Prefabricated Pier Top Form Single Concrete Pour
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for constructing structural piers with non-cylindrical shapes require multiple on-site form work hours and separate concrete pours, increasing costs and time, as they cannot efficiently create a desired shape for the pier top while maintaining structural integrity with a single concrete pour.
Innovation Solution
A prefabricated pier top form that mates with a tubular pier form, allowing for a single concrete pour to create a cylindrical pier with a rectangular or custom-shaped top, ensuring structural integrity and aesthetic flexibility by transitioning from a cylindrical to a desired shape, such as rectangular or pyramid, while being reusable or disposable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional methods are used to create non-cylindrical pier shapes, then aesthetic flexibility and desired shapes are achieved, but construction time and costs increase due to multiple on-site form work hours and separate concrete pours
Solution Approach 1:
The pier form is divided into two separate components: a prefabricated cylindrical lower portion and a prefabricated non-cylindrical upper portion. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with precise geometries, enabling the combination of cylindrical and non-cylindrical shapes without requiring complex on-site form work for the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower cylindrical portion and upper non-cylindrical portion are both prefabricated before construction. This preliminary action of pre-manufacturing the form components eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site form construction and allows for rapid assembly during the actual pouring process, significantly reducing construction time while maintaining aesthetic flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional methods are used to create non-cylindrical pier shapes, then desired shapes are achieved, but costs increase due to multiple concrete pours and extended construction time
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the pier form into pre-manufactured cylindrical and non-cylindrical portions, the invention eliminates the need for expensive on-site form construction and multiple concrete pours. The segmented design allows for cost-effective prefabrication while maintaining the ability to create varied shapes as desired by architects and builders.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the advantages of prefabrication (cost efficiency, time savings) with shape versatility by combining a cylindrical lower portion with a non-cylindrical upper portion in a single integrated form system. This merging allows both portions to be filled with concrete in one continuous pour, reducing overall construction costs while achieving the desired shape variety.
3Productivity
If a single concrete pour is used with the new form, then construction time and costs are reduced, but the ability to create non-cylindrical shapes is limited without specialized forms
Solution Approach 1:
The form is segmented into a cylindrical lower portion and a non-cylindrical upper portion that can be assembled together. This segmentation enables the creation of complex shapes through combination rather than requiring a single monolithic form, maintaining shape capability while enabling efficient single-pour construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylindrical lower portion acts as an intermediary component that connects the foundation to the non-cylindrical upper portion. This intermediary structure allows the form system to achieve both structural integrity and aesthetic versatility in a single assembled unit that can be filled with concrete in one pour.
Data Source
AI summary
A single-use or multi-use prefabricated pier top form for topping a concrete pier comprises a hollow mold with an upper portion in the desired shape of the finished pier top, a stepped-down tapered mid portion, and a lower mating portion for mating with the pier form so that concrete can be continuously poured to fill both the pier form and the pier top form at one time. Use of the prefabricated pier top form results in substantial time and material savings because the top of the pier residing above ground can be formed at the same time as the footer and pier are formed replacing the need to form a separate pier top after the pier and footer have been filled with concrete.