Building Container Outriggers for Vertical Construction Logistics
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-rise building construction faces inefficiencies in moving workers, materials, and tools between floors, as tower cranes are expensive and exterior elevators have weight and footprint limitations, leading to increased costs and time due to frequent tool retrieval and worker congestion.
Innovation Solution
A building container outrigger system with a container having support beams and outrigger beams that can be anchored between concrete slabs, allowing for efficient movement of materials and personnel between floors without relying on elevators, and enabling pre-configured containers for tools, breaks, and management needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If tower crane is used to lift materials and tools from base to floor, then materials and tools can be moved between floors, but the expense increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the building into modular floor sections with dedicated container units for each level. Each container is independently positioned and secured to specific floor slabs, creating segmented transport zones that eliminate the need for expensive tower crane operations for each individual load.
Solution Approach 2:
Containers are pre-configured with tools, materials, and equipment needed for specific construction tasks before being positioned at the required floor level. This preliminary preparation and positioning eliminates repeated lifting operations and reduces overall transport costs throughout the construction project.
2Ease of operation
If exterior elevator is used to lift workers, materials, and tools from base to floor, then vertical transport is enabled, but foot print and weight restrictions limit the amount that can be moved
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a vertical elevator shaft that constrains movement to a single path, the system positions container units directly on floor slabs across the building. This distributes transport needs across multiple horizontal positions and floor levels, eliminating the footprint and weight limitations of a single elevator system.
Solution Approach 2:
The container units serve as intermediary storage and work spaces positioned directly on floor slabs. These intermediaries receive materials and tools at the required location rather than requiring them to pass through a centralized elevator system, thereby overcoming weight and footprint restrictions.
3Ease of operation
If workers carry tools daily to and from floor, then workers can access their tools, but this congests the exterior elevator to worker movements
Solution Approach 1:
Each container unit is equipped with its own set of tools and materials needed for specific construction tasks. Workers access their tools directly from the container at the work floor rather than carrying them daily, eliminating the congestion of elevator traffic caused by repeated tool transport.
Solution Approach 2:
Tools and equipment are pre-loaded into container units before positioning at the required floor level. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for workers to repeatedly transport tools via elevator, thereby maintaining elevator efficiency for other purposes.
4Ease of operation
If worker forgets tool or material in truck or needs break, then worker must vertically traverse exterior elevator, but this adds cost and time to building construction project
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides dedicated container units for each floor level that contain all necessary tools, materials, and amenities for workers at that specific location. This segmentation eliminates the need for workers to traverse the building vertically via elevator for tools or breaks, thereby reducing time losses and associated costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The container units serve multiple functions including tool storage, material storage, worker break areas, and office spaces all in one integrated unit positioned at the required floor level. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate vertical traversals for different needs, thereby minimizing time and cost losses.
Data Source
AI summary
A building container outrigger to provide an elevated work space for use between concrete slabs of a building under construction having a container, a plurality of support beams, each support beam positioned lengthwise under the floor of the container and extend therefrom the sides, a pair of spaced apart outrigger beams, a first outrigger end and a second outrigger end, each second outrigger end in contact with and affixed to the upper side of each support beam end, the other outrigger beam end removeably anchored to the slab floor with the front edge of the container flush with the exterior or front slab edge, and, thus, functions to functions to efficiently move materials and tools or personnel space from floor to floor as construction phases move vertically.