Method for reinforcing structural supports and reinforced structural supports
AssigneeTimber Products, Inc.
InventorWalter W. Boyles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system of reinforcing a structural support such as a utility pole in situ includes applying a coating of a curable resin and wrapping a plurality of layers of a fiberglass fabric. The fiberglass fabric is applied in the form of elongated strips having longitudinal and weft fiberglass rovings. The fabric strips are spirally wrapped around the pole while applying a biasing shift to the fabric so that the weft threads are oriented axially to the support and the longitudinal threads extend helically around the support. An electrical resistance heating wire may be included between the wrappings of fiberglass to heat and accelerate curing of the resin.
Claims31
A method for reinforcing a support within a work area, the method comprising the steps of
- coating the work area with a curable resin,
- spirally wrapping the work area in a first direction around the support with at least one first porous, reinforcing fabric strip having longitudinal wrap threads and fiberglass weft rovings, said fabric being spirally wrapped so that said fiberglass weft rovings are oriented substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said support and said longitudinal threads are oriented at an angle to said longitudinal axis, and
- impregnating said first reinforcing fabric with said resin, and curing said resin.
A method of repairing and reinforcing a pole having a lower end embedded in the ground and having a work area of damaged or decomposed material, the method comprising
- excavating around said lower end of said pole to expose said work area,
- removing damaged and decomposed material from said work area,
- coating said work area with a curable resin,
- completely covering said work area by applying at least one overlapping non-woven first reinforcing fiberglass mat strip,
- impregnating said non-woven fiberglass mat strip with said curable resin,
- spirally wrapping the non-woven fiberglass mat strip with at least one strip of a second fiberglass reinforcing fabric, said second reinforcing fabric having longitudinal threads and fiberglass weft rovings, said spiral wrapping overlapping each previous wrap thereof to completely cover said non-woven fiberglass mat, said second reinforcing fabric being wrapped to orient said weft rovings substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said pole and to orient said longitudinal threads at an angle with respect to said longitudinal axis,
- impregnating said second fiberglass fabric strip with said curable resin,
- spirally wrapping said second reinforcing fabric strip with at least one third fiberglass reinforcing fabric strip, said third reinforcing fabric having fiberglass warp rovings and fiberglass weft rovings and being wrapped to overlap each previous wrap thereof and to orient said warp rovings at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pole and to orient said weft rovings parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pole,
- impregnating said third fabric strip with a curable resin,
- wrapping the resin impregnated third reinforcing fabric with a non-porous plastic film material, and curing the resin.
A method of reinforcing a work area of a support, said method comprising the steps of:
- coating the work area with a curable resin,
- applying a plurality of layers of a fiberglass reinforcing fabric around said support, said fabric including longitudinal warp threads and fiberglass weft rovings, said layers being spirally wrapped around said support to orient said longitudinal warp threads at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of said support and to orient said weft rovings substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis,
- impregnating said reinforcing fabric with said curable resin,
- wrapping said reinforcing fabric with an electrical resistance heating wire, and
- applying electrical current to said wire for heating and curing said curable resin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.