Load-Bearing Hemp Shiv Concrete Blocks With Mold-Controlled Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cement blocks lack dimensional accuracy and structural integrity due to curing outside molds, rely on non-renewable resources, and do not provide insulation or moisture management, while traditional methods for fiber-based blocks are inefficient and environmentally harmful.
Innovation Solution
Manufacturing load-bearing hemp shiv concrete blocks using magnesium-based cement in six-sided molds with lockable lids, ensuring dimensional accuracy and structural integrity, utilizing hemp shiv as primary aggregate, magnesium oxychloride or phosphate cement as binder, and controlling curing conditions to maintain compression strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If fiber-based blocks are cured outside the mold, then the curing process is simpler and faster, but the blocks lack dimensional accuracy and compression strength
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is designed with internal curing chambers and heating elements that prepare the block for curing before it is removed from the mold. The block is placed in the mold, positioned precisely, and then the curing process begins within the mold confines, ensuring dimensional accuracy is maintained throughout curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls curing parameters (temperature, humidity, pressure) within the mold to optimize both curing speed and dimensional stability. By adjusting these parameters during the curing process, the block achieves full strength while maintaining precise dimensions.
2Strength
If fiber content and compression are increased to improve strength, then the block becomes stronger, but the block expands after compression if not restricted by the mold
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is designed with specific local features including rigid confining walls, internal support structures, and differentiated wall thicknesses that provide localized restraint to prevent expansion in specific directions while allowing controlled curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The block is compressed to the required density and shaped while still within the mold confines, and the mold is then designed to maintain this shape during curing. The preliminary compression and shaping within the mold prevents subsequent expansion.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional cement blocks are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the blocks rely on non-renewable resources and lack insulation and moisture management properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials including hemp shiv (a renewable fiber), magnesium-based cement (an eco-friendly binder), and natural aggregates. This composite formulation maintains manufacturing simplicity while eliminating reliance on non-renewable resources and providing enhanced insulation and moisture management properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the cement block by using magnesium-based cement instead of traditional Portland cement, and by adjusting the ratio of hemp shiv to binder. These parameter changes reduce environmental impact while maintaining structural integrity.
4Strength
If the mold is designed with lockable lids to maintain compression strength, then the structural integrity is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is segmented into separate components including a removable base, lockable lid, and side walls. This segmentation allows for easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining the structural integrity needed to preserve compression strength during curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold incorporates dynamic locking mechanisms that can be engaged or disengaged as needed. The lockable lid provides a simple yet effective way to secure the mold during curing without requiring complex permanent fastening systems.
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
Produces eco-friendly, structurally competent blocks with enhanced insulation, moisture management, and fire resistance, eliminating the need for post-and-beam systems and reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing magnesium oxychloride or phosphate cement as binder
Implementation Method 2
magnesium-based cement
Implementation Method 3
pressing, via a press, the slurry in the molds to a suitable level
Implementation Method 4
enhanced characteristics including insulating properties
Implementation Method 5
moisture management
Implementation Method 6
moisture management
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates to a method of manufacturing a load-bearing hemp shiv concrete blocks using magnesium-based cement, the method including: measuring proportional parts of ingredients: a hemp shiv in 70-75% proportion by volume; a Magnesium Oxychloride Cement (MOC) in 20-25% proportion by volume; and water in 5-10% proportion by volume. The method includes depositing the measured ingredients in a mixer and mixing for a time period appropriate to the conditions to produce a slurry, wherein the time period is between ten minutes and thirty minutes; removing the slurry from the mixer; depositing the slurry into one or more molds comprising a frame with a lockable lid and a removable base; pressing, via a press, the slurry in the molds to a suitable level; allowing the pressed slurry to set and cure within the sealed molds to produce one or more load-bearing fiber based concrete blocks; removing the one or more load-bearing hemp shiv concrete blocks from the one or more molds by removing the lid of the molds.