Beam filled with material, deck system and method
AssigneeSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology
InventorSrinivasa L. Iyer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A construction beam includes a tubular housing preferably formed of a fiber-reinforced polymer filled with a solid filler material such as concrete. The Poisson's ratio of the tubular housing is less than the filler material to provide confinement of the filler material. One or more reinforcing rods or cables may be embedded in the filler material and prestressed prior to setting the filler material to control cracking of the filler material and to allow for an increased moment of inertia and stiffness. The resulting construction is particularly strong, lightweight and essentially impervious to environmental conditions.
Claims11
A deck system comprising a plurality of construction beams secured side-to-side, wherein each of the construction beams comprises a tubular housing filled with a solid material having a Poisson's ratio, wherein the tubular housing is constructed such that a Poisson's ratio of the tubular housing is less than the solid material, the respective tubular housings forming part of each of the construction beams, wherein each of the construction beams further comprises at least one transverse aperture therein defining a corresponding at least one transverse channel, the deck system further comprising at least one reinforcing bar extending through the transverse channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.