Culvert Marker With Wire Rope Deflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Culverts are often damaged or obscured by snow-clearing equipment and debris, leading to costly repairs, safety risks, and flooding due to the difficulty in locating them, especially during winter conditions when they may be buried under snow or debris.
Innovation Solution
A culvert marker system comprising a structural base with fastener holes for secure attachment to a culvert and a wire rope extending from the base, which supports a mast that can deflect under lateral forces, providing a visible reflective marking to indicate the culvert's location and withstand weather conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a spring-mounted marker system is used to allow deflection under lateral forces, then the marker can withstand snow-clearing equipment contact, but the marker may become obscured or damaged when buried under snow or debris
Solution Approach 1:
The wire rope replaces the spring to provide dynamic flexibility, allowing the mast to deflect under lateral forces from snow-clearing equipment while maintaining structural integrity. The wire rope's flexibility enables the marker to bend without breaking, solving the contradiction between withstanding forces and remaining visible.
Solution Approach 2:
The marker system uses a reflective marking on the mast that changes its optical properties by reflecting light back to sources, enhancing visibility. The wire rope's ability to elongate and deform under load also changes the marker's position parameters, allowing it to remain visible while accommodating lateral forces.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If a rigid marker structure is used to provide stable visibility, then the marker remains visible and stable, but the marker cannot withstand lateral forces from snow-clearing equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The wire rope acts as a flexible element that replaces rigid structural components. It allows the marker to maintain visibility through the mast and reflective marking while the wire rope itself flexes to absorb lateral forces, preventing structural failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible system where the wire rope can elongate and deform under lateral loads, allowing the marker to remain visible while accommodating forces from snow-clearing equipment.
3Device complexity
If the wire rope is positioned centrally in the base, then the structure is simplified, but the marker becomes unstable under lateral forces
Solution Approach 1:
The wire rope is positioned off-center in the base, creating an asymmetric configuration that introduces a stabilizing moment arm. This dimensional change in the wire rope's position relative to the base center provides rotational stability under lateral forces while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The offset positioning of the wire rope creates an asymmetric structural configuration that inherently provides stability against lateral forces. The asymmetric placement generates a restoring moment that counteracts lateral loads, improving marker stability without significantly increasing complexity.
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 marker system effectively indicates the presence of culverts, reducing the risk of damage and flooding by providing a visible and durable marker that can withstand lateral forces and weather conditions, enhancing safety and maintenance efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The spring permits the marker to deflect upon contact by a lateral force such as from snow being cleared from an adjacent roadway
Data Source
AI summary
A culvert marker has a pole connected to the wire rope; a wire rope; and a base. A marker has a structural base; a wire rope extending out of the structural base; and a mast supported by the wire rope. A marker has a structural base; and a wire rope extending out of the structural base, with a central axis defined by the wire rope projecting through an area defined between plural ground-or-support-surface contacting points that are defined by the structural base and are spaced angularly about the central axis. Related methods and combinations are also discussed.