Interlocking Concrete Block Shear Lugs for Mine Seal Transverse Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional concrete blocks used in mine seals lack the necessary shear strength to withstand high transverse loads, such as those experienced in explosions, and foam-based seals have proven unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A system of interlocking concrete blocks with shear lugs and grooves that allow for rapid dry-stacking and alignment, providing high resistance to transverse loads without the need for reinforcement materials, enabling the construction of walls and structures that can withstand significant pressure differentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional concrete blocks are used to construct mine seals, then the construction is simple and materials are readily available, but the blocks lack the shear strength necessary to withstand high transverse loads or shear forces
Solution Approach 1:
The block is divided into multiple functional segments: a body portion for structural mass, shear lugs for interlocking and shear resistance, and grooves for receiving adjacent blocks. This segmentation allows each part to specialize in a specific function, with the shear lugs specifically designed to resist transverse loads while the body provides overall structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The shear lugs are positioned within grooves of adjacent blocks, creating a nested interlocking configuration where blocks fit together like puzzle pieces. This nested arrangement allows the shear lugs to engage deeply into the grooves, maximizing shear strength while maintaining a compact block structure.
2Productivity
If foam-based materials are used to construct mine seals, then the construction is rapid and lightweight, but the seals fail under transverse loads as proven by the Sago mine disaster
Solution Approach 1:
The shear lugs and grooves are pre-formed as integral parts of each block during manufacturing, eliminating the need for现场 assembly or reinforcement installation. This preliminary action ensures that the shear-strengthening features are already in place before construction begins, enabling rapid stacking while guaranteeing structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The block design combines concrete material properties with a composite interlocking structure. The concrete provides compressive strength and mass, while the geometric interlocking features (shear lugs and grooves) provide tensile and shear resistance, creating a composite system that resists all types of loading.
3Strength
If interlocking blocks with shear lugs and grooves are used, then the shear strength and resistance to transverse loads is significantly increased, but the manufacturing and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shear lugs and grooves are designed with specific dimensional parameters (length, width, depth, spacing) that can be optimized for different block sizes and load requirements. By standardizing these parameters across different block types, the manufacturing process becomes more efficient while maintaining high shear strength performance.
4Productivity
If dry-stacking method is used to construct walls, then the construction is rapid and no mortar is required, but the alignment and precision of blocks must be high
Solution Approach 1:
The shear lugs and grooves are designed to guide blocks into proper alignment automatically during stacking. The geometric fit between lugs and grooves provides self-aligning action, where misaligned blocks naturally settle into the correct position as they are stacked, eliminating the need for precise manual alignment or specialized alignment tools.
Data Source
AI summary
A wall construction system including plurality of interlocking concrete blocks. The interlocking blocks include one or more stretcher blocks, corner blocks, and half blocks. The blocks include top and end shear lugs and bottom and end grooves. The bottom grooves accommodate the top shear lugs of blocks in a lower course of stacked blocks. Corner blocks provide a means for creating a corner and turning the direction of a course of blocks by 90 degrees. The interlocking features of the blocks enable dry-stacking in successive courses to construct a wall or multi-wall structure. When stacked end to end in successive rows, the top and end shear lugs of each interlocking block engage complimentary grooves in the underlying, overlying, and adjacent blocks thereby enabling the blocks to rapidly self-align vertically and lock together as they are stacked. The resulting dry-stacked structure exhibits a high lateral resistance to overpressures or transverse loads.