GB2591747A

GB2591747A - Anchor assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2591747A
Application number: GB2001475.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Taylor Mark
Original assignee: Ischebeck Titan Ltd
Current assignee: Ischebeck Titan Ltd
Priority date: 2020-02-04
Filing date: 2020-02-04
Publication date: 2021-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 2040-02-04
Also published as: GB202001475D0; GB2591747B

Abstract

The anchor assembly, particularly for embedding in concrete, comprises an anchor 11 with an attached retention member 12. A void is defined between the retention member and the anchor to be filled with concrete during use. The retention member may be spaced vertically from the anchor in use and may be substantially planar. The anchor and retention member may be attached to one another by spaced apart first and second attachment members 14,15, which may be attached one to each end of the retention member, substantially perpendicular to and/or unitarily formed with the retention member e.g. from a substantially U-shaped plate. The anchor may comprise an anchor body 16 with a fixing means 17 (e.g. a threaded fastener), frustoconical and/or with an anchor bar 17 fixed to it. Also claimed is a floor slab comprising the anchor assembly, wherein the retention member may be positioned above the anchor, e.g. at an upper surface of the slab and/or with the fixing means exposed at a vertical outer face of the slab.

Description

Anchor Assembly The present disclosure relates to an anchor assembly, in particular to a cast-in anchor assembly for allowing attachment of a floor guide for a climbing screen, or similar, to a vertical outer face of a floor slab of a construction.

In modern construction, particularly in the construction of high rise buildings it is common to have a central core, which houses lift shafts and stair wells and which provides support to the floors of the construction, wherein the central core and floors are formed by poured concrete. Such structures commonly have no external walls. During large periods of construction therefore, the floors remain open at their edges. It is only when a facade is introduced that the perimeter of the building is enclosed. Such open floors cause numerous health and safety risks. Workers operating on the exposed floors of the construction are at risk of falling from the construction.

Workers or members of the public on the ground are at risk from tools, equipment or debris falling from the exposed floors.

It is known to provide safety screens, which extend around at least a portion of the perimeter of constructions, which effectively provide a temporary facade, and advantageously provide safe working platforms spaced outwardly from the floors. These safety screens are advantageously moveable vertically to protect the perimeter of any required floor as the construction progresses. Such screens are commonly referred to as "climbing screens". Movement of the climbing screens up the construction may be effected either by crane or by hydraulic lifting equipment located on floors of the construction.

These climbing screens typically comprise a climbing rail and a safety screen. The climbing rail is engaged, in use, by floor guides (otherwise referred to as needles or climbing screen supports), which project outwardly from the edges of the floors. The floor guides allow translation of the climbing screen along the construction and are further operable to lock the position of the climbing screen adjacent appropriate floors during use.

Typically the floor guides are fixed to the upper surfaces of floor slabs, which define the floors, using floor anchors that are cast into the floor slabs. The floor guides cantilever horizontally outwardly from the edges of the floors. A problem arises, however, in brick faced buildings. There is a desire to close off the floors, by building the brick facade whilst work is taking place to fit out the respective floors.

However, conventional floor guides obstruct the construction of the façade.

The present invention arose during work to provide an improved floor guide, fixable to a vertical outer face of a floor.

Floor slabs typically have a limited vertical depth. If a conventional anchor is embedded in a floor slab (to allow attachment of a floor guide, or other element, to the vertical face of the floor slab) it is only the depth of concrete below the anchor that is available to support a vertical load applied to the anchor. The depth of concrete below the anchor will inevitably be too small to offer sufficient mechanical strength to support a useful vertical load. The floor anchor will be ripped out of the bottom of the floor slab.

According to the present invention in a first aspect, there is provided an anchor assembly for embedding in concrete, the anchor assembly comprising an anchor and a retention member, wherein the anchor is attached to the retention member and a void is defined between the retention member and the anchor to be filled with concrete during use.

By virtue of such an arrangement increased loading of the anchor is uniquely possible. In an exemplary arrangement, where the anchor is embedded in a floor slab having a vertical thickness, it is not the depth of concrete below the anchor that is relevant (as would be the case with a conventional anchor) but the depth of concrete below the retention member. In a particularly preferred arrangement, the retention member may be embedded in the concrete such that substantially the entire vertical depth of concrete/the entire vertical depth of the floor slab can be used to support a vertical load applied to the anchor in use. This is achieved by embedding the retention member at/immediately adjacent to an upper surface of the floor slab.

According to the present invention in a further aspect, there is provided a floor slab comprising an anchor assembly as defined above.

Further, preferred, features are provided in the dependent claims.

Non-limiting embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a side view of a climbing screen system on a construction, which comprises a climbing screen support system comprising a plurality of floor guides attached to vertical outer faces of floor slabs of the construction; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an anchor system according to a first embodiment; Figure 3 shows a side view of the anchor system of Figure 2; and Figure 4 shows the anchor system of Figures 2 and 3 embedded in a floor slab.

The climbing screen system of Figure 1 comprises a climbing screen support system 1 and a climbing screen 100. The climbing screen is shown mounted to a construction 200 using the climbing screen support system 1. The climbing screen support system comprises at least two floor guides 2. There will generally be at least four floor guides, with two or more floor guides on each of two floors 3. The two floors 3 will typically be immediately adjacent floors.

Three floors 3 of the construction are shown. However, there will clearly be a number of further floors 3, which are omitted from Figure 1 for clarity. With reference to Figure 1, the bottom floor shown may be considered to be floor one, with floors two and three provided above in sequence. The floor guides are provided on floors two and three.

Anchor assemblies 10 are provided to allow the fixing of the floor guides 2 to the construction. The anchor assemblies are uniquely configured to allow the fixing of the floor guides to the outer vertical faces of the floors. One of the anchor assemblies 10 is shown in Figures 2 to 4.

It is important to note that the anchor assembly 10, which is the focus of the present disclosure, may be used in numerous applications, as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. It is not to be limited in any way to the climbing screen system of Figure 1, which is provided as an example only, and is briefly discussed below.

The climbing screen is a rigid self-supporting structure, which comprises at least two climbing rails 101 and a safety screen 102.

The climbing rails 101 are adapted to engage the floor guides 2 of the climbing screen support system 1, which floor guides 2 project outwardly from the edges of the floors 3 of the construction 200, as shown. The climbing screen 100 may be translated vertically up the construction 200 either by use of a crane or by using a self-climbing mechanism, as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The safety screen 102 comprises longitudinally extending screen support members 103, a plurality of screen panel support brackets 104 and a plurality of screen panels 105. Other configurations will, of course, be possible and the safety screen is not to be limited to such construction.

Each of the screen support members 103 is paired with a respective one of the climbing rails 101. The paired climbing rails and screen support members are parallel to one another and in alignment with one another, extending vertically in use. The screen support members 103 lie outwardly of the climbing rails in use (in a direction away from the construction) is spaced relation thereto. The paired climbing rails and screen support members are joined to one another by a plurality of support elements 106 that are fixed thereto and extend therebetween. A number of the support elements support platforms 107, which in turn are adapted to support work surfaces 108. Also extending between the paired climbing rails and screen support members are a plurality of tie braces 109, which provide increased rigidity to the climbing screen 100. Each tie brace extends at an oblique angle relative to the climbing rails and screen support members. The tie braces are preferably provided in pairs that cross with one another and combine to form an X-shape, as seen in Figure 1.

The number and configuration of support elements 106 and tie braces 109 is not limited. More or less support elements and tie braces may be provided, and in various configurations.

Attached to the vertically extending screen support members 103 are the plurality of screen panel support brackets 104, which support the plurality of screen panels 105, which panels close off the open perimeter of the floors of the construction and prevent injury to workers on the floors or those on the ground The screen panels 105 may be rigid mesh panels or similar.

As shown, and mentioned above, the floor guides 2 are attached to vertical outer faces 5 of the floors 3, which, as discussed, comprise floor slabs. This means of attachment eliminates any obstruction between the floor 3 and the immediately adjacent upper floor 3. The space between the floors 3 may, for example, be bricked up. By spacing the guide rail 101 away from the building a worker has sufficient space for the required construction work. The floor guide may space the climbing rail from the vertical outer face 5 of the floor 3 by 300mm or more, possibly 500mm or more. The distance in not to be limited and may be set as desired. The spacing is achievable, in the present exemplary arrangement, by the triangular bracing effect of the floor guide 2 resulting from the provision of a pair of vertically spaced shoes 25.

The anchor assembly as shown in Figures 2 to 4, which allows such attachment of the floor guides, (but is not limited to such use), will now be discussed in detail.

In broadest terms, the anchor assembly 10 comprises an anchor 11 and a retention member 12, wherein the anchor 11 is attached to the retention member 12 and a void 13 is defined between the retention member and the anchor 11 to be filled with concrete during use, as shown in Figure 4.

It is preferable, in use, as in the described exemplary arrangement, that the retention member 12 is vertically spaced from the anchor 11. Of course, in alternative arrangements/orientations, configured in dependence on the direction of loading or otherwise, the spacing may be horizontal or otherwise.

In consideration of the present arrangement, as best seen in Figure 4, by virtue of the retention member 12 and the void 13, a greater depth of concrete may be used to support a vertical shear load. Substantially the entire depth of the concrete in the arrangement of Figure 4 is utilized to support the anchor 11.

The form of the retention member 12 is not particularly limited. In the present arrangement it is substantially planar, as clearly shown in Figures 2 to 4, which is preferable since it limits its volume, weight and cost. It need not be planar and could take numerous alternative forms, whilst performing the task of retaining the anchor, as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. Whilst in the present arrangement the retention member 12 has a tapered form, as seen in Figure 2, this again need not be the case. The retention member 12 could be rectangular or otherwise formed.

The anchor assembly 10 preferably comprises first and second attachment members 14, 15 that are spaced from one another and extend between the retention member 12 and the anchor 11 for attaching the anchor 11 to the retention member 12. However, alternative arrangements are possible in which there are more or less attachment members. There may be a single attachment member only. The arrangement of the attachment member(s) may be dependent on the form of the anchor 11, for example.

The retention member 12 has a first end portion and an opposed second end portion with the first attachment member 14 being attached at the first end portion and the second attachment member 15 being attached at the second end portion. This arrangement is convenient, since the retention member 12 and first and second attachment members 14, 15 are unitarily formed by bending a plate. The plate is substantially U-shaped as best seen in Figures 3 and 4. The first and second attachment members 14, 15 extend substantially perpendicular to the retention member 12. The unitary provision of the retention member 12 and attachment members 14, 15 by bending a plate provides a particularly lightweight and cost effective structure. It is to be noted, however, that the first and second attachment members 14, 15 may also be attached to opposed ends of the retainer when one or both of the first and second attachment members is/are formed separately to the retention member. Moreover, the attachment members may be otherwise attached irrespective of whether they are formed separately to or unitarily with the retention member 12. In arrangements in which the attachment member(s) 14, 15 are not unitarily formed with the retention member 12, including arrangements having a single attachment member or two or more attachment members formed, the attachment member(s) may comprise any suitable mechanical link, which could be welded or bolted to the attachment member. The attachment member(s) could comprise wire, chain, plate or otherwise.

The anchor 11 in the present arrangement, as is preferred, comprises an anchor body 16 comprising a fixing means 17. The fixing means 17 most preferably comprises a threaded fastener. In the present arrangement it comprises a threaded opening for receiving a suitable bolt. In alternative arrangements, the fixing means 17 could instead comprise a bolt for engaging a corresponding threaded opening or nut. The specific form of the fixing means 17 is not particularly limited, as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. The anchor body 16 is substantially frustoconical in the present arrangement. However, it is not to be limited as such and could take various alternative forms. It could be cylindrical or otherwise.

The anchor 11 in the present arrangement, as again is preferred, further comprises an anchor bar 18 that is fixed to the anchor body 16. The anchor bar 18 is bent in a conventional fashion for effective anchoring in the concrete. It comprises a right angle bend but could be otherwise bent. It may comprise rebar or otherwise. The anchor bar 18 may threadably engage the anchor body 16.

S

In the present arrangement comprising the first and second attachment members 14, 15, the first attachment member engages the anchor body 16 and the second attachment member 15 engages the anchor bar. This is merely one possible arrangement, it is not to be taken as limiting. To allow for suitable engagement in the present arrangement, the first and second attachment members are provided with suitable openings. Such engagement means is also not to be taken as limiting, various alternative engagement means will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Consideration will now be given to a floor slab comprising the anchor assembly 10, as shown in Figure 4. The anchor assembly 10 is embedded in the floor slab with the retention member 12 uppermost. The anchor 11 is below the retention member 12. It is preferable that the retention member 12 is provided at or adjacent to an upper surface 19 of the floor slab. As discussed, this allows for substantially the entire thickness of the slab to support a vertical shear load transmitted through the anchor 11. It is to be noted, however, that in dependence on the thickness of the slab and/or other conditions, the retention member 12 may be otherwise position. For example, the retention member 12 could be embedded deeper in the floor slab. The retention member when substantially planar as in the present arrangement, is preferably substantially parallel to the upper surface of the floor slab. The fixing means 17 of the anchor body 16 is exposed at a vertical outer face of the floor slab. This allows for attachment to the vertical outer face of the floor slab, as discussed above and shown in Figure 1.

Claims

Claims 1. An anchor assembly for embedding in concrete, the anchor assembly comprising an anchor and a retention member, wherein the anchor is attached to the 5 retention member and a void is defined between the retention member and the anchor to be filled with concrete during use.
2. An anchor assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein, in use, the retention member is spaced vertically from the anchor.
3. An anchor assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the retention member is substantially planar.
4. An anchor assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the anchor assembly comprises first and second attachment members that are spaced from one another and extend between the retention member and the anchor for attaching the anchor to the retention member.
5. An anchor assembly as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the retention member has a first end portion and an opposed second end portion, the first attachment member being attached at the first end portion and the second attachment member being attached at the second end portion.
6. An anchor assembly as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, wherein the retention member and the first and second attachment members are unitarily formed.
7. An anchor assembly as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the retention member and the first and second attachment members are formed from a plate.
8. An anchor assembly as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the plate is substantially U-shaped.
9. An anchor assembly as claimed in any of Claims 4 to 8, wherein the first and second attachment members extend substantially perpendicular to the retention member.
10. An anchor assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the anchor comprises an anchor body comprising a fixing means.
11. An anchor assembly as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the fixing means comprises a threaded fastener.
12. An anchor assembly as claimed in Claim 10 or 11, wherein the anchor body is substantially frustoconical.
13. An anchor assembly as claimed in any of Claims 10 to 12 further comprising an anchor bar, which is fixed to the anchor body.
14. A floor slab comprising an anchor assembly as claimed in any preceding claim.
15. A floor slab as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the anchor is provided below the retention member.
16. A floor slab as claimed in Claim 14 or 15, wherein the retention member is provided at or adjacent to an upper surface of the floor slab.
17. A floor slab as claimed in any of Claims 14 to 16, when dependent on any of Claims 10 to 13, wherein the fixing means is exposed at a vertical outer face of the floor slab.