Multi-layer wedge anchorage for FRP plates and tendons
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for an effective anchorage mechanism to securely fasten fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) plates and tendons within concrete structures, as existing solutions fail to adequately address the tensile strength requirements and installation challenges in reinforced concrete applications.
Innovation Solution
A wedge anchorage system comprising an outer barrel, inner barrels, outer wedges, inner wedges, and a middle wedge, which secures FRP tendons through holes formed between the wedges and positions FRP plates between the inner and outer wedges, utilizing a cylindrical design with grooves and through holes to ensure proper alignment and tensioning of the FRP elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional steel rebar is used to reinforce concrete, then tensile strength is provided, but weight increases and corrosion resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from steel rebar to FRP (fiber-reinforced polymer) materials, fundamentally changing the material parameters. FRP provides comparable tensile strength to steel while significantly reducing weight and eliminating corrosion susceptibility, directly resolving the contradiction between strength requirements and weight/corrosion concerns
2Weight of moving object
If FRP materials are used to reinforce concrete, then weight is reduced and corrosion resistance improves, but anchorage and securing mechanisms become more difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The anchorage system is divided into multiple segmented components including outer barrel, inner barrel, outer wedges, inner wedges, and middle wedge. This segmentation allows each component to be independently manufactured and assembled, simplifying the anchorage installation process for FRP materials while maintaining secure fastening capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary anchorage components (barrels and wedges) that mediate between the FRP reinforcement elements and the concrete structure. These intermediaries provide the necessary mechanical interface to secure FRP plates and tendons, resolving the difficulty of directly anchoring FRP materials in concrete
3Strength
If multiple FRP plates and tendons are secured using traditional anchorage methods, then structural reinforcement is achieved, but installation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The anchorage system merges multiple securing functions into a single integrated assembly. The outer barrel, inner barrel, and multiple wedges work together as a unified system that can simultaneously secure multiple FRP plates and tendons, reducing the number of separate installation steps and decreasing overall installation time while maintaining structural reinforcement effectiveness
Data Source
AI summary
A wedge anchorage includes the components needed to secure two fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) plates and two FRP tendons. The components include an outer barrel, two inner barrels, two outer wedges, two inner wedges, and a middle wedge. FRP tendons are secured in through holes formed between the respective upper and lower outer wedges and upper and lower inner wedges. A first FRP plate is secured between the upper inner wedge and a middle wedge, while a second FRP plate is secured between the lower inner wedge and the middle wedge.