Waffle Slab Plug for Clean Room Machine Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for constructing high-tech clean rooms using precast waffle slabs with through holes are inefficient, as they either require costly raised flooring or generate dust during hole milling, and neither approach provides a smooth surface for machine placement without additional labor for dust removal.
Innovation Solution
A waffle slab with through holes featuring stop-profiles and complementary plugs that sit flush with the slab's surface, allowing for machine support without the need for raised flooring and minimizing dust generation, using either concrete or hollow tubes of different materials for hole formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If raised flooring is placed on precast waffle slabs to support machines, then machines can be supported on a smooth surface, but construction cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the through-hole filling task into individual plug units that can be independently manufactured and installed. Each plug is a separate component that fits into a specific through-hole, allowing parallel installation across multiple holes rather than requiring a continuous raised flooring system. This segmentation reduces both material cost and installation time while providing the necessary smooth surface for machine placement.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding a raised flooring structure on top of the waffle slab to create a smooth surface, the invention inverts the approach by filling the through-holes from the bottom with plugs. This eliminates the need for additional surface layers and directly creates the smooth surface required for machine placement, thereby reducing construction time and cost.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If through holes are milled in precast waffle slabs to remove contaminants, then air filtration is improved, but dust is generated during milling
Solution Approach 1:
The through-holes are pre-formed in the waffle slabs during the precasting process using hollow molds, rather than being milled after the slabs are cast. This preliminary action eliminates the dust-generating milling operation entirely, as the holes are created in a controlled factory environment with proper dust containment, while still providing the necessary openings for contaminant removal and air filtration.
3Reliability
If through holes are provided in precast waffle slabs for air exhaust, then positive pressure maintenance is achieved, but machine placement is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different treatments to different regions of the waffle slab. Through-holes are filled with plugs in areas where machines need to be placed, creating a smooth local surface. In areas where air exhaust is needed, through-holes remain open to maintain positive pressure. This localized differentiation allows the slab to simultaneously satisfy both machine placement requirements and air circulation requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug acts as an intermediary element that selectively blocks through-holes. By inserting plugs into specific through-holes, the invention mediates between the conflicting requirements of machine placement (requiring smooth surfaces) and air exhaust (requiring open holes). The plug allows the system to maintain positive pressure through remaining open holes while providing smooth surfaces in plugged areas for machine placement.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject invention is related to a waffle slab with a plug. The waffle slab comprises a plurality of through holes from the top surface to the bottom surface thereof along its thickness direction, and at least one of the through holes has at least one stop-profile. The plug has at least one profile complementary to the at least one stop-profile of the through holes, so that when the plug is inserted into the at least one through hole, the plug sits on the at least one stop-profile and a top surface of the plug is flush with the top surface of the waffle slab.