Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND SYSTEM TO SECURE SHORING DECK
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Application No.
62/702,087, filed July 23, 2018, and from U.S. Nonprovisional Application No.
16/158,990, filed on October 12, 2018.
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a method and a system to
secure a shoring
deck that is used to support a load, such as to support forms for poured
concrete
construction. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method and a
system
using one or more beams in an asymmetric configuration to secure a shoring
deck to a
column, such as to provide lateral support for the shoring deck.
2. Background Information
[0003] A shoring deck or shoring tower may be used for bearing heavy loads
during
construction, such as when pouring concrete for concrete building
construction.
Therefore, the stability of the shoring deck is critical for safety and
quality of the finished
work. However, there lacks a convenient and effective method to secure the
shoring
deck that supports the shoring deck based upon expected vertical loads as well
as
expected lateral loads. Often, engineered shoring systems rely upon cross-
bracing
between adjacent vertical shoring posts, which, especially for shoring systems
that hold
shoring beams high above the floor, may be time consuming and expensive to
erect, as
well as may establish barriers within the construction zone which add
complications to
working in the environment below the erected shoring deck.
[0004] The present disclosure is directed toward addressing one or
more drawbacks,
including but not limited to those set forth above.
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BRIEF SUMMARY
[0005] The present disclosure is directed to a method for securing a
shoring deck
with a plurality of deck beams to a column. The method includes providing a
first beam
bracing against a column, wherein the first beam in some embodiments is
disposed at a
first longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to an axis of the column. The
method includes
coupling the first beam to a first deck beam of a plurality of deck beams of a
shoring
deck and a second deck beam of the plurality of deck beams of the shoring
deck. The
method also includes providing a second beam bracing against the column. The
method
includes coupling the second beam to a third deck beam of the plurality of
deck beams
of the shoring deck and a fourth deck beam of the plurality of deck beams of
the shoring
deck. The method further includes positioning the first and second beams with
respect
to the column such that respective first and second longitudinal axes through
the
respective first and second beams are aligned at an acute angle with respect
to each
other.
[0006] The present disclosure is also directed to a method for securing a
shoring
deck to a column. The method includes positioning a first beam in contact with
a first
side surface of a column and coupling the first beam to a first deck beam of a
shoring
deck and a second deck beam of the shoring deck. The method also includes
positioning a second beam in contact with a second side surface of the column
and
coupling the second beam to a third deck beam of the shoring deck and a fourth
deck
beam of the shoring deck. The method further includes positioning the first
and second
beams with respect to the column such that respective first and second
longitudinal
axes through the respective first and second beams are aligned at an acute
angle with
respect to each other.
[0007] The present disclosure also describes a system with a first beam and
a
second beam for securing a shoring deck to a column. The first beam is
provided to
brace against the column and in some embodiments is perpendicular to a
longitudinal
axis of the column. The first beam is coupled to a first deck beam and a
second deck
beam of the shoring deck. The second beam is provided to brace against the
column.
The first and second beams are disposed with respect to the column such that
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respective first and second longitudinal axes through the respective first and
second
beams are aligned at an acute angle with respect to each other.
[0008] One advantage of the present disclosure is that lateral movement of
the
shoring deck is restricted and the stability of the shoring deck is greatly
improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a shoring deck and a column.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of securing a shoring
deck
to a column.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a drawing of an embodiment of coupling a beam to a deck
beam.
[0012] FIG. 4A is a drawing of an embodiment of coupling a beam to a deck
beam.
[0013] FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of the coupling device shown in FIG.
4A.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of securing a shoring
deck
to a column.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of securing a shoring
deck
to a column.
[0016] FIG. 7A is a drawing of a top perspective view of an embodiment of
securing
a shoring deck to a column.
[0017] FIG. 7B is a drawing of a bottom perspective view of the embodiment
shown
in FIG. 7A.
[0018] FIG. 8A is a schematic top view of an embodiment of securing a
shoring
deck.
[0019] FIG. 8B is another perspective view of the shoring deck of FIG. 8A.
[0020] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a method for securing a shoring deck to
a column.
[0021] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of another method for securing a shoring
deck to a
column.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The invention will now be described in detail hereinafter with
reference to the
accompanied drawings, which form a part of the present invention, and which
show, by
way of illustration, specific examples of embodiments. Please note that the
invention
may, however, be embodied in a variety of different forms and, therefore, the
covered or
claimed subject matter is intended to be construed as not being limited to any
of the
embodiments to be set forth below. Please also note that the invention may be
embodied as methods, devices, components, or systems. Accordingly, embodiments
of
the invention may, for example, take the form of hardware, software, firmware
or any
combination thereof.
[0023] Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have nuanced
meanings
suggested or implied in context beyond an explicitly stated meaning. Likewise,
the
phrase "in one embodiment" or "in some embodiments" as used herein does not
necessarily refer to the same embodiment and the phrase "in another
embodiment" or
"in other embodiments" as used herein does not necessarily refer to a
different
embodiment. It is intended, for example, that claimed subject matter includes
combinations of exemplary embodiments in whole or in part.
[0024] In general, terminology may be understood at least in part from
usage in
context. For example, terms, such as "and", "or", or "and/or," as used herein
may
include a variety of meanings that may depend at least in part upon the
context in which
such terms are used. Typically, "or" if used to associate a list, such as A, B
or C, is
intended to mean A, B, and C, here used in the inclusive sense, as well as A,
B or C,
here used in the exclusive sense. In addition, the term "one or more" or "at
least one" as
used herein, depending at least in part upon context, may be used to describe
any
feature, structure, or characteristic in a singular sense or may be used to
describe
combinations of features, structures or characteristics in a plural sense.
Similarly, terms,
such as "a", "an", or "the", again, may be understood to convey a singular
usage or to
convey a plural usage, depending at least in part upon context. In addition,
the term
"based on" or "determined by" may be understood as not necessarily intended to
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convey an exclusive set of factors and may, instead, allow for existence of
additional
factors not necessarily expressly described, again, depending at least in part
on
context.
[0025] Poured concrete construction techniques require a shoring deck be
established to support the contrete, rebar, and other materials during the
concrete
pouring and during the time the poured concrete cures before the pured
concrete is
strong enough to support itself. A shoring deck normally includes a plurality
of horizontal
beams (or at other orientations when the desired final surface isn't
horizontal) that is
supported by a network of shoring posts that carry the horizontal beams. When
a
shoring deck is contructed, such as for poured concrete building construction,
the
shoring deck may be established a large distance above an existing floor (such
as
either the ground or a poured concreate surface that was previously
constructed). For
example, the shoring deck may be 9 feet above the floor level, or much higher
such as
15, 20, 23, 25 feet above the established floor level or other heights as
called for by
building plans. The shoring deck is constructed to support a heavy load. The
heavy load
may include the weight of the pured concrete surface (including concrete,
rebar and
other engineered materials/structures), the forms for supporting the concrete
during the
curing process, construction equipment, Workers, elements such as wind, rain,
snow,
etc. The shoring deck must not only be engineered to support the potential
loads that it
will encounter during puring and curing of the concrete construction, but it
must also be
capable of supporting the maximum potential lateral loads with at least a
minimum
factor of safety required by building codes and proper construction practices.
The
present disclosure describes a method and system to secure the shoring deck to
suport
potenital lateral loads.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the present disclosure describes a method and a
system
100 to secure a shoring deck 110 to a vertical column 140 in order to allow
the column
to support the shoring deck against lateral loads. The column 140 may be a
steel
column, or a concreate column, or a column made of other construction
materials. The
column 140 may have a same height as the shoring deck 110. In other
embodiment, the
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column 140 may be higher than the shoring deck 110. The shoring deck 110 is
supported by a number of shoring posts 120 above a floor 144.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, a shoring deck 110 may include a number of deck
beams. The deck beams may be arranged in a pattern and include primary deck
beams
210 and/or secondary deck beams 220. The primary deck beams 210 are coupled to
the secondary deck beams 220. In some embodiments, the primary deck beams 210
may be perpendicular to the secondary deck beams 220. In some embodiments, the
primary and secondary deck beams are disposed at the same height, such that
the
collective top surfaces extend along the same plane, while in other
embodiments, the
secondary deck beams rest above the primary deck beams or vice versa.
[0028] A column 140 may be surrounded by multiple deck beams such as four deck
beams in grid. In an exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the column 140
may be
surrounded by two primary deck beams 212 and 214 and two secondary deck beams
222 and 224. A first beam 230 is provided to brace against a first side
surface 142 of
the column 140, which in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is a planar wall
surface, but
in other embodiments could be an edge of the column, or an arcuate surface of
a
column (such as when a column is cylindrical or elliptical or curved in other
shapes) or
in multiple separated points or surfaces of a column, so that the first beam
provides
lateral support and motion restriction to the shoring deck relative to the
column 140. For
example, as shown in FIG. 2, the first beam 230 may stabilize and secure the
shoring
deck by restricting lateral movement along a long axis 220a of the secondary
deck
beams 220 (depicted in FIG. 2 as parallel to deck beam 220 for clarity, but
the long axis
220a actually extends through the deck beam 220). The first beam 230 may be
coupled
to one secondary deck beam 222 with a coupling device 232, and the first beam
may
also be coupled to another secondary deck beam 224 via a coupling device 234.
[0029] As FIG. 2 shows, a second beam 250 may be provided to brace against a
second side surface 144 of the column 140m such as an edge of the column 140
(which
may form a corner of the column), so that the second beam 250 provides lateral
support
and motion restriction to the shoring deck relative to the column 140.
Depending upon
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the cross-section of the column 140, the second beam 250 may contact a curved
surface, multiple edges, or the other geometrical features of the column 140.
For
example, as shown in FIG. 2, the second beam 250 may stabilize and secure the
shoring deck by restricting lateral movement along a long axis 220a of the
secondary
deck beam 220, in the opposite direction along long axis 220a than the first
beam 230
supports and restricting lateral movement along a long axis 210a of the
primary deck
beam 210 (depicted in FIG. 2 as parallel to deck beam 210 for clarity, but the
long axis
210a actually extends through the deck beam 210). The second beam 250 may be
coupled to one secondary deck beam 222 with a coupling device 252, and the
second
beam 250 may also be coupled to one primary deck beam 214 with a coupling
device
252.
[0030] The second beam 250 may be positioned with respect to the first beam
230,
such that the longitudinal axes (230a, 250a) of the first and second beams
230, 250 are
disposed at an angle 260 with respect to each other. The angle 260 may be an
angle
between 10 and 80 degrees (inclusive of the bounds of the range), or between
15 to 75
degrees (inclusive of the bounds of the range), or between 30 and 60 degrees
(inclusive
of the bounds of the range), or in some embodiments, at an angle of about 25,
30, 35,
40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75 or 80 degrees. The term "about" is specifically
defined
herein (when referencing an angle) to mean the value listed plus or minus 2
degrees of
the value. As shown in FIG. 2, the acute angle 260 is about 45 degrees.
[0031] In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 2, the secondary beams 220
support the primary deck beams 210, 212, 214 such that the primary deck beams
rest
upon the secondary beams. In other embodiments, the secondary beams may rest
upon the top surfaces of the primary deck beams. In still other embodiments,
as
depicted in FIG. 7B primary and second beams (shown as 712, 714, 722) may be
disposed at the same level. In embodiments with stacked primary and secondary
beams, the second 250 may be fixed to one primary and one secondary beam (e.g.
connections 252, 254 of FIG. 2), which in some embodiments are disposed at
differing
heights when stacked. In these embodiments a longitudinal axis 250a though the
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secondary beam may be at an acute angle with respect to floor (i.e. the
surface that
shoring posts that support the primary and secondary beams rest upon) and may
also
be at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis through the
column 140 (i.e.
an axis going through the drawing sheet that includes FIG. 2). In embodiments
where
the primary and secondary beams are at the same level, the longitudinal axis
250a
through the second beam 250 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of
the
column 140. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the first beam 230 is connected to
two
parallel secondary beams at the same height (points 232, 234) and therefore
the
longitudinal axis 230a is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the column
140. Of
course, the beams 230, 250 may be aligned at different angles with respect to
the
column based upon the alignment and position of the beams that support the
concrete
forms based upon the desired geometry of the concrete to be poured.
[0032] The first beam 230 may be a metal beam, a wood beam, or a beam made of
other materials. For example, the first beam may be a bar, an angle, a
rectanglular
cross-section, or another shape or shapes along its length. The beam may be
steel,
aluminum, wood, or another material. In some embodiments, the first beam 230
may be
an an elongate member with two surfaces that are disposed at a substantially
perpendicual angle with respect to each other, such as a convention angle
iron. In some
embodiments the beam may be a wood 2x4. The first beam 230 may include a
plurality
of pre-punched holes therealong to allow for fasteners to extend therethrough
to couple
to deck beams via coupling devices. The coupling device 232 and the coupling
device
234 may be a same type of coupling devices or different types of coupling
device.
[0033] The second beam 250 may like the first beam 230 or may be a different
structure (including the various structures that could be used as the first
beam as
described above). The coupling device 232 and the coupling device 234 may be a
same
type of coupling devices or different types of coupling device. The coupling
devices
associated with the second beam and the first beam may be the same type or
different
type of coupling devices. For example, the coupling devices may be T bolts as
are
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known in the art. In other embodiments, a wedge clamp (discussed below) may be
used, or other coupling structures or fastners.
[0034] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a coupling device 330 may be
a bolt.
The coupling device 330 couples a beam 320 to a deck beam 310 of a shoring
deck.
The bolt may be any type of bolts capable of coupling one beam to another
beam, for
example but not limited to, a butterfly bolt.
[0035] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, a coupling device 430
may be a
clamp. The coupling device 430 couples a beam 420 to a deck beam 410 of a
shoring
deck. The clamp may be any type of clamps capable of coupling one beam to
another
beam, for example but not limited to, a wedge clamp as in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The
wedge
clamp includes a first arm 433 and a second arm 435. The first arm 433 and the
second
arm 435 are opposite to each other and are connected by a central member 437.
Each
of the first and second arms 433, 435 include fingers 433b, 435b that extend
inwardly
and are disposed upon the opposite end of the arm that meets or is connected
to the
central member 437. The extending fingers 433b, 435b of the first and second
arms rest
upon a surface of the deck beam 410. The first arm 433 has a first slot 433a,
and the
second arm 435 has a second slot 435a. The wedge clamp also includes a wedge
438.
The wedge 438 may have a triangle shape as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, and my
include a top edge 438a and a bottom edge 438b. The wedge 438 decreases a
space
between the top edge 438a of the wedge 438 and the fingers 433b, 435b, as the
wedge
438 extends further through the first and second slots 433a, 435a, so as to
mechanically couple one beam to another beam.
[0036] In another embodiment, as FIG: 5 shows, a third beam 570 may be
provided
to brace against another corner of the column 140. The third beam 570 may be
coupled
to the primary deck beam 214 with a coupling device 572, and the third beam
570 may
be coupled to the secondary deck beam 224 with another coupling device 574.
[0037] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment wherein a first beam 630 and a second
beam 250 are in a different configuration ih comparison with a system in FIG.
2, a first
beam 630 may be provided to brace against a second corner 146 of a column 140.
The
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first beam 630 may be coupled to the secondary deck beam 222 with a coupling
device
632, and the third beam 630 may be coupled to the secondary deck beam 224 with
another coupling device 574. In another embodiment, an additional beam may be
provided to brace against a third corner of the column 140.
[0038] Another embodiment is shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. A shoring deck 700 is
secured to a column 740. A first beam 730 is provided to brace against a side
surface of
the column 740, and a second beam 750 is provided to brace against a corner of
the
column 740. The first beam 730 is coupled to a deck beam 722 and a deck beam
724.
The second beam 750 is coupled to the deck beam 722 and a deck beam 714. The
column 740 is surrounded by deck beams 712, 714, 722, and 724.
[0039] As FIGS. 8A and 8B show, the present disclosure also describes a system
800 to secure a shoring deck with a beam 830. The beam 830 is provided to be
at an
acute angle between the beam 830 and deck beams 810 and 820, wherein the deck
beams 810 are perpendicular to the deck beams 820. The beam 830 is coupled to
one
of the deck beams 820 with a first coupling device 832; and the beam 830 is
coupled to
one of the deck beams 810 with a second coupling device 834. For example as
FIG. 8B
shows, the first coupling device 832 and the second coupling device 834 may be
wedge
clamps such as those discussed above.
[0040] The present disclosure describes a system with a first beam and a
second
beam for securing a shoring deck to a column. The first beam is provided to
brace
against the column and be perpendicular to a long axis of the column. The
first beam is
coupled to a first deck beam and a second deck beam of the shoring deck. The
second
beam is provided to brace against the column and be perpendicular to the long
axis of
the column. The second beam is coupled to a third deck beam and a fourth deck
beam
of the shoring deck. The first beam and the second beam form an acute angle.
One
advantage of the present disclosure is that lateral movement of the shoring
deck is
restricted and the stability of the shoring deck is greatly improved.
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[0041] The present disclosure also describes a method. The method includes
using
a system for securing a shoring deck. The system may be any of the embodiments
as
described above.
[0042] In one embodiment, a method for securing a shoring deck to a column
is
shown in FIG. 9. The method includes step 910: providing a first beam bracing
against a
column, wherein the first beam is disposed at a first longitudinal axis that
is
perpendicular to a long axis of the column; step 920: coupling the first beam
to a first
deck beam of a plurality of deck beams of a shoring deck and a second deck
beam of
the plurality of deck beams of the shoring deck; step 930: providing a second
beam
bracing against the column; and step 940: coupling the second beam to a third
deck
beam of the plurality of deck beams of the shoring deck and a fourth deck beam
of the
plurality of deck beams of the shoring deck; and step 950: positioning the
first and
second beams with respect to the column such that respective first and second
longitudinal axes through the respective first and second beams are aligned at
an acute
angle with respect to each other.
[0043] In another embodiment, a method for securing a shoring deck to a
column is
shown in FIG. 10. The method includes step 1110: positioning a first beam in
contact
with a first side surface of a column; step 1120: coupling the first beam to a
first deck
beam of a shoring deck and a second deck beam of the shoring deck; step 1130:
positioning a second beam in contact with a second side surface of the column;
step
1140: coupling the second beam to a third deck beam of the shoring deck and a
fourth
deck beam of the shoring deck; and step 1150: positioning the first and second
beams
with respect to the column such that respective first and second longitudinal
axes
through the respective first and second beams are aligned at an acute angle
with
respect to each other.
[0044] While the particular invention has been described with reference to
illustrative
embodiments, this description is not meant to be limiting. Various
modifications of the
illustrative embodiments and additional embodiments of the invention will be
apparent to
one of ordinary skill in the art from this description. Those skilled in the
art will readily
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recognize that these and various other modifications can be made to the
exemplary
embodiments, illustrated and described herein, without departing from the
spirit and
scope of the present invention. It is therefore contemplated that the appended
claims
will cover any such modifications and alternate embodiments. Certain
proportions within
the illustrations may be exaggerated, while other proportions may be
minimized.
Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative
rather than
restrictive.
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