Bridge expansion joint with self-cleaning structure

Abstract

The invention provides a bridge expansion joint with a self-cleaning structure, and relates to the technical field of bridge parts, the bridge expansion joint comprises two F-shaped boundary beams pre-buried in a bridge floor, and the two F-shaped boundary beams are pre-buried on the two sides of the bridge expansion joint respectively; the inner side faces of the two F-shaped edge beams are provided with multiple stages of crushing teeth which are staggered in position, and the multiple stages of crushing teeth are obliquely and downwards arranged on the inner side faces. A discharge guide mechanism is obliquely arranged on the bottom surfaces of the two multi-stage crushing teeth, a falling gap is formed between the two multi-stage crushing teeth, the size of the discharge guide mechanism covers the falling gap, and the downward inclined end of the discharge guide mechanism is defined as a discharge end; a discharging channel is pre-buried in the bridge floor, the discharging end of the guiding and discharging mechanism is communicated with the discharging channel under the condition that the discharging end of the guiding and discharging mechanism does not make contact with the discharging channel, the bridge expansion joint can automatically clean foreign matter entering the expansion joint in the using process, and the effect of reducing the manual maintenance frequency through self-cleaning is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bridge component technology, and specifically to a bridge expansion joint with a self-cleaning structure. Background Technology

[0002] Bridge expansion joints, as key components of bridge structures, play a crucial role in adapting to temperature changes and vehicle loads that cause expansion and contraction, while also protecting the main bridge structure from rainwater erosion and debris accumulation. The D60 type expansion joint, a typical example of an expansion joint, is widely used in highway, urban bridge, and elevated road projects. Its design must meet the engineering requirement of expansion / contraction ≤ 60mm, while also considering driving comfort, structural durability, and ease of maintenance.

[0003] Current standards lack mandatory requirements for protective devices at expansion joint openings, leading to the widespread adoption of exposed structures by designers. This lack of proactive protection against foreign object intrusion results in the rubber sealing strips of existing D60 type expansion joints being directly exposed to the bridge deck. Sand, gravel, leaves, and other debris easily accumulate at the joint openings, causing blockages. Unremoved stones repeatedly compress the rubber sealing strips under vehicle loads, causing scratches or perforations. Laboratory simulations show that stones with a diameter ≥10mm can cause scratches up to 2mm deep on the rubber surface at 50km / h speeds, significantly reducing its sealing performance and leading to water leakage.

[0004] Currently, the maintenance of expansion joints is generally carried out manually, using tools such as iron hooks, high-pressure water guns, and vacuum cleaners. Regular maintenance is done once a quarter, increasing to once a month before the rainy season. The cleaning process requires the occupation of 1-2 lanes and has a high safety risk, while also incurring significant labor costs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a bridge expansion joint with a self-cleaning structure, which can automatically clean foreign objects that enter the expansion joint during use, thereby reducing the number of manual maintenance operations.

[0006] In view of the above problems, the technical solution proposed by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A bridge expansion joint with a self-cleaning structure includes:

[0008] This includes F-shaped side beams embedded in the bridge deck, wherein there are two F-shaped side beams, which are embedded on both sides of the bridge expansion joints respectively;

[0009] The inner sides of the two F-shaped side beams are respectively provided with multi-stage breaking teeth that are staggered from each other, and the multi-stage breaking teeth are inclined downward on the inner side.

[0010] An inclined guide mechanism is provided on the bottom surface of two multi-stage crushing teeth. There is a drop gap between the two multi-stage crushing teeth. The size of the guide mechanism covers the drop gap. The downward inclined end of the guide mechanism is defined as the discharge end.

[0011] A discharge channel is pre-embedded in the bridge deck, and the discharge end of the guide discharge mechanism is connected to the discharge channel without contacting it.

[0012] To better realize the technical solution of the present invention, the following technical measures were also adopted.

[0013] Furthermore, the two multi-stage crushing teeth are staggered along the length of the F-shaped side beam.

[0014] Furthermore, the multi-stage crushing tooth has a guide surface and a multi-stage crushing surface located on the inner side. The multi-stage crushing surface is inclined, and its surface is provided with bite teeth a, bite teeth b, bite teeth c and bite teeth d in sequence from high to low. The positions of the tooth grooves between two multi-stage crushing teeth are staggered.

[0015] Furthermore, the shape and / or material of occlusal teeth a, b, c, and d may be the same or different.

[0016] Furthermore, the guide mechanism includes a foldable hinge mechanism, which is connected to the bottom surface of the multi-stage crushing teeth via a multi-directional elastic connection mechanism.

[0017] Furthermore, the height of the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism provided on the hinge mechanism decreases linearly from the discharge end along the length direction of the hinge mechanism.

[0018] Furthermore, the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism includes a base disposed on the hinge surface and the bottom surface of the multi-stage breaking teeth. The base has a concave cavity, and a ball head that can move freely within the cavity is provided. The two ball heads are connected by a telescopic rod, and a spring is provided on the outside of the telescopic rod.

[0019] Furthermore, the spring is a tension spring, wherein one end of the spring is connected to one end of the telescopic rod, and the other end of the spring is connected to the other end of the telescopic rod.

[0020] Furthermore, the surface of the hinge mechanism is covered with a coating.

[0021] Furthermore, a baffle is provided along the edge of the hinge mechanism in the length direction.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0023] 1. The multi-stage crushing teeth can bite and crush foreign objects entering the expansion joint as the bridge undergoes dynamic deformation due to temperature changes, vehicle loads, concrete shrinkage and creep, etc., thus preventing them from clogging the expansion joint.

[0024] 2. The guide mechanism can gradually discharge the crushed foreign objects along an inclined direction to avoid the accumulation of foreign objects and blockage of the expansion joint.

[0025] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of a bridge expansion joint disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bridge expansion joint disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle;

[0029] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A partial structural diagram of a bridge expansion joint;

[0030] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle.

[0031] Reference numerals: 1. F-type side beam; 11. Inner side; 12. Top surface; 2. Anchor plate; 3. Anchor bar; 4. Rubber sealing strip; 5. Multi-stage crushing teeth; 51. Guide surface; 52. Multi-stage crushing surface; 53. Bottom surface; 54. Engaging tooth a; 55. Engaging tooth b; 56. Engaging tooth c; 57. Engaging tooth d; 6. Drop gap; 7. Guide and discharge mechanism; 71. Hinge mechanism; 72. Multi-directional elastic connection mechanism; 721. Base; 722. Ball head; 723. Telescopic rod; 724. Spring; 73. Discharge end. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0033] The existing D60 type expansion joint includes an F-shaped side beam 1, an anchor plate 2, an anchor bar 3, and a rubber sealing strip 4. The anchor plate 2 and anchor bar 3 are combined to form an anchor installed on one side of the F-shaped side beam 1. During bridge construction, two F-shaped side beams 1 need to be installed on both sides of the bridge expansion joint. The anchor bar 3 needs to be connected to the bridge's pre-reserved steel reinforcement, and concrete is poured to bond the D60 type expansion joint to the bridge. The rubber sealing strip 4 is directly exposed to the bridge deck, making it easy for sand, gravel, leaves, and other debris to accumulate at the expansion joint opening, causing blockage. For example, maintenance data from a highway bridge showed that after three years of operation, the opening width of 85% of the expansion joints decreased by more than 30% due to debris accumulation, resulting in limited expansion and contraction functions. Current standards do not mandate protective devices for expansion joint openings, leading to the widespread use of exposed structures by design units, lacking proactive defense against debris intrusion.

[0034] The technical solution proposed in this invention differs from the existing D60 type expansion joint in that it adds a crushing mechanism and a discharge mechanism to the existing D60 type expansion joint, such as... Figure 1 As shown, this technology enables automatic removal of foreign objects that have fallen into the expansion joints, reducing the frequency of cleaning by bridge workers. This not only lowers labor costs but also reduces the risks during construction.

[0035] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the crushing mechanism includes two F-shaped side beams 1 with multi-stage crushing teeth 5 arranged on their inner surfaces 11, which are staggered in position. Specifically, the two multi-stage crushing teeth 5 are staggered along the length of the F-shaped side beams 1. The multi-stage crushing teeth 5 have a guide surface 51 and a multi-stage crushing surface 52 located on the inner side. The multi-stage crushing surface 52 is inclined and its surface is provided with bite teeth a54, bite teeth b55, bite teeth c56 and bite teeth d57 arranged sequentially from high to low. The positions of the tooth grooves between the two multi-stage crushing teeth 5 are staggered.

[0036] The multi-stage breaking teeth 5 are installed at an angle downwards on the inner side 11 of the F-shaped side beam 1. The purpose of this arrangement is to guide foreign objects to slide down, allowing them to slide along the guide surface 51 of the multi-stage breaking teeth 5 to the multi-stage breaking surface 52. The multi-stage breaking teeth 5 will undergo dynamic deformation during the process of bridge temperature changes, vehicle loads, concrete shrinkage and creep, etc., and will follow the displacement of the F-shaped side beam 1. The two multi-stage breaking teeth 5 with their tooth grooves staggered are used to squeeze and bite the foreign objects that fall into the expansion joint step by step using biting teeth a54, biting teeth b55, biting teeth c56 and biting teeth d57 to break them down.

[0037] There is a drop gap 6 between the two multi-stage crushing teeth 5, which is used to allow the foreign object to fall to the guide mechanism 7 below after it is crushed.

[0038] The shape and / or material of the occlusal teeth a54, b55, c56 and d57 may be the same or different.

[0039] Different shapes and materials can give the bite teeth a54, b55, c56 and d57 different functions and crushing capabilities. For example, changing the material of the bite teeth to increase their hardness can improve their crushing capability. Changing the shape of the bite teeth can improve their crushing capability, or changing both the material and the shape can improve their crushing capability.

[0040] Different hardness or shapes can be set for the biting teeth a54, b55, c56, and d57 to allocate their functions. For example, increasing the material hardness or shape of biting tooth a54 can improve its crushing ability, while decreasing the material hardness of biting teeth b55, c56, and d57 can satisfy the requirement that foreign objects crushed by biting tooth a54 are sufficient, thus reducing costs. Alternatively, changing the shape of biting teeth c56 and d57 can improve the crushing effect of foreign objects and facilitate their discharge. The materials and shapes of biting teeth a54, b55, c56, and d57 can be set according to actual conditions and are not limited here.

[0041] like Figure 4 and 5 As shown, the discharge mechanism is a guide discharge mechanism 7, which is inclined downward on the bottom surface 53 of the two multi-stage crushing teeth 5. The downward inclined end of the guide discharge mechanism 7 is defined as the discharge end 73. A discharge channel is pre-embedded in the bridge deck. The discharge end 73 of the guide discharge mechanism 7 is connected to the discharge channel when it does not contact the discharge channel.

[0042] The guide mechanism 7 includes a foldable hinge mechanism 71. The hinge mechanism 71 is connected to the bottom surface 53 of the multi-stage crushing tooth 5 through a multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72. The height of the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72 on the hinge mechanism 71 decreases linearly from the discharge end 73 along the length of the hinge mechanism 71. The multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72 includes a base 721 disposed on the hinge surface and the bottom surface 53 of the multi-stage crushing tooth 5. The base 721 has a concave cavity. A ball head 722 that can move freely in the cavity is provided in the cavity of the base 721. The two ball heads 722 are connected by a telescopic rod 723. A spring 724 is provided on the outside of the telescopic rod 723.

[0043] The hinge mechanism 71 can be folded. After it is connected to the bottom surface 53 of the multi-stage crushing tooth 5 by the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72, the hinge mechanism 71 can be kept in a downward tilted state. After the multi-stage crushing tooth 5 crushes the foreign object, it falls onto the downward tilted hinge mechanism 71 and can slide down into the discharge channel for discharge under the action of gravity.

[0044] The discharge channel can be set up using PVC pipes or other pipes. The discharge end 73 of the guide mechanism 7 is set at the entrance of the discharge channel, and the discharge channel does not contact the discharge end 73 of the guide mechanism 7. During the discharge of foreign objects by the guide mechanism 7, the foreign objects slide down into the interior of the discharge channel along with the inclined hinge mechanism 71.

[0045] In the first embodiment, as the hinge mechanism 71 moves along with the multi-stage crushing teeth 5, it folds under the traction of the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72. This process can further compress the foreign objects that have been crushed and fallen onto the hinge mechanism 71. Not only can the crushed foreign objects near the edge of the hinge mechanism 71 slide towards the center of the hinge mechanism 71, but the foreign objects attached to the hinge mechanism 71 can also be squeezed against each other, causing them to peel off the surface of the hinge mechanism 71 and making it easier for them to slide into the discharge channel.

[0046] In the second embodiment, the surface of the hinge mechanism 71 is provided with a covering layer, which is made of silicone rubber, neoprene rubber, or EPDM rubber. During the displacement of the hinge mechanism 71 following the multi-stage crushing teeth 5, the hinge mechanism 71 folds under the traction of the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72. This process can further compress the foreign objects that have been crushed and fallen onto the hinge mechanism 71. Not only can the crushed foreign objects near the edge of the hinge mechanism 71 slide towards the center of the hinge mechanism 71, but the foreign objects attached to the hinge mechanism 71 can also be squeezed against each other, causing them to peel off the surface of the hinge mechanism 71 and facilitate their sliding into the discharge channel. The covering layer can prevent foreign objects from falling out of the gaps of the hinge mechanism 71 during the folding process.

[0047] In the third embodiment, a baffle is provided along the edge of the hinge mechanism 71 in the length direction. The height of the baffle does not affect the movement and folding process of the hinge mechanism 71. During the displacement of the hinge mechanism 71 following the multi-stage crushing teeth 5, the foreign objects that have been crushed and fallen onto the hinge mechanism 71 are blocked to prevent them from falling off the edge of the hinge mechanism 71. During the folding process of the hinge mechanism 71, the crushed foreign objects near the edge of the hinge mechanism 71 can slide towards the middle of the hinge mechanism 71. The foreign objects attached to the hinge mechanism 71 can also be squeezed against each other, causing them to peel off the surface of the hinge mechanism 71 and making it easier for them to slide into the discharge channel.

[0048] In the fourth embodiment, during the vehicle's travel on the bridge, the bridge will vibrate due to wind load, vehicle load and other external loads. During this process, the vibration is transmitted to the hinge mechanism 71 through the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72, causing it to vibrate. Since it is in an inclined state, foreign objects on the surface of the hinge mechanism 71 are easy to slide off the surface of the hinge mechanism 71 and into the discharge channel during the vibration process.

[0049] In the fifth embodiment, the present invention also proposes a parameter calculation method for the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72, comprising the following steps:

[0050] A finite element model of the bridge is established based on the actual structure of the bridge, and material properties and boundary conditions are defined to ensure that the model can truly reflect the dynamic response characteristics of the bridge under vehicle loads.

[0051] The model simulates the vehicle's movement on the bridge to obtain the bridge's vibration characteristics and response parameters under actual operating conditions, including bridge deck acceleration, displacement, and stress distribution.

[0052] A multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72 model is constructed and embedded at the connection position between the hinge mechanism 71 and the multi-stage breaking teeth 5. The stiffness, extension range and initial damping parameters of the spring 724 are given so that the multi-directional elastic connection model can reflect the actual multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72 in the simulation.

[0053] The bridge model is coupled with the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72 model to perform dynamic simulation to obtain the vibration amplitude and frequency of the hinge mechanism 71 under different parameters;

[0054] By changing the parameters of the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72 (such as the stiffness of the spring 724, the damping coefficient, and the length range of the telescopic rod 723), the simulation was run repeatedly to analyze the influence of different parameters on the vibration transmission effect of the hinge.

[0055] Based on the simulation results, 72 parameter combinations of multi-directional elastic connection mechanisms that can effectively amplify or maintain vibration transmission within the target frequency range were selected.

[0056] After the parameter range of the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72 is determined, various working conditions are set for verification, including different vehicle speeds, vehicle weights, vehicle combinations, and bridge temperature effects, to test the applicability of the selected parameters under various actual conditions. By comparing the response of the hinge mechanism 71 under different working conditions, it is ensured that the designed multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72 has stable and reliable working performance.

[0057] Export the parameter range obtained from the simulation analysis to form a set of 72 parameters for the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism;

[0058] Extract the required parameters from the parameter set of the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72 to manufacture the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism 72.

[0059] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A bridge expansion joint with a self-cleaning structure, characterized in that, This includes F-shaped side beams embedded in the bridge deck, wherein there are two F-shaped side beams, which are embedded on both sides of the bridge expansion joints respectively; The inner sides of the two F-shaped side beams are respectively provided with multi-stage breaking teeth that are staggered from each other, and the multi-stage breaking teeth are inclined downward on the inner side. An inclined guide mechanism is provided on the bottom surface of two multi-stage crushing teeth. There is a drop gap between the two multi-stage crushing teeth. The size of the guide mechanism covers the drop gap. The downward inclined end of the guide mechanism is defined as the discharge end. A discharge channel is pre-embedded in the bridge deck, and the discharge end of the guide discharge mechanism is connected to the discharge channel without contacting it.

2. The bridge expansion joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two multi-stage crushing teeth are staggered along the length of the F-shaped side beam.

3. The bridge expansion joint according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multi-stage crushing tooth has a guide surface and a multi-stage crushing surface located on the inner side. The multi-stage crushing surface is inclined, and its surface is arranged with bite teeth a, bite teeth b, bite teeth c and bite teeth d in sequence from high to low. The tooth grooves between two multi-stage crushing teeth are staggered.

4. The bridge expansion joint according to claim 3, characterized in that: The shape and / or material of occlusal teeth a, b, c, and d may be the same or different.

5. The bridge expansion joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide mechanism includes a foldable hinge mechanism, which is connected to the bottom surface of the multi-stage crushing teeth through a multi-directional elastic connection mechanism.

6. The bridge expansion joint according to claim 5, characterized in that: The height of the multi-directional elastic connection mechanism on the hinge mechanism decreases linearly from the discharge end along the length of the hinge mechanism.

7. The bridge expansion joint according to claim 5, characterized in that: The multi-directional elastic connection mechanism includes a base disposed on the hinge surface and the bottom surface of the multi-stage breaking teeth. The base has a concave cavity, and a ball head that can move freely within the cavity is provided. The two ball heads are connected by a telescopic rod, and a spring is provided on the outside of the telescopic rod.

8. The bridge expansion joint according to claim 7, characterized in that: The spring is a tension spring, wherein one end of the spring is connected to one end of the telescopic rod, and the other end of the spring is connected to the other end of the telescopic rod.

9. The bridge expansion joint according to claim 5, characterized in that: The surface of the hinge mechanism is covered with a coating.

10. The bridge expansion joint according to claim 5, characterized in that: A baffle is provided along the edge of the hinge mechanism along its length.

Images