Prefabricated Multi-Conduit Wall Panels for Faster Utility Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
On-site installation of electrical and plumbing conduits in construction projects often delays project completion, increases costs, and varies in quality across different installations.
Innovation Solution
Prefabricated modular building panels with pre-installed electrical, plumbing, and other conduits, allowing for standardized and efficient assembly, including riser walls with pre-wired conduits that can be routed across multiple floors and rooms, and above-door cavities for conduit routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conduits are installed on-site during construction, then the building can be assembled, but project completion is delayed and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-installing electrical conduits, plumbing pipes, and other utilities within modular panels before they are manufactured. This allows the conduits to be ready for connection when panels are assembled on-site, eliminating the need for time-consuming on-site conduit installation and enabling parallel processing of panel fabrication and site preparation activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the building into modular panels, each with its own pre-installed conduit system. This segmentation allows conduit installation to be performed in controlled manufacturing environments rather than on-site, improving installation quality and speed while reducing overall project time through parallel processing of multiple panels.
2Ease of operation
If conduits are installed on-site by different professionals, then the building can be assembled, but quality uniformity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-installing conduits in controlled manufacturing environments before panels are shipped, the patent ensures consistent quality and uniformity in conduit installation across all panels. This eliminates variability introduced by different on-site installers while maintaining ease of operation through standardized connection interfaces that simplify on-site assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple conduits are routed through walls, then comprehensive conduit access is achieved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments conduit routing into discrete modular panels, each with pre-configured conduit pathways. This segmentation provides comprehensive conduit access to multiple locations while reducing installation complexity by transforming a complex monolithic routing problem into simpler, standardized panel-to-panel connections with consistent interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
Prefabricated wall panels simplify the constructive of building units and other structures. The prefabricated wall panels can include a set of conduits pre-installed within the wall panels that enable simplified installation and conduit routing within a building unit or structure. The set of conduits can include electrical conduit, plumbing conduit, HVAC conduit, networking conduit, fire alarm conduit, and fire sprinkler conduit. The prefabricated wall panels can include above-door cavities to assist with structure design and coupling conduits between prefabricated panels. The prefabricated panels can additionally include dual-headed fire sprinklers that enable one fire sprinkler conduit to spray into multiple rooms, reducing the overall number of fire sprinkler conduits required within a structure.