AU722669B2

AU722669B2 - Self-climbing device

Info

Publication number: AU722669B2
Application number: AU49331/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Keith Frederick Bloodsworth
Original assignee: BOXER ENGINEERING Pty Ltd
Current assignee: BOXER ENGINEERING Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1997-01-02
Filing date: 1997-12-31
Publication date: 2000-08-10
Anticipated expiration: 2017-12-31
Also published as: AU4933197A

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

cc r r

S

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: BOXER ENGINEERING PTY LTD KEITH FREDERICK BLOODSWORTH Address of Service: SHELSTON WATERS MARGARET STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000 SELF-CLIMBING DEVICE Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Application No. P04430 dated 2 January, 1997 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- The following invention relates to formwork for use in forming concrete structures, and more particularly to a wall climbing formwork support.

The invention has been developed primarily for use in the construction of freestanding vertical concrete walls, and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use.

The use of various types of formwork in the construction of concrete structural members is common in the building industry. Such structures include lift shafts, walls, S and structural support columns. Due to curing requirements, concrete often needs to be 10 poured in several layers and allowed to set between each pouring. For shorter concrete V6 ••structures a single formwork can be gradually filled up with a series of concrete layers.

a However, when forming tall concrete structures, such as those used in highrise buildings, it is necessary to gradually move the formwork to the top of each completed concrete layer to allow the next layer to be poured.

:i 15 Previously, formwork had to be dismantled and raised to the next pouring position either manually or by crane. Relatively recently, however, attempts have been made to speed this process along. For example, one prior art device provides a pole for guiding a formwork support. The formwork support is configured to climb a pole attached to one side of a concrete structure, allowing the formwork to be positioned above the structure.

Once so positioned a new layer is poured and allowed to set.

To position the formwork for a subsequent layer, the formwork support is attached to the adjacent wall. The pole is then detached from the concrete structure, raised with respect to the formwork support and attached to the newly formed layer. After the 02/06/00 10:27 BSW LRW 62853593 N0.708 -3requisite curing time, the formwork support is detached from the lower concrete structure and raised along the climbing pole into the next position.

These prior art systems suffer from a number of disadvantages. First, they can place undesirable horizontal forces on the structure to which they are mounted, which in turn reduces the load carrying capacity of the device. This problem is exacerbated when the wall being formed is relatively thin in cross-section, or is a free-standing structure which does not have the additional support of adjacent walls.

Furthermore, the lifting abilities of such prior art devices are limited to a certain extent by the lateral strain placed on the climbing pole by the formwork support.

S 10 Finally, when a particular structure requires positioning of horizontally opposed sets of formwork, a pair of prior art devices are required, which in turn increases S: :complexity, cost, and weight It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least substantially ameliorate one or more of these disadvantages of the prior art.

Accordingly, in a first aspect there is provided a wall climbing formwork support for forming tall concrete structures, said support including: a pair of substantially vertically extending tracks coupled to opposite sides of an existing wall having a top; a formwork carriage having an upper end and a lower end, said carriage straddling said existing wall and being coupled at its lower end with said tracks for Svertical movement therealong; and a climbing post having an upper end extending through said top of said carriage, and a lower end which releasably engages said upper end of said wall; wherein said carriage supports a pair of vertically opposed formworks which, when in wall forming use, selectively define a cavity therebetween into which concrete is placed to produce an upward extension of said wall, having a top, and wherein; said carriage also includes progressing means for progressing itself with respect to said climbing post such that when said carriage is in ascending use, said lower end of said climbing post engages with said upper end of said upward wall extension and said carriage ascends said climbing post until said lower end of said carriage approaches said lower end of said climbing post.

l-T a466-0.DOC 02/06 '00 FRI 10:38 [TX/RX NO 9157] 02/06/00 02/0~/00 10:27 BSW LRW~ 4 62853593 N.0 ~E NO.708 POG

S

*00000

S

SS S

S

@0 OS S S 5 0 550@ 0* 0

S.

S

@005 0 5550 0 0000 00 5 0 0500

S

@5 0 S S

S.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of forming talil concrete structures using the wall climibing formwork support as defined in any one of the preceding claims, said method including the steps of: coupling said two substantially vertically extending tracks with opposite sides of said existing wall, coupling said formwork carriage with said tracks for vertical movement therealong; defining said cavity using said opposed formworks; pouring said concrete into said cavity to prodoce said upward extension 10 of said wall; allowing said poured concrete in said upward wall extension to cure; engaging said lower end of said climbing post with said torp of said upward wall extension; and actuating said progressing means to cause said carriage to ascend said post uolil said lower end of said carriage approaches. said lower end of said climbingpost, A preferred embodiment of the invention will-now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 2I1h6~C 02/06 '00 FRI 10:38 [TX/RX NO 9157] Figure 1 is simplified cross-sectional view of a climbing formwork according to the invention; Figure 2 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the device in claim 1, with formwork in place, and concrete poured; and Figure 3 is a climbing formwork as shown in Figure 2, showing a new set of rails in place on the newly formed concrete layer.

Referring to the drawings, a wall climbing formwork support 1 for forming tall oooeo ••concrete structures such as a wall 2 includes a pair of substantially vertically extending 9* tracks 3 which engage opposite sides 4 and 5 of wall 2. A formwork carriage 6 slidably go.

engages tracks 3 for vertical movement therealong. Carriage 6, in use, supports V horizontally opposed formworks 7 and 8 for selectively defining a cavity therebetween S: into which concrete is placed to produce an upward extension of wall 2. In the preferred i .embodiment, formworks 7 and 8 are supported on wheels 21 to simplify their positioning.

S15 In one embodiment, carriage 6 includes two spaced apart horizontally extending a. *S platforms 9 and 10, which respectively support formwork 7 and 8. Platforms 9 and are joined at their upper ends by a lifting frame 11.

Formwork support 1 also includes a climbing post 12, which extends from a lower end 13 to an upper end 14 and includes a plurality of engagement formations 15 spaced between the ends. In the preferred embodiment, these engagement formations are a series of outwardly directed protuberances or ratchet formations extending from opposite sides of the climbing post 12. Alternatively, a series of holes cut into the post, for example, may be used.

Frame 11 includes a collar 16 and ajack mechanism 17 through which post 12 extends. The jack mechanism 17 is adapted to selectively engage the formations thereby allowing the frame 11 to raise or lower the carriage 6 with respect to the wall 2 and the tracks 3.

The tracks 3 may be channel or C-shaped in cross section, allowing them to engage axles or wheels 18 mounted on carriage 6. Preferably, the carriage is captively retained within the tracks to minimise any horizontal movement. The tracks will usually be •chosen to correspond with the height of the concrete levels being formed.

Post 12 includes a yoke member 19 adjacent end 13 which is releasably 10 engageable with upper ends of the tracks 3. In this embodiment, yoke 19 includes downwardly projecting formations which are received in complementary open upper S•ends of the tracks. Preferably, these formations are secured within the rails to prevent inadvertent movement therebetween.

In use, the first layer of concrete is poured and allowed to set. The rails 3 and the carriage 6 are then fixed to either side of the wall 2. In one embodiment, the tracks are mounted by means of bolts extending laterally through the wall, although any convenient attachment means may be used. The climbing post, at this stage, is retracted upwards and away from the upper ends of the tracks, which in turn allows formwork 7 and 8 to be positioned. Concrete is then poured into the formwork cavity (see Figure Although the formwork 7 and 8 preferably includes wheels 21 to facilitate its movement and positioning on their respective platforms 9 and 10, any suitable formwork may be used.

After the concrete has cured, the formworks are removed from the wall and additional tracks 20 are attached to the newly formed wall layer as above. The climbing -7post is then lowered until the yoke engages the upper ends of tracks 20. The carriage is released from the wall member and tracks, since it is now supported from above by frame 11 acting on the climbing post. Jack mechanism 17 is then operated, which causes the lifting mechanism 11 to raise the whole structure upwards with respect to the wall.

When an appropriate height has been reached (as shown in Figure 1) the carriage is attached to the newly formed wall layer. The climbing post is retracted upwards once more, allowing the process to be repeated until the requisite number of levels, and therefore the desired height, is achieved. As the carriage moves upwards, lower tracks which no longer engage wheels 18 may be detached from the wall and attached to 10 subsequent levels.

In an alternative embodiment, a crane (not shown) is used to raise the climbing formwork between levels instead of the jacking engagement between jack mechanism 17 and climbing post 12. This may be achieved by replacing the jacking mechanism with a S•simple ratchet and pawl (not shown) and in use the crane locates the formwork carriage 6 to the raised location along the climbing post 12 towards the upper end 14. In this case, the climbing post 12 is used merely as a temporary weight bearing member whilst the carriage 6 is attached to a new wall layer. Advantageously, the ratchet and pawl mechanism allows the crane to be used for a minimum of time.

Alternatively, the lifting frame and climbing post may be omitted from the climbing formwork. In this embodiment, a crane is used to raise the carriage to the next required level, holding it there until the carriage is attached to the newly formed wall layer. The advantage of this particular embodiment is that the overall weight of the -8climbing formwork may be substantially minimised, as may be required for particular circumstances.

The present invention has a number of advantages over the prior art. Firstly, the generally symmetrical nature of the device means that horizontal forces during the formation of free-standing concrete walls are minimised. Virtually all of the forces acting on the wall being formed are vertical compressive forces, and therefore tend not to put undue lateral strain on the structure as it is being constructed. For these reasons, the present invention is particularly suitable for use in the construction of free-standing or relatively narrow walls. Also, the present invention allows safe raising of the formwork support after less concrete curing time than has been achievable with prior art devices.

Furthermore, the centrally disposed climbing post of the present invention requires o.o.

"only a single jacking mechanism to allow a pair of formwork sets to be raised along S* opposite sides of a wall simultaneously. This is clearly an advantage over prior art ~systems, where lifting formworks up each side of a wall in construction requires 15 complete duplication of the climbing and support systems. In this respect, the present 9 invention provides a significant advantage over prior art device.

In its alternative embodiment for use within a crane, the present invention has the advantage of simplicity and low cost of construction whilst still minimising lateral strain on the structure being formed. Whilst one must still use a crane to move the structure upwards, the use of vertical tracks attached to the wall, along with the generally symmetrical nature of the climbing formwork, requires use of the crane for only a minimal amount of time. Essentially, the structure may be lifted along the vertically -9extending tracks directly into position, and attached relatively quickly when compared to previous crane-lifted formworks.

Other embodiments may of course be used. For example, hydraulic lifting systems, rather than a mechanical ratchet and pawl mechanism, may be used. Whilst these increase the complexity and expense of the system, they may be more convenient or appropriate to a particular circumstance. Alternatively, the climbing post may be configured in a number of different fashions to suit the circumstances. For example, i whilst it is preferred that the engagement formations take the form of outwardly extending protuberances, other formations such as holes or ratchets cut into one or both 10 sides of the climbing post may also be used.

ea..

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it o.

will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

S.o

OOOOO

Claims

2. A wall climbing formwork support in accordance with claim 1 wherein said progressing means includes a jacidng assembly which engages the climbing post and, in ascending use, the jacking assembly progresses the carriage up the climbing post.
3. A wall climbing formwork support in accordance with any preceding claim wherein said carriage includes: 02/06 '00 FRI 10:38 [TX/RX NO 9157] 02/06/00 02/06/00 10:27 BSW LRW -4 62953593 N.0 0 NO.?08 Poe a first frame located on one side of said wall, said frame being selectively slidably engaged with one of said tracks; a second frame located on the opposite side of said wall to selectively slidably engage the other of said tracks; and s a third frame extending between and coupling said first and second frames. A wall climbing formwork support in accordance with any preceding claim wherein said tracks are selectively attachable to either side of said wall. S A wall climbing formnwork support in accordance with claim 4 wherein the tracks :are channel or C shaped in cross section. i0 6. A method of forming tall concrete sTructures using the wall climbing formnwork support as defined in any one of the preceding claims, said method, including the steps of- coupling said two substantially verticafly extending tracks with opposite 6@ sides of said existing wall; coupling said formnwork carriage withi said tracks for vertical movement :therealong; defining said cavity using said opposed fornmworks; pouring sad concrete into said cavity to produce said u~pward extension of said wall; allowing said poured concrete in said upward wall extension to cure; engaginS said lower end of said climbing post with said top of said upward wall extension; and ji l RA, 02/06 '00 FRI 10:38 [TX/RX NO 91571 02/06/00 02/0/00 10:27 BSW LRAW 4 62853593NO78 I0 NO.708 P09 12 actuating said progressing means to cause said carriage to ascend said post until said lower end of said carriage approaches said lower end of said climbing post-
7. A method as claimed in claimn 6 further including the steps of repeating steps (c) to until the desired wall height is achieved.
8. A wall climbing formwork support substantially as hereinibefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A method of farming tall concrete structures substantially as hereinbefore, :00: :described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 2nd Day of June, 2000 BOXER ENGINEERING PTY LTD Attorney: JOIN 13. REDFERN Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of BALDWIN SBFLSTON WATERS *000 0 A, 0@DODO 02/06 '00 FRI 10:38 [TX/RX NO 91571