EPS Burial System Weight Reduction via Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The scarcity of land for burial near densely populated cities, particularly in Jerusalem, necessitates the development of denser and more expensive burial structures due to the weight of concrete graves, gravestones, and visitors, which traditional methods struggle to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
The use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) blocks to create lightweight and easily assembled burial systems, with grave walls cut from EPS blocks and reinforced with fiberglass or polymer fibers, significantly reducing the weight and construction costs while meeting Jewish burial regulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional concrete burial structures are used, then structural strength and durability are ensured, but the weight becomes extremely heavy (up to 10 tons per square meter) and construction costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from dense concrete to expanded polystyrene foam, dramatically reducing density while maintaining structural adequacy through proper design. This parameter change enables weight reduction from 10 tons/m² to much lighter structures that can be manually assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by combining expanded polystyrene blocks with reinforcement elements (such as fiberglass or metal mesh) and connecting components. This composite approach maintains structural strength while achieving the weight reduction needed for manual assembly and cost-effective construction.
2Quantity of substance
If denser burial structures (1500-3000 graves per 1,000 square meters) are implemented to address land scarcity, then burial capacity increases, but construction costs and structural complexity increase due to heavy loads from soil, concrete, gravestones, and visitors
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the material density parameter from concrete to expanded polystyrene, the patent enables high-density burial structures (1500-3000 graves/1000m²) to be constructed with dramatically reduced weight, making previously economically unviable dense burial solutions feasible through manual assembly and reduced foundation requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the burial structure into modular expanded polystyrene blocks that can be pre-fabricated and assembled on-site. This segmentation enables flexible configuration for high-density burial arrangements while maintaining ease of construction and reduced overall weight compared to monolithic concrete structures.
3Strength
If traditional precast concrete grave elements are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but construction effort and time increase due to heavy weights requiring machinery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material from heavy precast concrete to lightweight expanded polystyrene blocks, transforming construction from a heavy-machinery operation to manual assembly. This parameter change dramatically improves ease of manufacture while maintaining structural integrity through proper block design and connection methods.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the grave structure into standardized expanded polystyrene blocks of manageable sizes and weights, the patent enables workers to manually handle and assemble components without heavy machinery, significantly reducing construction effort and time while maintaining structural integrity through interlocking designs and reinforcement.
Data Source
AI summary
A burial system comprising: one or more rectangular burial spaces, each confined by grave walls generated by cutting with a filament from a block of foamed polystyrene or other expanded polystyrene substance, thereby enabling reducing weight of burial elements of the burial system by at least 90% in comparison to concrete burial elements (the prior art), and providing ease of construction effort in comparison to concrete burial systems. The innovative saturated burial system is supposed to sustain for hundreds of years. The saturated burial system may be applied on a single burial arrangement, as well as on a double burial arrangement, and a multi-story crypt burial arrangement.