DE29906093U1 - Road surface - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to road surfaces with a plurality of horizontally laid road surface slabs and expansion joints between the opposite ends of the road surface slabs.

Road surfaces usually consist of horizontal slabs, usually made of concrete, which lie on a base, usually a "compacted sand bed". As a sign of wear, vertical displacements with steps occur at the slab transitions, although the slabs themselves are usually still intact and show no damage.

On multi-lane motorways, it can be seen that the step formation is particularly pronounced on the (right) carriageway, which is subject to higher traffic volumes and heavier vehicles. This suggests that the step formation is primarily caused by mechanical stress and less by weather-related damage to the surface.

It can also be observed that - viewed in the direction of travel - the steps between two plates do not run up and down randomly, but usually always downwards. The plates are tilted in the same direction of rotation around a horizontal axis (perpendicular to the direction of travel) (Figure 1).

The object of the present invention is to achieve a better stabilization of the road surface slabs while taking into account the required expansion joints.

The problem is solved by a road surface with the features of claims 1 or 2 or 3. Advantageous embodiments are defined in subclaims 4, 5 and 6.

haas.road surface Thu Apr Ol 17:47:34

The reason for the regularity of the steps can be understood as follows:

When a vehicle is moving, the individual plates are loaded and unloaded one after the other. However, this loading and unloading is not ideally symmetrical: At the front end (where the vehicle wheel first rolls onto the plate), the plate is always suddenly loaded (when the vehicle wheel leaves the previous plate). The load then "travels" evenly to the rear end of the plate, where it is suddenly unloaded (when the vehicle wheel rolls onto the next plate). As a result of this asymmetrical mechanical effect (sudden loading at the front end and sudden unloading at the rear end), the front end gradually sinks deeper into the base. This is shown schematically in Figure 1.

The new stabilization allows the panels to be laid in such a way that the step-like displacements are reduced or prevented.

The new stabilization makes it possible to significantly increase the duration of the evenness of the road surface.

The solution is to prevent the front end of a plate from moving vertically downwards relative to the rear end of the previous plate.

The solution can be achieved in several ways, e.g. Ll - L5 :

Ll. The previous plate (further referred to as "Plate 1"

The plate (referred to as "Plate 2") has a downwardly offset angle-like extension at its rear end, on which the following plate (referred to as "Plate 2") rests (Figures 2 and 3). This extension is firmly connected to Plate 1.

When a vehicle is driving and the wheel rolls from plate 1 to plate 2, plate 2 is suddenly loaded, but the load still presses on the angular extension of plate 1. As a result, plate 1 is not suddenly relieved of load, but rather continuously. In particular, the angular extension prevents plate 2 from moving downwards relative to plate 1.

L2. A variant of solution 1 is that each plate has an alternating row of downwardly offset angular extensions at both ends, so that any two adjacent plates rest on the extensions of their neighbouring plate and mutual vertical offset is prevented (Figures 4 and 5).

The mutual "interlocking" of the plates leads to

increased stability, regardless of the direction of travel.

L3. Another variant is the "tongue and groove solution":

Each panel has a horizontal tongue or groove at its ends, which couples it to the neighboring panel (Figure 5).

This ensures a constant load distribution and prevents vertical offset of the adjacent plates.

haas.road surface Thu Apr Ol 17:47:^ JL&99 .. .·3

L4. Another solution variant is the "threshold solution":

The adjacent plates rest on a common threshold-like base (hereinafter referred to as "threshold") (Figure 7).

When a vehicle is travelling and the vehicle wheel rolls to the end of plate 1, the load on the threshold increases steadily. When the vehicle wheel rolls onto plate 2, plate 1 is suddenly relieved of load and plate 2 is loaded, but the common threshold remains constantly loaded.

As the vehicle continues to drive, this threshold is continuously relieved of load (and the next threshold of the following plates is continuously loaded, etc.).

Because the adjacent plates 1 and 2 lie on a common threshold, a vertical sinking movement of plate 2 relative to plate 1 is prevented.

L5. Another solution is the "two-layer installation":

The road surface consists of a two-layer installation in which the road surface slabs are laid in two layers on top of each other, with the upper layer of road surface slabs offset from the lower layer by approximately half the horizontal dimension of a road surface slab, so that the expansion joints of the upper layer are essentially in the middle of the road surface slabs of the lower layer (Figure 8)

The "two-layer installation" ¹ is basically similar to solution L4 ("sleeper solution"), whereby the lower layer takes on the role of the sleepers. In this case, the sleepers are therefore very wide. When a vehicle drives along, a constant load distribution is also achieved and vertical displacement of the panels is prevented.

The "two-layer laying" also allows existing road surfaces to be retrofitted by applying an additional layer on top of the existing one, which is then used as the bottom layer.

In general, when laying two layers, special care must be taken to ensure that no water/moisture can penetrate between the layers (and cause frost damage, etc.).

haas.road surface

List of figures and references:

Illustrations:

Fig. 1: Tilting of the plates (longitudinal section) Fig. 2: Plates with angular extension (longitudinal section) Fig. 3: Perspective view of the angular extension Fig. 4: Plates with alternating row of angular extensions

(Top view of the expanded plates) Fig. 5: Perspective view of the alternating series of angular extensions

Fig. 6: Perspective view of the tongue and groove solution Fig. 7: Perspective view of the threshold solution Fig. 8: Two-layer installation (longitudinal section)

Reference number:

a = downwardly offset angular extension b = alternating series of downwardly offset angular

Extensions c = tongue and groove d = expansion joints e = upper layer panels f = lower layer panels h = rear panel end σ = top pl = panel 1 p2 = panel 2 q = across the direction of travel r = direction of travel u = base υ = front panel end χ = vehicle

Claims (6)

1. Road surface with several horizontally laid road surface slabs and expansion joints between the opposite ends of the road surface slabs, characterized by a stop device at at least one end of each road surface slab which prevents a substantially vertical upward or downward movement of the end of the road surface slab. 2. Road surface with several horizontally laid road surface slabs and expansion joints between the opposite ends of the road surface slabs, characterized by a sleeper-like base on which the ends of the road surface slabs rest. 3. Road surface with several horizontally laid road surface slabs and expansion joints between the opposite ends of the road surface slabs, characterized by a two-layer laying in which the road surface slabs lie in two layers one above the other, the upper layer of road surface slabs being offset by approximately half the horizontal dimension of a road surface slab relative to the lower layer, so that the expansion joints of the upper layer are each located substantially in the middle of the road surface slabs of the lower layer. 4. Road surface according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each plate has at one end a downwardly offset angular extension on which the adjacent plate rests, so that the adjacent plate cannot sink downwards. 5. Road surface according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each plate has an alternating row of downwardly offset angular extensions at both ends, so that two adjacent plates rest on each other's extensions of their neighboring plate and mutual vertical offset is prevented. 6. Road surface according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each plate has a horizontal groove or tongue at its ends, by which it is coupled to the adjacent plate and which prevents vertical offset.