Floatable Concrete Block Assembly With Buoyancy Chambers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing large concrete structures for offshore wind power generation face challenges in transporting and assembling due to their weight, requiring expensive barges and limiting their commercial viability.
Innovation Solution
A method for manufacturing floatable concrete blocks that can be assembled underwater or on a water surface, using buoyancy chambers and watertight packings to form a structure without needing a large barge, allowing for on-site assembly and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a large-scale concrete structure is manufactured in a caisson structure or on a large barge, then the structure can achieve sufficient size and strength, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly and the process becomes inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The concrete structure is divided into multiple modular blocks that can be manufactured separately using conventional casting methods on land, then assembled together using grout columns to form the complete large-scale structure, eliminating the need for expensive caisson structures or large barges
Solution Approach 2:
The individual concrete blocks are manufactured in advance on land using conventional methods, allowing time for concrete curing and strength development before deployment, and the grout columns are prepared in advance to facilitate quick assembly of the modular blocks
2Ease of manufacture
If a large concrete structure is manufactured on land, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the structure becomes very difficult to move to the sea due to its weight
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is segmented into multiple manageable concrete blocks that can be transported to the construction site by conventional means, then assembled together to form the complete large-scale structure, making the transportation and assembly process feasible and cost-effective
Solution Approach 2:
Grout columns are used as hydraulic bonding agents to connect the concrete blocks together, providing both structural continuity and facilitating the assembly process by allowing blocks to be joined in a controlled manner after positioning
3Ease of manufacture
If steel materials are used for the floating platform, then the platform can be constructed, but the price becomes high and the structure becomes vulnerable to corrosion and hoop stress
Solution Approach 1:
The structure uses composite construction combining concrete blocks for the main structure with grout columns for bonding, creating a durable composite material system that resists corrosion and hoop stress better than steel while maintaining structural integrity
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 method enables cost-effective production and deployment of marine concrete structures that can float, be moved, and be submerged or resurfaced as needed, eliminating the need for large manufacturing sites and reducing costs compared to conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a buoyancy chamber (121a) extending in a vertical direction and having open upper and lower surfaces
Implementation Method 2
a first watertight packing (112) disposed on an upper surface of the first concrete block body (111) in a form surrounding the buoyancy-chamber bottom surface (111a-1)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Proposed is a floatable concrete block structure manufactured by fabricating individual concrete blocks on land, and then assembling and coupling the individual concrete blocks underwater or on a water surface, wherein an assembly buoyancy chamber is formed inside by the first concrete block and the second concrete block, the inflow of water into the assembly buoyancy chamber is prevented by a first watertight packing, and so on, and the first concrete block and the second concrete block are coupled to each other by concrete columns.