Fiber-Wrapped Corrugated Pipe for Easier Backfilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Corrugated pipes face challenges with backfilling due to their irregular shape, requiring additional construction work and materials, and triple wall pipes are heavier and more expensive.
Innovation Solution
Applying an outer wrap made of fibers and plastic in a helical pattern to the corrugated pipe, which covers the corrugation crests and valleys, creating a smooth surface while maintaining strength and reducing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If triple wall corrugated pipe is used to produce a smoother outer surface, then the ease of backfilling is improved, but the weight and material cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a composite outer wrap consisting of plastic and fibers (such as fiberglass) over the corrugated pipe surface. This composite material provides the smooth exterior surface needed for easy backfilling while being lighter and less material-intensive than triple wall construction, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of backfilling and pipe weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer wrap is applied as a nested layer over the existing corrugated pipe structure. This allows the smooth surface function to be added without replacing the entire pipe, achieving the backfilling benefit while minimizing additional weight and material cost compared to complete triple wall construction.
2Ease of operation
If triple wall corrugated pipe is used to produce a smoother outer surface, then the ease of backfilling is improved, but the material cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The composite wrap of plastic and fibers provides the necessary smooth surface at lower material cost than triple wall pipe. The fiber-reinforced plastic composite achieves structural integrity and surface smoothness more economically than the additional full plastic wall required in triple wall construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution segments the smooth surface function from the structural pipe body. Instead of making the entire pipe wall thicker and more expensive (triple wall), only the outer surface layer is enhanced with the composite wrap, reducing overall material cost while achieving the backfilling benefit.
3Shape
If an outer wrap is applied to the corrugated pipe, then the smooth outer surface is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outer wrap is applied as a flexible thin film or shell over the corrugated pipe. This simple application method creates a smooth outer surface without complex manufacturing processes or multi-layer structural designs, thus achieving shape improvement while minimizing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates generally to corrugated pipe, and more particularly to corrugated pipe with an outer wrap. In one embodiment, a pipe includes an axially extended bore defined by a corrugated outer wall having axially adjacent, outwardly-extending corrugation crests, separated by corrugation valleys. The pipe also includes an outer wrap applied to the outer wall. The outer wrap may include fibers and plastic. The outer wrap may span the corrugation crests producing a smooth outer surface.