Hinged Concrete Wall Formwork Module for Compact Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional concrete wall formwork systems are expensive and time-consuming to assemble and transport due to their cumbersome design and high space requirements.
Innovation Solution
A concrete wall formwork module featuring hingedly interconnected side wall grids and panels with connecting rods, allowing for compact storage and easy assembly, which includes a reinforcing mesh structure to resist sideways thrust during concrete pouring and accommodate vibrators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional wood or metal panels are used for formwork, then structural strength is sufficient, but assembly time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The formwork is divided into multiple standardized modules that can be pre-manufactured and then quickly assembled on-site like bricks, reducing assembly time while maintaining structural integrity through the modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The formwork modules are pre-assembled with reinforcing meshes and connecting rods attached during manufacturing, so that only simple connection operations are needed on-site, significantly reducing assembly time and labor requirements
2Ease of operation
If prefabricated formwork modules are used, then assembly is simplified, but transport space and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rods are designed to be collapsible or removable, allowing the modules to be compacted into a smaller volume for transport and then expanded to their full functional size during assembly, reducing transport space requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The modules are designed to nest within each other or stack efficiently during transport, maximizing space utilization in vehicles or storage areas while maintaining the ability to deploy to full size during construction
3Stability of the object's composition
If reinforcing meshes are added to resist sideways thrust, then structural stability improves, but module complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing meshes are integrated directly into the module structure during manufacturing, combining the formwork panels, reinforcing meshes, and connecting elements into a single unified component, which improves stability without increasing the number of separate parts to assemble
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 module enables efficient and cost-effective assembly and transportation of formworks, maintaining structural integrity during concrete pouring and allowing for the use of vibrators, while maintaining functional similarity to conventional formworks.
Implementation Method 1
at least two connecting rods having about a same length hingedly interconnecting the first and second side wall grids to allow movement thereof between a retracted parallel relationship to a spaced apart parallel relationship
Implementation Method 2
a first side wall grid; a second side wall grid; and at least two connecting rods having about a same length hingedly interconnecting the first and second side wall grids
Implementation Method 3
It allows resisting to sideways thrusting which occurs during the pour of the concrete therein and to the use of a vibrator to stiffen the concrete
Data Source
AI summary
A concrete wall formwork module comprising a first side wall panel structure including a first grid and a first panel secured to the first grid, a second side wall panel structure including a second grid and a second panel secured to the second grid, and connecting rods having about a same length hingedly interconnecting the first and second side wall panel structures to allow movement thereof between a retracted parallel relationship to a spaced apart parallel relationship. A plurality of such concrete wall formwork modules allow assembling a formwork which is functionally similar to conventional formwork since the facing side wall panel structures are connected in a parallel relationship by the thin spacer connecting rods which allow concrete to freely travel within the formwork. When the first and second side wall panel structures are in the retracted parallel relationship, the concrete wall formwork module is more compact and therefore easier and less costly to transport.