Masonry Reinforcement Strip with Integral Spacers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing masonry reinforcement methods using steel reinforcement wires in mortar joints often result in inadequate embedding of wires, leading to insufficient tensile force absorption and potential mortar joint fractures due to wire deformation, and require costly deformation processes for adherence.
Innovation Solution
The use of a steel wire connecting structure with protruding spacing elements that maintain the straightness of reinforcement wires, ensuring they are embedded within the mortar joint without deformation, and are placed between layers of bricks to separate the reinforcement strip from the next brick layer, allowing complete embedding and maintaining tensile strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the reinforcement wires are completely embedded in the mortar joint to ensure good adherence, then the tensile force absorption capability is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and costly due to additional deformation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The spacing elements are pre-formed as integral parts of the wire connecting structure during manufacturing. This preliminary formation of spacing elements ensures that when the reinforcement strip is applied, the wires are automatically positioned at the correct height to be fully embedded in the mortar joint without requiring additional deformation operations at the building site.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire connecting structure with integrated spacing elements serves multiple functions simultaneously: it connects the reinforcement wires, provides spacing between brick layers, and ensures proper embedding of wires in the mortar joint. This self-service design eliminates the need for separate deformation operations to achieve good adherence.
2Reliability
If the reinforcement wires are bent to improve embedding in the mortar joint, then the adherence is improved, but the tensile strength of the wires is reduced due to deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The wire connecting structure is segmented into distinct functional parts: straight reinforcement wires that maintain tensile strength, and spacing elements that provide embedding guidance. The spacing elements are formed as separate protrusions from the wire connecting structure, allowing the reinforcement wires to remain straight and undeformed while still achieving good embedding through the spacing elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacing elements act as intermediary structures between the reinforcement wires and the mortar joint. These spacing elements protrude from the wire connecting structure and guide the mortar to fully embed the wires, thereby achieving good adherence without requiring the wires themselves to be bent or deformed.
3Manufacturing precision
If spacing elements are provided to maintain consistent spacing between brick layers, then the positioning accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacing elements are merged with the wire connecting structure as integral parts. The wire connecting structure simultaneously performs the functions of connecting reinforcement wires and providing spacing elements for positioning. This merging of functions achieves consistent spacing between brick layers without adding separate, complex spacing devices.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4a~4c
AI summary
Masonry (1) comprising layers (2) of bricks and mortar joints (3), whereby at least one mortar joint (3) is reinforced by a reinforcement strip (4), whereby said strip (4) comprises at least two straight, continuous, substantially parallel, steel reinforcement wires (5), which are welded or glued to each other by means of a steel wire connecting structure (6), characterised in that the wire connecting structure (6) is provided with protuberances (7) protruding from the plane comprising said at least two straight reinforcement wires (5) and forming spacing elements (7) which keep the at least two straight reinforcement wires (5) at a specific distance from the layer (2) of bricks below and/or the layer (2) of bricks above said reinforcement strip (4).