Modular Car Park With Sloping Ribbon Base for Clear-Span Support

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional modular car parks with steel plates on the ground face issues such as maneuvering difficulties due to numerous columns, soil strength limitations, and high pressure transmission, making it challenging to implement 'clear span' designs without foundations.

Innovation Solution

A modular car park design using a sloping ribbon-like base with a beam and plate structure, where the plate extends transversely and slopes gently to distribute load over a larger area, reducing pressure on the ground and allowing 'clear span' configurations without hindering vehicle or pedestrian traffic.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional steel plates are used to support columns, then the structure can be installed without foundations, but the plates transmit high pressures to the ground requiring strong soil with friction angle about 40 degrees

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation without foundationsVSAvoidground pressure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The base transitions from a two-dimensional steel plate to a three-dimensional ribbed structure with vertical elements extending upward. This adds a vertical dimension to load distribution, allowing the base to transfer loads through the ribbed structure to a larger area of the ground, thereby reducing contact pressure while maintaining the no-foundation installation advantage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The base is segmented into multiple ribs extending vertically from the ground surface. These segmented ribs distribute the column load across multiple contact points with the ground rather than a single continuous plate, reducing the pressure at each point while maintaining overall structural stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If columns are positioned along the drive aisle to support the structure, then the structural grid provides adequate support, but the columns interfere with vehicle maneuvering and parking operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural supportVSAvoidvehicle maneuvering
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The base dimensions are changed from traditional steel plate sizes (60-70 cm per side) to larger ribbed structures extending 1.5-3.0 meters from the column centerline. This parameter change allows the support structure to achieve adequate ground contact area without requiring columns to be positioned in the drive aisle, thus improving vehicle maneuvering while maintaining structural stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stress or pressure

If the steel plates are made larger to reduce ground pressure, then less soil strength is required, but the plates hinder circulation of vehicles and pedestrians

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveground pressure distributionVSAvoidcirculation of vehicles and pedestrians
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of expanding the plate horizontally which would block circulation, the base expands vertically with ribs extending upward from the ground. This dimensional change allows the structure to achieve the necessary ground contact area for pressure distribution without occupying horizontal space that would hinder vehicle and pedestrian movement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

Enables the construction of modular car parks without foundations with 'clear span' designs, minimizing ground pressure, ensuring structural integrity, and maintaining ease of use and safety at low cost.

Implementation Method 1

bases able to distribute the loads received by the structure in elevation over areas with a much larger footprint than the systems according to the prior art and meanwhile without hindering circulation of vehicles and pedestrians

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure distribution: Pascal's Law

Data Source

PatentEP4413206B1Modular car park
Publication Date: 2025.10.29 SPELLUCCI GIANFRANCO
  • EP4413206B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4413206B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4413206B1 patent drawingFigure 5a~6c

AI summary

A modular car park comprising a plurality of aligned columns (11), a plurality of parking spaces being on at least one side of said structural mesh, such parking spaces being arranged in a direction transverse to said structural mesh, side by side and having a rectangular shape, with one side in correspondence with said structural mesh, said modular car park further comprising a foundation system, comprising a ribbon-like base (10, 20, 30), adapted to be arranged under said plurality of columns (11), said base comprising an upper portion or beam (12, 22, 32) and a lower portion or plate (13, 23, 33), said plate extending in a transverse direction to a greater extent than said beam, whereby at least one portion of the cross section of said base (10, 20, 30) is sloping with a height increasing from the sides towards the centre of the base itself.