PANEL PRODUCTION KITS, METHODS, AND SYSTEMS
A method of forming a concrete panel that includes forming a concrete base with a plurality of holes, where the plurality of holes are distributed proximate to a perimeter of a casting surface of the concrete base, and securing casting rails along the casting surface of the concrete base to form a concrete panel form with a closed perimeter. The casting rails are secured using a plurality of anchors through the plurality of holes in the concrete base to couple the casting rails to the concrete base. A reinforcement device and/or an attachment device is introduced within the concrete panel form, and concrete is poured into the concrete panel form. After the poured concrete has solidified into a concrete panel, the concrete panel is removed.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/300,499, filed Feb. 26, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDVarious aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to panel production kits, methods, and systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to the production of mechanically stabilized earth panels.
BACKGROUNDSteel rails and steel casting beds may be used to form mechanically stabilized earth panels (or “MSE panels”) out of concrete. The process of casting an MSE panel typically involves assembling a steel form, placing the concrete in the form, curing the concrete to make a concrete panel, and removing the concrete panel from the steel form. The steel form is then cleaned and set up for the next pour. Only one panel is produced each day, typically, due to the time it takes to set up the form and cure the concrete. Further improvements are desired to increase production speed.
The steel form is heavy and cumbersome. Thus, in addition to being time-consuming, the process of setup, cleaning, and resetting the steel form may be difficult to do safely. Still further improvements are desired to improve safety.
Lastly, due to the wear and tear of setup, cleaning, and resetting the steel forms with known methods, the steel forms often need to be rehabilitated or replaced after a period of time. For example, the steel can become bent or pitted, or certain connection parts can fail. Even further improvements are desired to increase longevity.
The present disclosure is now described with reference to exemplary aspects of panel production kits, methods, and systems. Some embodiments are depicted and/or described with reference to the production of MSE panels out of concrete. These references are provided for convenience and are not intended to limit the present disclosure unless incorporated into the appended claims. Accordingly, the concepts and novelty underlying each embodiment may be utilized for any type of panel, made out of any material.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless stated otherwise, the term “exemplary” is used in the sense of “example,” rather than “ideal.” As used herein, the terms “about,” “substantially,” and “approximately,” indicate a range of values within +/−5% of a stated value.
Exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated in
The kit and/or system may include a plurality of hardware (e.g.,
Referring now to the figures individually,
An exemplary concrete casting base 10 with an attached panel casting form 22, comprising of rails 30 attached by anchors 40, is also depicted in
It is also noted that multiple concrete casting bases 10 may be formed from one base casting form 22 by repeating the above concrete casting base formation process. Then, multiple concrete panels 12 may be formed on each of the formed concrete casting bases 10 by repeating the above concrete panel formation process. The concrete casting bases 10 may also be transported such that the plurality of concrete panels 12 may be produced away from the base casting form 22. It is also noted that the suspended framework 28, forming rods 29, the casting rails 30, anchors 40, and/or other components may require replacement over time or between iterations of forming concrete bases 10 and/or concrete panels 12, for example, due to damage or corrosion. These replaceable components may be standardized and may be replaced individually, in groups of components, or in a wholesale replacement. Nevertheless, the aforementioned concrete elements and production processes increase the repeatability and speed at which both concrete bases 10 and concrete panels 12 may be produced.
Additional variations of concrete casting base 10, panel 12, base casting form 22, the plurality of rails 30, and concrete panel form 12 are now described with reference to
Either of concrete casting base 10 (
Either of concrete casting base 10 or panel 12 may be modified for weight reduction. For example, the concrete used to make concrete casting base 10 or panel 12 could be conventional concrete. Alternatively, the concrete may be modified to reduce the weight of concrete casting base 10 or panel 12 with the use of lightweight aggregates, lightweight concrete, or foam concrete. Panel 12 may be produced with a first concrete, while panel 12 is produced with a second concrete. Alternatively still, either or both of concrete casting base 10 or panel 12 may be produced of alternative materials, like glass, plastic, or rubber, which may be similarly formed and/or reinforced as described herein. The cross-sectional shape of base 10 or panel 12 may also be modified for even further weight reduction. For example, an exemplary set of bases 110, 210, and 310 are illustrated in
Plurality of rails 30 may be removably mounted to casting surface 11 of concrete casting base 10 to define panel casting form 32. For example, as noted above, each rail 30 may have one or more holes 33 sized to receive one of the anchors 40, which may then be inserted into one of the holes 13 formed in concrete casting base 10 to fix the position of rail 30 on base 10. Each hole 33 may be a slot, channel, or any like open or closed shape. Anchor 40 may be engageable with hole 13 of base 10. For example, a shaft portion of anchor 40 may have a set of threads that are engageable with a corresponding set of threads in hole 13. Alternatively, each hole 13 may be a durable collar (e.g., steel) that is formed into concrete casting base 10. This durable collar may provide a set of durable internal threads that are engageable with anchor 40. The collar may be removably attached to the suspended framework 28 described above. A quick-release attachment between anchor 40 and hole 13 is also contemplated. For example, to reduce setup time, anchor 40 may have a shaft with a retractable protrusion that is engageable with a catch formed in hole 13, or simply the underside of base 10. A quick-release button on anchor 40 may be used to operate the retractable protrusion. Accordingly, anchor 40 may be engaged with hole 13 when the protrusion is engaged with the catch, and then disengaged by operating the quick release button to move the protrusion out of the catch. Additionally, holes 13 in concrete casting base 10 may be formed after formation of the concrete casting base 10. For example, holes 13 may be drilled or otherwise formed in the solidified or partially solidified concrete casting base 10, rather than being formed by the forming rods 29.
Each rail 30 may also be movably mounted to concrete casting base 10. For example, each hole 33 of rail 30 may be an elongated slot that allows each rail 30 to be moved relative to concrete casting base 10, with or without removing anchor 40, in a direction parallel to casting surface 11. For example, anchor 40 may be tightened against rail 30 to fix the position of concrete panel form 32 pre-pour, and then loosened to permit the sliding movement of each rail 30 relative to base 10 and anchor 40 post-pour, once panel 12 has been formed. The undersurface of each rail 30 may be slid directly on casting surface 11. Alternatively, to reduce friction and increase durability, concrete casting base 10 may be formed to have a cross-section (e.g., a track) that corresponds with a cross-section of the underside of rail 30 (e.g., a protrusion sized for receipt in the track), such that each rail 30 may be slid away from panel 12 by guiding the protrusion along the track. Friction may be further reduced by application of a friction-reducing coating (e.g., Teflon or like composition) to casting surface 11 and/or the underside of each rail 30. These configurations allow each rail 30 to be moved relative to concrete casting base 10 without having to lift rail 30 or completely remove anchor 40, thereby reducing setup and reset times and increasing safety.
Furthermore, rails 30 may impart a desired shape to the panel 12. For instance, as shown in
Casting surface 11 of concrete casting base 10 may be formed to produce a panel 12 having a specified architectural surface, such as brick, rock, or the like. This may be done, for example, by modification of casting skin 27, or by placing an elastomeric or polymer liner on casting surface 27. In some aspects, casting surface 11 may be modified for enhanced durability to ensure that the specified architectural surface may repeatedly produced. For example, casting surface 11 may be formed of a material that is different from the remainder of concrete casting base 10. This different material may, for example, make casting surface 11 more dense, less porous, more water impermeable, or the like. Concrete casting base 10 may be further reinforced with, for example, a reinforcing mesh that is placed at or just below casting surface 11 to both define the specified architectural surface and reinforce its contours. These configurations would, for example, eliminate the need for an elastomeric or polymer liner, thereby increasing production speed.
Concrete casting base 10 may include elements that further increase production speed by decreasing the curing speed of panel 12. For example, concrete casting base 10 may have a plurality of temperature regulating elements extending therethrough, such as a hollow tube for receiving water at a specified temperature, a conductive heating element, or a reactive chemical layer applied to casting surface 11. In some aspects, the reinforcement means described above may also be used to regulate temperature. For example, concrete casting base 10 may be formed with a steel reinforcing mesh (e.g., similar to reinforcement 35) having a hollow interior that both increases the tensile strength of the concrete and decreases its curing time by permitting a steam of hot or cold water to flow therethrough.
Various hardware elements may be included in or used with the kits, methods, and/or systems described herein. For example, additional components or block-outs may be carefully coordinated and precisely located in concrete casting base 10 or panel 12 using either of suspended framework 28 or overhead hanging rail system 36. Such components or block-outs may be used to ensure that, during setup, the various holes 13 formed in concrete casting base 10 are aligned to produce a properly sized panel 12 of any shape. Additional hardware may also be used, for example, to elevate and level concrete casting base 10, and thus casting surface 11, relative to a ground surface.
An automated system is also described with reference to the various elements described above. This system may, for example, be used to automate the various movements of each of these elements so as to even further decrease production times. According to one aspect of such a system, each rail 30 may be moveably mounted to concrete casting base 10. One or more actuators may be attached to each rail 30 and concrete casting base 10, each actuator being configured to move a rail 30 and/or an anchor 40 relative to concrete casting base 10. For example, one actuator may be configured to move rail 30 in a direction parallel to casting surface 11, while another actuator is configured to move anchor 40 in a direction perpendicular to casting surface 11. These movements may be controlled by a switch, or by a processing module of the system, which may include or be in communication with any known computing device. However controlled, these actuators may be used within the system to open and close concrete panel form 32 (e.g., by disengaging anchors 40, sliding rails 30, and then reengaging anchors 40), as needed, to produce and remove a panel 12 therefrom. Any of the temperature regulation elements described above may also be controlled by the processing module to both cure panel 12 as fast as possible, and provide an indication as to when panel 12 may be removed. The processing module may also control other hardware (e.g., a crane) to permit removal of panel 12 in an automated sequence.
In some aspects, concrete casting base 10 and/or panel 12 have been described as being poured and/or cured in a substantially horizontal manner (e.g.,
While principles of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to illustrative aspects for particular applications, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, examples, and substitution of equivalents all fall within the scope of the aspects described herein. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description.
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A concrete panel casting system, comprising:
- a concrete base casting form having a plurality of side walls, a casting surface skin, and a frame supporting the plurality of side walls and the casting surface skin, wherein the plurality of side walls and the casting surface skin are removably attached to the frame;
- a plurality of casting rails removably attachable to a casting surface of a formed concrete base; and
- a plurality of anchors, wherein the anchors are removably attachable to the plurality of casting rails,
- wherein the plurality of casting rails form a concrete panel form configured to receive concrete to form a concrete panel, wherein the plurality of casting rails are configured to form a closed perimeter on the formed concrete base with an opening to receive concrete to form the concrete panel.
22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:
- one or more temperature regulating elements configured to be positioned on or within a casting base formed by the concrete base casting form.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more temperature regulating elements includes one or more hollow tubes.
24. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more temperature regulating elements includes one or more conductive heating elements.
25. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more temperature regulating elements includes a reactive chemical layer applied to the casting surface skin.
26. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more temperature regulating elements is coupled to a processing module.
27. The system of claim 21, further comprising a steel reinforcing mesh.
28. The system of claim 27, wherein the steel reinforcing mesh includes a hollow interior.
29. The system of claim 21, further comprising a cover,
- wherein the casting surface, the plurality of casting rails, and the cover define a sealed volume.
30. The system of claim 29, further including reinforcing and/or attachment hardware that is attachable to the plurality of casting rails.
31. The system of claim 30, further comprising a plurality of reinforcement members, a plurality of attachment devices, and an overhead hanging rail system, wherein the reinforcement members and the attachment devices are removably coupled to the casting rails via the overhead hanging rail system,
- wherein each casting rail is decoupled from any adjacent casting rail, and individually and removably coupled to and removable from the casting surface of the concrete base by fastening through at least one hole in one of the plurality of casting rails and one of the plurality of holes extending through a thickness of the concrete base.
32. A method of forming a concrete panel, comprising:
- forming a concrete base having a plurality of holes, wherein the plurality of holes are distributed proximate to a perimeter of a casting surface of the concrete base;
- removably securing casting rails along the casting surface of the concrete base to form a concrete panel form with a closed perimeter; wherein the casting rails are removably secured using a plurality of anchors through the plurality of holes in the concrete base to couple the casting rails to the concrete base;
- introducing a reinforcement device and/or an attachment device within the concrete panel form;
- pouring concrete into the concrete panel form;
- allowing the poured concrete to solidify into a concrete panel; and
- removing the concrete panel.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein forming the concrete panel includes positioning one or more temperature regulating elements on or within a casting base formed by the concrete base casting form.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the one or more temperature regulating elements includes one or more hollow tubes, one or more conductive heating elements, or a reactive chemical layer applied to a casting surface skin.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein the method includes coupling the one or more temperature regulating elements to a processing module.
36. The method of claim 32, wherein forming the concrete panel includes positioning a steel reinforcing mesh on or within a casting base formed by the concrete base casting form.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein the steel reinforcing mesh includes a hollow interior.
38. A system, comprising:
- a concrete base casting form having a plurality of side walls, a casting surface skin, and a frame supporting the plurality of side walls and the casting surface skin; wherein the plurality of side walls and the casting surface skin are removably attachable to the frame;
- a supply of concrete to pour into and harden within the concrete base casting form to form a concrete base, wherein the concrete base includes a casting surface formed by the casting surface skin, and one or more temperature regulating elements;
- a plurality of casting rails removably attachable to the casting surface of the formed concrete base, wherein the plurality of casting rails form a concrete panel form configured to receive additional concrete to form a concrete panel, wherein the plurality of casting rails form a closed perimeter on the concrete base with an opening to receive concrete to form the concrete panel; and
- a plurality of anchors, wherein the anchors removably attach the plurality of casting rails to a plurality of holes in the formed concrete base.
39. The system of claim 38, wherein the one or more temperature regulating elements includes one or more hollow tubes, one or more conductive heating elements, or a reactive chemical layer applied to the casting surface skin.
40. The system of claim 38, further comprising:
- a suspended framework coupled to the plurality of side walls, wherein the suspended framework includes a plurality of forming rods extending toward the concrete base casting form,
- wherein the plurality of forming rods of the suspended framework are evenly spaced,
- wherein the frame is steel,
- wherein the concrete base casting form includes a plurality of cylindrical hollow sections,
- wherein casting rails on a first side and a second side of the panel form each include an extension on an inwardly facing surface extending toward the opening, and wherein casting rails on a third side and a fourth side of the panel form each include an indentation on an inwardly facing surface extending away from the opening, and
- wherein each casting rail is decoupled from any adjacent casting rail, and individually and removably coupled to and removable from the casting surface of the concrete base by fastening through at least one hole in one of the plurality of casting rails and one of the plurality of holes extending through a thickness of the concrete base.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 23, 2021
Publication Date: Oct 28, 2021
Inventors: David M. BRODOWSKI (Dayton, OH), Timothy J. BRERETON (Rolesville, NC)
Application Number: 17/355,733