Prefabricated Reinforced-Concrete Foundations for Tower Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foundations for towers, especially for mobile communications and overhead lines, are labor-intensive, weather-dependent, and costly due to on-site concrete pouring, with complex quality assurance and dismantling processes.
Innovation Solution
A foundation system using prefabricated reinforced concrete elements with aligned openings for fastening elements, allowing for efficient load transfer through friction or shear connections, enabling simple and cost-effective construction of various tower types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If in-situ concrete foundations are used for towers, then the foundation can be constructed on site, but the construction is labor-intensive, weather-dependent, and requires complex quality assurance
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation is divided into multiple prefabricated concrete elements (at least three elements) that are manufactured separately and then assembled on site. This segmentation allows each element to be produced in controlled factory conditions, improving quality and reducing on-site labor requirements while maintaining construction flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The concrete elements are pre-manufactured in a factory setting before being transported to the construction site. This preliminary action enables quality control to be performed in optimal conditions, eliminates weather dependencies during manufacturing, and significantly reduces on-site construction time and labor intensity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If in-situ concrete foundations are used, then the foundation can be adapted to site conditions, but the curing process requires construction site setup for 28 days and dismantling is expensive and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation structure is segmented into multiple prefabricated elements that can be assembled in different configurations to adapt to various tower types (three-legged, four-legged, multi-legged, or round towers). This segmentation eliminates the need for lengthy on-site curing while maintaining adaptability through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The prefabricated elements are designed to be easily disassembled and potentially reused or recycled after their service life, eliminating the complexity and cost associated with dismantling traditional in-situ concrete foundations. The modular nature allows for efficient deconstruction and material recovery.
3Adaptability or versatility
If larger connection geometries are required for towers, then the foundation must support larger diameters, but transport capabilities are typically limited
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation is divided into multiple smaller prefabricated elements that can be transported using standard logistics infrastructure. By segmenting the overall foundation structure into manageable components, the design accommodates larger connection geometries for towers while maintaining transport feasibility through modular sizing.
Solution Approach 2:
The foundation elements are designed with optimized dimensional proportions, particularly with width greater than depth, allowing them to be transported efficiently on standard vehicles while still providing sufficient connection geometry for various tower types. The spatial arrangement of multiple elements compensates for individual element size limitations.
Data Source
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.