can be fragile and may not provide adequate protection in emergency situations. While these kits are designed for quick and relative ease of construction, the materials and assembly methods used usually do not offer the same structural integrity or resilience as traditional, professionally built homes. In the event of severe weather, natural disasters, or other emergencies, the lack of durability and structural integrity in some rapid assembly systems may leave occupants vulnerable to continuing harm.

Accordingly, a Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter, that works solely with standardized lightweight materials and a unique method for rapidly assembling and dis-assembling those materials for a low cost, will serve a continuing need for shelter. In its basic form, the rapid assembly house kit can be utilized as a single-walled Emergency Shelter, or, simply by applying an additional layer of the same sheathing material to the interior of that basic shelter, it becomes a double-walled Temporary Dwelling; and by layering on other traditional materials, inside and out, a Permanent Residence may be constructed using the invention, with each option being based upon and incorporating this unique invention as its core. The present disclosure is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discovered by the inventor.

In an embodiment, a rapid assembly house kit system for emergency shelter, temporary dwelling and permanent residence comprising: a plurality of lightweight pre-manufactured structural components, each structural component having pre-made coupling features, wherein the structural components include studs placed flange-to-flange with lips touching to create hollow columns, and studs placed web-to web creating H-beams in cross section that sandwich a central wood strip; a plurality of pre-manufactured oriented strand board panels with adhered rigid insulation set for both interior and exterior use attaching to a framework; a set of bolts, washers and screws, wherein the pre-manufactured oriented strand board panels are coupled to a structural framework components through the pre-made coupling features with the bolts, washers and screws; and a set of modular components, including doors, windows, and interior partition walls having coupling features that attach to the studs and tracks of the structural components.

In an embodiment, an emergency shelter, comprising: a rapid assembly kit, including a plurality of lightweight pre-manufactured structural components, each structural component having pre-made coupling features, wherein the structural components include studs placed flange-to-flange with lips touching to create hollow columns, and studs placed web-to web creating H-beams in cross section that sandwich a central wood strip; a plurality of pre-manufactured oriented strand board panels with adhered rigid insulation set for both interior and exterior use attaching to a structural framework; a set of bolts, washers and screws, wherein the pre-manufactured oriented strand board panels are coupled to the structural components through the pre-made coupling features with the bolts, washers and screws; and a set of modular components, including doors, windows, and interior partition walls having coupling features that attach to the studs and tracks of the structural components.

In an embodiment, a method for rapid assembly of a house kit system for emergency shelter, temporary dwelling and permanent residence, the method comprising: providing a plurality of lightweight pre-manufactured structural components, each structural component having pre-made coupling features, wherein the structural components include studs placed flange-to-flange with lips touching to create hollow columns, and studs placed web-to web creating H-beams in cross section that sandwich a central wood strip; providing a plurality of pre-manufactured oriented strand board panels with adhered rigid insulation set for both interior and exterior use attaching to a structural framework; providing a set of bolts, washers and screws, coupling the pre-manufactured oriented strand board panels to the structural components through the pre-made coupling features with the bolts, washers and screws; providing a set of modular components, including doors, windows, and interior partition walls having coupling features that attach to the studs and tracks of the structural components; and attaching the set of modular components to the studs and tracks of the structural components.

The detailed description set forth below, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is intended as a description of various embodiments, and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that embodiments of the invention can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in simplified form for brevity of description. In addition, it should be understood that the various components illustrated herein are not necessarily drawn to scale. In other words, the features disclosed in various embodiments may be implemented using different relative dimensions within and between components than those illustrated in the drawings.

The disclosed invention is a Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter of standardized materials and method for rapidly assembling and dis-assembling those materials in a low-cost, self-contained rapid assembly house kit system for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter. In its basic form, the rapid assembly house kit system for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter can be utilized as a single-walled emergency shelter, or, simply by applying an additional interior layer of the same sheathing material to that basic shelter, it becomes a double-walled temporary dwelling. The Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter can include an emergency model and/or a temporary model that can easily be disassembled, without destruction of its components, and that can be rebuilt again after transport in a flat pack. Further, by layering on finish sheathing materials on the temporary dwelling model, Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter is capable of becoming a thoroughly finished permanent residence.

The Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter is comprised of a set of specifically designed and standardized, lightweight, pre-manufactured components that are transportable in flat packs. The Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter enables anybody with a few common non-electric tools to rapidly erect a structure for a single level habitable dwelling. The system uses bolts and nuts with washers, and screws, as fasteners placed through factory pre-drilled holes in insulated panels (the ‘skin’) that align with pre-drilled holes in cold-formed, coated steel C-channel structural members (the ‘bones’). The panels connect to the steel structural members and can be tightened down with a simple, non-electric wrench and a Phillips crosshead screwdriver (or an existing two-in-one combination tool integrating both a wrench and a screwdriver together).

The panels in the Rapid Assembly House Kit System for shelter are Oriented Strand Board (OSB) on one side with integrated, adhered rigid insulation on the other side. Light tapping with a rubber mallet along the panel edge aligns and secures tightness of fit with the insertion of the tongues into the grooves on the adjacent edges of the insulated panels on the OSB sides. A screwdriver is used to connect galvanized steel C-channel and C-stud structural members to one another and to the panels with screws on the perimeter of each panel midway between four carriage bolts that are inserted into the into the corners of the square panels, then through the steel studs and channels, also through pre-drilled holes. The holes in the corners of the panels, on the OSB side, are covered by embedded torque/prong washers for engaging the square necks of the thru-bolts. From the interior of the structure, a simple wrench twists and tightens lock nuts on the threaded bolt ends, tightening the bolt heads down on the exterior OSB panels, and onto the embedded washers on the OSB side of the panels (‘skin’) to secure the panels to the structural members (‘bones’).

No handsaws or electric saws, metal hammers, nails, nail guns, electric drills, or other conventional construction tools are required to assemble the entire structure of the Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter. The process to build the Rapid Assembly House Kit System for shelter does not demand or require heavy materials or advanced craftsmanship to complete assembly and construction. The size of a Rapid Assembly House Kit System for shelter structure is flexible, thanks to a standardized 2′×2′ grid system that allows for broad variability in its length, width and height. Furthermore, the assembly process can be reversed for easy dismantling on both the ‘emergency’ and ‘temporary’ variations (less so in the ‘permanent residence’ model option). This ensures that the core materials—panels, steel structural elements, and fasteners—remain intact for reuse, making it possible to ship and reassemble the structure elsewhere, such as in another disaster zone for emergency and/or temporary housing.

The Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency shelter, constructed with only one outer wall of panels fastened to steel structural members, transported in a flat pack, can then be erected very rapidly as emergency housing for disaster relief, especially in light of current and predictable severe weather events and wildfires as a consequence of rising global temperatures, for example, or any other need for rapidly erected shelter (e.g. refugees, immigrants, temporary workers, etc.) with subsequent temporary and permanent variations accomplished simply by adding layers of sheathing, not by demolition or remodeling, for a longer lasting temporary dwelling, or even a permanent residence.

For making the Rapid Assembly House Kit System for shelter more permanent if the builder/owner desires, the basic system, using the primary materials, allows layering sheathing or simply painting onto the panels' OSB exposed surface on either the interior or exterior sides of the structure, or both, for a more finished look. Additional typical or traditional finishing materials allows either a double wall temporary dwelling from an emergency shelter, or a more enduring permanent version of the basic single wall Rapid Assembly House Kit System into a more permanent habitat.

The basic single-wall, with panels only attached on the exterior, Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter can be converted to temporary housing after an emergency has subsided. The builder/owner can simply add an interior wall of identical panels in addition to the single-walled shelter, to make it a double-walled, more insulated structure, mounting added panels on the existing, already in-place bolts that extend through the steel framework into the interior;

and that have already fastened the outer wall to the framework of the basic ‘single-wall’ emergency shelter.

In summary, the entire Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter is comprised of three components: (1) cold-formed steel channel structural members, (2) insulated strand board panels, and (3) fastener hardware.

The Rapid Assembly House Kit System for shelter is comprised of a multitude of easily handled, two-foot by two-foot, six-pound flat panels comprised of insect rigid foam insulation factory-adhered to one side of oriented strand board (OSB) with tongues and grooves on their peripheries, and with pre-drilled holes spaced along their perimeters (6 pounds each): four holes in the corners for thru-bolts, and four smaller holes midway between those bolt holes for sheet metal screws for fastening panels to metal framing members. The panels can be connected through those aligned pre-drilled holes onto standardized, lightweight cold-formed metal (galvanized steel) C-channel framing (3 pounds for each 8 foot length). These premanufactured structural components have pre-made coupling features. The fasteners consist of screws and carriage bolts, nuts, rafter connectors, standard flat washers and prong/torque washers (for embedding prongs that dig into the OSB surface thereby eliminating the need to hold onto both ends to stop spinning of the bolts when tightening locknuts on the interior ends of those carriage bolts; and to resist loosening over time due to lateral wind loads).

Further, the Rapid Assembly House Kit System for emergency and temporary shelter can be assembled and dis-assembled and relocated if desired, by unskilled labor using only a wrench (to twist nuts with washers onto and off thru-bolts passed through pre-drilled holes) a screwdriver, and a rubber mallet—three simple and common non-electric tools.

Another feature is that the entire structure of the Rapid Assembly House Kit System for shelter can be built with lightweight panels that are two feet square for case of handling in order that repetitive modular assembling on the 2′×2′ C-channel structural grid can be done to whatever overall size dimensions for the structure are desired in two-foot intervals (both vertically and horizontally). Four rows of two-foot panels interconnected, and placed above and upon one another vertically, configure 8-foot-high walls. Other optional larger panel sizes are all based on the 2-foot grid pattern, and no panel is greater than four feet by eight feet in size for those who can handle larger sizes than 2′×2′, and wish to cover more field area more quickly on walls, flooring, roofing, or ceilings, with pre-drilled holes for screws and bolts that align with the pre-drilled holes in the steel framework.

The 2′×2′ panels are lightweight, only 6 pounds each, and sized moderately so that nearly anyone can lift, place and tap them in position to align the pre-drilled holes for inserting the thru-bolts that connect and fasten the panels to the steel channel framework members that are also lightweight (3 pounds per eight-foot long channel).

Carriage bolts through torque washers (that are factory-imbedded over each corner bolt hole on the OSB side of each panel, both exterior and interior) are placed through the positioned panels' pre-drilled holes for alignment, and then insertion through pre-drilled holes in the metal structural members from the exterior. Thereafter placement of standard nuts with washers for twisting to tighten onto the threaded ends of the carriage bolts protruding through the columns on the interior, unless or until the interior panels with embedded torque washers are placed onto those threaded ends of the protruding bolts on the interior of the structure. The square hole in the center of the torque washers on the exterior OSB surface align with the square portion of the ‘neck’ of the carriage bolts under the bolt heads, with the four sharp-pointed protruding tips of the torque washer that are pre-embedded in the OSB side of the panels prevent the bolt from spinning while tightening down the nut and washer on the bolts' threaded ends from the interior-and permits tightening from the interior side of the structure, whether single-wall or double-wall without the need to simultaneously hold the exterior head end of the bolt (otherwise it would spin along with the tightening of the nut on the on the threaded bolt end on the interior side of each through-bolt). In the single-wall version, simple lock nuts and flat washers (without penetrating prongs) are tightened on the exposed interior side of the metal columns, while the torque washers on the exterior of the OSB side of the panels not only prevent otherwise typical ‘spinning’ during the tightening process, but also embed further into the OSB ‘skin’ with tightening, thereby securing and strengthening the stability of the structure.

Additionally, sheet metal screws are also placed through aligned predrilled holes in the panels through to aligned pre-drilled holes in the metal structural members midway between four corner bolt holes. For the end walls of the structure, underneath a gable roof edge, the 2′×2′ panels are pre-cut in half, diagonally, creating two triangular panelsfor attachment to the steel framework with three bolts, one at each corner with imbedded torque washers, and with three screws, each midway between the corner bolts.

The assembling of the insulated panels onto the steel framework creates a cavity between an outer wall and the interior wall for the temporary and permanent configurations; and for a disaster relief rapid-erect Emergency Shelter as a lowest cost option, the structure can be speedily assembled solely with a single outer wall; with the insulation portion of the panels facing inward visible to the interior, and the oriented strand board sheathing exposed to the outside, acting as an air barrier, and without any interior layer of paneling. Subsequent layered placement with whatever surface material is chosen (primer and paint, or scaler, or wood siding, fiber cement boards, brick, rock, vinyl, etc. on top of a vapor barrier laid upon the OSB) allows the structure to be made more permanently weatherproof. Alternatively, factory pre-weatherproofing sealing of the exterior OSB surfaces makes the most ‘instant’ exterior weatherproofed ‘finish’ for the emergency relief shelter and ‘temporary dwelling’ models simply by attaching the pre-weather-proofed exterior panels for a ‘finished’ weatherproof rapid exterior result, without the need to add any other surface covering upon the OSB side of the panels on exterior walls.

For the double-wall, temporary dwelling option, the inner wall panels expose the oriented strand board sheathing surface towards the structure's interior for placement thereon of whatever type of interior sheathing is desired (paint, sheet rock, wood paneling, etc.) or may simply be factory-prefinished with primer, or with primer and paint, for the speediest aesthetic completion upon attachment of the interior panels to the framework, with no additional layer of sheathing necessary unless and until desired. The fastening of the interior panels by way of carriage thru-bolts, with torque washers embedded on the interior panels the same as exterior panels with identical bolt holes with embedded torque washers in the corners and tightened lock nuts, provides additional secure fastening, thereby further resisting loosening due to lateral wind forces over time, or shear, or other loading pressures.

The wall cavities as well as the framing columns' cavities accommodate placement of electrical wiring, ducting, water supply lines, and/or venting, and/or for being filled with additional types of insulation placed between the rigid adhered insulation of the panels in the most extreme climates. The wall columns or ‘studs’ are comprised of two C-channels (denoted hereafter as “C-studs” with web width of 2.5″, 3.5″, and wider increments for larger, heavier load-bearing structures the end-user may choose) bolted together with the open sides of the ‘C’-shaped channels facing one another and contacting one another on the short lip/returns from the two flanges extending from both edges of the central web of each channel. The studs are placed flange-to-flange with lips touching to create hollow columns, and the same C-studs placed web-to-web create H-beams in cross section that sandwich a central wood strip. Flange-head bolts (aka hex-head) and star (lock) nuts secure the C-studs with a minimum of parts and labor by eliminating the need for placing a separate washer underneath the bolt head, or a locking nut on either side of the double C-stud columns.

The double C-channel system is also employed for floor joists, beams and roof rafters with the only difference being the C-channel (“C-studs”) metal framework members are placed back-to-back (or web-to-web in cross section/profile) that sandwich a central wood ‘spine’ strip of two 1″×3″ boards or one 2″×4″ (or two 1″×4″s) as a wooden spine (aka slat), or a 2″×6″ (or two 1″×6″s) to match whatever web width is chosen in the web portion, with flanges on each side for load carrying (rafters and joists) as opposed to each opening of the C-channel facing an adjacent opening of another C-channel to form square-shaped, hollow columns. The beams form an “H” in cross-section and when placed on its side, the flanges of the C channels present wide supports for seating and connecting panels that meet, tongues into grooves, above the center wood spine of each H rafter or beam.

For extending the length of each 8′ beam/rafter, the wooden center ‘spine’ portion (in whatever dimensional cross-section is chosen for appropriate load-bearing/span capability) is off-set, that is, the center wooden portion extends out of one end of the H-beam and is recessed at the other end so that the wood centers of the 8′ long beam's extended end can be inserted into the void space of the recessed end of the next H-beam, end-to-end, and through-bolted with nuts and washers to continue the “H-beam” configuration in extended lengths of greater than the single 8′ long standard beam/rafter.

There are also two types of metal connectors for rafters to be supported: at the upper end of rafters, one at the ridge of the roof and the other, at the lower end of rafters, at the top of the wall where the roof overhangs the wall—the upper connector is a slope-angled hanger/saddle at the ridge beam for rafter to ridge connection. The other, lower connector is a separate, different type metal connector, with flange ‘horns’ that attaches rafters to the top cap C-channel of the wall (header). Both of these rafter connectors provide connection ‘seats’ for the rafters, the saddle with stirrups straddling the ridge beam; and at the top of walls ‘horns’ vertical to the horizontal flanges that are secured to the wall header, and both types of rafter connectors with vertical metal flanges on both sides that are predrilled for screws and through-bolts to securely fasten the rafters to both types of metal rafter connectors.

Simply stated, the entire building system is comprised of rigid insulated panels (the lowest row of panels are placed to bear upon the flooring, sheathed on one side with OSB and on the other side with inset integrated, adhered rigid foam insulation). The panels are bolted through a metal framework that consists of only two types of lightweight C-channel (‘studs’ with short lip returns from the flanges, and ‘tracks’ without lip returns from the channels' flanges) that can be tailored according to function in varying configurations.

The utilized cold-formed C-channels are of two types, either “C-tracks” or “C-studs”.

The basic “C-studs” with flange returns are utilized in two different configurations-(1) two together with open sides of the “C” forms facing one another making contact on the short flange lip returns forming a square hollow column, and (2) two C-studs with the “C” forms facing away from each other, web portions bolted together with their open portions facing outward, and bolted through sandwiched wood center strips, as an H-beam or rafter.

C-tracks are the same as C-studs but without the added return “lips” along the edge of the flanges that form the top and bottom of the “C”, and, as a single stand-alone track, and are utilized both above and below the ends of the double C-stud columns for aligning and securing the columns along and inside both the floor track and the header track, as well as for horizontal bracing between structural member wall columns, floor joists and roof rafters. C-tracks are placed below with the opening of the “C” facing upwards at the base of columns as an alignment track, and above with the open of the “C” facing downward as a cap for alignment. Once properly aligned, the pre-drilled screw holes in the tracks receive and attach the vertical double C-stud columns (by screws into top and bottom tracks through the C-stud flanges of each C-stud that comprises the columns).

C-tracks are also used as blocking/bridging between rafters at the header at the top of the wall, and between columns for either door headers and window headers and sills, and as horizontal lateral bracing and blocking for lateral strengthening, and/or as a mounting surface for mid-span screws in the panels and in those areas where cabinets or fixtures are to be attached to the wall. C-tracks used for bridging/blocking and as headers over doors and windows are pre-cut so a flange is created at 90 degrees to its length for attachment to adjacent rafters and columns with fastening screws.

Once the steel framing is erected, and prior to attachment of the exterior panels, the double “C-stud” hollow columns are taped vertically where their exterior flange surfaces abut, in order to weatherproof the seam between them by creating a tape seal behind the tongue-and-groove joints and over that seam in the columns where the C-studs join at each flange. The tape across the 2-½″ exterior dimension of the columns, and 1-¼″ C-tracks (and typical rafters' 2-¾″ width) also contributes to the sealing of the bolts and screws where the bolts and screws pass through the pre-drilled holes in the columns (and on-site caulking to weather seal each pre-drilled hole in the panels, as well as along and into the groove of the panels' edges prior to insertion of the tongues in each adjacent panel as the panels are connected to one another by use of a rubber mallet to tap to secure a tight, aligned fit).

Standardized doors and windows, with dimensions fitting the standardized modular 2′×2′ grid, and with flanges on the perimeters of the windows' and doors' metal frames are designed and pre-drilled to ‘pop-in’ to the designated spaces between assembled columns prior to the OSB panels' attachment; and to attach with bolts, nuts and washers through the door and window metal framework flanges by overlapping to the adjacent panels. This design aspect of the invention permits the assembler to pick and choose which particular areas of the 2′×2′ grid structure are desired for ingress and egress, and views, natural light and cross-ventilation; while not interfering with the structural integrity of the building framework (as confirmed by certified engineering approval upon the placing of an order of the desired overall dimensions and configuration of openings).

The basic system, upon assembly, using the described combination of prefabricated parts, becomes a structure that may thereafter be added to by layering on sheathing materials and finishes, both inside and outside, on walls and roof (and floor) for longer duration; and that are desirable to any owner/occupier in a customized manner, thereby avoiding a ‘cookie cutter’ similarity with other rapid assembly dwellings, and enabling differentiating tastes to be expressed both for function and appearance. And in its most unadorned, basic form as a disaster emergency single-wall shelter, it may be dismantled rapidly by simply loosening and unfastening the nuts and bolts, stacking the ‘skin’ panels and steel ‘bones’, and boxing the hardware for relocation and re-assembly for re-use as the need arises as a kit, without destruction of its component parts.

The connectors for the panels to the frame are 5/16 inch diameter carriage bolts(or larger diameter for overall larger versions) that are inserted through a factory embedded torque washer on the exterior OSB surface and placed through factory pre-drilled holes in the exterior panel to align with pre-drilled holes in the C-stud and C-channel framework. Bolts are placed through the interior panels that are also factory-fitted with torque washers that are inserted into the panel and aligned above the bolt holes (double wall version). In the single wall version, a flat washer and a lock nut fasten the bolts, once the bolts are placed through the structural members (in the double-wall version only a lock nut is tightened onto the protruding bolt end coming through the embedded torque/prong washer on the interior wall panels).

The connectors for the C-studs, both as columns as well as H-beam rafters and joists, are flange bolts (as opposed to carriage bolts for fastening panels) placed through aligned pre-drilled holes, and tightened down with common lock nuts and flat washers on exposed threaded bolt ends. For columns to connect in both the lower and upper tracks, Phillips/crosshead sheet metal screws are used, one each centered for each C-stud through its flange side. The horizontal bridging between columns is connected by clips or clip-locks that fit in the openings in the midspans of the C-studs at mid-point, or by such screws through integrated flanges cut atdegrees where they meet columns at upper and lower bridging locations, as well as for header bridging over doors and windows, and as sill bridging below windows.

Two other metallic connectors for fastening roof rafters (H-beams) to both the header (C-track) of the wall and to the ridge H-beam are fastened with smaller sized bolts, nuts and washers than the larger panel carriage bolt connectors and the column connecting bolts: (1) For the top of the wall, a connector that allows for varying the pitch/angle of the rafter has two flat metal vertical ‘horns’ between which the H-beam rafter is placed, and secured by being bolted through the horns' pre-drilled holes on each side flange that align with through holes in the webs of each C-stud on both sides of the rafter and through its middle wooden strip. The horizontal base of the ‘horns’ connector base plate is split, and is attached to the wall header below with screws down through its pre-drilled holes. The ‘horn’ connector accommodates different pitch angles from zero degrees to forty-five degrees by allowing the outside portion of the split plate to be extended outward away from the inside portion of the split plate, both portions parallel to the interior and exterior of the wall. As it is extended outwards, the pitch becomes flatter and less and less for a flatter roof than 45 degrees maximum; (2) For the H-beam rafters to attach to the ridge, a metal ‘saddle’ plate is placed over and across the ridge H-beam, attached from the top with a wood screw in a pre-drilled hole in its center down into the upper edge of the wood spine sandwiched between the webs of the ridge H-beam. A saddle-like ‘seat’ extends downwards on each side of the ridge beam (like downward fenders leading to stirrups on both sides of a horse saddle) that are connected through the web of the rafter H-beam with bolt, nut and washer through flanges (fenders) with pre-drilled holes on either side of the saddle seat; and that saddle seat's stirrups can be adjusted to angle up and down by limited rotation to various angles to match the variable and desired angle/pitch of the roof as adjusted and set at the wall header ‘horns’ connectors.

Finished roof panels are differentiated from the OSB surface wall panels and are presented in two different optional configurations: (1) containing the finish roof material from factory, corrugated steel panels or asphalt shingles, to be secured to the rafter framework, and in the corrugated steel version, from above with 3-inch long carbon steel roofing screws (with integrated rubber washers for weather sealing) through pre-drilled holes in the roof panels into the wood center-strip ‘spines’ of each H-beam rafter, or (2) without any finished roofing material like wall panels, permitting the builder to secure the panels from below with carriage bolts threaded through large washers and Tee-nuts, with the washers and lock nuts on the interior, through pre-drilled holes, and thereafter applying to the exposed OSB exterior surface facing skyward whatever roofing material is desired by the assembler (e.g. asphalt or wooden shingles, rolled roofing, ceramic or solar tiles, etc.).

Interior panels may be attached to the rafters using the same method, that is, sturdy wood screws from below (interior of structure) through pre-drilled through-holes in the corners and midspans of the panels up into the wooden center-strip spine sandwiched between the C-studs comprising the rafters (or identically constructed H-beams used as joists for a ceiling, or a ground floor, or a floor of an attic space).

The H-beam/rafters are continuous along their entire length except in one situation: where the ridge beam meets an end wall, or where a post/column is placed inside the structure to support the ridge beam or a ceiling joist, for example to support an interior loft, one or both ends are modified having the horizontal bottom C-stud flanges bent downwards at 90 degrees in the width of the top of the supporting double C-stud column creating two smaller vertical triangular flanges. The beam can thereby not only seat on the top of a double C-stud column for supporting the ceiling joist or ridge beam 30 with two flanges on the sides and width of the column, but also are connected by 3 screws on both sides through pre-drilled holes in the bent down triangular flanges to secure the beam to the top portion of the double C-stud column supporting the beam/joist.

Using simple/minimal non-electric tools—a mallet for tapping to tightly fit the tounges into the grooves along the edges of lightweight 6-pound 2′×2′ panels, and also for tapping bolts through the pre-drilled holes; and a wrench for twisting to tighten fastener nuts after placing bolts through holes, as well as a Phillips/cross head screwdriver for tightening screws through pre-drilled holes—following simple pictorial and written instructions, any able bodied person who can rapidly assemble a house and erect a dwelling for a fraction of the price a similarly-sized custom house would cost that requires high-skilled builders with elaborate, sophisticated electric tools that results in the waste of great amounts of wood and other materials. In some instances, all parts can be assembled without tools.

All parts are amenable to increases in size and thickness to adapt to the overall size and configuration of the desired structure, but the system of this invention remains the same-nuts and bolts fasten modular insulated OSB panels to connect onto steel structural members to form a floor, walls, ceilings, and a roof. The Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter in three versions or models, using that basic system, with the option of simply adding additional layers of chosen materials transforms a basic single-wall emergency shelter into double-wall temporary dwelling, and even beyond that configuration into a permanent home by additional layering on the inside or outside, or both.

illustrates an aerial perspective view of an erected Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter, according to an embodiment.is an aerial perspective view of a typical 12′×14′ rapid-erect Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter depicting a structure comprised of solely 2′×2′ panelson the 2′×2′ modular grid structural system comprising walls and roof with six triangular panelsto accommodate the angles of the gable roof on each end wall; and a typical but not mandatory arrangement of windowand doorplacement that builders can customize for their own particular preference by omitting panelsand horizontal bridgingfrom being placed on the framework in those locations. Pre-manufactured “pop-in” windowsand doors, with dimensions based on the 2-foot by 2-foot grid and pre-drilled holes along the peripheries of their metal framework flanges, are connected to the metal frame with the typical thru-bolts with washerand nutsystem that are the same system and method as assembling the metal framework. The framework consists of bolted double “C-studs”that make hollow vertical columns(See) placed in U-shaped horizontal tracks (“C-tracks”) both below and above all of the columnscomprising the walls. U-shaped C-channel horizontal blocking membersattach to columnsas stiffening elements, as well as for blocking between raftersalong the top of the walls.

Raftersand a ridge beam(beneath top edge of at the apex of roof panels) and floorand ceiling joists are double C-studsattached back-to-back (web-to-web) sandwiching a wood spine for stiffness (See) thereby creating “H-beam” structural members with the typical C-studs(that are also utilized for creating hollow columnsby reversing their direction). Instead of webs adjacent to a center spine to form joists, beams and rafters, in order to form hollow columns, the studs are turned in the opposite direction so their flanges meet at their short lip returns. Two such ‘C-studs’comprise the vertical columns, and horizontal stiffening bracing use one ‘C-track’(identical to the C-stud except without the small lip returns at the edges of the flanges) with C-trackflanges diagonally cut at each end for bent triangular flanges bent atdegrees, in order to attach to columns.

The structure depicted is′ wide and′ long (sq. ft. interior floor area not including a loft space that can be placed beneath the gable roof) that contains a total ofof the 2′×2′ panels, including both roof planes, both longer′ high walls with identical windowconfigurations, one of the two end walls, with the depicted door, and the opposite end wall (not visible) with no door or windows. The side walls are′ high, and end walls are′ high at the roof ridge. Wider and longer configurations, with greater square footage, can be erected simply by adding additional adjacent′ wide panelson the modular system, with additional columnsand bridging, to extend the walls and corresponding panelson the roof planes.

illustrates a plan cross-section view of a double wall in a Rapid Assembly House Kit System for an emergency, temporary or permanent shelter, according to an embodiment.is a plan cross-section view of a portion of a typical wall depicting two panelscomprised of an outer layer of oriented strand board (“OSB”)upon which is a factory-adhered layer of rigid insulation, connecting panelto panel, interlocking by their tongue and groove peripheries, and thru-bolted, through pre-drilled holes in their corners, by two carriage boltsthrough pre-drilled holes at the corners of the OSB insulated panelsthat are centered over those bolt holes, and through factory-embedded torque/prong washersin the OSB surface. Four sheet metal screws are placed through pre-drilled holes midway between the four corner bolts, also for securing panelsto the structural framework. The insulation portion of its side of each panel is set back from the OSB panel edges so that the OSB layer overlaps both columns and tracks, allowing a band of OSB equal to the width of the flanges of C-studs and C-tracks for seating the panels, and for securing with bolts and screws through those bands of the OSB-only portion, without rigid insulation interfering.