Steel Connector System Ground-Level Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for connecting structural steel members to vertical concrete walls require workers to climb ladders or use hydraulic lifts, increasing time, cost, and safety risks due to the need for on-site welding and elevated positioning.
Innovation Solution
A connector system featuring a fabricated steel receiver embedded in the concrete with concrete anchors and a T-shape support bracket that allows for secure attachment of steel members at ground level, eliminating the need for on-site welding and elevated access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional angle brackets with embedded plates and headed concrete anchors are used to connect steel members to vertical concrete walls, then the connection strength and reliability are improved, but workers must climb ladders or use hydraulic lifts to perform on-site welding and assembly at elevated positions, increasing safety risks, time consumption, and labor costs
Solution Approach 1:
The connector components (receiver embedded in concrete wall, support bracket with vertical plate, and horizontal plate with bolts) are designed and prepared in advance. The receiver is embedded in the concrete wall during construction, and the support bracket is pre-assembled with the steel member at ground level using bolts instead of welding. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for workers to perform welding or complex assembly at elevated positions during construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector system is divided into separate components: the receiver embedded in the concrete wall, the support bracket with vertical plate, and the horizontal plate with bolts. This segmentation allows each component to be independently prepared and assembled at ground level, then connected without requiring elevated access or welding operations during construction.
2Reliability
If on-site welding is performed to attach steel members to concrete walls using conventional connectors, then the connection reliability is improved, but the construction time and labor costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the welding process (thermal/mechanical system) with a mechanical bolted connection system. The horizontal plate of the support bracket is attached to the steel member using bolts at ground level, eliminating the need for on-site welding. This substitution maintains connection reliability while dramatically reducing construction time and eliminating the need for specialized welding equipment and personnel at elevated positions.
3Manufacturing precision
If workers are positioned at elevated sites to assemble connectors and attach steel members, then the connection quality can be monitored, but safety risks increase and additional equipment such as ladders or hydraulic lifts are required
Solution Approach 1:
The support bracket is pre-assembled with the steel member at ground level, allowing for quality inspection and testing before the member is lifted into position. This preliminary assembly at ground level eliminates the need for workers to be positioned at elevated sites during the critical assembly phase, thereby eliminating safety risks associated with working at height while maintaining connection quality through pre-assembly verification.
4Strength
If conventional embedded plates with headed concrete anchors are used, then the connector can be secured to the concrete wall, but the assembly process requires complex field operations at elevated positions
Solution Approach 1:
The connector system is segmented into the receiver (embedded in concrete wall with anchors), the support bracket (with vertical plate), and the horizontal plate (with bolts). This segmentation simplifies the assembly process by allowing the support bracket and horizontal plate to be pre-assembled at ground level using simple bolted connections, then installed as a complete unit. The embedded receiver remains in the concrete wall, and the assembly complexity is reduced from requiring elevated welding operations to simple ground-level bolting followed by lifting into position.
Data Source
AI summary
A steel structural member such as a joist or beam is secured to a vertical cast concrete member or wall by a connector system including a fabricated steel receiver embedded within the wall. Embedded anchors are attached to the receiver which has front wall portions flush with the concrete wall and define a front opening. A support bracket has a horizontal plate attached to the beam and a vertical plate which fits through the front opening within the receiver. The bracket is attached to the beam which is then elevated, and the vertical plate is inserted through the opening into the receiver. The beam and vertical plate are then shifted until opposite edge portions of the vertical plate are blocked by the front wall portions of the receiver. In the illustrated embodiment, the front opening and vertical plate are generally triangular, and the support bracket has a welded reinforcing gusset.