Abstract
The present invention is an arch/building support system comprising two (or more) opposing wedges, at least one located at the base of each side of the arch, with the bases of the opposing wedges facing each other, the opposing wedges connected to each other by a semi-rigid flexible rod or rods. In a building structure, the flexible member could be rebar(s) made of one or various materials (metal, plastic, nylon etc.) with various degree of elasticity. The rebars could envelop the structure (around the outside or shell) or reside within it, and may also incorporate some sort of spring mechanism. The rebar(s) are anchored to the upper wedge on each side of the arch, but need not be, and could instead be anchored to the ground.
Claims
1. A dynamic arch system comprising a plurality of triangular-shaped concrete footings located underneath two opposing sides of a foundation wall for a structure, said concrete footings unattached to the foundation walls, said concrete footings on opposite sides of said structure connected to each other by at least one flexible member positioned along the outside of said structure between said concrete footings; wherein said triangular-shaped concrete footings are capable of rotating from a first position with a corner at the lowest point vertically to a second position with a corner at the highest position vertically.
2. The dynamic arch system according to claim 1, wherein said flexible member is a single flexible member comprising a plurality of rebars fixedly connected together to form one flexible member.
3. The dynamic arch system according to claim 1 comprising at least two segments of flexible members between each pair of triangular-shaped concrete footings, further comprising a spring connected between said two segments of flexible members.
4. A dynamic arch system comprising a plurality of triangular-shaped concrete footings located underneath two opposing sides of a foundation wall for a structure, said concrete footings unattached to the foundation walls, said dynamic arch system further comprising at least one flexible member positioned along the outside of said structure fixedly connected to anchoring bolts located adjacent to and beneath said triangular-shaped concrete footings; wherein said triangular-shaped concrete footings are capable of rotating from a first position with a corner at the lowest point vertically to a second position with a corner at the highest position vertically.
5. The dynamic arch system according to claim 4, wherein said flexible member is a single flexible member comprising a plurality of rebars fixedly connected together to form one flexible member.
6. The dynamic arch system according to claim 4 comprising at least two segments of flexible members between each pair of triangular-shaped concrete footings, further comprising a spring connected between said two segments of flexible members.
7. A dynamic arch system comprising a plurality of triangular-shaped concrete footings located underneath two opposing sides of a foundation wall for a structure, said concrete footings fixedly attached to said foundation walls, said dynamic arch system further comprising at least one flexible member positioned within walls of said structure fixedly connected to anchoring bolts located beneath said triangular-shaped concrete footings; wherein said triangular-shaped concrete footings are capable of rotating from a first position with a corner at the lowest point vertically to a second position with a corner at the highest position vertically.
8. The dynamic arch system according to claim 7, wherein said flexible member is a single flexible member comprising a plurality of rebars fixedly connected together to form one flexible member.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of an embodiment given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. Similar components of the devices are similarly numbered for simplicity.
[0021] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the basic elements of the dynamic arch system according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows two wedges on opposing sides of a flexible member with each wedge on its apex. The arch structure in FIG. 1 is a semi-rigid arch. When force is applied on the wedges just outside the point above the apex, the wedges rotate until the legs rest flat on the surface (ground) causing the flexible member to bend in a rounded arch-like fashion forming a rigid arch. FIG. 3 shows the transitioning from the semi-rigid to the rigid arch with the in-between positions in dashed lines.
[0022] FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c also show the principles behind the dynamic arch support system including the transition of the structure through a semi-rigid arch state to a rigid state with IAC with neutralization of opposing ground forces.
[0023] FIG. 5 shows another example of the dynamic arch system with the flexible member connected at a corner of the wedge instead of along an entire edge.
[0024] FIG. 6 shows another example of the dynamic arch system with the flexible member connected at a leg of the wedge with the arch in a rigid arch position. The arch is open on the outside (on top) with a small gap in between member units of the arch and closed on the inside (on bottom) with the member units in direct contact with each other; inferior arch compression.
[0025] FIG. 7 shows different embodiments of the invention with the flexible member (comprised of one element of a plurality of flexible elements connected together) including embodiments with external bracing (rebars on the outside of the structureone with springs and one without springs) and one with internal bracing (rebars within the structure's elements). FIG. 7 also shows a structure without the invention and the effect of an earthquake on the various structures including the rotation of the wedges and the formation of a rigid arch in the embodiments according to the present invention.
[0026] FIGS. 8-10 show multiple embodiments of the stacked wedge version of the invention wherein at least one displaceable triangular shaped footing element is added beneath the first pair of opposing triangular-shaped footings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] Reference is being made in detail to presently preferred embodiments of the invention. Selective embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made.
[0028] The present invention is a dynamic arch system comprising a plurality of triangular-shaped footings located underneath two opposing sides of a foundation wall for a structure. As shown in FIG. 7, the triangular (or wedge shaped) footings could be positioned under the two sides of an arch structure, e.g., under two opposite walls of a building structure. FIG. 7 shows profile views of the invention in a two dimensional plane. The present invention of course includes length in the third dimension into and out of the page. The length of the triangular-shaped footings beneath the foundation walls could vary anywhere between the entire length of the foundation wall and some shorter distance. The design of the actual length of the triangular-shaped footings according to the invention will depend upon the particular size and design of the structure itself, including geologic conditions. The present invention also includes embodiments with multiple pairs of wedge/triangular-shaped footings on opposite sides of a foundation even though such embodiments are not expressly shown in the figures.
[0029] All of the embodiments in FIG. 7 show one pair of triangular shaped footings beneath opposing sides of the building structure. Other embodiments for systems with multiple triangular shaped footings in each location, not just one, are shown in FIGS. 8-10. FIG. 7 also shows two different embodiments of the invention comprising one pair of triangular shaped footings beneath opposing sides of the building structure: one embodiment with external bracing around the outside of the building structure and one embodiment with internal bracing within the building structure. As stated above, the flexible bracing is made from a flexible material that can bend, such as, for example, rebar or high tension wire. For the embodiments with external bracing, the flexible bracing is preferably attached to the outside of the building at a plurality of locations as seen in FIG. 7. For the embodiments with internal bracing, the flexible bracing is fixedly connected within the walls of the structure, e.g., rebar within concrete walls. Preferably, the flexible bracing is a single flexible member made from a plurality of rebars fixedly connected together to form one flexible brace. For both embodiments shown in FIG. 7, the flexible bracing is fixedly attached at both of its ends to anchoring bolts positioned beside and/or beneath the triangular shaped footings.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 7, the triangular-shaped footings are capable of rotating from a first position with a corner at the lowest point vertically to a second position with a corner at the highest position vertically. Put another way, each triangular-shaped footing is capable of rotating on a corner it originally rests and stops rotating when a side (leg) comes to rest on a flat surface, preferably a horizontal flat surface located at the same height vertically as the original height of the lowest point in the first position. The space where the triangular-shaped footings rotate can be empty space or it can be engineered to contain a compressible material, or it can be engineered to vacate a material or substance upon an event triggering the rotation of the triangular-shaped footings.
[0031] The present invention includes embodiments with multiple pairs of triangular-shaped footings on the same set of opposite sides of a foundation even though such embodiments are not expressly shown in the figures.
[0032] FIGS. 8-10 show multiple embodiments of an alternative embodiment of the invention with stacked wedges (triangular shaped footings) at each location where there is a rotatable wedge. The stacked wedge version of the invention includes at least one displaceable triangular shaped footing element added beneath the first pair of opposing triangular-shaped footings. All of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8-10 show two displaceable triangular shaped footing elements in a stacked set of four elements it being understood that the invention includes other versions, such as, one displaceable triangular shaped footing element. Each displaceable triangular shaped footing is designed to move upon a triggering event (e.g., a seismic event causing a certain amount of ground force) causing the displaceable triangular shaped footing element(s) to move thereby allowing the uppermost triangular shaped footing element to rotate as in the prior embodiments. As shown in FIG. 10, the movement of the displaceable triangular shaped footing element(s) is not limited to the vertical/horizontal plane. Rather, the displaceable triangular shaped footing element(s) could also move in the third dimension vacating the space under the upper most rotatable triangular shaped footing element(s) thereby allowing them to rotate. Such an embodiment is particularly useful for the design shown in FIG. 8 with the structure's foundation walls positioned outside the positions of the stacked wedges.
[0033] As stated above, and as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the space where the upper most triangular-shaped footings rotate can be empty space or it can be engineered to contain a compressible material, or it can include springs, or the system can include a mechanism (e.g., seismic monitor/sensor) to vacate a material or substance (e.g., hydraulic fluid) upon an event triggering the rotation of the triangular-shaped footings.
[0034] The embodiments shown in FIGS. 8-10 show flexible tension rods connecting a pair of opposing uppermost rotatable triangular shaped footing element(s) on opposite sides of the structure. It is understood that those flexible tension rods can be made of the same materials as the flexible bracing.
