Prefabricated Concrete Tower Foundation Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foundations for transmission towers and overhead power lines are labor-intensive, costly, and weather-dependent, with complex quality assurance and lengthy curing periods, and dismantling is expensive and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A foundation system using prefabricated reinforced concrete elements, arranged in a specific configuration to form a lower and upper section with gaps bridged by a third element, allowing for simple assembly and load transfer, utilizing fastening elements for prestressing or clamping to secure the tower.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If in-situ concrete foundations are used for transmission towers, then the foundation can support the tower structure, but the construction process becomes labor-intensive, costly, and weather-dependent with complex quality assurance and lengthy curing periods
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation is divided into multiple prefabricated concrete elements (at least three elements) that are manufactured separately and assembled on-site. This segmentation allows parallel production of foundation components, eliminating the single-point bottleneck of in-situ curing and significantly improving construction productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Foundation elements are manufactured in advance under controlled conditions before being transported to the construction site. This preliminary action transfers the construction process from the constrained site environment to a controlled factory setting, improving quality assurance and eliminating weather-dependent curing delays.
2Strength
If in-situ concrete foundations are used for transmission towers, then the foundation can support the tower structure, but quality assurance becomes complex and problematic depending on weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
Foundation elements are manufactured in advance under controlled factory conditions, allowing for consistent quality control measures and standardized production processes. This eliminates the variability introduced by on-site weather conditions and enables better quality assurance.
Solution Approach 2:
The prefabricated elements incorporate self-weight and inherent structural design that ensures load-bearing capacity without requiring complex on-site quality verification. The elements are designed to be self-sufficient in terms of structural integrity.
3Strength
If in-situ concrete foundations are used for transmission towers, then the foundation can support the tower structure, but a construction site must be set up for the curing period of the cast-in-place concrete
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation elements undergo curing and strength development during the prefabrication phase before being transported to the site. This eliminates the need for on-site curing periods and associated construction site setup, significantly reducing the loss of time.
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the foundation into separate prefabricated elements, the curing process is distributed across multiple parallel production lines rather than requiring a single large on-site curing area, eliminating the time loss associated with sequential on-site construction.
4Strength
If in-situ concrete foundations are used for transmission towers, then the foundation can support the tower structure, but dismantling at the end of the tower's service life is expensive and very time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation is composed of discrete, separable prefabricated elements that can be individually removed and reused. This segmentation dramatically simplifies dismantling operations compared to monolithic in-situ concrete foundations, reducing both time and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The prefabricated foundation elements are designed to be recoverable and reusable after the tower's service life. This allows for the recovery and potential reuse of expensive concrete elements, reducing the overall lifecycle cost and environmental impact.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a
AI summary
The invention relates to a foundation for a tower of a transmitting station or for overhead-line construction, the foundation comprising at least three prefabricated elements made from reinforced concrete and a mounting region for erecting the tower, at least one first and at least one second prefabricated element forming a lower first portion which is in contact with the ground at the erection site of the foundation, and at least one third prefabricated element forming an upper portion that is located on said first portion, the mounting region comprising at least one fastening point for positioning the tower on the foundation, said fastening point being provided on an upper side of the upper portion. Advantageously: the at least one first prefabricated element and the at least one second prefabricated element of the lower portion are positioned substantially parallel to and spaced apart from one another so that there is a distance between the at least two prefabricated elements; at least one third prefabricated element of the upper portion is positioned on the at least one first prefabricated element and on the at least one second prefabricated element so that the at least one third prefabricated element bridges the distance; and the at least one third prefabricated element has a maximum length so that the at least one third prefabricated element is substantially flush on both sides with the outer edge of the at least one first prefabricated element and the at least one second prefabricated element.