Structural components formed using a system for recycling wet concrete and uses thereof

Abstract

A wet concrete recycling system for mixing trucks returning to the cement plant throughout the workday. “Residual-collection” molds, kept on-hand at the plant, are filled with any excess wet concrete present in the returning trucks. The molds are configured to form finished components such as ground planks, shoring planks, stack wall planks, and the like. The finished components are low in cost due to the use of recycled wet concrete, inexpensive reinforcing materials, and handles/assembly elements fabricated from other recycled materials. The finished components may be sold or leased to customers, thereby converting costs typically associated with traditional residual concrete disposal techniques into supplemental income streams. The finished components may be assembled into a wide variety of useful structures such as temporary covers for road construction/repair excavations, sidewalks, remote/private road surfaces, irrigation ditches, walls, temporary salt domes, mid- to large-size planters, basketball courts, golf driving ranges, community parks, and roadway barriers. All structures assembled from two or more of the finished components are inexpensive due to the low cost of the individual components, easily constructed, and may be permanent or temporary in nature.

1 . A precast concrete plank formed by recycling wet surplus concrete in cement trucks returning from a worksite, said recycling comprising progressively emptying said surplus concrete into a residual-collection mold over the course of time until the recycled concrete builds into one or more completed precast concrete planks, said residual-collection mold further comprising a casting bed including a rectangular steel plate floor, four steel plate perimeter walls, and a plurality of lengthwise and widthwise steel plate dividers each having a tapered cross-section, said precast concrete plank further comprising: 
 a concrete plank molded and hardened in said casting bed and having at least one embedded lifting handle protruding upwardly therefrom, and an integral reinforcement structure embedded throughout said concrete plank.    
   
   
       2 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein said lifting handle is fixedly attached to said plank.  
   
   
       3 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein said lifting handle is removably attached to said plank.  
   
   
       4 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein said plank further comprises at least one texture embossed in a surface of said plank.  
   
   
       5 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein said plank further comprises at least one pattern embossed in a surface of said plank.  
   
   
       6 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein said plank further comprises at least one color applied to a surface of said plank.  
   
   
       7 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein said plank further comprises notches formed at each end of said plank.  
   
   
       8 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein said plank further comprises holes formed proximate each end of said plank.  
   
   
       9 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said planks is used as a replacement for sub-grade/fill materials.  
   
   
       10 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said planks is used as a supplement to sub-grade/fill materials.  
   
   
       11 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said planks is used for traversing excavations, ditches, waterways, and the like.  
   
   
       12 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said planks is used to prevent soil erosion.  
   
   
       13 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said planks is used to construct surfaces supporting the passage of people, vehicles, animals, and the like.  
   
   
       14 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one of said planks is used in conjunction with at least two soldier piles to construct shoring walls in trenches, excavations, and the like.  
   
   
       15 . The precast concrete plank according to  claim 8 , wherein at least two of said planks are used in conjunction with at least one alignment rod to construct stack walls.  
   
   
       16 . Structures comprising: 
 one or more first precast concrete planks formed by recycling wet surplus concrete in cement trucks returning from a worksite, said recycling comprising progressively emptying said surplus concrete into a residual-collection mold over the course of time until the recycled concrete builds into one or more completed first precast concrete planks, said residual-collection mold further comprising a casting bed including a rectangular steel plate floor, four steel plate perimeter walls, and a plurality of lengthwise and widthwise steel plate dividers each having a tapered cross-section, each of said one or more first precast concrete planks being molded and hardened in said casting bed and further comprising at least one embedded lifting handle protruding upwardly therefrom, and an integral reinforcement structure embedded throughout said first plank; and    one or more second precast concrete planks formed by recycling wet surplus concrete in cement trucks returning from a worksite, said recycling comprising progressively emptying said surplus concrete into a residual-collection mold over the course of time until the recycled concrete builds into one or more completed second precast concrete planks, said residual-collection mold further comprising a casting bed including a rectangular steel plate floor, four steel plate perimeter walls, and a plurality of lengthwise and widthwise steel plate dividers each having a tapered cross-section, each of said one or more second precast concrete planks being molded and hardened in said casting bed and further comprising at least one embedded lifting handle protruding upwardly therefrom, an integral reinforcement structure embedded throughout said second plank, and notches formed at each end of said second plank.    
   
   
       17 . Structures according to  claim 16 , further comprising one or more third precast concrete planks formed by recycling wet surplus concrete in cement trucks returning from a worksite, said recycling comprising progressively emptying said surplus concrete into a residual-collection mold over the course of time until the recycled concrete builds into one or more completed third precast concrete planks, said residual-collection mold further comprising a casting bed including a rectangular steel plate floor, four steel plate perimeter walls, and a plurality of lengthwise and widthwise steel plate dividers each having a tapered cross-section, each of said one or more third precast concrete planks being molded and hardened in said casting bed and further comprising at least one embedded lifting handle protruding upwardly therefrom, an integral reinforcement structure embedded throughout said third plank, and holes formed proximate each end of said third plank.  
   
   
       18 . Structures comprising: 
 one or more first precast concrete planks formed by recycling wet surplus concrete in cement trucks returning from a worksite, said recycling comprising progressively emptying said surplus concrete into a residual-collection mold over the course of time until the recycled concrete builds into one or more completed first precast concrete planks, said residual-collection mold further comprising a casting bed including a rectangular steel plate floor, four steel plate perimeter walls, and a plurality of lengthwise and widthwise steel plate dividers each having a tapered cross-section, each of said one or more first precast concrete planks being molded and hardened in said casting bed and further comprising at least one embedded lifting handle protruding upwardly therefrom, and an integral reinforcement structure embedded throughout said first plank; and    one or more second precast concrete planks formed by recycling wet surplus concrete in cement trucks returning from a worksite, said recycling comprising progressively emptying said surplus concrete into a residual-collection mold over the course of time until the recycled concrete builds into one or more completed second precast concrete planks, said residual-collection mold further comprising a casting bed including a rectangular steel plate floor, four steel plate perimeter walls, and a plurality of lengthwise and widthwise steel plate dividers each having a tapered cross-section, each of said one or more second precast concrete planks being molded and hardened in said casting bed and further comprising at least one embedded lifting handle protruding upwardly therefrom, an integral reinforcement structure embedded throughout said second plank, and holes formed proximate each end of said second plank.