Support manufacturing apparatus, support manufacturing method, and support structure

Abstract

This invention provides a support structure for supporting heavy objects that can be easily and quickly implemented in a high-pressure environment. [Solution] In a high-pressure environment, the contents are placed in the bag 11 and sealed. One end of the ventilation pipe 21 is connected to the ventilation communication section 14, and the other end of the ventilation pipe 21 is connected to the atmosphere via the exhaust pipe 7a. This causes the air inside the bag 11 to be expelled by the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the bag 11, thereby restraining the contents and giving the bag 11 strength. After that, the ventilation communication section 14 is closed to obtain the desired support body 10. The support body 10 can be manufactured with simple and short work. Furthermore, since the support body 10 is manufactured in a high-pressure environment and a support structure for supporting heavy objects can be constructed in the same high-pressure environment, the installation work is efficient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a support means for supporting the load of a heavy object, and particularly to a manufacturing apparatus for a support body used in a high-pressure environment, a method for manufacturing a support body, and a support structure.

Background Art

[0002] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an example of a caisson used in a conventional pneumatic caisson method. Conventionally, the pneumatic caisson method has been adopted to construct underground structures such as bridge foundations and building foundations. Referring to FIG. 5, in the pneumatic caisson method, the casing 2 of the caisson 1 is constructed of reinforced concrete or the like, and is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with a cutting edge 3 provided at the lower end. The inside of the casing 2 is partitioned into an upper part 2a and a lower part 2b by a bottom plate 4. The lower part 2b of th casing 2 is made into an airtight working chamber 5, and an air supply pipe 7b for sending compressed air into this working chamber 5, an exhaust pipe for ventilation 7a, a manhole shaft 8 for workers to enter and exit, a material shaft 9 for carrying in and out materials to and from the working chamber 5, etc. are provided.

[0003] The working chamber 5 is made into a high-pressure environment by sending compressed air from the air supply pipe 7b, thereby preventing the intrusion of external groundwater and enabling the excavation of earth and sand in the air state. The excavated earth and sand are carried out to the outside through the material shaft 9. Also, if necessary, load water 6 is introduced into the upper part la of the casing 2. By repeating the excavation of earth and sand, the sinking progress of the casing 2, and the addition of new shafts, when the cutting edge 3 reaches the design depth, the bearing capacity of the supporting ground is confirmed by a test in the working chamber 5, and the inside of the working chamber is filled with in-situ concrete to complete the foundation.

[0004] Incidentally, the box structure 2 settles when the settling force, consisting of the weight of the box structure 2, the weight of the load water 6 introduced inside, and additional weights such as the added soil, exceeds the settling resistance force, which consists of the uplift pressure due to the air pressure in the work chamber 5, the frictional force on the perimeter, and the ground resistance force. In this case, for example, if the settling resistance force is insufficient due to soft ground and there is a risk of abnormal settlement, measures such as constructing a sander inside the work chamber 5 to increase the support area and thus increase the support capacity are taken (see Figure 9 of Patent Document 1). Sanders are generally constructed by bringing timber into the work chamber 5 through a material shaft 9 and assembling this timber in a grid pattern.

[0005] Furthermore, the aforementioned sandol is used not only to ensure settlement resistance when only the settling force increases due to concrete pouring, etc., but also to partially suppress settlement in order to correct the inclination of box body 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-44242 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Conventional caissons require the transport and assembly of lumber for installation, and dismantling the caisson and removing the lumber for removal after use. Both operations are performed by workers in a high-pressure environment, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and raises concerns about an increased risk of high-pressure sickness (caisson sickness) for workers.

[0008] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a support manufacturing apparatus, a support manufacturing method, and a support structure that can be realized with relatively simple and short work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a support manufacturing apparatus comprising: at least one bag body formed in the shape of a bag from a non-permeable material, capable of containing a filler inside, capable of being sealed with the filler inside, and having a ventilation communication portion that allows the inside and outside to communicate; a ventilation pipe made of a pressure-resistant material, with one end connected to the ventilation communication portion of the bag body and the other end connected to an atmospheric pressure environment; and a closing means for closing the ventilation communication portion of the bag body.

[0010] The invention described in claim 2 further includes a protective cover that covers the outer surface of the bag, in addition to the configuration of the invention described in claim 1.

[0011] The invention described in claim 3 is a method for manufacturing a support, comprising the steps of: preparing at least one bag body formed in the shape of a bag from a non-permeable material, capable of containing a filler inside, capable of being sealed with the filler inside, and having a ventilated communication portion that allows the inside and outside to communicate; a ventilated pipe made of a pressure-resistant material; and a closing means for closing the ventilated communication portion of the bag body; sealing the bag body after filling it with a filler under high pressure conditions; connecting one end of the ventilated pipe to the sealed ventilated communication portion of the bag body and connecting the other end of the ventilated pipe to an atmospheric pressure environment; discharging air from inside the bag body by communicating the inside of the bag body to an atmospheric pressure environment via the ventilated pipe; and closing the ventilated communication portion of the bag body from which the air has been discharged with the closing means to obtain a support.

[0012] The invention described in claim 4 is the invention described in claim 3, wherein the high-pressure environment is the work chamber at the bottom of the caisson and the atmospheric pressure environment is the ground.

[0013] The invention described in claim 5 is a support structure comprising one or more supports manufactured by the method for manufacturing a support described in claim 3, and constructed by supports positioned below a heavy object in a high-pressure environment to support the weight of the heavy object.

[0014] The invention described in claim 6 further includes an auxiliary filling member for filling the gap between the support and the heavy object, in the configuration of the invention described in claim 5. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] As described above, according to the support manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, by connecting one end of a ventilation pipe to the ventilation communication section of a sealed bag containing the filling, and connecting the other end of the ventilation pipe to the atmospheric pressure environment, the air inside the bag is discharged by differential pressure, thereby restraining the filling and increasing the support capacity of the bag, allowing it to function as a support for heavy objects. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a support with relatively simple and short work.

[0016] According to the method for manufacturing a support according to the present invention, the inside of a sealed bag containing a filling under high-pressure conditions is connected to the atmospheric pressure environment via a ventilation communication section. This causes the air inside the bag to be expelled by differential pressure, thereby applying a restraining force to the filling. As a result, the support capacity of the bag increases, allowing it to function as a support for heavy objects. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a support in a relatively simple and short time under high-pressure conditions.

[0017] According to the support structure of the present invention, the support structure manufactured under high-pressure conditions can be used directly under high-pressure conditions during construction, thus simplifying the installation process. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This invention relates to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein (A) is a front view of the bag and (B) is a perspective view showing a support constructed by containing a filling inside the bag, with a portion of it cut out. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a procedure for manufacturing a support by discharging air from inside a bag, relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing how a support structure according to one embodiment of the present invention supports the caisson box. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of another aspect of a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a support by discharging the air inside the bag body. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a caisson used in the conventional pneumatic caisson method.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments in the case where the present invention is applied to the manufacture of a support for supporting a casing in a work chamber provided at the lower part of a caisson in the pneumatic caisson method will be described. Regarding the caisson, it is assumed to have the configuration illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0020] FIG. 1 relates to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a front view of the bag body, and (B) is a perspective view showing a part of the support constructed by accommodating a filler inside the bag body with a notch. FIG. 2 relates to an embodiment of the present invention and is a schematic diagram showing the要领 of manufacturing a support by discharging the air inside the bag body. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the situation of supporting the casing of the caisson by the support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] [Manufacturing Apparatus for Support] The support adopted in this example is used in place of the conventional sandal installed in the work chamber at the lower part of the caisson for the purpose of ensuring the sinking resistance to prevent abnormal sinking when sinking the caisson and partially suppressing the sinking to correct the inclination of the casing, etc. in the pneumatic caisson method.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the manufacturing apparatus 20 for the support 10 in this example includes a bag body 11, a ventilation pipe 21, a closing means 16 for closing the ventilation communication part 14 of the bag body 11, and a protective cover 15 covering the outer surface of the bag body 11 as constituent members.

[0023] Referring to Figure 1, the bag 11 is formed in a bag shape from an airtight material, capable of containing a filler 17, capable of being sealed with the filler 17 inside, and includes a ventilation opening 14 that allows communication between the inside and outside. The bag 11 is airtight, flexible, and water-resistant, and it is desirable that it has as high a tensile strength and tear strength as possible. Examples of such materials include polyethylene and polyolefin. The bag 11 also includes an opening 12 for containing the filler 17 and a sealing means 13 for sealing this opening 12. Examples of sealing means 13 include a fastener, adhesive, adhesive tape, and heat seal.

[0024] In this example, the ventilation opening 14 is a tubular portion that protrudes from the side surface of the bag body 11. As a closing means 16 for closing this ventilation opening 14, for example, a clip, fastener, heat seal, adhesive, adhesive tape, etc., may be used, or an opening / closing valve may be provided on the ventilation opening 14 itself.

[0025] The ventilation pipe 21 is made of a pressure-resistant material and has a valve 23 at one end for connection to the ventilation communication section 14 of the bag body 11, and a valve 22 at the other end for connection to the exhaust pipe 7a provided on the caisson. The material of the ventilation pipe 21 is selected to have strength or hardness that prevents it from easily shrinking due to differential pressure when the internal pressure is lower than the external pressure, and examples include hard rubber, polyvinyl chloride, and steel pipe.

[0026] The protective cover 15 covers all or at least part of the outer surface of the bag 11, and preferably has a greater tensile strength than the bag 11 and is able to deform in accordance with the deformation of the bag 11. Examples of such materials include polyethylene and polypropylene used in flexible container bags, as well as rubber, PVC, and the like.

[0027] The filling material 17 contained in the bag 11 should preferably be a hard granular material with sufficient strength to withstand loads without easily breaking. In this example, soil, crushed stone, gravel, etc., generated when the ground S is excavated in the work chamber 5 can be used. Alternatively, metal particles or ceramic particles may be brought into the work chamber 5 and placed in the bag 11.

[0028] The support manufacturing apparatus 20 in this example is constructed by combining the components described above. Specifically, referring to Figure 2, a bag body 11 containing the filling material and sealing the opening 12 is prepared, a valve 23 at one end of the ventilation pipe 21 is connected to the ventilation communication section 14 of the bag body 11, and a valve 22 at the other end of the ventilation pipe 21 is connected to the exhaust pipe 7a provided in the box body 2. At this time, a sealing flange 30 is attached to the pipe end opening of the exhaust pipe 7a facing the work chamber 5 to ensure airtightness, so it is preferable to process this sealing flange 30 to form a connection section that can be airtightly connected to the valve 22 of the ventilation pipe 21. Alternatively, a valve to which the ventilation pipe 21 can be connected may be integrally provided on the sealing flange 30 side.

[0029] [Method for manufacturing a support] Next, the procedure for manufacturing the support 10 in the work chamber 5 at the bottom of the caisson will be described.

[0030] First, one or more bag bodies 11 fitted with protective covers 15, ventilation pipes 21, and closing means 16 for closing the ventilation openings 14 of the bag bodies 11 are prepared. These components are then brought into the workroom 5 through material loading passages such as material shafts provided in the caisson.

[0031] Next, the bag 11 is filled with packing material inside the work chamber 5. This can be done by using a caisson shovel or similar tool used for excavating the ground S to collect soil, gravel, crushed stone, etc., and filling the bag 11 with the packing material. Once the bag 11 is filled with the packing material (soil, etc.) up to the predetermined amount, the opening 12 of the bag 11 is sealed. At this time, it is preferable to also close the ventilation opening 14.

[0032] Next, the valve 23 at one end of the ventilation pipe 21 is connected to the ventilation communication section 14 of the sealed bag body 11, and the valve 22 at the other end of the ventilation pipe 21 is connected to the connection section of the closing flange 30 attached to the end of the exhaust pipe 7a.

[0033] Next, the process of discharging air from inside the bag 11 is carried out by connecting the inside of the bag 11 to the exhaust pipe 7a via the ventilation pipe 21. That is, by opening the ventilation connection part 14 of the bag 11 and opening the valves 22 and 23, the inside of the bag 11 is in communication with the atmosphere through the exhaust pipe 7a. The inside of the work chamber 5 is pressurized by the supply of compressed air and is in a high-pressure environment, while the inside of the exhaust pipe 7a is in communication with the atmosphere and is therefore at atmospheric pressure. As a result, the pressure inside the bag 11 is reduced to atmospheric pressure, and the pressure difference with the pressure in the work chamber 5 causes air to be discharged from the bag 11 and the bag 11 to contract. This applies a restraining force to the filling, increasing the support force of the bag 11, resulting in the strength of the bag 11 being realized and enabling it to function as a support 10.

[0034] Next, once air has been discharged from the bag 11, the ventilation port 14 is closed with the closing means 16, and the valves 22 and 23 are closed, after which the ventilation pipe 21 is removed from the ventilation port 14. This allows the support 10, which has developed strength, to be obtained.

[0035] [Support structure] Referring to Figure 3, the support structures 10 manufactured as described above can be stacked in appropriate numbers on the ground S to construct a support structure 40 that supports the lower surface of the base plate 4 of the box body 2. In this case, if a gap occurs between the upper surface of the stacked support structures 10 and the lower surface 4a of the base plate 4, an auxiliary filling member 50 is inserted into this gap. The auxiliary filling member 50 is made of wood or the like, for example.

[0036] [Another embodiment] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of a manufacturing apparatus that produces a support by expelling the air from inside the bag.

[0037] The basic configuration of the support manufacturing apparatus 24 in this embodiment is the same as that of the embodiment shown in Figure 2, so the differences will be explained in detail. In the embodiment of Figure 2, the ventilation pipe 21 was connected to a closing flange 30 attached to the exhaust pipe 7a, but as shown in Figure 4, the ventilation pipe 25 may be configured to pass inside the exhaust pipe 7a and have its end open to the atmosphere outside the caisson box 2. In this case, the ventilation pipe 25 may be provided with a valve 26 that can be opened and closed in the work chamber 5, but either valve 23 or 26 alone may suffice.

[0038] With this configuration, the end of the ventilation pipe 25 is directly exposed to atmospheric pressure, making it possible to place the ventilation pipe 25 inside the air supply pipe that supplies compressed air, rather than in the exhaust pipe 7a.

[0039] As explained above, according to the support manufacturing apparatus and method of this example, in a work chamber under high pressure, one end of a ventilation pipe is connected to the ventilation opening of a sealed bag containing the filling, and the other end of this ventilation pipe is connected to the ground under atmospheric pressure. This allows the air inside the bag to be expelled, restraining the filling and causing the bag to develop the strength necessary to function as a support. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a support with relatively simple and short work. Furthermore, since the support is manufactured in the work chamber using the high-pressure environment, the support structure can be constructed using the support as is, simplifying the installation work of the support structure.

[0040] Furthermore, in this example, by using soil, crushed stone, gravel, etc. as filling material, the protective cover and bag can be crushed during removal, and the soil, crushed stone, gravel, etc. filling material can be processed by normal soil removal work using a caisson shovel, etc. Therefore, since the removal work can be completed simply by recovering the protective cover and bag, the removal work can be greatly simplified. Due to these advantages, the present invention realizes increased work efficiency and reduced working time, thereby reducing the burden on workers in high-pressure environments, and thus also has the effect of reducing the risk of high-pressure-related illnesses for workers.

[0041] In addition, in the above embodiment, the shape of the caisson box may be cylindrical or rectangular.

[0042] Furthermore, the support structure may take the form of a rectangular prism or a polygonal prism, in addition to the cylindrical shape shown in the illustration.

[0043] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, a vacuum pump or other depressurizing means may be connected to the end of the ventilation pipe 25 to forcibly reduce the pressure inside the bag. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1… Caisson 2…Case 3…Blade mouth 4…Bottom plate 5…Workroom 6…Load water 7a... Exhaust pipe 7b…Air supply tube 10...Support 11...Bag body 12…Opening 13... Sealing means 14...Ventilation connection section 15… Protective cover 16... Closing means 17...Filling 20…Support material manufacturing equipment 21... Ventilation piping 22… Valve 23…valve 30…Blind flange 40...Support structure 50... Auxiliary filling material S...Ground In each figure, the same reference numeral indicates the same or corresponding part.

Claims

1. A bag made of a non-breathable material, formed in a bag shape, capable of containing a filler inside, capable of being sealed with the filler inside, and having a ventilation opening that allows the inside and outside to communicate, A ventilation pipe made of pressure-resistant material, with one end connected to the ventilation communication section of the bag body and the other end connected to an atmospheric pressure environment, The bag body includes a closing means for closing the ventilation opening, Support manufacturing equipment.

2. The apparatus for manufacturing a support according to claim 1, further comprising a protective cover that covers the outer surface of the bag.

3. The process of preparing: at least one bag body formed in the shape of a bag from a non-breathable material, capable of containing a filler inside, capable of being sealed with the filler inside, and having a ventilation opening that allows communication between the inside and outside; a ventilation pipe made of a pressure-resistant material; and a closing means for closing the ventilation opening of the bag body. A step of sealing the bag after placing the contents into the bag under high pressure conditions, A step of connecting one end of the ventilation pipe to the ventilation communication section of the bag body which is sealed, and connecting the other end of the ventilation pipe to the atmospheric pressure environment. A step of discharging air from inside the bag by connecting the inside of the bag to the atmospheric pressure environment via the ventilation pipe, A step of obtaining a support by closing the air-venting portion of the bag from which air has been discharged with the closing means, A method for manufacturing a support containing [the specified component].

4. The method for manufacturing a support according to claim 3, wherein the high-pressure environment is the work chamber at the bottom of the caisson, and the atmospheric pressure environment is the ground.

5. The present invention comprises one or more supports manufactured by the method for manufacturing a support described in claim 3, A support structure constructed by a support positioned below a heavy object to support the weight of the heavy object under high-pressure conditions.

6. The support structure according to claim 5, further comprising an auxiliary filling member for filling the gap between the support and the heavy object.

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