DESC:FIELD OF INVENTION
Present invention relates to the field of architecture, civil engineering incorporating sustainable technology. More particularly, it relates to reinforcement in concrete and composite structural and non-structural elements/components using various forms of reinforcement for offering manifold increase in strength and durability with a main purpose of reducing the amount of steel used as reinforcement in composite materials thereby solving multiple environmental issues.
DEFINITIONS
The term “GHG” used hereinafter in the specification refers to a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.
The term “RCC” used hereinafter in the specification refers to reinforced cement concrete. It is a composite material in which relatively low tensile strength and ductility of concrete are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ductility. RCC is characterized by full concrete encasement of reinforcement components such as steel in the form of bars, frames, etc.
The term “LD” used hereinafter in the specification refers to light duty manhole cover as per IS standard 12592.
The term “MD” used hereinafter in the specification refers to medium duty manhole cover as per IS standard 12592.
The term “HD” used hereinafter in the specification refers to heavy duty manhole cover as per IS standard 12592.
The term “EHD” used hereinafter in the specification refers to extra heavy duty manhole cover as per IS standard 12592.
The term “Load at peak” used hereinafter in the specification refers to maximum safe load sustained by the sample before distortion.
The term “C.H. Travel Peak” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Deflection.
The term “C” used hereinafter in the specification refers to different methods of Connection of pre-formed strips.
The term “P” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Pitch which is the length of the Pattern of Pre-formed Strips in Curvilinear or Polygonal Pattern.
The term “PF” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Proposed form of reinforcement when the reinforcement Pattern is repeated in Desired width and Length .keeping the ratio W:P constant
The term “PT” used hereinafter in the specification refers to pattern formed after the width and Pitch are defined which may or may not be curvilinear or Polygonal to form Pre formed strips and aligned adjacent, along length so as to face each other in pre define ratio W:P of the proposed invention.
The term “PS” used hereinafter in the specification refers to the Pre-formed Strips pre-formed in the pattern having DL and Width/2, in which they further need to be connected and aligned so as to face each other to achieve the proposed form.
The term “W” used hereinafter in the specification refers to the Width when two Pre-formed Strips in a curvilinear or Polygonal Pattern are connected to each other.
The term “H” used hereinafter in the specification refers to the height of the SS straight strip.
The term “SS” used hereinafter in the specification refers to the Straight Strip which is used to achieve the pattern and make the Preformed Strip. It is formed in desired shape so as to achieve the pattern.
The term “DL” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Desired Length which is the length achieved by repeating pitch across length as per final size and structural requirement of the Composite. The desired length is always ‘x’ times of the Pitch.
The term “DW” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Desired Width which is achieved after aligning two Pre-formed Strips so as to face each other. The desired width is always X times of the Width.
The term “Ratio of W/2:P” used hereinafter in the specification refers to the ratio Width divided by 2 of Strip to Pitch, which may vary from 1:0.5 to 1:infinity depending on the structural requirement of the Composite Structure. Although the pattern is repeated, the Ratio of W/2:P remains constant along the Desired Width and Desired length for the Proposed from.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
In recent years it is found that, due to increase of human activities such as overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels and deforestation, exploitation of land for construction activities is leading to some serious environmental issues like tsunami, wildfires, flooding and drought poor air quality, additionally due to global warming, contamination of soil there is rise of sea level, depletion of ozone layer causing increasing threats to human health and damages to the land mass. One such activity being over exploitation of natural resources for various humanitarian purposes and Construction industries have a larger share in contributing these environmental problems. Consumption of construction materials have immensely increased along with production in the past century due to heavy demands of the increasing population. According to one of the surveys, approximately 139 kg of steel and 271 kg of cement is required per person annually throughout the world. This increased demand and uncontrolled consumption of construction materials, results in environmental degradation on a global scale and in turn indicates extinction of humanity.
All round the world construction materials generate million tons of waste annually. It is evident to consider the relationship between construction materials such as cement and steel and their environmental impacts and embodied energies. These construction materials have high embodied energy resulting in large CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) footprints. The embodied energy of steel is about 32 MJ/Kg and for cement is about 7.8 MJ/Kg. The embodied energy of steel being higher, it is the largest contributor to the environmental degradation. Large amount of CO2 is produced in the processing of construction materials and in the transport of these materials. If the consumption of the construction materials remains the same all around the world then by the year 2050, the production of the cement in the world could reach 3.5 billion metric tons. This excessive usage of the construction materials creates adverse environmental impacts compared to the impacts from other sources. Due to the frequent changes in the lifestyle and demands of human the average life of the buildings is decreasing, the demolition or renovation of the buildings are resulted with more land-fills or recycling annually. Because of the huge consumption of the construction materials and embodied energy a high level of resource depletion is taking place all around the world.
Today, real estate and construction industry is the biggest of all the locally run industries and by reducing the consumption of construction materials or by reducing the impacts caused by each construction material the unfavourable environmental impacts can be alleviated to some extent. The construction industry, along with its support industries, is one of the largest exploiters of natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable. This has adversely altered the environment of the earth. It depletes two-fifths of global raw stone, gravel and sand and one-fourth of virgin wood and consumes 40 percent of total energy and 16 percent of water annually. The construction sector, in particular, is one of the largest consumers of commercial energy in the form of electricity or heat by directly burning fossil fuels. Urge-Vorsatz and Novikova assert that, during 2004, buildings alone depleted nearly 37 percent of the world’s energy and this figure is anticipated to reach 42 percent by 2030.
Construction activities not only consume energy, but also cause environmental pollution and emission of greenhouse gases which lead to climate change. Therefore, it is need of an hour to research and modify current construction practices such as design and engineering methods, construction techniques and manufacturing technology to reduce these environmental hazards.
This can be achieved in two ways:
1. Abate the consumption of construction materials: The natural resources are gradually reducing with growing population and people’s demand. Recycling and reusing the construction materials will avoid the need for new resources and thus saving the natural resources or reducing the consumption of construction materials.
2. Selection of construction materials: Designer plays an important role in selection of the material. This can be done by evaluating environmental performance of the material before use. To evaluate, a tool should be available to the designer for selecting material to accomplish the goal of minimizing the environmental impacts.
It is observed in a survey that the place having less/no vegetation and more of construction, the temperature is 0.5 0C to 1 0C higher than its surrounding area having more vegetation.
The environmental impact of the construction industry as an industry sector is probably larger in developing countries than it is in developed countries. This is due to the fact that the developing countries are virtually still under construction and that they have a relatively low degree of industrialization, making the construction industry one of the biggest factors impacting on the biophysical environment. Construction activities affect the environment throughout the life cycle of a construction project. This life-cycle concept refers to all activities from extraction of resources through product manufacture, use and final disposal or recycle i.e. from - cradle to grave.
Conventionally used construction materials are aluminium, concrete and steel. All of these are responsible for the large amounts of green house gas emissions (GHG). The GHG emissions contribute to global warming, thus leading to climate change. Urban housing construction increases the number of particulates in the air, which causes many respiratory problems. In developing countries such as India, where there has been a surge for urban development, the cities are covered in thick layers of dust, partly caused by construction activity. Commonly used construction material i. e. steel is an alloy of iron which is susceptible to corrosion and involves high maintenance costs. It also has a high expansion rate with changing temperatures. This can be detrimental to the overall structure. Steel production is a major contributor to global warming. On an average, 1.83 tons of CO2 is emitted for every ton of steel produced adding over 3.3 million tons annually to global emissions.
The simplest point at which to begin evaluating the impact of the construction industry is to look at its consumption of energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
The biggest culprits in terms of climate change are the materials that form the basis of modern construction – concrete and steel. The materials for modern construction have a significant impact on the embodied energy and embodied CO2 of a building. Cement makes up only 12-14% of the final concrete mix, further embodied energy comes from the transportation and extraction of aggregates and for reinforced concrete it majorly comes from the manufacturing of steel. Embodied energy is the total energy required for the extraction, processing, manufacture and delivery of building materials to the building site. Energy consumption produces CO2 which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, so embodied energy is considered as an indicator of the overall environmental impact of building materials and systems.
It has been observed from the case study that construction materials like aluminium and steel should be less encouraged due to their higher CO2 emission rate as compared to glass and timber. Use of bricks rather than using ceramics can cut down CO2 emission by one third. This seems quite promising; hence, many works for high-rise building could be adapted to the cities where there is a demand for high-rise buildings with emphasis on materials which emits less CO2 in its life cycle. A good building should incorporate as many sustainable, local materials as possible into its construction – to avoid the high energy and financial costs of long-distance transportation, to support local economies and to fit in with local aesthetics. The fast-growing cities need immediate attention so that buildings are designed for maximum efficiency with optimum use of resources and lesser impact on environment. It is also recommended that the real estate developers working with construction industries needs to be assessed and ranked annually based on the concept of sustainable buildings. It is recommended that sustainable construction processes should promote the increased use of energy-efficient designs and technologies and sustainable utilization of natural resources. It should provide financial incentives to promote recycling of energy-intensive materials in the construction industry. The use of construction materials and products that create pollution during their life cycle should be discouraged by developing more sustainable technologies.
Selecting the alternative building materials with low greenhouse gas emissions and incorporating a major renewable energy source are foremost priorities for future construction projects.
Reinforced concrete (RC) (also called reinforced cement concrete or RCC) is a composite material in which concrete’s relatively low tensile strength and ductility are counteracted by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ductility. It contains embedded steel bars, plates or fibres that strengthen the material by increasing its tensile strength and magnifying the capacity to carry loads. The construction industry mainly uses steel as raw materials for reinforcement and in-situ concretetechnique. The steel rods and bars of different sizes are used conventionally. In the reinforcement construction industry, usage of steel has many apprehensions including the negative impact on environment. As mentioned earlier, the lifecycle (cradle to grave) of RCC is responsible for greenhouse emissions namely CO2, NOx, SOx and SPM.
Due to rigorous deforestation and enormous increase in construction sector, there is a higher demand for construction material thus much of the environmental impacts from construction sector are on the Global Warming Potential as the major emissions are carbon emissions. Moreover, RCC construction has a higher environmental impact compared to other types of construction methods.
One of the major disadvatage of RCC construction is corrosion of steel, which results from the absence of maintenance activities related to steel rusting. Corrosion of reinforcing steel and other embedded metals is the leading cause of deterioration in concrete. When steel corrodes, the resulting rust occupies a greater volume than the steel. This expansion creates tensile stresses in the concrete, which can eventually cause cracking, delamination, and spalling. Steel corrodes because it is not a naturally occurring material. Rather, iron ore is smelted and refined to produce steel. The production steps that transform iron ore into steel add energy to the metal. Steel, like most metals except gold and platinum, is thermodynamically unstable under normal atmospheric conditions and releases energy and reverts back to its natural state - iron oxide, or rust. This process is called corrosion.
Further disadvantages of RCC are:
1. Increase in the cost,
2. Steel in reinforced concrete gets corroded easily thereby reducing the strength of structure.
3. If spacing of aggregates is improper, then weak links increase in between steel and concrete which will cause failure of the entire structure,
4. The tensile strength of reinforced concrete is about one tenth of its compressive strength.
5. For multi-storied building, the RCC column section is larger than the steel section as the compressive strength is lower, resulting in higher space usage.
6. Shrinkage causes crack development and strength loss.
7. Construction time increases with usage of RCC.
8. Steel is a heterogeneous material whereas concrete is a homogeneous material therefore use of both in combination raises quality control related issues.
Therefore, the growing trend in developing countries and developed countries is focusing towards use of eco-friendly reinforcement materials as a replacement of steel.
Additionally, the theft of small RCC components; one such example beingmanhole covers often increase when scrap metal prices are high. ‘Great Drain Robbery’ is a well-known cause of series of accidental deaths worldwide. This theft of manhole covers is a serious problem identified globally. In order to avoid this risk of theft, there is a need to reduce or eliminate the amount of steel used in RCC strutural components.
During recent years there has been awareness on finding sustainable alternatives in all perspectives of our lives. Therefore, it is imperative to research and modify current construction practices such as design and engineering methods, construction techniques and manufacturing technology to tame energy consumption. Hence, the construction sector providing sustainable alternatives is trying to catch the attention of conscious citizens. These alternatives provide use, resize, reuse and recycle of the natural materials in the best possible mode of functioning.
Therefore, considering the above factors it is the need of an hour to introduce a technology or alternative method for construction having a reinforcement form as the optimum solution for sustainable building design which will have minimal adverse effects on environment and will not compromise on parameters like compression strength, tensile strength and high durability.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
With reference to the above background:
The primary object of the present invention is to provide plurality of forms for reinforcement pattern of composite material having reduced weight over conventionally available forms of RCC.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for the preparation of plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite materials selected from but not limited to metals, non-metals, organic material, inorganic material, polymeric material, composite material and nano material.
Yet another object of the present invention is to fabricate reinforcement pattern having shapes which are selected from but not limited to curvilinear, polygonal and hexagonal.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an alternative to steel reinforcement in composite materials thereby minimizing the environmental losses occurring due to excess use of steel.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite materials with reduction in the amount of steel without compromising the strength.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an alternative to steel or any other reinforcement not in the proposed form to increase the strength of the material in order to take and withstand load.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an economical alternative for conventional reinforcement of composite materials using the proposed plurality of forms of reinforcement.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite materials in the form of structures having a load bearing component.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite materials meant for reinforcing floor, cantilever structures, simply supported structures as well as for stand-alone structures.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite materials which is resilient in terms of spacing, thickness and size of reinforcement according to the nature of the structure or structural component.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite materials which are used for the purposes of constructing structural as well as non-structural components.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite materials which are used in-situ/cast in place or preformed components.
Yet another object of the present invention is to replace steel in reinforcement wherever feasible.
Yet another object of the present invention is to use renewable material for reinforcement purposes and thereby minimizing the animal foot print on a global scale.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This section is provided to introduce certain objects and aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will best be understood from the following description of various embodiments thereof when read with reference to accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention are only exemplary drawings for the purposes of illustration and should not to be construed as limited.
This invention involves two aspects since the system aims at 2-pronged approach to tackle environmental issues underpinning the construction sector and to improve strength of the reinforcement material and ultimately provide a sustainable model of reinforcement for saving the global carbon foot prints of humans.
Firstly, the present invention focuses towards fabricating a system in which plurality of forms of reinforcement pattern in composite materials. This green system of making plurality of forms of reinforcement forms consists of i) reinforcement pattern (PT) having pre-decided shape and material of the pre-formed strips (PS) with a pre-decided width (W) and thickness (T) aligned across length (L) in order to achieve a pre-defined W:P ratio and ii) connectors (C) employing various methods of connections for attaching the pre-formed strips (PS) with plurality of shapes to each other resulting into a reinforcement pattern (PT).
Secondly, the present invention focuses for preparing a process for pre-forming plurality of forms of reinforcement in composite material. It includes main five steps of devising said reinforcement pattern (PT) for reinforcement of pre-decided size and shape and material for composite infill. This main step includes five sub-steps of (a) cutting straight strips (SS) of material of uniform size and thickness along the cross section having thickness (T) and height (H) and length (L) of a reinforcement material in order to achieve pre-decided structural and dimensional requirements, (b) applying a forming process and blanking process as per the structural and dimensional and bonding requirement of a reinforcement material to said straight strips (SS), (c) bending and profiling said straight strips (SS) into pre-formed strips (PS) in plurality of shapes using methods of forming, (d) aligning said pre-formed strips (PS) so as to face each other across length to achieve desired width (DW) and desired length (DL), (e) fastening said aligned strips by plurality of connectors (C) to achieve a pre-decided reinforcement pattern (PT) of reinforcement and a pre-defined W:P ratio. Then these reinforced structures are placed and in-situ prepared reinforcement into a cavity followed by pouring of composite material into the cavity along with reinforcement structures to achieve a desired form and structure. The final step of curing of the composite material is carried out as per the nature of the filled composite material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will best be understood from the following exemplary accompanying drawings. These drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using diagrams and may not represent the internal connection of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of components of structural as well as non-structural components using plurality of forms for reinforcement in construction and civil engineering.
FIG. 1a is an illustrative diagram of Straight Strip (SS) and Preformed Strip (PS) showing the process of formation of Pre-formed Strip (PS) from Straight Strip (SS) with the nomenclature of terms Width (W), height (H), Pitch (P) and thickness (T) of the proposed invention.
FIG. 1b is a three dimensional view of Straight Strip (SS) and Pre-formed Strip (PS) showing the process of formation of Pre-formed Strip (PS) from Straight Strip (SS) with the nomenclature of terms Width (W), height (H), Pitch (P) and thickness (T) of the proposed invention.
FIG. 2a is an illustration of term Width (W), Pitch (P) and Thickness (T) of the proposed invention.
FIG. 2b is an illustration of reinforcement pattern (PT) formed when Pre-formed Strips (PS) are aligned adjacent along length so as to face each other in predefined ratio W:P of the proposed invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of possible iterations for Pre-formed Strips (PS) having polygonal and curvilinear shapes of the proposed invention.
FIG. 4a is an illustration showing the proposed reinforcement pattern (PT) of the proposed invention.
FIG. 4b is an illustrative representation showing connections (C) of the aligned the Pre-formed Strips (PS) of the proposed invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of some possible proposed forms of reinforcement of the proposed invention.
FIG. 6 is an exemplary embodiment showing the honey-comb pattern of the proposed invention achieved by repeating the hexagonal pattern of the proposed invention.
FIG. 7 is an exemplary embodiment showing the curvilinear pattern of the proposed invention achieved by repeating the curvilinear shape of the proposed invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Before the present invention is described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular methodologies described, as these may vary as per the person skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Throughout this specification, the word “comprises”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the invention to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
This will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art; the present invention may easily be produced in other specific forms without departing from its essential characteristics. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered as merely illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and it will be appreciated that many variations in detail are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention and all such variations therefore intended to be embraced therein.
In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only one of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein. Example embodiments of the present disclosure are described below, as illustrated in various drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by the way of explanation of the invention and not meant as limitation of the invention. It is intended that the present invention includes these and other modifications and variations. The variation and inclusion of components and their positional arrangement in different casualty circumstances shall not limit the scope of the invention.
Material footprint is a consumption-based indicator of resource use. It is defined as a global allocation of used raw material extraction to the final demand of an economy. The material footprint does not record the actual physical movement of materials within and among countries but, instead, enumerates the link between the beginning of a production chain (where raw materials are extracted from the natural environment) and its end (where a product or service is consumed).
This includes the energy used in extracting, manufacturing, transporting the material to its final destination, which may also include the carbon foot print of the material which includes greenhouse gas emissions. The production of materials is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental foot print of any given material is usually measured as material foot print.
In order to reduce the global environmental foot print, the present invention proposes a novel reinforcement pattern with renewable material used as reinforcement material. By replacing the steel with natural materials, the proposed invention is able to reduce the environmental effect by up to 95%. Moreover, by replacing the steel with non-metals such as polymers the proposed invention reduces the environmental effect by up to 80% depending on the material used. As steel creates the highest carbon footprint after cement, the proposed invention offers sustainable, alternative and greener technology in less explored and non-innovative construction and infrastructure industry.
The present invention describes plurality of forms of reinforcement pattern of composite material in form of strips having various shapes using material including but not limited to metals, organic material, inorganic material, polymeric material, composite material and nano-material as reinforcement. The composite material may be used for structural or non-structural purposes like cantilever, simply supported structures, stand-alone structures, as well as for non-structural elements.
Conventionally, composites like reinforced concrete cement are manufactured using steel rods or bars of different sizes tied in criss cross manner. Rods being circular in cross section cannot be connected by placing next to each other in criss cross manner thus limiting the size of rods used in concrete.
Conventional steel rods bear similar forces in both x and y directions due to radial symmetry and hence carry equal strength. The forces acting on the material in the conventional form of rods or strips are primarily classified into two types:
1. Laterally acting forces (along x axis of the cartesian geometry)
2. Vertically acting forces (along y axis of the cartesian geometry)
To overcome the bending stress, the rods need to be arranged in criss cross manner.
The present invention uses strips having bilateral symmetry and bears less strength in x direction and excessive strength in y direction. The bending stress is taken care more efficiently due to the higher proportion in x vs. y directions. To underpin this, the present invention proposes use of strips in the form of various shapes connected laterally adjacent to each other to form the frame of reinforcement pattern.
Additionally, this particular form of reinforcement also allows reduction in the weight while still maintaining equal or more strength against its conventional criss cross, bar method of reinforcement of composites.
The present invention proposes replacement of these rods with strips of plurality of materials including but not limited to metals, organic material, inorganic material, polymeric material, composite material and nano-material as reinforcement.
The strips are not being tied or connected in criss cross and overlapping manner as per the conventional steel bar reinforcement method. This invention proposes pre-formed strips in plurality of patterns in unique and required size and shape.
The present invention thus offers sustainable reinforcement technology using plurality of forms, in the form of strips in composite materials making it light weight, low cost, apt for load bearing structural and non-structural components providing increased strength, durability, reducing the amount of steel used as reinforcement to solve multiple environmental issues.
The nomenclature used in for describing the system and process for pre-forming plurality of forms of reinforcement in composite material are as given below in the Table 1.
Straight Strips (SS)
Pre-formed Strips (PS)
Width (W)
Half Width (W/2) Desired Width (DW)
Thickness (T)
Pitch (P)
Length (L) Desired Length (DL)
Height (H)
Connectors (C)
Proposed Form (PF)
Outer Main Stream Plate (MSP)
METAL MS Strips – plain (MSA7a)
METAL MS Strips Embossed (MSA7b)
METAL MS Strips- Plain (MSA8a)
NATURAL –Bamboo (B A7c)
NATURAL+POLYMER Resin Coated Bamboo strips (B A8b)
Table 1
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of architecture and civil engineering using novel reinforced composite material. More particularly, it relates to reinforcement in concrete and composite structural and non-structural elements/components using various forms of reinforcement for offering manifold increase in strength and durability with a main purpose of reducing the amount of steel used as reinforcement in composite materials thereby solving multiple environmental issues.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to the field of architecture, civil engineering incorporating sustainable technology. More specifically, it pertains to a system for providing a reinforcement pattern to eliminate or minimize the content of the steel in the composite material. An aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a process for fabricating reinforcement for reinforced concrete material with a specific pattern and shape wherein the reinforcing material is a renewable material.
One or more embodiments are now described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which exemplary embodiments are shown. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments. However, the various embodiments can be practiced without these specific details.
In an example of the present invention, a system is described in which plurality of forms of reinforcement pattern in composite materials are fabricated. This system consists of i) reinforcement pattern (PT) having pre-decided shape and material of the pre-formed strips (PS) with a pre-decided width (W) and thickness (T) aligned across length (L) in order to achieve a pre-defined W:P ratio and ii) connectors (C) employing various methods of connections for attaching the pre-formed strips (PS) with plurality of shapes to each other resulting into a reinforcement pattern (PT) of the proposed form of reinforcement.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a process for pre-forming plurality of forms of reinforcement in composite material includes main five steps of devising said reinforcement pattern (PT) for reinforcement of pre-decided size and shape and material for composite infill. This main step includes five sub-steps of (a) cutting straight strips (SS) of material of uniform size and thickness along the cross section having thickness (T) and height (H) and length (L) of a reinforcement material in order to achieve pre-decided structural and dimensional requirements, (b) applying a forming process and blanking process as per the structural and dimensional and bonding requirement of a reinforcement material to said straight strips (SS), (c) bending and profiling said straight strips (SS) into pre-formed strips (PS) in plurality of shapes using methods of forming, (d) aligning said pre-formed strips (PS) so as to face each other across length to achieve desired width (DW) and desired length (DL), (e) fastening said aligned strips by plurality of connectors (C) to achieve a pre-decided reinforcement pattern (PT) of reinforcement and a pre-defined W:P ratio.
Preparation of cavity of casting the composite material, to achieve a reinforced composite material: Then these reinforced structures are placed and in-situ prepared reinforcement into a cavity followed by pouring of composite material into the cavity along with reinforcement structures to achieve a desired form and structure. The final step of curing of the composite material is carried out as per the nature of the filled composite material.
The proposed plurality forms of reinforcement are made up of multiple strips which are pre-formed. The strips can be of plurality of materials, including but not limited to metals, organic material, inorganic material, polymeric material, composite material and nano-material as reinforcement. Each of the strips having proposed form or shape is aligned next to each other such that they face each other and the contact surfaces are connected to each other by different methods of connection. The process or method of connections includes and is not limited to welding, tying, clipping, grooved interlocking, adhesive bonding, heat fusion welding, hubless mechanical soldering, solvent weld, threaded, mechanical alignment or any other methods not mentioned above as per requirement of the material. Furthermore, the strips can be plain or have holes of any form, shape or can have perforation of any form, shape, or can be embossed with interlocking grooves. Strength of such structure increases once the strips are connected with each other.
The proposed plurality form of reinforcement due to its unique shape and size is capable of accommodating the structure or structural components in terms of spacing, thickness and size of reinforcement.
Furthermore, during the manufacturing process; the reinforcement pattern is placed with a specific cover for composite and the composite is filled to desired size and shape.
EXPERIMENTAL SECTION
The present invention proposes an alternative reinforcement to currently used or mainstream metal reinforcement and the main aim of this invention is to replace steel reinforcement wherever feasible. The proposed pre-forming strip in a desired nature formed as per the features explained in drawings are individual elemental strips which are pre-formed in a polygonal or curvilinear shape so as to be able to align or face next to each other to achieve a repetitive pattern of reinforcement. The strips are made of plurality of materials selected from but not limited to metals, non-metals, organic material, inorganic material, polymeric material, composite material and nano material.
The process to achieve the proposed reinforced structure is described herein below:
Preparing the framework cavity of desired size and shape as per structural requirement:
Strips of plurality of material are cut in desired as per size in desired length and width as per the structural requirement. The strips need to have uniform thickness along the entire cross section length. Then the strips are preformed to the shape in which they need to be connected to each other. The method of pre-formation depends upon the material which is used as reinforcement.
The present invention proposes an alternative reinforcement to currently used or mainstream used reinforcement and the main aim of this invention is to replace and reduce steel reinforcement wherever feasible. The proposed pre-formed strip of a curvilinear or polygonal nature forms as per the features explained in the accompanying drawings are individual strips which are pre-formed in a polygonal or curvilinear shape so as to be able to align or face next to each other to achieve a repetitive pattern of reinforcement. The proposed strip is of any given form or shape following a curvilinear or polygonal outline. The proposed plurality forms of reinforcement are made up of multiple strips which are pre-formed. The strips are of plurality of materials selected from but not limited to metals, non-metals, organic material, inorganic material, polymeric material, composite material and nano material.
The process for pre-forming plurality of forms of reinforcement in composite material and casting of Reinforced composite material includes main five steps of:
1) Devising the reinforcement pattern (PT) for the reinforcement of pre-decided size and shape. for composite infill. This main step consists of five sub-steps:
(a) cutting Straight strips (SS) of material of uniform size and thickness along the cross section, having thickness (T) and height (H) and length (L) of a pre decided reinforcement material in order to achieve pre-decided or required structural and dimensional requirements,
(b) applying a forming process as per the structural and dimensional and bonding requirement of a reinforcement material to the straight strips (SS) obtained in above step,
(c) bending and profiling the straight strips (SS) obtained in above step into pre-formed strips (PS) in plurality of shapes using appropriate methods and tooling,
(d) aligning said pre-formed strips (PS) obtained in above step across length to achieve desired width (DW) and desired length (DL),
(e) fastening the aligned strips obtained in Step I (iv) by plurality of connection methods (C) to achieve a reinforcement of a pre-decided reinforcement pattern (PT)in a pre-defined W:P ratio.
2) Preparation of cavity of casting the composite material, to achieve a reinforced composite material: Preparation of the reinforcement pattern (PT) either by placing the Proposed form of reinforcement in the cavity. In case of large structure and in-situ preparation of the reinforcement pattern (PT) into a cavity is carried out.
3) Then the composite material is poured into the cavity along with the reinforcement pattern (PT) to achieve a desired form and structure.
4) Finally, curing of the material form or structure is carried out as per the nature of the filled composite material.
For better understanding of the above process, below is the brief outline of process:
The reinforcement which is used in concrete is either prepared in-situ or is pre-fabricated. The proposed form of reinforcement used in concrete can be formed using a wide pallet of material and is not limited to steel only. These materials include metals, non-metals, organic material such as bamboo, wood, inorganic material, polymeric material, composite material such as glass fibre and nano material.
Likewise the process mentioned above for preparation of five specimens using different materials for the reinforcement thereby using some of the proposed forms of reinforcement have been formed with a composite material such as concrete.
The materials used for reinforcement of the samples are Mild Steel metal (MS Strips), Natural Bamboo and Resin Coated Bamboo strips. All of the testing materials i.e. standard manhole cover and plurality of forms of reinforcement pattern in composite materials have rectangular shape. Various methods of connections have been employed which include and are not limited to welding, tying, clipping, grooved interlocking, adhesive bonding, heat fusion welding, hubless mechanical soldering, solvent weld, threaded, mechanical alignment or any other methods not mentioned above as per requirement of the material.
Below tabular data, also deals with the systematic study carried out for proving the efficacy and industrial applicability of the invented system which uses plurality of forms of reinforcement pattern in composite materials. Loading disc Size used =12 cm dia = 113.1cm2 Area. This data is to be referred using Drawings given as FIG 6 and 7.
Parameters for Analysis MSA7a* MSA7b MSA8a B A7c B A8b
No of SS and PS used for reinforcement 4 4 4 7 7
Method of Connection
(C) Spot Welding/
Tying Spot Welding/
Tying Spot Welding/
Tying Tying with MS, Plastic wire Tying with MS, Plastic wire
Weight of Each Strip PS/SS (KG) 0.28 0.28 0.45 0.34 0.44
Total Weight
of Reinforcement used (KG) 1.12 1.12 1.8 2.4 3.1
Load at Peak /Maximum Load Sustained by the Sample (KN) 34.30 43.96 50.01 38.05 27.70
C.H. Travel Peak (mm)
Deflection 6.510 6.360 6.920 4.510 1.030
Table 2
It is for the reference that for interpretation of diagrams, we need to refer Table 2 in order to explain diagrams given in FIG. 6 and sample specimens for MSA7a, 7b and MSA8a, Interpretation schematic diagram of Table 1 and given in FIG. 7 and sample specimens for samples BA7 and BA8b.

*The reinforcement of the each of the Sample Mentioned above in table 1 is connected of the Outer MS Plate(MSP).Each of the sample mentioned above is cast using Concrete of Grade40 as the composite material used for infill.
The tabular data in Table 1 represents the details and description of the specimens used for experimentation, which includes the material used for preparation of the reinforcement and the
method of Connection used for connecting the reinforcement and the weight of the reinforcement in each of the sample and Test results of the same samples. Data from Table 2 is used for comparing with that of in Table 3.
STANDARD MANHOLE COVER
(as per IS standard -12572) REINFORCED SAMPLES OF THE INVENTION TESTED AGAINST STANDARD MANHOLE COVER

Loading Disc Size (mm)-300 dia Loading Disc size (mm) – 120 dia
STANDARD MANHOLE COVER BA7c BA8b MS A7a MS A8a MS A7b
Grade of Cover Sustainable pressure (KN/cm2) Steel used (KG/M2 ) Sustainable pressure (KN/cm2) Steel used (KG/M2 ) Sustainable pressure (KN/cm2) Steel used (KG/M2 ) Sustainable pressure (KN/cm2) Steel used (KG/M2 ) Sustainable pressure (KN/cm2) Steel used (KG/M2 ) Sustainable pressure (KN/cm2) Steel used (KG/M2 )
LD 0.035 18
MD 0.07 24
HD 0.28 29 0.33 Eliminated 0.24 Eliminated 0.3 9.3 0.38 5.5
EHD 0.42 44 0.44 10.2
REDUCTION OF STEEL (%) 100 100 68 77 82
Table 3
Sustainable Pressure is calculated based on Maximum Load Sustained by the Sample (KN) /Area of the Loading disc used for testing (cm²)
Concrete Composition is same for Standard manhole cover and the samples tested .Steel used in KG for Our samples tested - refer table 1.Steel used in KG for Standard Manhole Cover is Inferred from IS Standard (12592 ).Steel used in KG/ M ² is amount of Steel used in the samples per square Meter of area.
Table 2 is a comparative study carried out using a proposed systemin which plurality of forms of reinforcement pattern in composite materials are tested in order to analyse the strength and load bearing capacity of the reinforced composite material.The strength to be achieved by Manhole cover versus strength achieved by experimented sample indicates reductions or elimination of the amount of steel used yet not compromising of the strength. Referring conclusion from Table 2 is indication percentage of reduction of steel with compared to the standard manhole cover as per IS Standard 12592 without bargaining on strength.
Referring Table 2 the sample MSA7a have achieved strength equivalent to the strength of Heavy Duty standard manhole cover as per IS standard (12592 ) , yet the amount of steel used is 68 % less than the amount of steel which need to be used to achieve the same strength in standard manhole cover.
In case of sample BA8b the amount of Steel used is completely eliminated yet , achieving the same strength as of Heavy Duty standard manhole cover as per IS standard (12592).
From the data given in the Table 2, it is to be inferred that all the novel reinforced composite structures are either eliminating use of steel used in reinforcement or using less than 1/3rdtimes of steel as compared to standard manhole cover.
The analytical test reports in the form of annexure have been attached with this specification. These test reports belong to the transverse test types which are carried out for identifying the maximum load sustained by sample.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides many advantages over conventionally available reinforcement forms, few are listed out below:
1. The proposed invention provides plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite or composite materials which is easy to manufacture and use with reduced overall manufacturing costs.
2. The proposed invention aims to reduce the use of steel in construction and ultimately contributes to green environment with faster construction times.
3. The proposed invention is advantageous over existing options of reinforcement in composite materials since it is lighter in weight when compared to conventional steel reinforcement without compromising the strength with high ratios of strength and stiffness to weight and load bearing capacity with low or minimal maintenance requirements.
4. The proposed invention also allows the use of non-metal or natural material, thus minimises use of steel into construction with greater durability for use in extreme environments having fire resistance properties.
5. The proposed invention offers a load bearing reinforced composite materials for structural as well as non-structural components using plurality of forms for reinforcement in construction, civil engineering and infrastructure.
6. The proposed invention provides plurality of forms of reinforcement of different materials in composites materials meant for reinforcing floor, cantilever, simply supported as well as for stand-alone structures.
7. The proposed invention also provides plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite or composite materials which is used in-situ/cast in place as well as pre-formed components which can often be repaired in-situ.
8. The proposed invention provides plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite materials which is used for reinforcement of structural and non-structural purposes.
9. The proposed invention provides plurality of forms for reinforcement of composite materials with flexibility in terms of colour, shape and texture.
10. The proposed invention attempts to reduce the use of steel thereby providing an alternative low cost solution to main stream reinforcement in concrete.
11. The proposed invention replaces steel since it employs more sustainable and natural material like bamboo, wherever possible.
12. The proposed invention involves light weight reinforcement material and provides higher strength against its conventional criss cross, bar method of reinforcement of composites since it uses lesser amount of material while still maintaining equal or more strength.
13. The proposed invention also enhances strength multiple times for the same quantum of metal used.
14. The proposed invention provides analogous method which can be used for various materials having versatile features.
15. The proposed invention additionally provides a particular form of reinforcement which also allows reduction in the weight.
16. The proposed invention involves an alternative by reducing the amount of steel used in construction industry thereby reducing the cost of the material used.
17. The natural reinforcement material used in the proposed invention is a natural material which is a fast growing renewable, locally available and cost affordable material. This provides a solution to demand-supply statistics in construction and infrastructure industry whereby the cost of steel at higher price.
18. The proposed invention provides green technological pattern with novel reinforcement to reduce the quantum of metal and non-metal usage in the architectural structures and prevents the adverse effects on environment. The pattern reduces the amount of steel used conventionally by introducing a different form to reduce the collective environmental effect by up to 60%.
19. The proposed invention employs various materials other than MS Steel such as but not limited to metals, non-metals, organic material, inorganic material, natural materials, polymers, composite material, nano-materials. By replacing the steel with natural materials, the proposed invention is able to reduce the environmental effect by up to 95%. Moreover, by replacing the steel with non-metals such as polymers the proposed invention reduces the environmental effect by up to 80% depending on the material used. As steel creates the highest carbon footprint after cement, the proposed invention offers sustainable, alternative and greener technology in less explored and non-innovative in construction and infrastructure industry.
20. The proposed invention offers plurality of forms of reinforcement for composite which help achieve the same result as conventional reinforcement, allowing versatility different forms, shape, patterns of polygonal or curvilinear nature when arranged in proposed manner.
21. The proposed invention offers plurality of form of reinforcement for composite which adapts itself as per structural requirement to be made in any thickness, form or shape.
INVENTIVE CONCEPT
To underpin the problems underlying in the conventional construction and infrastructure industry, the present invention has been carefully transformed into well-crafted technology which requires a combination of technical knowledge and innovative skills. Some of the features that make the proposed invention novel and inventive are disclosed below:
1) The proposed invention provides a novel pattern of reinforcement in the form of strips over conventional pattern of steel rods i.e. round bars.
2) The present invention proposes use of strips in the form of various shapes tied laterally adjacent to each other to form the proposed Patterns of reinforcement.
The forces acting on the material in the form of rods or strips are primarily classified into two types:
1. Laterally acting forces (Along x axis of the Cartesian geometry)
2. Vertically acting forces (Along y axis of the Cartesian geometry)
In conventional reinforcement round steel rods bear similar forces in both x and y directions, having equally Polar moment of Inertia Ixx and Iyy due to radial symmetry carrying uniform load characteristics and hence carry equal strength in both Lateral and Vertical direction.
The present invention proposes use of strips instead of rods having bilateral symmetry to form a reinforcement Patten, thus bearing less strength in x direction and excessive strength in y direction. The buckling in y direction and eventually the bending stress acting on the strip is taken care more efficiently due to the higher proportion in x vs. y directions.
Furthermore, to overcome the lateral bending stress acting on the strip along the length, the arrangement pattern of the strips plays a role.
3) The proposed invention describes a reinforcement pattern in various shapes carrying equal strength in lateral as well as vertical directions.
4) The proposed invention intends to overcome the limitation of conventional reinforcement method of connection or tying rods in cris cross fashion on top of each other, by pre-forming the strips and connecting by placing adjacent to each other.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative and non-limiting.
,CLAIMS:We claim:
1. A plurality of forms for reinforcement in composite material comprising:
i) reinforcement pattern (PT) having pre-decided shape and material of said pre-formed strips (PS) with a pre-decided width (W) and thickness (T) and height (H) aligned so as to face each other , across length (L) in order to achieve a pre-defined W:P ratio and
ii) connectors (C) employing various methods of connections for attaching said pre-formed strips (PS) having plurality of shapes to each other resulting into a reinforcement pattern (PT).
2. The plurality of forms for reinforcement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement material is selected from but not limited to metals, non-metals, organic material, inorganic material, polymeric material, composite material and nano material.
3. The plurality of patterns for reinforcement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shapes of reinforcement pattern is selected from but not limited to curvilinear, polygonal and hexagonal.
4. The plurality of forms for reinforcement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pre-formed strips (PS) are having plain surface, holes of pre-decided form and size, perforation, grooving and embossing.
5. The plurality of forms for reinforcement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said W/P ratio ranges from 1:0.5 to 1:100.
6. A process for pre-forming plurality of Patterns of reinforcement in composite material comprising steps of:
I) devising said reinforcement pattern (PT) for reinforcement of pre-decided size and shape and material for composite infill wherein said process of devising reinforcement comprises steps of:
(i) cutting straight strips (SS) of material of uniform size and thickness along the cross section having thickness (T) and height (H) and length (L) of a reinforcement material in order to achieve pre-decided structural and dimensional requirements,
(ii) applying a forming process and blanking process as per the structural and dimensional and bonding requirement of a reinforcement material to said straight strips (SS) obtained in Step I (i),
(iii) bending and profiling said straight strips (SS) obtained in Step I (ii) into pre-formed strips (PS) in plurality of shapes using methods of forming,
(iv) aligning said pre-formed strips (PS) so as to face each other obtained in Step I (iii) across length to achieve desired width (DW) and desired length (DL),
(v) fastening said aligned strips obtained in Step I (iv) by plurality of connectors (C) to achieve a pre-decided reinforcement pattern (PT) of reinforcement and a pre-defined W:P ratio;
II) placing and in-situ preparing said reinforcement obtained in Step I (v) into a cavity;
III) pouring composite material into said cavity along with said reinforcement obtained in Step II to achieve a desired form and structure;
IV) curing of the composite material obtained in Step III as per the nature of the filled composite material.