Laminated Bamboo Platform with Embedded Connector Plates for Concrete Slab
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional building methods using prefabricated wood panels and reinforced concrete face challenges such as the lack of strength in wood, excessive weight and brittleness in concrete, and high costs associated with metal decking, which affect structural safety and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A laminated bamboo platform integrated with a reinforced concrete layer, where bamboo boards are laminated together and secured with connector plates to support a concrete slab, reducing the amount of concrete needed while maintaining strength and flexibility, and using connector brackets to secure reinforcing materials within the concrete layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If reinforced concrete is used as the primary building material, then structural strength is improved, but weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite system combining bamboo platform with concrete top slab, where bamboo provides tensile strength and concrete provides compressive strength. This composite approach achieves required structural strength while reducing overall weight compared to solid concrete construction
Solution Approach 2:
The building structure is divided into separate functional components: a bamboo platform layer for structural support and a thinner concrete top slab for finishing and surface requirements. This segmentation allows each material to be used optimally in smaller quantities
2Strength
If traditional concrete construction is used, then structural strength is improved, but brittleness and susceptibility to cracking increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bamboo-concrete composite leverages bamboo's natural flexibility and tensile properties to compensate for concrete's brittleness. The bamboo layer absorbs deformation stresses that would otherwise cause concrete cracking, improving overall structural reliability under wind and seismic loads
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and distribution of materials by using a flexible bamboo platform as the base layer, fundamentally altering how the structure responds to deformation. This parameter change transforms the system from brittle (concrete-only) to ductile (composite) behavior
3Weight of stationary object
If metal decking is used to reduce concrete weight, then building weight is reduced, but construction cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive metal decking with bamboo, a renewable and cost-effective material. The bamboo platform serves as a temporary yet functional structural element that can be constructed locally, reducing both material costs and transportation expenses compared to metal decking systems
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from metal to bamboo, transforming the cost structure of the project. Bamboo's lower material cost, local availability, and ease of fabrication directly address the cost issue while maintaining the weight reduction benefit
4Productivity
If prefabricated wood panels are used, then construction time is reduced, but structural strength is insufficient for large buildings
Solution Approach 1:
The bamboo-concrete composite combines the prefabrication advantages of modular construction with the structural strength of concrete. The bamboo platform can be pre-assembled and then overlaid with concrete, achieving both construction efficiency and required strength for large-scale buildings
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the benefits of wood-based prefabrication (modularity, construction speed) with concrete (strength, durability) into a single hybrid system. This merging allows the structure to achieve both high productivity and high strength simultaneously
Data Source
AI summary
The present technology relates generally to a platform and concrete composite slab system used as a building material. A platform, is formed from joined, substantially coplanar boards with connector plates partially embedded between the boards such that a portion of the connector plates extend above the platform's top surface. A reinforcing material (e.g., wire mesh and/or rebar) can be arranged on the prongs or other portion of the connector plates spaced above the platform and concrete is poured over the reinforcing material and allowed to cure, forming a reinforced concrete layer that encases the connector plates and reinforcing material. The connector plates act as standoffs and help to suspend the reinforcing material in the middle of the concrete layer to increase the strength of the reinforced concrete and to fixedly anchor and bind the concrete layer to the platform, so as to establish a composite action between the platform and the concrete.