Adjustable Concrete Form with Mechanical Jacks for Roadway Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional concrete forms used in road construction are often made of wooden boards and plywood sheets, which are costly, prone to breakage, and require continuous resupply, leading to disruptions and increased costs in roadway construction.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable concrete form made from steel, featuring adjustable height and tilt vertical and sloped walls, which can be repeatedly assembled, disassembled, and repositioned using mechanical jacks and connectors, allowing for the creation of multiple concrete wall sections of varying heights, tilts, and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional wooden forms are used for concrete wall construction, then initial material cost may be lower, but continuous resupply is required leading to increased costs and construction disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The concrete form is divided into modular components including vertical walls, sloped walls, connectors, and mechanical jacks that can be independently assembled, disassembled, and repositioned. This segmentation enables the form to be reused across multiple concrete sections without degradation, eliminating continuous resupply requirements and reducing material waste while maintaining construction productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The form incorporates mechanical jacks that enable dynamic adjustment of wall heights and tilts during assembly and operation. This dynamic capability allows the same form to adapt to varying concrete section requirements and be efficiently repositioned for continuous construction, eliminating the need for constant material resupply and reducing overall construction costs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wooden forms are used for varying wall configurations, then initial flexibility may be achieved through cutting and shaping, but components break and must be discarded requiring continual resupply
Solution Approach 1:
The form system uses standardized modular components (vertical walls, sloped walls, connectors) that can be assembled in different configurations to create varying wall sections. This segmentation provides adaptability for different concrete section requirements while ensuring component reliability through standardized connections and durable materials that resist breaking during disassembly and repositioning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical jacks and connectors are designed as universal components that function across multiple concrete sections with varying heights and tilts. These multi-functional elements eliminate the need for specially cut or shaped components for each section, improving both adaptability for different configurations and reliability through repeated use without degradation.
3Productivity
If wooden forms are disassembled and repositioned for continuous construction, then construction can continue mile after mile, but the forms are prone to breakage and require constant resupply
Solution Approach 1:
The form is segmented into standardized components with consistent connection interfaces that simplify disassembly and repositioning operations. This segmentation enables continuous construction along roadways while reducing the complexity of form fabrication and replacement, as damaged components can be easily swapped for identical standardized parts rather than requiring complex custom fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical jacks enable parameter changes in wall height and tilt without requiring form replacement or complex reconfiguration. This capability maintains continuous construction productivity while simplifying the overall system, as adjustments are made through mechanical means rather than requiring frequent fabrication and replacement of wooden components.
Data Source
AI summary
Adjustable concrete forms, typically fabricated from steel, allowing variation in the height, tilt, and shape of the form of gravity wall sections. The adjustable concrete form includes adjustable height vertical and sloped walls to change the height of the form through the operation of built-in mechanical jacks, such as ball screw assemblies. The separation distances at top and bottom of the walls can be adjusted by upper connectors (e.g., tie bars) and lower connectors (e.g., base straps). The same adjustable concrete form is assembled, used to pour a gravity wall section, disassembled, repositioned, and reassembled a virtually unlimited number of times to create varying height, tilt, and shape gravity wall sections for mile after of roadway construction.