Patent Application
20190184601
This disclosure relates generally to the taking, testing, monitoring, and labeling concrete specimens for quality control testing or concrete members.
Millions of concrete specimens are taken annually and the labeling, and relabeling upon demolding, has always been a challenge of the concrete construction industry. The results of these tests determine payment for supplied concrete so these test results are important.
Furthermore, many members are precast or premanufactured out of concrete and then shipped to the job site for usage. Identification of these members and determining the details of their construction is an important and challenging task.
It also may be helpful to label members that are cast-in-place on a job site to establish payment, communicate important details such as a defect, superior property, location within a BIM model or perhaps as a guide so that others know where they need to complete their next set of work.
Sample and member labeling and monitoring has always caused problems in the concrete industry for a few different reasons. For example, the conventional approach is to demold the concrete specimen from the form it was cast in and relabel it using a marker, tape, or grease pen. This is done manually. If the writing cannot be read, if it becomes worn away, or if the sample or member is never labeled then this can cause significant problems. Furthermore, sometimes there is only a limited amount of space where a label could be added to the member and it can be challenging to modify these labels to fit and still communicate effectively.
It is also possible to fix a label or radio-frequency identification (hereinafter “RFID”) tag to the surface of concrete after it has been removed from the form. However, often these samples and members are placed in extreme environments (such as saturated lime water, deicing salts, freezing environments, and severe drying, etc.) and this can cause the connection to fail and then the sample or member is no longer labeled. A solution is needed that can label the sample or member as it is being cast and provide a way to fix the label securely to bond the label to the surface that is robust and which does not significantly change the sample or member dimensions.
Before proceeding to a description of the present invention, however, it should be noted and remembered that the description of the invention which follows, together with the accompanying drawings, should not be construed as limiting the invention to the examples (or embodiments) shown and described. This is so because those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will be able to devise other forms of this invention within the ambit of the appended claims.
According to an embodiment, there is provided a system of labeling or sensing for concrete samples or members that does not suffer from the problems of previous approaches.
This system which includes an internal “tag” solves many of the issues commonly experienced with labeling concrete specimens and elements.
One embodiment is a concrete labeling technology that is used to track concrete samples or elements using custom labels. An embodiment uses a series of corresponding labels, one for the outside of the form, and one for the inside of the form that becomes part of the concrete sample. It is also possible to just use the tag inside of the forms and without the corresponding external label. The corresponding inside tags are physically bonded to the concrete specimen in a way that creates only a minimal impact on the shape and properties of the concrete. This embodiment will eliminate the need to relabel the samples after demolding. It will also allow many more properties of the concrete to be added to the label such as the conditions, locations, details of creation, materials, and performance to be effectively logged over time.
The foregoing has outlined in broad terms some of the more important features of the invention disclosed herein so that the detailed description that follows may be more clearly understood, and so that the contribution of the instant inventors to the art may be better appreciated. The instant invention is not to be limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Rather, the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various other ways not specifically enumerated herein. Finally, it should be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting, unless the specification specifically so limits the invention.
These and further aspects of the invention are described in detail in the following examples and accompanying drawings.
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described hereinafter in detail, some specific embodiments of the instant invention. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments or algorithms so described.
In one embodiment and as is illustrated in
An embodiment of the corresponding inventive interior tag 200 (
According to the embodiment of
In other embodiments, a piece of double sided tape might be used on the surface with the written information between the tag 200 and the form 100. In some embodiments, if the tape is not transparent it could be removably attached to the tag 200 so that after the concrete is removed from the form the label 220 could be made visible again. Of course, if the label is, for example, an RFID chip, removal of the tape would not be necessary. In either case, if tape with two adhesive sides is used to secure the tag 200 to the form, the tape will considered to be a part of the tag 200 unless specifically indicated otherwise. Again, the strength of the adhesive on the tape must be chosen such that the tag 200 remains in place while fresh concrete is added but will release when the form is removed, thereby revealing the label 220 that has become bonded to the concrete.
Note that for purposes of the instant disclosure, when the term “adhesive” is used herein that term should be broadly construed to be contact adhesive (clear, translucent, or opaque), or other adhesive or a mechanical mechanism (e.g., a hook and loop system) that secures the tag 200 to the side of the form 100 while the fresh concrete is being added to the form and then allows the tag 200 to be released from the form after it has bonded to the concrete sample.
Preferably the label 220 will be permanently secured to the upper face 210 of the tag 200. In some embodiments the code printed thereon will match the label 110 on the exterior of the form 100. Of course, that is not strictly necessary but will be useful in many embodiments. A central role of the descriptive label 220 is to allow the concrete specimen or member to be identified after it is removed from the form 100 as described below. The tag's upper surface 210 will preferably be generally planar and pliable so as allow it to mate securely with the interior of the form 100.
The lower face 230 of the tag 200 embodiment of
Regardless of the procedure used, what is important is that the texture of the surface 230 be such that the tag 200 becomes reliably embedded, bonded, or otherwise attached to the concrete 300 after it has hardened as shown in the example of
Once the form 100 is removed, the textured material of the tag face 230 provides a secure bond to the concrete that is stronger than the adhesive on the surface of the opposite face 210. This means the tag 200 will separate from the form 100 and remain attached to the surface of the concrete. The descriptive label 220 will now be visible and will continue to serve as an identifier of that particular concrete member or sample after it has been extracted from the form 100. The inventive tag 200 has a minimal surface profile and so will not impact the shape, volume, or mechanical properties of the extracted specimen while still providing a means of identifying the sample.
By way of example, the tag 200 can have numbers, bar codes, QR codes, etc., printed on the label 220 to help identify the sample. Barcodes and the like could be easily scanned to help track the samples. The tag 200 may also contain a passive or active RFID, microcontroller or other electronic component that can digitally record this information. An application for a mobile device (e.g., a smart phone or tablet) could be developed that allows all of the construction details or any other helpful information to be recorded for the concrete specimen or member and tie this to the information printed on the label or to the unique identifier communicated by the RFID, microcontroller or other electronic component contained within the tag 200. This information could be placed in long-term storage and would be of great value to the user.
Additionally and according to other embodiments, the tag could contain passive or active RFID, microcontrollers, or other electronic components that can use sensor technology to measure a number of properties/parameters of the concrete or its environment while it is being placed or while those parameters change over time. These may include: conductivity, resistivity, impedance, temperature, moisture content, cracking, ion concentration, pH, acceleration from shock, and overall effectiveness of the concrete. The tag 200 would provide a method to obtain these measurements from the concrete while also labeling the material. Note that, for purposes of the instant disclosure, when it is said that parameters of the concrete are measured, that phrase should be broadly interpreted to include instances where the measured parameter includes a measurement of the environment surrounding or proximate to where the concrete is located.
Further, in some embodiments (e.g.,
Still further, it should be noted that although one application is concrete samples that are used to test the properties of the hardened material, it should be clear that this approach could also be used with pre-formed or precast items or cast-in-place, columns, slabs, etc.
It is to be understood that the terms “including”, “comprising”, “consisting” and grammatical variants thereof do not preclude the addition of one or more components, features, steps, or integers or groups thereof and that the terms are to be construed as specifying components, features, steps or integers.
If the specification or claims refer to “an additional” element, that does not preclude there being more than one of the additional element.
It is to be understood that where the claims or specification refer to “a” or “an” element, such reference is not be construed that there is only one of that element.
It is to be understood that where the specification states that a component, feature, structure, or characteristic “may”, “might”, “can” or “could” be included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to be included.
Where applicable, although state diagrams, flow diagrams or both may be used to describe embodiments, the invention is not limited to those diagrams or to the corresponding descriptions. For example, flow need not move through each illustrated box or state, or in exactly the same order as illustrated and described.
Methods of the present invention may be implemented by performing or completing manually, automatically, or a combination thereof, selected steps or tasks.
The term “method” may refer to manners, means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a given task including, but not limited to, those manners, means, techniques and procedures either known to, or readily developed from known manners, means, techniques and procedures by practitioners of the art to which the invention belongs.
For purposes of the instant disclosure, the term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range ending with that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. Terms of approximation (e.g., “about”, “substantially”, “approximately”, etc.) should be interpreted according to their ordinary and customary meanings as used in the associated art unless indicated otherwise. Absent a specific definition and absent ordinary and customary usage in the associated art, such terms should be interpreted to be ±10% of the base value.
When, in this document, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number)”, this means a range whose lower limit is the first number and whose upper limit is the second number. For example, 25 to 100 should be interpreted to mean a range whose lower limit is 25 and whose upper limit is 100. Additionally, it should be noted that where a range is given, every possible subrange or interval within that range is also specifically intended unless the context indicates to the contrary. For example, if the specification indicates a range of 25 to 100 such range is also intended to include subranges such as 26-100, 27-100, etc., 25-99, 25-98, etc., as well as any other possible combination of lower and upper values within the stated range, e.g., 33-47, 60-97, 41-45, 28-96, etc. Note that integer range values have been used in this paragraph for purposes of illustration only and decimal and fractional values (e.g., 46.7-91.3) should also be understood to be intended as possible subrange endpoints unless specifically excluded.
It should be noted that where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where context excludes that possibility), and the method can also include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all of the defined steps (except where context excludes that possibility).
Further, it should be noted that terms of approximation (e.g., “about”, “substantially”, “approximately”, etc.) are to be interpreted according to their ordinary and customary meanings as used in the associated art unless indicated otherwise herein. Absent a specific definition within this disclosure, and absent ordinary and customary usage in the associated art, such terms should be interpreted to be plus or minus 10% of the base value.
Still further, additional aspects of the instant invention may be found in one or more appendices attached hereto and/or filed herewith, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set out at this point.
Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as those inherent therein. While the inventive device has been described and illustrated herein by reference to certain preferred embodiments in relation to the drawings attached thereto, various changes and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made therein by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit of the inventive concept the scope of which is to be determined by the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/352,141 filed on Jun. 20, 2016, and incorporates said provisional application by reference into this document as if fully set out at this point.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2017/038303 | 6/20/2017 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62352141 | Jun 2016 | US |
