Pre-fabricated link slab—ultra high performance concrete
OwnerMathew Chirappuram Royceinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed invention comprises innovations related to the fabrication process and the associated design of Prefabricated Link Slabs made using Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) for bridges hereinafter referred as PLS-UHPC. This disclosure is regarding methods of designing, manufacturing, and installing PLS-UHPC as connections between bridge spans. The invention includes the concept of installing PLS-UHPC which will provide numerous benefits such as faster construction in the field, and better maintenance of established systems.
Claims11
A method of manufacturing a prefabricated link slab joint connection, the method including:
- determining a size and shape of the prefabricated link slab joint connection to provide a flush connection of top surfaces of decks of respective connecting spans of a bridge superstructure, the bridge superstructure further including top flanges, webs, and bottom flanges that are under the decks;
- in a controlled factory environment, setting reinforcing bars to correspond to the decks of the respective connecting spans;
- and
- in the controlled factory environment, pouring Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) including over a central portion of the reinforcing bars;
- in the controlled factory environment, curing the UHPC into the prefabricated link slab joint connection, wherein
- the size and shape of the prefabricated link slab joint connection corresponds to cut-out portions of the top surfaces of the decks of the respective connecting spans, and
- a top to bottom thickness measurement of the prefabricated link slab joint connection is less than a top to bottom thickness measurement of the decks of the respective connecting spans.
A method of manufacturing a prefabricated link slab joint connection, the method including;
- on-site, measuring cut-out portions of top surfaces of decks of slabs of respective connecting spans of a bridge superstructure, the bridge superstructure further including top flanges, webs, and bottom flanges that are under the decks;
- determining a size and shape of the prefabricated link slab joint connection to provide a flush connection of the top surfaces of the decks of the slabs of the respective connecting spans of the bridge superstructure based on the measured cut-out portions of the top surfaces of the decks;
- in a controlled factory environment, setting reinforcing bars corresponding to the decks of the slabs of the respective connecting spans;
- in the controlled factory environment, pouring Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) over a central portion of the reinforcing bars;
- in the controlled factory environment, curing the UHPC into the prefabricated link slab joint connection, and
- on-site, installing the prefabricated link slab joint connection to provide a flush connection of the decks of the slabs of the respective connecting spans of the bridge superstructure, wherein
- the setting of the reinforcing bars includes setting the reinforcing bars to extend completely through the central portion and protrude from at least two sides of the central portion in a configuration for attachment to the decks of the slabs of the respective connecting spans.
A prefabricated link slab joint structure, comprising:
- a central portion of the prefabricated link slab joint structure, the central portion being formed of factory cured Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC);
- and
- factory-set reinforcing bars projecting from one or more sides of the central portion of the prefabricated link slab joint structure to correspond to decks of respective connecting spans of a bridge superstructure, the bridge superstructure further including top flanges, webs, and bottom flanges that are under the decks,
- the prefabricated link slab joint structure is dimensioned to be received within cut-out portions of top surfaces of the decks to provide a flush connection of the top surfaces of the decks, and
- a top to bottom thickness measurement of the prefabricated link slab joint structure is less than a top to bottom thickness measurement of the decks of the respective connecting spans.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.