Plastic Slide Bearing for Bridge Formwork Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing formwork arrangements for cantilever bridge construction face safety risks due to roller bearings, which can lead to instability and accidents, especially on slopes, as they can cause the formwork to fall or move uncontrollably.
Innovation Solution
The use of plastic plain bearings with metal counterparts provides a self-locking mechanism up to a certain gradient, reducing the risk of bearing displacement and offering improved force distribution, enhancing safety and stability by preventing the formwork from falling or moving unintentionally.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If roller bearings are used to support the formwork arrangement, then the formwork can be moved along the bridge section, but the rollers may fall out of the rails or run up on flanges, creating safety problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the roller bearing mechanism with a slide bearing mechanism. Instead of using rollers that can fall out or run up on flanges, the invention uses a sliding contact system where a bearing element slides along the rail. This substitution eliminates the safety hazards associated with rollers while maintaining the formwork's mobility along the bridge section.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary bearing element that mediates between the formwork and the rail. This bearing element distributes the load and provides a controlled sliding interface, preventing direct contact and potential instability between the formwork and the rail structure. The intermediary bearing ensures stable support while allowing controlled movement.
2Ease of operation
If roller bearings are used on bridges with gradients, then the formwork can be advanced using oscillating cylinders, but the formwork may move forward uncontrollably on slopes when cylinders are retracted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the roller bearing system with a slide bearing system that provides inherent friction-based position control. The sliding contact creates sufficient friction to prevent uncontrolled movement on slopes when the oscillating cylinders are retracted, while still allowing controlled advancement when the cylinders are active. This eliminates the safety risk of uncontrolled forward movement on gradients.
3Reliability
If plastic bearing parts are used instead of roller bearings, then the bearing becomes self-locking up to a certain gradient and reduces displacement risk, but the bearing surface area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the bearing contact by using a plastic material with specific friction characteristics. The plastic bearing part is designed with optimized dimensions and material properties to achieve self-locking capability up to a certain gradient. The surface area is carefully controlled to provide sufficient contact for load distribution while maintaining the self-locking property through appropriate friction coefficients.
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
The solution significantly reduces the risk of formwork instability and ensures secure positioning on slopes, allowing for controlled movement and wider application in bridge construction, while being easy to maintain and replace.
Implementation Method 1
a bearing part made of plastic, in particular polyethylene... the plastic bearing part has proven to be advantageous in that it is designed to be self-locking up to a certain gradient
Data Source
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AI summary
A formwork configuration for the cantilever construction of bridges has at least one largely horizontal friction bearing (34), which has at least one bearing part (28) made of plastic.