Patent Grant
11149384
This disclosure relates generally to precast concrete, and in particular to the repair of continuously reinforced concrete (CRC) using precast concrete panels.
Continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) is a concrete pavement that is built in lanes that are generally between about 12 and about 24 feet wide, and in lengths that can extend thousands of feet (in some cases less and in some cases more). First, a subgrade surface is often prepared upon which closely-spaced (typically about 5 inches to about 9 inches) longitudinal steel rebar are placed at a proper distance (typically about 4 inches to about 6 inches) above the subgrade surface, depending upon the design thickness of the new pavement. Second and lastly, a concrete paver often deposits, extrudes, and finishes plastic concrete over the pre-placed rebar. A single day's operation may (in some cases) produce up to a few thousand feet of pavement, depending upon the efficiency of the construction crew. Unlike unreinforced concrete pavement, which is typically built with transverse joints every 15 feet or so apart, there are (generally speaking) no transverse joints in CRCP, which often makes it a smoother and longer lasting pavement. As freshly cast CRCP cures, however, it often shrinks and, by design, transverse cracks appear at about every 6-8 feet apart, with such cracks often being very small and being considered to be benign because of the presence of the longitudinal steel. In many cases, such curing stresses actually place the rebar in tension as the concrete surrounding the bars cures and tends to shrink. That tension often increases as ambient temperatures lower, placing more stress in the rebar as the CRCP attempts to shrink even more. The pavement is regularly designed with enough steel to safely resist these longitudinal thermal loads such that widths of the transverse cracks typically do not increase. This method of building jointless pavement, which was originally developed in the 1960's and 1970's, has been used heavily in many mid-west states with vast expanses of heavily traveled roadways—largely because such pavement originally exhibited the potential to provide long-term “zero-maintenance” service life under heavy traffic loadings and challenging environmental conditions. The justification for using this more costly type of pavement is largely based upon a common belief that CRCP may be considered a “premium pavement” and indeed, it seems to have earned that label.
Yet, after many years of successful service, it is now clear that CRCP is not necessarily maintenance free—at least not in some installations around the world. While the theory behind CRCP was and is sound, some batches of concrete placed during initial construction in such roadways were not up to proper standards—resulting in sections of concrete that failed over time under seasonal and environmental conditions. As a result, some CRCP is now badly in need of repair, especially on some heavily traveled interstates, such as I-10 in El Paso, Tex. In most cases, this need for repair is likely due to traffic counts and a percentage of truck traffic that far exceeds the weight limits for which the pavement was originally designed. Additionally, some of the needed repairs are the result of pockets of concrete pavement that were not durable.
By comparison, repair to CRCP is often much more challenging than repair to jointed pavement. For example, jointed pavement is generally relatively easy to repair because it is either lightly reinforced or not reinforced at all and is not appreciably longitudinally stressed, due to the short panel lengths. And, repairs to jointed concrete pavement using cast-in-place (CIP) concrete techniques have become commonplace and effective in most states. In the last 19 years or so, a majority of the states in the U.S. have been installing precast repair panels (in jointed pavement) that allow overnight installation in heavily traveled areas. On the other hand, the repair of CRCP is often much more involved and time-consuming due to the continuous longitudinal reinforcing steel (usually in the form of rebar) positioned at relatively narrow intervals within the concrete at the time of original construction. Thus, the removal of a distressed section of the CRCP necessarily requires cutting and interrupting the continuity of these purposefully-placed, continuous reinforcing means before any subsequent repair can take place.
In short, there is thus a need in the relative industry to design and implement a new and improved system and method for repairing CRCP. Accordingly, it would be an improvement in the art to augment or even replace current techniques with other techniques.
The present disclosure relates to precast concrete, and in particular to the repair of continuously reinforced concrete or CRC using precast concrete panels.
An aspect of the present disclosure includes a repair system that includes a precast concrete panel having one or more openings positioned in at least a bottom side portion thereof, as well as one or more reinforcing members embedded within the panel. In some cases, the panel also includes a reinforcing fastening member extending into each of the openings. Some implementations of the repair system further comprise a prepared side edge of the continuously reinforced concrete pavement or CRCP having reinforcing anchoring members epoxy cemented (or otherwise secured) therein and extending therefrom, with the anchoring members being configured to extend into the openings of the panel with the panel positioned in a void created by the removal of existing CRCP. The anchoring members also serve to transfer vertical wheel loads and/or horizontal tensile loads from the precast panel to the CRCP or from the CRCP to the precast panel. The anchoring members, in some cases, are configured in a pair, with each pair positioned to extend into the opening, or (in some cases) are configured as single anchoring members, with the fastening member extending into the opening between the pair of anchoring members. In some cases, pairs of anchoring and load transfer members are used when repairing thin CRCP while larger single anchoring members are (in some cases) used when repairing thicker CRCP. In some implementations, one or more of the fastening members and the anchoring members optionally have a head on a distal end thereof, with the head being configured to create opposing and overlapping forces within the opening when cementitious adhesive (such as Portland Cement-based grout) and/or any other suitable binder is inserted within the opening and cured.
In some implementations, the described systems further include a pavement patch having a precast panel that has a first end, a second end that is disposed substantially opposite to the first end, a top surface, a bottom surface, and an opening defined in the precast panel such that the opening opens at both the first end and the bottom surface of the precast panel. In some cases, the described systems further include a piece of pavement (e.g., a piece of CRCP, another precast panel, and/or any other suitable form of pavement) having a first anchor (or anchoring) member that is anchored within the piece of pavement and that extends from a first face (e.g., a full-cut face, and/or any other suitable end surface) of the piece of pavement in a position such that the first anchor member extends from the piece of pavement into the opening when the first end of the precast panel is abutted against the first face of the piece of pavement and when the first anchor member and the opening are aligned.
In some such implementations, the described precast panel includes a distal end that is disposed at the first end of the precast panel and a proximal end that is disposed closer to a midpoint of a length between the first end and the second end of the precast panel than is the distal end of the opening, and wherein a wall of the opening extending between the distal end and the proximal end of the opening comprises a non-linear portion and/or any other suitable feature that is configured to capture a binder that is added to the opening.
Additionally, in some such implementations: the precast panel further comprises a strengthening member that is embedded within the precast panel and that runs adjacent to a side of the opening, a distal portion of the strengthening member includes a head, a distal portion of the first anchor member comprises a head, the precast panel further comprises a fastening member having a first portion that is embedded in the first panel and a second portion that extends into the opening, the second portion of the fastening member includes an enlarged head, the second portion of the fastening member has an elongated member that is coupled to the first portion of the fastening member after the first portion of the fastening member is embedded in the precast panel, the piece of pavement further includes a second anchor member that is anchored within the piece of pavement such that the second anchor member extends from the first face of the piece of pavement so that the first and second anchor members extend from the piece of pavement into the opening when the first end of the precast panel is abutted against the first face of the piece of pavement and the first and second anchor members are aligned with the opening, a distal portion of each of the first and second anchor members comprises an enlarged head, and/or a portion of each of the first and second anchor members runs substantially parallel to the second portion of the fastening member within opening when the first end of the precast panel is abutted against the first face of the piece of pavement.
Moreover, some implementations of the described system include a pavement patch that has a precast panel having a first end, a second end that is disposed substantially opposite to the first end, a top surface, a bottom surface, an opening defined in the precast panel such that the opening opens at both the first end and/or second ends, as well as at the bottom surface of the precast panel, and a fastening member having a first portion that is disposed and coupled within the precast panel and a second portion that extends from the first portion into the opening, wherein the second portion comprises a head. In some such implementations, the system further includes a piece of continuously reinforced pavement (and/or any other suitable pavement) having a first anchor member that is anchored within the piece of continuously reinforced pavement and that extends from a first face of the piece of continuously reinforced pavement in a position so that a portion of the first anchor member extends from the piece of continuously reinforced pavement into the opening when the first end of the precast panel is abutted against the first face of the piece of continuously reinforced pavement and when the first anchor member and the opening are aligned, wherein the portion of the first anchor member that extends from the piece of continuously reinforced pavement into the opening comprises an enlarged head. In some such implementations, the first portion and the second portion of the fastening member are threadedly coupled together; a portion of the top surface extends over both the opening and the second portion of the fastening member, wherein the precast panel defines an inlet that allows a binder to be introduced into the opening through the top surface; the opening in the precast panel comprises a distal end that is disposed at the first end of the precast panel and a proximal end that is disposed closer to a midpoint of a length between the first end and the second end of the precast panel than is the distal end, and wherein a wall of the opening extending between the distal end and the proximal end of the opening defines a recess that is configured to receive a binder that is added to the opening; and/or the precast panel further comprises a first strengthening member and a second strengthening member that are each embedded within the precast panel and that each run adjacent to, and flank, an opposite side of the opening.
In some other implementations, the described methods include a method for patching pavement, wherein the method includes providing a precast panel having a first end, a second end that is disposed substantially opposite to the first end, a top surface, a bottom surface, and an opening defined in the precast panel such that the opening opens at both the first end and the bottom surface of the precast panel; obtaining a piece of pavement having a first anchor member that is anchored within the piece of pavement and that extends from a first face of the piece of pavement; and coupling the precast panel with the piece of pavement such that the first anchor member extends from the piece of pavement into the opening such that the first end of the precast panel is abutted against the first face of the piece of pavement and such that the first anchor member is aligned with the opening. In some such implementations, the precast pavement panel defines an orifice that is open from the top surface and first end, and wherein the compression device is disposed in the orifice.
Some implementations related to a method for patching pavement, the method that includes providing a precast pavement panel having: a first end, a second end that is disposed substantially opposite to the first end, a top surface, and a bottom surface; and a fastening member that is coupled to the precast pavement panel and that extends from the first end of the precast pavement panel; obtaining a piece of pavement having an anchor member that is anchored within the piece of pavement and that extends from a first face of the piece of pavement; aligning the first end of the precast pavement panel with the first face of the piece of pavement to form a space between the precast pavement panel and the piece of pavement such that a length of the fastening member extends past a length of the anchor member within the space between the precast pavement panel and the piece of pavement; and applying a binder into the space between the precast pavement panel and the piece of pavement to bind the precast pavement panel with the piece of pavement.
Some implementations relate to a precast pavement panel having: a first end, a second end that is disposed substantially opposite to the first end, a top surface, and a bottom surface; and an opening defined in the precast pavement panel such that the opening opens from at least one of the first end, the bottom surface, and the top surface of the precast pavement panel, wherein the opening is configured to resist vertical and horizontal loads imposed upon a binder material placed therein.
Moreover, some implementations relate to a pavement patch system that includes: a precast pavement panel having: a first end, a second end that is disposed substantially opposite to the first end, a top surface, and a bottom surface; and a fastening member embedded in the precast pavement panel and that extends beyond the first end; and an anchor member that is anchored within a piece of pavement and that extends from a first full-depth face of the piece of pavement, wherein when the first end of the precast pavement panel is aligned with the first face of the piece of pavement, a full-depth space is formed between the first end of the precast pavement panel and the first face of the piece of pavement, the anchor member extends from the first face of the piece of pavement into the full-depth space and the fastening member extends from the first end of the precast pavement panel into the full-depth space.
In some cases, the described systems and methods include using multiple precast panels of pavement. In such cases, the precast panels can be assembled together in any suitable manner, including, without limitation, being disposed end to end, side by side, kitty corner to each other, and/or in any other suitable manner. Additionally, in some cases, the described anchor members and/or fastening members are configured to not only transfer vertical loads (e.g., wheel loads) between the CRCP and the precast panel (or vice versa), but they are also configured to transfer horizontal tensile loads between each other. In this regard, while most of the compressive loads in the described systems are carried by concrete, in some cases, the internal supports (e.g., the anchor members, the strengthening members, the fastening members, etc.) also help carry the compressive forces. Moreover, while an end face of existing CRCP is often cut with a saw for use with some implementations of the described systems and methods, in some other implementations, the end of the existing CRCP that is to be joined with one or more of the described precast panels is relatively rough (e.g., being cut or broken with a chisel, jack hammer, saw, hammer, bucket, explosive, and/or in any other suitable manner).
These and other features and advantages of the present systems and methods will be set forth or will become more fully apparent in the description that follows and in the appended claims. The features and advantages may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Furthermore, the features and advantages of the described systems and methods may be learned by the practice of the invention or will be obvious from the description, as set forth hereinafter.
In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other features and advantages are obtained, a more particular description of the described systems and methods will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale or in proper proportion, and that the drawings depict only typical embodiments and are not, therefore, to be considered as limiting the scope of this application. Any labels, text, measurements, dimensions, notes, and/or other information provided in the Figures are provided for illustration purpose and are no to be considered to be limiting in any way. The present embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, wherein like designations denote like members:
A detailed description of the hereinafter described embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures listed above. Although certain embodiments are shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present disclosure will in no way be limited to the number of constituting components, the materials thereof, the shapes thereof, the relative arrangement thereof, etc., which are disclosed simply as examples of embodiments of the present disclosure.
As a preface to the detailed description, it should be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Referring to the drawings,
Some embodiments of the system 100 comprise one or more precast panels of pavement 110. In this regard, some precast pavement panels, such as panel 110, comprise pre-formed sections of concrete (i.e., any suitable type of concrete, ashcrete, hemperete, ferrock, timbercrete, polymer concrete, limecrete, glass concrete, cement, rubber tire aggregate concrete, fiber-reinforced concrete, Portland cement, pre-stressed concrete, high-density concrete, light-weight concrete, air entrained concrete, high performance concrete (HPC), ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), and/or any other suitable form of concrete), ceramic, molded asphalt, and/or any other suitable concrete substitute and/or type of pavement material or materials that are prefabricated offsite in controlled conditions and thereafter delivered to the job site, fully cured and ready to be installed in the desired positions. Indeed, in some embodiments, one or more of the panels 110 comprise concrete. In such embodiments, such a panel 110 can be prepared using a concrete mixture having a predetermined consistency, strength, compressive strength, tensile strength, rigidity, density, coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, elasticity, creep, and/or any other suitable characteristic of concrete. Moreover, the panel 110 can have any desired length, width, depth, and/or other measurement. Indeed, the panel 110 can be constructed to have any suitable thickness, including, without limitation, a depth that is between about 1″ and about 24″, or within any subrange thereof (e.g., between about 8″ and about 12″), depending on conditions of the existing roadway (i.e., CRCP 2 and/or other existing pavement 2) with which the panel 110 will be coupled, united, mated, and/or otherwise joined.
In accordance with some embodiments, the panel 110 comprises a top surface 101 and an opposing bottom surface 103 (see e.g.,
In some embodiments, the panel 110 also comprises a first side face 102 or end and a second side face 106 or end (see e.g.,
In accordance with some embodiments, the panel 110 further comprises one or more enveloping slots or openings 150 in one or more of the side faces 102 and 106, the top surface 101, the opposing bottom surface 103, and/or in any other suitable portion of the panel 110. Indeed,
The openings 150 can have any suitable characteristic that allows them to be filled with an epoxy, cement, grout, urethane, polyester grout or concrete, resin-based concrete, and/or any other suitable binding material (or binder) that is configured to bind the panel 110 to a corresponding piece of existing pavement (e.g., CRCP 2). Indeed, in some embodiments, the openings 150 are configured or spaced apart at regular intervals, at irregular distances, at corners of the panel 110, and/or as otherwise desired, along one or more of the side faces 102 and 106 (and/or in any other suitable location), with an intermediate concrete (and/or any other suitable material) section 160 positioned between neighboring openings 150.
The openings 150 can have any suitable dimensions that allow the openings 150 to accommodate one or more headed bars (e.g., fasteners 120, anchor members 140, etc.) and to be filled with an epoxy, cement, grout, urethane, polyester grout or concrete, resin-based concrete, and/or any other suitable binding material to bind the panel 110 to a corresponding piece of existing pavement 2. In this regard, some embodiments of the openings have a width of between about 1″ and about 16″ (or within any subrange thereof), a tallness measured form the bottom surface 103 of between about 1″ and about 15″ (or within any subrange thereof), and/or a depth measured from a corresponding face (e.g., one of the faces 102 or 106 at a distal end of the opening to a proximal-most portion of the opening, or to the portion of the opening 110 that is closest to a central point between the two faces of the panel 110) of between about 4″ and about 16″ (or within any subrange thereof). Indeed, in accordance with some embodiments, the openings 150 have a width of between about 2.5″ and about 12″, a tallness measured from the bottom surface 103 of between about 4″ and about 10″, and a depth measured from the faces 102 or 106 of between about 7″ to about 12″. In particular, some embodiments of the panel 110 have openings 150 that comprise a width of about 6″, a tallness of about 7.5″, and a depth of about 9″, such that the openings 150 are not too large to weaken the structural integrity of the panel 110 but are yet large enough to allow the panel 110 to sufficiently couple to the existing CRCP, as will be described herein.
The openings 150 can have any suitable shape (e.g., internal shape) that allows them to be filled with an epoxy, cement, grout, urethane, polyester grout or concrete, resin-based concrete, and/or any other suitable binding material to bind the panel 110 to a corresponding piece of existing pavement 2. In accordance with some embodiments, the sides of the openings 150 are vertical as shown in
As described above, the openings 150 can open from any suitable portion of the panel 110, including, without limitation, one or more of the side faces 102 and 106, the top surface 101, the opposing bottom surface 103, and/or any other suitable portion of the panel 110. In some embodiments, however, the openings 150 are configured to open to the bottom surface 103, but not the top surface 101 (or, said differently, a portion of the top surface 101 extends over the opening 150). For example, the panel 110 may have a concrete portion 116 (e.g., as shown in
In some embodiments, one or more of the openings 150 open directly to the top surface 101, as shown in
Moreover, in accordance with some embodiments, one or more of the openings 150 have one or more keyways having any suitable orientation, including, without limitation, being substantially horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and/or having any other suitable orientation and/or shape (e.g., narrowed portions that lock solidified binder within the opening, and/or any other suitable shape). Indeed, in some embodiments, one or more of the openings 150 define a substantially horizontal keyway 159 in one or more side wall surfaces of the opening 150 (e.g., as depicted in
Also, in addition to (or in place of) any keyways 159, the side wall surfaces of the openings 150 can have any other suitable characteristic, including, without limitation, being substantially vertical, angled, comprising one or more protrusions, comprising one or more recesses, and/or having any other suitable characteristic. Indeed, in accordance with some embodiments, one or more of the side wall surfaces of the opening 150 are angled with respect to the vertical, as depicted in
With reference again to
The cross members 112 may be comprised of, for example, any suitable material that allows them to strengthen the panel 110 (e.g., one or more intermediate concrete sections 160). Indeed, in some embodiments, the cross members 112 comprise one or more pieces of rebar, deformed rebar, fiberglass, metal, sheets, bars, rods, and/or any other suitable rigid materials that exhibit or demonstrate sufficient tensile capacity to maintain the tensile force transferred to them, by the means described herein, including, without limitation, from rebar 4 embedded within the existing CRCP 2 (see e.g.,
With reference to at least
In this regard, the head 122 can have any suitable characteristic that helps ensure that the fastening member is tightly bound to the binding material. Indeed, in some embodiments, the head comprises one or more enlarged portions (e.g., a circular, quadrilateral, triangular, disc-shaped, perpendicular rod, protrusion, bulbous, and/or any other suitable shape) having a diameter, bend, shape, and/or size that is greater (or sufficiently different than) than the diameter of the shaft of the fastening member 120.
The fastening member 120 (and/or segment 124) can extend into any suitable portion of a corresponding opening 150. In some embodiments, however, the fastening member 120 is configured to extend into the opening 150, substantially down the middle of the opening 150. In other embodiments, two or more fastening members 120 (and/or segments 124) are configured to extend into the opening 150, so as each be off centered, or to be disposed in any other suitable location.
The fastening member 120 may be configured to have any suitable length that allows it to be coupled to the panel 110 and to extend into the opening 150, including without limitation, a length between about 12″ and about 200″ (or within any subrange thereof). Indeed, in some embodiments, the fastening member comprises a length between 24″ and 36″ with about 4″ to about 12″ (or any subrange thereof, e.g., between about 6″ and about 8″ thereof) extending into the opening 150. For instance, some embodiments of the fastening member 120 have a length of about 32″, with about 24″ being embedded within (and/or otherwise being coupled to) the panel 110 and the remaining 8″ extending into the opening 150. In accordance with some embodiments, the presence of the head 122 allows at least the length of the fastening member 120 to be in the range of about 24″, and shorter than other conventional anchors, because the head 122 develops tensile strength from/by the fastening member 120 within the concrete of the system 100 over shorter distances.
The fastening members 120 can also have any other suitable characteristic. By way of non-limiting example, in some embodiments, fastening members 120 on opposite ends of the precast panel 110 are spliced with (or otherwise coupled to) cross members 112 to directly transfer tensile force (and/or any other suitable force) between fastening members 120 in the same panel.
The fastening members 120 can comprise any suitable material that allows them to function as described herein. Indeed, in some embodiments, the fastening materials 120 comprise one or more pieces of rebar, deformed rebar, metal, a plate, a rod, and/or any other suitable rigid materials that exhibit or demonstrate sufficient tensile capacity to maintain the tensile force (and/or other forces) transferred to it by means described herein (e.g., from rebar 4 embedded within the existing CRCP 2). Further in example, when rebar is used as the fastening member 120, the rebar can be any suitable size, including, without limitation, being from size #1 to size #15, including any size therein. Indeed, in some embodiments the rebar acting as the fastening member 120 has a bar size of from #5 to #10, although other bar sizes are contemplated. In some embodiments, satisfactory tensile strength and the required pullout strength can be realized using rebar of size #6 (or any other suitable size) in the precast panel 110, while a rebar of size #8 (or any other suitable size) can be epoxy anchored (and/or otherwise coupled) in the exposed side face of the CRCP 2.
In some embodiments, the panel 110 further comprises one or more strengthening members 130 positioned and embedded within the panel 110. In some such embodiments, each strengthening member 130 is positioned within the panel 110 such that at least a portion of the strengthening member 130 extends into the intermediate concrete section 160 positioned between neighboring openings 150. In some embodiments, the strengthening members 130 are also configured such that at least one strengthening member 130 is positioned on each opposing lateral side of the cross member 112 within the intermediate concrete section 160. In other words, in some embodiments of the panel 110, a strengthening member 130 resides on either side of the cross member 112, such that two or more strengthening members 130 and one or more cross members 112 are all positioned within the intermediate concrete section 160 (e.g., as depicted in
With reference again to at least
The strengthening member 130 can have any suitable length that allows it to function as described herein, including, without limitation, being between about 6″ and about 50″, or within any subrange thereof. Indeed, in some embodiments, the strengthening member is configured to have a length of between 18″ and 30″ with all of the strengthening member 130 being enveloped or encompassed within the panel 110. In some embodiments, one or more of the strengthening members 130 in the panel have a length of about 24″. The presence of the head 132, in some embodiments, allows at least the length of the strengthening member 130 to be in the range of about 24″, and shorter than other conventional reinforcing members, because the head 132 develops tensile strength from/by the strengthening member 130 within the concrete of the system 100 over shorter distances.
The strengthening members 130 can comprise any suitable material that allows it to function as described herein. Indeed, in some embodiments, it comprises one or more pieces of rebar, deformed rebar, metal, a plate, a bar, a ceramic, and/or any other suitable rigid material or materials that exhibit or demonstrate sufficient tensile capacity (and/or other strength) to maintain the tensile force (and/or other force) transferred to it by means described herein (e.g., from rebar 4 embedded within the existing CRCP 2). Further in example, when rebar is used as the strengthening member 130, the rebar may have any suitable bar size including, without limitation, being from size #1 to size #15, including any size therein. Indeed, in some embodiments the rebar acting as the strengthening member 130 has a bar size of from #5 to #10, although other bar sizes are contemplated. In some embodiments, satisfactory tensile strength and the required pullout strength can be realized using rebar of size #6 (and/or any other suitable size) in the precast panel 110, while a rebar of size #8 (and/or any other suitable size) may be epoxy anchored (and/or otherwise coupled) in the exposed side face of the CRCP 2.
With reference to at least
The anchoring member 140 may be configured to have any suitable length that allows it to function herein, including, without limitation, being between about 8″ and about 56″ (or within any subrange thereof). Indeed, in some embodiments, the anchoring members 140 have a length of between about 18″ and about 30″, and in some embodiments the anchoring members 130 have a length of about 24″. Each anchoring member 140 may be positioned within the CRCP 2 or an adjacent panel 110a such that at least a portion of the anchoring member 140 extends out of the substantially vertical side face of the CRCP 2 or adjacent panel 110a. For example, one end of the anchoring member 140 is (in some embodiments) configured to be embedded sufficiently into the CRCP 2 or an adjacent panel 110a such that the opposing distal end of the anchoring member 140 extends away from, and clear of, the side face about 5″ to 9″ (and/or any other suitable length between about 2″ and about 18″). In some embodiments, the anchoring member 140 is configured to extend from the side face of the CRCP 2 or an adjacent panel 110a about 7″ to 8″.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the distal end of the anchoring member 140 that extends from the CRCP 2 or an adjacent panel 110a comprises thereon a headed portion or a head 142. The head 142 may be an enlarged portion (e.g., a circular, quadrilateral, triangular, disc-shaped, polygonal, bulbous, bent, and/or any other suitable shape) having a diameter, shape, and/or size greater than the diameter of the shaft of the anchoring member 140. The presence of the head 142 allows at least the length of some embodiments of the anchoring member 140 to be in the range of about 24″, and shorter than other conventional anchors, because the head 142 develops tensile strength from/by the anchoring member 140 within the concrete of the system 100 over shorter distances.
The anchoring member 140 may be comprised of any suitable material that allows it to function as described herein. Indeed, in some embodiments, the anchoring member 140 comprises one or more pieces of rebar, deformed rebar, metal, a bar, a rod, and/or any other suitable rigid material or materials that exhibit or demonstrate sufficient tensile (and/or any other suitable type of) strength to maintain the tensile force and vertical wheel loads between the CRCP 2 and the formed panel 110 or between new precast panels 110 and 110a. Further in example, when rebar is used as the anchoring member 140, the rebar may have any suitable size, including, without limitation, from #1 to #15 (or within any size in that range). Indeed, in some embodiments, the anchoring member 140 has a bar size of from #5 to #11, although other bar sizes are contemplated. In some embodiments where the existing CRCP 2 is 8″ to 9″ thick it may be necessary to use pairs of #5 to #8 bars for each opening 150 to fit above or below rebar 4 in existing CRCP 2 within the 8″ to 9″ slab. Since #5 to #8 bars are much smaller than #11 bars and are typically used in thicker CRCP 2, it can be helpful to use pairs of bars to satisfactorily develop the necessary tensile and shear strength to carry the horizontal forces and vertical loads, respectively. In other embodiments, where the existing CRCP 2 is 10″ to 14″ thick, it can be helpful to use single #10 to #12 bars in each opening 150 to carry the same loads. In some embodiments, the single anchor 140 embodiment is attractive to use since it requires less drilling or coring to create the necessary bores 5. In any case, the anchors 140 can be epoxy anchored (and/or otherwise coupled) in the exposed side face of the CRCP 2.
In another embodiment, one or more of the anchor members 140 optionally include one or more heads 142 on both distal ends (e.g., as shown in
In some embodiments, once the panel 110 is placed, the sawed-out inside portions of 150d and 150c are removed to make room for a double headed anchor 140b. In some such embodiments, openings 150b, 150c, and/or 150d are filled from the top (and/or any other suitable portion) of the panel 110 with a cementitious adhesive and/or any other suitable binding material to horizontally and/or vertically lock the panel 110 and the CRCP 2 together. One possible advantage of this embodiment is that epoxy bonding or other suitable binding material need not be used to anchor the double headed anchors 140b in position.
In yet another embodiment, one or more pairs of double-headed anchors 140b are installed in the CRCP 2 as indicated above in the same configuration to that shown in
Referring to
The anchor member 140e may configured to any suitable height that allows it to function as intended. Indeed, in some embodiments, the anchor member 140e has a height of approximately one half the thickness of the precast panel 110. In such an embodiment, the precast panel 110 can be cast with a T-opening 150b (and/or any other suitable shaped opening) that extends from the top surface 101 of the panel 110 to just below the middle of the thickness (or any other suitable portion) of the panel 110. Once the panel 110 is placed, the sawed or bored-out inside portions of 150d and 150c can be removed to make room for a double headed anchor plate 140e. In some such embodiments, openings 150b, 150c, and/or 150d are filled from the top (and/or any other suitable portion) of the panel 110 with a cementitious adhesive and any other suitable binding material, but in some embodiments, not an epoxy anchoring material, to horizontally and vertically lock the panel 110 and the CRCP 2 together to carry horizontal and vertical forces from the panel 110 to the CRCP 2 and/or from the CRCP 2 to the panel 110. In this regard, the holes 167 can provide an avenue or means for the cementitious adhesive, grout, concrete filler, and/or other binding material to penetrate the double-headed anchor plate (e.g., as shown in
With further reference to at least
Embodiments of the system 100 may further comprise a one or more perforated, recessed, protuberated, and/or otherwise shaped plates and/or other objects that are configured to carry tensile forces and vertical loads from grout filled opening 150 to panel 110. By way of non-limiting illustration,
Moreover, some embodiments of the system 100 optionally comprise the plate 166 being at least partially embedded in the precast panel 110 with another remaining portion thereof extending into the opening 150 (e.g., as depicted in
As mentioned, some embodiments of the system 100 further comprise one or more optional recesses 154 configured in one or more of the vertical side walls of the opening 150. For example, the recesses 154 may be slots, notches, grooves, dents, depressions, concavities, and/or any other impressed forms and shapes that extend further into the intermediate concrete section 160 than does another portion (e.g., the rest) of the opening 150. The recess 154 may be positioned in one or more side wall surfaces of the opening 150, the side wall being oriented in a substantially orthogonal (and/or any other suitable) manner to a back wall surface from which the fastening member 120 protrudes. The recess 154 may extend in a vertical manner up the entire vertical sidewall from the bottom surface 103 of the panel 110 to the top of the cavity 150. Other embodiments may comprise the recess 154 extending for only a portion of the vertical sidewall (e.g., as seen in
Some embodiments of the system 100 further comprise the recess 154 having one or more hard, sharp, or abrupt edges, including, without limitation, a substantially orthogonal corner 155, as shown in
With further reference to at least
In accordance with some embodiments, the empty space may thereafter be configured to receive thereon a layer of fine aggregate bedding material or cement treated base material AA (e.g., as shown in
Moreover, prior to the panel 110 being set in position, the exposed side walls of the CRCP 2 may be prepared to receive therein the anchoring members 140, as disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the bores 5 into which the anchoring members 140 will be inserted and epoxy anchored are set in pairs, so that the pair of anchoring members 140 can be about 4″ (or any other suitable distance) apart from one another so that the pair of anchoring members 140 can fit within the opening 150 of the panel 110 when the panel 110 is set in place. Also, some embodiments of the system 100 are configured to have one of the fastening members 120 be positioned in between the pair of anchoring members 140 (e.g., as depicted in
Embodiments of the system 100 may further comprise a portion of the length of the fastening member 120 and/or segment 124 overlapping and/or extending beyond a portion of the length of the anchoring member 140 within the opening 150 (e.g., as depicted in at least
Some embodiments of the system 100 further comprise the panel 110 or 110a being configured to support and/or handle vehicular and automotive traffic with the panel 110 or 110a merely set in position and not cemented (or otherwise bound) into position. In other words, once the panel 110 is set in place next to the CRCP 2 or next to a second precast panel 110a (e.g., as shown in
Once the cementitious adhesive and/or other binder is placed within the openings 150, the cementitious adhesive begins to dry and harden. Once it is hard, it is capable of resisting compressive loads placed upon it by heads 122 and 142 that are attached to anchoring members 140 and/or the fastening members 120. As the precast panel 110 or 110a cures and cools due to decreasing ambient temperatures, shortening stresses are ultimately transferred from the anchoring members 140 and the fastening members 120 (e.g., 124) to heads 122 and 142, both acting in opposite directions placing the cementitious adhesive and/or other binder between the heads in compression.
The compressive forces exerted by the head 122 on the cementitious adhesive within the opening 150 can extend from the head 122 in the direction of the shaft of the fastening member 120, but in an outwardly expanding conical shape and not a straight line. Such force can be described as a shear cone in the industry. As depicted in
Embodiments of the system 100 comprise the shear cone force of the head 122 configured to not only intersect, overlap, cross, and/or otherwise traverse the shear cone force of at least one of the heads 142, if not both of the heads 142, within the opening 150, but also configured to oppose the shear cone force of the heads 142. Furthermore, the shear cone force created by the heads 122 and 142 may extend into the intermediate concrete sections 160, such that the shear cone force of the head 122 not only intersects, overlaps, crosses, and/or otherwise traverses the shear cone force of at least one of the heads 142, if not both of the heads 142, within one or more of the intermediate concrete sections 160, but also opposes the shear cone force of the heads 142. At least one of the benefits of having overlapping and opposing shear cone forces created by the respective heads 122 and 142 in the opening 150 and the intermediate concrete section 160 is that, in some embodiments, the tensile forces in the panel 110 and in the existing CRCP 2 are transferred through the joint 104 between the CRCP 2 and the panel 110 and between panel 110 and any adjacent panel 110a. An additional benefit of the system 100 according to some embodiments is that the position of the recess 154 within the opening 150 ensures positive cementitious adhesive (or binder) and concrete panel 100 engagement under tensile load. An additional benefit of the system 100, described above, is the ability of some embodiments to introduce tension across the joint 104 between the panel 110 and the CRCP 2, as described heretofore. The desire to maintain tensile capacity across the joint 104 may be necessary in certain conditions to maintain tensile forces that remain or will increase in adjacent stretches of CRCP 2. An additional benefit of the system 100 is that some embodiments that include the dove-tail shape of the opening 150 in concert with the concrete portion 116 over opening 150 effectively encapsulate or contain the cementitious material (or binder) around headed anchor 142 such that vertical loads imposed upon either panel 110 or the CRCP 2 can be effectively transferred across the joint 104 as required by good pavement design.
With reference now to
With reference now to
In accordance with some embodiments, restoration of compression is accomplished in a two-step process. In the first step, one or more jacks 182 are (in some embodiments) inserted in three, four, or any other suitable number of openings 150a that are the same as openings 150 except they are open to the top surface 101 of the panel 110. With the compression-inducing device 180 ready, or before the device 180 is used, at least one other joint 104 can be grouted or fixed in place with the cementitious adhesive (or other binder) being placed into the openings 150 and respective joints 104. Then, once grout in adjacent joints is hardened, the compression-inducing device 180 can be configured and activated to cause the jacks 182 to press against the CRCP 2 and the jack pocket 150a to thereby introduce compression in the panel 110 and the CRCP, in an operation that tends to increase the width of the joint 104 or, in other words, to push adjacent sections of the CRCP 2 and the panel 110 apart. With the panel 110 in a compressed state, the cementitious adhesive (or other binder) can be placed into the openings 150 along the side where the compression-inducing device 180 is acting and in joint 104. In the second step of the process, once the cementitious adhesive is hardened, the compression-inducing device 180 is in some embodiments released so the jacks 183 may be removed. At that point, the panel 110 will remain in the compressed state. Once the jacks are removed headed segment 144 is attached to threaded anchor 140a by virtue of a threaded bolt coupling 146 and/or in any other suitable manner. Jack openings 150a are then filled with cementitious adhesive (and/or any other suitable material) to complete the newly compression connection for opening to traffic. Once this is completed the headed anchor 144 and/or adjacent headed anchors 140 are configured to resist tensile forces during cooler months.
With reference to
With reference to
In addition to the aforementioned features, the described systems and methods can be modified in any suitable manner. For instance, while some embodiments of the described panel 110 have one or more openings 150 (and/or any other corresponding components) at one end (e.g., the first face 102), in some other embodiments, the panel 110 has one or more openings 150 (and/or other components) at two opposing ends (e.g., the first 102 and second 106 faces). In still other embodiments, the panel 110 comprises one or more openings 150 and/or other components) at one, two, three, four, and/or any other suitable number of sides. In this regard, while the Figures generally show that the panel 110 is rectangular or square, the panel can be any other suitable shape, including, without limitation, being hexagonal, trapezoidal, octagonal, pentagonal, polygonal, symmetrical, asymmetrical, regular, irregular, and/or any other suitable shape.
In still another example of a suitable modification, in some embodiments, in place of or in addition to comprising one or more recesses 154, one or more of the internal side walls of the openings 150 are otherwise non-linear (e.g. comprise one or more catches, protuberances, fins, splines, run at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the first 102 and/or second 106 faces, and/or are otherwise shaped so as to not be completely linear and so as to thereby capture the hardened binder within the opening 150).
In still another example of a suitable modification,
Additionally, in some such embodiments, one or more fastening members 120 extend beyond one or more side faces 102 and/or 106 of the panel 110, such that the fastening members' corresponding heads 122 and/or ends reside near the cut face (e.g., a full-depth and/or any other suitably cut face) of the CRCP 2 when the panel 110 is placed near the CRCP 2. In some such embodiments, one or more anchoring members 140 are anchored to the CRCP 2 and positioned to miss one or more of the fastening members 120 when the anchoring members 140 extend into a full-depth opening 150e between the CRCP 2 and the panel 110 such that the heads 142 reside near one or more of the faces 102 or 106 of the precast panel 110 or 110a. In this regard, the various bars (e.g., the anchor members 140, the fastening members 120, and/or any other suitable objects) can be coupled to the corresponding CRCP 2, the precast panel 110, and/or another precast panel 110a in any suitable manner, including, without limitation, by being integrally formed or embedded in such material, by being inserted and bound (e.g., with a binder) into one or more bores 5 in such material, and/or in any other suitable manner.
Once the panels 110 and 110a are vertically positioned to a best fit (e.g., by virtue of any suitable jack, leveling material, and/or any other suitable leveling devices AC), the opening 150b can be filled with a rapid setting UHPC and/or other suitable binding material so as to encase one or more headed bars (e.g., anchor members 140 and/or fastening members 120) protruding from the existing CRCP 2 and the new precast panel 110. While the embodiment shown in
As another example of a suitable modification, while
While this disclosure has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as required by the following claims. The claims provide the scope of the coverage of the present disclosure and should not be limited to the specific examples provided herein. Each of the various elements of the described embodiments, implementations, Figures, and examples can be mixed and matched with each other in any suitable manner. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. In addition, as the terms on, disposed on, attached to, connected to, coupled to, etc. are used herein, one object (e.g., a material, element, structure, member, etc.) can be on, disposed on, attached to, connected to, or coupled to another object—regardless of whether the one object is directly on, attached, connected, or coupled to the other object, or whether there are one or more intervening objects between the one object and the other object. Also, directions (e.g., distal, proximal, front, back, top, bottom, side, up, down, under, over, upper, lower, lateral, etc.), if provided, are relative and provided solely by way of example and for ease of illustration and discussion and not by way of limitation. Where reference is made to a list of elements (e.g., elements a, b, c), such reference is intended to include any one of the listed elements by itself, any combination of less than all of the listed elements, and/or a combination of all of the listed elements.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/685,832, which was filed on Jun. 15, 2018, and which is entitled PRECAST CONCRETE PANEL PATCH SYSTEM FOR REPAIR OF CONTINUOUSLY REINFORCED CONCRETE; the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190382964 A1 | Dec 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62685832 | Jun 2018 | US |
