WIDE SLAB CONCRETE FLOOR WITH REDUCED CARBON FOOTPRINT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME

Abstract

A ground-supported concrete slab has a reduced concrete requirement and, in turn, a reduced carbon footprint, while still capable of supporting a desired maximum load. The slab is polygonal in shape, with at least one of its sides being at least fifty feet in length. Each side of the slab is adjacent a corresponding joint. The slab has an edge region, consisting of the portion of the slab disposed within three feet of any joint. Rebar is disposed only within the edge region of the slab. Rebar is preferably placed to form two differently sized, concentric polygons that coincide in shape with the polygonal shape of the slab. The polygons may all be square. The concrete may further include steel fibers distributed throughout the concrete. The slab is formed by providing a suitable form, placing the rebar appropriately, and filling the form with concrete to a desired thickness.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a ground-supported concrete slab, comprising the steps of: providing a polygonal form having a plurality of sides, at least one of the sides being at least fifty feet in length, the form having an interior bounded by a plurality of inner side surfaces; placing rebar only within an edge region of the interior of the form, the edge region consisting of a portion of the interior of the form that is within three feet of at least one inner side surface of the form; and pouring concrete within the form to a desired thickness.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rebar has a plurality of sides and forms a polygonal shape corresponding to, but smaller in dimension than, the polygonal shape of the form.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein each of the sides of the rebar is substantially equidistant from a corresponding inner side surface of the form.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein both the form and the rebar are rectangular in shape.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein both the form and the rebar are square in shape.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rebar forms a plurality of polygons.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each polygon of rebar is different in area, and wherein the polygons of rebar are each substantially concentrically disposed within the form.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the rebar comprises two rectangles and the form is rectangular in shape.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rebar extends parallel to at least one side of the interior of the form.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rebar extends parallel to each side of the interior of the form.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polygonal form is substantially rectangular in shape, the rebar forms a substantially rectangular shape having four sides, each side of the rebar extending along in a spaced relationship to a corresponding inner side surface of the form.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the form is substantially square in shape, the rebar forms a first square shape having four sides and a second square shape having four sides, the second square shape being positioned inside of the first square shape.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein each side of the polygonal form is at least fifty feet in length.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the concrete includes a plurality of steel fibers.

15. A ground-supported concrete floor comprising: at least one contiguous slab that is polygonal in shape and has a plurality of sides, at least one of the sides being at least fifty feet in length, each of the sides being adjacent a joint; the slab having an edge region consisting of the portion of the slab disposed within three feet of a joint; and rebar disposed within only the edge region of the slab.

16. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 15, wherein the rebar has a plurality of sides and forms a polygonal shape corresponding to, but smaller in dimension than, the polygonal shape of the slab.

17. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 16, wherein each of the sides of the rebar is substantially equidistant from a corresponding side of the slab.

18. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 17, wherein both the slab and the rebar are rectangular in shape.

19. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 15, wherein both the slab and the rebar are square in shape.

20. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 15, wherein the rebar forms a plurality of polygons.

21. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 20, wherein each polygon of rebar is different in area, and wherein the polygons of rebar are each substantially concentrically disposed within the slab.

22. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 21, wherein the rebar comprises two rectangles and the slab is rectangular in shape.

23. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 15, wherein the rebar extends parallel to at least one side of the slab.

24. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 15, wherein the rebar extends parallel to each side of the slab.

25. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 15, wherein the slab is substantially rectangular in shape, the rebar forms a substantially rectangular shape having four sides, each side of the rebar extending along in a spaced relationship to a corresponding side of the slab.

26. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 15, wherein the slab is substantially square in shape, the rebar forms a substantially rectangular shape having four sides, each of the sides of the rebar extending along in a spaced relationship to a corresponding side of the slab.

27. The ground-supporting concrete floor according to claim 15, wherein each side of the slab is at least fifty feet in length.

28. The ground-supported concrete floor according to claim 15, wherein the slab includes a plurality of steel fibers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of an embodiment of a ground-supported concrete floor having a reduced carbon footprint, showing the location of rebar in broken or phantom lines;

[0020] FIG. 2 is an enlarged, top plan view of a portion of the concrete floor of FIG. 1, positioned proximate the intersection of two joints and showing the location of rebar in broken or phantom lines; and

[0021] FIG. 3 is a further enlarged (relative to FIG. 2), elevated cross sectional view of a portion of the concrete floor of FIG. 1, taken generally along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and herein described in detail, several specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is intended to be to an exemplification of the principles of the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

[0023] A top plan view of a portion of an embodiment of a wide slab concrete floor having a reduced carbon footprint 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as comprising a plurality of generally symmetrically arrayed slabs 20, separated by joints 30. Joints 30 may comprise construction joints, contraction joints, expansion joints, or any combination thereof. Rebar 40 is positioned within each slab 20, proximate the edges of each slab. While, due to scale, only a single rectangle of rebar 40 is visibly shown within each slab 20 of FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment, two relatively closely spaced, concentrically positioned rectangles of rebar 40 are preferably provided. In the example embodiment, each slab 20 has a dimension of 100 feet by 100 feet, however, slab sizes between 50 feet by 50 feet and 125 feet by 125 feet, as well as slabs that are rectangular, or that have other polygonal shapes, are also contemplated by the present invention.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, each slab 20 has an edge region 21, corner regions 22, and an interior region 23. Edge region 22 comprises the portion of slab 20 that is located within two to three feet of any joint 30, or any edge of a particular slab. Corner regions 22 comprise the portion of slab 20 that are located within two to three feet of an intersection of two joints 30. Interior region 23 is the portion of slab 20 that is not an edge region or a corner region, and that is spaced two to three feet, or more, from any joint or edge of the slab. Each slab 20 will typically have one rectangular edge region 21 extending about the entire periphery of the slab, four corner regions 22, with one positioned at each corner of the slab, and one large interior region 23.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, rebar 40 is positioned within the interior of each slab 20. Importantly, rebar 40 is positioned only within edge region 21 and corner regions 22 of each slab 20, while interior region 23 of each slab is devoid of rebar. In the example embodiment, an inner rebar rectangle, consisting of four lengths of rebar 40, is spaced approximately two feet from adjacent joints 30, and an outer rebar rectangle, consisting of four additional, longer lengths of rebar 40, is spaced approximately six inches from the same adjacent joints 30. As best seen in FIG. 3, all rebar 40 is best placed below the vertical mid-plane of slab 20, and preferably within the lower third of the overall height of the slab. In the example embodiment having an overall slab thickness 24 of six inches, all rebar 40 is positioned within a region extending from one inch to one and three-quarter inches from the bottom of slab 20, with the entirely of the rebar being disposed approximately one inch or more below the mid-plane of slab 20.

[0026] Although, in the illustrated embodiment, rebar 40 is shown as comprising two concentric polygons, other configurations, also wherein rebar 40 is placed solely within edge region 21 of each slab, is also contemplated by the present invention. For example, rebar 40 that would be used to construct the inner rebar rectangle may instead be of the same length as rebar 40 of the outer rebar rectangle, but generally placed along the same longitudinal lines forming the inner rebar rectangle. In this configuration, each piece of inner rebar 40 would extend to and touch a portion of outer rebar 40. Moreover, in this configuration, the inner rebar 40 would collectively form an irregularly sized 3-by-3 grid, such as in the well-known tic-tac-toe game. More broadly, in various alternative embodiments within the scope of the present invention, each piece of inner rebar 40 may be shorter than each piece of outer rebar 40, the same length as outer rebar 40, or longer than outer rebar 40, with the only constraints on the shape and configuration of rebar 40 being that all rebar 40 be disposed solely within edge region 21 of each slab 20.

[0027] A method of manufacturing or fabricating one ground-supported concrete slab, 100 foot by 100 foot by 6 inches in thickness, of an overall wide slab floor with reduced carbon footprint according to the present invention will now be described.

[0028] First, an appropriate form is constructed and placed at a suitable location, upon a level and suitably prepared ground-supporting surface. In the illustrated embodiment, the form is square, with internal dimensions of one hundred feet by one hundred feet. While the preferred shape of the form is square, any polygonal form having at least one side dimension of fifty feet or more is considered to be within the scope of the present invention. The form may be constructed of wood or another suitable material. Moreover, the edges of adjacent slabs, already constructed pursuant to the present invention, may collectively serve as the form.

[0029] Next, concrete is prepared, preferably pursuant to ASTM International's (ASTM) C94/C94M-22a Standard Specification for Ready Mixed Concrete (last updated Sep. 1, 2022), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The cement is preferably Type I or IL or Type II, conforming to ASTM C150/C150M-22 Standard Specification for Portland Cement (last updated Jul. 26, 2022), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The concrete preferably includes both coarse and fine aggregate, each conforming to ASTM C33/C33M-18 Standard Specification for Concrete Aggregates (last updated Apr. 20, 2018), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. While not essential to the present invention, the concrete may optionally further include admixtures, used in accordance with American Concrete Institute's (ACI) 212.3R/212.3R-16 Report on Admixtures for Concrete (last updated March of 2016), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Potable mixing water is preferably used in preparing the concrete.

[0030] Once the concrete has been prepared, steel fibers conforming to ASTM A820/A820M-22 Standard Specification for Steel Fibers for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (last updated Sep. 21, 2022), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, is preferably added to the concrete, in a concentration or density of sixty-five pounds of steel fibers per cubic yard of concrete. Although such steel reinforcing fibers are included in this example embodiment, it is also contemplated that a wide slab concrete floor may be constructed in accordance with the present invention without the inclusion of such steel fibers.

[0031] Next, rebar is placed within the form, with suitable rebar chairs or rebar bricks being used to properly position the rebar within the form, and to uniformly elevate the rebar above the surface that will be supporting the slab. Specifically, and as shown in FIGS. 1-3, four lengths of rebar 40, each of approximately ninety-six feet in length, are positioned to construct the inner rectangle. Four additional lengths of rebar 40, each of approximately ninety-nine feet in length, are positioned to construct the outer rectangle. As rebar is generally commercially available in lengths shorter than ninety-six and ninety-nine feet, each length of rebar in the present example may consist of multiple rods of rebar, placed end-to-end in a substantially collinear manner. Each rectangle or length of rebar is uniformly spaced from the sides of the form. The outer rectangle of rebar 40 is accordingly spaced six inches from the sides of the form (and, accordingly, from the joint 30 that will be in place once the form is removed). The inner rectangle of rebar 40 is accordingly spaced two feet from the sides of the form (and, accordingly, from the joint 30 that will be in place once the form is removed).

[0032] While the rebar is preferably placed below the mid-plane of the intended thickness of the slab, and even more preferably within the bottom third of the contemplated thickness, in the present example, all of the rebar 40 is placed between one and two inches above the supporting surface, and one inch below the mid-plane of the slab that will be poured.

[0033] With all rebar 40 properly positioned and supported, concrete, prepared in the manner described above, is then poured into the form, to an even thickness of six inches.

[0034] The preceding description and drawings merely explain the invention and the invention is not limited thereto, as those of ordinary skill in the art who have the present disclosure before them will be able to make changes and variations thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.