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Information of Patent
This section provides an introduction to several patents for technologies for reinforcing girders, bridges, and bridge piers.
It provides background information for these patents' invention as well as their technical fields.
Individuals interested in these patents or considering acquiring associated rights are encouraged to take a look at this section.
About this patent
This site handles the following patents:
| Patent number | 4054856 It will move to the retrieval page of Patent Office, and it inputs in the document type and input "4054856" of this patent number to the "B" document number, please. |
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| Application number | 2007-135630 |
| Publication number | 2007-224579 |
| Date of publication | September,6,2007 |
| Applicant | Hirayama engineering Co., Ltd. |
| Inventor | Yoshiichi Hirayama |
| Name of Invention | Special bridge and pier structures |
Technologies
The patents handled by this site are related to structures such as girders that pass between bridge piers. In particular, they involve multiple steel plates that have been welded together and can be described as technologies that are suited for use with large structures.
Background information
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that struck Kobe, Japan, in 1995, triggered the collapse of many large structure and bridges, including expressways. It has been said that the forces to which expressway bridges were subjected were as high as several tens of times normal loads. The collapse of these expressways served as a vivid reminder of both the optimistic view that had been taken with regard to the durability of public infrastructure projects and the extent of the economic damage caused when key roads were severed.
The vulnerability of traditional techologies
Bridge piers destroyed by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake were cracked vertically, and the steel plates that form the columns had separated. When the piers were subjected to high vertical loads, it became clear that the pier structure was unexpectedly weak. This weakness was observed in both rectangular and round columns. The concentration of additional force in areas of local buckling on round columns caused tilting of the piers and cracking along their circumferences.
Traditional solution for the issue
In the aftermath of the earthquake, crews attempted to repair the damage by reinforcing edges by installing plates inside bridge piers and on corners and by installing internal ribs. However, none of these methods proved capable of providing a sufficient increase in strength.
Benefits of the patent
The technologies for which these patents were obtained were invented to solve these problems. As a result, engineers succeeded in achieving a level of strength capable of withstanding an earthquake comparable to the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, providing both economic feasibility and durabilit
