Articulated Wall Formwork Console for Safe Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current suspended wall formwork structures with double consoles face challenges in mounting and safety due to large dimensions and inadequate transverse rigidity, making them difficult to lift with cranes and posing safety risks for operators at heights above 6 meters.
Innovation Solution
The structure is divided into shorter, articulated 2-meter portions with auxiliary work platforms, allowing for flexible movement during lifting and assembly, and includes a displaceable upper console for formwork panels to adjust positions, enhancing safety and rigidity once vertical.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a double-console structure with large dimensions is used to achieve elevated heights for manipulating formwork, then the working height is improved, but the structure becomes difficult to lift with cranes due to inadequate transverse rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is divided into multiple modular sections (lower console, upper console, formwork support) that can be assembled in a step-by-step manner. Each section has standardized dimensions and connection points, allowing the structure to be built incrementally as the wall height increases, rather than requiring a single large pre-assembled unit
Solution Approach 2:
The structure incorporates adjustable and movable components including telescopic support struts that can extend or retract, and formwork supports that can be positioned at different heights and locations. This dynamic adaptability allows the same basic structure to accommodate various wall heights and configurations without requiring complete reassembly
2Length of moving object
If a double-console structure with large dimensions is used to achieve elevated heights, then the working height is improved, but the transverse rigidity becomes inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than making the entire structure uniformly rigid, the design provides localized reinforcement at critical points such as the connection between consoles and the wall, and at the formwork support positions. The bracing elements are strategically placed to provide rigidity where needed while maintaining overall structural lightness
Solution Approach 2:
The structure includes pre-installed bracing elements and connection features that are prepared in advance during assembly. As each section is added to the growing structure, the rigidity requirements for that section are already satisfied by the design, preventing rigidity issues from developing as the structure grows in height
3Length of moving object
If the structure height reaches approximately 6 metres, then the working height capability is improved, but safety problems arise for operators who may fall from the lower platform
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is divided into modular sections of limited height (lower console and upper console), each with its own platform and safety characteristics. This segmentation ensures that no single platform is at an excessively high elevation, and operators can work on lower sections without being exposed to the full height risk of the complete structure
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates safety features such as guardrails and platform enclosures as standard elements built into each console section. These protective measures are integrated beforehand into the structure design, providing automatic fall protection without requiring additional safety equipment or procedures
4Ease of manufacture
If the structure is assembled in advance on the ground and then lifted, then the assembly is completed before installation, but the large size complicates the lifting operation
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is divided into multiple sections that can be partially assembled on the ground in a compact configuration, then lifted in stages. The modular design allows sections to be connected vertically after lifting, enabling a combination of ground assembly benefits with reduced lifting complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The structure incorporates collapsible or reconfigurable elements that allow the assembly to be compacted for lifting and then expanded to its full working configuration once in position. This dynamic transformation capability reduces the lifting envelope requirements while maintaining full functionality when deployed
Data Source
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AI summary
The structure is of the type which has an upper console with the support for the wall formwork panels, a main work platform and safety rail, as well as a lower console equipped with a walkway platform and arms for connection to the upper console, characterised in that the lower console is composed of a minimum of one rigid portion or module connected to the platform of the upper console and one or more successive portions or modules articulated to one another, with vertical arms on the part adjacent to the wall and on the part opposite thereto, to form substantially parallelepiped cage structures, the height of which is limited to a predetermined value to prevent risks of falls.