Patent Publication Number: US-9422716-B2

Title: Composite action support structures

Description:
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/793,382, filed Mar. 15, 2013, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This disclosure relates generally to composite action support structures, and more specifically to composite action support structures for civil infrastructure such as a bridge. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Civil infrastructure, and particularly transportation and utility infrastructure require bearing heavy loads. For example, bridges support heavy vehicles, such as trains, cars and trucks by spanning an underlying stream, path, roadway, railway or the like. The structures used in bridges and other civil engineering structures have long been designed using traditional materials, predominantly reinforced concrete, steel and timber. Over time, the extended use and testing of these materials, and the structures built with them, has resulted in a substantial knowledge base of their material properties, and the properties of structures built with them. This knowledge base includes standards, codes, reference material, design texts and general knowledge in the design community pertaining to the conventional materials. This knowledge has, in some respects, hindered the development of new designs using new materials. For example, unconventional materials, such as plastics have been disfavored in part because many applicable civil engineering designers do not know or have access to the same type of knowledge base as is available for steel, concrete and timber. Unconventional materials have further been disfavored in part because of perceived, and misperceived, challenges and differences between the materials and conventional materials, such as perceived differences in strength, temperature effects, and reactions to exposure, such as the effects of prolonged exposure to sunlight. It would be advantageous to realize the benefits of new materials and new designs using such materials, while overcoming or ameliorating one or more of the deficiencies of prior art structures. 
     It would be beneficial to reduce the complexity of construction of civil infrastructure such as bridges, platforms, retaining walls and other transportation and utility structures. Needed are structural modules for civil infrastructure that do not have the extent and nature of deficiencies of prior art support structures. Needed are structural modules and methods for using them in constructing civil infrastructure having lower initial costs of manufacturer, as well as lower total costs of ownership. Needed is civil infrastructure having lower adverse environmental impact. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a composite action support structure in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a composite action support structure in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of a plurality of modular composite action support structures in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of a first one of the modular composite action support structures shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of a second one of the modular composite action support structures shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  shows an elevation side view of a bridge having at least one modular composite action support structure in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows a flow diagram of a method of constructing civil infrastructure in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Technical details of various disclosed examples and embodiments will now be described, it being understood that the present invention is broader than any particular example or embodiment. Technical details are provided for teaching purposes only and should not be considered in any way as a limitation on the scope of the invention. Although reference herein is made to structures in the context of bridges, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the structures and methods are applicable to civil structures used for other purposes. While reference is made here to orientations such as up, down, top and bottom, one of ordinary skill in the art will be able to apply the teachings herein to other orientations. Like reference numerals in the various figures refer to like components. 
     Thermoplastics are materials, particularly resins, that repeatedly soften when heated and harden when cooled. Some examples of thermoplastic resins include styrene, acrylics, cellulosics, polyethylenes, vinyls, nylons and fluorocarbons. Recently, applicants have begun designing load bearing rail and roadway bridges using thermoplastics, and, more specifically, recycled thermoplastics, in a manner not previously accomplished. Applicants have been able to use these new materials to design bridge structures such as piles, pile caps, and girders. 
     One such thermoplastic, referred to as recycled structural composite or RSC, is manufactured by Axion International Holdings, Inc. Axion manufactures structural composites in forms such as the I-Beam  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . Recycled plastic composites (such as RSC) suitable for use with the present invention are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0294917 to Lynch et al., published on Dec. 1, 2011, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. In particular, Lynch discloses the use of a recycled plastic structural composite formed from a mixture of high density polyolefin together with one or both of a thermoplastic-coated fiber material and a polystyrene, poly methyl methacrylate. Other suitable composites are known or can be found in the literature and applied based on the teachings herein. 
     Applicants designed railroad bridges using RSC structural components that were field tested in Fort Eustis, Va. in the Spring of 2010. The Fort Eustis bridges were approximately 40 feet and 80 feet long with a load capacity of approximately 130 tons, with a Cooper E-60 rating. The bridge structures including the piles, span girders, and rail ties were made from nearly 100 percent recycled post-consumer and industrial plastics. 
     Preferably, the thermoplastic materials have distinct advantages as compared to conventional materials in that they are less susceptible to decay, such as the rotting experienced in timber structures, less susceptible to oxidation and corrosion, such as the rust experienced in steel and reinforced concrete structures, and are impervious to insects, such as those that threaten timber structures. Environmental benefits of thermoplastics include that the material is inert and will not leach, or is much less susceptible to leaching, potentially harmful chemicals into the environment. This may be particularly beneficial, for example, when building bridges near or on waterways, and critical for projects near wetlands or other protected bodies of water. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a composite action support structure  5  in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. The composite action support structure  5  includes deck panels  30 , cover plate  20 , and I-Beam  10 .  FIG. 1  is a partial view of the length of I-Beam  10  and cover plate  20 . Further deck panels (not shown) continue on the not shown portions of the length of the I-Beam  10  and cover plate  20 . The major components of composite action support structure  5 , including deck panels  30 , cover plate  20  and I-Beam  10 , are formed from a plastic material selected from the group of: virgin plastic, recycled plastic, thermoplastic, recycled plastic composite, RSC, combinations of the forgoing, and the like. In some embodiments, the materials are all RSC, and the I-Beam  10  is an 18″ I Beam girder, the cover plate  20  is a 3″ thick cover plate, and the deck panels  30  are 6″ thick. Other dimensions can be used according to the particular design needs of a given structure. Additional materials may be layered on top of the deck panels to form a civil engineering structure. As is known for constructing a bridge for vehicles, for example, the following layers (not shown) may be formed on top of the deck panels  30 : a waterproof membrane, an aggregate base and an asphalt concrete overlay. I-Beam  10  advantageously resists deflection. While reference is made herein to the example of an I-beam, other elongate, exemplary structures may be used, such as T-beams, C-channel beams, L shaped angle beams, combinations thereof and the like. For example, in some embodiments two T-beams may be joined together to form a composite action I-beam. 
     Deck panels  30  are positioned at an angle to, and supported by, cover plate  20 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , deck panels  30  can be positioned orthogonally to cover plate  20 . Cover plate  20  is positioned on top of, and supported by, I-Beam  10 . The upper surface of cover plate  10  mates and engages with the lower surfaces of the deck panels  30 . The lower surface of cover plate  20  mates and engages with the upper surface of I-Beam  10 . Thus, deck panels  30  are also disposed at an angle to, I-Beam  10 . In some embodiments, the components of structure  5  are further secured together, or mated, using stainless steel bolts, resin, epoxy, glue or the like, as appropriate for the materials and application intended. The components of composite action support structure  5  are thus bound together so that, structurally, they act together as a single unit, and may be analyzed as such. Advantageously, use of cover plate  20  permits deeper structures than would otherwise be permitted by the restrictions, such as manufacturing capabilities, of the non-conventional materials used. For example, if manufacturing capabilities or other implementation issues limit the size of I-Beam  10 , cover plate  20  permits construction of a composite action support structure as if a larger I-Beam  10  were available. Cover plate  20  reduces the deflection of I-Beam  10  for a given applied force. Deck panels  30  may have respective engaging tongue and groove portions  40  to increase the strength of their joined surfaces. Preferably, the effective width of I-Beam  10  is engaged with the cover plate  20 . Integrating deck panels  30  with cover plates  20  and I-Beam  10  provides improved structural properties, reduces deflection due to imposed dead and live loads and improves durability of the entire module. 
       FIG. 2  depicts some embodiments of a composite action support structure  5 . Similar to embodiments illustrated by  FIG. 1 , the composite action support structure  5  in  FIG. 2  comprises deck panels  30 , cover plates  20 , and I-Beams  10 . As shown, cover plates  20  may overlap the upper surface of two or more I-Beams  10 . In the embodiment shown, two I-Beams  10  support three cover plates  20 , and a plurality of deck panels  30 . As with  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  is a partial view of the length of I-Beams  10  and cover plates  20 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , further deck panels  30  continue down the length of the I-Beams  10  and cover plates  20 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts a plurality of modular composite action support structures  5 , each of which having a set of I-Beams  10 , cover plates  20  and deck panels  30 . For strength and stability, smaller I-Beams  11  may be nested within I-Beams  10 . Steel bolts  12  increase the strength of the composite action for each structure  5 . Likewise, the end faces of deck panels  30  may be beveled for engagement with the adjacent beveled end faces of deck panels  30  of an adjacent structure  5 . In some embodiments, modular composite action support structures  5  have gaps  13  below deck panels  30 , i.e., one or more voids where the deck panels  30  do not have an I-Beam  10  directly underneath them. In the composite action support structure  5  shown in  FIG. 4 , composite action support structure  5  has gaps  13  on either side of the pair of I-Beams  10  that are providing the primary support to deck panels  30 . As depicted in  FIG. 4 , the combined distance of the two gaps along the length of deck panels  30  is about twice the width of one of the I-Beams  10 . In some embodiments, such as the composite action support structure  5  shown in  FIG. 5 , there is one gap, and it extends a distance along deck panels  30  that is equal to or greater than the width of one I-Beam  10 . One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the appropriate amount of spacing between I-Beams  10  will vary according to design constraints, consistent with the teaching herein. The spacing between the I-Beams  10  can be increased as compared to prior designs, without significant loss of strength or stability. Fewer I-Beams can be used and still meet a given design requirement. All of these advantages have corresponding benefits, such as reduced cost, weight and materials. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate, respectively, two forms of the modular composite action support structures  5  shown in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 6  depicts a side view of a short-span bridge  6  spanning a stream or road constructed using composite action support structures  5 . Illustrated is the side of one composite action support structure  5 , showing the end faces of a plurality of deck panels  30 , a side face of a cover plate  20 , and the side of an I-Beam  10 . The abutments and other structures for the bridge shown in  FIG. 6  may likewise be formed from non-conventional materials, such as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/036,864, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     In some embodiments, a bridge like the one depicted in  FIG. 6  is constructed using modular composite support action structures  5 . Advantageously, the modular composite action support structures can be assembled in advance, in full or in part, prior to the time that the bridge is constructed. Such advance assembly can also occur remotely from the construction site of the actual bridge, and can be transported to the construction site at the appropriate time as a module. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates some embodiments of a staged process to make a composite action support structure  5  (as shown in any of  FIGS. 1-6 ), and then use it to construct civil infrastructure such as the bridge shown in  FIG. 6 . At step  710 , the upper surfaces of one or more I-Beams  10  are mated to a portion of the lower surfaces of one or more cover plates  20 . In step  720 , at least a portion of the lower surfaces of deck panels  30  are mated to the upper surfaces of cover plates  20 , thereby forming a modular composite action support structure  5 . Steps  710  and  720  can be repeated to make multiple modules. In step  730 , the modules can be transported to the construction site of civil infrastructure, such as the site of the stream crossing depicted in the bridge of  FIG. 6 . In step  740 , the modules can be joined together at the construction site to form a larger, load-bearing structural unit, such as is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 . The modular nature of the composite action support structures  5  can advantageously reduce the cost, time and effort that must occur at the site of the construction. The advantage can be significant. Consider, for example, a construction project that requires interrupting transportation during the time that a bridge is constructed. If modules of the bridge can be built in advance, the duration of the interruption can be reduced. Likewise, if modules of the bridge can be constructed at a remote location, resources required at the construction site can be reduced. 
     The disclosed embodiments remove or reduce the deficiencies of the prior art as discussed above. Certain embodiments permit the advantages of plastics to be realized for composite action support structures. Certain embodiments show structural designs in which an I-Beam or similar load bearing girder may be formed into a larger, stronger unit through the addition of extra thickness provided by one or more cover plates mated to the upper surface of the I-Beam. Deck panels may be further mated to the cover plates to form the composite action support structure. Multiple, composite action support modules may be formed so as to provide a way to build civil infrastructure such as a bridge, platform or retaining wall in a faster and more efficient method. The disclosed designs may reduce the costs and deficiencies associated with prior art bridges and bridge construction. 
     Advantageously, the modules may be used for bridges intended to be used for heavy weights, including, for example, military vehicles such as tanks. 
     One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the detailed description of the various embodiments is exemplary in nature, and that further embodiments and variations can be realized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is to be understood with reference to associated patent claims. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, for example, that the structures disclosed may be formed alternatively from a single component, or multiple subcomponents. Likewise it will be appreciated that although reference has been made to a specific example of using RSC, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the structures disclosed could be formed using other plastics. One of ordinary skill will appreciate that the structures described herein may be adapted to a set of design parameters corresponding to a particular need for a bridge or other civil structure without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     In certain aspects and embodiments, disclosed is a composite action support module for use in civil infrastructure. The module includes a first elongate member for providing load bearing capability, the elongate member being made of a plastic material and having a first surface and a second surface. The module further includes a first cover plate made of a plastic material and extending along at least a portion of the length of the first elongate member, the first cover plate having a first surface and a second surface, at least a portion of the second surface of the first cover plate mated to at least a portion of the first surface of the first elongate member. The module further includes a plurality of panels made of a plastic material, each of the plurality of panels extending longitudinally between a first and a second end, and having a first surface and a second surface, and disposed at an angle to the first cover plate, at least a portion of the second surface of each of the plurality of panels mating with at least a portion of the first surface of the first cover plate. In the module, the first elongate member, the first cover plate and the plurality of panels form a structural unit having a load bearing surface formed from the first surfaces of the plurality of panels, with the panels adapted to be supported by the first elongate member via the first cover plate. 
     In further aspects and embodiments, disclosed is a method of forming a composite action support module for use in civil infrastructure. The method includes the step of mating a first elongate member made of a plastic material to a first cover plate made of a plastic material. The first elongate member has a first surface and a second surface and the first cover plate has a first surface and a second surface. The step of mating includes mating at least a portion of the first surface of the first elongate member to at least a portion of the second surface of the first cover plate, with the first cover plate extending along at least a portion of the length of the first elongate member. The method further includes a step of mating a plurality of panels made of a plastic material to the first cover plate. Each of the plurality of panels extends from a first end to a second end, and has a first surface and a second surface. This step of mating further includes mating at least a portion of the second surface of each of the plurality of panels to at least a portion of the first surface of the first cover plate, each of the plurality of panels being disposed at an angle to the first cover plate. The mating of the first elongate member, the first cover plate and the plurality of panels provides composite action between them to collectively form a load bearing structural unit. 
     In further aspects and embodiments, disclosed is a method of constructing civil infrastructure using a plurality of composite action support modules. The method includes the step of receiving a plurality of composite action support modules at the construction site for the civil infrastructure. Each of the support modules has a first elongate member for providing load bearing capability, the first elongate member being made of a plastic material and having a first surface and a second surface. Each of the support modules further has a first cover plate made of a plastic material and extending along at least a portion of the length of the first elongate member. The first cover plate has a first surface and a second surface, with at least a portion of the second surface mated to at least a portion of the first surface of the first elongate member. Each of the support modules further has a plurality of panels made of a plastic material. Each of the panels extends between a first end and a second end, and has a first surface and a second surface. Each of the panels is disposed at an angle to the first cover plate. At least a portion of the second surface of each of the panels mates with at least a portion of the first surface of the first cover plate. The first elongate member, the first cover plate and the plurality of panels form a structural unit having a load bearing surface formed from the first surfaces of the plurality of panels. The plurality of panels are adapted to be supported by the first elongate member via the first cover plate. The method includes the further step of joining, at the construction site, the plurality of composite action support modules such that the first surfaces of the plurality of panels for each of the modules form a substantially coplanar platform suitable for bearing load. 
     In some embodiments, the plastic material used to form at least one of the first elongate member, the first cover plate and the plurality of panels includes thermoplastic. In some embodiments, the plastic material used to form at least one of the first elongate member, the first cover plate and the plurality of panels includes recycled plastic composite. 
     In some embodiments, the distance from the first end to the second end of each of the plurality of panels is greater than the width of the first elongate member by a distance that is at least the width of the first elongate member and the module is configured such that the first elongate member is the primary elongate member that provides load bearing support to the plurality of panels. 
     In some embodiments, the module further includes a second elongate member disposed parallel to the first elongate member. The second elongate member has a first surface and a second surface and provides load bearing capability. The module further includes a second cover plate extending along at least a portion of the length of the second elongate member. The second cover plate has a first surface and a second surface, at least a portion of the second surface of the second cover plate being mated to at least a portion of the first surface of the second elongate member. 
     In some embodiments, the distance from the first end to said second end of each of the plurality of panels is greater than the combined width of the first and the second elongate members by a distance that is at least the width of the first elongate member. The module is configured such that the first and second elongate members are the primary elongate members that provide load bearing support to the plurality of panels. 
     In some embodiments, the module is adapted to be joined with one or more other composite action support modules to form a load bearing structure. In some embodiments, the load bearing structure is a bridge.