Construction Magazine November 2014 | Page 31

n be hand carried on site
A wall element is quickly moved into place three dimensions , and it was only when it took them asymmetric or rotationally symmetrical that we had the eureka and I was able to interlock the floors with the walls and ceilings ,” he explained .
To his surprise , no similar patents had been filed , and he set to perfecting the locking system , using camlocks as a base , but in 3D . The 3D locking element around the edge of the geometric shapes became the heart of AcerMetric ’ s first patent . It has since taken up 20 , including three in China and Macau .
The 3D locking system also allowed for easy clamping of beams or columns along the seams , meaning structural elements could be made extremely stable , creating a very strong building using just a single hand tool .
For the panels , Magnesium Oxide boards were selected as a durable , cost-effective fire-resistant material , while timber frame with Rockwool provided insulation , using the seams running around the system to clamp the cladding .
Appleford said : “ What we have ended up with is not so much a building system as a construction kit that allows us to create all sorts of structures including buildings or even
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