METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONSTRUCTING A CONCRETE STRUCTURE
The present invention broadly comprises a method and apparatus for constructing a concrete structure, where one embodiment of apparatus includes a pre-cast concrete component and a poured in place concrete surface supported by the pre-cast concrete component.
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This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Application No. 62/114,219, filed Feb. 10, 2015, the entire content of which is incorporated into the present application by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a method and apparatus for constructing a concrete structure. In particular, the invention relates to constructing a concrete structure using pre-cast concrete components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONNatural gas is becoming a greater and greater share of the U.S. energy supply due to advances in hydraulic fracking. Natural gas is generally sent through a pipeline to a terminal, where it is compressed to liquefied natural gas (LNG) before loading it into tanks for transport. This terminal generally includes a platform to support 4-7 compressors, each of which weighs several tons. Due to the increased supply of natural gas, additional terminals are needed to process the supply. However, the terminals are presently constructed by pouring concrete in place for all of the structure, which can take on the order of six months.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention broadly comprises a method and apparats for constructing a concrete structure. One embodiment of the invention may be implemented as an apparatus including a pre-cast concrete component and a poured in place concrete surface supported by the pre-cast concrete component.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present subject matter, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Reference is presently made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present subject matter, one or more examples of which are illustrated in or represented by the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the present subject matter, not limitation of the present subject matter. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present subject matter without departing from the scope or spirit of the present subject matter. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present subject matter covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the disclosure and equivalents thereof.
In the embodiment shown in
Again, as most of the components are pre-cast components, construction can be completed much faster than a structure made of poured in place concrete. The present invention minimizes the used of poured in place concrete, allowing dramatic time savings over the present construction techniques.
Floor portions 40 may also include steel reinforcement member 44, as shown in
The compressors used to compress the natural gas cause a reciprocating load on the supporting structure, which requires a support with isotropic load-bearing properties. As pre-cast components typically are not isotropic, pre-cast components have not been used to support these types of compressors before. In this regard, typical pre-cast components can support 4-5 times the load in a primary direction as opposed to the load that can be borne in secondary directions. For example, pre-cast bridge components typically can support 4-5 times as much load in the traffic direction as compared to the transverse direction. In contrast, the disclosed composite structure can support approximately the same load in all directions. Thus, the present inventors have combined reinforced pre-cast components with a partial poured in place surface to create a composite structure that has the isotropic properties to support the compressors, while being capable of being constructed using much less time and labor than conventional poured in place structures.
The present written description uses examples to disclose the present subject matter, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the present subject matter, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated and/or associated methods. While the present subject matter has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, and the subject disclosure does not preclude inclusion of such modifications, variations and/or additions to the present subject matter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Claims
1. A structure comprising:
- a pre-cast concrete component; and
- a poured in place concrete surface supported by the pre-cast concrete component.
2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has isotropic load-bearing strengths.
3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the pre-cast concrete component is a column.
4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the pre-cast concrete component is a cap on a top of a column.
5. The structure according to claim 4, wherein the pre-cast concrete component also includes a floor section that is supported by the cap on the top of the column.
6. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the pre-cast concrete component is a floor section.
7. The structure according to claim 6, wherein the poured in place concrete surface is located over the floor section.
8. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the poured in place concrete surface includes several apertures that extend through the concrete surface.
9. A method for making a structure comprising:
- providing a plurality of pre-cast concrete columns;
- placing a plurality of pre-cast concrete column caps on the plurality of columns such that there is one column cap on each column;
- placing a plurality of floor sections on support members of the plurality of column caps; and
- pouring a poured in place concrete surface on the plurality of floor sections.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the pouring includes pouring the poured in place concrete surface on the plurality of floor sections with a plurality of apertures that extend through the concrete surface.
11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of floor sections are pre-cast concrete floor sections.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 10, 2016
Publication Date: Aug 11, 2016
Applicant: Tindall Corporation (Spartanburg, SC)
Inventor: Bryant A. ZAVITZ (Dunwoody, GA)
Application Number: 15/040,130