Patent Application
20250215707
This application claims the benefit of priority of Spain Patent Application No. EP24382001.6 filed on Jan. 2, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein in their entirety.
The present invention refers in general to the design and manufacturing of machinery and equipment for the construction of concrete structures, preferably for concrete tunnel lining.
More in particular, an object of the invention is the provision of a rebar carriage which facilitates rebar placement at the side walls or gables of a tunnel, previously to concrete pouring.
In tunnel construction, the excavation has to be lined with a reinforced concrete structure that is in direct contact with the excavation to reinforce it, ensure waterproofing and for aesthetic reasons. To construct the concrete lining, it is first necessary to form a rebar structure, which is then filled with concrete using a formwork to obtain the desired shape of the lining.
To form the rebar structure at the sides (gables), fixed scaffolding is typically used to allow operators to handle and place the rebar. This process is tedious and cumbersome because the scaffolding has to be frequently repositioned at both sides of the tunnel using cranes, which is a slow and expensive process.
In addition, the working space inside a tunnel is usually narrow, and the cross-sectional dimensions of a tunnel often vary along the length of the tunnel, which further complicates the process of repositioning the scaffolding.
As a result, traditional fixed scaffolding has a serious impact on work efficiency, both in terms of the construction efficiency and construction costs.
The invention is defined in the attached independent claim, and satisfactorily solves the above-described drawbacks of the prior art, by the provision of a rebar carriage for tunnel construction, which comprises a carriage displaceable along a tunnel construction site, and formed by a left-hand side vertical structure, a right-hand side vertical structure and a horizontal structure attached to the side vertical structures, such that the carriage configures a passage in between the side vertical structures for the circulation of vehicles.
The rebar carriage further comprises a first pair of working platforms extending on a first plane generally parallel to ground, and wherein one working platform of the first pair is attached to the left-hand side vertical structure, and the other working platform of the first pair is attached to the right-hand side vertical structure.
According to the invention, the working platforms of the first pair are extendable and retractable. Preferably, the working platforms of the first pair are extendable and retractable on a plane generally parallel to ground.
Thanks to the rebar carriage of the invention, the use of traditional fixed scaffolding and cranes for rebar placement, is avoided. Additionally, the available working area of each platform can be extended when necessary, and the operators can reach tunnels side walls at different distances without need of displacing the carriage laterally.
The separation distance between the platforms of the first pair with respect to ground, is such that operators can stand and walk on the ground below the platforms of the first pair of platforms.
Preferably, the rebar carriage comprises a second pair of working platforms extending on a second plane placed above the first plane and substantially parallel to the first plane.
Preferably, the working platforms of the second pair are extendable and retractable on a plane generally parallel to ground. The second pair of working platforms facilitates rebar placement at different levels at the side walls or gables of a concrete structure or a tunnel, previously to concrete pouring.
The separation distance between the first and the second pairs of platforms, is such that operators can stand and walk on the platforms of the first pair of platforms.
The rebar carriage includes hydraulic cylinders to extend and retract each working platform of the first and second pairs, individually.
The rebar carriage is fitted with stairs communicating the working platforms of the first and second pair at the same side of the carriage.
In a preferred embodiment, the rebar carriage has four legs and wherein each leg has at least one wheel to allow the carriage displacement. Preferably, the wheels are driven wheels powered by hydraulic motors, which are suitable to move on railway tracks.
Alternatively, instead of driven wheels, the self-driven crawler tracks can be used, such that the rebar carriage can travel on a ground without concrete slab.
To complete the description and in order to provide a better understanding of the invention, a set of drawings is provided. These drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate embodiments of the invention, which should not be interpreted as restricting the scope of the invention, but just as examples of how the invention can be carried out. The drawings comprise the following figures:
The rebar carriage (1) has four legs, namely a front pair of legs (4a,4b) and rear pair of legs (4c,4b), wherein each leg has at least one driven wheel (5a,5b,5c,5d) powered by hydraulic motors (not shown), so that the rebar carriage (1) can move on railway tracks (6,6′) placed on the ground (8) of a tunnel construction site as shown in the figures.
Furthermore, the rebar carriage (1) has a first pair of working platforms (7a, 7b) extending on a first plane (X) generally parallel to ground (8). One working platform (7a) of the first pair is attached to the left-hand side vertical structure (1a), and the other working platform (7b) of the first pair is attached to the right-hand side vertical structure (1b). Both working platforms (7a, 7b) of the first pair are extendable and retractable individually on the plane (X) parallel to ground (8).
The separation distance between the platforms (7a, 7b) of the first pair with respect to ground (8), is such that operators can stand and walk on the ground (8) below the platforms of the first pair of platforms. This working space is intended for tasks to be performed at ground level, such as load movements, pedestrian passage and rebar preparation.
The rebar carriage (1) also includes a second pair of working platforms (9a, 9b) extending on a second plane (Y) placed above the first plane (X) and substantially parallel to the first plane (X). Similarly, the working platforms (9a, 9b) of the second pair are extendable and retractable individually on the plane (Y) parallel to ground (8).
Therefore, the rebar carriage (1) of the invention facilitates rebar placement both outside and inside the construction site of a tunnel, and it can even navigate within the tunnel while accommodating vehicle passage.
As shown in
To carry out the extension and retraction of each working platform, each platform (7a, 7b, 9a, 9b) is fitted with hydraulic cylinders (10), which can be operated manually. The extendable working platforms facilitate placement od rebar in multiple layers.
Additionally, each working platform (7a, 7b, 9a, 9b) is fitted with guardrails (11) at their perimeter, and with stairs (12) communicating the working platforms of the first and second pair at the same side of the rebar carriage (1).
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP24382001.6 | Jan 2024 | ES | national |
