Segmented Trench Shoring Ladder Layout to Limit Fall Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deep trenches in civil engineering pose challenges for worker safety due to the need for effective and flexible ladder systems that can accommodate varying depths and ensure minimal fall heights, while existing solutions are either inflexible or not specifically designed for trench shoring.
Innovation Solution
A ladder system comprising a hanging upper ladder and a leaning lower ladder, with platforms and safety features like railings and adjustable components, allowing for flexible positioning and adaptation to trench depths, and including additional ladders for deeper trenches, to limit fall heights and enhance safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a single long ladder is used to access deep trenches, then the ladder can reach the bottom, but the fall height increases and safety decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder system is divided into multiple segments: an upper hanging ladder attached to the trench edge, one or more intermediate ladders, and a lower ladder resting on the bottom. Each ladder segment spans only a portion of the total trench depth, creating multiple landing zones that limit fall heights while collectively enabling access to deep trenches.
2Reliability
If multiple ladders are used to reduce fall height, then safety improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder system uses standardized ladder components that can serve multiple functions. The same ladder design can be used as a hanging ladder, a leaning ladder, or a step ladder depending on the configuration. This universality reduces the variety of different components needed, simplifying the overall system despite using multiple ladders.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines different ladder types (hanging, leaning, step ladders) into a unified access system. The ladders are connected through standardized attachment mechanisms, creating an integrated system that functions as a single coherent structure rather than separate components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If specialized ladder systems are designed for trench shoring, then safety and adaptability improve, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder system is designed to be dynamically configurable rather than fixed. Ladders can be attached at different heights, connected in various configurations, and easily repositioned along the trench. This dynamic adaptability allows the same system to accommodate different trench depths and conditions without requiring custom-designed specialized equipment for each scenario.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a ladder system for trench shoring, comprising a lower ladder (14), which extends from the bottom of a trench over a lower portion (T1) of the height of the trench, and an upper ladder (16), which extends over an upper portion (T2) of the height of the trench to a trench edge, the upper ladder (16) being a suspension ladder for suspending on a lining plate (12). In particular for deep trenches, the safety of the workers should be increased by means of a ladder system according to the invention. In a ladder system according to the invention, a platform (22) is arranged at the lower end of the upper ladder (16) and the lower ladder (14) is a stepladder or straight ladder standing on the bottom of the trench.