Wood-Concrete Composite Elements for Thermal and Structural Performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional construction methods face limitations in meeting demands for stability, comfort, soundproofing, thermal insulation, moisture protection, fire protection, and rapid construction, especially in high-stress events like earthquakes and hurricanes, while also being inefficient in energy savings and labor costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of partially prefabricated wood-concrete composite elements for building components such as walls, ceilings, floors, and roofs, combined with other insulating and cladding materials, which share forces based on stiffness ratios, providing enhanced soundproofing, thermal insulation, moisture protection, and fire protection, and allowing for efficient assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If timber construction is used, then construction is simple and fast, but fire load and insufficient storage mass lead to poor summer heat protection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining timber and concrete in a wood-concrete composite system. The timber provides structural framework and thermal insulation properties, while the concrete provides fire resistance and thermal mass. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by integrating the advantages of both materials: the speed of timber construction with the thermal performance of concrete.
2Stability of the object's composition
If masonry construction is used, then structural stability is achieved, but high labor costs and inadequate thermal insulation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the building construction into prefabricated wood-concrete composite elements that can be manufactured independently and then assembled on-site. This segmentation reduces labor costs by transferring work from the construction site to the factory, while maintaining structural stability through the engineered composite design of the elements.
3Strength
If steel construction is used, then structural strength is achieved, but poor thermal insulation and cold bridges occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses wood-concrete composite materials that provide both structural strength and thermal insulation properties. The timber component naturally provides better thermal insulation than steel, while the concrete component provides strength and thermal mass, creating a composite that avoids the cold bridge problems of steel construction.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional construction methods are used, then construction is straightforward, but requirements for stability, comfort, soundproofing, thermal insulation, moisture protection, and fire protection are not met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs wood-concrete composite elements that inherently provide multiple building performance requirements simultaneously. The composite structure delivers structural stability, thermal insulation, fire protection, and soundproofing in a single integrated system, maintaining construction simplicity while achieving reliable building performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The wood-concrete composite elements serve multiple functions simultaneously: structural support, thermal insulation, fire protection, soundproofing, and moisture barrier. This multi-functionality allows the construction method to meet diverse building requirements without complicating the construction process.
5Loss of time
If prefabricated parts are used, then construction time is reduced, but assembly complexity and connection requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the building into standardized prefabricated wood-concrete composite elements with designed connection systems. This segmentation enables parallel manufacturing and reduces on-site construction time, while the standardized connection designs keep assembly complexity manageable despite the prefabricated nature of the 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
This solution achieves significant improvements in building physics and statics, reduces material and labor costs, and provides a lightweight, cost-effective, and energy-efficient construction method that can withstand extreme loads, while maintaining a conventional appearance and allowing for easy assembly.
Implementation Method 1
With regard to the load-bearing capacity, the materials share the forces or stresses based on the composite effect according to their stiffness ratios.
Implementation Method 2
the inner concrete slab serves as heat storage, vapor barrier, installation level, fire barrier and/or pane formation
Implementation Method 3
the spaces between the outside wooden cross-sections serve as insulation, installation and/or power coupling levels
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Structure made of individual components, wherein the individual components consist at least partly of timber-concrete composite elements (100) comprising at least one timber component (110) with a timber cross-section and one concrete component (101) with a concrete cross-section, wherein the timber-concrete composite elements are at least partly prefabricated and then assembled in the factory or later on the construction site, wherein the connections or couplings of the individual components to each other and/or to other components are force-fit and/or form-fit and/or material-fit, partly by force transmission only via the timber cross-section or partly by force transmission only via the concrete cross-section or partly through both the timber cross-section and the concrete cross-section.