Expandable Root-Like Foundation for Soft-Soil Settlement Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional foundations are time-consuming to construct and prone to settling in soft soils, leading to foundation subsidence and building instability.
Innovation Solution
A root-like mechanical foundation with expandable blades that increase contact surface area with the soil, reducing settling risk and enhancing construction efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional reinforced concrete foundations are used, then structural stability is provided, but construction time is excessively long (one month)
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation is divided into multiple independent steel pipe segments that can be manufactured separately and assembled quickly on-site. Each segment contains folded blades that can be independently deployed, allowing parallel installation processes and significantly reducing overall construction time compared to monolithic concrete foundations.
Solution Approach 2:
The foundation incorporates movable blades that can be folded during installation and then expanded after positioning. This dynamic transformation allows the foundation to adapt its shape and surface area based on installation phase requirements, enabling rapid assembly followed by stable operation without requiring lengthy construction processes.
2Reliability
If traditional foundations are used, then load bearing capacity is achieved, but settling occurs in soft soils leading to subsidence
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation blades expand vertically and radially from the horizontal pipe structure, transforming the foundation's interaction with soil from a simple linear contact to a three-dimensional root-like network. This dimensional expansion increases the contact surface area with soft soils, distributing loads more effectively and preventing settling and subsidence.
Solution Approach 2:
The blades are folded within the steel pipe segments during transportation and installation, similar to nested dolls. After positioning, they are deployed outward to form the extended root structure. This nesting approach allows the foundation to maintain a compact form during installation while achieving a large surface area for stability once deployed.
3Reliability
If blades are expanded to increase contact surface area, then settling resistance improves, but device complexity increases due to mechanical components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex hydraulic or pneumatic blade deployment systems with a simpler mechanical lifting mechanism. By using lifting devices to raise the pipe segments, the folded blades naturally unfold due to gravitational and elastic forces, eliminating the need for complex actuation systems while achieving the same blade expansion function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The expandable blades provide stability and reduce construction time by increasing the foundation's contact surface with the soil, minimizing subsidence and improving building stability.
Implementation Method 1
a gear ring engaging with all the blade gears and driving the blade gears to rotate at a same angular velocity
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of rotary shafts, each rotary shaft may be rotatably positioned on the surface of the support ring; a plurality of blades, each blade may be mounted on each rotary shaft and rotate with the rotary shaft
Implementation Method 3
a control rod with a drive gear, wherein the drive gear may engage with one of the blade gears
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanical foundation component includes a support ring, a plurality of rotary shafts, a plurality of blades, a plurality of blade gears, a gear ring, a cylindrical housing, and a control rod with a drive gear; the control rod can control the blade fold inside or unfold outside the mechanical foundation component. Several mechanical foundation components form a root-like mechanical foundation. The corresponding control rods control the gears of different mechanical foundation components. The blades can be expanded after the foundation is punched into the ground.