Reusable Formwork Element with Lateral Recesses for Concrete Basin Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for constructing buried basin walls, such as swimming pools, are inefficient in terms of concrete usage, material permanence, and seismic resistance, often requiring excessive concrete, non-reusable formwork, and inadequate watertightness, especially in regions with low seismic risk.
Innovation Solution
A concrete formwork system with removable, reusable elements featuring a connecting profile and lateral recesses for reduced concrete usage and improved assembly modularity, along with tubular devices for maintaining formwork integrity during concrete vibration, ensuring better sealing and mechanical resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional formwork elements are used for basin construction, then the structure provides adequate support, but excessive concrete is consumed and formwork cannot be reused
Solution Approach 1:
The formwork element is divided into a removable formwork panel and a retained element that stays embedded in the concrete wall. This segmentation allows the formwork panel to be reused while the retained element provides permanent structural function, thereby reducing concrete consumption and enabling formwork reusability simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The formwork panel is designed to be temporary and removable after concrete setting, while the retained element remains permanently embedded. This allows recovery and reuse of the formwork panel for subsequent constructions, reducing material loss and enabling sustainable manufacturing practices
2Reliability
If prefabricated lost formwork elements are used, then watertightness is improved, but these elements remain permanently in the basement and cannot be recycled
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the watertightness function into two parts: the retained element provides permanent sealing within the wall structure, while the removable formwork panel can be recovered and reused. This segmentation maintains reliability through the permanent retained element while enabling adaptability through recycling of the formwork panel
Solution Approach 2:
The formwork panel serves its function during construction to ensure watertightness, then is removed and recovered for reuse in subsequent projects. The retained element remains permanently embedded to maintain long-term sealing, thus achieving both reliability and recyclability
3Loss of substance
If thin concrete walls are constructed in low seismic risk areas, then concrete consumption is reduced, but connection with ground level becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The formwork element incorporates a lateral recess that creates a localized expansion at the top of the wall, providing adequate surface area for ground connection and tiling. This local quality enhancement allows thin walls to achieve proper ground connection without increasing overall wall thickness, thus reducing concrete consumption while maintaining ease of operation
4Shape
If standard formwork is used with inserts called negatives, then small projecting shapes can be achieved, but these inserts cannot be recovered and do not contribute to mechanical strength
Solution Approach 1:
The formwork element integrates the formwork panel and retained element into a single unified structure that provides both shaping capability and mechanical strength. The retained element embedded in the concrete contributes to the overall structural strength while the formwork panel maintains the desired projecting shapes, eliminating the need for separate non-structural inserts
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
The element (9) has a formwork plate (24) comprising a formwork surface (29) and a rear surface opposite to the formwork surface. A connecting section (15) is fixed at the periphery of the framework surface. The formwork plate has a cross section (16) with a lateral projection (10) along a plane perpendicular to the connecting section, where the lateral projection presents small width for a large part of the wall of the basin to be formed.