DEVICE FOR JOINING TWO CONCRETE MEMBERS TOGETHER

Abstract: A device for joining two concrete members together, such as concrete tunnel or shaft lining segments (1, 2) includes at least one female member (6) anchored in one of the segments and at least one male member (7) anchored in the other of the segment to be joined. The female members (6) are provided with recesses (6A) to receive heads (7A) of the male members (7), each female member (6) being slotted at 6B to receive a respective web (7B) of the male members (7) and is undercut at 6C to receive the head (7A). At least one of the male and female members has a sloping engagement face (8, 9) to provide wedging action by acting to draw the head of the male member further into the female member as the web of the male member is moved along the slot.

Description: DEVICE FOR JOINING TWO CONCRETE MEMBERS TOGETHER This invention relates to a device for joining two concrete members together. One such device for joining two concrete members together is disclosed in EP-A- ' O 651 135, where two sleeves are cast-in respective concrete segments and a ribbed connecting member in one of the sleeves is forced into the other sleeve and is wedged therein by means of an interaction between sloping ribs. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for joining two concrete members together, the device comprising a female member for anchoring in one of the members to open at a surface thereof and a male member for anchoring in the other of the members, the male member when so anchored being able to mate with the female member and be held therein by a wedging action; characterised in that the female member is slotted and undercut and the male member has a head joined by a web to a body, the web being able to slide in said slot and the head being engageable with the female member in its undercut and at least one of the members has a sloping engagement face to provide said wedging action by acting to draw the head further itito the female member as the web is moved along the slot. The members can be concrete segments for forming, for example, a tunnel lining ring or shaft. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a concrete segment joining system comprising two segment members and a device essentially as just defined for joining the two segment members together. The male and female members can be made from a high grade elastic polymer material. - 2 - Both the male and female members may be provided with the sloping engagement faces to provide the wedging action between them. The female member may be provided adjacent its slot with an opening to receive the head of the male member so that the head of the male member may be received in the undercut of the female member . The sloping engagement face on the female member can extend from one end of the slot to the other, increasing in height of slope from an entry end of the slot towards the other end of the slot. If the male member is provided with the sloping engagement face, this sloping engagement face can increase in height from one side of the male member that is intended to enter the undercut of the female member first towards the other side of the male member. The female member may be shaped as a double-entry member for the male member. In other words, the female member can be provided with an opening at each end of its slot so as to receive the male member in its undercut from either end of the slot. If the female member is provided with the sloping engagement face, then it is ramped, rising from both ends of the slot, with a flat central land. The male member may be shaped as a complimentary double- entry member for the female member and can be provided with a sloping engagement face that is ramped with a flat central land. For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:- - 3 - Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a tunnel lining ring formed of concrete segments joined together, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a part of two of the segments shown in Figure 1, Figure 3A is a diagrammatic perspective view of the region of an end face of one of the segments shown in Figure 2, to illustrate two male members of a device for joining the two segments together, Figure 3B is a similar view to Figure 3A but showing two female members of the device, Figures 3A and Figure 3B showing the two segments prior to joining, Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the two end faces of the two segments shown located adjacent one another but prior to joining, Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the two segments after joining, Figure 6A is an end view of the female member, Figure 6B is a sectional view taken along the line B-B of Figure 6A, Figure 6C is a sectional view along the line C-C of Figure 6A, Figure 7A is a side view of the male member, Figure 7B is a sectional view along the line B-B of Figure 7A, Figure 7C is a sectional view along the line C-C of Figure 7A, - 4 - Figure 7D is a view of one end of the male member, Figure 7E is a view of the other end of the male member, Figure 8A is an end view of an alternative form of female member, Figure 8B is a sectional view taken along the line B-B of Figure 8A, Figure 9A is a side view of an alternative form of male member, complimentary to the female member illustrated in Figures 8A and 8B, Figure 9B is an end view of the alternative form of male member shown in Figure 9A, Figure 9C is a sectional view taken on the line C-C in Figure 9A. Figure 1 shows a tunnel or shaft lining ring made up of concrete segments joined together, including segments 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 2, edge faces 3 and 4 of the segments 1 and 2, respectively, lie adjacent one another and are joined at a joint 5. As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the joint 5 is provided by a device for joining the two segments 1, 2 together, the device comprising a female member 6 (two being shown in Figure 3B) anchored in the segment 1 and a male member 7 of which two are shown in Figure 3A, anchored in the segment 2. The segment 1 is shown inverted and turned through 180° in Figure 3B. The female members 6 are cast in the face 3 of the segment 1 to open at the face 3, whilst the male members 7 are cast in the face 4 of the segment 2 so as to be anchored therein and to - 5 - stand proud thereof. In the form illustrated approximately one- third of each male member 7 stands proud of the face 4. The female members 6 are each provided with recesses 6A to receive heads 7A of the male members 7, the heads 7A being connected by webs 7B to a body 7C (Figure 7) anchored in the segment 2. Each female member 6 is slotted at 6B to receive a respective web 7B and is undercut at 6C (Figure 6) to receive the head 7A. The female member is also provided with a web and body portion 6D, by means of which it is anchored in the segment 1. Figure 4 illustrates an initial stage of joining the two segments 1, 2 together. First of all, the two faces 3 and 4 are placed face on so that the recesses 6A of the female members 6 are placed over the heads 7A of the male members 7. Then one segment is moved relatively to the other (in Figure 4, the segment 1 is shown to be moved, in the direction of the arrow, on the segment 2) so that the position is reached shown in Figure 5. In a typical tunnelling shield, for example, this movement can be achieved by hydraulic rams to force one segment sideways relatively to the other to align them. This movement causes the web 7B of the male member 7 to slide in the slot 6B of the female member 6 so that the head 7A enters the undercut 6C. To provide firm engagement and tightening of one member relatively to the other, both members 6 and 7 are provided with sloping engagement faces 8, 9, respectively to provide the wedging action by acting to draw the head 7 further into the female member 6 as the web 7B is moved along the slot 6B. The elasticity of the material of the members 6 and 7 and the angle of slope, amongst other things, determine the tenacity of the joint so formed. - 6 - Referring to Figures 8A and 8B and Figures 9A-9C, an alternative construction is illustrated to facilitate entry of the male member from either end of the female member. The female member 10 is shaped as a double-entry member for the male member 11, the female member 10 being provided with an opening 10A at each end of its slot so as to receive the male member 11 in its undercut from either end of the slot. As illustrated, the female member 10 has a ramped sloping engagement face 10B, rising from both ends of the slot, with a flat central land IOC. The complementary male member 11 in the form illustrated is also provided with a ramped engagement face 11A with a flat central land 11B. Accordingly, engagement of the male member 11 with the female member 10 can be achieved by entry via either end of the slot in the female member and maximum tension between the two components is achieved when the two lands 10C, 11B are face on one another .

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A device for joining two concrete members (1,2) together, the device comprising a female member (6) for anchoring in one of the members (1) to open at a surface thereof and a male member (7) for anchoring in the other of the members (2) , the male member when so anchored being able to mate with the female member and be held therein by a wedging action; characterised in that the female member (6) is slotted (6B) and undercut (6C) and the male member (7) has a head (7A) joined by a web (7B) to a body (7C) , the web being able to slide in said slot (6B) and the head being engageable with the female member in its undercut (6C) and at least one of the members has a sloping engagement face (8,9) to provide said wedging action by acting to draw the head furthsr into the female member as the web is moved along the slot. 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the male and female members (6,7) are made from a high grade elastic polymer material . 3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the male and female members are both provided with the sloping engagement faces (8,$) to provide the wedging action between them. 4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3 , wherein the female member (6) is provided adjacent its slot (6B) with an opening (6A) to receive the head of the male member so that the head of the male member may be received in the undercut of the female member. 5. A device according to claim 4, wherein, when the sloping engagement face (8) is provided on the female member, said sloping engagement face (8) extends from one end of the slot (6B) to the other, increasing in height of slope from an entry end of the slot towards the other end of the slot. - 8 - 6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, when the male member is provided with the sloping engagement face, this sloping engagement face (9) increases in height from one side of the male member that is intended to enter the undercut (6C) of the female member first towards the other side of the male member. 7. A device according to claim 4, wherein the female member (10) is provided with a said opening at each end of its slot (10A) to receive the head of the male member and being provided with said sloping engagement face (10B) , that is ramped, rising from both ends of the slot, with a flat central land (11C) . 8. A device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 7, wherein, when the male member (11) is provided with the sloping engagement face (11A) , this sloping engagement face is ramped with a flat central land (11B) . 9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein there are a pair of said male members (7) and a pair of said female members (6) for joining the said two members together. 10. 'A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the members to be joined together are concrete segments for forming a tunnel lining ring or shaft. 11. A concrete segment joining system comprising two segment members (1,2) and a device according to any one of the preceding claims for joining the two segment members together, the or each male member (7) being anchored in one of the segment members and the or each female member (6) being anchored in a corresponding location in the other of the segment members.

Inventors: CAMBER PETER GEOFFREY, THOMAS NORMAN STANLEY, CAMBER, PETER, GEOFFREY, THOMAS, NORMAN, STANLEY
Applicants: BUCHAN C V LTD, CAMBER PETER GEOFFREY, THOMAS NORMAN STANLEY, C.V. BUCHAN LIMITED, CAMBER, PETER, GEOFFREY, THOMAS, NORMAN, STANLEY
Application year: 1999
Main classification: E21D11
IPC codes: E21D11