WO2022249098A1

WO2022249098A1 - Device and method for ascertaining the alignment of formwork formed by plurality of formwork panels

Info

Publication number: WO2022249098A1
Application number: PCT/IB2022/054904
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ashish Suryaprakash Agarwal
Original assignee: Knest Manufacturers Llp
Priority date: 2021-05-26
Filing date: 2022-05-25
Publication date: 2022-12-01

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a device (100) and method for ascertaining the alignment of formwork (10) formed by plurality of formwork panels (10a, 10b…10n). The formwork panels (10a, 10b…10n) are configured to form a mould (52) to pour cementitious material therein. The device (100) configured to be mounted on at least one formwork panel of the plurality of formwork panels (10a, 10b…10n). The device (100) comprises a sensing unit (20) configured to periodically sense the axial deviation of the formwork (10) formed by the plurality of the formwork panels (10a, 10b…10n), and further configured to generate a sensed alignment signal; and a control unit (22) communicatively connected to said sensing unit (20), said control unit (22) being configured to receive said signal, and further configured to process and compare said signal with desired axial values to generate an alert for an user.

Description

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ASCERTAINING THE ALIGNMENT OF FORMWORK FORMED BY PLURALITY OF FORMWORK PANELS

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to formwork panels for casting of concrete structures and more specifically, relates to real-time analyses of alignment of the formwork panels during casting of the concrete structure.

DEFINITION

As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used indicate otherwise.

AXIAL DEVIATION: The term ‘axial deviation’ used in the context of this disclosure refers to, but is not limited to, the deviation or misalignment of an object with respect to operative X and Y axes, or the misalignment of the object with respect to an operative Z axis or the misalignment or rotation of the object with respect to an operative Y axis. FORMWORK PANEL: The term ‘formwork panel’ used in the context of this disclosure refers to, but is not limited to, a sheet board or a prefabricated metallic sheet that is used in the construction industry to define a mould to pour cementitious or similar materials therein. It is configured to withstand the side thrust or force of cementitious or concrete material.

These definitions are in addition to those expressed in the art. BACKGROUND

The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.

For the construction of various concrete structures such as walls, slabs, columns, beams etc., formwork panels are used. Formwork panels are fitted and joined to each other using pin/wedge system. Once all the panels are fixed, alignment is done and then concrete is poured. After concrete has set, the panels are removed. Alignment of the panels is necessary to ensure a good finish of concrete. Currently, alignment is manually done by using a spirit level, plumb bob & steel tapes, line wire etc by on-site unskilled labours, and may be verified by the engineers. Since the alignment process is manual, it is possible that panels may not be perfectly aligned to the horizontal or the vertical axis. However, due to human limitations, small misalignments remain undetected. Besides, checking the alignment of all the panels can be a tedious and time-consuming task. Also, it is difficult to manually maintain proper documentation of historical records.

Small misalignments result in undulation or unevenness in the finish of the structural member. Plastering has to be done for achieving a better finish. The additional cost of material and time is undesirable.

Thus, there is felt a need for a system and a method for ensuring correct alignment of formwork panels, which alleviates the aforementioned drawbacks of prior art.

OBJECTS

Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:

It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a device and method for ascertaining the alignment of formwork formed by plurality of formwork panels. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide device and method for ascertaining the alignment of formwork which eliminates the tedious task of manual measurement of alignment of panels.

Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide device and method for ascertaining the alignment of formwork which provides accessibility to alignment data to all concerned personnel.

Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide device and method for ascertaining the alignment of formwork which has a high accuracy. Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure envisages a device for ascertaining the alignment of formwork formed by a plurality of formwork panels. The formwork panels are configured to form a mould to pour cementitious material therein to form a wall section. The device is configured to be mounted on at least one formwork panel of the plurality of formwork panels. The device comprises a sensing unit and a control unit.

The sensing units are mounted on an operative outer surface of the formwork panel. The sensing unit is configured to periodically sense the axial deviation of the formwork formed by the plurality of the formwork panels, and further configured to generate a corresponding sensed alignment signal. The control unit is connected to the sensing unit. The control unit is being configured to receive the sensed signal, and is further configured to process and compare the signal with desired axial values. The control unit is further configured to generate an alert for a user if the sensed signal of at least one formwork panel of the plurality of formwork panels does not align with the stored axial values.

In an embodiment, the sensing unit is configured to sense the axial deviation of the horizontal formwork panel with respect to operative X and Y axes.

In another embodiment, the sensing unit is configured to sense the axial deviation of the vertical formwork panel with respect to an operative Z axis.

In another embodiment, the sensing unit is configured to sense the axial rotation of the formwork panel with respect to an operative Y axis.

In another embodiment, the sensing unit is selected from a group consisting of a tilt sensor, an inclinometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscopic sensor, a micro-electro-mechanical device (MEMS) sensor, a 3-axis sensor or any combination, thereof.

Further, the control unit comprises a memory, an analog-to-digital converter, a comparator and an alerting module. The memory is configured to store the desired axial values of the formwork panel. The analog-to-digital converter is configured to communicate with the sensing unit. The analog-to-digital converter is configured to receive the sensed signal, and is further configured to convert the sensed signal to a digital sensed alignment value. The comparator is connected to the memory to receive the desired axial values, therefrom. The comparator is further connected to the converter to receive the digital sensed value, therefrom. The comparator is configured to compare the digital sensed value with the desired axial values. The alerting module is communicating with the comparator. The alerting module is configured to generate the alert to the user if the digital sensed value does not align with the stored axial values.

In an embodiment, a central hub is provided, configured to be communicatively connected with the control unit. The central hub is being configured to receive the alert from the alerting module, and further configured to transmit the alert to a remote device. The remote device is configured to communicate with the central hub to receive the alert. The remote device is further configured to display and store a statistical and analytical data related to the deviation of the formwork formed by the plurality of the formwork panel.

In an embodiment, a display unit is being in communication to the control unit and configured to display the real-time deviation of the formwork formed by the plurality of the formwork panel.

Further a power source is configured with the device. The power source is configured to supply electrical power to all electrical components of the device in connection.

Further, the present disclosure also envisages a method for ascertaining the alignment of the formwork formed by the plurality of formwork panels. The plurality of the formwork panels are being configured to define the mould for pouring cementitious material therein for forming the wall section, the method comprising the following steps:

• mounting the device on at least one formwork panel of the plurality of formwork panels, the device is configured with a sensing unit and a control unit;

• periodically sensing the axial deviation of the formwork formed by assembling the plurality of the formwork panels and generating the sensed alignment signal, by the sensing unit; receiving the sensed signal by the control unit, and comparing the signal with the desired axial values stored in the control unit; generating the alert if the sensed signal of at least one formwork panel of the plurality of formwork panels does not aligned with the stored axial values; and

• reiterating and adjusting at least one formwork panel of the plurality of the formwork panels to make the sensed signal aligned with the stored axial values.

The control unit further comprises the following steps:

• storing the desired axial values of the formwork panel in the memory;

• receiving the sensed alignment signal in the analog-to-digital converter and further converting the sensed signal to the digital sensed alignment values; · comparing the desired axial values with the digital sensed alignment value in the comparator;

• alerting the registered user if the digital sensed values does not aligned with the stored axial values by using the alerting module.

In an embodiment, the method includes, providing the central hub in communication with the control unit, receiving the alert from the alerting module and further transmitting the alert to the remote device.

In another embodiment, the method includes, receiving the transmitted alert by the remote device. The remote device is displaying a statistical and analytical data related to the amount of deviation of the formwork formed by the plurality of the formwork panel In another embodiment, the method includes, providing the display unit on an operating outer surface of the device. The display unit is in communication with the control unit and indicating the real-time deviation of the formwork formed by the plurality of the formwork panel either at the construction site or remotely.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING A device and method for ascertaining the alignment of formwork formed by plurality of formwork panels, of the present disclosure, will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a conventional formwork for a wall;

Figure 2 illustrates a tilted formwork panel of prior art;

Figure 3 shows tilt in a finished column due to the tilted formwork of Figure 2;

Figure 4 illustrates a formwork panel incorporating at least one device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 5a illustrates a device with an integrated display unit and Figure 5b illustrates a device without display unit;

Figure 6a and Figure 6b illustrates the forming of a formwork including a plurality of formwork panels with a device mounted on at least one of the formwork panel to ensure the alignment;

Figure 7 is a flowchart depicting the method of the present disclosure;

Figure 8 is a flowchart depicting the transmission of desired signal of the present disclosure;

Figure 9a and Figure 9b illustrates the formwork and the wall formed on an horizontal plane according to first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and Figure 10 illustrates the formwork and the wall formed on an inclined plane according to second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

10 formwork lOa-lOn formwork panels 12 support

14 reinforcement

16 column

20 sensing unit

22 control unit 22a memory

22b analog-to-digital converter 22c comparator

22d alerting module

24 ribs of formwork panel

28 battery indicator

30 display unit

32 antenna

34 central hub

36 cloud server

38 remote device

40 application interface

44 charging socket

46 ON/OFF switch

48 fixture

50 fasteners

52 mould

100 device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.

The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms "a,” "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

When an element is referred to as being "mounted on," “engaged to,” "connected to," or "coupled to" another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.

Typically, the alignment of formwork 10 is necessary to ensure a good finish of the concrete. Conventionally, the alignment is manually done by on-site unskilled labours, and further being verified by the engineers. Since the alignment process is manual, there is always a possibility that panels may not be perfectly aligned to the operative horizontal or the operative vertical axis. However, due to human limitations, small misalignments remain undetected. Besides, checking the alignment of all the panels is a tedious and time-consuming task. Also, small misalignments result in undulation or unevenness in the finish of the structural member.

Therefore, to achieve the desired surface finish or leveling, the extreme depth of plastering has to be done, which incurs additional cost of material and undesirable time. In addition, small misalignments lead to waviness or irregularities in the finish of the structural element. Therefore, to achieve the desired surface finish or leveling, an extreme depth of plastering has to be done, resulting in additional material cost and undesirable time.

Figure 1 illustrates a conventional formwork for a wall. The Figure 1 illustrates a typical formwork 10 erected using a plurality of the formwork panels and supporting members 12 for the plurality of the formwork panels erected around a reinforcement 14. The plurality of the formwork panels is joined together by means of a plurality of fasteners to form the desired formwork 10 of a wall section.. The formwork 10 thus formed is containing and shaping the concrete or cementitious material to be poured therein. The panel has a rectangular shape, generally.

Figure 2 illustrates the tilted formwork 10 of prior art. The Figure 2 represents the formwork 10 tilted from the operative vertical axis V-V. Such a tilt is resulting in a variable thickness of the concrete wall or column 16, thereby resulting in a thicker cross-section at the operative top portion of the wall or column 16 as illustrated in Figure 3. The Figure 3 shows the tilt in a finished column 16 due to the tilted formwork 10 of the Figure 2. Therefore, to provide flatness or uniform thickness, it would require more plastering in the lower portion of the wall or column 16. Further, the slab or beam panels with tilt from the orthogonal planes will attain a similar shape. The tilts in slab or beam formwork panels will lead to uneven finish for the slab or the beam.

To solve the aforementioned issues, the present disclosure envisages a device 100 for ascertaining the alignment of formwork 10 formed by a plurality of formwork panels 10a, 10b...l0n. The formwork panels 10a, 10b...l0n define a mould 52 to pour the cementitious material therein to form a wall section. The device 100 is configured to be mounted on at least one formwork panel of a plurality of formwork panels 10a, 10b...l0n. The device 100 comprises a sensing unit 20 and a control unit 22. The sensing unit 20 is configured to periodically sense the axial deviation of the formwork 10 as well as each individual panel of the plurality of the formwork panels 10a, 10b...l0n and further configured to generate a corresponding sensed alignment signal. Figure 4 a formwork panel incorporating at least one device.

In an embodiment, the sensing unit 20 is operatively mounted on an operative outer surface of at least one of the formwork panel.

In another embodiment, the device 100 is configured to be mounted on two formwork panels of a plurality of formwork panels 10a, 10b...10h.

In another embodiment, the device 100 is configured to be mounted on three formwork panels of a plurality of formwork panels 10a, 10b...10h. In another embodiment, the sensed alignment signal is generated based on the alignment of the formwork 10 with respect to the natural orthogonal axes or the natural orthogonal planes at the location of the formwork.

In another embodiment, the sensing unit 20 is mounted on the device by means of a plurality of threaded fasteners or using suitable adhesives or any other suitable means and or a method of fitment.

In another embodiment, each of the formwork panel 10a, 10b...l0n has a C-shaped configuration. The device 100 is fitted at the right-angled surface of the C-shaped panel. Alternatively, the device 100 is fitted in a pocket made in the panel. The device 100 is fitted at any other location on the formwork panels 10a, 10b...l0n identified to be suitable as desired.

In another embodiment, the formwork panels 10a, 10b...10h are selected from a structure consisting of material aluminium, wood, or in a configuration of a steel frame with a ply as the cover, or a polymer, or a fiber board, or a composite material or any combination thereof. In another embodiment, the sensing unit 20 is selected from a group of sensor selecting from a tilt sensor or an inclinometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscopic sensor, a micro-electro- mechanical system (MEMS) sensor, a 3-axis sensor or a combination thereof.

Further, the device 100 of the present disclosure is being calibrated before installation on the formwork panel 10. Typically, the inclination is calibrated with respect to gravity. Also, the device 100 is calibrated to compensate for vibration in order to provide accuracy for measuring change in deviation in harsh environment at construction sites.

In an embodiment, the device 100 has a high resolution and sensitivity to the angle of deviation.

Further, the plurality of the sensing units 20 are configured to operate in a FOW or HIGH mode. In an embodiment, the status bit is set to HIGH if any of the formwork panel is misaligned and set to FOW if any of the formwork panel is aligned properly in all three axes such as plumb, rotate and diagonal axis.

In an embodiment, the device 100 is configured to sense the alignment of the horizontal formwork panel with respect to operative X and Y axes. In another embodiment, the device 100 is configured to sense the alignment of the vertical formwork panel with respect to an operative Z axis.

In an embodiment, the device 100 is configured to operate in an analog mode, wherein each sensing unit 20 generates a signal of magnitude corresponding to the deviation of the formwork 10 as well as each individual panel of the plurality of the formwork panel 10a, 10b... lOn.

In another embodiment, the device 100 is configured to sense the deviation of the formwork 10 as well as each individual panel of the plurality of the formwork panel 10a, 10b...l0n continuously or periodically in a real time manner. In another embodiment, at least one of the formwork panel comprises three devices 100, each of the device 100 are attached on outer surface of the formwork panel in a triangulation pattern.

In another embodiment, the device 100 is provided with a noise filter configured to remove chatter and to filter out noise so as to avoid interference between the signals. Further, all the device 100 attached to different panels of the formwork 10 operate on same frequency band. The device 100 forms a mesh network and protected with a unique mesh network ID and mesh password. In additional, every device 100 configured with a unique node ID and a chip ID; the node ID is mapped with the chip ID.

In another embodiment, the device 100 is configured to switch between a sleep mode and a wake-up mode at pre-defined regular intervals of time.

In another embodiment, the device 100 is battery-powered.

In yet another embodiment, the sensing unit 20 is selected from a group consisting of a tilt sensor, an inclinometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscopic sensor, a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensor, a 3-axis sensor or any combination, thereof. In another embodiment, the sensing unit 20 is a passive RFID-based sensor or a solar powered sensor.

In an embodiment, the sensing unit 20 may be a combination of a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3- axis accelerometer provided on the same silicon chip, together with an onboard Digital Motion Processor™ (DMP™) to processes complex 6-axis MotionFusion algorithms. Further, the control unit 22 is communicatively connected to the sensing unit 20. The control unit 22 is configured to receive the sensed alignment signal from the sensing unit 20. The control unit 22 further configured to process and compare the signal with desired axial values to generate an alert for an user if the sensed 10a, 10b...l0n does not align with the stored axial values.

Further, the control unit 22 comprises a memory 22a, an analog-to-digital converter 22b, a comparator 22c and an alerting module 22d. The memory 22a is configured to store the desired axial values after calibration. The analog-to-digital converter 22b is configured to communicate with the sensing unit 20, and is further configured to receive the sensed alignment signal from the sensing unit 20. The sensed alignment signal of the sensing unit 20 is converted to a digital sensed alignment value by means of the analog-to-digital converter 22b. The comparator 22c is connected to the memory 22a to receive the desired axial values, therefrom. The comparator 22c is further connected to the converter 22b to receive the digital sensed value, therefrom. The comparator 22c is configured to compare the digital sensed value with the desired axial values. The alerting module 22d is communicating with the comparator 22. The alerting module 22d is configured to generate the alert to the user if the digital sensed value does not align with the stored axial values. Based on the alert generated, at least one of the formwork panels of the plurality of the formwork panels 10a, 10b...10h is being adjusted to make the sensed alignment signal or the digital sensed alignment value aligned with the stored axial values.

In an embodiment, the analog-to-digital converter 22b is an I2C bus.

In another embodiment, the sensing unit 20 can access external sensors such as magnetometers or others through an auxiliary master I²C bus, allowing the sensing units 20 to gather a full set of sensor data without intervention from the system processor.

The device 100 includes a central hub 34, configured to be communicatively connected with the control unit 22. The central hub 34 is being configured to receive the alert from the alerting module 22d, and further configured to transmit the alert to a remote device 38. The remote device 38 is configured to communicate with the central hub 34 to receive the alert. The remote device 38 is further configured to display and store a statistical and analytical data related to the axial deviation of the formwork 10 formed by the plurality of the formwork panel 10a, 10b...10h. In an embodiment, the remote device 38 is connected to the central hub 34 by means of a wire or wirelessly.

In another embodiment, the remote device 38 is connected with the central hub 34 by means of a cloud server 36.

In another embodiment, the axial deviation is communicated through wires or wirelessly from the control unit 22 to the remote device 38 or from the central hub 34 to the remote device 38.

In another embodiment, the remote device 38 is selected from a group consisting of a mobile device, or a tablet or a computer.

In another embodiment, the device 100 includes a display unit 30. The display unit 30 being in communication to the control unit 22 and configured to display the real-time axial deviation of the formwork 10 formed by the plurality of the formwork panel 10a, 10b...l0n at a formwork site or a construction site.

Figure 5a illustrates the device 100 with the integrated display unit 30 and Figure 5b illustrates the device 100 without display unit.

Further, the device 100 is integrated with an ON/OFF switch 46 and a power source. The ON/OFF switch 46 selectively activates and deactivates the power supply from the power source to operate all electrical components of the device 100 in connection. Furthermore, the device 100 is configured with a battery indicator 28, configured to notify the level of charge remaining in the power source.

In an embodiment, the sensing units 20 is using wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wireless Fidelty (Wi-Fi), Long-term Evolution (LTE), Narrowband Fidelty (NB-Fi), Ultra Narrowband, Low-power Wide-area Network (LoRaWAN), Cellular-based network, Radio frequency identification (RFID), or ZigBee to communicate the sensed alignment signal data with the control unit 22 and from the control unit 22 with the central hub 34 or from the control unit 22 directly with the remote device 38.

Further, the sensed alignment signal data thus obtained is uploaded from the control unit 22 on the cloud server 36 which is being accessed by the remote device 38. The data uploaded on the cloud server 36 is accessible to users by means of an application interface 40. The application interface 40 retrieves the axial deviation data from the cloud server 36 and convert the data in a desired readable format. A registered user of the application interface 40 may be engineers, on-site construction supervisors and even the workers can access the data either on-site or remotely by means of the suitable remote device 38. The application interface 40 installable and executable in the remote device 38 associated with the registered user. The interface 40 configured to communicate with the cloud server 36 to receive and display the statistical and analytical data relating to the axial deviation in the alignment of the formworklO.

In an embodiment, the cloud server 36 cooperates with the sensing units 20 through the central hub 34 to determine the operating mode and position of each sensing unit 20 in the facility.

In another embodiment, the cloud server 36 includes a data acquisition module, a computing module, a database management engine, and an interface module.

The database management engine is configured to store the time-stamped data regarding the status of the device. The interface module is configured to cooperate with the computing module to facilitate presentation of the determined status of the device, the generated notifications, and the status reports on at least one of an admin interface and the application interface.

In an embodiment, the cloud server enables the registered user to edit the pre-determined number of device required in the formwork via at least one of the admin interface and the application interface.

Further, the sensing unit 20 installed at a facility transmits data to the central hub 34 via a transmitter. In the same manner, all the sensing units 20 are connected to the central hub 34 in a mesh network topology. The central hub 34 acts as a root node and each of the sensing units 20 acts as an intermediate parent node or a leaf node as per its operation status. If a sensing unit 20 transmits its own data to the central hub 34 then that particular sensing unit 20, of the plurality of sensing units 20 installed at the facility, operates in the leaf node mode. Similarly, if a sensing unit 20 transfers data of a neighboring sensing unit 20 to the central hub 34, then that particular sensing unit 20 operates in the intermediate parent node mode. The distance between the central hub 34 and the sensing units 20 is calculated based on a signal received straight at the sensing units 20 from the central hub 34.

In this case, the central hub 34 works as an anchor. The sensing units 20 that are operating in the intermediate parent node mode also work as second anchor in this case. Further, the sensing units 20 that are working in the leaf node mode come in between two anchors. Depending on received signal strength indicator (RSSI) at both the anchors, the distance is calculated, and that distance is in centimeters (cms).

Whenever, a sensing unit 20 transmits its sensed signal to the central hub 34 via the transmitter, it also transmits the RSSI and the computed distance value in the data packet. The central hub 34 transmits a consolidated data, containing RSSI and computed distance value from all the sensing units 20, to the cloud server 36. At the cloud server 36, the computing module calculates the positions of the sensing units 20 from the received distance value in the respective sensing unit’s 20 data packet. The computing module also determines the operating status/mode (whether leaf node mode and/or intermediate parent node mode) of the sensing units 20 based on the received data. The application interface module facilitates presentation of the determined operating status/mode of the sensing units 20 on the admin/ application interface 40.

The database management engine cooperates with the computing module to identify the anchor locations on a layout provided by the user through the admin interface/ application interface 40. The interface module and a status detection module work together and mark location of the sensing units 20 on the user-provided layout. The interface module facilitates presentation of location of all the sensing units 20 installed in the facility on the mapped layout on the admin interface/ application interface 40.

Therefore, by identifying the axial deviation in the formwork 10 before pouring the cementitious material, the inclination of the formwork 10 can be appropriately adjusted or corrected by referring the real-time feed of data. Thus, a superior surface finish for the concrete structural members can be achieved. Figure 6a and Figure 6b illustrates the forming of a formwork including the plurality of formwork panels 10a, 10b...l0n with the device 100 mounted on at least one of the formwork panel to ensure the desired alignment. Further, the formwork 10 includes at least one major panel and a plurality of minor panels attachable to the major panel. The minor panels are aligned with the major panel, or the minor panels lie in the same plane as that defined by the major panel.

In an embodiment, the device 100 of the present disclosure are incorporated only in the major panels and the signals are generated by the sensing units 20 are recorded and modulated by the control unit 22 as signals corresponding to correct alignment, or the lack thereof, of the entire formwork. Hence, the application interface 40 is configured to display alignment status of the entire formwork as labeled by the user, wherein the user assigns labels for formwork of walls, roofs, pillars, staircases and so on, to be erected at a give construction site.

In another embodiment, the floor panels, i.e., formwork panels 10a, 10b...10h fitted right above the floor, can be the major panels of the wall formwork 10, while the remaining panels can be filler or minor panels, wherein the floor panels can be fitted with the sensing unit 20 of the device of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, a sealed enclosure is provided to protect the device 100 from the harsh environment in which dust or water may damage the electronic components. The sealed enclosure prevents such ingress of dust or water and safe house the electronics. The enclosure is used to incorporate the different electronics parts and battery source is made waterproof by adding a silicone gasket, captive screws, earth screws and PCB guides to make it waterproof.

In another embodiment, the enclosure has a wall thickness 1.5mm to 3.0mm.

In another embodiment, the enclosure is made from a light weight oxidation resistant material, selected from Aluminum or like.

In another embodiment, the PCB electronics and other electronics components of the device 100 are coated with colorless plastic conformal coating spray to protect from the harsh environment of the construction site. The conformal coating “Plastik 70” forms a quick drying insulating film and thus protects the electronic components from moisture and dust.

In another embodiment, an Automotive grade waterproof 2 Pole SC2102001 male female socket connectors are used for the battery source connection with the electronics. Further, the present disclosure envisages a method for ascertaining the alignment of the formwork 10 formed by the plurality of formwork panels 10a, 10b...10h as shown in Figure 7. The plurality of the formwork panels 10a, 10b...l0n are being configured to define the mould 52 for pouring cementitious material therein for forming the wall section. The method comprising the following steps:

• mounting the device 100 on at least one formwork panel of the plurality of formwork panels 10a, 10b...10h, the device 100 is configured with the sensing unit 20 and the control unit 22;

• periodically sensing the axial deviation of the formwork 10 formed by assembling the plurality of the formwork panels 10a, 10b...10h and generating the sensed alignment signal, by the sensing unit 20;

• receiving the sensed signal by the control unit 22, and comparing the signal with the desired axial values stored in the control unit 22;

• generating the alert if the sensed signal of at least one formwork panel of the plurality of formwork panels 10a, 10b...10h does not aligned with the stored axial values; and

• reiterating and adjusting at least one formwork panel of the plurality of the formwork panels 10a, 10b...1 On to make the sensed signal aligned with the stored axial values.

The control unit 22 comprises the following steps: o storing the desired axial values of the formwork in the memory 22a; o receiving the sensed alignment signal in the analog-to-digital converter 22b and further converting the sensed signal to the digital sensed alignment values; o comparing the desired axial values with the digital sensed alignment value in the comparator 22c; o alerting the registered user if the digital sensed values does not aligned with the stored axial values by using the alerting module 22d.

The method further includes, providing the central hub 34 in communication with the control unit 22, receiving the alert from the alerting module 22d and further transmitting the alert to the remote device. Figure 8 is a flowchart depicting the transmission of desired signal of the present disclosure. The method includes, the method includes, receiving the transmitted alert by the remote device 38. The remote device 38 is displaying a statistical and analytical data related to the amount of deviation of the formwork 10 formed by the plurality of the formwork panel 10a, 10b... lOn.

In another embodiment, the method includes, providing the display unit 30 on an operating outer surface of the device 100. The display unit 30 is indicating the real-time deviation of the formwork panel 10a, 10b...10h on an on-site or at the construction site.

Further, the device 100 is being mounted on at least one formwork panels of the plurality of the formwork panels 10a, 10b...10h by means of at least one fixture 48. The fixture 48 is being welded to the outer surface of at least one formwork panels. The fixture 48 is configured with a plurality of fasteners 50 to mount at least one formwork panels, thereon.

In an embodiment, the fixture 48 is welded to at least one formwork panels by using a precision robot. The end effectors of the robots can be configured to precisely align the device 100 in a desired position and orientation.

Example 1

In a first exemplary embodiment, the formwork was placed parallel to a wall that was casted on a plane surface in the Knest Talegaon factory. The formwork, which includes 12 formwork panels of dimension 600* 2400, was erected with a length of 3.6m, a height of 2.4m and a width of 200mm. After assembling each formwork panel to one another, a device according to this disclosure is mounted on the center of the formed formwork. After the erection of the formwork, initially, it had been observed that the formed formwork was 3° out of the plum along the operating Y-axis. Using this device, the formwork panel is re-organized and iterated until the alert stops appearing and the plum reading matches the desired axial deviation of 0.1°. After, the proper alignment, the concrete material was poured into the formed formwork. Figure 9a and Figure 9b illustrates the formwork and the wall formed on a horizontal plane according to first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

The formwork panels were de-shuttered after 24hours of curing or settling time, and it has been observed that the formed surface of the wall has a smooth surface finish with about zero tilting. Therefore, it avoids the post operations .i.e. plastering, which saves plaster cost, labor cost and time. Example 2

In a second exemplary embodiment, the formwork was placed on a sloppy or an inclined surface in a residential project in Ravet Pune. The formwork, which includes 12 formwork panels of dimension 600*2400, was erected with a length of 3.6m, a height of 2.4m and a width of 200mm. After assembling each formwork panel to one another, a device according to this disclosure is mounted on the center of the formed formwork. After the erection of the formwork, initially, it was observed that the rotation was 30° (horizontal alignment). The plot was at an angle in relation to the alignment values set at the factory. So the calibration of the device has performed at the site and then the axial deviations were again measured. Once all three operating axes readings were less than 0.5°, the concrete material was poured into the formed formwork. Figure 10 illustrates the formwork and the wall formed on an inclined plane according to second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS AND ECONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a device and method for ascertaining the alignment of formwork formed by plurality of formwork panels, which:

• eliminates the tedious task of manual measurement of alignment of the formwork panels;

• provides accessibility to real-time alignment data to all the concerned personnel;

• provides access to store all the historical data; and

• provides high accuracy alignment.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveals the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.

Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, or group of elements, but not the exclusion of any other element, or group of elements.

While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A device (100) for ascertaining the alignment of formwork (10) formed by a plurality of formwork panels (10a, 10b...l0n), the formwork panels (10a, 10b...l0n) configured to form a mould (52) to pour cementitious material therein to form a wall section, said device (100) configured to be mounted on at least one formwork panel of the plurality of formwork panels (10a, 10b...10h), said device (100) comprising:

• a sensing unit (20) configured to periodically sense the axial deviation of the formwork (10) formed by the plurality of the formwork panels (10a, 10b...10h), and further configured to generate a sensed alignment signal; and

• a control unit (22) communicatively connected to said sensing unit (20), said control unit (22) being configured to receive said signal, and further configured to process and compare said signal with desired axial values to generate an alert for an user if said sensed signal of at least one formwork panel of the plurality of formwork panels (10a, 10b...10h) does not align with the stored axial values.

2. The device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit (22) comprises: o a memory (22a) configured to store the desired axial values of the formwork panel (10); o an analog-to-digital converter (22b) communicating with said sensing unit (20), said analog-to-digital converter (22b) being configured to receive said sensed signal, and further configured to convert said sensed signal to a digital sensed alignment values; o a comparator (22c) communicating with said analog-to-digital converter (22b), said comparator (22c) being configured to receive said digital sensed values, and further configured to compare said digital sensed values with the stored desired axial values; and o an alerting module (22d) communicating with said comparator (22c), said alerting module (22d) configured to generate the alert to the user if said digital sensed alignment values does not aligned with the stored axial values.

3. The device (100) as claimed in claim 1, which includes a central hub (34) configured to be communicatively connected with said control unit (22), said central hub (34) being configured to receive the alert from said alerting module (22d), and further configured to transmit the alert to a remote device (38).

4. The device (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said remote device (38) is configured to display and store the statistical and analytical data related to the deviation of the formwork (10) formed by the plurality of the formwork panel (10a, 10b...10h).

5. The device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device (100) is configured to sense the axial deviation of the horizontal formwork panel with respect to operative X and Y axes.

6. The device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device (100) is configured to sense the axial deviation of the vertical formwork panel with respect to an operative Z axis.

7. The device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device (100) is configured to sense the axial rotation of the formwork panel with respect to an operative Y axis.

8. The device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensing unit (20) is selected from a group consisting of a tilt sensor, an inclinometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscopic sensor, a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensor, a 3-axis sensor or any combination, thereof.

9. The device (100) as claimed in claim 1, which includes a display unit (30), being communication to said control unit (22) and configured to display the real-time deviation of the formwork (10) formed by the plurality of the formwork panel (10a, 10b... lOn).

10. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, which includes a power source, configured to provide electrical power to all electrical components of said device (100) in connection.

11. A method for ascertaining the alignment of a formwork (10) formed by a plurality of formwork panels (10a, 10b...l0n), the plurality of formwork panels (10a, 10b...l0n) being configured to define a mould for pouring cementitious material therein for forming a wall section, said method comprising the following steps: • mounting a device (100) on at least one formwork panel (10) of the plurality of formwork panels (10a, 10b...l0n), said device (100) configured with a sensing unit (20) and a control unit (22);

• periodically sensing the axial deviation of the formwork (10) formed by assembling the plurality of the formwork panels (10a, 10b...l0n) and generating a sensed alignment signal, by said sensing unit (20);

• receiving said sensed signal by said control unit (22), and comparing said signal with a desired axial values stored in said control unit (22);

• generating an alert if said sensed signal of at least one formwork panel of the plurality of formwork panels (10a, 10b.. lOg) does not aligned with the stored axial values; and

• reiterating and adjusting at least one formwork panel of the plurality of the formwork panels (10a, 10b...l0n) to make said sensed signal aligned with the stored axial values.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said control unit (22) comprises the following steps: o storing the desired axial values of the formwork panel (10) in a memory (22a); o receiving said sensed alignment signal in an analog-to-digital converter (22b) and further converting said sensed signal to a digital sensed alignment values; o comparing the desired axial values with said digital sensed alignment value in a comparator (22c); and o alerting a registered user if said digital sensed values does not aligned with the stored axial values by an alerting module (22d).

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, providing a central hub (34) in communication with said control unit (22), receiving the alert from said alerting module (22d) and further transmitting the alert to a remote device (38).

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, receiving said transmitted alert by the remote device (38) and displaying a statistical and analytical data related to the amount of deviation of the formwork (10) formed by the plurality of the formwork panel (10a, 10b... lOn).

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, providing a display unit (30) in communication with said control unit (22), said display unit (30) indicating the real-time deviation of the formwork (10) formed by the plurality of the formwork panel (10a, 10b...10h).