Movable Formwork Frame Stripping Concrete via Hydraulic Inversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for removing formwork from concrete surfaces require significant force due to adherence issues, often necessitating manual levering and are inefficient, especially when using systems like those described in British Patent No. GB1052097, which fail to effectively pull the formwork down once lowered.
Innovation Solution
A framework with a movable frame and braces that supports formwork during concrete casting and retracts to apply sufficient force to strip the formwork from the concrete surface, utilizing hydraulic cylinders and braces to prevent upward movement and ensure downward force is applied, allowing easy removal without manual labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the formwork is lowered using a carriage system or scissor lift mechanism, then the formwork can be removed from beneath the concrete, but the formwork remains adhered to the concrete surface and cannot be pulled down
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pushing the formwork away from the concrete surface during retraction, the invention inverts the approach by having the brace engage the concrete surface and pull the formwork downward. The brace extends from the movable frame to the concrete surface, creating a downward pulling force that overcomes the adherence between formwork and concrete, enabling effective stripping.
2Force
If manual levering is used to strip the formwork, then the adherence force can be overcome, but the process becomes labor-intensive and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a hydraulic cylinder as the actuating mechanism for the movable frame. The hydraulic system provides controlled, high-force movement that automatically applies the necessary stripping force to overcome formwork adherence, eliminating manual levering operations and significantly improving stripping efficiency and productivity.
3Force
If the frame is lowered without applying downward force, then the formwork can be positioned for removal, but insufficient force is applied to strip the formwork from the concrete
Solution Approach 1:
The brace serves as an intermediary element between the movable frame and the concrete surface. It transfers the downward motion of the frame into a pulling force that engages the concrete surface, enabling the frame mechanism to effectively strip the formwork without requiring complex additional components. The brace simplifies the force transmission while achieving the required stripping action.
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
Enables efficient and labor-saving stripping of formwork from concrete surfaces, suitable for both vertical and horizontal surfaces, particularly effective for multi-story building floors, reducing disassembly time and labor compared to traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing hydraulic cylinders and braces to prevent upward movement and ensure downward force is applied
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is a frame for use with formwork to support the formwork for concrete casting and for stripping formwork from a concrete surface where a frame is moveable between a first and second position that supports and holds formwork in place for concrete casting in a first position and that retracts to a second position so as to lower the formwork away from the concrete surface wherein sufficient force is applied to the formwork as the frame retracts to the second position to strip it from the concrete surface. The invention provides a means of both supporting formwork during concrete casting as well as a means of stripping and lowering the formwork after the concrete is cast.