Containerized Modular Grillage for Reusable Heavy-Load Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional grillage foundations are custom-made and non-standard in size, shape, and weight, leading to high transportation and assembly costs, as well as inefficiencies in reusing and repositioning them due to their unique dimensions not fitting standard shipping containers.
Innovation Solution
A standardized grillage design with modular, tapered plates and adapters that can be transported in ISO container dimensions, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, and the use of corner blocks for secure stacking and shipping, enabling versatile support for different heavy loads and facilitating cost-effective transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional custom-made grillage foundations are used, then they can be tailored to specific structure configurations, but they incur high transportation and assembly costs due to non-standard dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The grillage foundation is divided into multiple modular units that can be independently manufactured and assembled. Each module has standardized dimensions allowing them to be transported efficiently and assembled in various configurations to suit different structure requirements, thus reducing transportation and assembly costs while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular grillage units are designed with universal interfaces and standardized dimensions that allow them to be used across different applications and structure configurations. This multi-functionality enables the same standardized modules to serve multiple purposes, reducing the need for custom-made grillages while maintaining adaptability to specific configurations.
2Ease of operation
If grillage foundations are prefabricated at a different location, then assembly can be performed at the site, but substantial costs are incurred for shipping heavy and irregularly shaped objects
Solution Approach 1:
The grillage foundation is segmented into smaller modular units with standardized dimensions that fit within conventional shipping containers. This segmentation reduces the weight and size of individual shipping loads, lowering transportation costs while enabling on-site assembly of the complete foundation structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The design parameters of the grillage modules are optimized to achieve standardized dimensions that conform to shipping container specifications. By changing the dimensional parameters to match standard shipping units, the patent reduces shipping costs while maintaining the capability for on-site assembly.
3Productivity
If the same carrier is intended to repeat operations, then bringing back the grillage might be cost-effective, but in other cases it becomes costly prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized modular grillage units are designed to be universally applicable across different projects and locations. This universality allows carriers to efficiently transport the same standardized modules for repeated operations without incurring additional customization costs, making the transportation cost-effective even when carriers need to return for additional operations.
4Weight of moving object
If grillage parts are fabricated at site, then transportation costs are reduced, but labor costs for assembling heavy objects increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The grillage is segmented into modular units with standardized connection interfaces that simplify on-site assembly. While fabrication occurs at the site, the modular design with pre-defined connection points and standardized dimensions reduces the complexity and labor required for assembly compared to fabricating and assembling custom-made non-modular grillages.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 2~4
AI summary
The present invention discloses a portable and re-useable grillage (100) for receiving and supporting a heavy load during transportation as well as methods of making and using same. The grillage (100) comprising a base (3); a load bearing structure (4) coupled to the base (3), the load bearing structure (4) is used for supporting the heavy load; and a framework (5) attached to the load bearing structure (4). The grillage (100) is containerized such that the combination of the base (3), load bearing structure (4) and the framework (5) forming the grillage has external dimensions and weight that conforms with ISO specifications for an intermodal container. The containerized grillage (100) may be used with different sized legs for different sized heavy loads. It may also be shipped in a vertical stacked formation using cost-effective standard shipping for containers.