Roadside Slab Angled Interlocking Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing road shoulder slabs are heavy, making them difficult to lay and prone to displacement, especially in curves, leading to gaps between slabs and increased maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
Designing road shoulder slabs with angled side surfaces and connecting devices featuring tongues and grooves that allow for interlocking, enabling slabs to be connected either straight or curved, reducing mass and preventing displacement while maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If road shoulder slabs are designed with large mass to support road edge and prevent displacement, then reliability of edge support is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates as cranes are required for laying
Solution Approach 1:
The road shoulder slab is divided into multiple individual slabs that can be handled and laid separately by hand, eliminating the need for cranes while maintaining collective support reliability through interlocking
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple individual slabs are combined through interlocking connecting devices to form a unified structure that provides reliable edge support, merging the strength of individual units into a collective system
2Stability of the object's composition
If road shoulder slabs are designed with large mass to prevent displacement, then stability against displacement is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to difficult laying process
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into multiple manageable slabs that can be quickly laid by hand, dramatically improving productivity while maintaining stability through the interlocking design of connecting devices
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting devices provide dynamic interlocking that adapts to lateral forces, allowing individual slabs to remain stable while the entire system maintains high laying productivity through manual installation
3Adaptability or versatility
If road shoulder slabs are laid in curves with traditional designs, then adaptability to curved paths is improved, but gaps form between adjacent slabs reducing retention capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting devices incorporate asymmetric male and female connection elements that maintain proper spacing and alignment when slabs are arranged in curves, preventing gaps while preserving retention capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting devices serve multiple functions: they provide mechanical interlocking for stability, maintain proper spacing to prevent gaps in curves, and enable both straight and curved arrangements, making the system universally adaptable
4Ease of manufacture
If road shoulder slabs use simple rectangular design, then ease of manufacture is improved, but adaptability to curved layouts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The road shoulder protection is segmented into standardized rectangular slabs with simple manufacturing, while the connecting devices enable these simple units to be assembled into complex curved layouts, decoupling manufacture simplicity from layout versatility
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
In the case of a road shoulder slab (1) for supporting a road edge, comprising a first side surface (2) and a second side surface (3) opposite the first side surface (2), it is proposed that the first side surface (2) is arranged obliquely opposite the second side surface (3), that the first side surface (2) has a first connecting device (4) and the second side surface (3) has a second connecting device (5), that the first connecting device (4) and the second connecting device (5) each have at least one spring (6) and a groove (7) formed substantially opposite to the spring (6), and that the first connecting device (4) and the second connecting device (5) are designed such that they can be selectively connected to the first connecting device (4) or the second connecting device (5) of an identically designed adjacent road shoulder slab (1).