The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a patent to Michael Molinelli of Molinelli Architects and Ashok Chaudhari of ST Bungalow LLC. The patent covers a concrete reinforcement system that remains in place (SIP formwork) and uses geometry to push the concrete used in floors and other structures such as bridges or decking towards pure compression. This compression improves the strength of the flat concrete structure and reduces the amount of concrete required. In addition, the SIP formwork is made entirely from recycled materials, including composites mechanically shredded from wind turbine blades. It provides the necessary tensile strength, eliminating the need for steel rebars, decking or fibre-reinforced rebars.
The SIP reinforcement system developed by Molinelli Architects and ST Bungalow reduces labour, material and transport costs, thereby generating savings and reducing a building’s carbon footprint. Furthermore, modelling shows that a live load capacity of 300 PSF is possible thanks to the arch and vault design used to achieve high compression, compared to the standard live load requirements for residential and commercial buildings, which are 40 PSF and 100 PSF respectively. “The idea of using geometry such as arches or vaults when strengthening concrete is as old as Roman times. But using it for concrete flatwork reinforcement in place of rebar is — remarkably — new,” comments Ashok Chaudhari, founder and inventor, ST Bungalow.
The commercial prospects for this SIP formwork system are high, with the market value of steel rebars exceeding $200 Billion. Molinelli Architects and ST Bungalow are currently in talks to license and commercialise their patented technology.
All photos: The Stay-in-Place (SIP) formwork made from recycled materials (source: ST Bungalow)
More information
https://patents.google.com/patent/US12516522B2
Article source : Jec Composites
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