Patent ID: 9249566
Filing Date: 2016-02-02
CPC Classification: E04B,E04F,E04H

Claim Text:
1. A stackable tower shaft wall unit for constructing below grade shafts, each stackable tower shaft unit comprising: a pre-cast concrete body having four spaced apart and structurally interconnected walls, each wall having a first edge, a vertically spaced apart second edge, an interior surface and an exterior surface, the four spaced apart and structurally interconnected walls and defining a medial channel extending from the first edge to the second edge along the interior surface of the four spaced apart and structurally interconnected walls; a locking and alignment recess defined in the first edge of the precast concrete body at an intersection of two adjacent walls, and wherein the locking and alignment recess has a configuration that prevents translational movement of one precast concrete body relative to a vertically adjacent and second precast concrete body; a locking and alignment protuberance carried on the second edge of the precast concrete body and which is located at an intersection of two adjacent walls, and which is further located in a diametrically and vertically opposite position relative to the locking and alignment recess and wherein the locking and alignment protuberance is configured to align with and conformably mate with a locking and alignment recess of an adjacent precast concrete body so as to provide a locking configuration that prevents translational movement of one precast concrete body relative to a vertically adjacent precast concrete body; and a below grade shaft is formed by vertically stacking a plurality of precast concrete bodies when an upper precast body is vertically aligned with and vertically stacked upon an adjacent vertically lower precast concrete body, and wherein the upper precast concrete body is horizontally rotated 180° about an axis of the medial channel so that the locking and alignment protuberance carried on the second edge of the upper precast concrete body matingly engages within the locking and alignment recess defined in the first edge of the adjacent, and lower precast concrete body, and wherein the engagement of the locking and alignment protuberance within the locking and alignment recess provides vertical alignment and substantially secure locking engagement to the vertically stacked precast concrete bodies and thereby provides a continuous shaft formed by aligned medial channels.