Precast Concrete Tower Segment Leveling via Factory Milling

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for constructing wind turbine towers using segmented precast concrete parts often face issues due to manufacturing tolerances, requiring on-site leveling which is weather-dependent and prone to defects if not properly executed.

Innovation Solution

The method involves pouring concrete into a mold with a flat bottom to create precast concrete parts with a specified minimum strength, applying a synthetic resin leveling layer, and using a milling unit with adjustment capabilities to ensure plane-parallel surfaces, allowing for precise removal of the leveling layer in a factory setting, eliminating the need for on-site post-treatment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a leveling layer is applied on site to an abutting surface of precast concrete elements, then the elements can be assembled despite manufacturing tolerances, but the process becomes weather-dependent and time-consuming while requiring compliance with minimum meteorological requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly precisionVSAvoidconstruction time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The leveling layer is applied and cured in the factory before transport to the construction site. This preliminary action ensures that the abutting surfaces are ready for assembly without requiring on-site leveling operations, thereby eliminating weather delays and reducing construction time while maintaining precise assembly tolerances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If a leveling layer is applied on site to precast concrete elements, then assembly can proceed with manufacturing tolerances, but the process is exposed to weather conditions and human error

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly precisionVSAvoidquality consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The leveling layer is applied and cured in the controlled factory environment before transport. This ensures consistent quality and precise abutting surfaces without exposing the process to weather conditions or human error that occur during on-site operations, thereby improving reliability and quality consistency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The factory serves as an intermediary between the precast concrete element production and the final assembly process. By performing the leveling layer application in the factory rather than on-site, the process is isolated from external environmental factors and quality variables, ensuring reliable and consistent results.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If precast concrete parts are manufactured with plane-parallel abutting surfaces in the factory, then on-site assembly is accelerated and weather-independent, but the factory process requires precise horizontal molding and machining

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly speedVSAvoidsurface parallelism
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The leveling layer is applied and cured in the factory before transport to the construction site. This preliminary action ensures that the abutting surfaces are ready for assembly without requiring on-site leveling operations, thereby eliminating weather delays and reducing construction time while maintaining precise assembly tolerances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2279065B1Method of erecting a wind turbine tower
Publication Date: 2016.01.06 WOBBEN PROPERTIES GMBH
  • EP2279065B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2279065B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2279065B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A method is disclosed for producing concrete prefinished parts, in particular tower segments. Concrete is cast in a casting mold having a planar floor to implement a planar bottom side. After the concrete has reached a predetermined minimum strength, an equalization layer is applied to a join surface (110) of the concrete prefinished part (100), which is opposite to the bottom side. As soon as the equalization layer has reached a predetermined minimum strength, the concrete prefinished part (100) is placed on an exactly horizontally oriented surface and the equalization layer on the top side is abraded plane-parallel.