Sleeve Device For Increasing Shear Capacity

Abstract

A sleeve device for increasing shear capacity of a reinforced concrete slab includes a hollow member, stud members, and head members. The hollow member is positioned on and fastened to a bottom formwork defining the reinforced concrete slab. The hollow member creates a void in the reinforced concrete slab. The stud members are connected to opposing sides of the hollow member directly or using connectors. A first stud member is connected to an upper portion of the hollow member and oriented in a downward direction. A second stud member is connected to a lower portion of the hollow member and oriented in an upward direction. The head members are operably coupled to distal ends of the stud members and embedded in the reinforced concrete slab. The head members transfer shear forces across the sleeve device through an interaction between the head members and the concrete surrounding the stud members.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A sleeve device for increasing shear capacity of a reinforced concrete slab, said sleeve device comprising:
 a hollow member positioned on and fastened to a bottom formwork defining said reinforced concrete slab, said hollow member comprising an inner space configured to create a void in said reinforced concrete slab by pouring of concrete around an outer wall of said hollow member;   stud members connected to opposing sides of said hollow member, wherein a first of said stud members is connected to an upper portion of said hollow member and oriented in a downward direction, and wherein a second of said stud members is connected to a lower portion of said hollow member and oriented in an upward direction; and   head members operably coupled to distal ends of said stud members and embedded in said reinforced concrete slab, said head members configured to transfer shear forces through an interaction between said head members and said concrete surrounding said stud members, wherein when said shear forces are transferred across said sleeve device, said sleeve device increases said shear capacity in said reinforced concrete slab and compensates for a loss of said shear capacity in said reinforced concrete slab.   
     
     
         2 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said shear forces within said reinforced concrete slab are transferred from said reinforced concrete slab to a first of said head members on one of said opposing sides of said hollow member through an internal bearing stress at said first of said head members and then as a tension from said first of said head members to said first of said stud members, wherein said tension in said first of said stud members is transferred through said hollow member to said second of said stud members on another of said opposing sides of said hollow member, and then to a second of said head members, and wherein after receiving said transferred tension, said second of said head members transfers said shear forces through an internal bearing stress at said second of said head members to one of a reinforced concrete column, a slab, and a support. 
     
     
         3 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said stud members are bent headed studs affixed to said opposing sides of said hollow member, wherein said bent headed studs are configured to transfer tension to and from said hollow member. 
     
     
         4 . The sleeve device of  claim 3 , wherein said head members are bent stud heads operably coupled to said distal ends of said bent headed studs and embedded in said reinforced concrete slab, wherein said bent stud heads are configured to transfer said shear forces through an interaction between said bent stud heads and said concrete surrounding said bent headed studs. 
     
     
         5 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said stud members are bent plates affixed to said opposing sides of said hollow member, wherein said bent plates are configured to transfer tension to and from said hollow member. 
     
     
         6 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said stud members are corrugated plates affixed to said opposing sides of said hollow member, wherein said corrugated plates are configured to transfer tension to and from said hollow member. 
     
     
         7 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said stud members are straight headed studs affixed to said opposing sides of said hollow member, wherein said straight headed studs are configured to transfer tension to and from said hollow member. 
     
     
         8 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said stud members are bent reinforcing bars affixed to said opposing sides of said hollow member, wherein said bent reinforcing bars are configured to transfer tension to and from said hollow member. 
     
     
         9 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said head members are configured in multiple shapes to generate tensile stresses in said stud members. 
     
     
         10 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said hollow member is one of a generally cylindrical shape, a cubic shape, a cuboidal shape, and an octagonal shape. 
     
     
         11 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein a cross section of said hollow member is of a geometric shape comprising at least one of a circular shape, a square shape, a rectangular shape, and an octagonal shape. 
     
     
         12 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said hollow member, said stud members, and said head members are of predefined sizes configured to accommodate different opening sizes of said void and structural capacities of said reinforced concrete slab. 
     
     
         13 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said stud members are further configured to be rotated and repositioned to transfer tension to and from said stud members and said hollow member in a plurality of directions. 
     
     
         14 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said stud members are directly welded to said opposing sides of said hollow member. 
     
     
         15 . The sleeve device of  claim 1 , wherein said stud members are connected to said opposing sides of said hollow member using connectors. 
     
     
         16 . A sleeve device for increasing shear capacity of a reinforced concrete slab, said sleeve device comprising:
 a hollow member positioned on and fastened to a bottom formwork defining said reinforced concrete slab, said hollow member comprising an inner space configured to create a void in said reinforced concrete slab by pouring of concrete around an outer wall of said hollow member;   bent headed studs connected to opposing sides of said hollow member, wherein a first of said bent headed studs is connected to an upper portion of said hollow member and oriented in a downward direction, and wherein a second of said bent headed studs is connected to a lower portion of said hollow member and oriented in an upward direction; and   bent stud heads operably coupled to distal ends of said bent headed studs and embedded in said reinforced concrete slab, said bent stud heads configured to transfer shear forces through an interaction between said bent stud heads and said concrete surrounding said bent headed studs, wherein when said shear forces are transferred across said sleeve device, said sleeve device increases said shear capacity in said reinforced concrete slab and compensates for a loss of said shear capacity in said reinforced concrete slab.   
     
     
         17 . The sleeve device of  claim 16 , wherein said shear forces within said reinforced concrete slab are transferred from said reinforced concrete slab to a first of said bent stud heads on one of said opposing sides of said hollow member through an internal bearing stress at said first of said bent stud heads and then as a tension from said first of said bent stud heads to said first of said bent headed studs, wherein said tension in said first of said bent headed studs is transferred through said hollow member to said second of said bent headed studs on another of said opposing sides of said hollow member, and then to a second of said bent stud heads, and wherein after receiving said transferred tension, said second of said bent stud heads transfers said shear forces through an internal bearing stress at said second of said bent stud heads to one of a reinforced concrete column, a slab, and a support. 
     
     
         18 . The sleeve device of  claim 16 , wherein said hollow member is one of a generally cylindrical shape, a cubic shape, a cuboidal shape, and an octagonal shape. 
     
     
         19 . The sleeve device of  claim 16 , wherein a cross section of said hollow member is of a geometric shape comprising at least one of a circular shape, a square shape, a rectangular shape, and an octagonal shape. 
     
     
         20 . The sleeve device of  claim 16 , wherein said hollow member, said bent headed studs, and said bent stud heads are of predefined sizes configured to accommodate different opening sizes of said void and structural capacities of said reinforced concrete slab. 
     
     
         21 . The sleeve device of  claim 16 , wherein said bent stud heads are configured in multiple shapes to generate tensile stresses in said bent headed studs. 
     
     
         22 . The sleeve device of  claim 16 , wherein said bent headed studs are further configured to be rotated and repositioned to transfer tension to and from said stud members and said hollow member in a plurality of directions. 
     
     
         23 . The sleeve device of  claim 16 , wherein said bent headed studs are directly welded to said opposing sides of said hollow member. 
     
     
         24 . The sleeve device of  claim 16 , wherein said bent headed studs are connected to said opposing sides of said hollow member using connectors. 
     
     
         25 . A method for increasing shear capacity of a reinforced concrete slab, said method comprising:
 providing a sleeve device comprising:
 a hollow member comprising an inner space; 
 stud members connected to opposing sides of said hollow member, wherein a first of said stud members is connected to an upper portion of said hollow member and oriented in a downward direction, and wherein a second of said stud members is connected to a lower portion of said hollow member and oriented in an upward direction; and 
 head members operably coupled to distal ends of said stud members and embedded in said reinforced concrete slab; 
   positioning and fastened said sleeve device to a bottom formwork defining said reinforced concrete slab;   creating a void in said reinforced concrete slab using said hollow member of said sleeve device by pouring concrete around an outer wall of said hollow member;   transferring shear forces from within said reinforced concrete slab to a first of said head members on one of said opposing sides of said hollow member through an internal bearing stress at said first of said head members;   transferring said internal bearing stress from said first of said head members to said first of said stud members as a tension;   transferring said tension from said first of said stud members through said hollow member to said second of said stud members on another of said opposing sides of said hollow member;   transferring said tension from said second of said stud members to a second of said head members; and   transferring said shear forces to one of a reinforced concrete column, a slab, and a support through an internal bearing stress at said second of said head members,   after receiving said transferred tension in said second of said head members, wherein when said shear forces are transferred across said sleeve device, said sleeve device increases said shear capacity in said reinforced concrete slab and compensates for a loss of said shear capacity in said reinforced concrete slab.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said head members of said sleeve device are configured to transfer said shear forces through an interaction between said head members and said concrete surrounding said stud members of said sleeve device. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said stud members of said sleeve device are bent headed studs affixed to said opposing sides of said hollow member, wherein said bent headed studs are configured to transfer said tension to and from said hollow member. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said head members of said sleeve device are bent stud heads operably coupled to said distal ends of said bent headed studs and embedded in said reinforced concrete slab, wherein said bent stud heads are configured to transfer shear forces through an interaction between said bent stud heads and said concrete surrounding said bent headed studs. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said stud members of said sleeve device are one of bent plates, corrugated plates, straight headed studs, and bent reinforcing bars affixed to said opposing sides of said hollow member to transfer said tension to and from said hollow member of said sleeve device. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said head members of said sleeve device are configured in multiple shapes to generate tensile stresses in said stud members. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said hollow member of said sleeve device is one of a generally cylindrical shape, a cubic shape, a cuboidal shape, and an octagonal shape. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein a cross section of said hollow member of said sleeve device is of a geometric shape comprising at least one of a circular shape, a square shape, a rectangular shape, and an octagonal shape. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said hollow member, said stud members, and said head members of said sleeve device are of predefined sizes configured to accommodate different opening sizes of said void and structural capacities of said reinforced concrete slab. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising rotating and repositioning said stud members to transfer said tension to and from said stud members and said hollow member in a plurality of directions.