Biodegradable Lost Formwork for Accurate Secant Pile Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for constructing pile walls in large-scale construction projects face challenges such as incorrect pile placement leading to time losses, complex readjustments, environmental pollution from polystyrene formwork, and mistakes in alternating pile types, which disrupt construction and generate waste.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the creation of a single-piece element using a mixture of hydraulic binder, water, and organic base, molded into cylindrical portions, which can be dried and used as a permanent formwork for guiding and stabilizing pile walls, allowing precise pile placement and minimizing environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If polystyrene formwork is used to guide pile placement, then drilling accuracy is improved, but environmental pollution increases and waste treatment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from polystyrene to natural fibers (straw, hemp, flax) mixed with hydraulic binder. This material substitution maintains the formwork's guiding function while eliminating environmental pollution and waste treatment issues, as the natural fiber formwork biodegrades naturally after use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material combining natural fibers (straw, hemp, or flax) with hydraulic binder (cement, lime, or plaster). This composite formwork material provides the necessary structural integrity for guiding piles while being environmentally friendly and biodegradable, resolving the contradiction between accuracy and environmental impact.
2Measurement precision
If polystyrene formwork is removed after concrete pouring, then pile placement precision is maintained, but time losses increase and operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable formwork system made of natural fibers that is intentionally designed to be removed after use. The formwork is inexpensive and can be easily discarded without causing environmental harm, eliminating the time-consuming and complex removal process associated with polystyrene while maintaining pile placement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent accepts the natural fiber formwork as a single-use component that is discarded after serving its guiding function. This approach simplifies the construction process by eliminating the need for complex recovery and reuse operations, thereby reducing time losses while maintaining the required precision for pile placement.
3Measurement precision
If polystyrene formwork is removed, then pile guidance is achieved, but mistakes in alternating pile types occur due to lack of indicators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates color coding into the natural fiber formwork system, where different colors indicate different pile types (e.g., strong piles vs. lean piles). This visual indicator system ensures that workers can reliably distinguish between pile types during installation, preventing mistakes in alternation while maintaining guidance precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the natural fiber formwork as an intermediary carrier that provides both guidance and visual indicators for pile type differentiation. The formwork acts as a mediator between the drilling process and pile installation, ensuring accurate placement while providing color-coded information about the required pile type, thereby eliminating errors in alternation.
4Measurement precision
If monolithic elements are hollowed out to create guides, then drilling accuracy is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monolithic formwork element into segments or modular components that can be assembled together. This segmentation allows for easier manufacturing and transportation while maintaining the hollowed-out guide structures necessary for drilling accuracy. The modular approach reduces overall manufacturing complexity compared to creating large monolithic hollow structures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides precise guidance for secant piles, reduces construction time, eliminates the need for polystyrene removal, and minimizes waste by using biodegradable materials, thus enhancing drilling accuracy and reducing environmental disruption.
Implementation Method 1
Mixing of one volume of hydraulic binder comprising a first volume of water and a second volume of a binding element
Implementation Method 2
Drying of said molded mixture forming a single-piece element
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for manufacturing a one-piece element (5) defining a lost formwork intended to form drilling guides, characterized in that it comprises: - mixing a volume of hydraulic binder containing a first volume of water and a second volume of a binding element and a volume of an organic base; - moulding in order to obtain a one-piece element comprising at least one cylindrical portion with a radius of at least 40 cm; - drying said moulded mixture forming a one-piece element; - excavating a central portion of material of the one-piece element (5) in a central region of the cylinder portion in order to form a guide