US 6,510,743 B2Granted

Reusable in situ concrete test specimen apparatus and method

OwnerRalph Glenn McAfee, Robert E. Carpenter, Jr.inventors

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A reusable apparatus for forming in situ concrete test specimens comprises a flexible open outer container and a series of smaller closable cylinders for placement within the larger container. The assembly is placed within a depression formed in the wet concrete when the slab is poured, with outer and inner containers being filled with representative concrete of the slab. The assembly is left for the concrete to cure, with smaller containers removed from the larger container after curing. Apparatus is included for facilitating lifting the sample from the slab, after curing. The larger portion of surrounding concrete is then broken away to access the smaller cylinders, which may be shipped to a testing facility where the inexpensive containers are removed to expose the test specimens. The larger outer container may be flexed to remove it from the depression, and the depression filled with fresh concrete to repair the test site.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A reusable apparatus for in situ forming of concrete test specimens, comprising:

a flexible, reusable outer container having a closed bottom and an open top with an upper peripheral edge, said outer container adapted for placing in a slab of wet concrete and filling with wet concrete;
at least one inner container removably disposed within said outer container and adapted for filling with a representative specimen of said wet concrete;
and
a lifting assembly for removing said at least one inner container from said outer container, said lifting assembly including a heavy, rigid base plate removably placed within said outer container and beneath said at least one inner container;
a hollow pipe having a lower end secured concentrically to said base plate and extending upwardly therefrom;
said hollow pipe having an upper end substantially level with said upper peripheral edge of said outer container when said base plate is placed directly upon the bottom of said outer container;
a threaded passage disposed in said hollow pipe;
and
a threaded rod for inserting through said pipe for engaging said threaded passage of said lifting assembly, for lifting said lifting assembly and said at least one inner container from said outer container after the concrete has cured.

6 more elements

A method for forming concrete test specimens in situ in a poured concrete slab, comprising the following steps:

(a) providing a flexible, reusable outer container having a closed bottom and an open top with an upper peripheral edge;
(b) further providing at least one inner container for removably placing within the outer container;
(c) further providing reusable extraction means for removing the at least one inner container from the outer container after the concrete has cured;
(d) placing the extraction means within the outer container, and placing the at least one inner container upon the extraction means;
(e) placing the outer container, extraction means, and at least one inner container within the wet concrete of the slab;
(f) filling the outer container and the at least one inner container with wet concrete of the same batch as that of the surrounding slab;
(g) curing the concrete of the slab and within the outer container and at least one inner container;
(h) extracting the at least one inner container from the outer container by the extraction means;
(i) removing the reusable outer container from the concrete slab;
(j) breaking up the concrete surrounding the at least one inner container, and retrieving the at least one inner container and extraction means;
and
(k) removing the cured concrete specimen from the at least one inner container, for testing.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/816,106Filed 26 Mar 2001 · us provisional application
Priority: 13 Apr 2000
Published: US 2001/0035053 A11 Nov 2001
Granted: 28 Jan 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G01N 33/383
Concrete; Lime; Mortar; Gypsum; Bricks; Ceramics; Glass: concrete or cement
B28B 7/0094
Moulds; Cores; Mandrels: moulds for concrete test samples
B28B 7/342
Moulds, cores, or mandrels of special material, e.g. destructible materials: which are at least partially destroyed, e.g. broken, molten, before…
G01N 1/04
Devices for withdrawing samples: in the solid state, e.g. by cutting