MODULAR ELEMENTS FOR STRUCTURAL REINFORCEMENT
A structural element made of a composite material includes a plurality of modular cells disposed within the composite material that have tensile elements that create axially directed tension anchoring elements attached to the tensile elements that create compression with anchoring elements of proximate modular cells. The modular cells may be disposed randomly or in a patterned manner within the composite material. A stackable structural cell facilitates more efficient creation of beams or columns and can include rebar for some of the tension elements that are axially arranged. Additionally, modular cells and/or supported capsules may be added to increase tension and/or decrease mass or weight of the beam or column. The structural cell can further include a boundary layer for containing the composite material prior to hardening.
The present U.S. Utility Patent Application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/197,473, filed Oct. 28, 2008, pending.
BACKGROUND1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to support modules for reinforcing concrete and other composites.
2. Related Art
Concrete is known to have a strong compression strength but weak tensile strength. Reinforcing bars, known as “rebar”, are therefore commonly used to reinforce concrete and other masonry structures. In a foundation, for example, one or more layers of rebar are used. Often, a single layer of rebar is structurally placed in a volume in which concrete is subsequently poured. The rebar then provides tensile strength. The tensile strength, along with the concrete's natural compression strength, then allows the final product to be used as a base for other structures, as a passageway, etc.
The long established method of using rebar is, without other consideration, adequate. The techniques and technology for adding such tensile strength, however, if modified to increase efficiency and/or decrease manufacturing and construction costs, could reduce the high costs of construction and could possibly even allow new structural designs to be implemented that could not be implemented before. What is needed, therefore, is a new structure and method for increasing tensile strength for base materials that have good compression strength but poor tensile strength.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to apparatus and methods of operation that are further described in the following Brief Description of the Drawings, the Detailed Description of the Invention, and the claims. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained when the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment is considered with the following drawings, in which:
Referring now to
In the example of
Alternatively, if the tensile elements 04 disposed in a patterned manner within composite 02, tensile strength may be created in defined three-dimensional directions based on a layout pattern and the structural characteristics of the modular cells and the tensile elements. Subsequent figures herein illustrate many different shapes of the modular cells that may be used, each having its own structural characteristics.
Generally, the various modular cells allow or create the structural effect of interlocking one with another by interlocking with each other. Compression resistance of the composite material locks the modular cells in place. The tensile elements of the modular cells then create tensile strength (axially or otherwise) along the tensile elements to create an overall stronger structure made out of the composite material.
An additional aspect of the embodiments of the present invention is that the modular cells will typically comprise a much lighter weight material than steel (as used for rebar). Accordingly, the total weight of the structure is reduced thereby reducing size and volume requirements for the structure. For example, a thickness of concrete beam is based on the total weight that the beam will be required to support. This total weight, of course, includes the weight of the concrete beam itself as well as other concrete beams that it will support. Thus, if the concrete beams are made to be lighter in weight, then the size of the beams may be reduced.
Not only may the modular cells be made of a lighter material to reduce the weight of the structure (e.g., concrete beam), but the modular cells may be shaped to define lightweight volumes that displace the composite material thereby reducing manufacturing costs as well as weight. Thus, use of the modular cells improves the overall characteristics of the final reinforced structural element by creating tensile strength in additional directions (other than the X, Y and Z axis) and also by creating greater structural integrity for a given size structure through the use of light weight modules that replace some of the heavier weight composite used for the structure.
Depending on the specific design, the modular cells may be randomly poured in the form for a structure (such as a concrete beam or concrete foundation) before pouring the composite into the form. Or they may be spread or assembled evenly in a patterned manner before pouring the composite material within the form. The modular cells also may be added to the composite mixture and poured in the forms as part of the mixture. Or they may be assembled evenly over scaffolding, ground or other surface or structure; to create both the reinforcement structure and the form for the composite in one step. The modular cells may therefore be added to a composite in a variety of method steps according to design requirements and/or processes. The modular cells primarily add tensile strength, but, depending of the specific design and materials used such as metals, plastics, fibers, ceramics, resins, etc. can also add compression strength, decrease overall structural weight, improve corrosion resistance, add thermal insulation, increase flexibility, and construction efficiency by eliminating the labor intensive process of creating the rebar layers (which includes attaching and tightening rebar to each other by using ties or by welding or soldering). In some cases, the time and materials used to create the forms may also be reduced or eliminated. Special modular cells may also be created that support making vertical structural beams which are easier to store and transport.
While fiber additives may be inserted into a composite to create some tensile strength through bonding and created friction of the fibers to the composite, such fiber additives have no real mechanical interlocking action and in many cases also decrease the compression strength of the composite. Thus, the modular cells of the embodiments of the present invention have overlapping anchoring elements that interlock with each other and that, in a hardened composite, create better tensile strength in more directions to create stronger structures.
There are many modular cells may be made with modern high strength plastics, metals, resins and fibers. The choices and possibilities for specific designs and fabrication materials and methods are endless. The following embodiments are exemplary and should not be used to limit the concepts disclosed herein and associated with the present embodiments of the invention.
Different shapes, materials and dimensions for the cells can be designed to meet specific structural needs. For example, modular cells 14 having a length “L” of one inch may be used for a small house beam or column. Generally, in the embodiments of the invention, a diameter of an anchoring element 06 is sized to be in the range of 10 percent to 30 percent of a length L of the modular cells. A diameter of the tensile elements 04 is approximately half of the anchoring elements. Depending on the materials used for the modular cells 14 and the materials used for the composite, these ranges may vary. An anchoring element may therefore be reduced in size to 5 percent of the length L of the modular cell. Similarly, the diameter of the tensile elements 04 may be reduced or increased in relation to the size of the anchoring elements. Thus, the diameter of the tensile elements can range from, for example, 10 percent to 50 percent of the diameter of anchoring elements 06. One factor in selecting a diameter of the tensile elements 04 in relation to distal anchoring elements 06 is the desired tensile strength. Failure of some modular elements can lead to cracks appearing in the structure to warn of an impending failure. Otherwise, a structure may completely fail without warning. One of average skill in the art may readily make such determinations based on application requirements.
The modular cells 14 may be used in place of some or all of the gravel commonly poured into concrete. Modular cells may be made much larger. In one embodiment, modular cells 14 have a length L of 36 inches and may be used for a foundation or column for a large structure such as a bridge. In such an embodiment, gravel and rocks having a 1″ or 2″ diameter may also be dispersed within the concrete or composite. As the length L of the modular cell increases, the proportions discussed above will typically be maintained absent special considerations that result from the increased size.
The anchoring elements 06 and 12 of the modular cells, including modular cell 14, are sized appropriately in relation to the size of the modular cell 14. For one example of relative dimensions, if modular cell 14 has a length L of 2.5 inches, anchoring elements 06 have a diameter of 0.5 inches while outwardly extending tensile elements 04 have a diameter of 0.25 inches. Thus, the anchoring elements 06 have a diameter that is 20 percent of the total length L while the outwardly extending tensile elements have a diameter that is 10 percent of the total length L and fifty percent of the anchoring elements 06. These relative sizes may be varied. In general, however, the anchoring elements must be large enough to create adequate levels of compression with each other to create interlocking but small enough to readily overlap with each other when disposed in a composite material. Further, especially for a structure, the tensile elements 04 are sized to be smaller than the anchoring elements 06 to allow the tensile elements to break or stretch (according to its material) when the structure is under high levels of stress (e.g., in an earthquake) so that stress of the structure may be noted before a complete failure or collapse occurs.
This lattice structure, on its own, creates multidirectional tension according to the angled disposition of the tension elements 34. Additionally, multi-directional tension may be created by adding a plurality of modular cells such as, but not limited to, modular cells 14 and 16. The anchoring elements of such modular cells 14 and 16 (for example) may create compression not only with each other but also with anchoring elements 12 of the modular cells coupled in a lattice structure.
For each of the embodiments of structural cells 20, 28 and 40 of
The above described concepts may readily be modified without departing from the scope of the invention.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. As may be seen, the described embodiments may be modified in many different ways without departing from the scope or teachings of the invention.
Claims
1. A structural element, comprising:
- a composite material; and
- a plurality of modular cells disposed within the composite material, wherein each of the modular cells includes:
- tensile elements that create tension axially along an axis of the tensile elements; and
- anchoring elements that create compression with anchoring elements of proximate modular cells, wherein each the anchoring elements is attached to at least one tensile element.
2. The structural element of claim 1 wherein the plurality of modular cells are disposed in a random manner within the composite material and create tension in associated random directions.
3. The structural element of claim 2 wherein the tension created in associated random directions corresponds with an axial direction of each tensile element of modular cells.
4. The structural element of claim 1, the modular cells comprising a plurality of orthogonally arranged tension elements.
5. The structural element of claim 1, the modular cells comprising six tension elements.
6. The structural element of claim 1 wherein the anchoring elements are sized to be in the range of 10 percent to 30 percent of a length of the modular cells.
7. The structural element of claim 1 wherein the anchoring elements are sized to be in the range of 5 percent to 30 percent of a length of the modular cell tension elements.
8. The structural element of claim 1 wherein the anchoring elements are sized to have a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the tension elements.
9. The structural element of claim 1 comprising anchoring elements characterized by a first size at a distal end of each tension element and at least one modular cell having an anchoring element characterized by a second size from which at least two tension elements extend.
10. The structural element of claim 9 wherein the second size is approximately the same as the first size.
11. The structural element of claim 9 wherein the second size is substantially larger than the first size.
12. The structural element of claim 1 comprising at least one structural cell wherein the structural element comprises one of a beam or column.
13. The structural element of claim 1 comprising a plurality of structural cell that are mechanically engaged with each other and wherein the structural element forms one of a beam or column.
14. A structural element, comprising:
- a composite material; and
- at least one structural cell wherein the at least one structural cell further includes:
- axially arranged first tension elements that are substantially parallel to each other;
- at least one supporting member coupled to all of the axially arranged tension elements to define a shape of the structural element; and
- first and second interlocking elements, wherein: the first interlocking elements are disposed at a first end of each of the axially arranged tension elements; the second interlocking elements are disposed at a second end of each of the axially arranged tension elements; and the first and second interlocking elements are shaped and sized to mechanically engage each other so that other similar structural elements may be stacked to form a column or beam.
15. The structural element of claim 14 further including a boundary layer for holding the composite material until the composite material has hardened.
16. The structural element of claim 15 wherein the boundary layer is removable after the composite material has hardened.
17. The structural element of claim 14 further including second tension elements disposed perpendicularly to the axially arranged first tension elements.
18. The structural element of claim 17 further including at least one capsule that reduces an amount of composite required to form the structural element, wherein each capsule of the at least one capsule is supported by the second tension elements.
19. The structural element of claim 14 further including a plurality of modular cells that are arranged either in a pattern or randomly or both.
20. The structural element of claim 19 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of modular cells are coupled to at least one of the first tension elements or second tension elements.
21. A structural element, comprising:
- axially arranged first tension elements;
- second tension elements disposed substantially perpendicular to the first tension elements;
- a composite material wherein the first and second tension elements are disposed within the composite material; and
- modular cells disposed within the composite material to create tension in a plurality of directions, the modular cells each having tension elements and anchoring elements disposed at distal ends of the modular cell tension elements.
22. The structural element of claim 21 further including at least one of gravel and rocks within the composite material.
23. The structural element of claim 21 wherein the modular cells are disposed in a patterned manner to create tension along desired directions.
24. The structural element of claim 21 wherein the modular cells are disposed in a random manner to create tension along a plurality of directions that are not necessarily orthogonal to first and second tension elements.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 28, 2009
Publication Date: Apr 29, 2010
Inventor: JUAN MARCOS CUEVAS (RICHARDSON, TX)
Application Number: 12/607,985
International Classification: E04C 5/08 (20060101); E04C 5/12 (20060101);