Fiberglass-Reinforced Cement Tile for Deck Installation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tiles lack sufficient lateral and compressive strength, leading to failures under cyclic or impact loads, and require heavy structural framing, making them costly and time-consuming to install, while also being incompatible with standard wood-framed decks due to thickness issues.
Innovation Solution
A cement-mixed concrete tile composed of cement, sand, water, a water reducing agent, chopped fiberglass elements, and a woven fiberglass mesh, which is manufactured by mixing cement and sand in a specific ratio, adding water and fiberglass, vibrating the mixture, and incorporating a fiberglass mesh for enhanced strength, allowing for single-step installation without a structural substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional tiles are made thinner to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but lateral and compressive strength deteriorates causing failure under cyclic or impact loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining cement, sand, water, chopped fiberglass elements, and woven fiberglass mesh to create a reinforced concrete tile. The fiberglass components provide tensile and lateral strength while the cement-sand matrix provides compressive strength, enabling thin tiles to withstand cyclic and impact loads without increasing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material composition parameters by incorporating specific ratios of cement to sand (1:4 to 3:4), adding controlled amounts of water, and including fiberglass reinforcement. These parameter changes transform ordinary concrete into a high-strength composite that maintains thin profile while resisting lateral and compressive forces.
2Strength
If tile thickness is increased to 2 inches or more to improve strength, then lateral strength is improved, but weight increases requiring heavy duty structure support
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses fiberglass reinforcement within a cement-sand matrix to achieve high lateral strength in thin tiles. The composite structure provides strength equivalent to or greater than 2-inch thick conventional tiles while maintaining a thin profile, eliminating the need for heavy-duty structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies fiberglass mesh and chopped fiberglass elements specifically in strategic locations within the tile to provide lateral strength where needed, rather than uniformly increasing thickness throughout the entire tile. This localized reinforcement achieves strength improvements without the weight penalty of uniform thickness increase.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional 1 inch cement tiles are used, then compatibility with standard wood-framed decks is maintained, but the tiles cannot span from joist to joist without cracking or breaking due to low strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite concrete tile with fiberglass reinforcement that provides sufficient flexural strength to span between joists while maintaining the 1-inch thickness compatible with standard wood-framed decks. The fiberglass elements bridge cracks and distribute stresses, enabling the thin tile to span gaps that would otherwise cause cracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the material properties of 1-inch cement tiles by adding fiberglass reinforcement and optimizing the cement-sand-water ratio. These parameter changes transform the material from brittle conventional concrete to a ductile composite capable of spanning joist gaps while maintaining compatibility with standard deck framing.
4Adaptability or versatility
If plastic web substrate is used to enable spanning, then spanning capability is improved, but the installation process becomes more complex requiring two-step process and heavier structural framing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural tile and installation substrate into a single integrated product. The reinforced concrete tile itself provides the spanning capability previously requiring separate plastic web substrates, eliminating the two-step installation process and reducing structural framing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for separate plastic web substrate and heavy structural framing by incorporating all necessary spanning and reinforcement functions directly into the concrete tile through fiberglass reinforcement and optimized material composition.
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 cement-mixed concrete tile achieves high lateral strength, cost-effective installation, and compatibility with standard wood-framed decks, enabling it to withstand heavy loads and shock without cracking, while being lightweight and aesthetically versatile.
Implementation Method 1
the mold is vibrated on the vibration table until the air bubbles are removed from the upper surface of the mold
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing the cement-mixed concrete tile includes the following steps: a portion of cement is mixed with sand at a ratio within a range of 1:4 to 3:4, then a predetermined number of cups of water is added to the mixture formed by the cement and the sand. A water reducing agent which increases flowability is added to the above mixture to form a first mixture. A mold is positioned on a vibration table, where a weaved fiberglass mesh is positioned on top of the mold. The first mixture is loaded into the mold and the vibration table is vibrated, and then cement mix is mixed into the mold separately to fill from above the weaved fiberglass mesh towards the top of the mold through the first mixture, and where the mold is placed in retention for a predetermined time to generate the cement-mixed concrete tile.