Porous Concrete Clinker Suspension Device for Accurate Placement

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for manufacturing concrete objects with porous concrete clinkers for water infiltration face challenges such as the need for geotextiles to prevent soil subsidence, difficulties in placing porous clinkers accurately in formwork, and ensuring water permeability without being covered by non-porous concrete.

Innovation Solution

A suspension device comprising hooks, a support structure, and connecting elements allows for easy placement and positioning of porous concrete clinkers in a mould by suspending them from reinforcement, ensuring accurate spacing and preventing corrosion, while being made of corrosion-resistant metal wire for stability and eco-friendliness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If porous concrete clinkers are used for water infiltration, then water permeability is improved, but placement accuracy and positioning difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater permeabilityVSAvoidplacement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a suspension device as an intermediary tool between the worker and the porous concrete clinker. This device includes hooks that attach to reinforcement bars and a support structure that holds the clinker, enabling precise positioning without direct handling. The intermediary device solves the placement accuracy problem while maintaining the water permeability benefit of porous clinkers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The suspension device is prepared in advance with hooks attached to reinforcement bars before the clinker is placed. The support structure is readied to receive the clinker, allowing for systematic and accurate placement. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex positioning operations during the actual placement process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If geotextiles are used to prevent sand infiltration, then soil stability is improved, but cost and installation complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoil stabilityVSAvoidinstallation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the geotextile component from the system by using porous concrete clinkers with appropriate aperture sizes that naturally filter sand particles. The porous structure itself serves the function previously requiring an additional geotextile layer, simplifying the overall system to a single material solution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Quantity of substance

If porous concrete clinkers are placed close to reinforcement, then material usage is optimized, but corrosion risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial usage efficiencyVSAvoidcorrosion risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The suspension device acts as an intermediary that maintains the required spacing between porous clinkers and reinforcement bars. The support structure and connecting elements provide this protective distance without requiring additional non-porous concrete layers, thus maintaining material efficiency while preventing corrosion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If traditional placement methods are used, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but placement efficiency and accuracy decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplacement efficiencyVSAvoidequipment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The suspension device merges multiple functions into a single tool: the hooks attach to reinforcement for positioning, the support structure holds the clinker, and the connecting elements provide both support and spacing. This integrated design improves placement efficiency without requiring multiple separate tools or complex equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3992365A1Method for manufacturing an object made of reinforced concrete
Publication Date: 2022.05.04 BETONFABRIEK DE BONTE - VAN HECKE NV
  • EP3992365A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3992365A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3992365A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Method for manufacturing an object (16) made of reinforced concrete and provided with a wall (18) in which a porous block (11) is arranged to form a porous portion in that wall, wherein the method comprises the following steps: step 1: providing a mould (19) and a concrete reinforcement (14) and a porous block (11); step 2: placing the concrete reinforcement (14) and the porous block (11) into the mould (19); step 3: pouring concrete into the mould (19), characterised in that the porous block (11) is placed into the mould (19) by suspending the porous block (11) from the concrete reinforcement (14).