Birch-Fir Composite Formwork Panel with Waterproof Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containment panels for concrete formwork face a challenge in balancing weight reduction with the need for mechanical strength and large surface dimensions, which affects installation and dismantling times and can lead to misalignment and containment losses.
Innovation Solution
The panel is composed of a wooden plate with layers of birch and fir wood, oriented in specific directions to enhance mechanical resistance, and coated with a waterproofing layer. This configuration allows for increased thickness and reduced weight, enabling better mechanical coupling with the support structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the panel thickness is reduced to limit weight, then the weight is reduced, but the mechanical strength is reduced due to limitation of the number of layers of wood having crossed orientations of the fibers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining layers of different wood types (birch and softwood) with different fiber orientations. This creates a laminated structure where each layer contributes different mechanical properties, allowing the panel to achieve sufficient strength with reduced overall thickness and weight while maintaining structural integrity through the synergistic combination of materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by varying the wood type and fiber orientation in different layers of the panel. The birch layers provide high strength in specific directions while softwood layers provide complementary properties, creating a non-uniform but optimized structure where each local region contributes to the overall mechanical performance, enabling strength maintenance with reduced thickness.
2Weight of moving object
If the panel thickness is reduced, then the weight is reduced, but the possibilities of providing for integrating systems of constraint to the load-bearing structure in the panels are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the panel into multiple discrete layers of different wood types. This layered structure allows for the integration of constraint systems at specific interfaces between layers, enabling the incorporation of load-bearing connection elements without requiring increased overall panel thickness, thus maintaining weight reduction while improving adaptability.
3Productivity
If the panel presents large surface dimensions to avoid penalizing installation and dismantling times, then the installation efficiency is improved, but the mechanical resistance to bending under the action of the mass of material to be contained is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials with alternating layers of birch and softwood with crossed fiber orientations to achieve high bending resistance across large panel surfaces. This composite structure distributes mechanical stresses effectively across the entire surface area, allowing panels to maintain both large dimensions for installation efficiency and sufficient bending resistance for structural performance.
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 achieves improved mechanical resistance and reduced weight, allowing for more efficient installation and better containment of concrete, while also enabling the use of clamping screws for a rigid connection to the support structure.
Implementation Method 1
coated in at least some areas, preferably on its outer faces and/or along the edges, with a coating of waterproofing
Implementation Method 2
said two layers of wood being coupled together by chemical/physical adhesion along the faces of mutual contact
Data Source
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AI summary
Panel for making retaining walls of concrete formwork, in particular for concrete slab retaining formwork or the like, which panel comprises at least one plate (10) of wood or comprising wood, which plate (10) of wood is coated in at least some areas, preferably on its outer faces and/or along its edges with a waterproofing and/or protective coating (2, 310) and wherein the wood plate (10) is formed of at least one layer (210) of birch wood that is arranged in relation to the longitudinal directions and in width of the panel with the wood fibers in a first direction and at least one layer (110) of fir wood that is arranged in relation to the longitudinal directions and in width of the panel with the wood fibers in a second direction, said two layers of wood (110, 210) being coupled together by chemical/physical adhesion along the faces of mutual contact. The invention also has as object a formwork provides for at least one, preferably some or all of the panels having the above-mentioned carateristics.