Interlocking Wooden Members with Cavity for Visual Failure Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing load-bearing structures made of timber lack visual indicators for impending failure and unpredictability in failure location, particularly under compressive loads, and are not suitable for applications requiring arches, which limits their efficiency and safety.
Innovation Solution
A system of interconnected wooden members with non-rotatable protrusions and recesses, featuring a cavity for visual monitoring of structural integrity, allowing for customizable and modular construction, including the use of metal stiffeners for enhanced strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional fastening means (nails, screws, bolts) are used to join wooden members, then the structure can support compressive loads, but the structure lacks visual indicators for impending failure and cannot support substantial lateral forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates predetermined failure elements (such as sacrificial fasteners or designated weak points) during the initial construction phase. These elements are designed to fail at specific load thresholds before the main structural members fail, providing advance warning. The interlocking joint design includes features that allow controlled deformation and visible displacement indicators before catastrophic failure occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure incorporates energy-absorbing elements and ductile connection details that undergo progressive deformation under excessive load. These elements act as cushions that absorb energy and provide warning signs (such as visible bending, splitting, or displacement) before complete structural failure, allowing operators to evacuate or take protective measures.
2Ease of manufacture
If wooden members are stacked without fastening, then the structure is easier to assemble, but it cannot support substantial lateral force components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the connection system into modular interlocking components with standardized protrusions and recesses. These segmented connection elements can be easily assembled without complex fastening operations while providing geometric constraints that resist lateral forces. The modular design allows simple stacking action combined with automatic mechanical interlocking.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlocking joints feature asymmetric protrusion and recess geometries that provide different resistance characteristics in different directions. The asymmetric design allows easy assembly in the vertical direction through simple insertion while providing substantial resistance to lateral forces through friction and geometric interlocking. The asymmetric shape prevents rotation and ensures proper alignment during assembly.
3Strength
If timber is used for load bearing structures, then the structure can accommodate convergence and provides high compressive capacity, but the structure fails in an unpredictable manner with no visual indicators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates visual indication mechanisms such as painted marker lines on wooden members that show relative displacement and deformation. These color-coded indicators change position or pattern as the structure approaches failure, providing clear visual warnings. The markers are applied to critical joints and members where deformation occurs first.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure incorporates built-in feedback mechanisms through visible deformation elements such as hairline cracks in grout joints, displacement of marker lines, or movement of indicator plates. These feedback signals provide real-time information about the structural state, allowing operators to monitor convergence and detect approaching failure conditions without complex instrumentation.
4Strength
If preformed arches are used to transfer load, then the structure can efficiently transfer load from center to ends, but transportation efficiency is reduced due to preforming requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the arch structure into straight, modular segments that can be transported in standard lengths without preforming. These segmented members are designed with interlocking joints that allow them to be assembled into arched configurations on-site. The segmentation enables efficient transportation while maintaining the load-transfer capabilities of arches through proper geometric arrangement and connection design.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for building a load bearing structure for supporting a compressive load, the system including a plurality of wooden members; wherein a protrusion of a second member is locatable within a recess of a first or third member to interconnect the first and second or third and second members together to form the loading bearing structure, wherein the protrusion is not rotatable within the recess, and; wherein the third member has a recess with a depth greater than the height of the protrusion of the second member such that a cavity is formed between an upper inner wall of the third member and a top portion of the protrusion of the second member when the second and third members are interconnected.