Leave-in-Place Concrete Formwork Combining Plate Dowels, Divider Plates, and/or Finishing, Armoring and/or Sealing Molding

Abstract

A leave-in-place forming system is for concrete slabs and pavements. It comprises a number of components that can include two or more of the following but is not limited to two or more of the following: a plate dowel for load transfer between adjacent concrete panels (joint stability), a divider plate (which could be sheet metal, plastic or other rigid material), and an assembly or molding to finish the concrete to, that armors the joint and / or provides a water-tight seal to the joint. The joint assembly could incorporate an integral setting assembly or bracket, or could be used with a re-usable setting bracket. The integral assembly or bracket is most suitable when it is desirable to place concrete to both sides of the joint assembly at the same time. The re-usable setting bracket is most suitable where concrete is placed to just one side of the assembly and it is desirable to re-use the setting assembly.

Description

[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 673,061, filed Jul. 18, 2012.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]This invention relates to concrete flatwork such as slabs and pavements, joints for such flatwork, and products for providing improved concrete flatwork joint performance.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]There are generally four types of joints used in concrete flatwork (slabs and pavements): isolation joints, expansion joints, construction joints and contraction joints. Isolation joints are used to create a separation between the concrete flatwork panel and adjacent panels or other building components, such as walls, columns, trenches, man-holes, bollards, etc. Expansion joints are used in the same way as an isolation joint except that it contains a compressible material or void space sufficient to accommodate subsequent expansion of the concrete flatwork panel(s). Construction joints are used at the termination of a single slab placement and thus def...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a new product that combines the benefits of load transfer and joint sealing, making it more versatile than other products on the market. It can be used in place of the four common joint types described above and offers stability, protection, and sealing. This new product also allows for the use of multiple panels at once, reducing the need for additional processes. Overall, the invention provides a single solution for simplified use by contractors.

Problems solved by technology

Contraction joints are often induced cracks created with the use of a saw cut, crack inducer, or tooled notch in the surface of the concrete.

Each joint type has its drawbacks and problems.

Isolation joints often do not provide for positive load transfer between adjacent panels and other building components.

Expansion joints are wider than other joints and therefore more prone to both joint spalling, such as damage to the joint edges, from wheeled traffic or other objects crossing and impacting the joint, and the intrusion of liquids.

The intrusion of liquids can cause numerous problems including the pumping of saturated subgrade materials and faulting of pavement panels in exterior pavements, and subgrades heaving due to frost in cold climates or areas where expansive soils are found.

Construction joints can also be prone to joint spalling under traffic especially if sufficient load transfer is not provided to create sufficient joint stability.

Contraction joints are prone to dominant joint activation where some joints open wider than others, leading to the loss of load transfer through aggregate interlock thus also increasing the likelihood of joint spalling.

There are additional issues as well.

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