Permanent Formwork for Underwater Concrete 3D Trusses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing formwork systems are unsuitable for casting concrete underwater due to installation and dismantling difficulties, rapid destruction in saltwater, and inability to form volumetric trusses, leading to environmental damage and limitations in constructing high-height columns without deformations.
Innovation Solution
A scalable, modular, periodic beam-node formwork system using polymer nodal connecting elements and hollow pipes, allowing for watertight connections and pressure casting of concrete up to 80 meters from shore, with minimal human involvement, and featuring a 3D truss design that minimizes wave resistance and corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional formwork systems are used for underwater concrete casting, then installation and dismantling can be performed, but the formwork material rapidly deteriorates in saltwater and requires frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional organic materials (plywood, foam) to polymer materials that resist saltwater corrosion. The nodal connecting elements and pipes are made from corrosion-resistant polymers, fundamentally changing the material parameter to achieve durability in marine environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The formwork system uses composite construction with polymer nodal connecting elements and hollow pipes forming a unified structure. The combination of these polymer components creates a composite system that maintains structural integrity while resisting saltwater deterioration.
2Ease of operation
If traditional formwork systems are used underwater, then concrete casting is possible, but installation and dismantling become extremely difficult and dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The formwork is divided into modular segments consisting of standardized nodal connecting elements and pipe components. These segmented modules can be assembled and disassembled in a systematic manner, making underwater operations more manageable and less hazardous compared to monolithic formwork systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow pipes serve as intermediaries that facilitate concrete pouring through their internal cavities. The pipes act as conduits that guide the concrete flow, simplifying the casting process and reducing the complexity of underwater formwork operations.
3Shape
If traditional formwork systems are used, then concrete structures can be formed, but they cannot create volumetric trusses with optimal wave resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The formwork system enables the creation of curved and three-dimensional truss structures using the flexible pipe components and angular nodal elements. The curved geometries of the formed concrete structures provide optimal hydrodynamic characteristics, reducing wave resistance and preventing bottom soil erosion compared to rigid angular structures.
4Length of stationary object
If traditional formwork systems are used for high-height columns, then concrete casting is possible, but deformations occur in the formwork and product surface
Solution Approach 1:
The formwork system divides high-height column construction into manageable segments using the modular pipe and node components. Each segment can be independently supported and stabilized, preventing the cumulative deformations that occur in continuous monolithic formwork systems for tall structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The nodal connecting elements provide localized reinforcement and support points at critical junctions within the formwork structure. This distributed local support prevents formwork deformation and maintains surface quality throughout the height of the column, addressing stability issues at specific locations rather than requiring uniform reinforcement throughout.
Data Source
AI summary
A beam-node permanent formwork for casting reinforced concrete is disclosed, which includes using it for the construction of reinforced concrete 3D trusses in the tidal zone and underwater in coastal areas of reservoirs (from 1 to 12 meters deep) by eliminating deformations when filling the formwork with concrete and during operation, as well as by insulating concrete from the corrosive effects of salt water, biological destruction. The shell of the permanent formwork also significantly reduces the adhesion of concrete to ice, which significantly increases the service life of concrete products in the conditions of the sea or freezing reservoirs.