Method of constructing a wind tower foundation with pedestal and ribs
OwnerAhmed M. Phulyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind turbine foundation comprising a concrete support slab having a horizontal rebar grid therein, a concrete pedestal integral with the support slab and having vertical post tensioning elements therein and a plurality of concrete ribs on top of and integral with the support slab and integral with the pedestal, the ribs having rebar therein and extend outwardly from the pedestal, the pedestal, slab and ribs are connected to each other to form a monolithic foundation. The foundation design reduces the weight and volume of materials used, reduces cost, and improves heat dissipation conditions during construction by having a small ratio of concrete mass to surface area thus eliminating the risk of thermal cracking due to heat of hydration.
Claims29
A method of constructing a foundation having a continuous slab, a pedestal, and a plurality of tapered cantilevered girders comprising the following steps:
- a) preparing the site including the placement of a mud slab of plain concrete or equivalent construction barrier over a subgrade at the bottom of an excavation pit;
- b) placing an anchor-bolt cage and foundation reinforcement at the excavation pit;
- c) installing formwork including a slab form, an array of cantilevered girder forms and a pedestal form;
- d) placing flowable concrete inside the said forms and allowing the concrete to harden such that the cantilevered girders become integral with a support slab and integral with the pedestal when the concrete hardens forming a monolithic foundation;
- e) removing the formwork;
- f) curing the concrete;
- wherein:
- Step b) is carried out in the following sub-steps:
- b1) placing the foundation reinforcement of the base slab with an upper and a lower horizontal rebar mesh therein;
- b2) placing in position an anchor-bolt cage with leveling and positioning means connected to the anchor-bolt cage to ensure its proper positioning and vertical alignment;
- b3) placing reinforcement of the pedestal comprising a vertically extending and tightly meshed pedestal cage assembly around the said anchor-bolt cage;
- b4) and placing an array of tapered cantilevered girders reinforcement cages around the said anchor-bolt cage, the said girder reinforcing cages having vertical stirrups and flexure reinforcing with deep dowels extending into the pedestal cage assembly and vertical dowels extending from the tapered cantilevered girders into the slab at spaced intervals;
- and
- Step f) is carried out by onsite curing of the foundation in a controlled manner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.