Abstract:
Methods, systems, and devices, are developed for creating a means of in-situ placement of a concrete mix that can have the thixotropy to hold vertical dimension without containment, while maintaining pliability to be pumped into place and manipulated to a desired shape, and can be combined with concrete set accelerators, allowing subsequent layers of this concrete mix to be continuously stacked in place to build tall walls and such without the use of forms. Concrete without these special properties is pumped toward the point of placement where it is modified by injecting and mixing, into that line of pumped concrete, an admixture containing thixotropes, thickeners and/or set accelerators or other modifiers to provide these properties and other improvements. This method allows conventional plant batching with commonly available constituent materials for batching an economical concrete that is delivered to a jobsite and then is pumped most of the way to a point of placement, before inline modification; allowing minimal conveyance and pumping of a zero-slump and set-accelerated concrete mix, avoiding difficulties and risk associated with pumping such a modified concrete mix. Various means of metering the injection of the admixture flow rate to correspond proportionally to the concrete flow rate are also disclosed. Alternatively a means for modifying a volumetric concrete batching and mixing system to achieve the same result is disclosed. A system is disclosed for defining a vertical or sloped concrete surface utilizing a movable beam attached to guide elements with sliding brackets, with the beam contact surface optionally having an active non-stick system.
Abstract:
Methods and equipment are disclosed relating to three-dimensional printing that include positioning an array of nozzles within a bed of loose solid material, moving the array of nozzles through the bed of loose solid material while injecting a liquid from the array of nozzles in a controlled pattern causing the liquid to react with a portion of the bed of loose solid material forming a solid concrete three-dimensional object. An unreacted portion of the bed of loose solid material may then be separated from the solid three-dimensional object.
Abstract:
Ceramic inks formulated for additive formation of proppants are provided, as well as methods of manufacturing such ink and ink systems including such ink. The proppant formed can contain a proppant core, a proppant shell, a proppant outer coating or any combination thereof. Additive methods for forming proppants are also provided. The ceramic ink can be applied drop-wise, linearly, in a planar fashion, or any combination thereof to form proppants. Additive fabricators configured to produce proppant are further provided, as are systems including the same and software for running the same.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method for producing a wood wool construction element. This method comprises the steps of dispersing at least a part of a mixture of wood wool and a hydraulic binder in a mould so as to obtain a layer of the mixture with a height that is less than the height of side walls of said mould. Said mixture is at least partially hardened after which a subsequent layer of mixture is provided. The thickness of a construction element may well exceed 30 cm, for example 40 cm, 50 cm or even 60 cm. Also, an element obtained with such method is described, as well as a production facility.
Abstract:
A method of fabricating a formed wall structure (10) having a plurality of discrete layers (12, 14, 16, 18). The method includes pouring a first layer (12) of a first concrete mixture into a first vertical form (12a) whose depth is equal to that of the first layer (12); pouring a second layer (14) of a second such mixture on top of the first layer (12) and into a second vertical form (14a) whose depth is equal to the depth of the second layer (14) and where at least one of the walls of the second form (14a) is not in alignment with an adjacent vertical wall of the first form (12a); and pouring at least one additional layer (16, 18) into a respective at least one additional vertical form (16a, 18a) situated on top of a next lower vertical form (14a) and having a vertical depth equal to the at least one additional layer (16, 18) and where at least one of the interior walls is not in alignment with at least a portion of a vertically adjacent interior wall of the next lower form (14a). The concrete mixtures are permitted to cure sufficiently to retain their respective shapes, and thereafter the forms (12a, 14a, 16a, 18a) are removed. This methodology accomplishes replication of naturally occuring walls whose several face layers are not situated in total alignment with each other to thereby achieve enhanced aesthetically appealing wall structures for placement as desired.
Abstract:
A building panel includes a central core and a pair of opposed coating surfaces formed integrally with the core. The method of forming the building panel includes the application of a flowable, settable coating material to respective surfaces of at least two baffles (100), placing the baffles in a substantially parallel, spaced interrelationship, at least substantially filling the space between the two baffles (100) with a settable core material prior to setting of the core material, and allowing the core material and coating material to set.
Abstract:
A system for forming an erosion-preventing laminate mat having a layer of a first mat beneath a substantially flat, elongate sheet of tied block mat includes a movable frame having an upper surface shaped to pass beneath and support a segment of the tied block mat above the ground, the frame including a spindle suspended below the upper surface that retains a roll of the layer of the sheet material.
Abstract:
A curing system for printing of 3D objects having one or more sources of curing radiation moveably attached to and flanking at least one side of an extrusion head and extrusion nozzle wherein the extrusion head and extrusion nozzle and the at least one source of curing radiation act in unison as a single unit wherein curing of deposited curable material is applied concurrently with or immediately following deposition of the curable material.