Lightweight Concrete Fence System Bracket Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional concrete panel and column fence systems require extensive excavation, concrete footing preparation, and lengthy curing times, making them time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly to install, especially due to the need for supporting massive concrete loads on level footings.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using lightweight concrete panels and columns, divided into two portions, which are supported by brackets attached to posts driven into the ground without the need for concrete footings, allowing for easier installation and reduced weight, enabling the panels to be placed between column portions without direct support on footings, and allowing for flexible installation on uneven surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional concrete footings are used to support heavy concrete panels, then the fence structure is stable and strong, but the installation process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive due to excavation and curing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The concrete column is divided into two separate portions (first and second portions) that can be independently installed. This segmentation allows the bracket to be attached to the post first, then the column portions to be attached around the post, eliminating the need for traditional footings and curing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the concrete footing component from the traditional fence system. By using a bracket attached directly to a post driven into the ground, the patent removes the excavation and curing steps entirely, while still providing stable support for the concrete panels.
2Reliability
If concrete footings are prepared for each column, then the fence can be constructed with proper load support, but the process requires extensive excavation and concrete pouring which increases cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The concrete footing is completely removed from the system. Instead of preparing complex concrete footings with formwork, reinforcement, and curing, the patent uses a simple post-with-bracket system that provides equivalent load support with minimal complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of how the fence is supported - from ground-level concrete footings to above-ground bracket attachment on vertical posts. This parameter change simplifies the entire installation process while maintaining structural integrity.
3Strength
If traditional concrete panels are used in the fence system, then the fence provides durability and aesthetic benefits, but the heavy weight requires complex footing and support structures
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is designed to counterbalance and support the heavy concrete panel weight. By providing a sturdy bracket attachment point on the vertical post, the system creates an opposing support force that holds the heavy panels without requiring massive concrete footings.
Data Source
AI summary
Column and panel concrete fence systems and related methods of construction. Such a method may include placing posts into respective concrete footings, and attaching a 4-arm bracket to each post. The concrete column may be provided in two initially separate portions e.g., each corresponding to a “front” or “back” face of the fence. One of the portions (e.g., corresponding to the front or back of the fence) is attached to a given post, supported on one lateral arm of each bracket. The concrete panel may then be advanced into place, and the other portion of the column is attached to the post, over the first column portion that was already attached to the post. The 2nd portion of the concrete panel is supported on the other lateral arm of the brackets. The panel itself is supported on a middle arm of the bracket, between the lateral column-supporting arms.