Template Assembly for Locating Anchor Bolts in Concrete Pours
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for locating anchor bolts in concrete pours are inaccurate due to anchor bolt movement and deflection during concrete pouring, and large wooden templates are cumbersome, time-consuming, and prone to distortion, leading to misalignment issues that affect installation timing, cost, and integrity.
Innovation Solution
A template assembly featuring a metal frame with anchor bolt retainers fixedly connected to it, allowing precise positioning of anchor bolts within a concrete form, with adjustable legs for elevation and a design that minimizes deflection, enabling accurate placement and finishing of the concrete surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a wooden template is used to locate anchor bolts, then the template can be easily manufactured and positioned, but the anchor bolts rotate and move during concrete pouring, resulting in inaccurate positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The template is divided into multiple individual locators that can independently secure each anchor bolt. Each locator is a separate component that can be positioned and secured independently, preventing the anchor bolts from moving during concrete pouring while maintaining ease of assembly and manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor bolts are positioned and secured to the template form before the concrete is poured. The template locators are pre-positioned at the exact desired locations, and the anchor bolts are attached to these locators in advance, ensuring they remain in the correct positions throughout the concrete pouring process.
2Productivity
If a large wooden template is used to support multiple anchor bolts, then all anchor bolts can be positioned simultaneously, but the template becomes cumbersome, time-consuming to produce, and prone to deflection and moisture absorption
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single large wooden template, the system uses multiple small, modular locators that can be independently positioned and secured to the form. Each locator is a simple, lightweight component that can be easily manufactured and positioned, eliminating the problems of deflection and moisture absorption associated with large wooden templates while still enabling simultaneous positioning of multiple anchor bolts.
Solution Approach 2:
The material and structural parameters of the template are changed from large wooden beams to small metal or plastic locators. This parameter change reduces the size, weight, and complexity of each individual component while maintaining the overall functionality of positioning multiple anchor bolts simultaneously.
3Ease of operation
If anchor bolts are positioned using traditional methods, then the process is simple, but the force and pressure of the concrete pour skew the anchor bolts out of vertical alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor bolts are attached to the template locators before the concrete is poured, establishing their vertical alignment in advance. The locators are designed to maintain this vertical alignment during the concrete pouring process, preventing the anchor bolts from being skewed by the force and pressure of the concrete.
Solution Approach 2:
The template locators are designed to counteract the forces that would otherwise cause the anchor bolts to move during concrete pouring. The locators provide preliminary resistance to the lateral forces of the concrete, maintaining the vertical alignment of the anchor bolts throughout the pouring process.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of using a template assembly for locating and retaining a plurality of anchor bolts within a form during a concrete pour. The template assembly includes a rigid metal frame and plurality of anchor bolt retainers affixed to the frame, wherein each anchor bolt includes an anchor bolt engaging surface for locating an associated anchor bolt within predetermined tolerances. The frame can be further configured to provide access to at least 75% of the surface of the pour thereby allowing for finishing of the concrete. A plurality of legs can be connected to the frame for adjusting an elevation of the frame.