Abstract:
An apparatus and mounting arrangement supports infrastructure in slabs. The apparatus includes a lower section ( 104 ) that provides stability and is further able to communicate information about the apparatus or mounting arrangement after the slab has been formed around the apparatus. The apparatus further includes an upper section ( 102 ), that when combined with the lower section ( 104 ), is capable of holding a plurality of infrastructure items at a predefined distance above a base level. The upper section ( 102 ) is further provided with a portion ( 1002 ) that will extend above the upper surface of the slab to communicate the presence of the apparatus after the slab has been poured.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority from provisional application No. 60/503,702, filed Sep. 17, 2003, the entire disclosure being incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The invention lies in the field of construction. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for holding cables, wires, pipes, rebar, or other infrastructure at a selected height from deck level during construction of concrete slabs.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     In the area of construction, various techniques exist for placing concrete slabs, floors, beams, and the like, under a tension to thereby strengthen the structure. The placement of a tension assembly in concrete is well known in connection with concrete slabs, such as are used for highways, bridges, houses, office buildings, apartment buildings, parking structures, slabs-on-ground, rock and soil anchors, and water tanks.  
         [0006]     A popular tensioning technique, commonly called “post-tensioning”, as shown in  FIG. 1 , is to support or otherwise suspend cable assemblies  102  along the length of a concrete slab  106 , when poured. The cable assemblies  102  (hereafter “cables”) usually consist of extruded plastic tubes or sheathes with greased tendons therein. As the cables  102  run along the length of the concrete slab  106 , or floor, the cables  102  are attached to, or pass through, one or more building support structures  112  within the floor area, such as a concrete or steel column. The live or stressing end of the cables  104  are not anchored at this time and are cut at such a length so as to extend beyond the sidewall  114  of the slab  106  when poured. The concrete  106  is then poured around the cables  102 . After the concrete  114  has been allowed a sufficient time to cure, the cables  102  are stretched to thereby place the concrete slab  114  in compression. After each cable is stretched, the tension-end  104  of the cable  102  is secured in the stretched position, thereby leaving the cable  102  in a tensioned state. The end of the cable  104  that extends beyond the sidewall  114  of the concrete floor  106  is then cut by a torch, a saw blade, shears, or other means.  
         [0007]     For maximum strength, it is desirable that the cables exit the sidewall  114  of the slab  106  equidistant from the top surface  108  and the bottom surface  110 . To accomplish this, prior to pouring the concrete  106  each cable  102  is placed on one or more support structures  100  of varying height so that it is held off of the deck surface  116  that the concrete  106  is to be poured. This allows the cables  102  to be encapsulated within the concrete  106  once poured because concrete can easily flow under the cables  102  while supported on the structures  100 . Optimally, as the cables  102  span the length of the floor  116 , the point where the cables  102  attach to, or pass through the above mentioned building support members  112  will be at a greater height, with respect to the deck level, from where the cables are positioned to run the remaining length of the floor. The configuration is similar to that of a suspension bridge. Therefore, looking at  FIG. 1  it can be seen that after the concrete has been poured, as the cables  102  approach a support column  112  within the interior of the floor area, the vertical distance between the cable  102  and the upper surface  108  of the concrete floor  106  will decrease. It is therefore desirable to support the cables  102  at various heights along the floor  116  where the concrete is to be poured so that the suspension formation can be achieved.  
         [0008]     For maximum strength, multiple cables  102  are used in a single concrete slab  106 . The number of cables  102  used may be dictated by building codes in a particular jurisdiction. When multiple cables  102  are placed along the floor  106  in close proximity to each other, each cable must be supported. Several prior art methods exist for supporting multiple cables, each requiring the use of multiple standoffs. One such method is to use a separate standoff under each cable. As previously mentioned, the cables must be supported at a multitude of heights. This method has the disadvantage of requiring an inordinate amount of standoffs to be used in a single floor area.  
         [0009]     Another common practice in the construction industry, shown in  FIG. 2 , is to support a bar of solid material  202 , such as rebar for instance, between two prior art standoffs  100 . One such standoff is Sorkin (U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,095). Sorkin is a standoff that consists of a receiving area having a horizontal section, a generally parabolic section extending transverse to the horizontal section, and a plurality of separate legs extending downwardly from the receiving area. Each of the legs has a foot extending horizontally outwardly therefrom. A foot of one of the plurality of legs is separated from the foot of an adjacent leg. The receiving area and the plurality of legs are integrally formed together of a polymeric material. Although the receiving area is parabolic, and more than one cable can be held in the receiving area, Sorkin provides no method to secure the cables. As a result, the cables easily fall out of the parabolic receiving area and away from the standoff. To avoid this problem, two standoffs are commonly used to support a bar of rebar between them. The length of rebar  202  is secured to the standoffs  100  by tying the rebar with a wire wrap  204 .  
         [0010]     As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the rebar suspended by the standoffs  100  is then placed under and perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of cables  102 . The cables  102  then attached to the rebar through the use of a wire wrap  206 . This method has the disadvantage of necessitating not only the supply of the solid material and wire, but also the labor intensive practice of securing the solid material to the two or more standoffs and the further step of securing the cables to the solid material. Additionally, this method has the disadvantage of requiring at least two standoffs at every support location, which adds cost and time.  
         [0011]     A second standoff of this type is manufactured by Aztec Concrete Accessories, Inc. of Fontana, Calif. This standoff has a central receiving area and a plurality of legs that extend downwardly from the receiving area. The central receiving area has a generally concaved configuration that can receive only a single rebar. In use, these standoffs have had a tendency to be unstable and tip over. The use of an annular ring extending around the legs of the standoff requires that a wire must be threaded through the interior of the standoff in order to tie the rebar within the receiving area. Importantly, this method of using rebar and wire has the further disadvantage of using metallic materials that will ultimately be encapsulated in the concrete. Over time, moisture trapped inside the concrete slab will cause the metal to rust inside the slab. As a result, the structural integrity of the slab will be compromised. Accordingly, these standoffs have been generally ineffective for meeting the needs of the construction industry.  
         [0012]     When constructing a building with multiple levels, slabs must be placed at each floor level. At all times there must be a supporting surface upon which to pour the concrete slab. While the first floor of a building may be supported by the earth below, subsequent floors must be supported by other means until the cement has cured. A typical method, shown in  FIG. 3 , is to use a metal framework  302  to support a wooden “deck”  116  at a specified height. The wooden deck  116  has wooden sides  304 . The wooden deck  116  is the surface upon which the concrete  116  is poured. The sides  304  will allow an amount of concrete  106  to be contained until the concrete  106  is dry. After sufficient drying has occurred, the wooden deck  116 , sides  304 , and framework  302  are removed.  
         [0013]     Once each floor is formed, it is often necessary to penetrate the concrete slab  106 . For instance, installation of doors and windows require that screws or bolts be inserted into the slab  106  both from the top surface  108  and from the surface below  110 . If a drill or screw being driven into the concrete penetrates a post-tension cable  102 , the cable  102  can snap. The breaking of a cable  102  under such a large amount of tension can cause severe damage to the structure and possible physical injury to the worker. At a minimum, the cable must be replaced. This process is extremely difficult and expensive. It is therefore desirable to have a method of identifying the location of the post-tension cables  102  after the concrete  106  has been poured.  
         [0014]     Using the current method of installing post-tension cables described above, there is no simple way of determining the physical location of the cables once they are encapsulated in the concrete. Often times an x-ray machine must be used, which suffers from the disadvantage of being costly, time consuming, and dangerous to human health. Metal detectors, which are cheaper and safer than x-ray machines, can be used. However, metal detectors are not without their shortcomings. Due to the large amount of rebar and other metallic materials embedded in the slab, distinguishing post-tension cables from other metal items, if possible at all, is difficult and time consuming.  
         [0015]     Therefore a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     According to an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for supporting infrastructure while pouring concrete slabs is provided which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art apparatus of this general type.  
         [0017]     In one embodiment, the invention provides a standoff apparatus that enables one to secure and support, among other things, cables, wires, conduit, rebar, and in particular, post-tension cables, at predetermined distances from a deck level while a concrete slab is poured onto the deck and around the cables.  
         [0018]     The apparatus and method can be used for easily locating, among other things, cables, wires, conduit, rebar, and in particular, post-tension cables, after a concrete slab has been poured around the cables. While an embodiment of the invention is to secure any type of infrastructure, such as cables, wires, or rebar, the remainder of the specification will refer only to post-tension cables commonly known and used by those of ordinary skill in the art of construction.  
         [0019]     There is provided, in accordance with embodiments of the invention, a standoff apparatus having a lower section for providing support and an upper section for placement of post-tension cables. The lower section and upper section can vary in dimension so as to provide varying standoff distances with respect to the deck that they will be placed upon. The upper section is provided with one or more receptacle areas capable of holding a cable once placed in that area. The lower section can have two or more legs to provide stability to the apparatus.  
         [0020]     In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the standoff apparatus includes an upper section having a plurality of grasping arm-type structures capable of holding a post-tension cable, inserted between each set of grasping arms. In an embodiment, the grasping arms are provided in pairs of two opposable arms, which have centers that are curved outward from each other, and have a bottom portion and top portion that are arranged in a configuration similar to a set of parenthesis. Only the bottom of each opposable arm is attached to the apparatus. The upper portions of the arms are disposed so that the gap between them is slightly smaller than the diameter of the cable that they are designed to hold. Preferably, the arms will be made of a material that allows them to bend slightly and, therefore, allows the cable to slip securely between the arms.  
         [0021]     In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the bottom of the lower section, which makes contact with the deck, is provided with raised characters. This feature will be useful in that at the time the concrete is poured, the raised letters located on the bottom of the lower section of the apparatus will ensure that no concrete will flow between the letters and the wooden deck. Once the slab is poured and hardened, the wooden deck will be removed from below the slab. One looking at the bottom surface of the slab from below will easily see the characters on the feet of the apparatus. The specific characters can be chosen to communicate the presence of a material other than concrete in that area. For instance, the letters “PTC” may be used to indicate the presence of post-tension cables. This area can therefore be avoided when drilling into the slab, so as not to damage the cables. In one embodiment of the invention, the cable being supported will be held in the center of the apparatus, and the apparatus will have feet, which are located on both sides of the cable. If the letters PTC appear on each foot, with the additional feature of having raised arrows on the bottom of each foot pointing in the direction of the opposing foot, it will be clear that cables are located between the two feet.  
         [0022]     In accordance with another feature of the invention, the bottom of the lower section, which makes contact with the deck, is provided with recessed characters. The specific characters can be chosen to communicate the presence of a material other than concrete in that area. For instance, the letters “PTC” may be used to indicate the presence of post-tension cables. This area can therefore be avoided when drilling into the slab, so as not to damage the cables.  
         [0023]     In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the apparatus can be manufactured so that a portion of the apparatus will extend beyond an upper surface of the concrete slab once poured. This extension will enable one to locate the cable placement from the surface above, even after the slab has been poured. In one embodiment, this extension will be bristle-like extensions that can be seen and easily broken off to be flush with the upper surface of the slab once identification is no longer necessary. Other types of extensions can also be used.  
         [0024]     In accordance with another feature of the invention, the lower section of the inventive standoff can have one or more continuous flanges, or “feet” of sufficient dimension in the horizontal direction to provide stability to the standoff apparatus in the vertical direction, with reference to the deck, or floor surface, in which the standoff will be placed.  
         [0025]     In accordance with another feature of the invention, the lower section and the upper section can be separable pieces. The pieces can be made in various heights and combined with one another to achieve any of a variety of specific desired heights.  
         [0026]     In accordance with another feature of the invention, the upper section can be separable from the lower section and two or more upper sections can be combined and attached to a single lower section to provide additional cable attachment locations.  
         [0027]     In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the upper section can be separable from the lower section and can be removably attached to a side of the lower section to provide holding support for infrastructure, such as cables.  
         [0028]     In accordance with another feature of the invention, the apparatus is manufactured from a synthetic material that will avoid rusting or decomposing.  
         [0029]     Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an apparatus for supporting infrastructure while pouring concrete slabs, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. It is important to note that the present invention is not limited to slabs made from concrete and can be used in slabs made of many different materials. Additionally, the slabs described herein include slabs used in building construction, bridges, roads, and many other similar purposes.  
         [0030]     The construction of the invention, however, together with additional features and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0031]     The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention, in which:  
         [0032]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a concrete slab and support column with a post-tension cable, supported by standoffs;  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is diagram of prior-art post-tension cable supports;  
         [0034]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating a framework supporting a wooden deck;  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of the inventive apparatus;  
         [0036]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating an upper view of a lower section of the inventive apparatus shown in  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a lower section of the inventive apparatus shown in  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0038]      FIG. 7  is a bottom view of a lower section of the inventive apparatus shown in  FIG. 4  having raised characters on the bottom surface of the feet;  
         [0039]      FIG. 8  is a top view of an upper section of the inventive apparatus shown in  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0040]      FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of the inventive apparatus;  
         [0041]      FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the inventive apparatus; and  
         [0042]      FIG. 11  is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the inventive apparatus. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0043]     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention.  
         [0044]     The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term plurality, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term another, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms including and/or having, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language).  
         [0045]     Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail, and in particular to  FIG. 4 , there is illustrated a side view of the inventive infrastructure support apparatus, or “standoff”  400  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The standoff  400  includes a separable upper section  402  and a lower section  404  that are removably attached by inserting protrusions  430  into openings  432  of the lower section  404 . In one embodiment, the protrusions  430  are finger-like clips, as shown in  FIG. 4 . It should be noted that the method of attaching upper section  402  to lower section  404  is merely representative of one of many methods that may be used.  
         [0046]     Standoff  400  has two sets of opposing legs  406  &amp;  408  that extend downwardly from the main body  425  of the lower section  404 . Quantities of legs other than four can also be used without departing from the true scope and spirit of the present invention.  
         [0047]     Each of the legs  406  has a foot  410  that extends outwardly horizontally therefrom. Each of the legs  408  has a foot  412  that extends outwardly horizontally therefrom. As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , each foot  410  has a generally planar bottom surface  416  and a generally horizontally planar upper surface  414 . Each foot  412  has a generally horizontally planar bottom surface  424  and a generally horizontally planar upper surface  418 .  
         [0048]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a metal framework  302  supporting a wooden “deck”  116  is shown. The wooden deck  116  provides a surface upon which a plurality of standoffs  400  (not shown) and infrastructure  102  (not shown) supported by the standoff  400  is placed. Concrete is poured on the deck, encasing the standoffs  400  and infrastructure  102 . Wooden sides  34  contain the concrete until the concrete has dried. After sufficient drying has occurred, the wooden deck  116 , sides  304 , and framework  302  are removed, leaving only the concrete slab encasing the standoffs  400  and infrastructure  1 .  
         [0049]     Once each slab  106  is formed, it is often necessary to penetrate the concrete slab  106 . For instance, installation of doors and windows require that screws or bolts be inserted into the slab  106  both from the top surface  108  and from the surface below  110 . If a drill or screw being driven into the concrete  106  penetrates a post-tension cable  102 , the cable  102  can snap. The breaking of a cable  102  under such a large amount of tension can cause severe damage to the structure and possible physical injury to the worker.  
         [0050]     Referring once again to  FIG. 4 , an embodiment of the present invention  400  is shown where each bottom surface  424  of foot  412  has raised projections  420 , which are raised areas that extend downwardly from the bottom surface  424 . Similarly, each bottom surface  416  of foot  410  has projections  422 , which extend downwardly from the bottom surface  416 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the projections  422  &amp;  420  can include characters or symbols used to indicate the presence of the standoff  400  and/or the cables being supported by the standoff  400 . In the embodiment of the inventive standoff  400  shown in  FIG. 7 , the characters  422  &amp;  420  are the letters “PTC” to indicate “Post-Tension Cables”. The characters further include arrow symbols which point toward the center of the standoff  400 . The combination of letters and arrows provide notice that post-tension cables are located somewhere between the opposing set of feet or at least in the immediate area.  
         [0051]     The inventive feature of providing characters and symbols on the bottom surfaces of the feet is useful in that at the time the concrete is poured, the raised areas contact the wooden deck surface  116  and prevent concrete from flowing between the letters and the wooden deck  116 . Once the slab  106  is poured and hardened, the wooden deck  116  will be removed from below the slab  106 . One looking at the bottom surface of the slab  106  from below will easily see the characters  422  on the feet  410 ,  412  of the standoff  400 . Thus, it will be clear that cables  102  or other infrastructure are located between the feet and that the area is to be avoided when drilling into the slab, so as not to damage the cables.  
         [0052]     In another embodiment, the characters or symbols  422  on the feet  410 ,  412  of the standoff  400  are recessed areas. The recessed areas accomplish the same goal as does the raised characters described in the previous paragraph, which is to communicate the presence of infrastructure within the area of the standoff  400 .  
         [0053]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that the set of legs  406  extend outwardly at a slight angle from vertical. Legs  408  also extend outwardly at a slight angle from vertical. The angling of legs  406  and  408  provides improved structural support for the standoff  400  and further facilitates the speed and ease of manufacture by a commonly used molding process know to those of skill in the art of manufacturing.  
         [0054]     Referring now to  FIG. 4  in conjunction with  FIGS. 5   a - c , it can be seen that both the upper section  402  and the lower section  404  have a significantly rectangular shape, with the larger dimension being in the direction between leg pair  406 . It should be noted that the object of the invention can also be achieved with a standoff of a non-rectangular shape.  
         [0055]     As can be seen in  FIGS. 4, 5   a , and  5   c , the body  425  of the lower section  404  is provided with voids  432 , which are openings along an upper surface  426  of body  425 . The voids  432  are provided as a way to removably attach the upper section  402  to the lower section  404 . In one embodiment, each void is non-uniform in dimension, so that the dimension of the portion of the void  432  closest to the upper surface  426  of the body  425 , measured in the direction running directly between legs  406 , is less than the dimension of the portion of the void  432 , measured in the direction running directly between legs  406 , at points immediately below, or in a downward direction from, upper surface  426 .  
         [0056]     Upper section  402  is shown in  FIG. 4 . It can be seen that upper section  402  has a generally planar bottom surface  428 . Two sets of projections  430  extend downward from the bottom surface  428 . The projections  430  are provided so that an end portion of the projections  430  has a lip  429 . Lip  429  has a larger dimension than does any other portion of the projections  430 . The projections  430  are also provided with a gap in the center so that when the projections  430  are inserted into the voids  432  of the lower section  404  of the standoff  400 , the projections  430  will compress while entering the voids  432 . Once the projections  430  pass the upper surface  426  of the lower section  404 , the diameter of the void  432  increases and the projections  430  will expand. Once expanded, lip  429  will provide a resistance to removal from the void  432  and provide a secure connection between upper section  402  and lower section  404  of standoff  400 . To separate the two sections  402  and  404 , the adjacent projections  430  are simply pressed in a direction towards one another, so that the lips  429  of the projections  430  are moved together and are no longer prevented from being removed from the voids  432 . Several other methods are contemplated for removably coupling upper section  402  and lower section  404 , such as barbed extensions, interlocking fingers or grooves, Velcro, tape, glue, magnets, and male/female extensions.  
         [0057]     It can be seen that a plurality of arm-like structures  434 ,  436 ,  438 ,  440 , and others, extend from the upper surface  444  of the upper section  402 . The arm-like structures  434 ,  436 ,  438 , and  440  are provided for holding cables, rebar, wires, conduit or any other similar infrastructure, which would need to be encapsulated in a concrete slab. The arm-like structures  434 ,  436 ,  438 , and  440  are provided in pairs of two opposable arms that form receiving areas for holding the infrastructure  102 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , arm  434  opposes arm  436 . Similarly, arm  438  opposes arm  440 . Each arm set,  436  and  434 , and  438  and  440 , have inside surfaces  442  with centers that are curved outward from each other, and have a bottom portion and top portion that are arranged in a configuration similar to a set of parenthesis. This configuration will allow the arms to fit securely around, and make uniform contact with, a round outer surface of a cable. Only the bottom of each opposable arm is attached to the upper section  402 . The upper portions of the arms  434 ,  436 ,  438 , and  440  are disposed so that the gap between them is slightly smaller than the diameter of the cable that they designed to hold. Optimally, the arms  436 ,  434 ,  438 , and  440  will be made of a flexible material that will allow them to bend slightly and, therefore, allow the cable to slip securely between the arms.  
         [0058]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , it can be seen that arms sets  434  and  436  are offset from arm sets  438  and  440  and in-line with a third set of arms  446  and  448 , so that each adjacent set is disposed in an opposite one of two parallel lines  802  &amp;  804  of arm sets. When the upper portion of arm  436  is bent in a direction opposite arm  434 , the upper portion of arm  436  will not make contact with arm  438  because of the offset. This feature allows each set of arms to expand to allow a cable to be inserted between them without being restricted by a set of immediately adjacent arms.  
         [0059]     The present invention can also be achieved with the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 . One or more grooves are placed in the upper section of the standoff. The grooves form receiving areas in which cables or other infrastructure can be placed. The weight of the cables hold them in place. In an embodiment, the upper section  402  and the lower section  404  can be constructed of a single, non-separable piece of material.  
         [0060]      FIG. 10  shows an additional feature of the invention. Upper section  402  of the standoff  400  can be provided with a communicative extension  1002 , which will extend beyond the upper surface of the slab once poured. In one embodiment, the extensions  1002  can be thin bristle-like solid pieces. The bristle-like design has the advantage of being easily broken off, flush with the upper surface  2   a  once the floor  2  has cured. If the bristles  1002  are made of a bright color, they will easily be seen, even after having been broken off. Although bristles have been described, many other extensions will accomplish the same goal.  
         [0061]     Referring now to  FIG. 11 , two upper sections  402   a  and  402   b  are removably attached to a single lower section  404 . In this configuration, the inventive apparatus can accommodate twice as many pieces of infrastructure using only a single lower section  404 . Also shown in  FIG. 11  is an extra void  432  on a side of lower section  404 . The extra void  432  is provided for accepting an additional upper section (not shown) in a vertical configuration as compared to the horizontal configuration of the two upper sections  402   a  and  402   b  shown. The third upper section can be used to hold additional infrastructure running parallel to that held by upper sections  402   a  and  402   b.    
         [0062]     The present invention, as just described, by providing lower sections  404  and upper sections  402  of varying heights that removably attach to one another, provides a multitude of standoff heights for supporting infrastructure on a surface so that concrete or other materials and substances can be poured around the standoff  400  and infrastructure. The present invention is able to securely hold several infrastructure items without the use of wires or other materials. The present invention is also able to communicate the location of the invention itself, as well as the location of infrastructure.  
         [0063]     Although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is not to be restricted, therefore, to the specific embodiments, and it is intended that the appended claims cover any and all such applications, modifications, and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.