Patent ID: 9273479
Filing Date: 2016-03-01
CPC Classification: E04B,E04G

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for repairing an existing structure to cover at least a portion of the existing structure with a repair structure, the apparatus comprising: one or more standoff retainers elongated in a longitudinal direction and mounted to the existing structure; one or more standoffs elongated in the longitudinal direction and coupled to the one or more standoff retainers by relative movement in the longitudinal direction between the one or more standoffs and the one or more standoff retainers to form one or more connections between the one or more standoff retainers and the one or more standoffs, the one or more connections elongated in the longitudinal direction, the standoffs extending away from the existing structure; one or more cladding panels coupled to the one or more standoffs, the panels spaced apart from the existing structure to provide a space therebetween, wherein the one or more panels are coupled to one or more of the standoffs by one or more panel connector components located entirely between an outer surface of the existing structure and an outer surface of the panels, the outer surface of the panels opposed to the outer surface of the existing structure; wherein curable material is introduced to the space between the panels and the existing structure and the panels act as at least a portion of a form-work for containing the curable material until the curable material cures to provide a repair structure cladded, at least in part, by the panels; wherein each of the one or more standoff retainers comprises: an interior wall, the interior wall comprising a mounting surface which abuts against the outer surface of the existing structure for mounting the standoff retainer to the existing structure by extension of fasteners through the interior wall and into the existing structure; an intermediate wall generally parallel to the interior wall and spaced apart from the interior wall in an outward direction; and a pair of sidewalls extending between the interior wall and the intermediate wall; wherein the interior wall and the intermediate wall have elongated shapes which comprise first dimensions in the longitudinal direction and second dimensions in a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal and transverse directions are both generally orthogonal to the outward direction, and the first dimensions in the longitudinal direction are greater than the second dimensions in the transverse direction; wherein each of the one or more standoff retainers comprises a pair of connector component walls which extend in the outward direction from the intermediate wall at locations spaced apart from one another along the transverse direction.