Column base to podium slab anchoring
Concealed anchoring structure interconnecting (a) the base of an elongate, upright, tubular (hollow), structural building-frame column having a long axis, and (b) a generally planar and horizontal podium slab having a body with upper and lower surfaces which collectively define slab depth, with the long axis of the column being substantially normal to the plane of the slab. This anchoring structure includes elongate, nut-and-bolt structure which is disposed substantially on the column's long axis, with upper portions of the nut-and-bolt structure being concealed within the hollow base of the column, above the slab's upper surface, and the lower portions of the nut-and-bolt structure being disposed adjacent the slab's lower surface, whereby the nut-and-bolt structure anchorably interconnects the column and the slab.
This application claims priority to two currently pending, prior-filed U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Ser. Nos. 60/605,730, filed Aug. 30, 2004, for “Full-Depth Podium-Slab Anchor for Column Base”, and 60/605,839, filed Aug. 30, 2004 for “Column Base to Slab Anchoring Using Central Concealed Anchor Bolt”. The entire disclosure contents of these two provisional applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to plural-story building-frame structure, and more particularly, to structure which is employed to anchor the base of an elongate, upright column in such a frame structure to what is known as a podium slab, typically formed of poured concrete, which itself is supported either directly above the ground, or above yet additional under-structure, through appropriate podium-slab columns or pillars.
There is a recent development which is generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,016 relating to a full-moment-frame column-and-beam, plural-story frame structure which is uniquely suited to be anchored to, and to rise from, the-upper surface of such a podium slab, without there being any requirement that the vertical load paths defined by upright columns in the frame structure be aligned with the columns, or pillars, which underlie and support the podium slab. This development offers the opportunity for very advantageous construction of plural-story buildings on top of underlying podium structures, which podium structures might define, for example, office space, retail space, vehicle parking space, etc., with the bases of the columns in the overhead building frame structure being anchored just to the underlying podium slab per se. Among the advantages attained by such construction is that podium “space” can be completed quickly and easily in a building project, and can be readied for income-generating occupancy while steel-frame, plural-story superstructure is still under way.
The present invention, recognizing this interesting new moment-frame-over-podium-slab development, proposes, in several illustrated embodiments, structural anchoring arrangements that provide for what can be thought of as robust, neatly concealed, and very simply implemented anchoring conditions between the base ends of overhead frame columns and a podium slab per se, without the employed connections intruding into useable podium space, or delaying the time when such space can begin desirable income productivity. In particular, preferred and best mode embodiments of the invention are described and illustrated herein in a context wherein the base of each such “overhead” frame-structure column is firmly and securely anchored to such a podium slab utilizing, effectively, the full depth (thickness) strength of the slab at each site of anchoring. The proposed anchoring structure is extremely simple and inexpensive in construction, is easily implemented on a job site by relatively unskilled labor, and does not require structural elements which are obtrusive either on the upper or lower sides of such a podium slab.
The various features and advantages that are offered by this invention will now become more fully apparent as the description which shortly follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
It should be understood that components illustrated in
Turning now to the drawings, and referring first of all to
Frame 6 is shown herein anchored, in accordance with practice of the present invention, with concealed anchoring structure generally pointed-to at 7, so as to project upwardly from the upper side, or surface, of a conventional concrete podium slab PS which is supported above underlying structure, typically the ground, through plural, distributed, upright pillars or columns, such as the two pillars shown fragmentarily in dashed lines at 8 in
Especially to be noted with respect to what is shown in
Turning attention now to
As can be seen in
As illustrated in
Plate 14 sits embedded in a square-perimeter well 12c in slab 12, the bottom of which well is defined by an upwardly facing surface 12d. The bottom side 14b of plate 14 rests on surface 12d, which, together with well 12c, takes shape during embedment of plate 14 within the body of the slab during curing of the initially uncured flowable concrete which forms the slab.
Suitably formed in slab 12, and extending toward and opening to each of surfaces 12b, 12d, is an elongate throughbore 12e (see particularly
Joined, as by a weld connection shown at 18, within the lower, hollow inside of the base of column 10, immediately above base surface 10a, is a sturdy spanner plate, or plate spanner portion, 20 which includes a central throughbore 20a whose long axis (not specifically labeled) is also aligned with column axis 10b. Throughbore 20a is also designed to allow clearance through-passage for previously mentioned bolt shank 16a. Anchoring of column 10 to slab 12 herein includes what is referred to as engagement (effectively) between nut-and-bolt set 16A, and plate 20.
As can be seen, the components just described which thus involve attachment of the base of column 10 to podium slab 12 through plate 14, especially with respect to what is visible on the upper side of the overall structure, is neatly concealed and hidden effectively within the base of the column and beneath the slab.
Securement of the column takes place through a suitably apertured and threaded, nut-like receiver 22 which is appropriately anchored, by a weld connection, such as that shown at 24 in
During construction of slab 12, preferably pre-apertured plates, such as plate 14, are appropriately located and embedded in the slab at the time of slab pouring. After curing of the slab, appropriate slab throughbores, such as throughbore 12e, are prepared in the correct diametral size, and with the correct alignment in relation to the throughbores provided in plate(s) 14. These slab throughbores may, of course, and if desired, be formed as a part of, and during, the slab-pouring and curing process.
All columns which are to rise directly from the top surface of one of these embedded plates are prepared in their bases with internal anchored components, such as those shown at 20, 22, with these components being secured respectively in place through welds, such as previously mentioned welds 18, 24.
To anchor a column in place (through its base) immediately above slab 12, the column is disposed appropriately upright and in correct alignment over a plate, such as plate 14, and the shank of a bolt, such as the shank 16a in bolt 16, is passed upwardly through the slab and through the associated embedded plate 14, next through the associated spanner plate, such as plate 20, and is then appropriately screwed into, and tightened with respect to, the associated receiver 22.
Thus, secure anchoring of an upright column in place is accomplished effectively from the underside of a slab, such as slab 22, with a fully anchored-in-place column being secured through what can be thought of as being full-depth slab securement. From the upper side of this overall arrangement, and as can be seen clearly in
Turning attention now to the embodiment of the invention shown in
Accordingly, in
Anchored to slab structure 34 in accordance with this second embodiment of the present invention are the bases of plural, upright, tubular and square-cross-section, steel columns 36, the bases of which are joinied through weld connections to the upper surfaces 38a of generally square base plates 38. Such weld connections are generally shown at 39. These base plates are in turn, embedded, as will be described, in the upper-layer fill over-layer, or portion, 34b of slab structure 34 Plates 38 are generally planar, and are disposed with their flat, upper surfaces 38a lying substantially flush and co-extensive with the flat, upper surface 34c of over-layer 34b. The central portions 38b of plates 38 are referred to herein as being spanner portions of these plates, and the laterally outwardly exposed perimeter portions of the plates are said to circumsurround the long axes of the associated columns.
Podium slab base layer 34a is the main structural podium layer, with a depth herein of about 10-inches, and fill over-layer 34b is a thinner layer, with a depth herein of about 2-inches. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these layer thicknesses may vary from structure to structure.
Although not specifically so illustrated in
Claims
1. Concealed anchoring structure interconnecting (a) the base of an elongate, upright, tubular, structural building-frame column having a long axis, and (b) a generally planar and horizontal podium slab having a body with upper and lower surfaces which collectively define slab depth, and with the long axis of the column being substantially normal to the plane of the slab, said anchoring structure comprising
- elongate, nut-and-bolt structure disposed substantially on the column's long axis, with upper portions thereof concealed within the hollow base of the column above the slab's said upper surface, and the lower portions thereof disposed adjacent the slab's said lower surface, said nut-and-bolt structure anchorably interconnecting the column and the slab.
2. The anchoring structure of claim 1 which further comprises generally planar plate structure joined to said column's base with the plane of this plate structure being disposed substantially normal to the column's long axis, and including a spanner portion extending generally across the column's long axis, and wherein said nut-and-bolt structure anchorably engages said spanner portion.
3. The anchoring structure of claims 2, wherein said spanner portion includes an elongate throughbore having a long axis which is substantially normal to the plane of said plate structure, and said nut-and-bolt structure includes a bolt with an elongate shank which extends through said throughbore.
4. The anchoring structure of claim 3, wherein said spanner portion substantially fully defines said plate structure, and is disposed within the hollow interior of said column's base, with said column and plate structure joined via a weld connection.
5. The anchoring structure of claim 3, wherein said spanner portion forms a central portion of said plate structure which further includes a perimeter portion extending laterally outwardly of said column's base in a manner circumsurrounding said column's said long axis.
6. The anchoring structure of claims 1 which further includes a generally planar, slab-contacting base plate having a generally planar upper surface which is substantially co-planar with said slab's said upper surface, with the base of said column engaging said base plate's said upper surface.
7. The anchoring structure of claim 1, wherein, when viewed from above, the anchored connection existing between said column and said slab presents the appearance of the base of the column terminating cleanly with a plane which contains the upper surface of said slab.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 12, 2005
Publication Date: Mar 23, 2006
Inventor: Robert Simmons (Hayward, CA)
Application Number: 11/203,641
International Classification: E02D 27/00 (20060101); E02D 27/32 (20060101);