Molds For Use In Manufacturing Energy Dissipating Concrete Blocks For River And Marine Works

Abstract

Molds for use in manufacturing energy dissipating concrete blocks for river and marine works are composed of a set of plates coming into contact with concrete, each having a simple geometrical shape in its plan view, and various type of molds can be obtained by the combination of the plates. The concrete blocks manufactured by the molds can be easily combined to form regular geometrical designs having specific percentages of voids respectively, resulting in their vast application in all sorts of marine and river works.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to molds for manufacturing energy dissipating concrete blocks in use for structures in the sea, coasts, and rivers.

In general, wave-absorbing blocks for use in breakwaters, groins, sea walls, coastal embankments etc., the foot-protecting blocks for use in revetments for river banks etc. and the flow-regulating blocks for use in spur dikes in rivers etc. can be roughly classified into three types, that is, the projecting type, the hollow type and the compromise type. The examples of the projecting, hollow and compromise types of conventional blocks are the so-called "tetrapod," the hollow-triangle block and the hollow square blocks.

Those molds of conventional blocks as tetrapods, hollow-triangle blocks, hollow-square blocks, etc. cannot manufacture only their own types.

On the contrary, the molds according to the present invention can be used for manufacturing blocks of any one of the three types abovementioned and the kinds of blocks manufactured thereby are innumerable. This is one of the remarkable features of the present invention, unexpected of the conventional molds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The concrete blocks formed by the molds according to the present invention can be used firstly for wave absorption as well as wave force reduction for breakwaters, sea walls, coastal embankments and groins in the sea and coasts, and nextly for protective blocks for river floors and bank faces and the like in river works.

The hetero-shaped concrete blocks manufactured by the molds according to the present invention can be used for the constructions abovementioned to absorb and disperse wave forces in the sea as well as river current energies and to reduce the dynamic pressure of waves and currents. In addition, they have effect to increase the stability of blocks themselves and also to reduce the agitations of bed materials and scouring of foundations, and, at the same time, to decrease subsidences of structures themselves.

In accordance with the present invention the molds are fundamentally composed of only five rectangular plates and three L-shaped plates with their surfaces coming into contact with concrete.

In accordance with the present invention various types of concrete blocks are manufactured by depositing concrete in molds which are formed by combining the rectangular plates and L-shaped plates in any desired manner.

In the following, an explanation will be made of the outstanding features of the hetero-shaped concrete blocks formed with the molds of the present invention, in comparison with the conventional blocks, from the points of view of

1. the convenience of the combination,

2. variety of combinations,

3. wavebreaking effect,

4. stability, and

5. economy.

The combination and assembling of the concrete blocks of some types made with the molds of the present invention can be carried out in innumerable ways, whereas, in the case of the conventional concrete blocks, particularly, e.g., tetrapods and hollow-triangle blocks, their combined assembling is of only one combination.

Regarding stability, blocks made by the molds of the present invention are as desirable as the conventional concrete blocks. Then, regarding economy, too, the concrete blocks made by the molds of the present invention are superior to the conventional ones in the cost of both production and installation, particularly when it is considered that the shape of the conventional block are generally complicated so that they are not suitable to be formed in large size, and yet the manufacture of their molds is very costly.

Certain kinds of blocks manufactured by molds according to the present invention are simple in their shape and the total area of the molds is fairly small compared with that of the conventional blocks. For instance, it is 38, 29, 18 and 15 percent less than the area of the hollow-triangle blocks, hollow-square blocks, tetrapods, and hexapod blocks, respectively.

Hitherto the manufacturing yard of the blocks has needed a considerably large area. Since the shapes of the conventional blocks are such that there is no alternative for them but to be manufactured individually one by one, a large yard area is required for manufacturing them. However, since the blocks made according to the present invention can be manufactured by arranging them side by side so as to be closely contacted with each other, the yard area is one-third to one-sixth as large as that needed for tetrapods or hexapod blocks. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the blocks according to the present invention can be economized from the point of the manufacturing yard.

The advantage of manufacturing blocks in close contact with each other as in the manner in accordance with the present invention is not only a reduction in the area of a block-manufacturing yard, but also the simplicity of the mold manufacturing process itself, since the molds, when the blocks having been previously deposited are used, are not necessary, except the mere application of craft paper or similar material between their contact surfaces.

In concrete placing in freezing weather it is necessary to cure the concrete blocks by keeping them warm till their compressive strength amounts to 65 kg/cm.sup.2. However, in the conventional blocks, since the curing equipment to keep them warm is costly, the concrete placing in freezing weather is actually difficult. Contrary to it, since the blocks manufactured by the molds according to the present invention have surface areas only one-third to one-sixth of those of conventional blocks, they can be cured easily.

As for the area of a place in which the manufactured blocks are temporarily stockpiled, it can be further saved. With the conventional blocks, it is impossible to pile them up in multi-stages. With the blocks of certain kinds molded in accordance with the present invention, however, they can be heaped vertically in multi-stages, with only a clearance rate of 14 percent. It is also possible to travel a crawler crane or a tractor crane on the piled blocks. Such advantages of the concrete blocks of the present invention are not achieved in the conventional blocks.

As for the installation of concrete blocks, it can be easily understood that it is easier with those which contact planely each other in a simple shape than with those whose shapes are complicated. It is particularly so in under-water work, in which much of the diver's work is difficult such as groping. On those points, too, the concrete blocks of the present invention are advantageous over the conventional ones.

We described in the foregoing how the blocks manufactured by the molds of the present invention are economically superior to hitherto known blocks.

Further, since various type blocks of any shape can be manufactured by the molds according to the present invention, they can be selectively made to have shapes conforming to the condition of the marine, coast or river in wave absorbing feet protection of structures or flow regulation. Such a feature of the blocks is also an advantage of the present invention over the known blocks.

Now we will explain the application of the hetero-shaped blocks manufactured by the molds according to the present invention.

Firstly a breakwater construction will be explained as the first example.

The application of the blocks to the construction of breakwaters can be carried out in three different methods, that is, constructing the body of a breakwater with blocks in pell-mell, constructing the body of a breakwater with an orderly formation of the blocks of various kinds, and constructing by covering the surface of a breakwater body made of various conventional blocks or materials other than conventional blocks with the blocks according to the present invention for the purpose of wave absorption.

The pell-mell construction firstly mentioned can save the work period remarkably when it is used for a breakwater of a harbour which faces the open sea where calm days are limited throughout a year, because, due to the pell-mell construction, the installing of the blocks is not required to be carried out by divers, only necessiating the free throwing of them so that a breakwater body is formed.

The orderly formation secondly mentioned can save the construction cost by making the cross sectional area of the breakwater body small when it is used for a breakwater of a harbour in a closed sea where it is calm throughout the year, but only being rough when in typhoon season or during strong winds.

The covering the surface of a breakwater method lastly mentioned is a method being able to be applied for a breakwater at whatever harbour, and by using it a breakwater body can be made to have a small cross section due to the fact of the decrease in the intensive wave pressure and wave overtopping.

In all of the methods abovementioned, the energy of waves attacking the breakwater constructed of the blocks according to the present invention is dissipated and dispersed by the numerous projections and voids formed by hetero-shaped blocks with the result that there arises no large spray as in the conventional breakwaters.

Accordingly, the intensity of wave pressure is decreased and the breakwater body itself can be economically reduced in cross sectional area. Further, in the case where the blocks are mutally combined, since there exist projections and voids which are capable of being interlocked with each other, they stand against the wave force so that there is no possibility of separation of the blocks.

Next will be explained the application of the blocks according to the present invention in a river work. The specially formed blocks made by the molds according to the present invention are blocks which can be vastly utilized in the river work. That is, they can be utilized in revetments of river banks, protections of slopes themselves and their feet, protection of river floors, spur dikes, spillways, intake structures, and jetties at river mouths. Among these, the foot-protection work, the floor protection work and the spur dike form the essential parts of river works, so they are very improtant.

The hetero-shaped blocks according to the present invention are utilized in all of these works. Since these blocks can be made to be adjusted their percentage of void, coefficient of roughness, stability coefficient against overturning, sliding and etc. by freely combining these specially shaped blocks, they can be made to be most suitable to the condition of the foundation, bed characteristics, and hydraulic condition of specific rivers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mold for use in manufacturing concrete blocks for dissipating the water energy in the sea and river works, the surfaces of which mold coming into contact with concrete are composed of at least one set of plates each having rectangular and L-shaped or -shaped configurations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide molds for making concrete blocks which are easily combined to be secured or interlocked together so as to give various geometrical designs or physical properties as percentage of void, coefficient of roughness etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art when considered in reference to the following detailed description in the light of the accompanying drawings and wherein;

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of configuration of respecitve surfaces of a mold according to the present invention which come into contact with concrete;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an L-type block which constitutes one of the fundamental types manufactured by using two sets of molds according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a -type block which also constitutes another fundamental type manufactured by using two sets of molds according to the present invention;

FIGS. 4 to 6 show respectively front elevational, plan and side elevational views of the L-type block shown in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 7 to 9 show respectively front elevational, plan and side elevational views of the -type block shown in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 10 and 11 show developements of the external surfaces of the L- and -type blocks respectively shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively;

FIGS. 12 to 40 show various blocks manufactured by combining the molds according to the present invention in perspective view; and

FIGS. 41 and 57 show various geometrical designs obtained by combining the L-type blocks and -type blocks in plan view.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a set of plates composing the surfaces of a mold according to the present invention, wherein are shown the plane shapes coming into contact with concrete. The plates are composed of five rectangles 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7, and three L-shapes 3, 4 or 4' as shown in FIG. 1. The dimensions of respective sides and angles between adjoining two sides of each of the plates are properly selected so that they form a mold when assembled, as will be fully explained hereafter, and the preferred dimensions are given it FIG. 1, wherein a respresents any numerical value, and dimensions put in brackets denote those which can be selected as desired. When two of each plate 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and two of either 4 or 4' are combined with together, two fundamental molds are obtainable. The first fundamental mold obtained by combining two of each plate 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 is shown in FIG. 2 in perspective view and in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 in front elevational, plan and side elevational views. As will be apparent from the drawings, the mold has a shape that a guadratic prism with a square cross section is bent to the right in a horizontal plane and then made to stand up vertically at its end. We will call this mold hereafter an "L-shaped mold" and a block manufactured by it an "L-shaped block."

The second fundamental mold obtained by combining two of each plate 1, 2, 3, 4', 5, 6 and 7 is shown in FIG. 3 in perspective view and in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 in front elevational, plan and side elevational views. As evident from FIG. 3, the mold has a shape that a quadratic prism with a sqaure cross section is bent to the left in horizontal plane and then made to stand up vertically at its end. We will call this mold hereafter a " -shaped mold" and a block manufactured by it a " -shaped mold."

The "L-shaped block" and " -shaped block" constitute two fundamental types of blocks manufactured by the molds according to the present invention.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show respectively developments of the outer surface of the "L-shaped block" and " -shaped block." Comparing the developments shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, it will be seen that both Figures are symmetrical.

FIG. 12 shows in perspective view a block obtained by using two sets of "L-shaped mold" and " -shaped mold" but with four plates 2 and 4.

FIG. 13 shows in perspective view a block obtained by using two sets of L-shaped mold and -shaped mold but with four plates 2 and 7.

Similarly, FIGS. 14-19 show in perspective view blocks obtained by using two sets of L-shaped mold and -shaped mold but with eight plate 2 for FIGS. 14 and 15; four plates 3 and 7 for FIG. 6; four plates 1 and 3 for FIG. 17; two plates 1 and 3 and four plates 7 for FIG. 18; and four plates 2 and 7 for FIG. 19.

FIGS. 20-23 show in perspective view blocks obtained by using four sets of L-shaped mold and -shaped mold, in which FIG. 20 does not use plates 1, 3 and 7, FIG. 21 uses eight plates 1 and 7, FIG. 22 uses eight plates 8 and sixteen plates 3, and FIG. 23 uses eight plates 1, 3 and 7.

FIGS. 24-31 show in perspective view blocks obtained by using one set of L-shaped mold and -shaped mold but excluding two plates 7.

FIGS. 32-37 show in perspective view blocks obtained by using two sets of L-shaped mold and -shaped mold, in which block shown in FIG. 32 is manufactured by the mold without seven plates 7 and four plates 3, FIGS. 33 and 34 without four plates 1 and 7, FIG. 35 without four plates 1 and 3, FIG. 36 without two plates 1 and 3 and four plates 7, and FIG. 37 without four plates 1 and 3.

FIG. 38 shows in perspective view a block obtained by using two sets of -type mold but with two plates 1.

FIGS. 39 and 40 show blocks obtained by using one set of L-shaped mold and -shaped mold except in the former, two plates 3 and, in the latter, two plates 1.

We have described above and shown in FIGS. 12-40 in perspective view the various blocks manufactured by using the molds according to the present invention and also indicated the number of sets of molds along with the plates not being used in respective blocks shown in FIGS. 12-40. Since these blocks can be all composed of a number of L-type block and -type block, instead of manufacturing them by building up the molds solidly to deposit concrete therein, they can also be manufactured by securing mutually the blocks separately manufactured as L- or -type block or blocks by any suitable manner.

Though the above twenty-nine hetero-shaped blocks have been given as examples of blocks manufactured by the molds according to the present invention, it will be appreciated that other than those shown above numerous hetero-shaped blocks can be created by the suitable selection of a number of L-shaped mold and -type mold.

Now, referring to FIGS. 41-57, there are shown geometrical plan designs obtained by combining a number of L-type blocks or -type blocks independently, or both together.

FIGS. 41 and 42 show designs obtained by combining the same number of L- and -type blocks upward, whereby the blocks are arranged so as to be shape and shape respectively. The solid percentage of void which is defined as ratio of hollow volume of the block to the solid volume of the external contour thereof is 59 percent for the former, while that for the latter 57 percent. The solid percentage of void thus defined will be hereafter designated as v.

FIG. 43 shows a design obtained by combining the same number of L-type blocks upward and -type blocks downward, v being 49.5 percent.

FIGS. 44-46 shows designs obtained by combining the same number of L- and -type blocks downward, each in a different manner, v for each case being 42.9, 65.3 and 53.0 percent, respectively.

FIG. 47 shows a design obtained by arranging a number of -type blocks downward on the L-type blocks of the same number which are arranged upward in one row, whereby v is 14.0 percent.

FIG. 48 shows a design obtained by arranging the same number of L- and -type blocks downward on the blocks shown in FIG. 43, v being 37.7 percent.

FIG. 49 shows a design obtained by massively arranging -type blocks upward, v being 38.5 percent.

FIGS. 50-52 show designs obtained by arranging -type blocks upward in three different manners, whereby v are 46.2, 42.5 and 65.6 percent, respectively.

FIG. 53 shows a design obtained by arranging -type blocks downward, v being 47.3 percent.

FIG. 54 shows a design obtained by arranging L- and -type blocks downward, v being 53.0 percent.

FIGS. 55-57 show design obtained by arranging L-type blocks upward in three different manners, whereby v are 57.5, 57.5 and 57.0 percent.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A mold for use in manufacturing energy dissipating concrete blocks comprising one or more each of a plurality of flat plates, each of said plates having a flat, planar concrete contacting surface of a predetermined geometrical design, the peripheral edges of said concrete contacting surfaces of each of said plates having predetermined length ratios, said edges of said plates operatively associated to be abutted to form a number of enclosed mold shapes, said geometrical designs of said concrete contacting surfaces comprising three L-shapes, four rectangles and one square.