GB2287968A

GB2287968A - Reinforced structural member

Info

Publication number: GB2287968A
Application number: GB9405982A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vahigh Peshkam
Original assignee: Mouchel Lg & Partners Ltd
Current assignee: Mouchel Lg & Partners Ltd
Priority date: 1994-03-25
Filing date: 1994-03-25
Publication date: 1995-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-25
Also published as: GB2287968B; ES2164743T3; DK0674059T3; GB9405982D0; EP0674059B1; JPH084198A; EP0674059A1; DE69522730D1; DE69522730T2

Description

Reinforced Structural Member 2287968 The present invention relates to a

reinforced structural member for use in applications where load carrying capability is required, for example structural, semi-structural and cladding applications to carry floor loading, walkway loading, wheeled loading, pressure loading in buildings, bridges etc.

Traditionally solid members have been used in the above applications. Recently sectioned members have been proposed but these are mainly box-section members such as those described in WO 91/06421.

According to the present invention there is provided an elongate structural member comprising a structural outer shell of substantially rectangular lateral cross-section and at least one arcuate reinforcing member within said outer shell.

The present invention provides a member which has improved strength characteristics by efficiently transmitting loads to the bottom corners or intermediate points across the section, while providing stiffness in the longitudinal direction, preventing local buckling of the wide upper flange and resistance to in-plane loading.

It is envisaged that the space between the arcuate member and the load bearing surface opposing the arcuate surface may be filled with a foam material and/or may have rib members extending between them.

Both the outer shell and the arcuate member may be constructed by either moulding or pultruding them from fibre reinforced composite materials. This provides the member with the strength required whilst retaining a light weight 2 construction.

When load is applied to the load bearing surface, it is passed through the arch to the base of the structural member where it is transmitted to the supports at suitable points along the length of the member. In order to prevent the ends of the arch from splaying outwards they are restrained in one of two ways. Either, a planar sheet of a similar material to the rest of the outer shell is used to restrain the ends of the arch and also forms the base of the structural member or tension members such as wires or strips are provided spaced along the length of the structural member connecting the opposite sides of the arch to hold then in position.

It is also envisaged that to provide improved performance especially when high in-plane forces are encountered, reverse arching may be used. In such instances the structural member would contain two intersecting arcuate members, one hogging and one sagging.

If the structural members are to be used in combination, connecting portions may be provided to allow attachment of the units to each other to form floors, decks, roofs, walls, beams and columns of building, bridges and other forms of structure. If the structural members are to be suspended in use then hanger portions may be provided to allow attachment to the hanging means. 25 The present invention will be further described hereinafter with reference to the following description of exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an example of the basic configuration with i 0 - 3 the foam filled spandrels; Figure 2 shows the basic configuration with the reinforcing ribs provided between the arch and the load bearing surface; Figure 3 shows the embodiment of Figure 2 with hanger and connection portions for hanging and connecting the members in use; Figure 4 shows the embodiment of Figure 2 with connection portions for connecting the members together; Figure 5 shows a further embodiment with two intersecting arches; Figure 6 shows a multicellular embodiment of the present invention.

In the figures like parts are indicated by like reference numerals.

Figure 1 shows the basic configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention. The structural member comprises an outer member consisting of the load bearing surface 1, two side faces 5 and 6, a fourth face 3, and an arcuate member 4. Load applied to the structural member is passed through the load bearing surface 1 to the upper surface of the arcuate member 4. The load is supported by the strength of the arch and is passed to the ends 4a. As load is applied to the arch there is a tendency for the ends 4a to splay out unless they are restrained. This is achieved by the fourth face 3 which in use provides a tensioning force for holding the ends of the arch together and hence holding the arch in shape.

The space 2 defined between the convex surface 8 and the inside of the load bearing surface is filled with a foam material to help to distribute the load evenly to the arcuate member.

The arcuate member 4 may be formed as a single unit with the outer member (1,5,6,3) or formed separately and inserted into the outer member subsequently. Reinforcements 9 may also be used in the corners of the outer member to increase the overall stiffness and strength of the structural member. The reinforcement may be formed as part of the outer shell, part of the arcuate member or formed as a separate entity to be inserted into the outer member.

The structural member may also be constructed with or without a foam filling in the space 2 by using reinforcing ribs 21 to distribute the load more evenly onto the arcuate member, as shown in figure 2. The ribs may extend parallel to the axis of the structural member and perpendicular to the load bearing surface as in figure 2. However it is envisaged that there may be alternative ways of arranging the ribs, for example as in a fan like arrangement where the ribs are perpendicular to the axis of the structural member and perpendicular to a tangent at the point of intersection with the arcuate member.

In use the structural member may be used with several similar members adjacent to it to form a floor or deck and so on. They may also be configured with adjacent members perpendicular or at inclined angles. To accommodate this connection portions 41 and 42 as shown in figure 4 may be 4 included to facilitate connection to adjacent structural members.

C n The structural members may be used by resting them on supports or by hanging them from a hanging means such as wires. To this end the structural members may be provided with hanging portions 31 and 32 as shown in figure 3 to allow attachment to 5 such a hanging means.

Figure 5 shows an alternative construction of the present invention comprising two arcuate members which intersect each other. The second arcuate member 51 is curved in the opposite sense to the other arcuate member 4. Also extra ribs 52 may be included as well as the ribs 21 shown in figure 2. As with previous embodiments the spaces between the ribs may be filled with a foam material. Alternatively some or all of the ribs may be excluded completely whilst still using the foam filler as in the configuration shown for a single arch in figure 1. It is also envisaged that the arcuate members may not intersect such that their convex or their concave surfaces face each other.

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in figure 6. This figure shows a multicellular structural member comprising two arcuate members 64 within a single outer member although it is envisaged that three or more arcuate members may be used. The arcuate members may be separated by rib members 61 as shown in figure 6. Again the spaces 62 may be filled with a foam material and/or have rib members 21 to distribute the load.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. An elongate structural member comprising a structural outer shell of substantially rectangular lateral cross-section and at least one arcuate reinforcing member within said outer shell.

2. An elongate structural member according to claim 1 wherein said reinforcing member is arcuate in a plane 10 perpendicular to the axis of said structural member.

3. An elongate structural member according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said reinforcing member extends along substantially the entire length of said structural member.

4. An elongate structural member according to claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the or an arcuate member extends substantially across the width of said shell.

5. An elongate structural member according to any one of the preceding claims comprising two arcuate members contained within the outer shell such that the arcuate members curve in opposite senses.

6. An elongate structural member according to claim 5 wherein the two arcuate members intersect one another.

7. An elongate structural member according to any one of the previous claims comprising at least two arcuate members side by k i; 7 il side within the shell.

8. An elongate structural member according to claim 7 comprising at least one dividing rib extending between opposite 5 surfaces of the shell between adjacent arcuate members.

9. An elongate structural member according to any one of the preceding claims comprising at least one rib member extending between the convex surface of the or an arcuate member and the 10 opposing surface of the shell member.

10. An elongate structural member according to any one of the preceding claims comprising foam material in at least one space formed between the surface of the or an arcuate member and the 15 outer shell.

11. An elongate structural member according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a plurality of separate tension members arranged between the edges of the or an arcuate 20 member arranged to restrain outward movement thereof.

12. An elongate structural member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer shell is moulded or pultruded from a fibre reinforced composite material.

13. An elongate structural member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the or an arcuate member is moulded or pultruded from a fibre reinforced composite material.

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14. The elongate structural member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer shell and the arcuate member are moulded or pultruded in an integral piece.

t i

15. An elongate structural member according to any one of 4the preceding claims wherein the outer member comprises at least one connection portion to allow connection to at least one other elongate structural member.

16. An elongate structural member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer member comprises at least on hanger portion for hanging the elongate structural member from.

17. An elongate structural member constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. A structure comprising at least one structural member according to any one of the preceding claims.