Polyethylene Foam Pipe Support for Slab Mold Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for installing tubing in buildings, such as perforating dividers and using wooden crates, are time-consuming, costly, and lead to inaccuracies in tubing positioning, damage to slab molds, and issues with sound and thermal energy transmission.
Innovation Solution
A prefabricated tubing support with a polyhedral or rounded-body shape and anchorage points, featuring through-bores for accommodating tubes, which is fixed to the slab mold before concreting and allows for precise tube positioning and insulation, reducing the need for wooden crates and minimizing concrete vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wooden crates are fixed onto the slab-mold floor to form rectangular openings for tubing installation, then tubing can be positioned and concrete can be poured, but the slab mold is impaired by frequent fixation and removal of the wood crates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces reusable wooden crates with disposable foam blocks that are inexpensive and can be discarded after serving their temporary purpose of positioning tubing during concrete pouring, eliminating the need to repeatedly fix and remove objects from the slab mold
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses foam material (such as expanded polystyrene) that combines the necessary properties of being easy to cut and shape for positioning, providing insulation, and being disposable without damaging the slab mold, replacing the traditional wooden crate material
2Reliability
If the process of fixing wooden boxes onto slab molds before concreting is used to install tubing, then tubing accommodation is achieved, but the process is time consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The foam blocks are pre-cut with cavities and openings in the desired shapes and sizes before being placed on the slab mold, allowing tubing to be positioned immediately without requiring on-site construction of wooden crates, thereby accelerating the installation process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from wood to foam, which can be more easily cut, shaped, and disposed of, streamlining the entire process from crate construction to tubing installation to concrete pouring
3Reliability
If concrete is used for filling the space between the slab and the tubing, then stable positioning is achieved, but sound vibrations and thermal energy from the tubing are transmitted to the slab and adjacent environment
Solution Approach 1:
The foam block serves as an intermediary material between the tubing and the concrete slab, replacing direct concrete contact with a material that provides both mechanical support and acoustic/thermal insulation, thereby blocking the transmission of sound vibrations and thermal energy
Solution Approach 2:
The use of foam material creates a composite structure where the foam provides insulation properties while concrete provides structural support, combining the benefits of both materials to achieve stable positioning without harmful transmissions
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
This solution reduces installation time and costs, enhances precision in tubing placement, prevents damage to slab molds, and provides effective insulation against sound and thermal energy.
Implementation Method 1
configured for insulating a slab from sound and thermal energy from the tubing
Implementation Method 2
configured for insulating a slab from sound and thermal energy from the tubing
Data Source
AI summary
This relates to a pipe supporting element (1) used to contain a pipe (15) that is used in buildings for hydraulic, electrical and other pipes. In one preferred arrangement, the aforementioned pipe supporting element comprises polyethylene foam, is as thick as a partition (wall or paving slab), has at least two anchoring points located on the side faces (3) thereof, and includes at least one through hole (2) between a first face (1) and a second face (2).