Modular Flood Wall With Dovetail Grooves And Clamping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing flood protection walls are time-consuming and expensive to construct, and they often lack sufficient stability and sealing against heavy flood loads, as described in various prior art documents.

Innovation Solution

A flood protection wall design featuring ground anchors, detachable support posts, and wall elements with dovetail-like grooves for enhanced stability and sealing, allowing for quick assembly and disassembly, with clamping elements to secure the wall elements and ensure a tight seal against water pressure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional protective walls are constructed using conventional methods, then structural stability is achieved, but construction time and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidconstruction time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The protective wall is divided into modular wall elements that can be pre-fabricated and assembled on-site. Each wall element includes integrated grooves and holding elements, allowing rapid assembly without complex construction processes while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection interfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Wall elements are pre-fabricated with integrated grooves, holding elements, and sealing components before delivery to the construction site. This preliminary preparation of critical components enables quick assembly and reduces on-site construction time while ensuring quality control during manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If wall elements are shaped towards the flood with multiple panels, then flood protection coverage is improved, but stability against water pressure decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflood protection coverageVSAvoidstability against water pressure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The wall elements feature asymmetric design with the flood-facing side shaped to deflect water flow while the rear side provides structural support. The grooves and holding elements are positioned asymmetrically to optimize both flood protection coverage and stability against water pressure, creating a balanced structural configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

Holding elements serve as intermediaries between adjacent wall elements, providing mechanical connection and stability. These holding elements bridge the gap between individual panels, ensuring that multiple panel configurations maintain structural integrity while achieving comprehensive flood protection coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If wall elements use simple insertion without clamping, then assembly speed increases, but sealing and stability under water pressure are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly speedVSAvoidsealing and stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The holding elements combine multiple functions into a single component: mechanical clamping to secure wall elements, sealing to prevent water infiltration, and structural reinforcement to maintain stability under water pressure. This merged design achieves reliable sealing and stability while maintaining rapid assembly through integrated functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The grooves and holding elements are strategically positioned at critical locations where water pressure and sealing requirements are highest. The clamping mechanism is localized at connection points between wall elements, providing enhanced stability and sealing precisely where needed without compromising overall assembly speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Adaptability or versatility

If protective walls are made detachable for quick removal, then deployment flexibility improves, but construction and assembly complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeployment flexibilityVSAvoidconstruction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The detachable protective wall system is segmented into standardized wall elements with uniform connection interfaces. This segmentation allows quick assembly and disassembly through simple coupling mechanisms while reducing construction complexity through repetition of standardized components and connection procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

All wall elements feature standardized grooves, holding elements, and connection interfaces at equivalent positions, creating equipotential connection points throughout the structure. This standardization simplifies the assembly process for detachable construction, allowing workers to assemble the wall using the same procedures at each connection point regardless of position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #12Equipotentiality

Data Source

PatentEP2050877B1Flood protection wall
Publication Date: 2011.12.07 BARICH LUTZ
  • EP2050877B1 patent drawingFigure 1~7
  • EP2050877B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP2050877B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The wall has ground anchors embedded in concrete so as to be flush with ground. Two support posts (4) are detachably connected with the anchors. Wall units (5) are arranged between the posts, and are formed on a flood channel. A sheet blank is formed at ends of the wall units, and is held in a dovetail shaped groove (21) on sides (22) of the posts. The sides are directed for flood. The blank clamps the two adjacent wall units in the groove by clamping elements (6). The groove is formed of two flat bars (25), where longitudinal edges (23) of the bars are laterally welded at the posts.