Systems and methods for providing a concrete-reinforced bore

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for constructing a lined reinforcement structure that covers a portion of an interior wall of a bore. A plurality of axial lining segments; and a bracing station axially moveable along the bore are provided. The bracing station comprises formwork component(s) coupled to brace mechanism(s) for bracing the formwork components against inwardly directed forces the brace mechanism(s) moveable between extended configurations wherein the formwork component(s) are closer to the interior bore wall and retracted configurations wherein the formwork components are further from the interior bore wall.

1 . A method for providing a lined reinforcement structure that covers at least a portion of an interior wall of a bore, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a plurality of axial lining segments;   (b) providing a bracing station axially moveable along the bore, the bracing station comprising one or more formwork components coupled to one or more brace mechanisms for bracing the formwork components against forces directed inwardly from the interior bore wall, the one or more brace mechanisms moveable between extended configurations wherein the formwork components are closer to the interior bore wall and retracted configurations wherein the formwork components are further from the interior bore wall;   (c) engaging one of the lining segments with the bracing station such that the one of the lining segments moves axially along the bore with the bracing station;   (d) moving the bracing station and the one of the lining segments axially along the bore to a desired axial location;   (e) fabricating a reinforcement structure segment by introducing liquid concrete into at least a portion of a space between the interior bore wall and the one of the lining segments;   (f) anchoring the one of the lining segments to the reinforcement structure segment;   (g) after the concrete cures, decoupling the bracing station from the one of the lining segments such that the bracing station is axially moveable within the bore independently of the one of the lining segments; and   (h) repeating steps (c) through (g) until the reinforcement structure is fabricated.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein: each of the one or more brace mechanisms is coupled to a corresponding one of the one or more formwork components; movement of each of the one or more brace mechanisms to its extended configuration comprises locating its corresponding formwork component at a location that is closer to the interior bore wall; and movement of each of the one or more brace mechanisms to its retracted configuration comprises locating its corresponding formwork component at a location that is further from the interior bore wall. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein engaging the one of the lining segments with the bracing station comprises moving the one or more brace mechanisms from their retracted configurations to their extended configurations. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3  wherein moving the one or more brace mechanisms from their retracted configurations to their extended configurations comprises deforming at least a portion the one of the lining segments, such that resilient deformation forces tend to couple the one of the lining segments to the bracing station. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 3  wherein moving the one or more brace mechanisms from their retracted configurations to their extended configurations comprises causing the formwork components of the brace station to exert pressure on the one of the lining segments to thereby form a pressure fit between the formwork components and the one of the lining segments. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein anchoring the one of the lining segments to the reinforcement structure segment comprises extending one or more anchors from the one of the lining segments toward the interior bore wall before the concrete is permitted to cure in the space between the interior bore wall and the one of the lining segments. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein for each of second and subsequent iterations of steps (c) through (g), moving the bracing station and the one of the lining segments axially along the bore to the desired axial location comprises moving the bracing station and the one of the lining segments until a leading edge of the one of the lining segments abuts against a trailing edge of a previously installed one of the lining segments. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein each of second and subsequent iterations of steps (c) through (g) comprises fabricating second and subsequent reinforcement structure segments such that transitions between axially adjacent reinforcement structures are axially offset from transitions between axially adjacent lining segments. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8  wherein the transitions between axially adjacent reinforcement structures are axially offset from the transitions between axially adjacent lining segments by an axial offset that is greater than 5% of an axial dimension of the lining segment. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein, for at least some of the iterations of steps (c) through (g), anchoring the one of the lining segments to the reinforcement structure segment comprises, before the concrete is permitted to cure in the space between the interior bore wall and the one of the lining segments:
 extending one or more anchors from the one of the lining segments toward the interior bore wall; and 
 coupling the one or more anchors to the one of the lining segments such that at least a subset of the one or more anchors extends axially beyond a trailing edge of the one of the lining segments to facilitate coupling the subset of the one or more anchors to an axially adjacent lining segment on a next iteration of steps (c) through (g). 
 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10  wherein coupling the one or more anchors to the one of the lining segments such that the subset of the one or more anchors extends axially beyond the trailing edge of the one of the lining segments comprises providing the subset of the one or more anchors with a variety of different axial extension lengths beyond the trailing edge of the one of the lining segments. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 1  comprising providing a working platform which is couplable the bracing station to support workers, thereby allowing the workers to perform work in the bore. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12  comprising moving the working platform axially along the bore independently of the bracing station. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1  comprising assembling one or more reinforcement bar lattices which are encased in the concrete of the reinforcement structure and wherein the one or more reinforcement bar lattices extend axially across a transition between two or more axially adjacent reinforcement structure segments. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 1  comprising assembling one or more reinforcement bar lattices which are encased in the concrete of the reinforcement structure and wherein the one or more reinforcement bar lattices extend axially across a transition between two or more axially adjacent lining segments. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 1  comprising fabricating a secondary reinforcement structure inside a bore defined by the reinforcement structure wherein fabricating the secondary reinforcement structure comprises, after performing a first iteration of the steps (a) through (h) to complete the reinforcement structure, performing a second iteration of the steps (a) through (h) to fabricate the secondary reinforcement structure, while replacing the interior bore wall of the first iteration steps (a) through (h) with an interior surface of a lining defined by the lining segments of the reinforcement structure. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein the lining defined by the lining segments of the reinforcement structure is fabricated from a material to which the concrete of the secondary reinforcement structure does not bond. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17  wherein the lining defined by the lining segments of the reinforcement structure is fabricated from a material that is sufficiently smooth to permit relative slidable movement between concrete of the secondary reinforcement structure and the lining under seismic activity. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 16  comprising assembling one or more reinforcement bar lattices which are encased in the concrete of the secondary reinforcement structure and wherein the one or more reinforcement bar lattices extend axially across a transition between two or more axially adjacent reinforcement structure segments of the secondary reinforcement structure. 
     
     
         20 . A system for providing a lined reinforcement structure that covers at least a portion of an interior wall of a bore, the system comprising:
 a plurality of axially extending lining segments;   a bracing station shaped for axial movement along the bore, the bracing station comprising one or more formwork components coupled to one or more brace mechanisms for bracing the formwork components against forces directed inwardly from the interior bore wall, the one or more brace mechanisms moveable between extended configurations wherein the formwork components are closer to the interior bore wall and retracted configurations wherein the formwork components are further from the interior bore wall, wherein bracing station is configured to engage one of the axial lining segments when its brace mechanisms are in their extended configurations such that the one of the axial lining segments moves axially along the bore with the bracing station and to release, and to move independently of, the one of the axial lining segments when its brace mechanisms are in their retracted configurations; and   an axial movement mechanism to move the bracing station axial within the bore.   
     
     
         21 . A system according to  claim 20  wherein the bracing station is operable to engage the one of the lining segments, and the axial movement mechanism is operable to move the bracing station and the one of the lining segments axially along the bore to a desired axial location whereupon a corresponding reinforcement structure segment is fabricated by introducing liquid concrete into a space between the interior bore wall and the one of the lining segments and allowing the concrete in the space to cure. 
     
     
         22 . A system according to  claim 21  wherein the bracing station is operable to release, and move axially within the bore independently of, the one of the lining segments once the concrete of the reinforcement structure segment cures by adjusting the one or more brace mechanisms to their retracted configurations. 
     
     
         23 . A system according to  claim 20  wherein each of the one or more brace mechanisms is coupled to a corresponding one of the one or more formwork components such that movement of each of the one or more brace mechanisms to its extended configuration positions its corresponding formwork component at a location that is closer to the interior bore wall and movement of each of the one or more brace mechanisms to its retracted configuration positions its corresponding formwork component at a location that is further from the interior bore wall. 
     
     
         24 . A system according to  claim 20  wherein the bracing station is configured to engage the one of the lining segments when its brace mechanisms are in their extended configurations by deforming at least a portion the one of the lining segments, such that resilient deformation forces tend to couple the one of the lining segments to the bracing station. 
     
     
         25 . A system according to  claim 20  wherein the bracing station is configured to engage the one of the lining segments when its brace mechanisms are in their extended configurations by exerting pressure from the one or more formwork components on the one of the lining segments to thereby form a pressure fit between the formwork components and the one of the lining segments. 
     
     
         26 . A system according to  claim 20  comprising one or more anchors which are coupleable to the one of the lining segments and which extend from the one of the lining segments toward the interior bore wall, the one or more anchors comprising one or more corresponding anchoring components at locations spaced apart from the one of the lining segments such that concrete at least partially encases the one or more anchoring components when the concrete cures. 
     
     
         27 . A system according to  claim 20  comprising a working platform which is coupleable to the bracing station to support workers, thereby allowing the workers to perform work in the bore. 
     
     
         28 . A system according to  claim 27  comprising a platform axial movement mechanism for moving the working platform independently of the bracing station. 
     
     
         29 . A reinforcement structure for reinforcing covering and reinforcing at least a portion of an interior wall of a bore, the reinforcement structure comprising:
 a plurality of axially abutting reinforcement structure segments fabricated from concrete, each of the reinforcement structure segments covering a corresponding portion of the interior bore wall;   a lining comprising a plurality of axially abutting lining segments fabricated from a non-cementitious material, each of the lining segments shaped to provide at least a portion of an interior surface of a corresponding reinforcement structure segment;   a plurality of anchors which are coupled to the lining segments and which extend from the lining segments toward the interior bore wall for anchoring the lining segments to the reinforcement structure segments;   wherein transitions between axially abutting lining segments are offset from transitions between axially abutting reinforcement structure segments.   
     
     
         30 . A reinforcement structure according to  claim 29  wherein the transitions between axially abutting lining segments are offset from the transitions between axially abutting reinforcement structure segments by a length that is greater than 5% of the axial dimension of the lining segments. 
     
     
         31 . A reinforcement structure according to  claim 29  wherein a first subset of the plurality of anchors extends axially across a transition between a first one of the plurality of reinforcement structure segments and an axially adjacent second one of the plurality of reinforcement structure segments and anchors one or more of the plurality of lining structure segments to the first and second reinforcement structure segments 
     
     
         32 . A reinforcement structure according to  claim 29  wherein a first subset of the plurality of anchors extends axially across a transition between a first one of the plurality of lining segments and an axially adjacent second one of the plurality of lining segments and is coupled to both the first and second lining segments. 
     
     
         33 . A reinforcement structure according to  claim 29  comprising a rebar lattice that extends axially across a transition between a first one of the plurality of reinforcement structure segments and an axially adjacent second one of the plurality of reinforcement structure segments. 
     
     
         34 . A reinforcement structure according to  claim 29  wherein the concrete used to fabricate each of the reinforcement structure segments cures at different times.