Panel-to-panel connections for stay-in-place liners used to repair structures

A stay-in-place lining for lining a structure fabricated from concrete or other curable construction material, the stay-in-place lining comprising:

• a plurality of panels connectable edge-to-edge via complementary connector components on their longitudinal edges to define at least a portion of a perimeter of a lining;
• each panel comprising a first connector component on a first longitudinal edge thereof and a second connector component on a second longitudinal edge thereof, the second longitudinal connector component complementary to the first connector component;
• and
• at least one edge-to-edge connection between the first connector component of a first panel and the second connector component of a second panel, the edge-to-edge connection comprising a protrusion of the first connector component of the first panel extended into a receptacle of the second connector component of the second panel through a receptacle opening, the receptacle shaped to prevent removal of the protrusion from the receptacle and the receptacle resiliently deformed by the extension of the protrusion into the receptacle to thereby apply a restorative force to the protrusion to maintain the edge-to-edge connection;
• wherein the first connector component of the first panel and the second connector component of the second panel are shaped such that the edge-to-edge connection is formed therebetween by force directed to move the first and second panels together in a direction generally parallel to transverse edges of the first and second panels, the transverse edges generally orthogonal to the longitudinal edges;
• and
• wherein the receptacle comprises a pair of walls which extend from a base of the receptacle to define an interior of the receptacle and at least one branch extending from the base of the receptacle between the walls and into the interior of the receptacle, the at least one branch located to apply force to the protrusion in a direction oriented generally away from the base of the receptacle when the edge-to-edge connection is formed.

A stay-in-place lining for lining a structure fabricated from concrete or other curable construction material, the stay-in-place lining comprising:

• a plurality of panels connectable edge-to-edge via complementary connector components on their longitudinal edges to define at least a portion of a perimeter of a lining;
• each panel comprising a first connector component on a first longitudinal edge thereof and a second connector component on a second longitudinal edge thereof, the second longitudinal connector component complementary to the first connector component;
• and
• at least one edge-to-edge connection between the first connector component of a first panel and the second connector component of a second panel, the edge-to-edge connection comprising a protrusion of the first connector component of the first panel extended into a receptacle of the second connector component of the second panel through a receptacle opening, the receptacle shaped to prevent removal of the protrusion from the receptacle and the receptacle resiliently deformed by the extension of the protrusion into the receptacle to thereby apply a restorative force to the protrusion to maintain the edge-to-edge connection;
• wherein the first connector component of the first panel and the second connector component of the second panel are shaped such that the edge-to-edge connection is formed therebetween by force directed to move the first and second panels together in a direction generally parallel to transverse edges of the first and second panels, the transverse edges generally orthogonal to the longitudinal edges;
• and
• wherein the receptacle comprises a pair of walls which extend from a base of the receptacle to define an interior of the receptacle and at least one branch extending from the base of the receptacle between the walls and into the interior of the receptacle, the at least one branch resiliently deformable for applying a restorative force to the protrusion and shaped to direct the restorative force in the direction oriented generally away from the base of the receptacle when the edge-to-edge connection is formed.

A stay-in-place lining for lining a structure fabricated from concrete or other curable construction material, the stay-in-place lining comprising:

• a plurality of panels connectable edge-to-edge via complementary connector components on their longitudinal edges to define at least a portion of a perimeter of a lining;
• each panel comprising a first connector component on a first longitudinal edge thereof and a second connector component on a second longitudinal edge thereof, the second longitudinal connector component complementary to the first connector component;
• and
• at least one edge-to-edge connection between the first connector component of a first panel and the second connector component of a second panel, the edge-to-edge connection comprising a protrusion of the first connector component of the first panel extended into a receptacle of the second connector component of the second panel through a receptacle opening, the receptacle shaped to prevent removal of the protrusion from the receptacle and the receptacle resiliently deformed by the extension of the protrusion into the receptacle to thereby apply a restorative force to the protrusion to maintain the edge-to-edge connection;
• wherein the first connector component of the first panel and the second connector component of the second panel are shaped such that the edge-to-edge connection is formed therebetween by force directed to move the first and second panels together in a direction generally parallel to transverse edges of the first and second panels, the transverse edges generally orthogonal to the longitudinal edges;
• and
• the stay-in-place lining further comprising a pair of guide pieces extending from the receptacle at locations near the receptacle opening, the guide pieces spaced apart from one another to provide a guide opening that is wider than the receptacle opening.

A method for fabricating a structure of concrete or other curable construction material comprising:

• connecting a plurality of panels in edge-to-edge relation via complementary connector components on their longitudinal edges to define at least a portion of a lining by extending a protrusion of a first connector component on a first longitudinal edge of the panels into a receptacle of a second connector component on a second longitudinal edge of the panels wherein the receptacle is shaped to prevent removal of the protrusion from the receptacle and the receptacle is resiliently deformed by the protrusion to apply a restorative force to the protrusion to maintain the edge-to-edge connection;
• forming a formwork around a space in which to receive the concrete or other curable material;
• assembling the connected plurality of panels such that the connected plurality of panels provides a lining which defines at least a portion of the space in which to receive the concrete or other curable material;
• and
• introducing the concrete or other curable material into the space in an uncured state;
• wherein:
• connecting the plurality of panels in edge-to-edge relation comprises:
• moving the protrusion of the first connector component of a first panel into the receptacle of the second connector component of a second panel in a direction parallel to a plane of the second panel;
• wherein the receptacle comprises a pair of walls which extend from a base of the receptacle to define an interior of the receptacle and at least one wall protrusion located on at least one of the walls and projecting into the interior of the receptacle, the at least one wall protrusion comprising an indentation of the at least one of the walls into the interior of the receptacle;
• and
• applying a force to the protrusion in a direction oriented generally away from a base of the receptacle when the edge-to-edge connection is formed, the force applied to the protrusion by locating the at least one wall protrusion to apply the force to the protrusion when the edge-to-edge connection is formed.