Tilt Wall Repair Using Steel Piling Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tilt wall construction methods are inefficient and costly due to the failure of concrete piers, which causes walls to become misaligned and puts stress on the roof structure, leading to potential wall collapse and damage to the trusses.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that involves affixing a fixture to the bottom of the wall, installing pilings into the earth, and forming a support member to redistribute the weight from the failing pier to the pilings, ensuring the wall remains aligned and supported without removing the wall sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional concrete piers are used to support tilt walls, then the wall construction can be completed with initial pier support, but over time the piers fail causing wall misalignment and potential collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by installing steel pilings into the earth before removing the failing concrete piers. The pilings are positioned and prepared in advance to immediately assume the support load when the old piers are removed, preventing wall misalignment and collapse during the transition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from concrete piers to steel pilings, and changes the support mechanism by using adjustable shims and grading the piling tops to different elevations. This allows adaptation to settled earth conditions and provides long-term reliable support that overcomes the limitations of concrete piers.
2Ease of repair
If failing piers are repaired by repouring or bolstering, then the original pier structure can be maintained, but wall sections must be removed making the procedure expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by completely removing the failing concrete piers and replacing them with new steel pilings. Rather than attempting to repair the old structure in place, the failed component is extracted and replaced with a superior alternative that does not require removing wall sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses steel pilings as replaceable support elements that can be installed quickly and adjusted as needed. The pilings serve as temporary-to-permanent support during the repair process, allowing the walls to be stabilized without the complexity of in-place pier repair.
3Strength
If wall weight is supported only by roof trusses when piers fail, then the walls can remain in position, but the connection strength is insufficient leading to dangerous situations and potential wall collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by installing steel pilings into the earth before removing the failing concrete piers. The pilings are positioned and prepared in advance to immediately assume the support load when the old piers are removed, preventing wall misalignment and collapse during the transition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses steel pilings as an intermediary support structure between the earth and the tilt walls. The pilings transfer the wall load directly to the earth, bypassing the failed concrete pier structure and the insufficient roof truss connection, thereby providing reliable structural support.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of repairing a tilt wall construction includes affixing a fixture at a bottom of the wall, installing a piling into the earth directly below the fixture, forming a support member having a link corresponding to a distance between the fixture and a head the piling, and affixing the support member to the fixture and to the head such that the piling supports the wall. The fixture is an angle member that is anchored to the wall. A plate is affixed onto a top surface of the head of the piling. The support member can include a pair of steel pipes that are welded at one end to the plate and an opposite end welded to the angle member.