This invention relates to concrete reinforcement, and more particularly, to a basket and dowel reinforcement members made from continuous basalt fibers for use in load transfer between adjoining slabs.
Due to constant expanding and contracting of concrete used in the formation of highways, joints are placed between slabs of concrete to absorb the movement. Between temperature fluctuations and heavy truck traffic, the concrete must be able to absorb movement without shifting or cracking. Construction techniques employ the use of dowel bars embedded in the concrete to transfer the load across the joints. The dowel bars reduce pavement roughness caused by faulting and improve the pavement's performance. Critical to the installation is that the dowel bars are placed in proper three-dimensional alignment. Misplaced or misaligned dowel bars can adversely affect the performance of the concrete. Misaligned dowel bars can lock up the joints and prevent them from opening and closing freely resulting in spalling, faulting, pumping, corner breaks, blowups, and mid-panel cracking. Because of the difficulties in determining the position of dowel bars in hardened concrete, misplaced dowel bars went largely undetected in the past, until it was too late and problems started to develop.
Most jointed concrete pavement failures can be attributed to failures at the joint, as opposed to inadequate structural capacity. The most common types of pavement joints, which are defined by their function, are as follows: (1) Longitudinal Joint—a joint between two slabs which allows slab warping without appreciable separation or cracking of the slabs; (2) Construction Joint—a joint between slabs that results when concrete is placed at different times. This type of joint can be further broken down into transverse and longitudinal joints; (3) Expansion Joint—a joint placed at a specific location to allow the pavement to expand without damaging adjacent structures or the pavement itself; and (4) Transverse Contraction Joint is a sawed, formed, or tooled groove in a concrete slab that creates a weakened vertical plane. It regulates the location of the cracking caused by dimensional changes in the slab, and is by far the most common type of joint in concrete pavements.
The primary purpose of transverse contraction joints is to control the cracking that results from the tensile and bending stresses in concrete slabs caused by the cement hydration process, traffic loadings, and the environment. Because these joints are so numerous, their performance significantly impacts pavement performance. The sawing of transverse contraction and longitudinal joints is intended to cause the pavement to crack at the intended joint. It should be made to a required depth and width. Joint spacing varies throughout the country because of considerations of initial costs, type of slab (reinforced or plain), type of load transfer, and local conditions. The amount of longitudinal slab movement that a joint experiences is primarily a function of joint spacing and temperature changes. Expansion characteristics of the aggregates used in the concrete and the friction between the bottom of the slab and the base also have an effect on slab movement. Good design and maintenance of contraction joints have virtually eliminated the need for expansion joints, except at fixed objects such as structures. When expansion joints are used, the pavement moves to close the unrestrained expansion joint over a period of a few years. As this happens, several of the adjoining contraction joints may open, effectively destroying their seals and aggregate interlock.
What is disclosed is an improved dowel system with positioning baskets that is light in weight, non-corroding, and better capable of maintaining dowel alignment by resisting deformation.
In light of the above and according to one aspect of the invention, disclosed herein is a basalt basket for positioning of dowels to provide improved loading between adjoining concrete slabs.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a continuous basalt fiber material matrix configuration that is an economical and sustainable alternative to steel dowel and basket construction, the basalt basket capable of securely holding dowels in alignment even if struck during the concrete pouring step.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a dowel and basket system that cannot rust like steel which otherwise can absorb or wick water into the concrete.
Another objective of the present invention is to eliminate the dangerous position of cutting a steel basket that is under a load, the result of which can cause injury to the individual making the cut or cause the shifting of a dowel.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a continuous basalt fiber material that is stronger than steel when used in the basket configuration, has no memory of bending damage, does not need shipping ties to be cut before paving and is capable of maintaining shape if improperly stored before use.
Yet still another objective of the present invention is to provide a basalt matrix reinforcement system which is relatively light thereby reducing shipping cost, logistics issues, and installation stress by providing an easy to move configuration that can be carried by a single individual.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a concrete reinforcement matrix that has the same thermal coefficient of expansion as concrete and is naturally resistant to corrosion, rust, alkali, and acids.
Still yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a concrete reinforcement matrix that does not conduct electricity and will not create a path for water to penetrate through the concrete.
Still yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a concrete reinforcement matrix that does not allow the creation of magnetic fields.
Still yet another objective of the present invention is to eliminate radar reflection, the blockage of radio waves, microwaves, and thus permit improved thermo scans results.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to extend the service limits of thermal load limits of a concrete structure.
Yet still another objective of the present invention is to provide a concrete reinforcement matrix that can be cut with a conventional saw.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a continuous matrix basket configuration that can be made of basalt, fiberglass, carbon fiber, or the use of bio fibers such as hemp, the basket capable of securely holding dowels made of basalt, fiberglass, carbon fiber or steel in alignment even if struck during the concrete pouring step.
Other objectives and further advantages and benefits associated with the basalt rebar matrix will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description, examples and claims which follow.
The purpose of the dowels is to transfer loads across a joint without restricting joint movement due to thermal contraction and expansion of the concrete. Studies have shown that larger dowels are more effective in transferring loads and in reducing faulting. Dowels should be corrosion-resistant to prevent dowel seizure, which causes the joint to lock up. Epoxy-coated and stainless steel dowels have been shown to adequately prevent corrosion. Smooth dowels are the most widely used method of transferring load across expansion joints. Expansion joint dowels are specially fabricated with a cap on one end of each dowel that creates a void in the slab to accommodate the dowel as the adjacent slab closes the expansion joint.
Dowel baskets are used to ensure that the dowels are properly aligned. Conventional dowel baskets are constructed from steel, are about 24″×12′ in dimension. A steel dowel basket weighs about 50 lbs and a steel dowel that is about 1½″×24″ weigh about 20 lbs. The weight of the steel basket limits how many can be stacked for storage and shipping without causing deformation of the baskets and related tolerances. Further, an individual could only be expected to carry a single steel basket due to the weight. During installation, dowels are lightly coated with grease or other substance over their entire length to prevent bonding of the dowel to the concrete. Coating only one-half of the dowel has frequently resulted in problems, primarily caused by insufficient greasing and/or dowel misalignment. The dowel must be free to slide in the concrete so that the two pavement slabs move independently, thus preventing excessive pavement stresses. Further, a steel basket is subject to rusting and seizing an interrelated dowel. Further, if a steel basket is cut to size the exposed steel would be immediately subject to rust. Still further, the final installation step after placing steel baskets is to use abrasive saws or bolt cutters to separate the basket into two halves running across the roadway by cutting several ties so that the basket will not tie the concrete sections at the joint this cutting of a steel basket that has spring tension as a result of bending during shipment and/or improperly set can create a dangerous situation if the cutting of the steel causes the basket to spring open.
The basalt baskets of the instant invention, are fully scalable and normally of a comparable size to traditional steel baskets about 24″×144″ in dimension and weight less than 17.0 lbs. The basalt baskets can be stacked without crushing or deformation and an individual can carry three basalt baskets which equals the weight of a single steel basket. In addition, while the traditional 1½″×24″ steel dowel weighs about 13 lbs each, a similar fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) basalt, fiberglass or carbon fiber dowel weighs less than 4 lbs. Basalt does not rust and the use of a basalt formed basket and dowel allows size cutting without the possibility of rust, weeping, or arcing due to steel loading. Further, the use of a basalt (BFRP), glass (GFRP) or carbon fiber (CFRP) dowel can be made smooth wherein greasing is not necessary. Alternatively the non-metal dowel can be greased, pre-waxed during production, post-waxed, or coated with a bond breaking material of most any combination. Still further, the dowel and basket can include the use of bio fibers such as hemp. Additionally the use of bio based polymer resin systems based on the byproduct of alternative fuels such as ethanol can be used. While the use of the byproduct will cause approximately a 30% reduction in strength, the byproduct can be encapsulated within a strength material, such as basalt, wherein the reduction of strength will not affect the structure and will retain the properties of the basalt for bond breaking.
When two slabs are not connected, there can be no load transfer between an approach slab and a leave slap. The result is that either the approach slap or the leave slab will settle causing the roadway to become uneven. When proper doweling is placed between two slabs, the load transfer is between 70 and 90 percent. When dowels are not properly aligned, however, or if a conventional steel basket is deformed due to loading, the result is misalignment which may not show up for years after installation.
As shown in
The reinforcing members produced using continuous basalt fibers (CBF) in an appropriate adhesive matrix be it a thermo plastic or a thermo set epoxy, vinyl ester or urethane. The CBF reinforcing members are formed from multiple roving (bundles) to produce the required strength for the load predictions in a similar manner to steel calculations. The micron size of the basalt fiber and the size of the CBF roving may be altered as necessary. To prevent slippage of the reinforcement within the concrete the roving's of the basket are spaced sufficiently to allow the concrete to flow between the legs and crossed and interlaces to mitigate potential for sheer at crossovers. The manufacturing process of the reinforcement is continuous without cold secondary bonds of the continuous basalt fiber with the adhesive matrix.
In light of the above and according to one aspect of the invention, the basalt basket 100 matrix and dowel 120 are used to improved concrete slabs. The extremely low stretch and cyclical tenacity of continuous basalt fiber is exploited to produce a reinforcing member and the dowels 120 are positioned to specifically provide load transfer between adjoining slabs. The reinforcing members produced using continuous basalt fibers (CBF) in an appropriate adhesive matrix be it a thermo plastic or a thermo set epoxy, vinyl ester or urethane add structural rigidity to the concrete, making the concrete capable of supporting heavy loads such as trucks wherein 70 to 98% of the load is transferred between the approach and leave slab. The CBF reinforcing members are formed from multiple roving (bundles) to produce the required strength for the load predictions in a similar manner to steel calculations. To prevent slippage of the reinforcement within the concrete the basket rovings are spaced sufficiently to allow the concrete to flow between the interlaces.
The basalt reinforcing material is constructed from continuous basalt fiber strands combined with non-corrosive thermo set or thermo plastic polymer formed into a matrix shape. Basalt fiber reinforcement does not exhibit memory and tends to return to an original cured condition and shape. Continuous basalt fiber is manufactured from basalt filaments made by melting crushed volcanic rock of a specific mineral mixture known as a breed and drawing the molten material into fibers. The fibers cool to form hexagonal chains resulting in a resilient structure having a substantially higher tensile strength than steel of the same diameter at one fifth the weight and virtually corrosion free.
Continuous basalt fiber is manufactured from basalt filaments made by melting crushed volcanic rock of a specific mineral mixture known as a breed and drawing the molten material into fibers. The fibers cool to form hexagonal chains resulting in a resilient structure having a substantially higher tensile strength than steel of the same diameter at one fifth the weight and virtually corrosion free.
Referring to
An alternate embodiment forming base 200 is shown in
The sides 202, 204 of the forming base 200 have side apertures 230 allowing a dowel pin 222 to pass through. The base sides 210, 212 have base apertures 232 for positioning base pins 220. When the dowel pins 222 and base pins 220 are in their respective apertures, and the base sides are in their initial parallel position, stands 102 can be wrapped in a predetermined pattern, weaving around the base pins 220, the dowel pins 222, and around the through top peaks 214, located on the top side 206. The top peaks 214 have a slot 234 which allows the strands 102 to come to a top point when hardened, creating a handle to lift the newly formed basket 150. By moving the base sides 210, 212 to the horizontal position prior to the strands 102 hardening, the strands 102 will bend at the hinges 216 to form the feet 104 of the basket 150.
When the strands 102 harden, the dowel pins 222 and base pins 220 can then be removed, and the basket 150 can be lifted off of the forming base 200. The alternate embodiment of the forming base 200, creates the alternate embodiment basket 150, but this basket 150 continues to function as the original embodiment basket 100 by holding dowels 120 or 150-164 in a horizontal position within the concrete slaps.
All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Detailed embodiments of the instant invention are disclosed herein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representation basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.
One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.
In accordance with 37 C.F.R. 1.76 a claim of priority is included in an Application Data Sheet filed concurrently herewith. Accordingly, the present invention claims priority date to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/109,269 entitled “BASALT BASKET AND DOWEL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE”, filed Jan. 29, 2015. This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/436,653, entitled “MATRIX BASALT REINFORCEMENT MEMBERS FOR PERVIOUS CEMENT”, filed Mar. 30, 2012. The contents of the above referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62109269 | Jan 2015 | US |