Formwork carriage for the construction of tunnel vaults

Abstract

A formwork carriage for the construction of tunnel vaults. The carriage 1 comprises a work platform 2, an internal formwork 3 for the construction of the vault of a tunnel and a support structure 4 re

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION In general, the invention relates to formwork systems for the inner lining of 5 tunnels. An object of the invention is to provide a formwork carriage for building tunnel vaults and transition sections between normal tunnel sections, which facilitates formwork works and therefore reduces execution times and costs. STATE OF THE ART 10 To construct the inner lining of a tunnel by means of concreting, first the side walls of the tunnel are normally constructed, and then the vault is made resting on the previously concreted side walls. To construct the vault, a form work carriage that moves section by section to build the successive sections of the vault is generally used. The work of 15 dismantling the formwork, transporting it to the following section, reassembling it and setting it at the proper height requires a great deal of manual work and powerful machines to haul it, which is why said work is slow and costly. Another added difficulty in form work carriages of this type is the issue of positioning the carriage in curved sections of the tunnel, which is traditionally 20 achieved through laborious adjustment operations using powerful machinery and involving tedious work that poses significant risks to workers. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention solves the aforementioned problem by means of a formwork 25 carriage for the construction of tunnel vaults, which comprises a work platform that is preferably flat and has a top surface and a bottom surface, and a pair of rails attached to the bottom surface of the platform and arranged on the sides of the work platform. The carriage also has an internal formwork formed for the construction of 30 the vault of a tunnel, and a supporting structure for supporting the internal formwork that rests on the top surface of the work platform, and a plurality of brackets intended to be secured to a concrete structure at the same height, in this case to the previously concreted side walls of the tunnel. The formwork can have any shape depending on the vault to be obtained. 35 Preferably, the carriage also has a separate external formwork above the internal formwork, so that both formworks are joined by removable tie rods. Each bracket is provided with a sliding surface, preferably formed by one or more rollers of each bracket, so that the rails can slide on the brackets secured 02 04 24 to the side walls of the tunnel. In a preferred embodiment, at least four brackets have a spindle that can be moved vertically when the brackets are secured to the side walls of a tunnel. The spindles are arranged so that, in an extended position, they are in contact 5 with the rails in order to raise them above the rollers. In this way, the spindles can be used to set the formwork at the proper height for concreting a section of the vault of the tunnel lining that is being constructed. In this case, while concrete is poured into the formwork and it sets, the carriage is held up by the spindles, without coming in contact with the rollers. 10 In a retracted position of the spindles, when the carriage must be moved to the next position, the spindles are lowered until the rails rest on the rollers and the spindles are arranged below the rollers so as not to interfere with the sliding of the rails. To move the carriage, said carriage has at least one winch attached to the 15 work platform, in order to move the carriage on the brackets. Preferably, it has two winches, each one arranged on one side of the work platform, so that the carriage can be directed through curved sections of the tunnel, making one winch pull more or less than the other. In a preferred embodiment, the carriage has at least four hydraulic 20 cylinders to quickly raise the formwork carriage on the brackets, when the brackets are secured to the side walls of a tunnel at the same height. Each hydraulic cylinder is housed and retained in a support configured to be able to be secured to the side walls of a previously concreted tunnel. 25 DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 shows a front elevation view of a formwork carriage according to the invention, set up at the proper height to build the vault of a tunnel. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the formwork carriage in the previous figure. 30 Figure 3 shows a side elevation view of the same formwork carriage. Figure 4 shows two views of one of the brackets of the invention, where figure A is an elevation view and figure B is a perspective view. Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a support for a hydraulic actuator. 35 PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 shows a formwork carriage (1) set up at the proper height to build the vault of a tunnel, which has a work platform (2), an internal formwork (3) formed for the construction of the vault of a tunnel, and a supporting structure (4) 02 04 24 for supporting the internal formwork (3) resting on the top surface of the work platform (2). In this embodiment, it also has a separate external formwork (3’) above the internal formwork (3), where the two formworks are joined by tie rods (13). 5 The external formwork (3’) is made up of independent and separate panels, each one arranged on one side of the internal formwork (3) as shown in Figure 1. On the lower face thereof, the work platform (2) has a pair of rails (5, 5’) attached to the bottom surface of the platform and arranged on the sides thereof. A plurality of brackets (6) are preferably secured at the same height on 10 both side walls (7, 7’) of the tunnel lining, which have been previously concreted. The brackets are secured to the side walls by any conventional means, for example, by means of recoverable screws. In some particular embodiments, not all the brackets are secured at the same height with respect to the ground. The configuration of each bracket (6) has been represented in Figures 4A 15 and 4B, showing that each bracket is formed by an L-shaped structure with a vertical longer side (6a) in its normal position of use, a shorter side (6b), and a pair of crossbars (6c) that join the longer and shorter sides, as shown in the figure, to reinforce the bracket. A pair of rollers (8, 8’), spaced apart, are mounted on the shorter side (6b), which in turn has a threaded passage (9), in which a spindle 20 (10) having a fork (11) at the upper free end thereof is inserted. The spindle (10) can be moved in a direction parallel to the longer side (6a). When the carriage (1) rests on the rollers (8, 8’) by means of the rails (5, 5’), they can slide on the brackets, as shown for example in Figure 3. To move the carriage (1), said carriage incorporates two winches (12, 12’) 25 attached to the work platform (2) and arranged on the sides thereof as shown in Figure 1, in order to move the carriage (1) on the brackets (6). The cable of the winch is secured to a fixed portion of the construction, for example, the side walls of the tunnel, and the electric motor of the winch moves the carriage when the cable is wound. Preferably, it has two winches, each one arranged on one side 30 of the work platform, so that the carriage can be directed through curved sections of the tunnel, making one winch pull more or less than the other. The carriage (1) has at least four hydraulic cylinders (14) to raise the formwork carriage on the brackets (6). As represented in Figure 5, each hydraulic cylinder is housed in a support (15) configured to be able to be secured to the 35 side walls (7, 7’) of the tunnel, in a similar way to the brackets. The hydraulic cylinder (14) is retained in the support by a collar (16) that prevents it from being retained in the support (15) in order to avoid accidents. The hydraulic cylinders (14) perform the same function of raising or lowering the carriage as the spindles (6), but in a faster manner, since the movement of the spindles is slow and carried out manually; the hydraulic cylinders (14) enable the process to be sped up. The carriage slides on the brackets to a specific position in order to build 5 a vault section, and then it is raised to the desired height, first quickly by means of the hydraulic cylinders (14), and in a final phase the height is adjusted with greater precision by means of the spindles, the carriage being held up by the spindles. Once this vault section has been built, the shaft of the hydraulic cylinders (14) is moved until it comes in contact with the rails and supports the 10 carriage, in order to move the carriage to the next position. Next, the spindles are lowered until they are hidden under the rollers, and finally the carriage is lowered with the hydraulic cylinders (14) until the rails rest on the rollers. As sections of the vault are built, the brackets are dismantled and resecured in the following sections of the tunnel. 15 02 04 24 20 01 25

Claims

1. A formwork carriage for the inner lining of tunnel vaults, characterised in that the formwork carriage comprises:5 a work platform that has a top surface and a bottom surface,an internal formwork formed for the inner lining of the vault of a tunnel, a supporting structure for supporting the internal formwork resting on thetop surface of the work platform,a plurality of individual brackets configured to be secured to a concrete10 structure, each bracket provided with a sliding surface,a pair of rails attached to the bottom surface of the work platform and arranged on the sides of the work platform, so that the rails can slide on the individual brackets, when the individual brackets are secured to the previously concreted side walls of a tunnel,15 wherein each bracket has one or more rollers, and in that the slidingsurface of each bracket is formed by the surface of the rollers,wherein at least four brackets have a spindle that can be moved vertically when the individual brackets are secured to the side walls of a tunnel, and wherein when the spindles are arranged in extended position, the rails are raised20 above the rollers, and whereinthe bracket and the spindle are configured so that, in a retracted position of the spindle, the spindle is arranged below the rollers so as not to interfere with the sliding of the rails.25 2. The formwork carriage for the construction of tunnel vaults, according toclaim 1, characterised in that it further comprises at least one winch attached to the work platform, in order to move the carriage on the brackets.

3. The formwork carriage for the construction of tunnel vaults, according to 30 claim 2, characterised in that it has two winches, each one arranged on one side of the work platform.

4. The formwork carriage for the construction of tunnel vaults, according to claim 1, characterised in that each bracket has two rollers, and in that the spindle20 01 25can be moved between the two rollers.

5. The formwork carriage for the construction of tunnel vaults, according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it has a separate external 5 formwork above the internal formwork, and in that the internal and external formwork are joined by tie rods.

6. The formwork carriage for the construction of tunnel vaults, according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it has at least four hydraulic 10 cylinders to raise the formwork carriage on the brackets when the brackets are secured to the side walls of a tunnel at the same height.

7. The formwork carriage for the construction of tunnel vaults, according toclaim 6, characterised in that each hydraulic cylinder is housed and retained in a 15 support configured to be able to be secured to the side walls of a previously concreted tunnel.

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