Tensioned Sheet Wall System for Wind Load Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temporary weather enclosures for construction sites, typically made of plastic sheets, are not well-suited to withstand significant wind loads and precipitation, leading to tears and frequent replacements, especially in large commercial building applications.
Innovation Solution
A wall system comprising a flexible sheet material tensioned between opposing ends with retainer and tension members secured to the building frame, using a tensioning assembly to apply longitudinal tension, ensuring the sheet can withstand considerable wind loads and featuring a rigid railing member for safety, and optional features like pockets and carriage assemblies for lateral movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plastic sheets are supported directly on the building frame or scaffolding, then installation is simple and quick, but the sheets cannot withstand wind loads and precipitation, leading to tears and frequent replacements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible sheet material that is tensioned between retainer members to create a weather enclosure. The flexible nature of the sheet allows it to conform to the building frame while the tensioning system provides the necessary structural support to withstand wind loads and precipitation, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall system is divided into modular components including retainer members, tension members, and flexible sheets. This segmentation allows for easy installation and replacement of individual components while maintaining overall system reliability, addressing both the ease of manufacture and reliability requirements.
2Device complexity
If small sheets are used with minimal retaining means, then the structure is simple, but the coverings are not well-suited to withstand wind loads and precipitation loads in large building applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a tensioning assembly with turnbuckles that allows dynamic adjustment of the sheet tension. This enables the system to adapt to varying wind loads and environmental conditions, maintaining structural strength while keeping the retaining means relatively simple through adjustable mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible sheet is pre-tensioned between the retainer members before exposure to wind loads and precipitation. This preliminary tensioning action prepares the sheet to resist external forces more effectively, enhancing strength without requiring complex retaining structures.
3Reliability
If the flexible sheet is tensioned between retainer members with a tensioning assembly, then the sheet can withstand considerable wind loads, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces tension members and turnbuckles as intermediary components between the retainer members and the flexible sheet. These intermediaries provide the necessary tensioning mechanism to enhance wind load resistance while maintaining a relatively simple overall system structure through the use of standard mechanical components.
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 system provides a durable, wind-resistant, and safe weather enclosure that protects the construction site from harsh weather conditions and allows for temporary use as a doorway, reducing the need for frequent replacements and enhancing safety with a reinforced railing.
Implementation Method 1
a tensioning assembly arranged to be fixed onto the building frame along a second side of the building opening opposite from the first side of the building opening, the tensioning assembly being operatively connected to the tension member so as to apply tension in the longitudinal direction to a portion of the flexible sheet between the retainer member and the tension member
Data Source
AI summary
A wall system for forming a weather enclosure across a building opening in the frame of a building includes a flexible sheet of flexible material, a first rigid frame member secured across a first end of the flexible sheet, and a second rigid frame member secured across the flexible sheet in proximity to an opposing second end of the sheet. The first rigid frame remember is fixedly mounted on the building frame. A tensioning assembly is operatively connected between the second rigid frame member and the building frame so as to apply tension in the longitudinal direction to a portion of the flexible sheet. The tensioning between rigid frame members spanning across opposing ends of the sheet ensures that the sheet can be supported under significant tension throughout the sheet to enable the sheet to withstand considerable wind and precipitation loads.