Floor Plate Assembly System Top-Down Construction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional construction methods for multi-story buildings, especially tall ones, are time-intensive and costly due to the need for lifting and connecting structural elements from the ground up, which can be inefficient and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A floor plate assembly system that uses a top-down construction process around a vertical support core, featuring an assembly pad with tie-downs and jack pedestals controlled by a system controller to raise and attach floor plates sequentially, allowing for camber introduction and easier utility access, and includes a delivery landing for efficient equipment loading and unloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional bottom-up construction method is used to lift and connect structural elements from ground level, then the building can be constructed vertically, but the construction time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional construction sequence by constructing floor plates at ground level and then lowering them into position rather than lifting them upward. The vertical support core is constructed first, then floor plates are assembled on the assembly pad and sequentially lowered to engage with the core, eliminating the need for continuous crane lifting and enabling parallel construction activities.
Solution Approach 2:
Floor plates are pre-assembled at ground level on the assembly pad before being installed in their final positions. This preliminary assembly allows for preparation of multiple floor plates simultaneously, and the assembly pad serves as a permanent workspace that enables continuous production without interruption by weather or site conditions.
2Ease of operation
If floor plates are assembled and lifted to final elevation using traditional methods, then the building structure can be erected, but worker safety is compromised and utility access becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of lifting floor plates to workers, the system inverts the approach by keeping floor plates at ground level during assembly and only lowering them into final position after completion. The assembly pad remains at ground level, providing stable working conditions and easy utility access throughout the construction process.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly pad serves as an intermediary platform that enables ground-level assembly of floor plates. This intermediate workspace allows workers to assemble complete floor plates with utilities before final installation, and the hydraulic lifting system acts as a mediator to transfer completed plates from the pad to their final positions.
3Productivity
If an assembly pad is constructed around the vertical support core, then floor plates can be assembled at ground level, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly pad serves multiple functions: it provides a stable ground-level workspace for assembling floor plates, acts as a support structure during the lowering operation, and becomes a permanent part of the building foundation. The hydraulic lifting system similarly serves both to lower floor plates and to provide precise positioning control.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly pad is integrated with the vertical support core and the hydraulic lifting system into a unified construction platform. The pad, core, and lifting mechanisms work together as a coordinated system, where the pad provides the base, the core provides the structural framework, and the hydraulics provide the motion control, eliminating the need for separate temporary structures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A floor plate assembly system for a top-down construction process includes an assembly pad formed around a vertical support core of the building. The assembly pad includes a top surface disposed at a ground level elevation of the building, and covers a footprint of the building. A plurality of tie-downs are attached to the assembly pad. A plurality of jack pedestals is positioned on the assembly pad, and are operable to support the floor plate, and raise and lower the floor plate relative to the assembly pad. Camber may be introduced into selective frame members by restraining the frame member to the tie-downs and extending a respective jack pedestal. The floor plates may be raised in their entirety to a work height with the jack pedestals to allow workers easy access to an underside of the plate.