Other

University of California

Mohammad Reza Ehsani

Shrini K Upadhyaya

Mark L Mattson

Hamid Saadatmanesh

Saeed Towfighi

Masoud Ghalambor

Methods and systems are disclosed for encasing various structures with a seamless continuous sleeve, where the presence of existing supports does not allow slipping a sleeve over the structure. In these methods strips of fabrics smeared with or saturated by resin are helically or non-helically wrapped or placed around desired shape mandrels that are located around a support of the structure. As the resin is partially cured, a portion of the sleeve segment is moved away from the mandrel, leaving the rest of the sleeve on the mandrel to be attached to the next will-be-fabricated sleeve segment. The process will continue as many times as needed to create a sleeve of a desired length. In various embodiments the strength of the sleeves varies at different locations. In some embodiments the gaps between the sleeves and the structures are filled with gas, liquid, solid, or any other materials.

External onsite-manufactured continuous structural sleeve

A method and an article of manufacture are disclosed for constructing, reinforcing, and repairing various structural elements such as columns, piles and the like using formworks that are reusable. The reusable articles of manufacture employed in the disclosed methods are or, if desired, may be permanently left in place. Same or similar methods and articles of manufacture may be employed to easily construct pipes of any desired diameter in a very short time.

Reusable and adjustable-size form for repair and reinforcement of structures

Methods and systems are disclosed to transfer forces on a damaged pile to the lower part of the pile, bypassing the damaged area. Rings of various materials are tightly wrapped around the pile or clamps are attached to the pile, above and below the damaged area, causing calculated friction between the pile and the rings and/or clamps. Subsequently the damaged area and the rings and/or clamps are encased in a curable substance, such as concrete. After curing, the rings and/or clamps above the damaged area will receive the stresses on the pile through the friction with the pile and will transfer them to the concrete which in turn will transfer the stresses to the lower part of the pile through the lower rings and/or clamps and their friction with the lower part of the pile. Nothing is welded to the pile and the pile is not altered in any way.

Shear transfer ring and clamp

A method and an article of manufacture are disclosed for reinforcing various structures, such as pipes, ducts, vessels, tanks, silos, chimneys, columns and the like, constructed from various materials including steel, concrete, masonry, wood, plastics, and the like. Some of the various structures may be used to transport water, gas, oil, and the like. Multiple layers of various material sheets, each sheet having substantially the same or different properties, may be wrapped around or be attached to the inside of a structure to be reinforced. The multiple layers together constitute a structure reinforcement wrap (SRW) and in an embodiment it may include a 3D fabric layer surrounded by other reinforcement layers to reinforce the structure against external and internal loads, such as weight, impact load, blast load, internal pressure, ballistic load, and the like. In some embodiment the SRW may only include 3D fabric layers.

Reinforcement of structures using 3D-fabric wrap

A method and an article of manufacture are disclosed for reinforcing various structures with only partially accessible circumference, such as columns closely adjacent to or protruding out of a wall or beams holding a ceiling. Some of these structures may be partly or completely submerged in water, such as retaining walls on the sides of rivers and water-ways. In some embodiments a prefabricated shell will fully or partly cover the exposed and reachable part of the structure and will be secured in place by various means. The shell may hug the structure tightly or loosely and the space between the shell and the structure may be filled with such curable materials as glue, epoxy, grout, concrete and the like. In various embodiments additional reinforcement such as rebar may be placed in the space between the shell and the structure.

Structure reinforcement partial shell

Spacers for repair of columns and piles

Mining methods and systems are disclosed for In-Situ Leaching (ISL) of the mineral ores. ISL extraction is conducted by injecting a suitable leach solution into the ore zone below the water table; oxidizing, complexing and mobilizing the minerals; recovering the pregnant (loaded) solutions through production wells (extraction wells or recovery wells); and, finally, pumping the minerals bearing solution to the surface for further processing. In these methods strips of fabrics saturated with resin are helically or non-helically wrapped around desired shape vertical mandrels, located over the wells, and the partially cured pipes are lowered into the wells to line the wells. These onsite manufactured pipes/linings are used to pump chemical solutions into the ores and subsequently to recover the pregnant (loaded) solutions.

Method and apparatus for mining copper

Methods and systems are disclosed for laying trenchless pipes under ground. In these methods strips of fabrics saturated with resin are helically or non-helically wrapped around desired shape mandrels that are located near an entrance to an underground tunnel or an old pipe, and the partially cured pipes are lowered into the tunnel or the old pipe and is pulled by chain or cable from the other side of the tunnel or the old pipe to line the tunnel and the old pipe. One or more kinds of sensors or gauges may also be attached to or embedded in the fabrics to monitor various aspects of the pipe or the content of the pipe.

Trenchless pipe-laying

Proactive methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for preventing any water leak or flooding of a toilet. These methods and systems can replace or be added to the water system of existing toilets, especially the North American toilets, which use water tanks. In various embodiments the water is turned OFF and prevented to enter the toilet tank before the flush handle is activated and/or before a user is sensed. In some embodiments each flushing of the toilet permits the toilet tank to only fill once. If a leak causes the tank to empty, water is not permitted to fill the leaking tank until the next time the flush handle is activated. In some other embodiments each flushing of the toilet and/or sensing of a user permits the toilet tank to fill a predetermined number of times.

Toilet water leak and flood prevention

A method and an article of manufacture are presented for reinforcing and/or repairing columns, towers, pylons, and the like, constructed from various materials including concrete, masonry, wood, plastics, and the like. One or more tensile bearing bands/rebars of material, such as fibrous material, are longitudinally/axially adhered or attached to the structure followed by wrapping of a semi-flexible or a semi-rigid sheet of material, at a relatively small distance, around the column. Subsequently filler material is poured in the cavity created between the wrapped sheet material and the column. Optionally, multiple layers of various material sheets, each sheet having substantially the same or different properties, may be wrapped around or be attached to the primary wrapped sheet. Appropriately chosen reinforcement bands/rebars, reinforcement sheets, and filler material can provide any desired additional tensile, compressive, shear and flexural strength to the column.

Reinforcement and repair of structural columns

A method and an article of manufacture are disclosed for externally reinforcing various solid structures, such as columns, poles, piles, beams and the like, against buckling under compressive forces and loads. In various embodiments, a seamless multi-layer jacket is constructed around the structural member by wrapping a thin sheet of material around the structural member, as many times as needed, at a distance from the structural member. While maintaining the thin sheet of material wrapped around the structural member, a filler material will fill the annular space between the jacket and the structural member, wherein the structural member, the jacket, and the filler material cooperate to better resist the buckling of the structural member when subject to compressive forces and loads.

Buckling reinforcement for structural members

A method and an article of manufacture are disclosed for reinforcing various structures, such as pipes, piles, walls, tanks, silos, chimneys, and the like, constructed from various materials including steel, concrete, masonry, wood, plastics, and the like. Some of the various structures may be used to transport water, gas, oil, and the like. One or multiple layers of various material sheets, each sheet having substantially the same or different properties, may be impregnated with resin and wrapped around or attached to the surface of a structure to be reinforced or to the surface of a spacer shell surrounding the structure and subjected to heat to cure the resin and to bond the reinforcement sheets to the structure or the spacer shell. The multiple layers together constitute a heat-cured structure reinforcement wrap (HRW) to reinforce the structure against external and internal loads, such as weight, impact load, blast load, internal pressure, ballistic load, and the like.

Repair and strengthening of structures with electrically-cured resin-impregnated wrap

A method and an article of manufacture are disclosed for reinforcing various structures, such as pipes, piles, walls, tanks, silos, chimneys, and the like, constructed from various materials including steel, concrete, masonry, wood, plastics, and the like. Some of the various structures may be used to transport water, gas, oil, and the like. Multiple layers of various material sheets, each sheet having substantially the same or different properties, may be impregnated with resin and wrapped around or attached to the surface of a structure to be reinforced or to the surface of a spacer shell surrounding the structure and subjected to heat to cure the resin and to bond the reinforcement sheets to the structure or the spacer shell. The multiple layers together constitute a heat-cured structure reinforcement wrap (HRW) to reinforce the structure against external and internal loads, such as weight, impact load, blast load, internal pressure, ballistic load, and the like.

Repair and strengthening of structures with heat-cured wrap

Repair and strengthening of structures with resin-impregnated heatable wrap

The present invention is a method for strengthening a vertical column, such as piles under piers and docks and for columns in bridges and buildings. A coiled FRP laminate is provided and wrapped in a helical fashion around the column, with the laminate overlapping itself. An epoxy resin coating is applied between the overlapping portions. The epoxy resin will then cure to form a substantially water tight shell. A plurality of spacers may be fixed to the column and adapted to hold the laminate a set distance away from the column. A plurality of sealing means is provided to seal the space between the shell and the column. A filler material may be pressurized to fill the space, penetrate cracks in the column, and displace water. Also, a plurality of rigid strengthening rods may be added between the column and the shell to further strengthen the column.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Mohammad Reza Ehsani