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US 4,318,361 AGranted
Lightweight concrete marine float and method of constructing same
AssigneeBuilders Concrete, Inc.
InventorWesley W. Sluys
Life of this patent
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AssigneeBuilders Concrete, Inc.
InventorWesley W. Sluys
Estimating the term…
A lightweight concrete float having a concrete shell surrounding either a hollow or buoyant foam core. The shell includes a deck surrounded by integrally formed, downwardly projecting side walls of sturdy but relatively heavy standard aggregate concrete and a bottom surrounded by integrally formed, upwardly projecting uniform or tapered side walls of lightweight but relatively weak foam aggregate concrete. Reinforcing rods are embedded along the edges of the deck, and a reinforcing mesh extends around the reinforcing rods and through the deck, side walls and bottom. The float may be formed by first pouring a layer of foam aggregate concrete into a form having a rectangular bottom surrounded by four sides. A block of buoyant foam is then placed on the bottom layer of concrete with the sides of the block spaced apart from the sides of the form. The space between the sides of the form and the sides of the block is partially filled with foam aggregate concrete. Standard aggregate concrete is then poured into the form in order to fill the remaining space between the sides of the form and the sides of the block and to cover the upper surface of the block. Vibration of the interface between the foam aggregate concrete and the standard aggregate concrete ensures firm bonding between the two concrete varieties.
A lightweight concrete marine float having the shape of a parallelepiped, comprising a generally rectangular deck plate having a substantially smooth deck surface, said deck plate being formed by standard aggregate concrete having a density greater than the density of water, said float further including side walls, end walls and a bottom plate having interconnected adjoining edges, said side walls, end walls and bottom plate being formed of a lightweight aggregate concrete having a density which is less dense than the density of water, said deck plate, side walls, end walls and bottom plate surrounding a buoyant foam core such that when said float is placed in water, the bottom plate is biased against the underside of said foam core, thereby inherently compressing the side walls and end walls of said float to maximize the strength of said float.
A lightweight concrete marine float having the shape of a parallelepiped, comprising a rectangular deck surrounded by downwardly projecting rectangular upper side and end walls integrally formed therewith by standard aggregate concrete having a density greater than the density of water, and a rectangular bottom surrounded by upwardly projecting rectangular lower side and end walls integrally formed therewith by lightweight aggregate concrete having a density which is less than the density of water, the thickness of said upper end walls being substantially greater than the thickness of said lower end walls, thereby forming a pair of relatively thick, relatively strong reinforcing members at the end edges of said deck, said float further including a sheet of reinforcing mesh continuously extending through the deck, side walls, end walls and bottom of said float such that when said float is placed in water, the side walls and end walls are inherently placed in compression to maximize the strength of said float.
A method of constructing a lightweight marine float, comprising:
A lightweight concrete marine float having the shape of a parallelepiped, comprising a rectangular deck of standard aggregate concrete having a density greater than the density of water, and a rectangular bottom surrounded by upwardly projecting, rectangular side and end walls integrally formed therewith by lightweight aggregate concrete having a density which is less than the density of water, said bottom, side walls and end walls surrounding a buoyant core such that when said float is placed in water, it floats with said end walls and said side walls inherently placed in compression to maximize the strength of said float.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.