Pipe Coupling Protection Assembly for Under-Slab Stub Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing under slab plumbing layouts are susceptible to degradation from construction equipment and personnel, requiring costly and disruptive repairs that involve demolition and excavation, with the pipe stubs remaining vulnerable to further damage.
Innovation Solution
A pipe and coupling protection assembly featuring a base shroud and top plug with tapered surfaces, a handle for easy removal, and an optional sleeve to protect the pipe and coupling from damage, allowing installation below the concrete slab and facilitating efficient identification and access for future plumbing connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pipe stubs protrude above concrete slab for identification and connection, then plumbing installation can be efficiently continued, but pipe stubs become susceptible to degradation from equipment strikes and personnel movement
Solution Approach 1:
The protection assembly is divided into multiple components: a base shroud that interfaces with the pipe coupling, a top plug that seals the assembly, and a handle for removal. This segmentation allows the protective function to be separated from the pipe stub itself, enabling the stub to remain protected while maintaining plumbing installation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection assembly acts as an intermediary between the vulnerable pipe stub and the harsh construction environment. It provides a protective barrier that prevents direct contact between equipment/personnel and the pipe stub, while still allowing identification of the pipe location and future access for plumbing connections.
2Reliability
If pipe stubs are protected by covering them completely, then degradation from equipment strikes is prevented, but identification and access for future plumbing connections becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The handle component is designed to extend vertically above the concrete slab surface, providing visual identification of the protected pipe location. This allows the pipe to remain protected below ground while maintaining ease of identification for future plumbing work.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection assembly is installed before concrete pouring, positioning the base shroud around the pipe coupling and the top plug with handle extending above the future slab surface. This preliminary action ensures both protection and identification are established before the construction environment is created.
3Ease of repair
If repair of degraded pipe stubs is performed by demolishing concrete slab, then damaged pipe sections can be accessed and replaced, but construction time and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The protection assembly serves as preventive cushioning that stops degradation before it occurs. By protecting the pipe stub from equipment strikes and personnel damage in the first place, the need for costly demolition and excavation repairs is eliminated, saving both time and money.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection assembly applies preliminary anti-action by preventing the harmful action of equipment and personnel from contacting the pipe stub. This preventive measure avoids the need for subsequent repair actions that would require demolition, excavation, and refilling.
4Strength
If concrete is poured around pipe stubs, then structural integrity is improved, but pipe stubs become difficult to access and identify
Solution Approach 1:
The protection assembly is installed before concrete pouring, with the handle positioned to extend above the future slab surface. This preliminary action ensures that after concrete is poured for structural integrity, the handle remains visible above ground to indicate pipe location and provide access capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection assembly transitions the pipe identification and access problem from a two-dimensional surface issue to a three-dimensional solution. By extending the handle vertically above the concrete slab, it creates access in the vertical dimension while the concrete provides structural integrity in the horizontal plane.
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe and coupling protection assembly in a pipe system. The pipe and coupling protection assembly includes, in one example, a base shroud configured to mate with a pipe coupling, a top plug mated with the base shroud, and a handle coupled to the top plug and vertically extending therefrom. In the assembly, the pipe coupling is configured to attach to a pipe stub and at least one of the base shroud and the top plug include an outer surface that tapers in a downward direction.