Precast Plug with Rods for Concrete Floor Hole Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for repairing holes in concrete floors are inefficient, often require access from underneath, result in protruding surfaces, and may not meet fire code standards, leading to security, liability, and water leak issues.
Innovation Solution
A precast plug system with a concrete housing and protruding rods that register with grooves on the floor surface, allowing for easy installation and sealing of holes, ensuring the repair is flush and meets fire and water resistance standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If expandable metal plugs or caps are used to restore fire break properties, then fire resistance is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase due to requiring access from underneath the floor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional installation approach by providing access from above the floor rather than from underneath. The plug is inserted through the hole from the upper side, eliminating the need for underneath access while maintaining fire break restoration functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug assembly is segmented into multiple components including a plug body, rod, and cap that can be assembled and installed separately from above, allowing complex fire-resistant construction to be achieved through simplified modular installation.
2Ease of operation
If traditional repair methods are used, then ease of installation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates resulting in protruding floor surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
Grooves are prepared in advance at the desired final position on the floor surface. The rod is designed to fit into these pre-formed grooves, ensuring that the plug surface will be flush with the floor after installation without requiring complex finishing operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If simple materials like rags and plaster are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to water leaks and failure to meet fire code standards
Solution Approach 1:
The plug assembly combines multiple materials with complementary properties: fire-resistant materials for the plug body, sealing materials for water prevention, and metallic rods for structural support. This composite construction achieves both fire code compliance and reliable water sealing.
Data Source
AI summary
The present apparatus and method relates in general to sealing a hole in a floor with a precast plug. A precast plug is created by pouring a wet aggregate mix into a form mold and thereafter inserting a pre formed rod into the uncured mixture, positioning it such that the center of the rod rests in the center of the form mold and the ends of the rod extend outward near the top of the form mold. The mix is then cured. The precast plug may then be transported to the hole that it is destined to fix. Grooves may be carved on either side of the hole to accommodate the rod's ends. The interior of the hole and the exterior of the plug may then be covered with a sealant, after which the plug may be inserted into the hole. Once the sealant cures, the hole is fully repaired.