Building frame with open/openable-top, hollow, tubular column structure

Abstract

A building frame including a load-bearing portion which is defined by a pattern of interconnected, elongate, upright columns and laterally extending beams, with each column taking the form of an assembly of hollow, tubular column components, at least some of which each possesses a nominally open, upper-end utility region, or port, extending upwardly beyond the top of the frame's load-bearing portion. Each such port, which is useable in different ways during and after initial building construction, accommodates, under different circumstances, the selective reception of a construction-extension instrumentality drawn from the list consisting of (a) an installable/removable crane structure, (b) a column-like element provided for the addition of selected building superstructure, and (c) additional building infrastructure which is feedable downwardly through the port toward a selected elevation in a “completed” building.

1 . Building structure with integrated, overhead, construction-extension access utility port structure comprising 
 a frame including a load-bearing portion having a top, which load-bearing portion is defined, below that top, by a pattern of interconnected, elongate, upright columns and laterally extending beams, each column taking the form of an assembly of hollow, tubular column components, and    provided in at least one of said column components, an elongate upper-end utility region extending upwardly beyond the top of said load-bearing frame portion, with said utility region terminating in a nominally open, but selectively reversibly and sealably closeable, upwardly facing mouth which opens to the hollow interior of said at least one column component to define therewith a utility port,    said utility port accommodating the selective insertion through said mouth, and the reception inside the adjacent hollow interior of said at least one column component, of a construction-extension instrumentality which is drawn from the list consisting of (a) an installable/removable crane structure, including temporary-use davit structure, (b) a column-like element provided for the addition of selected building superstructure, and (c) additional building infrastructure feedable downwardly through said port toward a selected elevation in said building structure which is below the top of said frame's said load-bearing portion.    
   
   
       2 . The building structure of  claim 1 , wherein each one of plural column components is provided with a like, upper-end utility region.